Recommendation for Mods which work well together (general game upgrade)

[Leprechaun]

I'm new to the board, but have been playing XCom UFO Def for decades. Just yesterday I downloaded a collection of mods, but I have no idea if they will work together.

My suggestion is that someone put together a collection (or at least a recommendation list) of mods that work well together and provide a good general upgrade to the gameplay. Personally, I'm interested in new aliens, new techs, new alien ships, new missions, and new weapons. What I have read about fleshing out the soldiers with records and commendations also looks interesting.

It might be that if we help some newbies (like me) with a bootstrap, they would have more time to choose something they can contribute. (I programmed in C about 20 years ago. Maybe I still remember enough to help out?)

Question:  I primarily play using DosBox, copying a directory from a PC I had years ago. Is it possible to create a DOS version of the game and use DosBox to run it on Linux? I can compile everything for myself, but then I have less time to help out.

Thanks

[ivandogovich]

I'd recommend the FMP (Final Mod Pack) project as your best bet.  It tries to do everything you described.

Have you tried some of the linux builds? https://openxcom.org/downloads-milestones/

Cheers, Ivan

[Leprechaun]

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll try FMP first.

I have the Linux build loaded, but several of the mods indicated that users had to do the Linux builds on their own. It's not that I can't, but I prefer to use what works and work on what doesn't work, than spend time recreating what has been done. (I only have so much time for games, and I can either play them, fix them, or compile them. Fixing is good, but otherwise I'd rather play.)

[yrizoud]

Before mods, have you looked at the game's "gameplay settings" ? They already provide many gameplay variations that differ from vanilla XCOM, and they are sure to work together with no conflict.
You can list here the mods you intend to try out, people who know them can comment if they see an inconsistency.

[Yankes]

btw FMP is not compatible with current nightly build, you could compile it yourself that is compatible with FMP or wait until mod is updated to recent nightly.

[Leprechaun]

Any idea what build FMP is compatible with? I'd like to dive in to something, add the new ships and techs from FMP, and play a bit so I know what more I might want to do, perhaps even coding, if an old C (not ++) programmer has anything to contribute.

Primarily, I guess I'm concerned with how the PC version would work under DOSBox or Wine. I can compile, but I don't see the need if I can make it work adequately another way. (Besides, every time an u[grade came out that I wanted, I'd have to do all the recompile and bug fixing on my own.) And of course, someone already knows that's possible, impossible, a waste of time, or whatever. But I can't make a useful contribution until I've fiddled with it a bit first. So fiddling is the first thing on my list, which is why I want to know what build I need to get the FMP mod working as soon as possible.

[Harald_Gray]

Any idea what build FMP is compatible with?

The latest nightly I know to be compatible with FMP is 2014_11_17_1232. I play on windows, though.

[Leprechaun]

Hmmm ... Nightlies stop at Dec 7th, unless earlier ones are available elsewhere.

[Solarius Scorch]

Just so everyone knows, FMP is back on schedule.

[myk002]

also, compiling on Linux is dead simple.  end-to-end instructions here.

[HotIceHilda]

I maybe the odd one of the bunch I think some of the mods in the FMP are lacking in quality in times. There is a point where having over twenty different types of weapon just makes the game more cluttered than fun. Just don't install things from FMP willy nilly, check the thread about the original mod for more info about and etc.

[Solarius Scorch]

I maybe the odd one of the bunch I think some of the mods in the FMP are lacking in quality in times. There is a point where having over twenty different types of weapon just makes the game more cluttered than fun. Just don't install things from FMP willy nilly, check the thread about the original mod for more info about and etc.

I addressed it briefly in the FMP thread.