Think's Think Tank & Suggestions

[Dioxine]

Yeah I understand, but this is ultimately beyond help. You cannot eat a cookie and have it. It was meant as a mod for people who'd like a loooong campaign (and if they don't have enough, to be a random, thus replayable campaign). I will cut back on the most irritating bottlenecks where I can (the option to buy VIPs should help a ton already!), but new missions and new stuff will be added too; it cannot be helped that time investment will always be forbidding. But what is a bad thing for some, is a good thing for some others. I have long since accepted that I cannot have it both ways; nothing wrong with that IMO.

[The Think Tank]

I agree, a lot of the things that have recently been implemented have helped a lot, but as for VIPs, it is nice in thought to buy them, but don't you think that $125,000,000 is a bit expensive for a Cardinal? All I need to do is raid one of their bases and stun a single Cardinal to get the same thing, a Cardinal should probably be priced at $6,000,000-ish, otherwise it becomes so far out of reach that it will never be used. Unless you cheat I don't think I could ever get $125,000,000 within the length of an average campaign.

[legionof1]

If the intent of buying faction leaders is to compensate for bad rng i'm okay with the present pricing. My current run has gone a very long time with periods of no showing by certain factions. In my case i had to wait 4+ years to even see my first academy leader and that was on a hideout defense where field medic running out for a captive is not always a good idea. In a fortunate campaign sure you dont need the option and won't get to the money. But i have had about 2+ years of time at that amount of spare cash. And that was prior to the existence of the mansions which are a huge increase in available wealth.

[The Think Tank]

I don't know, I still think it might be too expensive, especially for those who may not have too much experience with the mod.

[Dioxine]

Better cost=$100M than infinity, right? It is improbable that people whine even about such handouts I don't think that's much money, at some point you really start a geometric inrease in that area. And yes naturally it is to compensate for potentially bad RNG. And to give some meaning to all that previously-useless mountains of cash. And probably most importantly, to give the player some sort of a goal when he's out of options.

[The Think Tank]

Sure, I guess I understand that. But my worry is that with the influx of new players, many of them may not be familiar with X-Com's playstyle, and so they will be far behind on research (because they aren't capturing enemies) and wouldn't be making enough money to buy any of these VIPs. Remember, most of us on these forums are X-Com veterans, but we also need to represent and help out the new players, people who have never heard of "turn-based strategy". I see your point Dioxine, and it is well-reasoned, but I think right now we are all expecting the player to just make millions and get 1k score every month. We also need to keep in mind the smaller players, and I think the people who would need to pay for the Cardinal the most, also aren't making as much money as needed to buy one. 

If you still disagree, that is perfectly okay, I can totally understand your stance.

[Arthanor]

Piratez is for people who have at the very least beat XCom a few times and captures are stated multiple times as being important. Moreover, if some player doesn't capture enemies and is being on tech because of it, they can easily start capturing enemies, since they will likely have a use for pretty much everything.

Don't confuse "fix for the RNG f*cking with you in endgame" (which is what this is intended for: giving you the last VIP that the game isn't making appear) with "fix for player who's unaware of the need/unwilling/unable to make capture on average missions". The main pathway to interrogations (captures in missions) works really well. There is no problem and, if a player doesn't know, then he will eventually learn. It is not until you narrow the list of necessary VIPs so far down that most random missions won't give you anything useful that this fix is needed. It needs to not be an alternative to captures in general, otherwise you just tell the player to skip a key element of missions.

[AncientSion]

If i may be so bold, instead of asking utupian level $$$ for VIPs, i would rather limit the amount of money you can make in the first place and reach "fair" fees that way.

I think there are some rather big imbalances in the game. Apart from money, which seems to be abundant, i also feel like Hellerium and especially Plastasteel are way too easily aquired. I would prefer them being awarded in smaller quantities from ship landings AND also increase PS need for vessels and ammunition. I think im regularly selling douzens of PS because im sitting on 400 - early to midgame that is.

[Dioxine]

Eh, that's a fool's errand I think. I don't have delusions of being able to exert such precise control. Also it is 100x more fun to get new ways to spend money than to be denied money through a ton of asinine regulations that I'd have to put in place to prevent this. Especially in a game which is supposed to be about epic wealth acquisition. And still, the only real way to prevent it would be through removing the industry, which can happen only over my dead body.

[AncientSion]

Well, its your mod. Fair enough