All those pinups

[Scorrpio]

I got a bit of a problem:  UAC documentation.  It is in the higher studies tree but unless I run into a rare spawn in a rare mission, data disks are the only source.   And in the past 3 months I got a grand total of one disk dropped.   Overall, I had maybe 14 disks over 17 months. Sure I can datamine them from personal DBs, the ones I got in stock will yield maybe 5 disks.  And sure, I could set runts to grind DBs and make discs at 7700 runt hours a pop, but first I am eliminating every tech I can get elsewhere.

Disks can yield almost 300 bits of info, but most of that info can be obtained elsewhere.   I am down to about 56 items, and vast majority of those are pinups: the tidbits of wisdom like "armor useful only to those who get hit".   And they dilute my chances of hitting the tech I need something crazy. 

The problem is it looks like those were designed as bits of wisdom for a starting player, not someone who is doing well enough to afford data mining.   Were disks supposed to be a more common thing?   Another problem is looks like pinups are unfinished.  I mean: pilots can give piloting pinups, voodoo guys can yield voodoo wisdom and medics got stuff about pain and such.   One would expect the likes of Ninja gals, Spartan riflemen or Church warmaidens to yield the combat ones.  Oh and it looks like some pinups such as the hideout song, are not obtainable at all...

[legionof1]

Data disks are somewhat the last ditch catch all by design, because the are manufacturable from nothing but time after a certain point in tech. Like buying interrogation captives it is not intended to be the ideal route but the exact opposite.

[Scorrpio]

That may be indeed so, but the whole part about data disks is what got me examining those 'pinup techs'.   So my question stands - if piloting, voodoo and medical ones are available from respective captives, why not the combat ones?    And while talking about that, those Nar'Lock Sky Ninjas ought to have SOME knowledge of their Gods.    (Purple Flower, I am looking at YOU)  If grinding the disks is not the intended route, then why so many things are available exclusively from them?   

[Dioxine]

These are Lokk'Naar gods, not Narlock gods, so Ninjas don't know about them.

Also, lots of Discs stuff is fodder by design, so you can't just powergame your way using them.

[Scorrpio]

Well, after my Gals helping them Lok'Narrs on a number of occasions, they could yield a 'sacred writ' per mission.   

Oh well...  the CPU core in factory base is almost ready.   Time to get powergaming...

[Solarius Scorch]

Well, after my Gals helping them Lok'Narrs on a number of occasions, they could yield a 'sacred writ' per mission.

I think it's planned... I think.

[Dioxine]

Yeah, long-planned and even already implemented for the next version. The trick is how not to encourage killing Lokk'Naars by giving them this item (and modifying maps is a no).

[Scorrpio]

Simple enough: put the item on the ground somewhere.  Preferably in a normally inaccessible spot.  All ground items are collected automatically if mission is won, right?

[Scorrpio]

Or, if you want to avoid duplicating NativeUrban 4x4, can add a Ninja Boss who will drop one (having already pilfered it from Loknarrs by the time you arrive)

[Scorrpio]

And also, revisiting the original post: a number of times here, asome question often gets a response: it's in BootyPedia!   But it looks like a heavy portion of useful general info is now locked behind the data disk mechanic.   I.e. 17 months into game and having researched every disk I found, I am yet to unlock the bit about F5/F9 inventory templates (#037) or the one about reactions check.  (#056) to name a few.   I understand the desire to 'fluff out' the disks but is it really the right material for that?  My suggestion would be load the disks instead with Solar Courier articles, maybe add a bunch of hints about profitable manufactures or obscure research requirements.  (I.e. "Full understanding of Gravity Physics will require shooting down a Bomber")  Or even some random fluff such as "this disk contained source code of something called OpenXCOM.  We need a ...few more weeks to fully understand this one"