[WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

[Scamps]

I'll seek assistance to address this issue

Code: [Select]

    needItem: true
    destroyItem: true
seems to do the job

[blackwolf]

Code: [Select]

    needItem: true
    destroyItem: true
seems to do the job

You are absolutely correct; this was indeed the culprit. I've already begun working on fixing the problem, and in theory, it's a relatively straightforward solution that needs to be applied to approximately 50 research topics.

I'm also nearing the completion of the folder restructuring process, with only a small fraction of files left to rename and the path rerouting in the .rul files to the new folders.

While I won't be able to dedicate the entire weekend to the mod (Real life business) and due to the unexpected rollout of the previous patch (spurred by the drones CTD issue, thanks to your report), I prefer not to rush out a quick patch today, only to release another one on Tuesday or Wednesday when I complete the other task. I consider this change a significant milestone, as it will significantly accelerate the pace of adding new equipment and sprites to the mod.

For the time being, I kindly ask to all players patience and honesty. I recommend avoiding this exploit by researching any live alien ONCE and then selling or disposing the prisoner manually. This temporary measure will remain in place for a few more days until I patch this issue. However, should there be any other critical bugs requiring a hotfix, I'll likely bundle this fix with that one.

Thanks again for all your reports, it helps me inmensely.

Good hunting and happy weekend!.

[Scamps]

Please do not rush development. That's a WIP and free mod. You are under no obligation to players. Anyway, a bit of feedback.

- Ufo shot down over water. Crash on mission start.
- Personal armor is not equippable by any soldier type, it seems.
- Balance: Ammo cost in alloys (and to a lesser degree in fragments) is really high. For example, smallest ufo crash grants 8 alloys, which is enough for 4 hybrid rifle clips. Is it intended? Chem ammo or alien weapons seem the best way to go currently. If it is not intended, and problem lies with fractional costs, there is posibility to manufacture several clips at once (see piratez, for example).

[blackwolf]

Please do not rush development. That's a WIP and free mod. You are under no obligation to players. Anyway, a bit of feedback.

1- Ufo shot down over water. Crash on mission start.
2- Personal armor is not equippable by any soldier type, it seems.
3- Balance: Ammo cost in alloys (and to a lesser degree in fragments) is really high. For example, smallest ufo crash grants 8 alloys, which is enough for 4 hybrid rifle clips. Is it intended? Chem ammo or alien weapons seem the best way to go currently. If it is not intended, and problem lies with fractional costs, there is posibility to manufacture several clips at once (see piratez, for example).

Hello there, Scamps! Thanks once again for your invaluable feedback and your kind words of encouragement. I truly appreciate your time and cant state enough how much that helps to the mod's development. I wholeheartedly understand your concern, but i really want to improve about maintaining a consistent update schedule, I'm committed to avoiding long periods without progress. Having seven months go by with nothing to show is something I definitely don't want to repeat.


Now, addressing the issues you've reported:

1. Water Missions:

Spoiler:

You're absolutely right; water missions should not be generated, and water splashing should retain the 'vanilla behavior' without creating a landing site as previous change intentions was VISUAL ONLY. The inclusion of underwater missions is entirely outside the scope of the current iteration of the mod. I will resolve this issue and, in the meantime, add a disclaimer advising players to disregard any 'water crashing' as it will lead to a CTD, given that there are no assigned maps.

2. Personal Armors:

Spoiler:

I apologize for the reintroduction of the bug in personal armors. This occurred when I attempted to enhance the manufacturing name coherence. The fix will be included in the next patch. Your consistent bug hunting is greatly appreciated.

3. Resource Drought:

Spoiler:

Your observation regarding resource scarcity in the game's current state is correct. I've been running the mod in debug mode to ensure that things function as intended, which regrettably led me to overlook certain aspects. I haven't been able to play a full campaign for quite some time, which is a concern. In earlier patches, I hadn't encountered material shortages, but I am aware that I've increased costs. However, I haven't made any changes related to the gathering of primary resources.

At the moment, my primary focus is on restructuring the foundation of the mod. As I mentioned before, months of haphazard work have led to a fragile structure, and I'm determined to build a solid foundation before making further improvements. Once this foundation is established, I'll be in a better position to address stuff like 'name references' more efficiently. Currently, many changes are within the realm of string text only, leading to discrepancies where an item is named 'A,' referenced as 'B,' and its sprites and artwork are labeled 'C.' This has indeed made balancing a daunting task that I've been reluctant to tackle.

With these structural changes in place, my next patches will focus on the much-needed cleanup and restructuring of the .RUL files, all while keeping quality of life improvements and balance in mind. I sincerely appreciate your suggestion regarding bundle manufacturing. Unfortunately, I haven't implemented some of the features from OXCE that would make the mod easier to manage. I've admittedly generated quite a bit of technical debt, which is currently my top priority. Balancing is well within the mod's priority scope, and you can expect changes in resource requirements, resource production, item prices, weights, and more.

Thank you once again for your invaluable input.

[blackwolf]

ADVICE:

Further testing revealed that all the changes made to the new planes rendered the update incompatible with ongoing campaigns. Unfortunately, this means you might need to start over again. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but I needed to make these changes in order to address current issues with the Dragonfly and to enhance the Firefly in the upcoming patches.

I'm considering creating a temporary hotfix to revert the plane changes, allowing you to continue your playthrough without further issues.

Hello everyone, I'd like to share the latest updates for the mod, which includes more restructuring of the mod's folders. This process is going smoothly, and I've successfully reorganized all the folders related to UnitSprites and WeaponSprites. Moreover, I've restructured and reordered all the relevant categories in the Rul files. This restructuring effort is already proving to be beneficial, as it has enabled me to implement some changes for weapon sprites that I've been eager to add for some time.

The only remaining task to complete this work is renaming the images to create a more coherent nomenclature. I initially planned to address this much later, but it appears that I can tackle it now.

Additionally, I've resolved several critical bugs, and I want to extend a special thanks to Scamps for bringing them to my attention. These fixes will result in considerably fewer CTDs, enhancing the overall stability of the mod.

Additionally, for those looking to update, i'll like to remind you to please follow these instructions:

1. ALWAYS Delete your previous XenoOperation FOLDER.
2. Replace it with the newer file from this post (or from the portal).

While simply unzipping and overwriting the old folder might work, it can lead to a bloated number of files, which is best avoided. 



Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to improving the mod. Your feedback and bug reports are invaluable in enhancing the XenoOperation experience. Stay tuned for more updates, and happy gaming!

Installation:

**To properly run the mod, you'll need an OXCE installation (currently version 7.8.7 at the time of finishing this post).
** BRUTAL AI MOD by Xilmi is highly recommended, and at this point, I consider it a must-have. I encourage you to check it out.

- Download the file from the site XOPS LEGACY by Blackwolf in MOD.io Portal or the file attached (the difference in size is irrelevant, its the same , just that i found a way to better compress it and evade the size limitation in the forum)
- Unzip and Drop the content inside your MOD folder.
- When updating from previous versions of the mod, it's recommended to delete the old folder completely (rather than simply overwriting it) and use the newer version, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED (for hotfixes and patches).


Changelog:

Spoiler:

v.097.03 LE changelog:

Various Changes:
- Adjusted numerous references as result of the folder reorganization, such as renaming SOVEREIGNS from 'Overlord'.
- Replaced all 'Archangel' references with 'OVERLORD.'
- Renamed all references to roachers into Formics, which was relatively straightforward compared to the overlord case.
- Applied similar adjustments to 'Dragonfly.'
- Made equivalent changes to weapons and ammunition of Tier 1.
- Modified deployment in Cydonia to ensure there are no 'helmet-less' enemies, aligning better with the lore.
- Cydonia Elite Guards are now the most formidable foes.
- Muton Enforcers are now accompanied by Black Sectopods, even more dangerous than their common 'blue-ish' counterparts.
- Reordered the position of ships in lists and ufopaedia.
- Reorganized the soldier 'type' as follows:
  * "Doggos"
  * "Basic Soldiers"
  * "The Other Types"
    ° This will help when reordering your troops by types in the base interface.
   
   
Enhanced Descriptions:
- Included additional descriptions related to the CODEX, like corrupted files.
- Corrected some commendation errors and improved spacing, with more in-depth revisions required.

Sprites Changes:
- Altered the avatar background of the Menu in the battlescape to match the rest of the interface.
- During combat, you can click the middle button for an enemy preview. This preview now includes sprite and held weapons and boasts a user-friendly interface, inspired by Neoworm's previous work. It also adheres to the same color palette as the rest of the menus.
- Slightly retouched the sprite of the SMG Hybrid, Uzi Hybrid, Hybrid Rifle, and PDW Hybrid in the magazine area to better resemble their respective cartridges.
- Slightly modified the Hybrid Rifle cartridge.
- Adjusted the position of the LMG Hybrid.
- Tweaked the SMG Rail position.
- Additionally, repositioned the Rail Rifle.
- Rearranged the Pistol Plasma position.
- Tweaked the Heavy Plasma Pistol position.
- Recolored the images in the ufopedia for Sectopods to match their sprites in battle.
- Modified the Rocket Launcher sprite to maintain consistency with the mod's general artwork. The base is taken from X-Files and was further refined.
- Tweaked the sprites for the Grenade Launcher, where ammunition is now depicted as grenades in a drum. The floor-ob is ready, while the hand-ob still needs refinement. All assets are also sourced from X-Files.

Tweaked:
- Hopefully this first sweep of the drop rate of materials will help aleviate somewhat the ammount of resources aviable until a more intricate balance is done
  * Significantly increased the amount of materials produced by breakdown projects. Remember to interact with this feature, as each component can be reduced to more basic components. The next step is improving manufacturing projects to create ammo in bundles, this change will take some time.
  * Additionally, more breakdown projects will be added for various items (e.g., mechanical cadavers for parts or alien weapons for materials). This comes with increased costs and time requirements to maintain balance.
  * Reduced the cost of manufacturing and replicating A-Alloys.

Bugfixes:
- Finally resolved the issue of duplicated interrogations, thanks to Scamps for finding the solution.
- The problem with Personal Armor not being equipable has been fixed this time, I swear!
- The drone scanner sprite issue has been corrected, and it is now correctly centered.
- Fixed an issue where the Sectopod kill medal wasn't being awarded correctly.
- Addressed a problem with the background 7 not displaying correctly (i found the solution in another thread, thanks to Alex_D for commenting it).
- Darkened the tones of various backgrounds slightly to enhance visual appeal.
- 'Splish-splash, no more water crash', UFOs can not longer create crash sites on water, thanks Efrenespartano for the help.
- Corrected an incorrect reference to 'Firefly' in the ufopedia; it should mention 'DRAGONFLY.'

[Scamps]

Besides Dragonfly and Firefly is there anything else save-breaking? If have neither, should it be OK?

While breaking saves...
I hate to break it to you, but...
in Manufacture.rul replace STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR_TAN with STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR. Worked for me.
//That's what you get for testing with debug (Sorry for trolling, can't help myself. Great work, actually!)


Edit: Please ignore above comment, downloaded from poral, which had version 0.97.02

[blackwolf]

Besides Dragonfly and Firefly is there anything else save-breaking? If have neither, should it be OK?

Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, only a few things have been renamed. If you haven't loaded a save during a battlescape mission, you can 'safely' continue your playthrough. The only catch is that you might need to repurchase the Dragonfly plane. This could range from being a minor annoyance to potentially breaking your campaign. For instance, imagine you updated, and your most recent save file has an active terror site mission on the map. Having to skip this mission could spiral out of control and jeopardize your progress.

The issue I'm currently facing is that I'm working diligently on reorganizing the folders. However, the next logical step, which involves renaming most of the item references, has to be postponed.
To give you an example:

Spoiler:

X WEAPONS (tier 2) are currently named HVweapon in the files, while HYPER VELOCITY (fifth tier) is called TFweapon. It gets even more complicated when I started changing the 'resource names' (the PNG pictures). They don't correspond in any way, so every time I have to make changes or adjustments, I need to cross-reference with another file to ensure I'm dealing with the correct item.

My problem with this is that fixing it would cause many items to 'disappear' until you rebuild them(again, potentially crippling your campaign). So, it's not a problem that can be solved with multiple patches as it would render the game unplayable, forcing you to restart your campaign every two weeks. Therefore, it's become an 'all or nothing' change. Either I sit down and painstakingly focus in correct hundreds of items in a short frame of time , so i don't disrupt the development of the mod (and stick to the releases schedules)  or ignore it and do my best in their current situation.

The most sensible solution I've come up with is neither of the above. Instead, I'm focusing on 'reordering' every item in groups. This way, even if I come across something with a weird or unfamiliar reference, its position on the my semi-coherent list would give me clues about what it's referencing.

In summary, correcting these issues would render the mod unplayable, so I'm trying my best to create the most coherent library possible. Afterward, I'll shift my focus back to adding new features and content that are waiting to be included. I hope this decision won't come back to haunt me later on.

[Scamps]

Have not played new version much, so no useful feedback.

Just wanted to say (as a bit of a developer): break saves while you can, don't make your job harder. Also now is the perfect timing, you broke them already last patch

If you feel very generous, you can write some script to update saves

[blackwolf]

Exciting News about the Upcoming Update:

As mentioned earlier, the focus of the upcoming update was on restructuring the folders and file locations of various elements within the mod. I'm thrilled to announce that this task has been successfully completed. The effort has already yielded positive results, allowing me to address dozens of bugs and correct the misuse of certain sprites and sound files. While working on sound files, I stumbled upon an amazing mod that enhances sound quality and variety. Taking the opportunity to elevate the gaming experience, I decided to replace almost every sound effect present in the mod.

In the next patch, you can expect more crisp and unique shot effects for every weapon tier. Weapons will now vary more between members of the same tier, providing a richer and more immersive auditory experience. New alien death screams, walking effects, and other enhancements have also been added. While there's room for further improvements, I'm pleased to scratch this off my to-do list for the foreseeable future.

Regarding the to-do list, as mentioned earlier, I've begun the translation process, and it will be incorporated into future iterations of the mod. This serves as a somewhat indicative roadmap of the mod's future. Of course, plans might evolve, and some features may or may not make it into the final version. Nevertheless, having a general idea of the intended direction of the mod is valuable.

Considering that this patch primarily focused on backend and under-the-hood changes, I decided to include some additional content to provide a tangible sense of progress. I addressed MAPS errors that were leading to unpleasant situations in the game. Special thanks to efrenespartano for guiding me through the process. I've updated the first two transports, and there are two alternative versions of the Firefly that I'm still contemplating. However, I encountered a challenge with the map modifications for the cruisers and cargo ships terror site maps, notorious for causing CTD issues with my planes. While I have a general idea of the changes needed to fix this problem, it might take a couple of extra days. Hence, I've opted to delay the update slightly to ensure I can address this issue promptly. I believe it's well worth the wait.

With nothing else to add, I hope you are enjoying the mod. As always, feedback is highly welcomed and appreciated, as it plays a crucial role in improving the mod.

Thank you all, and happy hunting!

[Finnik]

I like that craft art. Any plans to make that turret playable on battlescape like one we have in W40?

[blackwolf]

Have not played new version much, so no useful feedback.

Just wanted to say (as a bit of a developer): break saves while you can, don't make your job harder. Also now is the perfect timing, you broke them already last patch

If you feel very generous, you can write some script to update saves

Its okay, take your time, As for the potentially game-breaking update plan, the challenge lies in the fact that there are thousands of objects, enemies, and resources that require renaming. I can't pinpoint the exact duration it would take, but I'm certain it won't be feasible within a single patch. To tackle this effectively, my current strategy is to establish a separate fork where I can make these modifications without disrupting the main updates. Once the process is complete, I'll seamlessly integrate the changes, eliminating the need to restart campaigns with each successive patch.

I like that craft art. Any plans to make that turret playable on battlescape like one we have in W40?

I didn't have any plans related to it, but it sounds interesting. I haven't learned how to do it yet, but I might explore that idea later. For now, it'll be a dummy barrel.

I'm glad you like the plane. As always, if you (or anyone, for that matter) wishes to use it, you are more than free to do so. In the end, I made it using tons of assets created by other people who are more talented than myself.

For now, the next update is on hold until I manage to resolve some issues I have with map generation. I've successfully edited and made the desired changes, but I'm struggling to define the 'landing zone' for your plane troops. Once I figure this out, I'll be able to solve a longstanding bug since the first update when I installed the CMP map and the cruise ships terror mission.

[blackwolf]

Quick Notice:
All problems solved, the teasers stay anyways

Incoming walltext, beware! (simply scroll down if you want to avoid my mumbling)

Spoiler:

I'm thrilled to present the latest update for the mod. Before diving into the changes, I want to shed light on a couple of decisions. As I've emphasized in the past, this mod began as a personal project, and many additions were made without meticulous tracking. Unfortunately, this led to a state where numerous assets, sprites, and even the XCOM 2012 soundtrack got incorporated without clear attribution. To rectify this, and to streamline the mod's size, I've removed the XCOM 2012 tracks. This change serves a dual purpose, making the mod more transparent for use with various music packs available on the Mod Portal. Some of these options are fantastic (I'm currently using USING THIS ONE ), and they rightfully deserve recognition, traffic, and upvotes. It felt unfair to simply bundle them into my mod, also considering their size and potential installation complexities.

Now, on to the exciting news—the restructuring of the folders is seemingly complete. This allows me to focus on more enhancements without the hassle of searching for assets. The restructure has already borne fruit. I've added improved sound effects from the HQSounds pack by Daedalus. Unlike music packs, integrating this required some tweaking, which is why I opted to include it directly. Now, almost all weapons have distinct effects—shooting or hitting. Aliens have received enhancements, reacting with sounds when in the presence of XCOM soldiers. Dogs now have improved sound cues during attacks, aiding in understanding if a bite landed.

Additionally, I've made necessary corrections to the Dragonfly. Those ceiling holes are history, the turbines are now elevated, and starting positions for soldiers received tweaks.

The Firefly underwent a complete facelift, with better tile sprites enhancing the graphical design. Gameplay changes include a three-tile-wide cargo space, providing increased firepower when needed. However, the tight formation could be a hindrance, so lateral doors have been added for additional exit routes.

Now, the less favorable news. Despite extensive efforts in map work, I couldn't determine how crafts spawn in some maps. This resulted in reverting changes made to landing pads on cruisers/cargo ships to go back to a bary functional level with all the previous problems unsolved (Landing the Dragonfly on a cargo ship guarantees a CTD, cruisers don't spawn the craft, making missions involving line cruisers ships non-retreatable). This is a top priority for resolution, and any assistance would be greatly appreciated as this area proved too complicated for me.
Despite these challenges, I find modifying maps enjoyable, thanks to all those days spent playing city builders so expect some big changes related to this in the future.

Thank you for your continued support, and any feedback or assistance in the map-scripting department would be highly valuable. Happy gaming!

Installation:

**To properly run the mod, you'll need an OXCE installation (currently version 7.8.7 at the time of finishing this post).
** BRUTAL AI MOD by Xilmi is highly recommended, and at this point, I consider it a must-have. I encourage you to check it out.

- Download the file from the site XOPS LEGACY by Blackwolf in MOD.io Portal or the file attached (the difference in size is irrelevant, its the same , just that i found a way to better compress it and evade the size limitation in the forum)
- Unzip and Drop the content inside your MOD folder.
- When updating from previous versions of the mod, it's recommended to delete the old folder completely (rather than simply overwriting it) and use the newer version, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED (for hotfixes and patches).

Spoiler:

Version 0.97.04 LE Changelog:

**Map Tweaks:**
- Made changes to a substantial number of maps:
  * The Dragonfly finally got corrected , desing recieved some additional improvements.
  * The Firefly got completely redesigned.
- XCOM BASE maps got some minor corrections and improvements (a prelude for an upcoming change that will significantly enhance the appearance of the XCOM base).
  - Some sections now have computers with moving sprites, including beeping screens.
  - The security station has the white picket fence replaced with something substantially better (temporary change until the complete overhaul of the XCOM base).

**Tweaks:**
- Successfully completed the restructuring of the RESOURCES folder, streamlining the workflow for implementing new elements.
- Added temporary ufopedia images to eliminate any blank/black spaced entries, although further artwork improvements are planned.
- Changed the floorsprite of Elerium to enhance visual coherence (goodbye purple rubber ball, hello new ambar crystal)
- Made changes to some technologies relevant to power armor, eliminating references to the "power suit" and "flying suit" to avoid researching dead ends.
  * This resulted in moving the POWER ARMOR (Tier 5 XOPS armor) down the Codex path, to balance, now requires an extra research topic but prices are unchanged.
- Made adjustments to the SECTOPOD ELITE, a black variant of the standard sectopod, tweaking numbers for increased impact.
- Modified the buy/selling screen to display only "custom categories," improving navigation and readability.
- Improved Dagger ufopaedia description.
- Changed "QD" slot name to HOLSTER and modified the "belt" name to avoid any possible obstruction.
- Renamed transport ships and SR-71, adding some prefixes to follow a consistent nomenclature.
- Small quality of life improvement: enhanced the "daylight indicator" for better mission time representation.
- Improved the names of some items, ordnances, and explosives for distinct yet intuitive naming.
- Eliminated all traces of 2012 music to reduce mod size.
- Added more versions of improved sounds from the HQSounds mod by DAEDALUS to most weapons, aliens and effects.

- Bugfixes:
  - Resolved issues with dog sounds causing CTDs and providing better cues for dog attacks.
  - Returned the bulletsprite to the XPDW.
  - Ensured aliens cannot use explosives on the first turn.
  - Implemented changes to MAPSCRIPT files to potentially reduce starting mission CTDs.
  - Fixed handobs for various items.
  - Corrected names in some Muton variants.
  - Addressed an issue with the Amiga font not having the correct palette format.
  - Integrated changes from XROSS Visual Upgrade into the main geoboard menu.
  - Fixed errors in research paths for various items.
  - Resolved a problem related to duplicate final mission unlocks.
  - Used pedrothezeroTool to address acknowledged problems in VSC, improving mod stability.
  - Temporarily deactivated "gothic church" maps due to their inconsistent performance.

[EleriumWard]

Good evening.

I would like to inform you of an error I experienced while playing the game. Encountered an error right after finishing an Alien Base mission. OXCE is version 7.9.10. I am using the latest version of the mod. I have attached both the save file and the screenshot of the error. Hoping for a fix or at least an explanation for this error. Thanl you.

[blackwolf]

Good evening.

I would like to inform you of an error I experienced while playing the game. Encountered an error right after finishing an Alien Base mission. OXCE is version 7.9.10. I am using the latest version of the mod. I have attached both the save file and the screenshot of the error. Hoping for a fix or at least an explanation for this error. Thanl you.

Thank you very much, im gonna check this out when i arrive home later today.

Just to be sure, did you update the mod and then loaded a savegame wtih an already started mission? or did you updated, played a bit, THEN started the base raid and then got the CTD?.

[EleriumWard]

Good morning.

I updated the mod then started an already active mission from the previous version.