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Author Topic: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY  (Read 20214 times)

Offline Cristao

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #30 on: April 18, 2023, 10:52:50 pm »
Additional bug spotted with personal armour. I researched it but realised that I couldnt load it on my soldiers. I looked at these two files; Manufacture.rul and my savegame. The error appears to be in the manufacture.rul file which had the project making STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR_TAN versus STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR. I changed it to STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR in my savegame and I was able to load it on my soldiers. That worked. I have included snips showing what I did. I have commented the items that had the error.

Offline Cristao

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #31 on: April 20, 2023, 10:49:42 pm »
Crash number 3. A very large UFO had landed and my Goliath craft was about to land and boom crash. I tried replicating it and my game loaded properly. It looks like the fault is tied to the specific map in the snip.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2023, 10:53:23 pm by Cristao »

Offline EleriumWard

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #32 on: April 21, 2023, 06:57:11 pm »
Good evening. I would like to post about an issue an encountered. I manufactured a set of Personal Armor, but I cannot seem to equip them to any of my soldiers (Personal Armor does not appear on the armor screen). May I please know if you have any idea on what may be causing this? Thank you.

Offline Cristao

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #33 on: April 22, 2023, 05:02:49 pm »
Good evening. I would like to post about an issue an encountered. I manufactured a set of Personal Armor, but I cannot seem to equip them to any of my soldiers (Personal Armor does not appear on the armor screen). May I please know if you have any idea on what may be causing this? Thank you.

See my post above. I had the same bug. If you want to fix it yourself, you would need to make changes in your savegame and manufacture.rul. If you are not comfortable with doing that - share your savegame and I will make the changes there and re-upload it.

Offline Cristao

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #34 on: April 22, 2023, 06:13:33 pm »
Some Observations

Observation 1: I am in December. I have only had one CODEX key mission. Was the frequency once a year, once a quarter, once a month?

Observation 2: There are no UFOpedia entries for the Armoured Mutons.

Observation 3: Was it deliberate that we cant manufacture Flying Suit?

Observation 4: Crash when trying to view Power Suit inventory. See Snip below. Looks like it is not defined.

Observation 5: I noticed that CODEX 3 is a dependency for the Lightning. However it also requires a research called 'Hybrid'. I cant seem to find a way to get that.

I will pause playing this for now. I am currently researching the few remaining techs for Codex Stage 3. There is a bit of work to be done. So far it has been mostly a beautiful experience. I look forward to playing it further once it is further along.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2023, 12:29:40 pm by Cristao »

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #35 on: April 24, 2023, 10:39:55 pm »

Hi cristao, first of all, thank you very much for all your effort in the reports, it helps me inmensely and i really appreciate it:

Spoiler:
Found some missing labels and the game crashed. When I reloaded the save, the crash was not reproducible. I have attached the savegame just in case.

yeah one of my todo list is to streamline and put up all the strings, names, and descriptions, it helps me a lot to get those reported as im sure i missed a lot.

about the "sudden crashes" prior to mission starts, this is in someway related to my botched implementation of the CMP community patch, that was one of the very first changes i made on the mod so im pretty sure i made a lot of mistakes on it, im already in conversation with EFRENSPARTANO (one of the authors of the cmp )to figure out how to fix this, until then i ask my sincere apologies to any unintended problems caused by this, i still had to update the description in the first page to recommend players to excercise cautiion by making a save prior to start landing (the map selection is RNG based) so 99% of the time it works flawlessly, but in that 1% it happens to crash....but still i havent found a pattern to discern where this happens and thus pinpoint any solution.


Spoiler:
First, Second crash occurred. Middle mouse button clicked on enemy (snakeman) to check weapon and boom - crash. Attached snip. I looked at the folder location and realised the file is 'snakeman.png' not 'snakeman.gif'

Corrected line 2172 in ExtraSprites, reorder and cleanup.rul to snakeman.png. That didnt work.

I instead pasted the snakeman.gif from Reaver's Harmony (see attached) and reverted filename. Bug fixed.

Secondly - there is no UFOpedia for Psionic Projector.

this must be put on priority list, i was meddling with sprites of alien inventories and might forgot to backup (thanks for your fixing, i'll add this to the next patch before i resume the work with sprites)

Spoiler:
Skyranger is referred to in the below research message. I havent reached far into the mod but I believe this may need updating to reflect the new name of the base troop transport.

EDIT: There is a bug with researching live aliens. They are not eliminated once researched. One can research the same alien multiple times. This occurs even when activating the option to kill them post research. I am having to consciously sell or kill them as I complete a research.

yes, the new transport ships changed names (and apareances completely), there it seems i dont changed every instance on the ufopedia where they might be named, will be fixed proptly, thanks for the catch.

about the live aliens, thanks i will investigate further.

Spoiler:
Additional bug spotted with personal armour. I researched it but realised that I couldnt load it on my soldiers. I looked at these two files; Manufacture.rul and my savegame. The error appears to be in the manufacture.rul file which had the project making STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR_TAN versus STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR. I changed it to STR_PERSONAL_ARMOR in my savegame and I was able to load it on my soldiers. That worked. I have included snips showing what I did. I have commented the items that had the error.

THANKS a lot for this, i was changing and streamlining names of xcom equipment and it seems i forgot to double check some changes , very appreciate for finding this, this will be added to the patch.

Spoiler:
Crash number 3. A very large UFO had landed and my Goliath craft was about to land and boom crash. I tried replicating it and my game loaded properly. It looks like the fault is tied to the specific map in the snip.

this is related to the CMP patch, guess is related to same problems i exposed above

Spoiler:
Some Observations

Observation 1: I am in December. I have only had one CODEX key mission. Was the frequency once a year, once a quarter, once a month?

Observation 2: There are no UFOpedia entries for the Armoured Mutons.

Observation 3: Was it deliberate that we cant manufacture Flying Suit?

Observation 4: Crash when trying to view Power Suit inventory. See Snip below. Looks like it is not defined.

Observation 5: I noticed that CODEX 3 is a dependency for the Lightning. However it also requires a research called 'Hybrid'. I cant seem to find a way to get that.


obs 1): codex missions are intended to reeplace terrors mission, so "theoretically" they could happen once per moth (aprox) BUT there are some conditionals and rng intended so they happen in a rythm of two or three PER YEAR, this might be a case of bad rng luck, but at the very same time this might be a signal some numbers are off, i'll check this again. Technically you "dont need" the keys to win (after all you must destroy it to complete the mission), but you must be sure ALIENS FAIL those missions (so its valid to rush in, explode it, rush out if you can safely clean the entire map site)

obs 2): i cant replicate this problem, i can find the ufopedia article for the armored (the purple ones with a lightbulb on their foreheads, the green "armored ones" are actually their standard version now) just between the muton berseker and the roacher entries, the line in the ufopedia.RUL file is 2448 so it seems to be correctly. i'll try to check this again in a new savegame if possible tho.

obs 3): yes, in the original mod, the power armor (the last tier) used to be able to float, the problem with this is that it made every other armor redundant and was way TOO good on everything so they were stripped of this ability and gave the skystrike a niche to stay relevant (i might be biased cuz this one its my favorite desing made by XOPS ) im currently working on editing fluff text and gave lore reasons for this changes, i might create an improved version that float and stuff but it would need a lot of balance and work in the spritesheets (in which im casually not very good at) so for now i think this might be the solution

obs 4): power suit shouldnt be able to be equipped, manufactured or used (it overlaps with the power armor both in aesthetics, functionality and intended niche) this was an oversight of my part

obs 5): same thing as above, the "vainilla" ships shouldnt be usable as their intended use is overlapped by the modded designs (also i have to comment both the goliath and the heracles will see changes on their appearance and map configuration, this however its not something im completely cappable of do by myself, and the person who'll help me with this is busy on his mod so there is not a clear ETA for now)


I will pause playing this for now. I am currently researching the few remaining techs for Codex Stage 3. There is a bit of work to be done. So far it has been mostly a beautiful experience. I look forward to playing it further once it is further along.

Again thanks a lot for your kind words m8, i really appreciate it. i have been learning a lot helping resurrecting this mod so its an continous process, i was very busy with IRL responsabilities but managed to sort them and can finally spend more time with this project, i know i have said this earlier in this thread (with not avail) but expect a new version to be posted soon, and im wishing to heard your opinions.

Cheers

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #36 on: September 22, 2023, 12:42:46 am »
After an extensive period of development and refinement, I'm pleased to introduce the latest patch. This release includes critical fixes and several improvements aimed at enhancing your overall experience. Notably, the battlescape weapons are now considered finalized, with any future adjustments primarily focused on balance tweaks or new additions to complement the existing arsenal.

Significant changes have been implemented for all weapon tiers from hybrid and above. I'm open to suggestions and feedback in this regard, so feel free to share your thoughts.

Additionally, the mod has undergone an extensive artwork overhaul, addressing areas that needed enhancement and reinforcing its distinctive personality, particularly within the UI. This effort ensures a more coherent art style that harmonizes across all aspects of the mod, eliminating any inconsistencies with original vanilla assets.

Looking ahead, I want to inform you that this will be the last patch for the foreseeable future where I'll be "adding new features." The next patch will focus entirely on streamlining and reorganizing all folders, files, and routes currently in use. Some context is in order here: this mod began as a personal project, and due to my inexperience and ignorance, I initially added features in a convoluted and disorganized manner. This resulted in certain features remaining untouched because the code was held together with "silver duct tape" and other such workarounds, making any changes a potential minefield (for example, the doggos). This situation led to significant delays, but I've since followed Efrenespartano's advice and migrated my work to GitHub. I'm happy to report that over half of the organizational work is already complete.

The subsequent patch will extensively update the lore. I have numerous UFOpaedia entries that only require minor grammar corrections before being greenlit. The CODEX lore, origins, and motivations have already been thoroughly discussed, so they will also be included in the next patch.

This update represents months of dedicated effort. I sincerely apologize to anyone who may have been disappointed by my lack of communication and updates. Going forward, my plan is to update the mod at least once every two weeks (I know I've said this before—again, my apologies).

I'm hopeful that the next patch will be a significant milestone, warranting a major version number change. This will see us drop the "96vX" suffix and transition to 0.97, signaling that the mod is edging closer to an actual release. I'm also actively working on translating my TO-DO list, allowing players to have a sort of "roadmap" detailing potential changes and additions in the future.

Lastly, I'll make an effort to update this post with images showcasing the new changes.


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).


IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS UPDATE WILL RENDER ALL OF YOUR SAVEGAMES INCOMPATIBLE. It is strongly advised to start a new campaign.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2024, 11:37:32 pm by blackwolf »

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #37 on: September 22, 2023, 12:45:32 am »
And because i exceded the character count, i'll post the changelog on a different message:

Spoiler:
v0.96.v9 LE Changelog:

Tweaked Some Numbers:
- Slightly toned down Ap tank, as it was hitting too reliably.

Improved a significant number of ufopedia entries and descriptions:
- Rewrote some earlier descriptions I made before.
- Some new descriptions might require scrolling down to read them completely (for example, Mutons; I'm considering trimming them down, but that will depend on overall opinions and feedback, to be honest).
- Laid out a few starting points for the expanded lore (I've already planned the direction of the intended history, including the final stages, thanks a lot to efrenespartano for helping me organize my ideas. Many new entries will be added in the next patch).

Enemy ufos got their name revamped, it can be confusing at first, but bear with me:
- [Previous Name / (Vanilla ID Name) ----> New Name]
  * Survey Ship ----> Survey Skiff
  * Raider ----> Raider Gunship
  * Scanner ----> Scanner Boat
  * Scout (Medium Scout) ----> Scout Escort
  * Research Ship (Large Scout) ----> Research Corvette
  * Cloner ----> Cloner Frigate
  * Harvester ----> Harvester Destroyer
  * Abductor ----> Abductor Cruiser
  * Supply Ship ----> Supply Tanker
  * Constructor ----> Constructor Barge
  * Lab Ship ----> Laboratory Ship
  * Destroyer ----> Battlecruiser
  * Strike Cruiser (Terror Ship) ----> Terror Battleship
  * Battleship ----> Dreadnought

Revamped the UI:
- Used XRoss's work as a template and, with the help of Efrenespartano, achieved the desired tone in the correct palette (dark Skyranger gray).
- Retouched the battlescape UI, inventory, medkit interface, move detection interface, and map interface.
- Completely redesigned the Graphs window on the geoscape, drawing inspiration from Xross and TFTD.
- Enhanced the visuals of various background screens in the geoscape:
  * Changed the main menu image.
  * Improved the soldier stats screen.
  * Enhanced stats in the battlescape screen.
  * Made improvements to the base stats screen (currently bugged, im investigating).
  * Upgraded the geobard menu sprite.
  * Enhanced the graphics menu.
  * Improved the weapon ufopaedia page.
  * Improved the Craft weapon ufopaedia page.
  * Enhanced the facilities ufopaedia page.
  * Redesigned the HWP ufopaedia image to provide a preview of how they look and estimate their size in battlescape.
  * Improved the soldier stats viewer (both in the base and battlescape) with a more pleasing and structured green hue. 

Changed and Improved some general artwork and Battlescape Sprites:
- Craft weapons got some retouches:
  * Pilum and Trident got improved artwork
- Second pass on Nerve armors:
  * Added purple wiring on the body.
  * Corrected the colors of the masks (they are no longer all brown).
  * Added extra details on the "spinal cord" and removed backpacks to visually match their pocket configuration.
- Finally finished Sectoid sprites:
  * Switched to a full grayish palette.
  * Basic units are completely bald with dark sclerae.
  * Sectoids capable of using psionic powers have old aquatoid crest implants and other head and spine enhancements.
- Changed Ethereal sprites with special thanks to jackstraw2323 for their work in the War of Shadows mod. Adjusted and made minor changes, primarily to the headpiece.
  * Made them more akin to the newest 2012 Firaxis version, including a scarlet cape and intricate headgear.
  * Introduced a completely new death animation based on jackstraw2323's previous work (further improvements are planned to enhance the corpse and related lore).
- Replaced Roacher with the Antman Worker from Solarius Scorch's X-Files and renamed it to FORMIC.
  * Made small changes to battlescape sprite to make it look like it has compound eyes, matching the ufopaedia images.
  * Created custom ufopaedia images.
- Mutons received an extra pass and underwent minor changes:
  * Basic Mutons are unmasked now and have small electronic devices on their heads.
  * Armored Mutons now wear masks.
  * Elite Mutons (dark gray) also have masks.
  * Reimagined the rank structure and names for all Muton variants.
    ° Green = Brutes, masks removed, and small electronic devices added to their heads.
    ° Purple = Warrior, now wear masks.
    ° Black = Enforcer, they also wear masks.
    ° Blue = Elite.
    ° Red = Chieftain.
    ° Gold = Warlord, the supreme commanders, with correctly tinted goldish armor.
- Redesigned Commendations ufopaedia images to match the overall mod's artwork style.
- Improved most ufopaedia images related to aliens, using Xross's visual upgrade files to reduce blurriness and add grittiness to autopsy images:
  * Sectoid and autopsy images now use gray specimens.
  * Improved the appearance of Armored Sectoids.
  * Renamed Snakeman to SERPENTOID.
  * Redesigned Ethereals with different tunics and headgear, including a fully redone autopsy image.
  * Made slight changes to all Muton variants to match battlescape sprite updates and renamed their ranks.
  * Redesigned Chrysalids, Reapers, Sectopods, Cyberdiscs, and Celatids.
    ° Celatids have been given a new appearance inspired by the spitters from the 'XCOM Apocalypse' mod by ReaverFromDarkness.
- Updated CMP maps.
- Made changes to almost all tiers and improved some weapon sprites:
  * Starting and eXperimental Ballistic tiers recieved tons of changes:
    ° Changed the appearance of the basic SMG to resemble a UMP45.
    ° Transformed the X submachine gun into a Kriss Vector-like SMG.
    ° Modified the X rocket launcher to resemble a Carl Gustav.
    ° Removed some visual attachments (red dots, etc.) from basic weapons.
    ° Added red dots to every X weapon.
    ° Renamed some weapons and ammunition to improve clarity and eliminate inconsistencies in names.
    ° Changed the Concealed Pistol to Compact Pistol (in line with other ballistic tiers).
    ° Renamed the X9 Rocket Launcher and X11 Assault Cannon to XXX and XX, respectively.
    ° Switched the Service Pistol and X2 Service Pistol to .40 S&W from .45 ACP.
    ° Renamed X2 Machine Pistol to X1 (since it shares ammo with X1A Compact Pistol).
    ° Renamed X6A Shotgun to X5.
   ° Renamed X5a PDW to X6a (to align it more closely with the combat rifle).
    ° Changed Uzi, X4A Uzi (formerly X4 Uzi), SMG, and X4 SMG (formerly X5 SMG) to use .45 ACP.
    ° Standardized shotgun shells to 12-gauge.
  * Equipped every HYBRID WEAPON with red dots and reflex/ACOG sights.
  * Revamped the nomenclature for the hybrid tier, including the order of weapons:
    ° Prefixed every weapon with HY followed by a number indicating its function.
    ° Adjusted the names of all hybrid ammunition to reduce verbiage and prevent UI clipping issues.
    ° Changed the hybrid SMG and UZI to .357 MAG.
    ° Switched the hybrid shotgun to 10-gauge shells.
  * Revamped laser weaponry, tweaked stats and behavior to create more diverse roles while keeping all weapons useful:   
  * In general , laser weapons are weaker in terms of raw damage, but are lightier, more accurate and faster than previous TIER
  * Renamed all the laser weapons.
    ° Reduced the damage of Laser weapons, making them nearly equivalent to the hybrid tier.
    ° Laser Pistol lost snap shot but gained a cost-efficient "double-tap auto" ability and uses the samme ammo as the Assaulter.
    ° Laser Assaulter (SMG) lost aimed shot and now features snap and auto-4 shots only and uses the same ammo as the Pistol.
    ° Laser Prism (shotgun) can't use autoshot, and aimed shots cost twice.
    ° Laser Combat Rifle aimed shot cost twice.
    ° Laser Scatter (LMG) can't use aimed shots and fires 6 bullets in auto mode.
    ° Laser Sniper can't use snapshot and now has double-tap auto fire, with aimed shots costing twice.
    ° Laser Cannon (heavy laser) lost snapshot and now fires a double-tap auto, with aimed shots costing three times.
    ° Ammo for Laser weapons is called "battery" and is divided into three types:
      ~ Basic batteries: Standard capacity and damage.
      ~ Overloaded batteries: Requires research, offering improved damage at the cost of reduced ammo count.
      ~ Elerium Batteries: Requires research, with reduced damage but infinite ammo.
  * Every laser weapon has undergone substantial modifications, resulting in significant shifts in their statistics.
    ° Laser weaponry has been reworked to be "better" than hybrid weaponry, primarily focusing on unique features rather than across-the-board statistical improvements, as seen in previously.
    ° Basic laser batteries have had their damage adjusted, with slight reductions in some cases. Additionally, tweaked their damage to bring them in line with the hybrid tier counterparts.
    ° Overloaded batteries have received adjustments to their ammo count and damage. They now hit harder than the basics but come with fewer shots. Think of them as a backup option, ideal for tackling tougher enemies in a pinch.
    ° Elerium Batteries have seen a reduction in damage, making them weaker compared to the hybrid tier. However, in exchange, they offer an unlimited ammo supply.
      ~ Their production costs and material requirements got adjusted.
      ~ These modifications create a deliberate tradeoff and investment decision when considering them as your standard ammunition for the laser tier.
      ~ They shine as "backup weapons" during the mid to late game when your A and B teams are armed with more exotic and specialized weaponry. For other soldiers, especially those on guard duty in additional bases, a single investment in Elerium Batteries eliminates the need for micromanaging ammunition, streamlining your operations.
    ° All laser battery types have had their ammo counts adjusted to align with their new firing characteristics.
  * This comprehensive overhaul aims to provide a more balanced and strategic approach to choosing laser weaponry, offering a variety of options to suit different playstyles and scenarios. 
  * Renamed Hypervelocity to "Rail Weaponry."
  * Some weapons lost their auto-shot ability, but in general terms, they are versatile.
    ° Rail Pistol lost its auto-shot and shares ammo with the Assaulter.
    ° Rail Assaulter (SMG) can't use aimed shot and shares ammo with the Pistol.
    ° Rail Shard Thrower (Shotgun) can't auto-shot.
    ° Rail Combat Rifle maintains its previous behavior.
    ° Rail Repeater (LMG) lost aimed shot; auto-shot fires a 6-bullet burst.
    ° Rail Heavy Lance (currently searching for a better name) is a heavier and bulkier (but expensive) rifle.
    ° Rail Macro Cannon (Rocket Launcher equivalent) obviously doesn't have an auto-shot.
    ° Ammunition names have been revamped:
      ~ The lore will be improved in the next patch; the general idea is that they are small ferro-magnetic pieces accelerated to outstanding speeds, creating a high kinetic punch.
      ~ They come in three variants: "standard," "depleted" (higher damage, denser materials), and "enriched" (containing E-115, thus exploding on contact).
      ~ They are in clips, and names vary depending on the size of the weapon, firing: needles, shards, nails, slugs, darts, spikes, and sabot respectively.
  * Made various changes to Plasma weaponry.
  * This is one of the tiers that received more changes; they are intended to nerf their utility a bit. They still surpass other weapons in the human arsenal but should be used as more of an exotic niche. It was ludicrous that humanity found a way to not only replicate but surpass alien plasma tech that took them centuries, even millennia, to perfect in mere months.
  * Aside from upgrading their thematic personality, it makes alien weaponry more desirable (thus making the alien unlock tech more attractive).
    ° Plasma Compact Pistol can only snapshot, with its primary advantage being its size (1x1) and extreme lightness for its damage output (weighs almost the same as a grenade).
    ° Plasma Service Pistol lost its auto-shot and shares ammo with the Assaulter.
    ° Plasma Assaulter (SMG) lost its aimed shot and shares ammo with the Service Pistol.
    ° Plasma Handcannon (Heavy Pistol) lost its auto-shot and shares ammo with the Plasma Carbine.
    ° Plasma Carbine (PDW) lost its aimed shot ability and shares ammo with the Handcannon.
    ° Plasma Blaster (Shotgun) lost its aimed ability but gained auto-shot.
    ° Plasma Rifle lost its auto ability (to prevent the rifle from being the main workhorse of your squads and to open the "automatic niche" to other specialized arms).
    ° Plasma Caster (LMG) can't aim and auto-shot fires a 5-bullet burst.
    ° Plasma Sniper Rifle takes time to charge and fire safely, thus can only make Aimed Shots.
    ° Plasma Heavy Cannon, equivalent to a rocket launcher in this tier, can't perform auto-shots.
  * The entire tier had weapons renamed, and the ammo is called "cells."
    ° "Plasma cells" are common, got their ammo count adjusted.
   ° "Overcharged cells" hit harder, ammo count and damage output tweaked
   ° "Antimatter cells" are exotic ammunition that explodes on contact, ammo count increased in most istances.
      ~ Their production costs and material requirements heavily incresed.
    
Improved Manufacturing:
- In response to previous weapon changes, the entire Manufacturing section recieved a revamp:
  * Streamlined Project List removing redundant projects that were causing clutter in the Manufacture screen
  * As QoL, the order of all weapon tiers and most projects were restructured. This now aligns with the equipment list and UFOPedia pages, making navigation more intuitive.
    ° Started some quality of life in this regard reordering and creating new tags that will improve sorting and granurlarity, will be finished for the next patch
   ° As part of ongoing enhancements, work begun on improving sorting and granularity. This includes reordering and introducing new tags to provide a smoother and more organized manufacturing process, making it easier for you to manage your resources and craft items effectively.
     ~  Expect the full implementation of these improvements in the upcoming patch, may appreciate any feedback on the current changes
- Laser Elerium Batteries Pricing Adjustment
  * The cost of Laser Elerium Batteries has been significantly increased.
    ° These batteries now come at a price point and materials that's nearly on par with or even double that of their corresponding weapons. This adjustment is made to balance the gameplay, considering their unique feature of providing unlimited ammo.
- Plasma Antimatter cells pricing adjustment
  * Adjusted parameters so they need a little bit more E-115 to be constructed.
 
 
Bugfixes:
- Corrected Hybrid rocket damagetype to CHEMICAL DAMAGE (it was incendiary before)
- Corrected Muton floorobs, handoobs, and inventory sprites to display their accurate colors.
- Corrected some autopsies pictures having wrong version of the nameplates, creating some uneaven appearence in some istances
- Added changes to Bahrain and Qatar that were unintentionally missed in the last patch.
- Adjusted the size of the plasma compact pistol to 1x1 in the inventory as intended.
- Replaced the letter "ė" in Lithuanian namesets with "é" to resolve inconsistencies caused by the missing character in the mod's alphabet.
- Reduced and cleaned up rules, particularly map-related ones, to reduce the occurrence of CTDs (Crash to Desktop).
- Fixed the pilot body floorob, which erroneously resembled medkits due to a sprite input error.
- Resolved an issue with the Serpentoid (old Snakeman) inventory sprite, which had the incorrect palette and caused CTDs. Thanks to Cristao for bringing this to our attention.
- Fixed missing helmet sprites in the XOPs tier, thanks to CheatForLife for reporting this.
- Corrected a wrong reference to personal armors that previously prevented equipping them. Thanks to Cristao and eleriumWard for reporting this issue.
- Fixed a bug that caused advanced tiers of doggo armors to CTD when inspected. Temporary measures have been taken until the next armor tiers are completed.
- Rectified an incorrect rank sprite for the pilot brigadier, which was mistakenly included.
- Rectified the USA's area of interest in Hawaii (it didn't cover the entire archipelago previously, but it is corrected now).
- Adjusted the position of Buenos Aires on the globe; previously, it was on the Uruguayan side of the River Plate, and it should be fixed now.
- Reordered all countries by name in both funding and graphs lists. I mistakenly loaded the wrong .RUL file before arranging them alphabetically.
- Fixed an instance where manufacturing Personal Armors made a reference to the blue version on the list, breaking the correlation with similar projects.
- Corrected all craft weapons and ammunition names.
- Removed overkill from AP Tanks (which mistakenly evaporated everything it killed, including weapons and items).

Thanks again for your support.

Offline Scamps

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #38 on: September 26, 2023, 10:56:20 am »
A "small" request, if I may. Codex recovery map is 8 floors high, but only 4 of them are filled, the rest is empty space. Which is generally fine, unless cyberdiscs  :) They traverse the map freely and attack whomever they want. With brutalAI these bastards even hide above columns to protect their bellies. Hopefully it is not too hard to reduce map height?

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #39 on: September 26, 2023, 11:37:30 pm »
A "small" request, if I may. Codex recovery map is 8 floors high, but only 4 of them are filled, the rest is empty space. Which is generally fine, unless cyberdiscs  :) They traverse the map freely and attack whomever they want. With brutalAI these bastards even hide above columns to protect their bellies. Hopefully it is not too hard to reduce map height?

Hi Scamps, thank you for your feedback. It seems there's an unintended issue related to recent changes I made, which i might forgot to list in the changelogs. I granted standard UAVs an 'evasion chance' based on distance, mainly determined by their height above the ground. This adjustment aimed to provide these drones with a better chance to survive encounters, as they were quite vulnerable to attacks from below.

To ensure their safety, I increased the height of all maps, allowing the UAVs to fly at greater altitudes and scout more securely. However, as you've pointed out, this change has created problems, particularly with Cyberdiscs exploiting the additional space.

Additionally, the recent inclusion of BRUTAL AI has led to more intelligent behavior from the aliens. While I wanted them to be more challenging, it seems they've become unexpectedly resourceful in certain situations.

I appreciate you bringing this issue to my attention, and I'll work on fixing it in the next patch this week. Your input is valuable in making the mod better. Thank you for your understanding .
« Last Edit: October 01, 2023, 04:36:34 am by blackwolf »

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #40 on: October 06, 2023, 08:25:47 pm »
Hey there!

Expect the next patch today or tomorrow. As I mentioned earlier, the main focus of this upcoming patch is reorganizing the folders. I initially underestimated the complexity of this task. With every thread I pulled, I discovered even more knots that needed untangling. I'd rather tackle this now to avoid potential issues down the road.

I've made significant progress, with these changes being about 80% complete. The next step will involve updating these changes in the .rul files. I've already completed more than three-fourths of the work, leaving only around 700 entries to go.

As a result, this patch will introduce relatively minor changes—primarily more lore, some bug fixes, and addressing critical issues that could affect the overall game experience, so its pretty safe for you to continue your current campaings without any possible issues derivated from the update. Hopefully, by next week, this phase of work will be wrapped up, allowing me to fully focus on expanding the lore and adding new weapons and sprites that I've been working on.

Stay tuned for more updates, possibly as soon as tomorrow at noon. (Please note that I'm in the UTC-3 timezone, so keep that in mind when referring to timeframes.)

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #41 on: October 08, 2023, 07:31:05 am »
This update is on the shorter side, as I've mentioned previously. The bulk of my attention has been dedicated to significant changes happening 'under the hood.' I've been diligently trimming down potential alterations, ensuring everything runs smoothly. However, I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer for the next patch. I decided to share this update now, even before completing the next one, which I'm aiming to release hopefully next week.

You can update with confidence, as this won't cause any conflicts with your ongoing campaigns. I've invested time in fixing and enhancing the lore, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the foundational work I've added. So far, I've completed the first weapon tier and all the CODEX stage entries. Your feedback on this front is greatly appreciated.

With nothing more to add at the moment, please stay tuned for the next update, and may your hunting be successful!

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)

Changelog
Spoiler:
v.0.97.01 LE changelog

Expansion of UFOpedia Entries:
- Expanded all entries related to CODEX stages and elements. Feedback may prompt further trimming if necessary.
- Reorganized alien life forms and introduced new lore for other species (with plans to redo all of them).
- Completely reworked the FLUFF TEXT for the first tier of XCOM weapons, awaiting feedback. (Approximately 15 weapons with details, including real-world inspiration, ammo, intended role, strengths, and weaknesses).
- Similar revisions are currently underway for the next weapon tiers.

Folder and File Reorganization:
- Restructured unit sprite folders, including those for dogs, humans, and mechanical units used by XCOM.
- Removed numerous redundant, unused, or duplicate files that were only bloating the folders and increasing mod size.
- Folders are now more intuitive and easier to navigate, improving the efficiency of sprite work and making it easier for anyone to extract content for personal use or other mods.
- Added inventory images for the land drone and the UAV.

Balances and Tweaks:
- Restored the damage type of the hybrid chem rocket from CHEMICAL to INCENDIARY (due to a misunderstanding of how this damage worked, and considering it wasn't working as intended).
- Added Hybrid tftd/UfoEU textures to the GlobeMap for improved visual appearance of Earth's oceans (submerged missions are not within the mod's scope, thus this change is visuals only). Seeking opinions on this visual change. Thanks a lot to the Community Map Pack for their constant work.
- Slightly adjusted the color of Armored Sectoids to prevent them from blending into the interior of UFOs.
- Recolored some UFOpedia pages, reducing the brightness of white borders to minimize visual noise, especially noticeable in the "WEAPONS" UFOpedia screen.
- Removed the "fixed" option for INSTANT GRENADES, as it was originally necessary for AI competence but has since become obsolete with the Brutal AI MOD. Seeking feedback on this change.
- Replaced the Alloy knife texture with a retouched version from Woofington's vanilla weapon resprite pack. Plasma and laser blades are next in line for replacement.
- The Heavy Cannon has undergone a complete transformation. The names of both the weapon and its associated ammunition have been updated:
  * Now is called automatic grenade launcher. Grenades are now called "40mm (type) grenade"
    ~ Additionally the AP ammunition has been replaced with smoke rounds.
  * To reflect this changes, the ammunition types have been reordered, making "high explosive" the new standard.
  * All their ammo got some tweaks and a slight reduction in terms of damage.
  * The amount of ammunition for this weapon at the beginning of a new campaign has been rebalanced.
- The AmRifle damage got buffed a bit, as is was underperforming.
- Created new artwork intended as the Splash Art banner for the mod on the MOD.IO site and forum.

Bug Fixes:
- Resolved an issue where the shotgun drone clip and the tank smoke clip appeared in the inventory.
- Corrected palette issues in some images, especially in the basebits folder and UFOpedia.
- Fixed a CTD (Crash to Desktop) caused by a grammar mistake in some UFOpedia images.
- Resolved a bug where firing chemical weapons (e.g., hybrid with chem ammo) played the wrong sound file (a dog whimper instead of a slimy splash).
- Reduced the number of "levels" in some UNDERGROUND Mission (codex recoveries and alien base assaults) to prevent exploitative scenarios from floating enemies, big thanks to Scamps for the catch up.
- Increased the map size of some smaller UFOs to address CTDs caused by spawning both the UFO and the XCOM transport ship in certain maps.
- Fixed the "infinite bodies" bug, which caused aliens not to be removed when researching an interrogation, enabling exploitative behavior.
- With the addition of OXCE, you can now manually increase or demote unit ranks by clicking on the unit rank in the base Soldiers tab. Consequently, the number of soldiers required to unlock officer billets has been substantially decreased.


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).
« Last Edit: January 25, 2024, 11:44:06 pm by blackwolf »

Offline Scamps

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #42 on: October 11, 2023, 03:20:50 pm »
Is it intended that one alien can be interrogated multiple times? Capture one medic, learn all races.
While there is similarity to researching codex, and it is probably realistic, and you are always encouraged to capture more aliens anyway (for weapons and ammo), it still feels too generous. And other mods don't allow that.

Edit: No opinion on fixed grenades, but i disable pre-priming, as incapacitated aliens tend to blow themselves up along with their weapons.

Edit2: A fatal error has occurred: Image missing in 'BIGOBS.PCK' for item 'STR_UAV'
« Last Edit: October 11, 2023, 03:35:52 pm by Scamps »

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #43 on: October 11, 2023, 06:10:01 pm »
Is it intended that one alien can be interrogated multiple times? Capture one medic, learn all races.
While there is similarity to researching codex, and it is probably realistic, and you are always encouraged to capture more aliens anyway (for weapons and ammo), it still feels too generous. And other mods don't allow that.

Edit2: A fatal error has occurred: Image missing in 'BIGOBS.PCK' for item 'STR_UAV'

No, it was supposed to be fixed so that aliens can't be interrogated multiple times. I'll seek assistance to address this issue, as it appears my solutions haven't been effective.

Thanks for spotting the error. I introduced new inventory sprites for the UAV, but it seems I missed verifying the correct format. I'll be releasing a hotfix within the next few hours to address this.

Offline blackwolf

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Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY
« Reply #44 on: October 11, 2023, 09:08:40 pm »
This patch was originally intended as a hotfix to address critical CTDs (Crash To Desktop) triggered by the drones. However, the necessary fixes involved updating multiple folders. To avoid a convoluted update process, I've decided to upload it with some relatively minor changes I've made up to this point.

To update, please remember to delete your old folder first and then replace it with this one.

Download the file from the site XOPS LEGACY by Blackwolf in MOD.io Portal or the file attached at the bottom of this post, or the one in the first page (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)

v0.97.02 LE changelog:

Spoiler:
Sprite Changes:

- Hybrid Ammo Enhancement:
  * Adjusted the color of some small sections of hybrid ammo to give the elerium-tipped rounds a richer, more golden hue.
  * Recolored hybrid shotgun shells to provide better contrast with other ammo types and align them more closely with the rest of their tier.

- Dragonfly Soldier Deployment Reorientation: Altered the starting deployment of Dragonfly soldiers to prevent unnecessary turning when facing doors and obstacles. To help with micro-managing deployment, follow this order:
  * The first two soldiers are assigned to the left door.
  * The next two soldiers are designated for the right door.
  * The subsequent two soldiers occupy the middle.
  * The following two soldiers are positioned beside the "pilot spot."
  * The three soldiers after that occupy the back row, near the tail of the plane.
  * Ideally, the last spot is reserved for the pilot.
    ° Fixes for the Dragonfly are currently in progress, addressing issues such as the missing roof tiles, and further improvements are anticipated.

- Rebalances and Tweaks:
  * Rebalanced XCOM unit stats, boosting the strength of some to reduce the number of underutilized soldiers. Additionally, made changes when soldiers are promoted to officers.

- Bugfixes:
  * Fixed a naming error for a station in the South Pole that was inaccurately defined.
  * Corrected numerous errors related to drones, including:
    ° The UAV now features a motion-sensing lens.
     ~ However, they temporarily lose their ability to carry and drop bombs until an optimal solution is determined, so they'll remain exploratory drones for now.
    ° The UCav has the same lens, along with a correction of its rocket damage type (changed from acid to explosive).
    ° The land drone's shotgun now has the correct ammunition.
  * The UAV and land drone's inventory sprites now function as intended.
  * Resolved a long-standing bug that has been present since the initial release. Clicking on the camera icon for the UAV will no longer freeze the game.


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).
« Last Edit: January 25, 2024, 11:46:03 pm by blackwolf »