[WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

[blackwolf]

Good morning.

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

Hello again, thanks for your promptly response. Okay, i still need to check this later when i arrive home, but that might be the culprit, by any chance, do you have any savegame previously to starting that mission? (hopefully one that isnt that long away from the mission, so if my theory its correct, you wont have lost too much progress)

[EleriumWard]

Good evening.

Here is the file prior to the start of the mission. Strangely, when I loaded it, all of my transport craft disappeared.

[blackwolf]

Good evening.

Here is the file prior to the start of the mission. Strangely, when I loaded it, all of my transport craft disappeared.

Well it seems i was correct. Unfortunately, after running some tests, it appears that the CTD issue is triggered when attempting to load troops into the ship for the return home (as this ship "doesnt exist anymore"). This occurs because, to address certain problems related to transport troop maps, I had to modify some name references. I can assist you in restoring the ships so you won't lose your previous progress in the campaign. To proceed, I'll need you to provide a list of the crafts you had prior to the update so that I can restore them in your bases. However, please be aware that you'll need to redo the base attack as the save is 'softlocked,' and I cannot guarantee that the ship changes will work in that scenario.


Edit: It seems I was able to fix your savegame. The Dragonfly is now successfully en route to the alien base, allowing you to proceed with your raid without any issues and complete the mission successfully.

[EleriumWard]

Just test the file. Working properly now. Thank you very much for this.

[blackwolf]

Small Update Sneak Peek:

Things are progressing well for the upcoming update, which will be entirely focused on buildings and base facilities. I'm addressing some descriptions that were never changed from vainilla and might cause confusion, such as hangars should explicitly state they can hold two ships now or the radar range description having a weird number that doesn't make sense. Additionally, I'm introducing entirely new features from OXCE, like making some buildings "upgradeable" by constructing something atop them (base defense modules being a prime candidate for this). While some rebalances and tweaks are to be expected, the most significant change will likely be the visual uplift of tiles and assets for all base modules.

Special thanks to efrenespartano for assisting me in swapping the palettes of some TFTD terrain packs. My plan is to recreate every base facility with these assets, leaving behind the old brownish cartoonish appearance and introducing a better, grittier look with hard gray concrete and bunker-like aesthetics. As a bonus, most assets now feature animations and color changes, enhancing the overall visual appeal in line with other artwork from the mod (e.g., Alien UFOs). I'm halfway there, and I hope you'll find these changes interesting and well worth the effort.

Finally, the days of the security station featuring a garden picket fence are long gone. Now, it's replaced with sturdier concrete half-slabs.

Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect later. Stay tuned for more updates!

[Daev]

Hello sir, looks like the Bishop UFOpadia is missing its image, getting this error upon middle click. Love the art in this mod, excited to play it!

[blackwolf]

Hello sir, looks like the Bishop UFOpadia is missing its image, getting this error upon middle click. Love the art in this mod, excited to play it!

Thank you for the positive feedback and bug reports! Your input is invaluable, and I'm pleased to let you know that the reported issues have been noted and fixed. These corrections will be part of the upcoming patch.

Now, about the Xcom Base Facilities Visual Update. I'm thrilled to share that all the "basic/originals" buildings are complete. The overhaul has transformed the appearance of these structures, offering a more immersive and engaging experience. Only four more buildings remain to be revamped. However, these are  "Large" (4 blocks) buildings, which take a bit of extra time. I aim to have them finished either today or tomorrow.

I appreciate your patience and continued support. Stay tuned for more news.

Happy hunting.

[blackwolf]

Update Announcement:


I hope this message finds you well. Unfortunately, I bring news of a minor setback in the development of the upcoming update. Both my wife and I have caught a flu, and as a result, I've been feeling unwell since yesterday. Regrettably, this means the update will be shorter than initially anticipated.

As of now, approximately 80% of the buildings, including all the basic (vainilla) and key ones like the gym, large barracks, security station, and corridor, have been completed. The large storage store's structure is finished (walls only), but it still requires props, assets, and illumination tiles to be applied. The remaining buildings, such as the large lab, large workshop, large psionic lab, satellite network, and global hyper-wave decoder, remain untouched. Please be aware that in their current state, these structures may appear wonky and unnavigable. While they won't cause a CTD, they might hinder troop movement.

To provide you with a sneak peek and allow for testing, I've decided to release a preemptive beta patch. You can explore the changes by entering your base management interface and left-clicking on the access lift. This will enable you to move a single soldier and preview the updated base.

I sincerely apologize for any unexpected delays, and I appreciate your understanding. I aim to recover and complete the patch over the next few days, with the goal of releasing it this weekend. Your patience and continued support mean a lot.

Thank you, and happy hunting!


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 (any difference in size is irrelevant, its the same file, just that i found a way to better compress it and evade the size limitation of 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 0.97.05.BETA LE Changelog:**

Visual Overhaul:
- Completely revamped the appearance of the Xcom base with new props, tiles, and assets extracted from TFTD.
- Improved storage tiles for the basic general store facility and the hangar to align with the updated map disposition.

Balance Tweaks:
- Adjusted some capacity numbers:
  * Small living quarters can now accommodate 20 units (down from 25).
  * Large living quarters have a reduced capacity of 100 units (down from 125).

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed an issue preventing the Dagger from being loaded in transport troops or during base defense missions.
- Updated the Georgia flag to the correct version from 2004 (previously using an outdated flag).
- Resolved deployment problems for units in transport planes:
  * The Dragonfly now correctly loads its 12 soldiers, and weapon spawning tiles have been relocated.
  * Similar adjustments made to the Firefly for correct soldier spawning, with item spawning tiles moved to a safer location away from the ramp.
- Corrected the description of the Sectopod autopsy in the UFOpaedia.
- Fixed a UFOPaedia CTD issue related to the XCf0-bishop, ensuring the picture displays correctly. Thanks Daev for the report.
- Solved an issue with the Miniguns' behavior, preventing the camera from excessively following each shot and causing flickering in certain situations.

[SIMON BAILIE]

Tried the latest version 0.97.05.LE but get an error-see attached.

[blackwolf]

Tried the latest version 0.97.05.LE but get an error-see attached.

Yeah, i can see the problem by looking at the size of the file, there are a bunch of duplicates files and .ruls going on in there.

To update properly, remember to delete the previous version of the mod and then replace it entirely with the new folder. . Delete the mod folder and then replace it with the one i posted recently (should weight no more than 40 mb or something like that), and then try again.

I see you are coming from a very old build, PM later if you run into further problems hindering your campaing (as having missing planes and stuff like that)

Hope this info to be helpful.

[SIMON BAILIE]

Thanks, that did the trick. A fresh install rather than overwriting an earlier version.

[getfreur]

Hi, i was playing a terror mission and this message shows when i try to find the aliens. Great mod by the way, loving it.

[blackwolf]

Hi, i was playing a terror mission and this message shows when i try to find the aliens. Great mod by the way, loving it.

Hello, thank you so much for your kind words; I truly appreciate them.

Great catch! It appears I made a spelling mistake, but not to worry. I'll correct it for the next patch, which should be released on Monday. I'm currently working on adding the remaining buildings and implementing some extra changes and fixes. In the meantime, you can download the attached file and place it inside the 'RULESET' folder within your XENOOPERATIONS mod (say yes when the overwrite warning appear). This way, you won't have to wait those extra days, and you can promptly continue with your terror mission.

[blackwolf]

Hello everyone hope you are enjoying the holydays and sorry for the delay, this is the last update for this and the next week (except for any severe issue that might arise and requires a hotfix), i didnt finished all the changes i wanted.  Im currently posting on a cellphone so , apologies for the sloopy and botched structure of this message (the net haven't being reinstalled in the aftermath of the last weekend storm in buenos aires).

This new update (still considered beta) includes some balancing and extra artwork improvements. Yet One of the biggest milestones for this update its that i Finished translating and structuring my To-do List. I have to make it clear its not a FIXED sets of goals, as stuff could change and some topics might be added, changed or deleted entirely without ever being implemented.
Otherwise i think its good for transparency and clear communication to have you know roughly the intended direction and changes the mod might recieve in the future. Also could help me to recieve feedback and even avoid wasting time in stuff where there might be better options aviable.

Changelog

Spoiler:

0.97.05.02 BETA 2 LE

Milestone achieved:
- To-Do List transtaled and readily aviable. This is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual Goals.

general changes:
- some alien races were renamed, to better fit their general lore
  *ancient abominations are now called SPAWNS.
  *alien hybrids are now called ABOMINATIONS.
- changed the load order of alien materials items (xelloys,elerium, codex stuff) so you dont need to scroll down everytime you need to check those when moving between bases.

Sprites changes
 - xcom transport planes and fighters recieved a general aesthetic retouch
   * the xcf0 recieved small improvements to their basebit sprite shadowing
   * the XCF1 got their vainilla appearance totally renewed, now its based on the 2012 firaxis RAVEN figther
     ~ included a custom artwork for its ufopaedia entry
    ~ recieved a matching basebit and interception window sprite to reflect this change
   * the XCF2 also recieved some improvements:
     ~ a custom made artwork for the ufopaedia based on the x59 marauder from the game XENONAUTS.
    ~ some slight changes to the basebit and inticon sprites.
   * the XCF3 got their sprite completely revamped, now uses one made by Efrenespartano, based on the SARACEN from xenonauts
   * xrs 71 recieved small changes
   * dragonfly recieved subtle changes in the basebit sprite
   * firefly recieved changes of the basebit sprite
   * small improvements for the goliath sprites
   * small improvements to the hercules sprites
   * overlord recieved improvements in the basebit sprite
- more changes to some files names  to improve readability and uniformity
  * specially inside weaponrysprites folder
  * same with ufopedia articles

TWEAKS AND BALANCE:
- Basic Psionic lab can train only 5 soldiers, the Large train 25 soldiers instead.
- all explosives and grenades got their behaviour altered:
  * all "basics" and proxys grenades (both human and alien) got their fuse timer removed .they'll now be a simple toss and forget.
  * more "advanced grenades" (from hybrid and further) keep their old timer behaviour.
  * all explosions now have their explosion radius changed (reduced in most of the cases)
  * as a side effect of these changes ,now there is a damage decay from the epicentre of the explosion and the subsecuent tiles (therefore, the farther a unit is from the center of the explosion, the higher the chance to survive even sin daños)
   ~ these changes should make explosives less overpowered and a game changer (with BRUTAL AI, the aliens exploit any clumps of soldiers, resulting in half squad wipes from a single 'nade in the early game)
- the proximity grenade got reworked , the damage got reduced , cant be bought since start and now requires a specific research to be unlocked (related to the motion scanner)
- fixed some problems with the explosion radius from some explosives, they were incorrectly defined and were resulting in problematic scenarios where balancing was a headache.
  * now all explosions made by different advanced ammo types got their explosion range significantly reduced

VISUAL overhaul:
- All buildings structure and disposition its done. Im pleased with the results but there might be room for some tweaks and adjustments.
  * That said, i want to clarify all the ilumination of the newer rooms are still to be applied, i run out of time so i'll do this after the Holydays.
- improved the mcd files with extra assets , correctly coloured to xcom eu pallete
- Small improvements for some buildings.
  * Recoloring of some assets like chairs
  * Starting recolouring all the floor tiles, to add some muck, wear and tear and avoid the "glossy polished marble" finish it has previously by being a plain color.
    ~ For now, the work include the illuminated tiles and the ACCESS LIFT as an example, im eager for feedback before i jump into redoing all the floorings of the 30+ buildings
- retouched the workshop building
  *added a better assembly board 
  *added and recolored the robot arm assembler
   ~changed from intense pink to a more industrial orange
- fixed some "invisible floor squares" on the second level of the corridors
- improved the fussion ball cannon building, added a few advanced monitors to interface

sprites:
-small experimental changes done to the xops armor, a prelude of a complete revamp of ALL the armor sprites, finally i decided to tackle all this and improve it from previous attemps.
  * added a xcom patch on xops tier

BugFixes:
- removed the weapon slot from the dragonfly, also prevented this for appearing in any new campaing.
- fixed some "invisible floor squares" on the second level of the corridors
- fixed some missing floortiles from the catwalks in the hangars
- fixed some missing walls on the large living quarters

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).



With nothing else to add, Merry Christmas everyone!

[ange.mac]

Hi there

I am receiving an error when activating the latest XOPS Legacy using the latest BrutalAI build.

Here are the messages I receive when trying to activate XOPS Legacy:

[22-01-2024_18-33-34]   [INFO]   Supressed Error for 'STR_SECTOPOD_ELITE_TERRORIST': This unit can be recovered (in theory), but there is no corresponding 'liveAlien:' or 'civilianRecoveryType:' to recover.
[22-01-2024_18-33-34]   [ERROR]   STR_HANGAR can hold 2 crafts but has 0 craft-slots defined. Will draw all crafts in the center.
[22-01-2024_18-33-34]   [ERROR]   During linking rulesets of crafts:
Error for 'STR_DRAGONFLY': Default HWP capacity cannot be negative.
Error for 'STR_FIREFLY': Default HWP capacity cannot be negative.

and here is the error message I receive when I have both XOPS Legacy as well as Brutal AI active:

[22-01-2024_18-35-02]   [ERROR]   During linking rulesets of manufacture:
Error processing 'STR_PSI_AMP' in manufacture: Unknown research 'STR_PSI_AMP'

Any help appreciated