Is "farming" cults worth doing?

[Rag]

So in the base game I often indulged in "farming" an alien base for supply ships and raids, is that also worth doing in this mod with keeping cults active or should I actually be doing XCOM's job properly and forsake the morally questionable funding?

My current example for the question:

Spoiler:

I've just cleared my first Cult HQ and gotten the item needed to research their containment, I've checked the tech tree to see I need to contain all 4 for the next promotion which is making me wonder if I should keep them around until finishing the other Cults for more potential missions (unless theirs get replaced with others) or just take care of them for good once I've captured their special agent like Lo Wo (only one I found so far).

[Bonakva]

Promotion 3 does not require the completion of all cults. It does not require the final destruction of the cult at all. It is simply necessary to research 1 final item of any cult to be able to unlock upgrade 3.

[tarkalak]

So in the base game I often indulged in "farming" an alien base for supply ships and raids, is that also worth doing in this mod with keeping cults active or should I actually be doing XCOM's job properly and forsake the morally questionable funding?

My current example for the question:

Spoiler:

I've just cleared my first Cult HQ and gotten the item needed to research their containment, I've checked the tech tree to see I need to contain all 4 for the next promotion which is making me wonder if I should keep them around until finishing the other Cults for more potential missions (unless theirs get replaced with others) or just take care of them for good once I've captured their special agent like Lo Wo (only one I found so far).

Special missions like Lo Wo can show up after the cult is eliminated, I believe. Also eliminating one cult springs another threat into existence.

[Solarius Scorch]

You can keep the cults indefinitely (maybe except one, because Promotion 3), but I put in a lot of effort to make it too much of a pain. The end decision is up to you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Finnik]

You can keep the cults indefinitely (maybe except one, because Promotion 3), but I put in a lot of effort to make it too much of a pain. The end decision is up to you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Btw, I noticed that many players do not eliminate all cults before jan '99, so they get punished. Not sure if it's an obvious objective for them...

[Solarius Scorch]

Btw, I noticed that many players do not eliminate all cults before jan '99, so they get punished. Not sure if it's an obvious objective for them...

I'm not sure either. Besides, the "punishment" is now much less obvious - no guaranteed alien infiltrations any more.

[Alex_D]

In my current campaign, I've eliminated all cults but Exalt. Funny, one of Dagon's manors are still around, and

Spoiler:

former Red Dawn manors turned into Hybrid Bases.

Spoiler:

Said Hybrid basesa are a nice for farming AI cores.

.

Exalt minor bases are a nice way for training new recruits.

[Rag]

Ah okay thanks for the information, I misunderstood the "cult contained" to mean all cults, I did just have 4 missions pop up within a day or two including 2 HQ missions so I can see what you mean about keeping them all active being a pain. Currently I can eliminate Black Lotus and Red Dawn so will eliminate Black Lotus (hate assassins) and maybe keep Red Dawn for a little longer until it becomes too problematic to keep them active.

Special missions like Lo Wo can show up after the cult is eliminated, I believe. Also eliminating one cult springs another threat into existence.

I was checking the wiki and Natasha mission mentioned "false" on terminate Red Dawn so wasn't sure if needed to keep them around for longer until I could research her dossier, but Lo Wo one doesn't have that so not sure if some need it but others don't or if I just misunderstood the wiki there.

As for springing other threats, right now I've not had the harder EXALT and Dagon missions yet so can't find their HQ, would terminating the cults I have gotten make those more likely to appear?

[Solarius Scorch]

I was checking the wiki and Natasha mission mentioned "false" on terminate Red Dawn so wasn't sure if needed to keep them around for longer until I could research her dossier, but Lo Wo one doesn't have that so not sure if some need it but others don't or if I just misunderstood the wiki there.

There are two scripts: one for before Red Dawn destruction, one after. With different odds.

As for springing other threats, right now I've not had the harder EXALT and Dagon missions yet so can't find their HQ, would terminating the cults I have gotten make those more likely to appear?

No, less likely, if at all.

[Alex_D]

There are two scripts: one for before Red Dawn destruction, one after. With different odds.

In my current campaign, I went to great lengths for capturing alive all of these special NPCs, Natasha included, all residing in this VIP Jail in one of my bases.
But I terminated Red Dawn already. What did I miss with not researching her as a captive? (I don't recall anything particular)

[Rag]

In my current campaign, I went to great lengths for capturing alive all of these special NPCs, Natasha included, all residing in this VIP Jail in one of my bases.
But I terminated Red Dawn already. What did I miss with not researching her as a captive? (I don't recall anything particular)

That is a fun idea, I just researched the ones I caught in my attempt to research everything (which I know will likely come back to haunt me for wasting research time) but keeping them "filed" away somewhere in XCOM is a fitting end to them. Apparently she doesn't give anything important or Lo Wo either.

[Solarius Scorch]

In my current campaign, I went to great lengths for capturing alive all of these special NPCs, Natasha included, all residing in this VIP Jail in one of my bases.
But I terminated Red Dawn already. What did I miss with not researching her as a captive? (I don't recall anything particular)

Nothing special, she only has fairly regular topics. Only her gun is special.

[mg2k22]

I think (without knowing the code) Cults do build more mansions the longer you let them live. And those mansions will improve over time, fielded or let's say fieldable personnel -wise. If you can handle them, they're good for score, training, bounty, but: you need to discover them, first, and existing mansions seem to behave like alien bases in the original game, giving you a negative score while they exist (best observable at the beginning of every month, when you start out in the negative; means some bad things are going on).

[Rag]

I think (without knowing the code) Cults do build more mansions the longer you let them live. And those mansions will improve over time, fielded or let's say fieldable personnel -wise. If you can handle them, they're good for score, training, bounty, but: you need to discover them, first, and existing mansions seem to behave like alien bases in the original game, giving you a negative score while they exist (best observable at the beginning of every month, when you start out in the negative; means some bad things are going on).

Oh I thought those manors were just random events like the other missions, might have to radar check some areas then for safety incase missed a lot of those happening thanks.

[tarkalak]

In my current campaign, I went to great lengths for capturing alive all of these special NPCs, Natasha included, all residing in this VIP Jail in one of my bases.
But I terminated Red Dawn already. What did I miss with not researching her as a captive? (I don't recall anything particular)

They are one off characters so they cannot be campaign critical. At least most of the time. You can see what she unlocks by middle clicking on her research topic.