Is "farming" cults worth doing?

[Rag]

Updated question regarding the farming of Red Dawn HQ. So far they are the only source of "Hybrids" I have found and checking the in-game research tree several of their "gives one for free" topics are tagged as essential for progression like those leading to Hybrid Operations. Is it worth keeping Red Dawn around purely to get more hybrids for those topics or will the game naturally use hybrids more before the research is needed?

[mg2k22]

RD HQ is quite farmable for financial reasons as far as I see, but the hybrid thing is a non-issue. Plenty of hybdrid prisoners right around the corner just after most cults are eradicated (I think, but am not sure, Exalt is the trigger for easy hybrid missions).

[Rag]

RD HQ is quite farmable for financial reasons as far as I see, but the hybrid thing is a non-issue. Plenty of hybdrid prisoners right around the corner just after most cults are eradicated (I think, but am not sure, Exalt is the trigger for easy hybrid missions).

Ah thanks for clearing that up, I have been keeping Red Dawn around while I terminated Black Lotus (not before they set up a manor though I just found, so no rest from assassins yet...). Exalt still haven't given an Outpost yet so that delayed progression might be why I haven't been seeing more hybrid stuff yet.

[mg2k22]

Without wanting to spoil too mich, there will be hybrid acvtivities soon. I believe after you finished off Exalt or sometning. Think of small communities of hybrid farmers and villagers for you to murder because racist/purist human ego sees them as some kind of "danger" or disgrace. Plenty of opportunities to murder or imprison them, if that's real
y what your moral compas tells you is a right thing

[Rag]

If that's really what your moral compas tells you is a right thing

We all know that XCOM morals are unquestionably beneficial for humanity. Our captives go to live on a farm and the buyers of our laser cannons use them for quarrying.

[tarkalak]

We all know that XCOM morals are unquestionably beneficial for humanity. Our captives go to live on a farm and the buyers of our laser cannons use them for quarrying.

Yep, and we are definitely not selling those healthy Farmers who saw too much on the organ market. Uh, uh. No, no.

[Vakrug]

Have anyone tried to farm Cult Mansions? Unlike all other cult stuff (including HQs), mansions do not disappear when you evacuate. So in theory it is possible to assault a mansion, kill almost all cultists, optionally grab some valuable stuff, evacuate, and assault again after refueling! Lot of XP if you are lucky. Never tried this, so not 100% sure it is possible.

[tarkalak]

Have anyone tried to farm Cult Mansions? Unlike all other cult stuff (including HQs), mansions do not disappear when you evacuate. So in theory it is possible to assault a mansion, kill almost all cultists, optionally grab some valuable stuff, evacuate, and assault again after refueling! Lot of XP if you are lucky. Never tried this, so not 100% sure it is possible.

They surrender if all units on map have paniced/berserced at least once. Some units (tanks, though guys and the like) cannot surrender, but the rest will once the though boys are down. Unless mansions have some hidden functionality to block surrendering.

So in order to farm a Mansion you need to kill a few, but not that many and carry their stuff to the craft.

Feels like way more work than it is worth.

[Rag]

So in order to farm a Mansion you need to kill a few, but not that many and carry their stuff to the craft.

Feels like way more work than it is worth.

I guess it depends if there are "high value" items, like if mansions have money briefcases / money bags (not done one yet to know) then carrying them out and evacuating could be worth it, but when doing HQ missions theres loads of small value loot which adds up but is a huge hassle to carry back if not finishing the mission.

[tarkalak]

I guess it depends if there are "high value" items, like if mansions have money briefcases / money bags (not done one yet to know) then carrying them out and evacuating could be worth it, but when doing HQ missions theres loads of small value loot which adds up but is a huge hassle to carry back if not finishing the mission.

I haven't done the new mansion, nor the old one, but I usually never get to see the inside of safehouses and outposts. Or even the Durathread factory. The cultists just run outside.

[Vakrug]

I actually tried to farm cult mansions. Not for loot, but for experience. It was very interesting endeavor. One of cult mansions popped up just next to my main base, so I decided to try this out.
The tactics is simple. Attack during night to minimize risk. Stay next to evacuation zone. Shoot everyone you see (after throwing some light sources) trying to involve every your agent. After CTRL+E shows empty screen evacuate. If you managed to kill around 10 cultist, then you will end up with a positive score (-100 for evacuation). Relatively safe routine. But occasionally an explosive will get throne in the middle of your agents and a stockpile, so be warned...

[Rag]

I actually tried to farm cult mansions. Not for loot, but for experience. It was very interesting endeavor. One of cult mansions popped up just next to my main base, so I decided to try this out.
The tactics is simple. Attack during night to minimize risk. Stay next to evacuation zone. Shoot everyone you see (after throwing some light sources) trying to involve every your agent. After CTRL+E shows empty screen evacuate. If you managed to kill around 10 cultist, then you will end up with a positive score (-100 for evacuation). Relatively safe routine. But occasionally an explosive will get throne in the middle of your agents and a stockpile, so be warned...

I've never thought of doing alien base hit and run tactics for rookie training / stats / medal gains before.  I've always just thought of them as elerium / commander missions. Not sure when the bases replenish their interceptors but suppose you could also get some pilot training off those if you wanted.

As for exploding your Skyranger pile, this mod really, REALLY loves doing that, a lot of my reloads have been because they throw a grenade near the pile or other explosive thing decies to happen.

Spoiler:

There was one mission I had when cybermites that explode on death dropped down onto my skyranger supply from above and my agent reaction fired it, that...took me some time to regain my composure.

[Vakrug]

I can confirm: cult mansions really grow over time, but do that really slowly. This mansion next to my main base popped up around April. Now it is December and this mansion now has increased radius and spawns helicopters. (Do you know that each cult spawns it's own version of helicopters?) Earlier I was confident that only time a mansion spawns determines it's level.

[Rag]

(Do you know that each cult spawns it's own version of helicopters?)

Considering I never even end up fighting them due to just being able to fly past and attack their base, that is quite funny to know. The cults really think their helicopters will stop your skyrangers...

[Juku121]

There is another tier of manor that has fighter jets that can actually catch up with Skyrangers/Skyraiders. Kitsune, not so much, which is why Kitsune is a giant wrench thrown into the otherwise relatively okay transport craft progression.

Cult manors grow both slowly and randomly, but there is an escalating monthly chance of getting higher-tier manors spawn right away. The longer you dawdle before killing off the cults, the tougher the manors get. I haven't seen a non-highest-tier manor in quite a while.

Manors also count as alien bases and eat 3-5 points of score per day. Not too bad, but a little painful if there are lots of them. Especially if you play with score-based income like I do.