Can't progress, only Outposts are spawning.

[BDoubleDs]

I just got into the start of the alien invasion (jan 1999) and I seem to be stuck with Red Dawn progression.  I've researched operations MONTHS ago, but no bases ever spawned for the Red Dawn specifically.  Just RNG I guess.

However now that the invasion has started, it doesnt seem like anything other than outposts will spawn.  Ive reloaded several times, months back and just skipped everything through the months to see what pops and its never anything more than an outpost.  Ive done every Red Dawn research possible except for the coordinator and everything past him.  Is this an issue with the invasion starting?

I see in the wiki he can spawn in durathread factories.  Is there a way to get one up again?  I went to one but wasn't able to capture.  A stray minigun bullet took care of that and I haven't seen any since I've acquired the tech to make my thread.

[Juku121]

Yeah, that's how life is in XCF. Get screwed over by strategic RNG in many different ways.

The bases are another one of these 8*4% things Solarius likes. Jan '99 is actually the first month when you get an extra 2*12% chance for bases, which should roughly double your odds of getting a base. So the future is a bit brighter (and other cults' bases come in more frequently, too).

Durathread factory would be a good guaranteed mission, but it stops spawning once you research Durathread manufacturing.

If I were you, I'd either reload myself a base at the end of the next month, or just edit one in.

[krautbernd]

Can you upload the save file?

[BDoubleDs]

Durathread factory would be a good guaranteed mission, but it stops spawning once you research Durathread manufacturing.

If I were you, I'd either reload myself a base at the end of the next month, or just edit one in.

Thankfully I still have a factory spawning only 2 months back, this was my current plan.  To just reload back to there.   How would I edit one in?  Is it overly complicated or as simple as editing a textfile?   

Any required tech for progression should most definitely be consistently spawned at least once a month.   It absolutely should not be up to random chance.  Thats like game design 101.

Can you upload the save file?

sure, total noob though, where are they stored?

[Juku121]

Editing a mission in is literally editing a text file, but knowing what to add is a little bit tricky.


Solarius doesn't subscribe to that school of game design (and others besides). He's said he's happy that the campaign depends on randomness, several times. Although I'm not sure a Red Dawn base actually is any kind of real progression bottleneck.


Uploads are presumably stored in the forum server's upload space. Use the '+ Attachments and other options' below the text box when posting. You could also use an external upload service, but for a tiny file like that, why bother?

[BDoubleDs]

Oh I meant where are the save files for the game stored on my machine.  lol.

[krautbernd]

Oh I meant where are the save files for the game stored on my machine.  lol.

By default in the game directory under /user/[mod name]/ (in this case "x-com-files").

[Meridian]

Oh I meant where are the save files for the game stored on my machine.  lol.

By default in the Documents folder, under %Documents%/OpenXcom/x-com-files/

You can also just look into the `Options > Folders` GUI directly in the game, it will tell you precisely.

[krautbernd]

By default in the Documents folder, under %Documents%/OpenXcom/x-com-files/

Still wondering why none of the OXCE version I've been using actually do that and always default into using the installation folder. Is this OS dependant?

But yeah, best would be to check both locations and/or the settings in the game itself.

[Solarius Scorch]

Still wondering why none of the OXCE version I've been using actually do that (...)

To my knowledge, all OXC versions in history do that by default. Unless you tell it to do otherwise, by creating a "user" folder inside the installation folder.

[BDoubleDs]

most recent save is attached.   I could also give a few months back if desired.

[BDoubleDs]

Although I'm not sure a Red Dawn base actually is any kind of real progression bottleneck.

The whole reason I started down this path was because of Alien Origins.  It looks like the only way to get it, is by a coordinator giving alien language, and from what I can tell Alien Origins is required.

[Juku121]

most recent save is attached.

I see no big issues in the save. The RNG is working as intended, i.e. screwing you over as usual. To wit: I fast forwarded to March and tried three reloads: the first got me zero bases, the next gave two Red Dawn bases, and last provided an EXALT base.

The whole reason I started down this path was because of Alien Origins.  It looks like the only way to get it, is by a coordinator giving alien language, and from what I can tell Alien Origins is required.

Not true (well, Alien Origins is required, that part is true).

Spoiler" Alien Origins":

To get Alien Origins, you need Alien Language, for which you only need Alien Language Investigation since the guy with wild hair is already on-board. That can be had from a number of sources: 1) unlocking it for research via either a RD Coordinator or interrogating a farmer for info on the alien wikipedia (you conveniently have a farmer in custody, and how you haven't got all the farmer interrogations done by 1999 is kinda bizarre to me); 2) getting it through the interrogation lottery from a high-ranking cultist, of whom a BL Witch is probably the easiest to acquire. No unlocks required in the latter case, only luck or a whole pile of interrogations.

I usually get the Alien Language Investigation done within the first year before the hair guy comes around.

As an aside, you've got a moderate manor problem.

[BDoubleDs]

Lololol, ugh the manors.  I just haven't taken the time to deal with them.  the missions are such a hassle.

I don't have all the farmer tech mostly because I haven't really bothered researching captures more than once.  I didn't really feel it was necessary... maybe it is?  With soooo many random techs that can be given by those enemies i felt it was suppose to be more of a 'nice to have bonus'  not something you are literally meant to grind through to find the specific one you need.  I just don't have the patience for that.

[Juku121]

Well, this mod is big on re-researching captures. Some pretty game-changing tech can be locked behind some random alien engineer.

Farmers and low-level cultists are also excessively cheap to research and get you some score to boot. You're even explicitly encouraged to capture farmers alive, unlike cultists who you just mow down later on.