[Solved] Why is first TFTD terror mission usually Gillmen?

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

Curious why first terror mission is usually Gillmen?

[psavola]

Curious why first terror mission is usually Gillmen?

Because the alien Mission is defined in such a way. See for example https://github.com/MeridianOXC/OpenXcom/blob/oxce-plus/bin/standard/xcom2/alienMissions.rul

- type: STR_ALIEN_SURFACE_ATTACK
    points: 10
    objective: 3
    spawnZone: 3 #Mission zone for terror missions
    raceWeights:
      0:
          STR_GILLMAN: 100
      1:
          STR_AQUATOID: 20
          STR_GILLMAN: 80
      3:
          STR_AQUATOID: 20
          STR_GILLMAN: 30
          STR_LOBSTERMAN: 50
...

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

Interesting. That could be modded by ruleset, I guess.
Anybody has a clue why vanilla designers set first mission specifically Gillmen? Are they considered easier than Aquatoids, for example?

About the same idea is in xcom1 where first terror mission has more chance to have floaters than sectoids.

[psavola]

Interesting. That could be modded by ruleset, I guess.
Anybody has a clue why vanilla designers set first mission specifically Gillmen? Are they considered easier than Aquatoids, for example?

About the same idea is in xcom1 where first terror mission has more chance to have floaters than sectoids.

Gillmen are easier (no MC attacks, pretty tough calcinites). And to progress the research, you require a Deep One and a corpse, and you can essentially only get them with the land-based gillmen terror attacks. I'd suspect that's another main reason to maximize the chance of being able to get one.

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

I would beg to differ. Yes, calcinite is tough but deep one has range attack which is much quicker death.
Psi attack is something to be aware of but there are no many of aquatoids possess them. Probably 2-3 in whole terror squad.
Calcinite also is needed for research of vibroblade.

But I got the point. Thank you for explaining.