Targetting mode and blaster-launchers/Psi

[Xilmi]

Want your opinion on the following issue:

There's someone doing a playthrough with Brutal-AI's "Targetting mode" set to 1 = Aliens can only attack what they themselves see.

This is also how it works for the vanilla-AI.

However, this targetting-mode also impacts target-selection for aliens with psi-abilities and blaster-launchers. Which is not the case in vanilla-AI.

So I'd say that it would make sense to use the team-vision-logic from targetting-mode 2 in targetting-mode 1, when it comes to these weapons.

Alternatively I could also get rid of this all together, have targetting-mode 3 be the default and put targetting-mode 4 in something called "cheat-mode", which would have 3 levels: 0 = off, 1 = bughunt-mode for AI, 2 = infinite vision for AI

[Abyss]

Vanilla is using something between TM 1 and 2.
The sniper-spotter mechanics. It should be checked whether PSI-soldiers have mark "sniper", then it will be obvious, can it make PSI attacks beyond actual vision range.
The logics are simple: to give modder a possibility to decide whether this particular unit should or should not attack on purpose of controlled game balance.
Snipers see (and can attack and grenade) detected units for a number of turns (usually 2-5).


I would rather suggest you make the following options:
1. Units attack IF ONLY they see
2. non-sniper-tagged units attack only IF they see, but sniper-tagged units can use squad sight.
3. non-sniper-tagged units attack only IF they see, but sniper-tagged units can use squad sight. PLUS they can fire beyond the vision (dark areas) into presumed hostile unit location on their turn
4. Whole units use squad vision PLUS all above + REACTION fire into darkness (it's both good and bad, because weak AI units will only expose themselves, while strong will ofc make kills)
5. AI cheats, but with limitations
6. AI cheats as an asshole

The balanced option is 3 for most of the mods.
And don't forget, that PSI units usually can see through walls with SENSE. Some sectoid leader may have 20 PSI sense and therefore mind-attack human squad which gets close to the ship. PSI attacks should be limited, because it will be one-turn battle. Blaster launchers should be limited too. Vanilla OXCE units don't use them, players are not getting used to blaster attacks, most mods are balanced ignoring the blaster launchers getting spawned in the AI hands.

[xenoroyal]

I am really liking targeting mode 1, and aggressive 2 based on you suggesting it's a hard but more vanilla like experience. I love it and never want to go back. It's like vanilla but I'm playing vs humans. I've had entire vanilla playthrough where all the aliens did was blaster launch themselves...  I can remember one time in past year I got hot hard w a blaster on superhuman.

But u gotta get psi working for targeting 1 somehow bro, that's crucial

If BRUTALai on 1 is more brutal cus they're also using blaster launchers, so be it.  But pls don't nerf psi on 1.

[xenoroyal]

any update?

i just played my first early terror missions vs sectoids
instead of it being a nightmare i have to abort from, i just farmed them

targeting 1 behavior 2 is the perfect Hard Vanilla man, but psi not being a threat whatsoever kills it



perhaps theres a way I could personally mod my game somehow?  Give psi-enabled aliens All-Sight?
I guess turning Bug Hunt mode on as soon as i see its etherals/sectoids would basically accomplish that right?

tried it.  idk doesnt seem to be working right.  guess i gotta put play on hold til theres a workaround or fix


edit: woke up, what am i gonna do? go back to vanilla? i cant now.  Its like vanilla aliens are children now.  Im starting a new one with iron man off so i can do some real testing when I encounter Psi.  For all i know i blasted the psi guy right off the bat in a terror mission.  I attacked a landed sectoid supply ship and turned on Bug Hunt Mode.  I didn't seem to be getting psi-fu*ked like normally.   Had a couple psi hits on skyranger a couple rounds in but it didnt feel normal so im gonna really test.

if this doesnt work, i guess I can turn on Targeting 2 once I realize its going to be vs psi race+ship/mission combo

[Xilmi]

I just tested it with the same settings as you used and Etherals on a small UFO.
It does work as intended.

Of course you won't see psi-attacks nearly as frequently as if it wasn't limited by vision.

The aliens also always check whether they should try to psi first. So that's not the issue here.

There are, however, reasons for them not to use psi everytime they could.

First and foremost: Low success chance.

The AI knows the fomula and applies it in a simulated psi-attack. Psi-success-chance heavily scales with distance and the soldiers psi-defense, which you don't know at this point of the game. If the simulation fails, it will also not do a real psi-attack.

Requiring vision might mean the only visible soldier has too much of a psi-defense to be affected at this distance, so psi-attacks are skipped and it just fires it's plasma-weapon instead.

Also note that the base-AI cheats with Psi-attack-validity of units, which makes it appear more dangerous relatively speaking compared to other options they are worse at.
Base AI only needs to have spotted a unit once and will then be eligible as potential psi-attack target for several turns without actually spotting it again.
That is not the case for non-cheating-variant of Brutal-AI.
It can only psi-attack units that someone on their team has seen in the same turn.

Other than that I don't really know what I'm supposed to fix here.
You deliberately use a setting that makes psi-attacks less dangerous and then complain about psi-attacks not being dangerous enough. What should the AI supposed do about this?