Author Topic: XCOM Files Timeline  (Read 646 times)

Offline Vahn9995

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XCOM Files Timeline
« on: October 22, 2024, 05:23:23 am »
So I've been playing through the XCOM files, and I'm still in 1997; August to be exact.

I've been reading more about the mod, and the tech tree, and I was wondering, am I progressing too slowly? I only have one cult network researched, and all the chief officers but the military envoy. Should I restart, or is it okay for Promotion II to come in late? When is the usual time I should get Promotion II? I'm also having trouble getting the other network researches to unlock, so far I only have the Cult of Dagon Network researched. I'm just worried of being woefully underprepared for the alien invasion.

Offline Stone Lake

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Re: XCOM Files Timeline
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2024, 08:30:03 am »
You're a bit slow, but that's probably fine. The rough average timing for promo II is mid-late 97, promo III mid-late 98. It can be done much faster - reasonably hard promo III by early 98 (or even mid-late 97), but that won't necessarily make your invasion easier. Most aliens are beatable with marginal losses in promo II gear (if you have a knack for tactics). Getting to tanks will make it much easier, though.

Offline Amoebka

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Re: XCOM Files Timeline
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2024, 08:12:37 pm »
Also worth mentioning that you can simply ignore aliens after the invasion starts. They don't cost you a lot of score, and you will easily be in the positives as long as you are progressing some other plotlines. Terrors are quite rare, and unprovoked retaliations basically don't exist.

Offline psavola

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Re: XCOM Files Timeline
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2024, 08:55:20 pm »
Terrors are quite rare, and unprovoked retaliations basically don't exist.

Not quite. There is 20 % monthly chance (starting month 22) of alien retaliation even if you have researched or done nothing; see missionScripts entry "recurringRetaliation". However, it starts with sentry/sabouteur ships, so it's not huge fleets at first.

This happens sometimes. I actually a recall someone posting some time ago (a year+) where Gazers had done a retaliation, and they were impossible to beat on the poster's low-level weapons. After that, the retaliation races was shifted down a bit in this commit: https://github.com/SolariusScorch/XComFiles/commit/51a23b86bc080b56fcad39470a9d7f9c475caaf5 and more tiers for retaliating ships was added: https://github.com/SolariusScorch/XComFiles/commit/31f1bc48b4a66027a4c92e4449163d33e81a2b6f
« Last Edit: October 25, 2024, 09:03:48 pm by psavola »

Offline Amoebka

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Re: XCOM Files Timeline
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2024, 12:40:21 am »
Yes, they do indeed happen. However, 20% per month is quite low, they still need to actually find the base (no instant retaliations in files), and since radar base spamming is meta, the chance of them targeting a base that's important is even lower.
It is, of course, possible to get very unlucky, but usually they aren't an issue.

Gazers had done a retaliation, and they were impossible to beat on the poster's low-level weapons

Were gazers themselves changed at some point? They die like chumps to any explosives, even regular earth grenades.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2024, 12:42:53 am by Amoebka »

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: XCOM Files Timeline
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2024, 02:08:55 am »
Were gazers themselves changed at some point?

No, I don't recall changing them.

Offline Empiro

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Re: XCOM Files Timeline
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2024, 02:48:42 am »
I would say you're at average progression. You can do faster, but it's not necessary. The biggest killer in XCF is getting blocked in research -- meaning that you're missing a pre-req that you can't easily get.

You should be trying as hard as possible to get the prerequisites for Promo II. The Military Envoy can be extremely hit-or-miss. I've had cases where I simply did not get a mission that would spawn a Black Lotus Footman mission until September, for example.