Multiple skyrangers/craft and maybe bigger ufos?

[kharille]

I know combat with more than 26 soldiers might be slower, but whats to stop up to 4 avengers landing on the same map?

[SupSuper]

Logistics?

[Mr. Quiet]

We need a mission like this!

Make it a custom battle. Add how many UFOs and skyrangers you would like to add and the more UFOs/Skyrangers, the bigger the map. Would be cool to play in a huge full scale war!! Bodies dropping everywhere and getting hit from all sides!! Chryssalids everywhere :OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[moriarty]

for an instant battle: why not

it would also give us an opportunity to stress-test the engine...

in-game, I don't know... the micro-management of too many soldiers on a battlefield does not sound very appealing to me... I think, if we want to do it, it should be limited to a select few special operations. maybe, if we add some kind of "random events", we could have a certain chance that an alien base newly discovered turns out to be a "hive complex", some kind of mega-base with several layers, massive amounts of aliens and more loot than you could dream of - and it can be attacked by several craft at once.

of course, we would need some kind of special in-game mechanic to allow this... and we would need to come up with an explanation why cydonia can only be attacked by a single avenger, perhaps something about detection and secrecy and so on.

[Danny]

4 battleships each with a different race VS 4 avengers? XD

[kharille]

I suppose I can just get by on 26 soldiers with most of the speed options on the fastest settings.  52... Hm..  maybe if the aliens were really good and obliterated my squad early, can easily happen with blaster launchers.

[Minotaton]

This would makes for an awesome co-op instant action mode. Each player could control a craft of soldiers.

[Mr. Quiet]

Oh! When I find a buddy to play with me anywhere, this would be awesome!

[MKSheppard]

There are also more important mechanics to consider -- can you send a skyranger to loiter or hang around a landed/crashed UFO to prevent the aliens from taking off or cleaning up the crash site until a second skyranger shows up?

[Mr. Quiet]

I think it's best for all ships to be landed at the start of the mission. Both sides will have each units inside the ships. This way both sides have equal chance to capture a build and hold... To get ready for a big battle ><. I want thisssss!!!!

[moriarty]

I guess the best way to implement this would be to allow formation of aircraft groups. If one aircraft is in flight, a second aircraft can target the first. Once they meet, the player is asked if the second craft is supposed to join the first craft in a group. After that, the group can be given orders as a single "unit" (one of those orders being "disband group").

This would also simplify multi-craft air battles.

It should also be possible to send the craft out in groups when launching from a base.

Oh, and of course, we would need to think about the behavior of mixed craft groups: if a group made up of an interceptor and a skyranger reaches a crash site, is the group automatically disbanded (because the interceptor can't perform ground missions)?

We should also implement a mechanic that allows transport craft to hover over ground mission sites instead of immediately landing, to allow other transport craft to catch up...

There's a lot of stuff that needs tweaking and changing and adding for this to work (I still like the idea, though - but it needs some balancing, I think)

[Danny]

I don't get how people feel big 15+ squads are better in this game... :\

Just look at the new Xcom, only 6 soldiers max...
It is supposed to be a tactical game, not some giant army game... XD

less is more

[moriarty]

I don't get how people feel big 15+ squads are better in this game... :\

Just look at the new Xcom, only 6 soldiers max...
It is supposed to be a tactical game, not some giant army game... XD

less is more

well, I don't necessarily feel that huge squads are better, but it does not feel right to deny the user the option. after all, if you have two or three bases in the area of an alien base, you should be allowed to bring a huge team by using several transport craft.

the option of "grouping" aircraft has been suggested before, and I think it makes sense, because it is useful for air battles too. so if it is at all possible, it should be given some thought.

the other side of this is that there are balancing issues. if you can simply swarm a crash site with multiple craft,  you will have another advantage: you will have more than one starting location, giving you the possibility to flank aliens more easily... (even though it's not as much of an advantage as in XCOM2012)

[kharille]

Maybe plasma technology can be modified to be super expensive so that you might keep conventional earth weapons. 

One thing thats good about the original, even if you miss, chances are the shot will hit something.

I do get tired of 26 soldiers but I wouldn't give up on that feature.  Could always just send out 12 and leave the rest in the skyranger if I have to.

Maybe create a new 'very massive' UFO classification for this... 

[luke83]

the other side of this is that there are balancing issues. if you can simply swarm a crash site with multiple craft,  you will have another advantage: you will have more than one starting location, giving you the possibility to flank aliens more easily... (even though it's not as much of an advantage as in XCOM2012)

You just need to provide the Aliens a similar rule from time to time, you may remember i once suggested Expanded maps, allow you to start a battle and at a random turn, another Alien ship can arrive or some terrorists and be spawned in a previous UN-viewable section of the battle scape.  This once again brings us back to Linking ( time wise) battlescape with Geoscape which creates a heap of new problems BUT a heap of new possibility

As for  Larger groups, i want this also but there just to time consuming to control, thus my suggestion for Squad options + Group movement options so you can quickly bring up reinforcements, that also wasn't exactly received with excitement by the community .....IF only i could code

Maybe create a new 'very massive' UFO classification for this...

I always wanted to build a Hive ship as part of a Alternate ending for the game.