Author Topic: Alien containment  (Read 12335 times)

Offline clownagent

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Alien containment
« on: September 26, 2013, 06:50:44 am »
When playing with the option for a limited alien containment (10 aliens), sometimes it happens that the containment is full and all further aliens captured are automatically killed.

In case of a full alien containment, it would be really nice, if one can choose which alien gets killed.

In my opinion, UFO apocalypse featured the best alien containment, where you had an own screen, with a nice overview on all aliens (also corpses) and the remaining containment space. This information is also available in openXcom, but scattered over several screens.

Offline kharille

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2013, 01:21:57 pm »
I agree.  Wish there was an ongoing reason to keep capturing and interrogating the same aliens.  Maybe a research bonus would be nice.

Offline moriarty

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2013, 02:08:32 pm »
I like the idea of an "Alien Containment Management Screen", but I don't know where I would put it - the basescape menu doesn't really have any space left.

Another way would be to adopt an idea from XCOM2012: access to sub-menus via clicking on the base facilities. Currently clicking on base facilities prompts you whether you want to dismantle the facility, but perhaps the dismantling could be moved to right-clicking? Right-clicking on an empty square could open the "build new facility" menu.

This way, an "Alien Containment" menu could be added as a kind of "hidden" menu. What do you think?

Offline Align

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2013, 09:11:19 pm »
Could be found under Research, or Base Information.

Offline moriarty

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2013, 11:24:44 pm »
Could be found under Research, or Base Information.

...or under "Sell/Sack"? there's too many places it could fit into - it is kind of a cross-over menu... especially if you include dead aliens in the menu, because they are technically items. they take up storage space, too. it is really a tough decision, which is why I would try to implement it as a completely separate menu.

the trouble is, if you don't play with the limited alien containment option turned on, you don't need the menu at all. :P

Offline redv

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2013, 11:32:54 pm »
I like the idea of an "Alien Containment Management Screen", but I don't know where I would put it - the basescape menu doesn't really have any space left.

Perhaps, right click on alien containment for calling this menu is best solution.

On the other hand, you always can sell live aliens:)
« Last Edit: September 26, 2013, 11:35:48 pm by redv »

Offline moriarty

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2013, 12:38:14 am »
On the other hand, you always can sell live aliens:)

"always"?

Nope, only if you have that option enabled :)

Would be nice, though, to have a possibility to view the live aliens, so that menu would have its use even in a vanilla game. The only place you can see them there is "transfer".

But I guess you have a point, we should leave left-clicks as they are and enable right-click for new
direct menu access.

Developers? Anybody think this is a useful idea? Right-Click on base facilities jumps to corresponding menu?

General Stores - buy
Laboratory - research
Workshop - manufacture
Hangar - craft screen
Living Quarters - Equip screen

Offline kharille

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2013, 12:49:47 am »
Can we implement a higher sell value for alien leaders and commanders?  I like the live alien sell feature but surely there should be higher returns for ranked aliens? 

Offline redv

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2013, 01:05:53 am »
Developers? Anybody think this is a useful idea? Right-Click on base facilities jumps to corresponding menu?

Try it. Use it:))

Offline Danny

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2013, 02:02:07 am »
So to recap:
We need a special screen after battle where we can select which unconscious aliens to keep and in the base which to sell.
Any additional live aliens (of the same type) you get after you researched them should be able to be sold and possibly the higher their rank the more cash they should bring in.

It would also be funny if you have alot of live aliens, they could try to escape... ^^

Offline kharille

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2013, 05:47:46 am »
Especially if the prisons are crowded.  You know, they should implement a use for alien entertainment.  Those alien surgeries and all.

Offline moriarty

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2013, 11:49:57 am »
Try it. Use it:))

Whoops, when was this implemented? All these features! I keep being amazed :)

So, this would be an easy way to implement a "hidden" menu :) and once we have a menu that shows the content of the containment with a "dispose of" function, the same screen can be shown at the end of the battle: capacity can be shown as red if exceeded, player can only exit the screen if contents are less than or equal to capacity.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2014, 07:06:12 pm »
Threadomancy here, but it;s better than opening a new thread I guess:

It seems to me that if the Alien Containment is full and you get more prisoners, you don't get any money from the ones you throw out in the alien containment management screen. I suppose you should get money from them just like with normal selling (as long as you have that option enabled).

I might be wrong, but I'm 90% sure you don't get paid for those.

Offline Ran

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2014, 11:58:49 pm »
Well, I think it is right like this.
As said you just throw them out, or don't take them with you from the UFO site. There's no time for negotiating business deals.
If you can just sell normally the surplus there's little incentive to construct additional containments.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: Alien containment
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2014, 12:16:16 am »
Well, I think it is right like this.
As said you just throw them out, or don't take them with you from the UFO site. There's no time for negotiating business deals.
If you can just sell normally the surplus there's little incentive to construct additional containments.

But that's pointless. It forces me to keep an eye on the containment all the time, remembering how much space I have when I'm on a mission, all that hassle. It's tiresome, adds no depth to the game and is just stupid.