I am working on a mod that unlike most others, makes things harder and actually removes/replaces stuff.
As a small tribute to the failed and abandonded Kiryu-Kai (see official X-Com timeline) I named the mod Kiryu-Kai mod.
Kiryu-Kai Mod v.0.95
What is this mod about?
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This mod is meant to be a hard game alternative for experienced power-players.
It was inspired by the Kiryu-Kai, a japanese Anti-Alien-Unit mentioned in the official X-Com timeline.
The Kiryu-Kai were formed (and abandoned) ~ 1 year before X-Com was formed. I liked the idea of an elite squad with little funding, so I went along with it.
Consider this mod as a very difficult challenge for experienced X-Com veterans, who want a bare-bone, mostly original gameplay with no super-weapons.
The general mod-ideas are: Minimal Equipment Choice, High Difficulty, Mostly original stats and gameplay, Different graphical theme.
What does this mean in general?
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You will have NO offensive heavy weapon platforms, only a bulky remote-controlled-vehicle for scouting purposes.
You will have NO flying-suits.
You will have less funds.
You will never be able to use any Alien weapons.
You will never have clip-less Laser weapons, they have been replaced by an alternative technology, the Magneto Weapons.
You will get a new (limited-supply) melee-weapon.
You will get a different Skyranger.
What does this mean in detail?
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Redundant weapon ammo has been removed, this means the Rocket Launcher, the Heavy Cannon and Auto-Cannon have been changed to specific purposes.
I did not change the damage/accuracy/Time-unit stats, the auto-cannon fires 4 shots in auto-mode now, though.
No tanks, no hover-tanks. You will have a RCV to scout the area, that's all.
No flying suit. This means no cheap tricks against melee aliens.
Your soldiers (and engineers, scientists) are more expensive and need 1 week to arrive. The soldiers however are ELITE soldiers with good stats.
They are no supermen, they only had some training before. No longer will a 10-bravery, 10-accuracy, 10-strength loser apply for the job.
You will also have less PSI-weaklings. Less does not mean none, but the chances are much smaller.
You can not use or manufacture alien weapons. Not even the Alien Grenade.
The starting base is smaller and you will have less funds and crafts at the game start.
You will start in 1998, just like mentioned in the official timeline.
Laser weapons have been replaced by the Magneto Technology, they are armor-piercing weapons and are slightly weaker than the laser weapons.
The craft laser and the laser defenses have also been replaced by Magneto versions.
Anything else?
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Of course you can play the game in any way you want, but to experience this mod the way it was intended, please read the following short thoughts:
I recommend NOT to use ANY other mod weapons, tanks or crafts along with this mod. Even my own. This mod is meant to be difficult.
My terrain mods (City, Farm, Alien Base) and LukesExtraUfos (especially the "dark" version) are highly recommended.
It is essential to start a new campaign, otherwise errors and bugs might occur.
Disabling/Weakening PSI for the human side (or generally) per in-game options is HIGHLY recommended. PSI ruins the game if used without any restrictions.
Using the TFTD damage formula option is recommended, too. The default formula is far too random.
I also recommend using JSGME (JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler), a little freeware tool, to install this (and other) mod(s).
Some people recommend using the UFOExtender accuracy option, but I don't, simply because hitting something in XCom already is unrealistically difficult.
SolariusScorch's ReptoidRace and robin's Cover-Alien-mod work fine with this mod, if you DON'T use their separate Alien-Armory-compatible versions.
SolariusScorch's NewUfosMod works fine with this mod and is highly recommended.
Any future plans?
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Adding more translations.
Finding out what Kiryu-Kai actually means. From what I found so far, I think it means the "Unit/Group from the Kiryu area" but I am not japanese.
Known mod "conflicts":
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Most available mods will work flawlessly with this mod. HOWEVER, there are some things to consider:
The original "PowerSuitHelmetOff" mod conflicts with this mod, as my inventory screens are based on those.
robin's Men-In-Black Mod uses laser weapons which my mod replaces, thus leaving some enemies unarmed.
SolariusScorch's Alien Armory Mod gives the aliens and the player new weapons, invalidating the mod's idea.
Any add-on weapon, tank or armor mod might also invalidate the mod's idea.
Terran Plasma Mod gives the player new weapons, invalidating the mod's idea.
Feel free to use ANY of my mod resources in ANY way you see fit. But please do not alter this specific mod without asking.
Civilian 2014
history
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v.0.80 unreleased, placeholder graphics.
v.0.81 unreleased, graphics done, handobjects done, sounds done.
v.0.89 unreleased, added restrictions and gameplay changes.
v.0.90 unreleased, numerous tweaks to handobject graphics, balance changes and fixes after test-games.
v.0.91 first release, added slightly changed UI graphics.
v.0.92 solved the invincible Sectopod problem, adjusted stats of some weapons and facilities, changed some text-strings, sounds and handobjects.
v.0.93 added custom colored power suit and inventory screens (the inventory screens are edited ones from the "PowerSuitHelmetOff" mod by an unknown modder, there was no read-me in the source file); added a special Tanto-Dagger that only the initial 8 squad members get, the users strength and melee-skill ADD to its default damage, making it a very strong weapon in the hands of late-game soldiers. The graphics for the Tanto are based on the CombatKnife mod (by Chico, Moriarty, Nightwolf and Warboy1982), but are basically completely redone.
v.0.94 Added the RCV/Scout. It has no offensive weapon, but can provide smoke cover. It has no reaction-fire as it is supposed to be remote-controlled by a human being. The basic idea came from the Scout-Drone mod from Ryskeliini and Arpia, but I went for a full-scale (2x2) vehicle instead, avoiding the Chryssalid-infection-bug that plagued the other mod. Removed maxRange limit from Shotgun. Changed handobjects for easier identification.
v.0.95 Replaced the original Skyranger, the new one has place for two more soldiers and has a slightly different look and layout. Increased Tanto-Dagger damage.
spoilers/tips
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The Auto-Cannon fires 4 auto-shots now to make it a more viable alternative to the rifle.
The Heavy (Flame) Cannon has arcing shots, making it a very useful support weapon.
The Magneto Shotgun is ideal for the troops closest to the craft's exit.
The Magneto Launcher is THE weapon to battle Sectopods, they take this role from the Heavy Laser. But remember that they are heavy, have limited ammo AND are slightly weaker than the Heavy Laser, so don't get careless.
The 8 Tanto daggers are irreplaceable. Do not leave them behind on the battlefield without a good reason. Their maximum average damage is 130 when wielded by (end-game) 70 strength soldiers, making them viable through the whole game. They are still "only" melee-weapons, so don't get too excited about them. If you want to replenish them (Cheater! :-D ) or add them to another save-game you will have to do so MANUALLY by editing the save-game with a text-editor. The object-id is STR_TANTO. Make a backup of the save-game BEFORE editing it, in case something goes wrong. See screen-shot no.6 in the DOCS folder for a better explanation.
The RCV/Scout is especially helpful at night when the aliens have a far bigger viewing-range than your troops have. Use them to minimize risks for your soldiers.
