[SUGGESTION-UNCUT][#067] New game mechanism: Aliens Escape Mission

[Unknown Hero]

The Aliens prisoners at one of your bases escaped. They have procured weapons and are ready to fight. Beware, they will also try to destroy the base facilities.

Option:
"Aliens Prisoners Can Escape" - "YES" - "NO" - (default "NO")
--> Chance Frequency Min: 1% / month - Frequency Max: X% / month
--> Trigger Threshold Min: X aliens

[Falko]

its one of your "i dont care" suggestions
regardless
--> Trigger Threshold Min: X aliens
should be:
--> Trigger Threshold Min: X% occupancy ( so breakout with 9/10 or 18/20 aliens -> higher occupancy higher probability - so you can have large numbers of aliens if you also have a large number of containment facilities)

[Unknown Hero]

@ Falko

The idea is that only the "current" Aliens prisoners escaped, no aliens generated.

Example:
--> Trigger Threshold Min= 5
Triggered only if at least 5 aliens prisoners at this base.

[Muukalainen]

All the aliens could have a value / strength on how good they are on this and how likely they will try it.

For example mind controlling aliens could have a much higher value than simple soldiers or terrorists.

[Falko]

@ Falko
The idea is that only the "current" Aliens prisoners escaped, no aliens generated.

i am aware of that but the trigger is not as good as it could be
if i capture 5 important aliens i cant research at the moment i just have to bit my nails and hope no escape mission happens
if the threshold depends on the fill rate i can influence the occurrence of escapes i build a second containment => and now i can have more aliens without risk of escaping
you can call it 5 per containment or 50% occupancy - does not matter much

[Unknown Hero]

@ Falko

if i capture 5 important aliens i cant research at the moment i just have to bit my nails and hope no escape mission happens

It's precisely to spice up the game.

And the player can also make strategic decisions:
--> I will transfer these two aliens to another base to not take risks.
--> I'll kill all aliens during missons so that there is no risk that it happens.
--> Etc.

if the threshold depends on the fill rate i can influence the occurrence of escapes i build a second containment => and now i can have more aliens without risk of escaping

Hence the possibility to adjust the % of occurrence for the mission, and how many aliens are needed before the mission is triggered.

you can call it 5 per containment or 50% occupancy - does not matter much

"5" is the total number of aliens for each specific base (regardless of the number of Alien Containment facilities) not a percentage.


And if the player want to preserve his nails, he can always change his mind and disable the option. 

[Falko]

*head shake*
"giving the player the option to deal with the problem" vs. "just disable the functionality"
why am i still discussing this i dont even care about this missiontype 

[Unknown Hero]

@ Falko

why am i still discussing this i dont even care about this missiontype 

I asked myself the same question. 

And then, "Perhaps finally he his interessed?" 

[Solarius Scorch]

I think this mission's probability should be extremely low if the player takes appropriate measures. What measures? well, for starters I suggest some sort or number of aliens vs. number of X-Com soldiers in the base (after all we can assume they're actually doing something between missions, including prisoner supervision and guard duty). Wounded soldiers and incoming soldiers don't count, but soldiers on away missions do, for the sake of simplicity.

The idea is, if you have 10 captured aliens and 30 active soldiers, the chance should be really slim, like 1:250 that it happens this month. If you have 10 aliens and 20 soldiers, let's make it 1:100. If it's 10 aliens vs. 10 soldiers, let's make it 1:50. However, it should never rise about 1:20, even with no soldiers in the base at all. (This is just an approximation, not a real function of course.) This can be further modified by alien type (Ethereals pose greater danger than Floaters) and soldier rank (experienced alien hunters are far better guards), but that could be overthinking things. And of course we can (and probably should) have other factors besides troop numbers, which I don't have ideas for yet.

As you can see, this would be an extremely rare mission, and actually unlikely to happen throughout your campaign. However, this is precisely the point: you make prisons to keep the prisoners inside, and prison escape is very unlikely. Still, it would be nice to feel the threat, and since it doesn't seem to be hard to implement code-wise, why not?

Oh, and one last question: where do they get weapons from?

[Muukalainen]

Oh, and one last question: where do they get weapons from?

Mind controlling the unlucky scientist on the night sift. "Be a good scientist and bring me a blaster launcher and couple of missiles from the general stores."

+ chryssalids or lobstermen don't need weapons. And when the escape mission happens, at least half of your engineers and scientists should be zombified if you had live chryssalid in alien containment.  Do you want to take the risk and really interrogate them?

[Solarius Scorch]

Mind controlling the unlucky scientist on the night sift. "Be a good scientist and bring me a blaster launcher and couple of missiles from the general stores."

I thought about it too, but what if there's no psionic in the cell? Would bribing a janitor with alien money work for a Snakeman? Hmm, and maybe a Muton could use his awesome muscles for seduction...

+ chryssalids or lobstermen don't need weapons. And when the escape mission happens, at least half of your engineers and scientists should be zombified if you had live chryssalid in alien containment.  Do you want to take the risk and really interrogate them?

Please note that I never asked about Chryssalids.

[Unknown Hero]

@ Solarius Scorch

Hmm, and maybe a Muton could use his awesome muscles for seduction...

Muton: "I'm Sexy and I'm Hulk!" 

[Unknown Hero]

@ Solarius Scorch

I think this mission's probability should be extremely low if the player takes appropriate measures. What measures? well, for starters I suggest some sort or number of aliens vs. number of X-Com soldiers in the base (after all we can assume they're actually doing something between missions, including prisoner supervision and guard duty). Wounded soldiers and incoming soldiers don't count, but soldiers on away missions do, for the sake of simplicity.

The idea is, if you have 10 captured aliens and 30 active soldiers, the chance should be really slim, like 1:250 that it happens this month. If you have 10 aliens and 20 soldiers, let's make it 1:100. If it's 10 aliens vs. 10 soldiers, let's make it 1:50. However, it should never rise about 1:20, even with no soldiers in the base at all. (This is just an approximation, not a real function of course.) This can be further modified by alien type (Ethereals pose greater danger than Floaters) and soldier rank (experienced alien hunters are far better guards), but that could be overthinking things. And of course we can (and probably should) have other factors besides troop numbers, which I don't have ideas for yet.

As you can see, this would be an extremely rare mission, and actually unlikely to happen throughout your campaign. However, this is precisely the point: you make prisons to keep the prisoners inside, and prison escape is very unlikely. Still, it would be nice to feel the threat, and since it doesn't seem to be hard to implement code-wise, why not?

This can be done different ways.

But with these possible settings:

--> Chance Frequency Min: 1% / month - Frequency Max: X% / month
--> Trigger Threshold Min: X aliens

The player can already make settings according to his wishes.

Example:

--> Chance Frequency Min = 1 (1% / month)

This mean the escape will arrive 1 time every 100 months.

--> Trigger Threshold Min = 5 (5 aliens at a specific base)

And only if there is at least 5 aliens at this specific base.


This can be also very frequent: (think "the guards are so dumb!").

Example:

--> Chance Frequency Min = 500 (500% / month)

This mean the escape will arrive 5 time every month.

--> Trigger Threshold Min = 2 (2 aliens at a specific base)

As soon (but only if) there is at least 2 aliens at this specific base.

[niculinux]

+1 but i think instead the even may be triggered after aliens have attached an xcom base: before the action pops un into battlescape mode a message should pop up: " due to the confusion, xx aliens have escaped the contsinment area". I think thta aliens otherwise may have grouble using rilfles and any other human weapons.

[RSSwizard]

+1 Ive always loved the idea of having the aliens escape from containment. A bunch of sci-fi movies are built around that premise anyway.

"We've got a BREACH!"

I wonder exactly HOW do you keep a Sectopod or Cyberdisk on ice anyway. Do they know where its secret "off" switch is? What happens when a UFO passes by and sends it wireless activation bypass codes. Besides its not exactly like you can take its weapon away, that thing is kinda on and loaded all the time.

But anyway, any alien that escaped would set all of its compatriots free.
Including any live aliens that are currently being researched (because as the Psi-Network is re-established in the local collective, it gets up off the table).

As for what weapons they get to use . . . hmm they have free reign of probably 50% of any weapons and ammunition that are available for each item type. And aliens arent stupid, they dont have to research "human weapons" to be able to use pistols, rifles, laser weapons, etc. But obvioously they would arm themselves up with the best of what you have.

They just cant use the HWPs.

It would be nice for a change to see a Sectoid carrying a plain old Rifle and throwing plain old Grenades (gees that reminds me of Battlestar Galactica though).

Yeah id say it was just a flat rate % chance every month, regardless of the number of aliens or the number of alien containment rooms you have. If it scores a hit then it picks some time during that month when it will happen (rather than predictably happening on the 1st of the month).

A low enough chance that the average game will probably see 1 of these incidents occur during its span, but not a regular thing.