Author Topic: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.  (Read 8569 times)

Offline KingMob4313

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Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« on: September 02, 2014, 05:30:23 pm »
As part of the work on my Equal Terms mod, I am trying to introduce logical flows to research trees to try to slow the massive jumps in technology that can put a game into end-game mode in less than 2 months.  I've already introduced some bottlenecks by inverting the laser weapon technology research path (starts with laser cannons) and requiring a capture and interrogation of an Alien Engineer and the research of a base alien weapon in order to even start to research how to use plasma weapons.

The next portion I am looking to address is the hyperwave decoder.  I was looking at adding a complication that requires taking down an alien base before the Hyperwave decoder can be researched.  The concept behind this change is while the individual UFOs have communicators on them, they all have what amounts to a 'One Time Pad' form of encryption ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-time_pad ) so that getting the technology off a UFO is near useless.  In order to get the base code, a base will have to be raided.

I can think of a few ways of handling this:

1) Link it to the Alien commander
Pros: Would require a trivial change in YAML to implement
Cons: Would overlap Martial Solution research.  I hate two-for-ones

2) Link it to an existing tile that's only found in an alien base
Pros: Would require little work to implement, just finding an appropriate tile. Also would require player to carefully approach the base, instead of just resorting to 'haunted rubble' theory.
Cons: Finding an appropriate tile that is not on a base game UFO would be difficult and would probably be illogical (it would end up being something weird like a rock or something). Additionally, even if a proper tile is selected, many tiles are re-used in mods like Luke's awesome UFO mod or map mods.

3) Create a new tile, in a modified map zone, linked to an geoscape item and a research item
Pros: Would be the best method. Place the tile in an appropriate place in the commander's room, and it would make that final storming that much more difficult.
Cons: I have no idea where to start with this.  Also, it may require an actual code change.

This would also allow me to add a research item for improved radar once alien alloys are researched (knowing the radar characteristics of the ufos would improve detection). They would have to be new radars. The perfect alternative would be to have a 1 tile facility that improves all radar, either increasing the detection rate, or shortening the time between radar 'pings'.  I think both would require code changes, but both would be within reach of my coding skills.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to tackle this?

Offline Dioxine

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2014, 05:35:26 pm »
No need adding a new tile, just put the required component as either the part of the loadout of an alien commander in the alien base, or as a free-laying item on the base's command centre map block (as this block is gauaranteed to spawn).

Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2014, 05:43:25 pm »
No need adding a new tile, just put the required component as either the part of the loadout of an alien commander in the alien base, or as a free-laying item on the base's command centre map block (as this block is gauaranteed to spawn).

Okay, so I would end up going with the 'laying item'. Would there be a way to control where it spawns on the map? I'd give the item an armor of 1 and place it under a console, if possible.

Offline Falko

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Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2014, 06:21:03 pm »
Thanks Falko, that is exactly what I needed. Cheers!

Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2014, 06:00:30 am »
Okay, still a bit stimied.

I have the following:

Code: [Select]
terrains:
  - name: UBASE
    mapDataSets:
      - BLANKS
      - U_BASE
      - U_WALL02
      - U_PODS
      - BRAIN
    largeBlockLimit: 3
    mapBlocks:
      - name: UBASE_00
        width: 20
        length: 20
        type: 7
        items:
          STR_HYPER_WAVE_ENCODER
            - [9, 11, 1]
      - name: UBASE_01
        width: 20
        length: 20
      - name: UBASE_02
        width: 20
        length: 20
      - name: UBASE_03
        width: 20
        length: 20
      - name: UBASE_04
        width: 10
        length: 10
        type: 6
      - name: UBASE_05
        width: 10
        length: 10
      - name: UBASE_06
        width: 10
        length: 10
      - name: UBASE_07
        width: 10
        length: 10
        type: 4
      - name: UBASE_08
        width: 10
        length: 10
      - name: UBASE_09
        width: 10
        length: 10
      - name: UBASE_10
        width: 10
        length: 10
      - name: UBASE_11
        width: 10
        length: 10
#       UBASE_12 is impassable, 13 and 14 are apparently unused.
#       in the interest of preserving an original experience,
#       they have been disabled. delete the hashes to re-enable.
#      - name: UBASE_12
#        width: 10
#        length: 10
#      - name: UBASE_13
#        width: 10
#        length: 10
#      - name: UBASE_14
#        width: 10
#        length: 10
      - name: UBASE_15
        width: 20
        length: 20
        type: 8

Which should place this new item just hanging out on the floor in the alien base in the commanders room.  I'm using kinda middling coordinates, because I am not sure how the coords run (if top right is north)

However, the item isn't showing up, even after the mission.

What am I missing?

Offline Dioxine

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2014, 09:38:57 am »
You're missing a ":" after "STR_HYPER_WAVE_ENCODER" ;)

Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2014, 04:58:12 am »
You're missing a ":" after "STR_HYPER_WAVE_ENCODER" ;)

Okay, added that, it still won't show.

What am I missing?

Code: [Select]
  - type: STR_HYPER_WAVE_ENCODER
    size: 0.1
    battleType: 0
    costSell: 150000
    weight: 5
    bigSprite: 111
    floorSprite: 112
    handSprite: 32
    invWidth: 2
    invHeight: 1
    recover: true
    recoveryPoints: 50
    armor: 10

...is the code for the item.

Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2014, 02:19:38 am »
Anyone have any idea what I could be missing?  I've tried changing a half dozen things and nothing shows.

Offline ivandogovich

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2014, 02:27:59 am »
Do you have it set as a "recoverable" item?


Quote
recover   Is this item recoverable? (gets transported to the X-COM base on mission success)   true

Maybe that is necessary.

Cheers, Ivan :D

Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2014, 03:17:30 am »
Yeah, I have that in the code as well.  So bizarre...

Offline ivandogovich

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2014, 04:20:18 am »
I think someone has some working Alien Data items in one of their mods that allows research breakthroughs.

Maybe that will help.

Cheers, Ivan :D

Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2014, 05:41:07 am »
I think someone has some working Alien Data items in one of their mods that allows research breakthroughs.

Maybe that will help.

Cheers, Ivan :D

Good point, I will look into it.

Thanks for the help.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2014, 07:47:53 pm »
I think someone has some working Alien Data items in one of their mods that allows research breakthroughs.

That would be me. In the Final Mod Pack, you can sometimes find Alien Data Slate, which upon research gives a random tech. The downside is, if you don't have the "destroy items on research" (or something to this effect) option on, the item stays and can be researched again... and again...

Offline KingMob4313

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Re: Hyperwave decoder complications and questions.
« Reply #14 on: September 24, 2014, 04:34:24 am »
That would be me. In the Final Mod Pack, you can sometimes find Alien Data Slate, which upon research gives a random tech. The downside is, if you don't have the "destroy items on research" (or something to this effect) option on, the item stays and can be researched again... and again...

Perfect!

Maybe I can figure out what the hell I screwed up. It's holding up the 2.0 gold release of my mod!

Thanks, man.