aliens

Author Topic: "No Alien Nightvision" setting  (Read 10811 times)

Offline Taberone

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"No Alien Nightvision" setting
« on: August 04, 2014, 01:41:58 am »
There should be a optional setting that makes aliens play by the rules when it comes to night missions. Aliens see the full 20 tiles, you don't. Cue Chryssalid rush from a dark corner because your troops can't see 5 centimeters infront of them, or a Sectoid sniping you from the opposite side of the room.(Extreme exaggeration.)

According to the wiki for UFO Defense, XCOM soldiers see 9 tiles at night, while Aliens see 20.

This might make the game easier or dumb it down, but thats why its optional like "Psi line of fire" or "Always daytime".

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2014, 01:45:59 am »
+1! Even +2!

Ideally, this would be configurable by race though. Especially if you fight against human foes! (Yes I know, not a vanilla issue, move along.)

Offline LeBashar

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2014, 11:09:56 am »
But, don't you fear this give alien a huge malus ? they don't have light flare to throw everywhere.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2014, 02:04:54 pm »
But, don't you fear this give alien a huge malus ? they don't have light flare to throw everywhere.

I think it's a minor detail, especially since most of them don't really need flares.

Offline Taberone

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2014, 10:34:17 pm »
Any way to modify alien vision range at night?

Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2014, 12:33:23 am »
Or "Better human nightvision", hehehe ;)

Offline Mackus

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #6 on: August 06, 2014, 06:26:58 pm »
Somebody already made a mod that allows for custom nightvision range, different for every unit type, and shared maximum light vision up to 100 tiles.
The only problem with the mod, is that it needs custom executive file.
But they way I see it, it would be nice if it was included in vanilla.

Offline redv

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2014, 06:44:34 pm »
Somebody already made a mod that allows for custom nightvision range, different for every unit type, and shared maximum light vision up to 100 tiles.
The only problem with the mod, is that it needs custom executive file.

Yes, it is ;)
https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom/pull/904

Offline smexyvami

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2014, 12:54:11 pm »
Or "Better human nightvision", hehehe ;)

adding a night vistion range finger and have it like the mostion sencer tool but add a defalt buff ? or night vistion in geniral or flashlights some how that are not crappy electro flairs or real FLAIRS!

Offline Dioxine

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2014, 07:47:30 pm »
This must be about a 100th NV thread since 1994 :)

The best thing proposed so far (except flashlights and other stuff that'd require making AI smarter to be able to take advantage of the light), was proposed, I don't remember by whom, but boils down to:

- Every XCom agent is issued with NVG that boost NV to 20 in night conditions
- You can turn them off an on any time
- When turned on, your accuracy and reactions suffer a harsh penalty, and brightly light tiles start blocking your LOS

But having said that, I like the vanilla "thou shall fear the night" idea, as it is both simple and powerful... although aliens? If they were undead, or demons, it would make more sense... :)

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2014, 11:19:24 pm »
Well, it's not really a NV thread, it's a "make aliens non-nocturnal" thread. So you're being too harsh. :)

Offline NeoWorm

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2014, 02:45:22 am »
I think we could benefit from being able to set diferent view distances (day and night) for aliens and for armors. You can make some aliens nocturnal, some almost blind even in day and some even more sensitive than before. What was written in wiki about Celatids? If well implemented you could make aliens that see better in night than in day. Also a nightvision armor, sniper armor etc.

And all of that without complex new game mechanics, just diferent numbers with the same math we have now.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2014, 09:48:24 am »
I guess it's inevitable that I paste it make a third copy of that post here... :P

But back to topic: I guess this is worth bringing up again, as it concerns a vital gaming element. It's not just about vision, but about detection in general.
It appears to me that detection can be divided into several categories, which generally are in game anyway:
  • Sight. We all know how it works in RL and the game. Used by humans and most aliens. It can be sub-divided into two categories: day-light vision (used by humans, Ethereals and Reapers) and night vision (used by Sectoids, Floaters, Snakemen, Mutons and Chryssalids).
  • Movement detection. Used by the motion scanner and apparently nothing else. Naturally, it's not real-time, as it only detects movement done in opponent's last/your present turn.
  • Psionic scan. It works like a combination of both, as it's real-time, circular and not limited by either lighting or obstacles. Used by Ethereals, Sectoid leaders/commanders, and I think Silacoids and Celatids too.

I don't know what Cyberdiscs and Sectopods use, but I guess just sight (probably night vision).

Yeah, Mind Probe would be much more attractive if it could function similarly to a motion scanner. Naturally, it'd invalidate the motion scanner in most cases; however, robotic units (Cyberdiscs, Sectopods and HWPs) wouldn't show on the Probe.

Offline smexyvami

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #13 on: August 24, 2014, 05:19:28 pm »
i had an ideia last night maby  armors with masks on like the flying souts can have incresed light tiles do to a nv mudual  in the helmet

Offline redv

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Re: "No Alien Nightvision" setting
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2014, 01:01:32 am »
There should be a optional setting that makes aliens play by the rules when it comes to night missions. Aliens see the full 20 tiles, you don't. Cue Chryssalid rush from a dark corner because your troops can't see 5 centimeters infront of them, or a Sectoid sniping you from the opposite side of the room.(Extreme exaggeration.)

PR sent: https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom/pull/904
But i don't know will be merged or not. Anyways, you can build by yourself.

Another realization: https://www.openxcom.com/mod/real-vision