I'm posting here to:
- BUMP, this thread was slowly going southwards in the thread list
- More seriously, I post because I think I've achieved a winning position end of september 1999. I'll be able to launch to Cydonia in less than a week (haven't built the avenger yet due to not really needing it), and more realistically I can launch by November with a FULL horde of (almost) Elite soldiers, fully equipped with hundreds of alien grenades, dozen of blaster bombs and hundreds of Heavy Plasma Clips (not to mention the Heavies themselves, none of which was manufactured, netting me TONs of elerium.
One-up'ing there, I also spare some 20 millions cash with which I could setup sort-of a robotic factory to mass produce pulse lasers and removing (most) need for funding.
Being this a NO PSI game, Cydonia is not that scary having also the possibility to level down most of that with blaster bombs.
I'm posting not to boast (it's not really a commendable result), but to do some post-mortem game analisys so far related to the mod(s) played and as such mostly Equal Terms since it's basically that, the statstrings and YetMoreUFOs! all with NO PSIONICS (first time ever), Ironman Superhuman difficulty.
My quick observations:
- Squad tactics make the game FUNNEST but in my opion a bit easier due to a not competitive AI.
- Weapon versatility is King (ahah!) and I always send TOO much time in the Equip Troops screen
- You really don't need 50 soldiers for that UFO Assault, due to not having PSI opponents, 14 will do. Skyranger would need just a better engine....and that woudl call the day.
- HWPs are better than Vanilla, but troopers are STILL better.
- Heavy Plasma is still a great weapon, BUT Lasers fare way too well in comparison, in fact they're still my standard weaponry, they struggle only against the green-skinned aliens, as usual, but stun bombs+ HROF Laser SMG do wonders.
- The power armors combined with the alternative movement system of OpenXcom increase mobility to superhuman level: (CTRL+click to run, with the very high energy levels makes for nice map marathons with "no sweat". This is ondeed VERY nice and PLAUSIBLE, power armors are powered after all
- The a-bit-more-limited availability of HyperWave Decoder it's surely a nice thing, since I was able to set up a global detection network far too easily without, I have four Alien bases on earth and did not have the need to assault one once. this was by choice to redice my monthly score but in the end was pointless due to the tiny score for the aliens.
This also put an end to terror missions far too early.
I think that once everything is set up the "DLCs" should include a ruleset for scripted terror missions that do not rely on the constraint of having a successfull streak of "terror mission" by UFOs that are too easily shot down.
This woudl combine very well with a "realistic earth countries" mod with much more cities and countries.
- Lasers are REALLY great, I delayed Plasma research indefinitely if not for the Heavy that unlocked Plasma Craft Weapons. Hey I think I already said that.
- This mod is great, it exponentially increases FUN, I cannot stress this enuff.
- Too bad for those shotguns, but that's the deal.
- I NEED MOAR SPACE for loot
Well, that was surely a lot of rambling.
I'll play along to reasearch also the other weapons and play around.
