aliens

Author Topic: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations v0.98  (Read 234651 times)

Offline XOps

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #195 on: July 06, 2015, 02:04:48 am »
New UFOs have been brought up to 14 total (not counting layout variations). The new UFOs pass the first test, it's fun to play since most UFO assaults are brutal and short. I've given up and added some more scout class crafts, but there should be enough variety to keep ground assaults interesting. I am pretty much done with those now though I might add more layout variations later.

My current task is the alien base. That's almost done. Just need to make the command center and a few more large rooms. Needs playtesting to make sure the map isn't too big or hard to clear. I don't think it should be. I've tried to avoid alien closets like TFTD.

I have regrouped with the tech tree. The new version is still really messy and needs a lot of pacing balance, but so far I think it works better than the last one. It's very different from what any other mod has currently, though its not a completely new idea by itself. The new tech tree is very resource intensive. It's divided into distinct independent tiers and each tier gives the player random techs. The random nature does take away some player agency, but the player also gains the ability exchange resources to tech up. Still needs a lot of balance, but I find the system encourages the player to attack larger intact UFOs.

For some other odds and ins, I've added a new alien. Nothing special, just a TFTD recolor with a few extra bits. They are an early game foe showing up one or two months into the game. Their armor makes for some interesting tactic changes since it's reverse of how most armors work in the game. Also their ranks are different and their highest rank is really tough compared to the others.
I've also finally added that third tier of ballistic weapons. They bridge the power gap between second tier ballistics and lasers. Hopefully these should let the player take on snakemen and mutons until lasers.
Also, I think I may have some plasma weapon sprites to replace the human plasma weapons. I was saving them for TFTD (Yes I have stuff ready for TFTD, fear me Devs!), but I think they work well for human plasma weapons.

Still needs a few more sprites for a complete weapon set and I may try recoloring them.

Finally, I have readjusted the number of scientists and engineers as well as the living quarters capacity. I have reduced the basic living quarters capacity to twenty. Labs have a capacity of 20 and workshops 25. Large labs and living quarters now have 100 capacity. Naturally, the costs of scientists and engineers have been increased. Soldiers remained unchanged. Also all lab and engineering projects have been adjusted as well to account for the reduction in personnel. I find that overall, this cuts down slightly on micro management since there are less people to manage.

I should be done with the Alien base soon. I guess I should go ahead and try to iron out the crafting system next since that is the other big bug bear.

TLDR; I'm still working on this mod. Here are some pretty pictures of a battle in the alien clone lab at their base.

Starting Area

Ground level of the clone lab.

Level 1

Level 2

Offline Dioxine

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #196 on: July 06, 2015, 03:08:09 am »
Wow these plasmas look very pretty!

As for the base/ufos: they look very pretty too, but my concern is about so many bright, contrasting, hard colors (your trademark :). Aren't they clashing with your armor sprites which also look hard and bright? While the pink Muton (?) looks perfectly well, being smooth and soft in comparison, the XCom armor sprites seem to be blending with the rooms.

Waiting for your next release, there will be so much pretty, shiny new stuff in it! :)

Offline XOps

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #197 on: July 06, 2015, 05:30:34 am »
As for the base/ufos: they look very pretty too, but my concern is about so many bright, contrasting, hard colors (your trademark :). Aren't they clashing with your armor sprites which also look hard and bright? While the pink Muton (?) looks perfectly well, being smooth and soft in comparison, the XCom armor sprites seem to be blending with the rooms.

They're camouflaged. ;D I suppose it would help if I picked armor colors that didn't blend in.


It's not too bad so long as blue armors are avoided. Actually, the base looks too bright on shade 1 due to the contrast. I have to turned it down to around shade 13 or so to make the whole thing look good. To be honest, I'm more worried about the sheer number of animated tiles being too distracting. I've gotten used to it, but I worry that most may find it a bit jarring compared to vanilla.

Offline Duke_Falcon

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #198 on: July 06, 2015, 08:37:03 am »
Breathtaking!

When should it be tested\played? I can not wait!

Offline robin

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #199 on: July 06, 2015, 03:14:59 pm »
Have you tried reducing a little the contrast for the floor tiles? Like using a lighter shade (one or two steps) for the dark lines? Unless the visual impact of the whole thing suffers too much, it could help making units stand out more.

Offline Yankes

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #200 on: July 06, 2015, 09:05:43 pm »
Have you tried reducing a little the contrast for the floor tiles? Like using a lighter shade (one or two steps) for the dark lines? Unless the visual impact of the whole thing suffers too much, it could help making units stand out more.
Exactly. Bit more flat floors will allow eyes to better find important parts (like walls).

Offline Hobbes

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #201 on: July 07, 2015, 03:20:46 am »
They're camouflaged. ;D I suppose it would help if I picked armor colors that didn't blend in.


The pics of the base look really good. :)

Although it is possible to see that you've recycled some tiles from TFTD, the whole thing stands together nice.

My only suggestion would be to choose different tones (or even colors) between levels or walls/platforms to make it easier to differentiate between both (see attached pic).
« Last Edit: July 07, 2015, 03:23:05 am by Hobbes »

Offline Ridаn

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #202 on: August 08, 2015, 06:32:38 pm »
Any news on progress?
I really enjoyed previous release, and just cant wait for a next one  :)

Offline XOps

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #203 on: August 16, 2015, 10:51:16 pm »
Any news on progress?

It's still in development. I'm just at a messy point in the mod. Right now I am trying to finish up the alien base tiles while trying to address a some of the feedback others have given me based on screen shots. Not to mention trying to tie like a 100 different little parts together.
It doesn't help that recent updates to the game's modabilty have finally opened up custom site missions. Now with custom missions at my finger tips, I can't help but want to use them. :)

--- posts merge ---

The best thing about having a crapton of new alien ufo tiles, is that I can lazily recycle them into new xcom craft  ;D



I think I'll redo the Skywarden as well, though probably in a different color. I was never able to fix those stupid holes in the old craft.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2016, 09:18:11 am by Solarius Scorch »

Offline Jblade35

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #204 on: August 17, 2015, 01:00:56 am »
Looks fantastic! just joining up to say I'm really enjoying playing with this mod, the sheer amount of stuff to make is slightly intimidating but I love the sequential upgrades of ammo types and stuff.

Just a quick question btw, do enemies have various protection against certain damage types? I fought against the energy enemies (Overlords I think) and they would not die to laser, but a burst from a machinegun put it down easily enough. Was this a fluke, or is that intentional? I hope it was since it means that there's still a reason to keep older equipment - I also like how each armour has a different kind of stat boost (like the xeno armour giving extra accuracy) keep up the great work!

Offline Ridаn

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #205 on: August 17, 2015, 01:37:28 am »
Looks fantastic! just joining up to say I'm really enjoying playing with this mod, the sheer amount of stuff to make is slightly intimidating but I love the sequential upgrades of ammo types and stuff.

Just a quick question btw, do enemies have various protection against certain damage types? I fought against the energy enemies (Overlords I think) and they would not die to laser, but a burst from a machinegun put it down easily enough. Was this a fluke, or is that intentional? I hope it was since it means that there's still a reason to keep older equipment - I also like how each armour has a different kind of stat boost (like the xeno armour giving extra accuracy) keep up the great work!

Overlords are indeed immune to heat based weapons like laser and plasma (and iirc they are pretty hard to blow up), but there is a twist
Spoiler:
their terror unit shrugs off solid projectiles.

That new craft is looking neat, really like that double ramp, and those protrusions on the side will provide good cover.
And is it, like, hovering above the ground on some kind of antigravity device? Thats pretty cool.

Offline XOps

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #206 on: August 17, 2015, 03:50:50 am »
Looks fantastic! just joining up to say I'm really enjoying playing with this mod, the sheer amount of stuff to make is slightly intimidating but I love the sequential upgrades of ammo types and stuff.

Just a quick question btw, do enemies have various protection against certain damage types? I fought against the energy enemies (Overlords I think) and they would not die to laser, but a burst from a machinegun put it down easily enough. Was this a fluke, or is that intentional? I hope it was since it means that there's still a reason to keep older equipment - I also like how each armour has a different kind of stat boost (like the xeno armour giving extra accuracy) keep up the great work!

Glad you like it. :) And yes, the Overlord's resistances is is a design choice. I do intend to keep that feature as I like diversification of weapons.

That new craft is looking neat, really like that double ramp, and those protrusions on the side will provide good cover.
And is it, like, hovering above the ground on some kind of antigravity device? Thats pretty cool.

It doesn't actually hover (though some of the new UFOs do). It's just really hard to see the landing gear.


The two bright blue squares are elevators too, so it has some nice sniper positions as well. It's going to be either late or mid game transport.

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #207 on: August 17, 2015, 11:56:42 am »
Top notch! Here's some of my humble advices:

1) Are we gonna het some sort one handed auto weapon like a terran smg (some guy wrote it in one of early post)

2) Since xeno operation is incompatible with most mods, final relase will, be labelled as "total conversion"?

3) Since i intend to give a shot in linux - but atm oly with wine - what is the nightly that works best with the mod right now? Please X-Ops, would you add that imfo in the first post, along the mod progress?

4) Some "less exotic" names for weapons, eg. "portable missile launcher" instead of "advanced launcher", and so on

as for the 1.0 compatibility, it may be achieved by enabling only certain rulesets and not all of them? Please may someone test it out, since i'm "far from the game" now?

Thanks again!! <3

Edit: Otherwise relasing a 1.0 compatible verwion may be a fine idea, of course without some features that would make it incompatible. :D

Edkt2: I wonder if compativility with hobbes' terrain mod will be achieved in the end..otherwise a final addiction may be to add new terrain from scratch, so that it may be considered properly more of a total, conversion. Sry for typos!!
« Last Edit: August 25, 2015, 09:39:26 pm by niculinux »

Offline Eduard_Nope

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #208 on: August 25, 2015, 06:27:28 pm »
I don't know why, but my UAV/Rockets drone enters combat without any weapons

Offline davide

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Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod
« Reply #209 on: August 26, 2015, 12:57:36 pm »
This mod is wonderful! :P

Do you have a secure and recent backup of your hardisk ?