[EXPANSION]Hardmode Expansion -- General Feedback Thread

[hellrazor]

I have added some more cities, so that the globe now contains 330 cities.

Looks kinda to overcrowded somehow, or?

[hellrazor]

We do now have a new alien visitor to earth, thanks to xOps for the awesome looking Sprites.
Also thanks to Bloax for some of Sounds this unit will use.

This Muton Berserker will replace Silacoids in Muton Terror Loadouts.
Silacoids are kinda low threat, so they will accompany Floaters, Sectoids and Snakemen early on.

[Countdown]

I'm curious why this darkened UFO thing is not an issue in 1.0, but became an issue in the latest nightlies. In OXC 1.0 you can walk along the side of UFOs just fine and you won't see in them. But in the latest nightlies you do. What happened to change it and thus made the "darkened UFO" mod necessary?

Before I actually didn't understand what you were talking about with this "darkened UFO" mod because I was using 1.0 and didn't have the issue.

[hellrazor]

I'm curious why this darkened UFO thing is not an issue in 1.0, but became an issue in the latest nightlies. In OXC 1.0 you can walk along the side of UFOs just fine and you won't see in them. But in the latest nightlies you do. What happened to change it and thus made the "darkened UFO" mod necessary?

The community was lacking a unified, errorfree and rechecked UFO Mod, which compiled all avaible Vanilla Variant Maps together. Since This form of Mod already existed incorporated into Hardmode Expansion, i released it as a seperate Mod, for all people to enjoy, and for other Modders to use, if they wish so.

The darkened UFO Mod was neccessary, because of the handling of walls in Openxcom and MCD patches which allow Soldiers, to directly walk on fields containing North and West Outer UFO Walls. I am unaware what the issue really is, this question maybe up to solve with the developers.

Maybe some error occured in the development, which led towards this? Since i am no developer and i am unfamilar with c++ or the openxcom codebase, i decided to fix this issue for myself, by overworking the maps. I caught two things at once, the peaking inside, and blastwaves penetrating UFO walls (see Darkened UFO Mod Thread for Screenshots).

At least with the darkened UFO's peaking inside UFO's will not occur, and also blastwaves from explosives handled outside the UFO or shot against the UFO wall (while not destroying it) will also not penetrate inside.

If you wish to discuss the Darkened UFO Mod further, please do so in the respective Thread located here

[hellrazor]

Terrain Pack overwork and bugfixes.
I also balanced some weapons and added bunch more missions (Docked Ship and Ship Attack).
We all also can now enjoy Chryssalid Spitters on Earth and Muton Berserkers.
I know it doesn't sound much but the Terrain Pack update took a lot of time.
Hope you all will enjoy the Version.

I didn't had time so far to work over all the additional civilians sprites, but for the next version they are indeed needed anyway.

Version 0.99
 - Updated Terrainpack MAPS, ROUTES, TERRAINS
 - Updated Terrainpack Ruleset Integration
 - Updated Globe Cities (330 now)
 - Restructered Globe textures and deployments for Terrormissions
 - Fix some minor Ufopaedia Typos
 - Fix LOFT issues and Armor values for UBASE2.MCD
 - Fix Routes, PORTUFO05, PORTUFO17, PORTUFO20, PORTUFO21
 - Fix Routes CULTAFARM02
 - Fix Routes LINERSHIP01
 - Fix Routes JUNGLEMOUNT05
 - Fix Routes RAILYARDURBAN19, RAILYARDURBAN21, RAILYARDURBAN24 (thx Solarius)
 - Fixed several MCD settings in Terrain pack MCD's (that took way to long!)
 - Fix Power/Flying Suit Fire Immunity
 - Fix Terrain Pack Landing Zone Maps
 - Fix Cow issue for UFO_210a
 - Fix Route issue EXPANDEDTERROR21.RMP
 - Fix some wrong Maptiles on some Terrorship Maps
 - Added Converted TFTD WaterAnimation MCD file
 - Added Battleship Variants by Cooper (modified) and a design of my own
 - Added Hovertank/Launcher Ammo consumes Blaster Bombs but has same Power
 - Added Ship Attack and Docked Ship Mission (triggered by Alien Data Slate)
 - Added Airfield Terrain
 - Added Plane Terrain
 - Added Polar Terrain
 - Added Chryssalid Spitter on Earth (Muton Elite Guard Terrorunit)
 - Added Muton Berserker (Muton Terrorunit)
 - Removed ability to produce Blaster Launchers and Blaster Bombs (use captured ones!)
 - Readjusted Grenade Launcher SnapShot TU
 - Readjust Heavy Laser/Sniper Damage and Heavy Laser/Auto TU
 - Reduce Weightreduction, increase Stamina for Power/Flying Suits and Reinforced ones
 - Increased Armor on Grenades slightly
 - Increased Armor for Terrorunit corpses (was 0, now 26)
 - Reduced Scores for killing Aliens by 50%
 - Reduced Recoverypoints for Alien Corpses by 50%
 - Reduced penalty for dead Civilians from 50 to 40
 - Reworked chronological Racemixes
 - Reworked Alien Races (more Ranks, same Numbers)
 - Optimized Mapscripts for Docked Ship Mission, Urban, Expanded Terror, Expanded Urban and several more.


Please use newest Nightly, or at least Nightly Version: openxcom_git_master_2015_11_30_1238

Modportal Link Hardmode Expansion <- Currently downloads are not working, please use the dropbox link.
Dropbox Links:
WIP Version 0.99

Documentation:
Current ToDo List
Credit List
Changelog

[Meridian]

Looking good, looking good.

Is the 1.0 version coming out next, or are you gonna start with 0.99a or 0.99.1 (like many other modders before you )?

[hellrazor]

Looking good, looking good.

Is the 1.0 version coming out next, or are you gonna start with 0.99a or 0.99.1 (like many other modders before you )?

I will just go on in 0.01 steps, which will end with version 1.xx or so.
The mod isn't really finished so far, since there are still some things i wanna optimize, especially Mapscripts.
I am also lacking some unique special Missions.
Here is a list of things i had planned to add in the future, but some of them will take some time to finish,
especially integrating Hobbes special missions, probably some slight Mapoverworks are needed (initial Spawnzones and such).
I am also lacking additional Civilians, i only have the ones originally in the Terrainpack. Sorting the Sprites out will take some time,
and i already noticed that i need to do some recolors for some Spritesets and then destribute them along the Terrorsites.

There will be more Terrain and UFO Maps i will probably add over time, in my mind i had:
- 2 interior variants vanilla Supply Ship
- More Interior variants for Vanilla Abductors and Terrorships
- Some 20x20 Maps Modules for Mars Terrain
- Alien Commandship

The three Gamestory mission are:
Special Mission to aquire the Alien Data Slate
Special Mission to aquire the Alien Data Core
Special Mission to aquire the Psi Amp

The creation of them will probably also induce the creations of a Human faction for Special Missions.

Next thing i am working on will the Civilians and probably finish of the Alien Commandship,
since i need it at least for the Alien Data Core recovery Mission.

But i hope that some people will testplay and help eradicating some still left over bugs. (I am a perfectionist, but also a human being )
Feedback is also needed especially about some of the lategame races, i nerfed them a little bit.

[hellrazor]

Quick Bugfix, for CTD with Port Attack Missions,
please replace your terrains.rul file in Ruleset folder of Hardmode Expansion
with the here attached file, was a small oversight i apologize.

EDIT: Removed attachment, see further down in the thread for the full Bugfix.

[new_civilian]

Not sure if the fix also fixes this, but the docked ship missions CTD as they lack the SEABITS.MCD file entry.


About the mod: Really nice work so far! I especially liked the fact that you added all the new terrains from Hobbes and add a meaningful selection of weapons. One minor thing that I found: The sentry ship has a lot of passengers, i played on superhuman (ok my mistake lol) and encountered 17 (iirc) enemies which simply was way more than looks possible on theat small ship. 

You go! 

[hellrazor]

Not sure if the fix also fixes this, but the docked ship missions CTD as they lack the SEABITS.MCD file entry.


About the mod: Really nice work so far! I especially liked the fact that you added all the new terrains from Hobbes and add a meaningful selection of weapons. One minor thing that I found: The sentry ship has a lot of passengers, i played on superhuman (ok my mistake lol) and encountered 17 (iirc) enemies which simply was way more than looks possible on theat small ship. 

You go! 

Jeah adding those terrains was a lot of work, especially fixing the MCD files took very long, but i guess i got rid of most of the bugs.

Its also on the Docked Ship Missions? Damn...
Well the SEABITS.MCD is no longer needed, i removed it since all the Maps do now use the SEAURBAN.MCD which has the convert TFTD Water animation in it.

Sentry Ship do have the same crew capacity as Large Scouts, will not change that in the future .

Ok, removed the SEABITS.MCD entry from all terrain definitions, please copy over the here attached terrains.rul into the Hardmode Expansion ruleset folder.

[hellrazor]

Btw the biggest change weaponswise would be the rebalance of the Heavy Lasers.

See attached Screenshots:

[hellrazor]

Hi all the brave souls, which decided to dwelve into the Hardmode Expansion,
i have a request for those who are actively playing the Mod.
If you happen to encounter Muton Berserkers tell me please if they need to be nerfed.
A short battle report would be nice.
The combination of normal Mutons, Berserkers and Sectopods seems to be pretty deadly,
as i just lost half my Alpha Squad of well trained Soldiers and some promising Squaddies.
Unfortunatly my Tank was to far away to sacrifice himself. I had Personal Armor
and full Laser Tech tree..

Aeeeh jeah and bring Scatter Lasers and some Heavy Laser/Snipers, they seem to be the only reliable way of killing Muton Berserkers (at least to some degree)

[Xtendo-com]

Alive Interrogations require you to raid a nearby Alien Base early.
Otherwise you have no tech progress. The base is located in your starting
region. For the time being also one of the Story Items is located in
the alien base. Raid this base as early as possible!

I tried several times to assault a base as early as possible, but I need more units every time.
Some questions:
1) Can I combine several transporters?
2) If I run away from alien base and come back quickly I need to kill the same amount of aliens?
Difficulty: SuperHuman+Ironman.

[hellrazor]

I tried several times to assault a base as early as possible, but I need more units every time.
Some questions:
1) Can I combine several transporters?
2) If I run away from alien base and come back quickly I need to kill the same amount of aliens?
Difficulty: SuperHuman+Ironman.

Unfortunatly its not possible to combine several Trooptransports. The biggest team you can field early on are 14 men, once you progress further in the tech tree, your next transport craft can field up to 20 soldiers.

Running away from a alien base and assaulting it a second time, will reset all enemy numbers. You also will not get any loot which is needed for story progress, to reciece this loot, you need to kill every alien inside the alien base. If you managed to spot Alien Base No. 1 (should be in your starting region), you will only have to fight floaters, even thou a whole bunch of them. I recommend to get Alloy Ammo and Alloy Vests first, since with Alloy Ammo Shotguns will solve your reaper problems and Rifles get a significant boost.

The best success assaulting the base so far, i had by useing a mixed team of Shotgunners/Motiondetector dudes, Rifle dudes for support and some Auto Canons.
Otherwise else its a fight towards death.

[Xtendo-com]

Thanks! I like your difficulty changes, but after failing several times without a saves I will play again your mod with some modifications that I already did.
1) Increased amount of HP - soldiers have initial 100 HP with a cap of 200 HP like old school shooters of ID software.
2) medikit heal 15 HP, 20 HP, 25 HP per wound.
It's not a realistic and don't have a right balance especially with tanks that has only 90 HP (easy to hit, can't survive against blaster burst or alien shootgun), but I like an idea of high reuseability of soldiers with field medic.