[EXPANSION]Hardmode Expansion -- General Feedback Thread

[hellrazor]

Out of curiosity, where'd you hear that the Gazer was intended for vanilla?

Because the original author found those sprites in the vanilla PCK's. And made a complete new race out of it.
It was assumed that the Gazers originally were intended to be ingame, but never made it due to time and budget restrictions.

[moriarty]

was it the vanilla game's pcks or was it in the famous "concept art" pictures from that talk that Julian Gollop did?

[hellrazor]

was it the vanilla game's pcks or was it in the famous "concept art" pictures from that talk that Julian Gollop did?

Maybe one of the two, i can't remember it correctly. I only remember that they were intended to be ingame, but never made it.
Anyway we should ask robin who made them in the first place he should know for sure. They are a good addition in any case:)

[hellrazor]

Warboy has done it and broken all Mods
In any way now we can have all our sepereate folder.
And i release Version 0.71

Version 0.71
 - Fix M_Range vector Error for Supply Ship Missions (Wrong Map asigned...)
 - Fix Minor Stuff in Alien Deployments
 - Mod Repack for: openxcom_git_master_2015_05_07_1605
 - added metadata.yml
 - removed VERSION.TXT

Modportal link

Readme and new Version attached here

[sender]

Tried the mod, a few comments:

- You get wayyyy too much money with all of these combats and enemies. When I have 100 scientists and 3 bases by february, something feels wrong. I'd suggest reducing the sell value of plasma weapons, say by 25-33%.
- Increased monthly cost of personnel is really annoying, because you get so much money from weapon drops but your monthly funding doesn't go up with it, so every month you end up taking a 3-5 million net loss due to all of those extra personnel and facilities you built. I'd suggest reducing the monthly salary back to normal, or increasing average funding.
- Not a fan of the new base layout, if the vanilla layout was an option I'd appreciate it. I know some people like the chokepoint strategy, but I like surrounding the aliens and dropping explosives in every hanger on turn 1 more.
- Maybe make it more clear in the readme what is required to research Alien Containment. I had to check the files to figure out the requirements, since normally in X-Com you sell that stuff immediately.

[hellrazor]

Tried the mod, a few comments:

- You get wayyyy too much money with all of these combats and enemies. When I have 100 scientists and 3 bases by february, something feels wrong. I'd suggest reducing the sell value of plasma weapons, say by 25-33%.

You also do not get the normal UFO Mission in the beginning, getting a huge lump of money is understandabel, if you raid the supply ships or maybe even the battleships.
I don't think it is to much money, but a reduction by the amount you suggest would be possible. But that would require replaying the early game conpletly and i am to far in at the moment (end of June).

- Increased monthly cost of personnel is really annoying, because you get so much money from weapon drops but your monthly funding doesn't go up with it, so every month you end up taking a 3-5 million net loss due to all of those extra personnel and facilities you built. I'd suggest reducing the monthly salary back to normal, or increasing average funding.

X-Com suffers from bad financing sponsorwise.
You do sell all those shiny alien weapons right? You also can later on produce LaserCanons to finance yourself.
I did this on purpose.

- Not a fan of the new base layout, if the vanilla layout was an option I'd appreciate it. I know some people like the chokepoint strategy, but I like surrounding the aliens and dropping explosives in every hanger on turn 1 more.

Switch on Custom Initial Base in Advanced Option and you can place the modules like you see fit.

- Maybe make it more clear in the readme what is required to research Alien Containment. I had to check the files to figure out the requirements, since normally in X-Com you sell that stuff immediately.

You get everything you need for the Alien Containment from the Alien Base raid, Alien Food and Alien reproduction. Those are the dependencies so far, but i will add a plot topic "Alien Biology" which explains some things and gives a hint towards the base Raid.

The README is not yet complete, also i am missing a research tree graphic. Since i had wrapped my head arround how to reorganize some parts of the tech tree.
Which occured during my own testplay.

So far i have decided the following:

New Research Topic:
- Alien Biology comes avaible after researching any alien corpse, is dependency for Alien Containment, gives hint towards getting Alien Food and Alien Reproduction -> Base Raid.
- Alien Language comes avaible after interrogating your first alive alien, it opens up the Alien Data Slate for research and gives hint towards interrogating a Navigator, also dependency for UFO Navigation, next interrogation of a Navigator will unlock Hyperwave decoder as in vanilla.
- Alien Power Systems comes avaible after Alien Alloys and Elerium-115 is researched, dependency for UFO Power Source, gives hint to interrogate Alien Engineer and UFO Construction (which require another Engineer and Navigator).
- Psionics comes avaible after researching a psi alien (Sectoid Leader/Commander or Any Ethereal), opens up Psi tree. Gives hints on Interrogating Alien Engineer and Alien Medic to unlock Psi-lab, also dependency for psi lab.

PSI Research Tree rework:
The psi will be reorganized in a fashion that can get the PSI much quicker then now, but the PSI Amp will be way of in the tree. So you can psi train you soldiers before yo get bested by the alien Mind control.

[hellrazor]

Alot of Bugfixes for today... (never made such a big mod so please excuse the inconvinience)

Version 0.72
 - Fix Map issues for Terrorships
 - Fix Sort order of Abductor Maps
 - Removed Examination Room Dependency from Medikit
 - Removed Alien Surgery Dependency from Advanced Medikit
 - Added more translation Strings for:
   - Russian
   - French
   - Spanish
   - Polish
 - Fixed Position of Karachi (was on the water)
 - Exchanged Sprites for HeavyLaserAuto against a recolored Version
 - Changed Production amounts for Alien Alloy Clips
 - Removed Alien Alloys Production and modified UFOPaedia String accordingly.
 - Added 4 more Research Topic Ufopaedia entries (not accessible at the moment, but you can turn on debug mode and take a look).

Modportal Link

Readme and new Version attached here

[hellrazor]

Today i have implemented some Research Tree Changes which were overdue, but i only realized them when playing throu
the Mod in my current Testplay, i also started a fresh one to check out the new researches and how the pace runs.

Version 0.73
 - Fix for several City locations from the Terrain Pack
 - Bumped up Production Cost for Psi Amp (500.000$, 5 Alloys, 10 Elerium)
 - Added 4 New Research Topics (Alien Biology, Alien Language, Alien Power Systems and Psionics)
 - Research Tree rework, players need to edit savegame files -> see Forum link.
   Alien Data Slate needs Alien Language (which needs Any Alive Alien Interrogation)
   Alien Data Core now needs Alien Data Slate, Hyper Wave Decoder and Alien Origins (which needs Leader or Commander interrogation).
   UFO Power Source needs Alive Alien Engineer and Alien Power Systems (depend on Alien Alloys and Elerium-115)
   Alien Containment needs Alien Biology (depends on any Corpse Research), Alien Food and Alien Reproduction
   UFO Navigation also depends now on Alien Language
   Psi Research Tree Rework:
   - Psionics Research Topic (requires The Alien Threat), and Psi Alien Interrogation.
   - Psi Lab is unlocked after Psionics, and Alive Engineer and Alive Medic is interrogated
   - Psi Amp is further up in the tree and needs Examination Room, Alien Surgery and Alien Entertainment,
     each of those need a Alive Medic to unlock.

Modportal Link

Readme and new Version attached here

[hellrazor]

Updating Savegames for Testplayers which all already deep into the Campaign.

Please Save your campaign in Geoscape before updating.

Open up the savegame file with a Texteditor of your choice (notepad++ for example)

Search for "poppedResearch:" and go to Section above which is named "discovered:". It contains your Research progress so far.
Depending on were you are in your campaign, plz add the following strings below "STR_THE_ALIEN_THREAT" :

Code: [Select]

  - STR_ALIEN_BIOLOGY_UNLOCK
  - STR_ALIEN_BIOLOGY
  - STR_ALIEN_LANGUAGE_UNLOCK
  - STR_ALIEN_LANGUAGE

If you have Researched Alien Alloys and Elerium-115 already, also do enter:

Code: [Select]

  - STR_ALIEN_POWER_SYSTEMS

below "STR_ELERIUM_115"

I doubt that any of you has already reached the way of unlocking Psi.
If you have, please enter

Code: [Select]

  - STR_PSIONICS_UNLOCK
  - STR_PSIONICS
Below the Psi Alien you have Researched (STR_SECTOID_LEADER for example).

This should give you the new research Topcis and fullfil all inconsistencies.
If you have any trouble after this, plz post here or try to catch me on the IRC.

[Bobwolf]

I'm still in the 1st month and "Oh my god" it feels more like an invasion than in the OG. Couple of Very large ufo, couple of large and many small ufo. Raided some small and I am currently raiding a large ufo that just landed.

I like what I see so far. Not too many weapon, maybe missing a scouting unit/tank.

Thanks for this modpack !

[hellrazor]

I'm still in the 1st month and "Oh my god" it feels more like an invasion than in the OG. Couple of Very large ufo, couple of large and many small ufo. Raided some small and I am currently raiding a large ufo that just landed.

I like what I see so far. Not too many weapon, maybe missing a scouting unit/tank.

Thanks for this modpack !

There are couple of Laser Weapons and some more Melee Weapons you will get, dispite of the alien Plasma Weapons.
Did you try out the tanks in storage? (Research HWP Repair ).

A scouting unit? Like the this here??
It could also be repairable like the normal tanks.
Who else wants the Scouting drone?

Let's see if you can handle the Alien Base, i have my fears that some players find it to hard or so.(even thou the base is only manned by floaters)

[Bobwolf]

The scouting drone is nice. I'd rather pay for a drone than risk my soldiers.

I'll play more today and will give you a feedback again

[hellrazor]

The scouting drone is nice. I'd rather pay for a drone than risk my soldiers.

I'll play more today and will give you a feedback again

I usually use normal Tanks as Scouts. They soak up damage pretty good, and if you research "HWP repair", you can repair Tanks, if you recover all parts of their corpse intact at the end of the mission (happens automatically).

Repairing a Tank costs 50% of its initial costs.

There is also a intermediate Tank Class, the "Alloy Tanks", basically normal wheeled Tanks but they are faster (80 TU's) and they do have +20 Armor, compared to the starting tanks. They become avaible after the Base Raid (which you definitly should do at least end of February), It will provide you with some money, some researchable Items, which will unlock Alien Containment. Also do not sell the "Alien Data Slate", it is very vital to get Laser Weapons.

To unlock the Alien Containment tree, research at least 1 Alien Corpse (this should bring up "Alien Biology").

I need to do a overhaul of all strings in my mod and modify some vanilla ones to give the player enough knowledge to know when he needs alive Aliens. Which you will need many

[Bobwolf]

Ok feedback !

I've tried the alien base.. everything was going nicely until I start losing soldier because there was many many floaters with shotgun. They never miss and one shot your soldiers. I also had to shoot some floaters 6 time to kill them. Is that normal ?

I like the challenge but I'm not sure about the plasma shotgun. Basically, if you move in LOS with an alien armed with a shotgun, you are dead. And since the alien base is dark and in close combat most of the time, you can say goodbye to your soldiers.

I don't think it's impossible. I just fear I will have to equip my soldiers with explosive and destroy every dark corner haha.

I'm going to try one more time and see if I am lucky this time.
 

[hellrazor]

Ok feedback !

I've tried the alien base.. everything was going nicely until I start losing soldier because there was many many floaters with shotgun. They never miss and one shot your soldiers. I also had to shoot some floaters 6 time to kill them. Is that normal ?

I guess you get some bad damage rolls there, do you have researched Alloy Ammo already? Because the +10 Damage the convential Weapons then do is quite good, even against Reapers. Shotguns are also quite powerfull then, their increase is +20 (from 25x6 to 45x5). I only attacked the Alien Base after i had researched Alloy Ammo, Alloy Vest and Motion Scanners and my Soldiers had gained some Str, to carry some extra Proxy and Incendiary Grenades.

Since the Aliens fight in close quarters and are ready for possible attacks they pick appropriate weapons to defend themselves. I certainly would.

The Floaters are basically Vanilla, with two exceptions, increased Bravery (was neccessary due to the increased numbers) and increased Psi Str.
All other Races have received this change as well. Bravery by +20 for Leader/Commander and +10 for the other ranks, Terrorunits unchanged.
All Aliens also have received a increase in Psionic Strength (x 1.5).
Psionic Aliens which already had Psiskill also have received a factor of 1.5.
Terrorunits have two Exceptions, Reapers have a doubled value of ground armor. Since you even could kill them with normal grenade on Superhuman.
Chryssalids are the other Exception, they receive a 1.2 Damage factor from explosives, since the Ufopaedia always said they are vulnerable to those.

I like the challenge but I'm not sure about the plasma shotgun. Basically, if you move in LOS with an alien armed with a shotgun, you are dead. And since the alien base is dark and in close combat most of the time, you can say goodbye to your soldiers.

hm... your right, i had during my testing and debugging the shade set to 5, which is basically daylight, so i could better see what was going on. Maybe turn on the lights?
Would that help? Even thou it is a big change.

I don't think it's impossible. I just fear I will have to equip my soldiers with explosive and destroy every dark corner haha.

I'm going to try one more time and see if I am lucky this time.

Explosives are quite a good way to go. Heavy Cannon and or Auto Cannons might also be a good choice.