Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - N9.7.7 12-Sep-2024 Second Coming

[Eddie]

I cannot simply double the refire rate and halve damage since:
a) fastest UFO refire rate is 19 sec; halving that to 10 would result in a refire of 2 sec on Jack Sparrow.
b) player's ships employ shielding as well.

I just wanted to point out that generally faster firing UFOs make for better aircombat (in my opinion). Especially if dodge values are high. It's kind of the same argument as the two dice roll damage for plasma weapons. The outcome is more consistent and less random.

The fire rate doesn't need to be exaclty double on every UFO. Increase fire rate where it is low, don't change it where it is already high. Don't lower the damage per shot that much that shields get too effective. Shields values could also be lowered if it really is a problem. You get the idea.

But these are things I can easily mod on my own, so you don't need to do anything if you don't feel like it.

[Starving Poet]

, =IF(RANDBETWEEN(1,2)=1;"You lost!","You lost!")

Ah, i see you coded the dog-fight auto-resolve in Xenonauts.

[Solarius Scorch]

If I say I'd like the air combat to resemble ground combat (with tiles and everything), would you throw rocks at me?

[ohartenstein23]

Is the Impaler meant to be unusable?  I have a few in stores from looting Pink Ships, but they require researching the Impaler's Instructions, which are not dropped in any of the deployments defined in the ruleset, and are not manufacturable.

I wouldn't throw rocks at you, but maybe a small essay on why I think turn-based combat is unsuitable in the air.  Or a shot of something strong enough to clear that silly idea out of your head

[Dioxine]

Is the Impaler meant to be unusable?

Don't be silly, it's just a bug. I guess not useable until next version! Report me these bugs BEFORE I release next ver., not just after, people! Impaler is in game for about 2 months now!

[Solarius Scorch]

I wouldn't throw rocks at you, but maybe a small essay on why I think turn-based combat is unsuitable in the air.  Or a shot of something strong enough to clear that silly idea out of your head

Well, it worked more than fine in Master of Orion II.

[ohartenstein23]

Don't be silly, it's just a bug. I guess not useable until next version! Report me these bugs BEFORE I release next ver., not just after, people! Impaler is in game for about 2 months now!

Sorry, it took me that long to get there in my new campaign and decide to ruleset dive to check.  I'll mod it in the deployment in the meantime.

Edit: Also, I think it was in Meridian's list of unavailable research when he was doing the tech tree completion percentage with 0.99C.

[Dioxine]

You need to replace 3rd and 4th mapblock on the VESSEL_PINK with:

Code: [Select]

        - name: VES_PINK
          width: 10
          length: 10
          items:
            STR_ELERIUM_115:
              - [3, 6, 0]
            STR_FUEL_CAPSULE:
              - [3, 6, 0]
            LIGHT_SOURCE_20:
              - [3, 6, 0]
            STR_MUTANT_MEAT:
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_MEDI_KIT:
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_WINE:
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_CAKE:
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_GOLDEN_CRATE:
              - [2, 5, 0]
            STR_SAKURA_STAFF:
              - [2, 5, 0]
            STR_SAKURA_STAFF_BLUEPRINTS:
              - [2, 5, 0]
            STR_PILLOW_BOOK:
              - [2, 5, 0]
        - name: VES_PINK
          width: 10
          length: 10
          items:
            STR_ELERIUM_115:
              - [3, 6, 0]
            STR_FUEL_CAPSULE:
              - [3, 6, 0]
            LIGHT_SOURCE_20:
              - [3, 6, 0]
            STR_MUTANT_MEAT:
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_MEDI_KIT:
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_WINE:
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_CAKE:
              - [7, 5, 1]
              - [7, 5, 1]
            STR_GOLDEN_CRATE:
              - [2, 5, 0]
            STR_IMPALER:
              - [2, 5, 0]
              - [2, 5, 0]
            STR_IMPALER_BLUEPRINTS:
              - [2, 5, 0]
            STR_PILLOW_BOOK:
              - [2, 5, 0]

[ohartenstein23]

Thanks! I've been looking forward to trying it out ever since it appeared when I generated the wiki page.

[KateMicucci]

The new monster hunt and loknarr missions are really good.

Making the monsters being hunted actually fast and dangerous does a lot to make the mission more fun.  Chupacabras are no joke. The way that the missions sometimes include civilians and abandoned buildings adds a lot of life and that little touch is definitely appreciated.

The ninja girls are a great rival. Hopefully we'll see more of them.

[Foxhound634]

If I say I'd like the air combat to resemble ground combat (with tiles and everything), would you throw rocks at me?

Even if the engine made it possible, i actually like the real-time contrast that air combat provides. Ground combat has way more variety and way more outcomes, and it makes sense that air combat is then just an auxilliary feature. I think air combat has already been improved a lot in x-piratez with all the loadouts and different ships and now with an eject button. If i were to suggest more improvements, i'd say something with ship formation, ship tactics or even a mid-air boarding mission. I think turn-based air combat would drag out the game unnecessarily however.

[Solarius Scorch]

Even if the engine made it possible, i actually like the real-time contrast that air combat provides. Ground combat has way more variety and way more outcomes, and it makes sense that air combat is then just an auxilliary feature. I think air combat has already been improved a lot in x-piratez with all the loadouts and different ships and now with an eject button. If i were to suggest more improvements, i'd say something with ship formation, ship tactics or even a mid-air boarding mission. I think turn-based air combat would drag out the game unnecessarily however.

Well, I was never happy with the air combat in X-Com, not even in the 90's. And Xenonauts was a salt on the wound, having such a satisfactory dogfight engine.

I'm not sure a converted battlescape system is the best solution, but I think it's the only one that's remotely possible. I can't see anyone stepping in and making a whole new engine, but the battlescape should be rather trivial to code - the rest is graphics and balance.

[Dioxine]

That is one solution. However going with Interception more towards arcade is another - and one that keeps more variety in the game. The notion that air combat cannot be done turn-wise is naturally silly, I just don't think it should be done like this in XCOM.

As for the eject button, I will firmly oppose it unless it's accompanied by the risk of death and injury in air combat & ejection. Else it's a stupid "get out of jail free" card. Moreover, even if injuries are added, eject button replaces some of the thinking ("is it the time to disengage now?") with push-a-button-to-win, unless properly penalized and working with a delay. However in general, the inability to eject is uncivilized, so such an ability should appear (on a craft-per-craft basis, naturally - uncivilized craft are fine too).
Alternatively, ejection could be automatic with severity of injuries depending how much below 0 HP did the craft go, and how many people were on board.
In general tho, pilots serve to add more gravity to the more or less carefree air combat by putting your most valuable resources at risk. Modders/players who don't like it, can use drone fighters. As for Piratez, I will also add a 'droid race' which could serve as fairly decent, replaceable pilots.

[ohartenstein23]

That is one solution. However going with Interception more towards arcade is another - and one that keeps more variety in the game.

Well, you do already have the sprite from Raptor: Call of the Shadows in the game, so naturally, this is the next step

[Starving Poet]

Well, it worked more than fine in Master of Orion II.

Yeah, but to make it work, we'd have to have ground combat emulate MoO2's ground combat.