Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - N7 16-Dec-2023 Flying Tiger, Hidden Tentacle

[zombieguy223]

Not sure if this should be in here, but is there a list of the requirements for each captain rank?  On my first playthrough of the newest version and have had some trouble figuring them out.

All the ranks have two types of requirements. You need to have researched certain items or people as a prerequisite, and once that's done you need to have a minimum amount of score at the end of the month to rank up. You can only go up one rank per month, even if you have all the prerequisite research and score for multiple higher ranks. You can search the in-game tech tree by pressing the Q key on the geoscape map to bring up the search screen and pressing Q again to get the search function, then typing in a specific term for further clarity (especially for the faction person researches). That's also a good way of checking if you've completed that topic yet, completed ones are purple text, incomplete are orange text. I won't be typing out all of the minutiae of getting each topic as some of them are quite lengthy.
This should be a list of all of them as of N4.0.2:

• Brigand: score >= 2000
• Rogue: Our Culture; Who is Who?; score >= 3000
• Racketeer: Any trophy from D-rank bounty missions; score >= 4000
• Entrepreneur: The Solar Courier (newspaper item); score >= 5000
• Boss: The Social Hierarchy; Any Officer, Leader or VIP (e.g. Guild Engineer, Church Matron, Academy Esper); score >= 6000
• Big Boss: Any Leader or VIP (e.g. Academy Esper, Church Reverend, Guild Rep); score >= 8000
• Public Enemy: The guild is angry; The academy is angry; score >= 10 000
• Crime Lord: Any VIP (e.g. Merc Commander, Academy Provost, Guildmaster, Church Cardinal); score >= 12 000
• Sky Terror: Operation Triple-A; *Pirate Airforce*; score >= 15 000
• Death Mogul: Star God Novice; score >= 20 000
• Air Dictator: Air Supremacy; Diplomacy; score >= 25 000
• Mastermind: Arcane Interface; score >= 30 000

[DarthTheIII]

Thanks, since the ranks are tied to events you can't directly see what leads to each one in the tech tree viewer.  I was just a bit slow on Who is Who.

[Vakrug]

I have managed to get to the Cidonia Mission without save scuming. That was a serious test of my sanity! And then... I knew that the final mission was reworked, but nothing prepared me for what was coming!

Let's start with turn 1 enemy reinforcement in your starting zone. That is definitely a new word in level design...
Then a floor tiles that kills instantly. And surprise! There are many different color floors that do exactly that and you don't know which floor will kill you. Some of these floors are masquerading as an exit tiles!
Oh! And what about doors, that takes 200 TU to open? Well, they can be destroyed with Vibro-Ax, but not with something less then that...
Inaccessible enemies sealed in walls are not a big deal actually. You are not supposed to kill every enemy after all...

Seriously, even after I Ctrl+D my way to the credits and saw all the maps and now I know where to go, I still don't think I will ever be able to beat the final mission. Have anyone get to that? There is surprisingly low comments here after the new version was released.

-------------------------

BTW, what do you think about Bank Robbery mission? This is another example of a very strange mission where a player is basically doomed to loose everyone unless he knows exactly what to do.

[Mathel]

For bank robbery, you  need to tunnel your way into the vault beneath the bank. There is gold and a foe sealed in there.

This can either be done with explosions, or by going into the bank with some strong terrain destroyer, such as Plasma Torch.

[Vakrug]

And no words about indestructible gas mines? With plasma torch you can break steel doors, but not mine tunnels. And most explosives can "mine" only few tiles per boom (and you need to avoid booming the miner somehow). It is way too slow for 20 turns you have.

The best approach I figure out is just give a pickaxe to every uber and tear down this stupid bank to the last brick. (Another discussion topic: why Mining Laser is so crappy even in comparison to the Pickaxe?)

Don't you think that Bank Robbery mission is much more challenging then any other "B" missions?

[zombieguy223]

And no words about indestructible gas mines? With plasma torch you can break steel doors, but not mine tunnels. And most explosives can "mine" only few tiles per boom (and you need to avoid booming the miner somehow). It is way too slow for 20 turns you have.

The best approach I figure out is just give a pickaxe to every uber and tear down this stupid bank to the last brick. (Another discussion topic: why Mining Laser is so crappy even in comparison to the Pickaxe?)

Don't you think that Bank Robbery mission is much more challenging then any other "B" missions?

My method is using a few troops with good Voodoo abilities equipped with TK Projectors. With good stats behind them they can mulch through the walls of the vault. It also has the benefits of not destroying the items you're there to loot and stunning any enemies that get caught in the area of effect. For the gas mines, you should have some exosuit armor by that stage, so bring at least one person who's in armor immune to choking damage and have them go in as a mineclearer.

[Vakrug]

All of this does not counter the fact that you are doomed if you don't know exactly how to beat this mission beforehand. (And other missions are not like that, thankfully.) Also the main problem with "doing it the right way" that is "go through tunnels" is that so many things should be done with just one man (because tunnels prevents navigating with 2 people): mining through tunnels (pickaxe or explosives), breaking steal doors (plasma torch), killing armed guards, not to suffocate to gas mines. And if you have encountered this mission for the first time, you have to find the entrance first. 20 turns seems way to little.

[DarthTheIII]

I don't feel like banks are that bad, I normally just use a pickaxe to tunnel in, the mines are only an issue if you use the existing tunnel.  On my first one ever it took me a while to figure out what was going onm but then I just drilled my way in with a tank.

[Mathel]

And no words about indestructible gas mines? With plasma torch you can break steel doors, but not mine tunnels. And most explosives can "mine" only few tiles per boom (and you need to avoid booming the miner somehow). It is way too slow for 20 turns you have.

The best approach I figure out is just give a pickaxe to every uber and tear down this stupid bank to the last brick. (Another discussion topic: why Mining Laser is so crappy even in comparison to the Pickaxe?)

Don't you think that Bank Robbery mission is much more challenging then any other "B" missions?

You can mine with (regular) 85mm Cannon shells. Those are the explosives I used. Sure, they blow apart 1.5 tile deep in dirt, but you can shoot a few every turn. They aren't good against metal walls and doors though.
This is also how I tend to break into the prison to rescue Reynerd.

I did not remember there were mines.

[ontherun]

Just food fot thiugh: "guns of the patriots" misison should be renamed "humanist arsenal" because in there you are effectively supposed to retrive an arsenal, while the current "humanist arsenal" should be renamed to something else because is a rather simple building that is being assaulted. I'd propose alternative names as follows:

* "humanist outpost"
* "humanist safehouse"
* "humanist barracks"

Edit: sorry already exists...

[Alex_D]

You can mine with (regular) 85mm Cannon shells. Those are the explosives I used. Sure, they blow apart 1.5 tile deep in dirt, but you can shoot a few every turn. They aren't good against metal walls and doors though.
This is also how I tend to break into the prison to rescue Reynerd.

Based on my experience of previous campaigns. I haven't reached the Raynerd mission on my current campaign. So you start shooting with your 85-Tank at the embankments of the Prison building until access the bottom level is possible? I'd try that this time.
Myself, by the time that mission appears, I already have flying armors. I just break in via the Guard tower fences. If I do have a tank available, it's usually my heaviest (Heavy Laser) and that one can open the front door like a hot knife on butter. Else, I drop in via the roof with some hovertanks just to draw fire from the defenders.

As per the Bank mission, I usually designate a couple or so of diggers with the sole purpose of dig thru the Bank basement level (ground level, or level 0). The rest rush to the bank front and upper levels, and/or provide support by clearing the one or two nearby houses that host some defenders.

[Vakrug]

Oh! I forgot about another thing... Are ninjas optional now? I am very happy that their main base not spawning during first year any more, but now you have to do a research in order to "declare war" on them. Or not do research, if you choose.

[ontherun]

Sorry, forgot again, another couple of point:

1) pirate and swashbuckle should get a 3x1 belt, more convenient fo fitting a sword, as indicated in the attached screenshot

2) billhook and kitchen knife shold get a bounus when stricking animals, from cockroackes to lobstermen (yummy) 

Edit: 3) don't know if that may shake up the entire research tree but havin a topic named "UAC weaponry" to unlock all UAC weapons might have more sense, instead as of now where the items are unlocked by different research

[Psyentific]

2x2 belt is plenty, consider some 2x2 weapons like Cutlass, Sudoku Blade, Custom Carbine and Painbringer SMG. if you want to bring a full-size melee weapon on your Pirate etc. then you should use the 1x3 back holster. conveniently this can also hold a rifle or a LASS etc. so i think those inventorys are pretty well balanced

[ontherun]

2x2 belt is plenty, consider some 2x2 weapons like Cutlass, Sudoku Blade, Custom Carbine and Painbringer SMG. if you want to bring a full-size melee weapon on your Pirate etc. then you should use the 1x3 back holster. conveniently this can also hold a rifle or a LASS etc. so i think those inventorys are pretty well balanced

Well while in the pirate outfit there is a 1x3 backpack - but still it would make sense in the belt - same is not for the swashbuckler one, so at least in the latter might be added