Zaibakk's Psionics Rules

[zaibakk]

NOTE: SEE MY LAST POST AT THE END FOR A BETTER VERSION!

Hi guys!

I'm just new to the forum. I'm playing right now to OpenXcom with FMP, just so cool!
I think psi amp is very broken game, so i decide a lot of rules for my next run (in which i will play in superhuman/ironmand). You can apply those rules also to the standard OpenXCom (without FMP).
The basic idea is to ban MC and Panic, but mantaining the important rules of our Psionics in other ways!

N.B.: For last version see last post

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Zaibakk's Psionics Rules:

1) You cannot use Mind Control and Panic (with Psi Amp). You can still reseach, build, sell, Psi Amps.

2) Mind Probe:
Only a psionic can use a Mind Probe.

3) Mind Guided Missles and Blaster Launcher:
Only a psionic can use those guns.
For the Mind Guided Missle, you have to have a Mind Probe in your backpack in order to use it.
For the Blaster Launcher (and Multi Blaster Launcher too), you have to have a Mind Probe AND a Psi Amp in you backpack in order to use it.
Finally, you can set a number of waypoints equal to your Psionic Skill / 10. So for example if the shooter has PS=38 he can set a maximium of 3 waypoints.

4) Hoverank/Launcher can only set 1 waypoint (like a standard missle launcher).

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I like that ruleset cause Psionics are still very important, and psionics skill very important too.

So, tell me what do you think about this rules!
I'm very excited to test this out!

Bye!

[Meridian]

1. This is too much in my opinion... I'd say you should be allowed to train psi skill for max. 5 soldiers and take max. 1-2 of them on a mission.

If you are using the mod that allows you to use psi amps only when you effectively see the enemy, I would double the numbers (i.e. max. 10 in training and max. 2-4 on a mission).

Alternatively, you can mod the maximum possible for psi skill improvement to let's say 30 or 35... this should have a similar effect.

2. By the time you can research Mind Probe in FMP, it is almost obsolete... unless you're lucky and can research it early. Not to mention that different classes (e.g. Engineers) in FMP are even visually different... making Mind Probe completely redundant/useless in most cases.

In vanilla game, it makes more sense to make such a restriction.

3. Psionic soldier requirement is OK.
Waypoints equal to Psi Skill / 10 is OK.
I don't like the requirements for having things in your backpack (maybe replace those with minimum psi strength, e.g. 70+)

The reason why I don't agree with stuff in backpack is that you will require supersoldiers with strength 50/60+ (with 20+ missions and real battle experience from each of these missions). You can do that only by reloading when a supersoldier candidate dies (which is basically cheating, and first thing you should not do, to make the game harder) or very late in the game, when you have best armor, best weapons and these restrictions are pointless anyway (you should just go to cydonia, finish the game and start a new one).

4. 1 is not enough. At least 3-4... otherwise you can really use a missile launcher instead.

[zaibakk]

Thank for your reply Meridian!!
I follow you on youtube, your series are fantastic! (and we want more HOMM3 XD )

Anyway, ye, i think we could eliminate the backpack restriction.

For the PS training problem: it would be VERY COOL to have a mod that increase your PS while using Mind Probe. That could solve the problem. This also make Mind Probe more useful.

Greetings!

[zaibakk]

Another way to see at the Hovertank/Launcher:

4) Hovertank/Launcher:
This Tank can set only 1 waypoint.
In alternative, a Psionic in battle can use all of his TU's while concentrating in guiding the missle. If you do so, you can use the Psionic Skill of that Psionic in order to use more waypoins (like for the Blaster Launcher in rule 3).

[Dave84]

Hi zaibakk

I don't often post here but I have opinions on Psionics and Blaster Launchers too so I thought I'd share.

1) I also think that not being able to use PSI-amps at all would be too much, also it wouldn't make much sense if you could sell them but not use them (who would buy them if they had no use?). I also agree that Psionics are too strong in the base game, I've made some changes of my own to try and balance them if you're interested:

Spoiler:

First I halved XCOM soldiers PSI strengths (range is 1-50 rather than 0-100) but reduced alien PSI strengths by only 20-40%. XCOM soldiers PSI skills are also capped at 60. This means XCOM soldiers are relatively weaker, but psionics are also weaker overall, they don't work as well over long distances and the results are more random. Secondly I increased the PSI-amp to use 60% of TUs so you can only use it once per turn.

I have now moved on to use OpenXComExtended (EXE mod). Which gives more flexibility - my PSI amp now costs 60% of TUs to mind control but only 40% to panic, it also costs quite a lot of energy to use (Mind Control more than Panic) so you can't use it several turns in a row without running out of energy.

Overall this makes psionics not so good that it feels like a cheat to use them.

2. I play the (mostly) vanilla game + my own tweaks, and I find I rarely use the Mind Probe anyway. Only in the late game to see which alien is a leader or commander really, or sometimes I'll bring one along to check how badly injured an alien is if the soldier holding it has nothing better to do. In OpenXComExtended you could set the Mind Probe (or any other item) to require psionic training, but it doesn't mean it increases your psionic skill to use it, if it did it would be cool and would be a change worth making IMO.

3. One issue is that non-psionic aliens currently use the blaster launcher against you, so should the restriction apply to them too? If so, non-psi aliens should probably be given different weapons other than one they can't use. If not it wouldn't really make sense that you get a restriction that the aliens don't get (it's important to me that everything have a background story that makes sense!).

In my own mod I've completely disabled the blaster launcher for human use, it's just too good as it is, you can still research it to go own to the other requirements though including the Hoverank/Launcher which brings me on to:

4. I don't actually think the Hoverank/Launcher needs to made any weaker (in vanilla anyway don't know how it works in FMP) for the following reasons:
It already takes up 4 spaces but only gets to fire one missile that's weaker than a blaster bomb, so soldiers with blaster bombs are already better. Plus it's very expensive to make and it's ammo is very expensive to make, so it needs to be good to justify the cost. I always like to think the Hoverank/Launcher has some clever programming that's updated with a map of the battlefield and can calculate and communicate wirelessly with the missile where to go, and that's why it doesn't need psionics even if the blaster launcher did or in my case is just unusable by soldiers.

[zaibakk]

Thank you Dave84, i appreciate your reply very much!
I think we can find reasons for almost everything (maybe all alien leaders are at least "weak psionics").

Thanks to you guys i reconsider my rules.
I don't want to mod anything so i want only to use external house rules.
Those are the updated rules:

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Zaibakk's Psionics Rules

1)Psi Amp:
A Psionic can use a single Psi Amp Power only ONCE PER BATTLE (the mind is exhausted after a single use, and they need to rest at base).
Immediatly after using a Power (even if he fails) the Psionic is stunned: he cannot do anything in the same AND in the next XCOM turn.
Finally, on Cydonia the "once per battle" rule is intended once for the overall Cydonia mission. So if a Psionic used Panic on the surface mission, he cannot use any power on the undergound mission!

2) Mind Control:
After a successful Mind Control attack, if the puppet die during your turn, or during the following alien turn, the Psionic will DIE AS WELL! (the body cannot live without the mind).
Otherwise if the puppet divent unconsciuous, the mind connection is immediatly broken, and the Psionic fall unconsciuous as well: you cannot use him until the puppet wakes up (you can of course use medikit stimulants on the old puppet in order to revive your psionic too).

3) Mind Probe:
Only a psionic can use a Mind Probe.

4) Mind Guided Missles and Blaster Launcher:
Only a psionic can use those guns.
You need at least 40 Psionic Strenght to use Mind Guided Missles, and at least 80 Psionic Strenght to use the Blaster Launcher.
Also, you can set a number of waypoints equal to your Psionic Skill / 10. So for example if the shooter has PS=38 he can set a maximium of 3 waypoints.

5) Hovertank/Launcher:
This Tank can set only 1 waypoint.
If Psionics are in battle, you can choose a Psionic with at least 60 Psionic Strenght to assign to it, and set a number of waypoints equal to his Psionic Skill / 10.
On the same turn only one Psionic can be assigned to each Hovertank/Launcher, and viceversa (each Tank need a different Psionic).

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Tell me what do you think! (any more nerf to the blaster launcher?)
Byez!

[Solarius Scorch]

Hi, always nice to see new people playing FMP.

I actually thought exactly the same thing for limiting blasters, and with exactly the same mechanics. However, what about alien races who are not psionics? What would a Muton do if he got a Blaster Launcher? This would require additional mechanics for replacing items with other items if the first one cannot be used by a particular unit (including a new, way more complicated way of organizing the alienDeployment section), and that'd be lots of work for not that much gain. But I think I'd support it if somebody wanted to do it and had a good idea how, especially design-wise.

[zaibakk]

Hi guys!
This is my new set of house rules! I'm playing with this and it seems fun!
Enjoy!

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Zaibakk's Psionics Rules

This rules are designed to play with OpenXcom, Final Mod Pack, Superhuman, Hardcore.


Xcom operatives:

1) Psi Points:
Each Psionic start the battle with a reserve of psionic points. They are received only at the start of the battle, and they cannot be recharged during battle.
PSI POINTS (PP) = [PSI SKILL / 10] (rounded down).
Example: Psionic Skill: 38; PP = 3.
In multi-mission battle like Cydonia, you receive PP only at the start of the first mission, and you continue the following missions with the remaining points.
2) Mind Probe: Each use of a Mind Probe costs 1 PP. This means this item cannot be used by a non psionic.
3) Panic: Each use of a Panic power with a Psi Amp costs 3 PP.
4) Mind Control: Each use of a Mind Control power with a Psi Amp costs 6 PP.
5) Mind Guided Missile, Blaster Launcher and Blaster Multi-Launcher:
Each waypoint set over the first (so starting with the second waypoint) costs 1 PP. This means that this items can be used without using psionic points (even by a non psionic), but with only 1 waypoint.
6) Hovertank/Launcher:
Each waypoint set over the first (so starting with the second waypoint) costs 1 PP from a single psionic in the battle map. This means that this tank can shoot without using psionic points of any psionic in the map, but with only 1 waypoint.


Aliens:

1) Mind Barrier: All psionic alien races and mechanical units are immune to Psi Amp powers; you cannot use Panic or Mind Control on them.
Those races are: Sectoid, Cyberdisk, Ethereal, Sectopod, Cerebreal, Cerebreal Larva.



TFTD Version:
ONLY DIFFERENCES:
This rules are designed to play with OpenXcom TFTD, Superhuman, Hardcore.
Xcom operatives: use corrispective powers and guns.
Aliens: Alien races with Mind Barrier are: Aquatoid, Tasoth, Bio-Drone.

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[Starving Poet]

I really like those rules - I have a set I'm currently working on in my superhuman ironman TFTD playthrough.

1. Human PSI LOS using Cooper's mod.
2. I can only use MC Disruptors on Alien Base Assaults or Synomium sites
3. I can only train PSI skill during #2.

Due to the extreme difficulty of surviving a base assault in TFTD due to the 'Everyone has DPLs after Labour Day' design; it makes the training really stressful for a whole gain of 2-6 skill.

I figure if I can get a soldier to survive enough of those hellish missions to get some respectable PSI skill, then they've earned the right to abuse LOS Mind control.

[The_Funktasm]

I think it might be more fair to just have XCOM Psi-amp usage limited to panicking only units with less than full morale, and to only use the XCOM agent's TUs from before using the Psi-amp and not the amount the alien already had unless they had a lower count, in the case of using MC.

Meaning that when mind-control is used, alien TUs are wiped and the agent's remaining TUs are transferred to the alien unless the XCOM agent had more than them.
It's not quite as cheap if it relies on the time scale of the individual agent rather than giving you a free, fresh unit.

As far as the mind-probe, if it's really that cheap or unbalanced, I've never noticed it. The main use I would consider for it, is to tell how injured or panicked an alien is, and even then, I can usually sort of tell anyway without the 2x2 tile probe weighing down anybody. I have always wondered what the point of the mind probe is in the grand scheme of the game, when it'd be more useful long-term to get a better motion detector.

Just my two cents..

[zaibakk]

ZAIBAKK'S PSIONICS RULES V 0.4

I tested my rules, and this version is far more balanced and cool to play. Enjoy! 

This rules are designed to play with OpenXcom at difficuly Superhuman, Hardcore. I also suggest Final Mod Pack.


Xcom operatives:
Psi Points:
Each Psionic start a battle with a pool of psionic points. They are received only at the start of the battle, and they cannot be recharged during battle.
FOR EACH 10 POINTS ON PSIONIC SKILL → 1 PP GAINED.
Example: Psionic Skill 38 → PP = 3.
The maximum of starting Psi Points is 10 (even if you have 110+ psi skill).
In multi-mission battle like Cydonia, you receive PP only at the start of the first mission, and you continue the following missions with the remaining points.

Mind Probe: Using Mind Probe is free, but the soldier using it needs to has at least 1 PP remaining in his pool. This means this item cannot be used by a non psionic.

Panic: Each use of a Panic power with a Psi Amp costs 2 PP.

Mind Control: Each use of a Mind Control power with a Psi Amp costs 6 PP.

Mind Guided Missile, Blaster Launcher, Blaster Multi-Launcher and Hovertank/Launcher:
Shooting with those weapons cost an activation cost in PP (depending on the weapon) + ½  PP for EACH waypoint set (rounded up). This means those weapons cannot be fired by a non psionic. To allow the Hovertank/Launcher to shoot, a single psionic in the battle map must pay the price.
The activation costs are:
Mind Guided Missile = 1 PP
Hovertank/Launcher = 3 PP
Blaster Launcher = 5 PP
Blaster Multi-Launcher = 10 PP, but all waypoints and all other shots in this turn are free.
So, for example, if you shoot with a Blaster Launcher setting 4 waypoints, it will costs 5+(4/2)=7 PP. Note that you have to have at least 6 PP to shoot with Blaster Launcher.


Aliens:
Psionic Shielded Aliens: Alien races with great psionic inclination and their terror units, who are usually mind-controlled by those races, are psionic shielded and therefore harder to attack with Psionic Powers. You cannot use Mind Control on those aliens. You can use Panic on them, but the effort would be like mind controlling a normal alien: it will costs 6 PP. Using Mind Probe on them is no more free, but it costs 1 PP.
Those aliens are: Sectoid, Cyberdisk, Ethereal, Sectopod, Cerebreal, Cerebreal Larva, Zombie.


Terror From The Deep Version:
Those are the differences while playing OpenXcom TFTD at difficulty Superhuman, Hardcore.
Xcom operatives: use appropriate powers and weapons.
Aliens: Psionic Shielded Aliens are: Aquatoid, Calcinite, Hallucinoid, Tasoth, Tentaculat, Zombies, Triscene, Bio-Drone.