Suggestions on how to improve the mod

[AncientSion]

Here's a small thing I'd like to see:
The tech tree is very confusing to newcomers. For example, Linux SMG is a precursor tech to Bigger Guns. Until you've researched Linux SMG, you can't discover new weapons for your ships, and you can't build most defensive installations. But I wasn't interested in SMGs - I never use them, since they're usually weak against armored enemies, and there were always a dozen other techs that looked more promising, like captured engineers, who I thought might teach me these important secrets - so I played for years of game time without bothering to research that path, and only eventually found what I was doing wrong via the online Tech Tree.

So I think the Linux SMG tech should be renamed 'Basic Gun Design' or similar - it could still give you the same stuff otherwise. There are probably other techs like that.

This is SOO true.

[Arthanor]

Yes, some techs have far reaching consequences that are quite surprising. Guns wise, the Linux SMG and Clockwork guns are remarkable for that. It would be better to either rename them so that they look more appealing in general (I skipped the clockwork gun on a previous playthrough and payed for it) or introduce better hints in some of the "fluff research" so that players might be inclined to go back and clean up those projects.

[Cristao]

^true

[Dioxine]

The system isn't pefect and I will look what I can do about this. Yet everyone hates empty or obsolete research. The general pattern is you need to research actual stuff, not just theory, to advance. To get gun X, you need guns A, B and C each of which represents a crucial engineering improvement, leading up to X. Otherwise there would be an ever-increasing number of techs you will never ever research, since they're already obsolete. But yeah, some rephrasing of research topic names might help there.

[Baldri]

Yesterday I did a scientific run. Which means I did all missions (but mansions) with debugkilling. As said, for science.

So I was curious: When will I get Old Earth books? As said: no mansionrun, cause there the book is guranteed I think.

The book opens up a lot of critical technologies, as you might know, which should advance you a lot. While not researching captives due to debug-mode I got the books in early octobre in the first year. I started capturing there because there was nothing left to research. With all the basic stuff out of the way I got it rather quickly. Now: What does this mean from my POV? Well there are basically two scenarios gameplaywise.

Lets assume one luck out and will find the gating tech from the very first researched captive one find. You will not get anything from it this way at all. You lack the money and basicresearch to profit from it. However this is the best thing of all since you should be faster overall and you have relatively advanced stuff in an early phase.

If you manage to find the books later though aliens are getting stronger and you might lose some high experienced soldiers on the way. Also you have to research captives a lot to narrow down the chances of getting the books. However things getting nasty in year two if you lack something. At least for me. To improve your odds you should research captives, to make the captives more likely to offer this tech. This narrowing down has some disadvantage. You will not get as many armor-parts as you may want to profit from the books at all. Because you can not manufacture the captives this way. The game will get harder as later you find the books in my opinion.

I think it is relatively easy to get them if you researching the prisoners consequently.

The thing is: You will get 21 technologies (at most) from it to research. Which is a little bit overwhelming but well worth it of course. But having a bottleneck like this is slightly uhm overwhelming, as said. You only need 8 altarboys at most to get them.

I hereby suggest:

- Remove old earth books completely and make back to school a more easy to archive technology.
- Add several new books which you can only research with the "back to school technology" Like: "Martial Arts for Beginners" for, well, martial arts. Or "Old fashion magazine" for Seductress Outfit. You got the drill.
- make these books available in the data-discs and interogating specific people. Like... Hostess might give you "Old fashion magazine" while researched. Because why would an altarboy knowing about martial arts training, for example? Right now he might give you the books. There might be a reason for it, sure, but I think you know what I am trying to explain.

What do you think? Just had the idea. 

It would delay the technologies while also making it somewhat more difficult to get and prevent the load of technologies while opening up the bottleneck.

Edit: Added a picture, "Tech" means old earth book technology.

[Eddie]

My 2 cent:
I agree that old earth books are in limited supply and you usually get that tech from interrogation, altar boys beeing your best subjects because they research fast (5 man days). The problem here is that it is a gate tech, and if you don't know you need it you won't look for it with interrogations.

my suggestion: add some non descript books that you need to research to unlock the library, and building a library opens up the suggested study topics like martial arts and fashion magazine.

[Arthanor]

What? You are specifically told to research Old Earth Books, and even how to get that knowledge:

From the Spring Cleaning article:

Spoiler:

"Much has been lost in this wild world we inhabit. While the Stellar Empire has brought technology, it also took away our means of understanding it. We can tinker, match and mix, but not really improve. We need to find some well-informed allies, as well as to gain - either through Discs (that can only be decrypted here) or random interrogation of anyone who seems smart - the knowledge of Old Earth books, and then start the 'Back To School' project."

[a0kribu]

How about adding item weights to inventory.
Would help a lot when equipping new cannonf...er... team members.

There's room where it tells you the item names. "Laser Pistol [Weight:5/7]" would look just fine instead of "Laser Pistol".

[Solarius Scorch]

How about adding item weights to inventory.

Ummm, how old is your version?

[a0kribu]

0.98E.
Am I missing something?
I didn't notice anything about item weights in 0.98F notes.

Edit: I don't mean the total encumbrance that is on the upper right corner of the equip screen. I mean individual item weights.
Edit2: Now I am on 0.98F and I still don't see it.

[Arthanor]

Meridian added item weight to the ufopaedia 27 days ago. Any executable more recent than the 20th of April should have that feature.

Are you updating the mod but not the executable? The executable distributed with XPIratez definitely has that.

[ivandogovich]

I see the missed communication here.

a0kribu is asking for weight on the items when you pick them up in the Inventory Equipping screen, so you will know right away that the weak gal with 8 wt space left can't hold that 35 wt Heavy Gauss, etc.

But yeah, in the Ufopedia screens its great.

[Arthanor]

Ah.. indeed... Maybe the best would be to add it close to the weight indicator? Something like:

Normally: 20/30
After picking up an item: 20+8/30

[a0kribu]

I thought the best place for it would be to include in the item name.
When you have inventory open and hover over an item it tells you it's name. There's ample space there.

And yes, ivandogovich is correct. I want to see the item weight in the inventory just like I expressly said in my first post.

[Dioxine]

Wouldn't be that too much clutter? You can always m-click to see the Pedia or simply pick the item up to check the weight.