Alternate deployment for the Bonny

[Arthanor]

Since the introduction of the parrot, the current deployment scheme for the bonny feels awkward. Since the first spawn is next to the trapdoor, the bird has to fly down first, wasting TUs instead of just flying away. That, and the awkwardness of the split (first 6 units spawn by the trapdoor, then main door, then up), made me consider a different way to spawn.

The idea of this new deployment is to follow more closely the typical XCom deployment with the linear progression from "expendable scout" to valuable soldiers to snipers. So it goes like:

- 4 scouts by the rear or trap door
- 12 supports, in rough order of proximity to the exit, alternating between rear and trop doors
- 2 snipers for the roof

The exact layout ensures that:
1 - You parrot can just fly out from the rear door. Or your tank will start by the rear door, ready to deploy.
2 - If a soldier gets injured/taken out and you forget to replace them, the following deployment will be disturbed as little as possible.
2.1 - Your scouts will always be first by the doors, with the first two "expendable" scouts starting at the rear door (where they are most visible/exposed and ready to jump out to take the 1st turn reaction fire), then support, then snipers.
2.2 - If one or two soldier are missing, the snipers start by the stairs so they can get to the roof asap (instead of deploying by the trap door as in the current deployment).
2.3 - If you want 4 snipers, the last 4 soldiers are the ones closest to the roof (the first two from the end start on the 2nd level, the next two start by the stairs)

I've attached a numbered screenshot to illustrate. The main drawback is that the pile of gear is now at the back door, where it is more vulnerable. But that's how it is in every XCom craft so I didn't think it's much of an issue, compared to the other improvements.

The change is a simple reordering of positions as in the following ruleset:

Code: [Select]

crafts:
  - type: STR_VENTURA
    deployment:
      - [12, 4, 1, 2]
      - [12, 5, 1, 2]
      - [7, 4, 1, 6]
      - [7, 5, 1, 6]
      - [11, 4, 1, 2]
      - [11, 5, 1, 2]
      - [8, 4, 1, 6]
      - [8, 5, 1, 6]
      - [12, 3, 1, 3]
      - [12, 6, 1, 1]
      - [8, 3, 1, 6]
      - [8, 6, 1, 6]
      - [5, 3, 1, 4]
      - [5, 6, 1, 0]
      - [10, 4, 1, 2]
      - [10, 5, 1, 2]
      - [8, 4, 2, 2]
      - [8, 5, 2, 2]
But for some reason if I make that a mod, it won't overwrite the original deployment.. So Either I am doing something wrong or you have to delete the craft and then redefine it. For now I found it easier to just go in Piratez.rul, find STR_VENTURA in the crafts and change the deployment directly in there.

I hope it proves useful for someone else!

[legionof1]

Nice change to have. I personally dont have an issue with the stock deployment on the bonny unless i have a tank. one square of z-axis flight is 4 TU and zero energy. I mostly want the birds near ground level anyway with popups for better vision before they settle down behind cover at the end of the turn.

I agree a tank/reaper/etc is a massive blockage coming out the bottom hatch. However early 2x2 units are almost irreplaceable due to either component rarity(2x of equivalent terror unit) or difficulty. Hey you, distract the nice reaper while the rest of us try to wack it with electrified sticks. The rarity issue recedes after a time as terror units become easier and more common targets. But in the bonny era i think i rather have 4 gals over a tank anyway. Reaper or boomy might be another story but i have yet to capture one early in a game and very few indeed overall. Huge hp, high armor, and no medic interaction makes live retrieval an issue. That's if your even willing to risk the attempt.

[Arthanor]

The thing I most dislike in the stock deployment is how you have to play a 6 man team for the trap door, then the rest of your gals. And if you're missing one soldier, everything goes wrong. You get the first gal from the rear door as the 6th of the trap door thing, your snipers end up all the way across the Bonny, etc. I found it much easier to just go with 4 scouts up top of the list, 10-12 supports, 2-4 snipers/heavies this way.

It also feels better flying off with the parrot (I tend to keep it pretty high, hiding in trees and peaking above hills and UFOs) and 2x2 units (not that I've been able to use those much, but if one could: a tank is a formidable thing in most battles in Piratez. Not many things can scratch its armor/hp, unlike vanilla, and no recovery time! It's the perfect bullet soaker to just drive up and distract the enemy to keep the gals safe.)

[legionof1]

I find tanks questionable in day to day operations for much of the game. 1 of the variants is quite capable of instagibbin gals with reaction fire if you forget about them at a crucial juncture. such as breaching stage when you had been using the tank to cover the door while the gals moved up. Ready to breach and one boob walks out the door and the tank turns everything near the hatch into red mist. Even the non aoe tanks are pretty dangerous because of excellent reaction and poor snap accuracy. Those variants that are auto only have terrible net accuracy.

Heavy urban environment tank spends more TU gunning open paths with the secondary then anything else.

Oops this mission is church. Minus one tank, since most lasers either bounce or instagib with middle ground rare. 

Where a tank shines are things like progroms and warship attacks. Evens the field massively but you know these types of battles are coming before you take off. easy nuff to change loadout before flight.

[Dioxine]

Try to use that deployment with 2x 2x2 HWPs and see if it doesn't crash the game or otherwise mess it up. Part of the reason why I made my deployment like this ('sub-optimal') are some engine peculiarities. So when someone takes 2 large tanks, one tank is spawned by the ramp, the other by the hole, both facing 'out'. Make sure your deployment is supporting such a setup (2 tanks + 10 gals). There's more to these deployments than just convenience.

[Arthanor]

Well, it doesn't behave 100% as expected, but it doesn't crash the game. For some reason, if you use 1 2x2 unit, it puts it by the hatch. If you put 2 2x2 units, the second one goes by the rear door, despite the order of the spawns being first rear door, then hatch when you deploy 1x1 units.

So I guess it sort of works? I'd rather the one 2x2 unit spawn at the rear door, but I never realized that you could jump down the hatch with a 2x2 unit, so that's fine.

Anyone has an idea why the ruleset, as attached doesn't work to change things? Is it necessary to delete the STR_VENTURA and then redefine it all (leaving the mod at the mercy of change in the "real" Bonny not being carried through)?