Re: The X-Com Files - 3.5: Whispers In The Dark

[Solarius Scorch]

Agricultural flamer? Sounds cool! I hope a few farmers have this to make capturing them a LITTLE more nasty,

Probably not, as it'd be hard to make this rare enough - I only have five equipment slots per unit.

and I'm honestly happy to have another incendiary weapon besides flares and grenades early on, especially to deal with those nasty fly monsters, but also those infernal dagon dogs.

So you think the agri flamer is okayish as a weapon? Just wondering about balance.

By the way, don't zombies have elerium in their body? Wouldn't this make them a LITTLE more flammable, considering they are a biological energy tank?... Flame is obscure enough of a weakness I feel it might work for them...

Elerium is not really that flammable. Or rather, it burns very well, but is not easy to set on fire.

Otherwise we'd have to drastically increase weakness to fire across many strong units, especially Chryssalids.

Also some very nice balance changes too. The storage on several things will make setting up bases much easier, and ease stress of storage slightly.

Thanks!

[mumble]

When it comes to personal protection / leather coat, can we just unlock them after personal protection? I doubt buying them would involve more than visiting a department store and grabbing a few, and its not like they have paperwork like kevlar and firearms do...I rarely use leather because of this, and shoot straight for kevlar.

[Solarius Scorch]

When it comes to personal protection / leather coat, can we just unlock them after personal protection? I doubt buying them would involve more than visiting a department store and grabbing a few, and its not like they have paperwork like kevlar and firearms do...I rarely use leather because of this, and shoot straight for kevlar.

WTF? It's exactly how it works. Is it bugged?

[mumble]

Huh nevermind, I seem to remember needing to research leather coats....sorry, its been a long week and my brain is semi fried =(

[niculinux]

Hey, recovering an human farmer corpse resulst in -10.000$  in the sell/sack menu. I see it would cost money getting the rid of a former without getting noticed...(provided they are still "human") but it should lead instewad to a "mutated human farmer corpse" research topic, don't you think? It may unlock some other things...

Edit: usual typos

[mumble]

What exactly would a dead body of a farmer reveal? An anal probe hidden deep within his bowels which isn't detected by an xcom cavity search?

Interesting idea...

But really I could see this being interesting. Perhaps there could be a handful of items to research requiring a bio lab, from a discovered anal probe, genetic alterations, brain scans, or other items, showing experiments on the farmer in question. However, I think for balance reasons perhaps it should be first MANUFACTURING an autopsy, (for 10k) and then researching the manufactured item, otherwise bodies can be disposed without cost via research. This would also give more of a PURPOSE for farmers, and more deeply connect aliens with the earlier on (promotion 2 / 3) areas of the game.

[Solarius Scorch]

All right, I'll keep these ideas in mind, they do have potential. But I probably won't pick them up very soon, since I have more pressing plans.

[mumble]

Not entirely fond of the new pallete, but mainly because all plasma weapons and other guns are now a strange military green, rather than the chrome kinda look. I'm not very fond of THAT, but other parts look nice I guess.

The agricultural flamethrower could be good, but honestly I think it could use a MILD auto fire. Its range is so limited, the least it could do is hit hard at that range, but a single shot of 30 damage really doesn't cut it. I understand if its not a full 8 like the military grade flamethrower, but 4 or 5 would be fair, and make it a decent weapon. But currently, 25% tu for a single 30 damage incendiary shot with mediocre accuracy is a joke. Add in at LEAST 3 more shots for a volley, if not 4, so this can be reliable. Otherwise its much better off using guns or melee.

Remember, just because it doesn't have the same pressure behind it as a formal military grade flamethrower, doesn't mean spraying gasoline on someone wouldn't be less effective. Just its slightly LESS gasoline =)

By the way, I would like to propose perhaps a few of dagons guys, and possibly followers of the Apocalypse have these. It would really fit the unorthodox weapon style, and particularly would fit the tanky setup of the chosen, assuming you can make them properly aggressive with it..

[Solarius Scorch]

Not entirely fond of the new pallete, but mainly because all plasma weapons and other guns are now a strange military green, rather than the chrome kinda look. I'm not very fond of THAT, but other parts look nice I guess.

Well, it's always something lost for something gained. I think the gains outweigh the losses, at least for now.

The agricultural flamethrower could be good, but honestly I think it could use a MILD auto fire. Its range is so limited, the least it could do is hit hard at that range, but a single shot of 30 damage really doesn't cut it. I understand if its not a full 8 like the military grade flamethrower, but 4 or 5 would be fair, and make it a decent weapon. But currently, 25% tu for a single 30 damage incendiary shot with mediocre accuracy is a joke. Add in at LEAST 3 more shots for a volley, if not 4, so this can be reliable. Otherwise its much better off using guns or melee.

That would mean I would have to make it less accessible, and that'd be hard to justify.
I think it's not bad as it is, but it's more of a tactical tool than a lethal weapon - at least in most cases.

Remember, just because it doesn't have the same pressure behind it as a formal military grade flamethrower, doesn't mean spraying gasoline on someone wouldn't be less effective. Just its slightly LESS gasoline =)

Well, it hurts AF

By the way, I would like to propose perhaps a few of dagons guys, and possibly followers of the Apocalypse have these. It would really fit the unorthodox weapon style, and particularly would fit the tanky setup of the chosen, assuming you can make them properly aggressive with it..

Sadly, the AI can't use limited range weapons.

[dorsidwarf]

Hey, ive been getting back into this mod for a while and after reinstalling as an upgrade from a really old version, I have a few questions

1) Did scientist rate get reduced? Basic stuff like kevlar is taking *weeks* and that is horrible because it costs millions and millions to get more than five dudes in a basement for r&d at the start.

2) chupacabras are still horrible (Sorry thats not a question, just fed up of these guys rushing from 100% concealment/ beyond flashlight range at night, consistently instagibbing my agents regardless of armour, skill, or any migitating factor oh and they always come in huge packs). (is there some way to disable/remove them because they add nothing but savescumming and not doing any mission they appear on to my game)

3)Are... are UFOs of all sizes meant to show up and begin conducting activities instantly  upon start? I managed to clear an entire UFO with one dude with a knife and more mangrit than a thousand normal agents but they're super constant. In my playthrough with the old version they didnt show up at all until late in the second year, after I'd eliminated a cult.

[Solarius Scorch]

Hey, ive been getting back into this mod for a while and after reinstalling as an upgrade from a really old version, I have a few questions

Hi!

1) Did scientist rate get reduced? Basic stuff like kevlar is taking *weeks* and that is horrible because it costs millions and millions to get more than five dudes in a basement for r&d at the start.

No special changes, just the effect of having only 5. But I'm still rebalancing research costs.

2) chupacabras are still horrible

They are!

3)Are... are UFOs of all sizes meant to show up and begin conducting activities instantly  upon start? I managed to clear an entire UFO with one dude with a knife and more mangrit than a thousand normal agents but they're super constant. In my playthrough with the old version they didnt show up at all until late in the second year, after I'd eliminated a cult.

It's rare, but happens... Congratulations on the UFO!

[mumble]

The agriculture flamer could at least use a doubletap volley, imo. sure, its powerful, but so is a sledge hammer, and it has a meager 6 tile reach. Besides, considering the aiming issues with it, I figure a double shot wouldn't raise prospective damage terribly high considering misses / partial hits. Its DPS in respective range wouldn't be anything beyond an UZI or other weapons, the only difference is it is incendiary. Even a 25 damage x 2  would work, just so long as its a multi shot of some sort

UFO's are around slightly early on, but being able to take one is pure RNG to be able to catch (they move so fast, you are lucky if you ever get to attack a landed one) and then taking it early on is its own task. I thought I was hot shit for taking a UFO with 4 guys and hunting rifles / shotguns, but with a KNIFE? You madman!!!

Oh, and yeah chupacabras are nasty, I don't bother with them much late game, they are just not worth the issue till you get landmines n stuff. nasty buggers. At least they are very fragile, so there is that.

[khade]

I had some run ins with landed aliens first month, last version.  End result: I found an alien close to the car, shot it, grabbed everything and booked it.

Chupacabras somehow haven't been a problem for me, at least not much, I generally avoid nighttime wildlife encounters where possible.

As a note, I've been playing the third difficulty.

Is there a private van vehicle? I get that the private car is MUCH faster than the public car or van, but going back to 2 agents just isn't worth it, at all.  Anything you want to get to quickly is too much for two guys and a car.

[Solarius Scorch]

Yeah, sometimes you can catch very early UFOs. I still wonder if it's okay.

There is no private van as such, but the next version will have a hummer that is similar in concept and has a capacity of 5. Also other new vehicles may be possible.

[niculinux]

I've noticed that the mod has an ufopedia entry "ancient guns" so more ancient harware will be added? If so an handful of highlight may be USM3A1, Owen gun and the Sten? Also that Jatimatic smg would be cool, featured in the stallones movie cobra (perapphs witouth that kind of iron sight. 

Edit: see that smg at the end of the video!