Author Topic: Re: The X-Com Files - 3.4: Daggers for Hire  (Read 2421531 times)

Offline Dioxine

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 5455
  • punk not dead
    • View Profile
    • Nocturnal Productions
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #165 on: July 30, 2016, 01:54:19 am »
You have to consider that most of this is happening out in the boonies so any police response is delayed long enough for the police to be irrellevant. [...]. Not to mention when police hear large amounts of gunfire the first thing the do is wait for it to stop before investigating.  ;D

This is a description of how it goes down in a country that is unable to assert its own sovereignity over its territories. Might be true for S. America, Africa or Bulgaria, but certainly not for the US, China or Russia. Before helpless and always late police, there is a MiG-31 (or its equivalent) taking down your ride like a bitch. And several other responses to airspace violation.

You would never get prior authorization to openly perform any operation like this with ANY guns from, or in ANY sovereignty....

You do. UN Peacekeepers, OSCE - rings a bell?

With exception if that agent was authorized to do so by his home country previously... So like if Xcom recruited a former FBI agent that was authorized to carry anywhere, then that would not be invalidated and thus could carry in the U.S. with no issues. Also maybe if Xcom was also registered as a private "security" contractors... but that is a whole nother deal that is relevant, but I don't want to post about it now.

This would mean X-Com is a terrorist organization - that's what you describe. Again, works against weak countries, but ends in a war when tried to be effected against a strong country (wars in Chechenia, Syria, Donbass).
I don't adress the point that internal license carries over - it's beyond the point here.

However, extreme exceptions aside... No , and mean I mean like no country would allow foreign nationals in with firearms of ANY sort in a police capacity without a resolution and express invitation, and what developed country would do that? uhhhh NONE! There is NO such thing as a secret UN resolution.

There would never be such authorization which is literally why I was like "lol wut"? The agents are already crossing into a foreign country that may or may not be a member of the UN and kill the absolute dogshit out of citizens of some country or another (cultists). Can you say multiple human rights violations? I can list at least 10 without even sweating. I mean seriously, the half measure ideology is actually so backwards it makes sense...If you have ever worked in any screwed up bureaucracy as I have.  :(

Well, the aliens came - remember? - and there well could be one. That's the game changer here. It is possible that the reason was that it was impossible to tell if the aliens haven't already infiltrated and subdued one of the major govts. Such a situation has 2 solutions: nuclear war or some sort of hated-by-everyone agreement like this one.

Xcom could not have enemies on the council for this to really work because this would be such a political hot potato that it wouldn't fly otherwise. Xcom would have to have the support of the council for the overall mission of the project because wrench, revolver, or rifle, you have personnel executing, kidnapping, interrogating, depriving of property, and denying religion of these poor cultists....to say the least.  :P

So what's new under the sun? If the powers that be said these people are enemies of humanity, such lofty rights no longer apply. Remember that any 'UN' agreement of this callibre would in reality be an agreement between few strongest countries on the planet, hence not bound by UN rules, if they get in the way. Remember Chechoslovakia 1938? Turkey 2016? Human rights and things like that can be suspended in the case of higher urgency (or convenience).

The UN / Council's mental dichotomy is insane, "Yes, violate the shit out of international law and the sovereignty of member nations wholesale. No, you can't have tools to help be sure you don't get caught and by extension prevent me/us from being caught". WTF?!!? Did they have a brain aneurysm before or after their crack binge?

'Don't get caught mode' - that's your assertion. I see no compelling argument that rules out some sort of mutual agreement. Infiltration can be effected by the target country. Arguments for not using RPGs are a) secrecy. No one wants the whole thing to get public, remeber? b) some factions of the country in question want the operation to fail.

The whole paranoia of "looking for any excuse shut X-Com down" is laughable, because the shooting  of a religious extremist coming to public attention is the kiss of death for anyone's diplomatic career (sometimes)....Unless you are uhh Russian, Chinese, or in parts of South America or Africa or 'Murrica :o ...but yeah! I bet they don't talk about Waco or Ruby Ridge in Poland  :-\

What's with these internal police operations that completely got out of control? What does it have to do with international affairs?

which there were none really for the officers involved. So in Xcom's case the UN or council could not admit prior knowledge of Xcom's "illegal" activity without exposing themselves, and admitting that there was a secret UN taskforce that violated the law equally endangers the council for the same reason. Catch-22.

It's a task force sent by a potentially hostile country, which you MUST admit in none the less. Not your OWN task force. You will be all to happy to see them fail and have a pretext for your own military to move in and seize the activity site. Why do you think crashed UFOs dissappear? I think it's some sort of a proof.

Because It would be that way, I hope that those council / UN members involved recognize the damage of public scrutiny. I would hope they realized that they need to take every step to be sure that there are no surviving enemy combatants, which minimizes witnesses; which means having the tools to get the job done and leaving behind the strangest cases of mass suicide.  8)

Mass disappearance, you mean. This point is adressed above.

Also, so what if they are exposed? Big. fucking. deal. The scandal would blow over rather quickly and be credited to rouge elements within the organization and not the totality of the organization itself whereupon the organization would be renamed and continue operations more carefully. Have you ever watched CNN?  :-X

They don't risk exposure. They risk being deemed a wrong idea, and making signataries to dissolve the treaty that created X-Com. The whole scenario here is, 'aliens came and UN council agreed to form X-Com', remember? If X-Com fails, we go to the previous option (>towards nuclear war).

Anyways, my point is this. If they have already made the decision to risk it all, why would they bother with arbitrary limitations that increases the chances of them being caught in a scandal? We can think this out a few ways. 

1. There is no risk of exposure, then authorization is meaningless. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
2. There is some risk of exposure; It is necessary to maximize success and thus control the number of witnesses. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
3. The organization is publicly exposed; There is no need to be politically sensitive now; rename the organization and see 2. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
4. The organization is operating secretly with complete UN / Council authorization; call Izmash; AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
5. The organization is secret with backers being scared of exposure and won't stop you, but won't help you either. Call Izmash. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
6. The organization is fucking around trying to appease idiotic jackasses who don't realize their idiocy. Ignore them and call Izmash. AKs and RPGs for everyone!

Due to above, all wrong. Here:
7) The organization is operating secretly with reluctant approval of backer countries. They want it to succeed, because we live on a single planet; they want it to fail, since every major country would rather have everything for itself.

Now, that being said known violations from one country to another that could be potentially embarrassing are often glossed over... I'll give you a few examples Like the form 60, Aralsk-7 incident... [...]
Or the fact that Russia could read EVERY U.S. confidential cable transmission and electronic diplomatic transmission and knew about the drug smuggling operations for funding  South American friends of the CIA, where known CIA handlers where present and involved and where drugs were sold on America's streets. This could of easily embarrassed the U.S., but Russia remained quiet about it.

Because if they started to escalate like this - exposing everything - they would be an international drunkard with an axe? Revealing such things is a direct attack on an opposing country; overusing it, aliens or no aliens, leads to option 1 (nuclear war).

In short. It's silly to not have access to common weapons and equipment from the beginning stemming from arguments about authorization or availability.

Do you understand? Do I make my arguments clear? You can wholeheartedly disagree and have ultimate power, but it is important that I be clear.

Very clearly you don't take the alien factor, and nuclear war factor, into consideration. You cannot do so on a planet with nuclear superpowers and alien invasion.

btw Poland is gorgeous.

Whatever did you really mean by that, good or bad, twice the same to you.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2016, 01:57:01 am by Dioxine »

Offline HelmetHair

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 360
  • He who laughs last thinks fastest.
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #166 on: July 30, 2016, 07:32:52 am »
Dioxine,

I don't think you understand that I'm speaking of the time before open alien intervention. Otherwise, I think you would use different arguments. If this is not the case, then we'll continue along this track and sort it out at the end. Just let me know.

Poland is gorgeous. I spent some time basically camping, drinking and hiking through your national park system as a teenager...it was glorious.

Have a great day,

HH

Offline Slaughter

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 282
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #167 on: July 31, 2016, 11:23:38 am »
I got a computer once again! Once I get some free time, I'm gonna have lots of fun with this mod! Playing FMP in the meanwhile, its fantastic!

So, while I was munching on some biscuits, I thought about new ways of making the player suffer, some ideas I always I could implement.
 Here's what I got in mind:

- Give Dodge to Floaters, sorta like the remake? Alternatively, make them fly as fast as they "walk" (I may be wrong, but I think hovering uses more TUs than walking).
- Give Reapers the ability to "walk" into the scenery, allowing them to attack you through walls, for example.
- No idea what to give Sectoids. Maybe in the mid-game from then on they come in "Pectoid" (like Xcom2) varieties with Mechtoid support? One psionic in every vessel instead of just in Terror Missions and such?

- I always thought the Snakemen were the lamest of all aliens. Sectoids have telepathy, Floaters fly, Snakemen... uh, Chrysalids are their terror troops? They're pretty much "uh, we're middle-game aliens with middle-game stats." So here's an idea: UFOPaedia tells us that Snakemen are very efficient reproducers. Bring that ability into the game! Have them keep laying eggs during missions, creating "Snakemen Hatchlings" or some unit like that, some mini-snakeman with a built-in attack (say, venomous spit. Also, makes Hazmat more useful!). Something weak, but could be hell if left alone to fester.
        I'm thinking this would make the Snakemen the "breeder" aliens that punish camping. It also provides a nice contrast with the Chrysalids - Snakemen breed by themselves and punish campers, Chrysalids need civvies or X-COM to increase their numbers, and punish those who advance wrongly or fail to save civilians from them. This could also make Snakemen Terror a new level of terror - choose between rushing to avoid the Snakemen Apocalypse, or camp to avoid being swarmed by the Chrysalid Apocalypse?

- Reptoids regenerate. Failed to kill that Reptoid? It will heal soon.


Need to think of ways the player could be hurt strategically by the aliens, hmm...

Offline Solarius Scorch

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 11702
  • WE MUST DISSENT
    • View Profile
    • Nocturmal Productions modding studio website
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #168 on: July 31, 2016, 11:41:53 am »
I got a computer once again! Once I get some free time, I'm gonna have lots of fun with this mod! Playing FMP in the meanwhile, its fantastic!

Thanks!
It's still a baby, but it already has teeth.

So, while I was munching on some biscuits, I thought about new ways of making the player suffer, some ideas I always I could implement.
 Here's what I got in mind:

- Give Dodge to Floaters, sorta like the remake? Alternatively, make them fly as fast as they "walk" (I may be wrong, but I think hovering uses more TUs than walking).

Frankly I haven't worked on the aliens in regards to dodging yet. It only works against melee anyway.
And no, hovering doesn't take more TUs.

- Give Reapers the ability to "walk" into the scenery, allowing them to attack you through walls, for example.

...and how would I do this?

- No idea what to give Sectoids. Maybe in the mid-game from then on they come in "Pectoid" (like Xcom2) varieties with Mechtoid support? One psionic in every vessel instead of just in Terror Missions and such?

I think they're fine just as they are. They do get some special weapons though (mostly spamming Elerium Bombs).

- I always thought the Snakemen were the lamest of all aliens. Sectoids have telepathy, Floaters fly, Snakemen... uh, Chrysalids are their terror troops? They're pretty much "uh, we're middle-game aliens with middle-game stats." So here's an idea: UFOPaedia tells us that Snakemen are very efficient reproducers. Bring that ability into the game! Have them keep laying eggs during missions, creating "Snakemen Hatchlings" or some unit like that, some mini-snakeman with a built-in attack (say, venomous spit. Also, makes Hazmat more useful!). Something weak, but could be hell if left alone to fester.
        I'm thinking this would make the Snakemen the "breeder" aliens that punish camping. It also provides a nice contrast with the Chrysalids - Snakemen breed by themselves and punish campers, Chrysalids need civvies or X-COM to increase their numbers, and punish those who advance wrongly or fail to save civilians from them. This could also make Snakemen Terror a new level of terror - choose between rushing to avoid the Snakemen Apocalypse, or camp to avoid being swarmed by the Chrysalid Apocalypse?

Again, how do you do this sort of thing?
Anyway, what would a Snakeman baby do? Crawl towards you menacingly while begging for small invertebrates to feed on?

- Reptoids regenerate. Failed to kill that Reptoid? It will heal soon.

Reptoids aren't in the mod yet, and I assure you they'll be quite interesting. A hint: they are not aliens.

Offline Slaughter

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 282
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #169 on: August 01, 2016, 06:47:07 am »
Quote
Thanks!
It's still a baby, but it already has teeth.



Quote
Frankly I haven't worked on the aliens in regards to dodging yet. It only works against melee anyway.
And no, hovering doesn't take more TUs.

Only melee? Damn. Still sounds like a evil ability to give to an alien.
It doesn't? My eyes must be fooling me.



Quote
...and how would I do this?

You know, that's a good question. May be impossible.

Another alternative would be just making Reapers tougher and their AI bolder. They're quite weak and lame.

Quote
I think they're fine just as they are. They do get some special weapons though (mostly spamming Elerium Bombs).

Quote

Again, how do you do this sort of thing?
Anyway, what would a Snakeman baby do? Crawl towards you menacingly while begging for small invertebrates to feed on?

Maybe they perfected begging into the next level of weapon, it makes your soldiers suicide or berserk. ;D And that's why the Snakemen are R strategists

Hey, Hyperworms could be literally teared from the guts of their mother, and yet just hearing them triggered me faster than you can say "THE BLIGHT IS APPROACHING" in a female voice out of a computer savant.

I thought about giving Snakemen Hatchlings a short-range venomous spit attack. Fatal-ish to unarmored troops, dangerous to vests, annoying to personal armor, a bother to early tanks, insignificant to Power Armor/Hazmat. Possibly with a armor-eroding effect, to make them dangerous even later on in significant amounts. They should be quite weak and one shot from any normal weapon should be enough to kill them. In fact, maybe armor-eroding should be their real attack, because that means they complement Chrysalids and Snakemen better - Snakes kill your soldiers with more ease, Chrysalids don't lose warm bodies that could be used for impregnation instead.

(if you want to be extra evil, have the hatchlings pick up and eat dead bodies and turn into something tougher. Because what Chrysalids don't impregnate, the snakes eat. Also, there goes your gear lol)

Maybe every Snakeman carries eggs on inventory, and eggs "hatch" as new snakemen hatchlings during the alien turn (with full TU, as per Chrysalids/Spitters). The eggs are objects so you can pick them up (I'm thinking they won't hatch if you do, like Brainsucker eggs in Apoc), or destroy them with explosives, or a cheap "Destroy" use action.

Alternatively, every start of a alien turn, a Snakeman "lays" a egg (no TU spent - its a free action unique to them) before moving on its patrol.

Now how many Snakemen would be able to lay eggs and at which rate, let me look at the maths:

1 egg per turn, every turn, all snakes:

Small Scout (8 crew):
Turn 1: 0 Hatchlings
Turn 2: 8 hatchlings
Turn 3: 16 hatchlings

of course the player is probably killing Snakes every turn, but... uh, doesn't work.

Setup 2: 1 egg per turn, laid every two turns, all snakes:

Small Scout (8 crew):
Human Turn 1: No eggs no hatchlings.
Alien Turn 1: 0 Hatchlings, 8 eggs (from now all turns are alien turns for simplicity)
Turn 2: 8 hatchlings (minus any killed by player), no eggs
Turn 3: 8 hatchlings minus any killed, 8 minus X killed Snakemen eggs
Turn 4: 16 hatchling minus any killed previously, 0 eggs.
Turn 5: 16 hatchling minus any killed previously, 8 minus X killed Snakemen eggs
Turn 6: 24 hatchlings minus X killed, 0 eggs.


Setup 3: 1 egg per turn, every three turns:

Human Turn 1: 8 Snakes, 0 eggs.
Alien Turn 1: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - X eggs laid
Alien Turn 2: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - X eggs still laid
Alien Turn 3: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - Y hatchlings.
Alien Turn 4: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - Y hatchlings, 8 - X eggs.
Alien Turn 5: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - Y hatchlings, 8 - X eggs
Alien Turn 6: 8 - X Snakes, (8 - Y hatchlings) + (8 - x eggs = 8 - y Hatchlings).

With Snakemen Terror, let's say there's 18 Snakes 6 Chrysalids (they don't matter to the calculation, tho):
18 - X (where X is DEAD) hatchlings by turn 3, 36 - X by turn 6... hmmm, this is problematic.

Let me try a slower rate, I'm not very good at math:

Small Scout with 8 snakes:

0 eggs or hatchlings by Human Turn 1, 8 eggs by Alien Turn 1, same, same, 8 hatchlings, 8 hatchlings and 8 eggs, same, same, 16 hatchlings, 16 hatchlings and 8 eggs, same, same, 24 hatchlings by turn 12.

Terror Ship with 18 snakes

0 eggs or hatchlings by Human Turn 1, 18 eggs by AT1, same, same, 18 hatchlings 0 eggs, 18 hatchlings and 18 eggs, same, same, 36 hatchlings... hmmm...


Trying new hatchlings every five turns:

Turn 5: 8 or 18
Turn 10: 16 or 36
Turn 15: 24 or 54
Turn 20: 32 or 72

Of course, the problem here is that not even the greatest of mathematics can calculate how many Snakemen and laid eggs a X-COM player kills per turn (personally, I win missions before turn 3, because I am the best.  ;) ).

Also, it might lead to new tactics or situations, from bringing extra ammo to bringing hazmat, knives and swords to wade through the hatchling hordes.

The simpler situation is to go the Hyperworm route and have a lot of Snakemen hatchlings come out of dead Megaworms/Snakemen. The obvious problem is that is easily exploitable (and tiresome), just have a guy with HE munitions standing by.

Poor Snakemen do come off as the suckiest aliens, when by comparison:

- Sectoids have psionics and those hellish reactions
- Floaters fly
- Mutons are tough
- Ethereals are all psionic.

Quote
Reptoids aren't in the mod yet, and I assure you they'll be quite interesting. A hint: they are not aliens.

The British Royal Family?  ;D
And I got the "not alien" from the autopsy in my game.

Personally I'm betting on Gillman descendants/offshoots. I always thought a lot more could have been done with the poor Gillies, as they are a species defeated by alien invasion - I once had this story idea for a "Last Days of the Gillmen" story, where we see their society before T'Leth falls, then its effects. The Gillmen polities ("Schools", as in fish schools?) create a X-COM equivalent, as civilization falls, their race dies in cold, hunger and conflict between themselves and the new alien invader, their leaders sell themselves out in drooves to the Aquatoid aliens and their world cools down into a nuclear winter snowball.


Offline kazek

  • Sergeant
  • **
  • Posts: 30
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #170 on: August 01, 2016, 01:49:17 pm »
Well I'm stuck again. I can't get this damn PSICLONE no matter what. I've completed like five EXALT base missions, tens of hideouts and activities and still nothing. I even added it to every single EXALT unit in alienDeployments_XCOMFILES.rul and still not even one spawned anywhere.

Also I don't know, whether it is intentional or not, but now after researching BlackOps Smartguns are not availible for purchase.

Offline Solarius Scorch

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 11702
  • WE MUST DISSENT
    • View Profile
    • Nocturmal Productions modding studio website
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #171 on: August 01, 2016, 05:19:40 pm »
Another alternative would be just making Reapers tougher and their AI bolder. They're quite weak and lame.

Yes, I can do this. Namely increase their Aggression stat. I'm not sure how exactly it'd work, it would need some testing.


Maybe they perfected begging into the next level of weapon, it makes your soldiers suicide or berserk. ;D

Psionic Snakemen babies? You, sir, are scaring me! :D

I thought about giving Snakemen Hatchlings a short-range venomous spit attack. Fatal-ish to unarmored (...)

It's a very interesting concept. Unfortunately, there's nothing in the engine that would allow laying eggs. If it ever happens, we can discuss the details.

The British Royal Family?  ;D
And I got the "not alien" from the autopsy in my game.

Yeah, but their actual arc isn't in the game yet.

And Gillmen are interesting indeed. They're not related to the Reptoids though - Reps have their own agenda, and they like neither Ethereals not T'leth.

Well I'm stuck again. I can't get this damn PSICLONE no matter what. I've completed like five EXALT base missions, tens of hideouts and activities and still nothing. I even added it to every single EXALT unit in alienDeployments_XCOMFILES.rul and still not even one spawned anywhere.

OK, I'll test this. From the ruleset it should work, but if it doesn't, I'll fix it.

Also I don't know, whether it is intentional or not, but now after researching BlackOps Smartguns are not availible for purchase.

I'll check this too, I remember something wasn't right with Smartpistols in the released version.

Offline HelmetHair

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 360
  • He who laughs last thinks fastest.
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #172 on: August 01, 2016, 11:06:13 pm »
Sol,

STR_Moneybag when selling the moneybag appears. No biggy.


I have however realized something, I'm not sure if it is a feature or a bug actually. So using a van or car I discovered something. I've started Fewer bases, more teams, more hangars. I've started salting teams around the world way pointing them from continent to continent. My poor agents are sometimes spending upwards 30-40 days in the field waiting for a mission, flying around the world and living in a fetid van full of unwashed body odor, empty cigarette packs and coffee cups.... poor bastards.

So having 12-15 teams in the air at a time is pretty efficient really. My guys still gain stats from being at the gym. After a mission I transfer craft to the nearest base for resupply and crew rotation before shoving them back out into the world. My reaction time is a touch less <48 hours anywhere in the world, and <24  that in most places. I'm about to add another 20 agents, 2-3 teams as about 10-15% of my agents are wounded usually. So I need to know. Me using vans like this, clever or cheating?

The only thing I'm really having issues with is generations of equipment. You know issuing new gear to folks. where I have to roll through each van piecemeal....its tedious but whatever.

I swear I'm not stalking you, but I read you were thinking of adding a few mission types?

Are you open to some ideas there?

Oh! and when can we expect an update...no rush you understand, just curious.

-HH

Offline Solarius Scorch

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 11702
  • WE MUST DISSENT
    • View Profile
    • Nocturmal Productions modding studio website
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #173 on: August 02, 2016, 12:17:17 am »
Sol,

STR_Moneybag when selling the moneybag appears. No biggy.

Yeah, my bad. Will be fixed in the next release.

I have however realized something, I'm not sure if it is a feature or a bug actually. So using a van or car I discovered something. I've started Fewer bases, more teams, more hangars. I've started salting teams around the world way pointing them from continent to continent. My poor agents are sometimes spending upwards 30-40 days in the field waiting for a mission, flying around the world and living in a fetid van full of unwashed body odor, empty cigarette packs and coffee cups.... poor bastards.

So having 12-15 teams in the air at a time is pretty efficient really. My guys still gain stats from being at the gym. After a mission I transfer craft to the nearest base for resupply and crew rotation before shoving them back out into the world. My reaction time is a touch less <48 hours anywhere in the world, and <24  that in most places. I'm about to add another 20 agents, 2-3 teams as about 10-15% of my agents are wounded usually. So I need to know. Me using vans like this, clever or cheating?

I don't think it's cheating, you're just using your agents as you see fit. This is between you, them and the employment standards violation office. :)

Of course you can't train them if they're in the field all the time, but you know that.

But I don't think it's necessary, most if not all missions last long enough for you to reach them. And if you target a mission (not a landed UFO) with a vehicle, it won't disappear - that's how the engine works.

The only thing I'm really having issues with is generations of equipment. You know issuing new gear to folks. where I have to roll through each van piecemeal....its tedious but whatever.

Sadly, it's unavoidable. It's either this or dumbing down the game. I hope it's not too bad.

I swear I'm not stalking you, but I read you were thinking of adding a few mission types?

A few? You mean dozens! :)

Are you open to some ideas there?

Sure, but 1) my list is already long, 2) I can't guarantee any ideas will get in. Even if they're good, I need to keep stuff balanced, both in terms of gameplay and story.

Oh! and when can we expect an update...no rush you understand, just curious.

Not very soon, since I'm making a new faction and it'll take ages. Unless I release a fix or something, since there are some non-critical bugs like missing strings.

Also I don't know, whether it is intentional or not, but now after researching BlackOps Smartguns are not availible for purchase.

Can you please elaborate on what you have researched? Maybe you could give me a save? Because I can't see what's wrong...

Well I'm stuck again. I can't get this damn PSICLONE no matter what.

CRAP! You are right, they are not spawned, even though they should. Apparently battleType: 9 is ignored on AI units.
Looks like I'll have to release a fix after all...
« Last Edit: August 02, 2016, 12:26:48 am by Solarius Scorch »

Offline kazek

  • Sergeant
  • **
  • Posts: 30
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #174 on: August 02, 2016, 01:05:43 am »
Researching Contact BlakOps grants us posibility to buy few new weapons, including Assult rifle and CAWS. Smartgun is not among them. I'll send You a save tomorrow.

Thanks, good to know. Those bastards costed me so much nerves. I'll be more than happy to raid them.

Offline Solarius Scorch

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 11702
  • WE MUST DISSENT
    • View Profile
    • Nocturmal Productions modding studio website
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #175 on: August 02, 2016, 01:19:43 am »
Researching Contact BlakOps grants us posibility to buy few new weapons, including Assult rifle and CAWS. Smartgun is not among them. I'll send You a save tomorrow.

No need, I now understand your issue. In order to buy smart weapons, you must first discover they exist. BlackOps won't tell you about them, since it's exclusive merchandise for customers who are more important than X-Com. But if you find a smart weapon and press them about it, they'll admit they produce them and from now on will sell them to you.
So in other words, you must find a smart weapon on the battlefield. At the moment only the Men in Black use them (it'll change though).

EDIT:
Update!
https://www.mediafire.com/download/esb2mpaq52a0hyd/OpenXcom_XFiles_0.2.3.zip

- Electro-Flares now work underwater.
- Fixed a problem with Psiclone not appearing.
- Fixed a problem with Underwater Operations showing up in the Ufopaedia too early.
- Some tweaks to vanilla alien resistances.
- Made Chryssalids more aggressive.
- Added Skorpion SMG.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2016, 01:34:33 am by Solarius Scorch »

Offline HelmetHair

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 360
  • He who laughs last thinks fastest.
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #176 on: August 02, 2016, 04:51:39 am »
Sol,

STR_EXALT_UFOPEDIA... doh!

Yeah, I actually have a very long pipeline process for agents. It's expensive, but worthwhile. It goes like this and I even use little symbols to help me along.

1. Initial Hire batch

2. Hard Sort (Factor total attributes and take the top 70% average of all attribute candidates and min bravery 20 bravery )  (meat)

3. Enroll in Gym for 2-3 months with no field work until most attributes decent to great (Rookie junior grade)

4. 3-5 missions on a team paired with 1 senior officer, 1 mid grade officer, 2 rookies Rookie senior grade

5. Team formation of proven agents are then assigned to a permanent team of their peers being rotated out or replaced by attrition or merit.
I'm operating 20, 4 man teams right now with a total of 97 agents. I have no other craft  than vans and am waiting to consolidate them into better transports.

I have 12 regular squads named after real ferocious animals

Teams: Lion, Crocodile , wolverine, Puma, Shark, Boar, Shrew, Snake, Goshhawk, Eagle, and Wolf.

4 veteran squads named after mythological creatures.

Teams: Basilisk, Manticore , Dragon, and Minotaur

3 squads of training Cadre named after ancient dictator and generals

Cincinnatus, Hannibal, Scipio

1 Squad of the most elite who have survived crazy missions, have 65+ kills, and are called only when they are not training rookies and every motherfucker in the room HAS TO DIE. Named after NEGATIVE emotions

Team: Wrath

This is the process for forming a standard team or squad. Beyond that their are special squads about a rate of 1 to 4 of veteran to standard squads. These are the real door kickers or pinch hitters. Who you call in for the missions you know are really going to suck.

It hasn't gone well for anyone or anything against team wrath...


-HH


Offline kazek

  • Sergeant
  • **
  • Posts: 30
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #177 on: August 02, 2016, 01:56:58 pm »
Man I hate to be this guy again, but I found another glitch with my favourite EXALT. Reseaching their HQ works fine, but the Ufopedia entry causes CTD. Code 0xc000005.


EDIT: Also two smaller issues: High explosives are not availible for purchase after resarching Milestone 2 (although Ufopedia says it should be), and menu related to Commendations (diary in base and medals after mission) have weird colors.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2016, 05:59:30 pm by kazek »

Offline Solarius Scorch

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 11702
  • WE MUST DISSENT
    • View Profile
    • Nocturmal Productions modding studio website
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #178 on: August 02, 2016, 02:08:11 pm »
Man I hate to be this guy again, but I found another glitch with my favourite EXALT. Reseaching their HQ works fine, but the Ufopedia entry causes CTD. Code 0xc000005.

No worries, I'm sorry, this goddamn EXALT has already caused me way more trouble than anything else. I'll fix it.

Offline HelmetHair

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 360
  • He who laughs last thinks fastest.
    • View Profile
Re: The X-Com Files - 0.4.2 alpha: Going Postal
« Reply #179 on: August 03, 2016, 06:36:33 am »
Sol,

Ain't it just like Exalt to crap in everyone's punch bowl.... :)

And

I've kind of found myself at an impasse as to how to proceed. Dealing with the Black Lotus... I don't have access to transport for more men to give myself a real shot and the ninjas... ugh. I'm so over the silly invisible tards.  I can't buy explosives and anything more than a hit and run on a base mission is suicide at least with the BL . Suggestions? Even eye laser shooty lady isn't as silly as ninjas.


Why is the M16 classified as having a slow reload?