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

[Bonakva]

Solarius, what about the idea with Turbolaser Carbine

[Doc]

Maybe tie them to the interrogation of higher ranking cult members? As in "Cult member [X] offered to get us into contact with dealer [Y] in exchange for [...]". That way players could get access to higher tier weapons for cult bases but would still have to rely on earlier weapons for hideouts&outposts. How/when do you get access to black ops stuff again?

Perhaps the requisite cult network and one of the low tier officers interrogated? IE complete Red Dawn network and interrogate a Pioneer to get the AK-47. That would put player access somewhere in between Promotion I and II which is about the relevant stage for those weapons.

(Basic Black Ops stuff just requires the Military Envoy, though a lot of it is gated behind Promotion II).

Furthermore I think the Mosin/Bolt action along with the MP5 maintain their own niche against the lower tier assault rifles as superior DMRs and CQB weapons respectively. Playstyles vary, but I find them all useful alongside each other.

[nicedayright]

I sorta figured the main utility of the various side grade or IRL weapons wasn't so much a research gate as a stat one. The various black ops weapons (with notable exceptions) require higher stat lines before they edge out the real life weapons in utility. Things like the Black Ops Sniper Rifle only become better than their general production counterparts once a trooper has a high enough aim. The BlOps ARs and Shotguns are all noticeably heavier than their counterparts, meaning you need stronger troopers to use them effectively. That's not even mentioning the price difference.

As it stands, I'm fine with the side grade weapons being useful as is. Either to equip rookie squads once they're purchasable, or to provide irreplaceable firepower from looted stashes before you can openly buy them. I like the idea of government agents failing to report in confiscated weapons because they know that LMG they pulled out of a box might just save their life the next time they're hip-deep in werecats.

[Solarius Scorch]

Maybe tie them to the interrogation of higher ranking cult members? As in "Cult member [X] offered to get us into contact with dealer [Y] in exchange for [...]". That way players could get access to higher tier weapons for cult bases but would still have to rely on earlier weapons for hideouts&outposts.

Do you think it would make that much of a difference? The [Cult] Operations research relies on a high ranking cult member, so it's only one research later (since you need Cult Ops too)... Not sure if worth rebuilding the tech tree.

How/when do you get access to black ops stuff again?

You need the Military Envoy.

(I always get him last, but it depends on the player.)

[Slaughter]

I think the gun progression is in the right spot so far. I do think the AK47 seems immensely useless, except as an early gun if you got the bullets for it. By the time you can buy an AK47, you can buy a M16, and that's a far more precise gun. The only exception is if you fail to get EXALT operations but still have Cult Arms dealers and Red Dawn Operations.

MP5 is lovely, such a nice little balanced gun. I consider the L85 an upgrade of it.

There's a lot of interesting randomness to drops and such. Stuff like the Bolt-Action Rifle, SKS, QBU...

I have been using a FAL I got from some mooks in big missions. Sweet gun, but feels underpowered? Brazilian army was using FALs until 2000s something, and I know ex-military people. It should be quite stronger than M16.

(the current brazilian rifle is just a plastic NotAFal chambering 5,56mm loool)

I thought Uzis were useless and couldn't hit shit, but I just realized uzi snap shots fire 3x. Now I'm going to spray the fuck out of people with the Black Ops SMG until I no longer feel as if I missed out.

Looking at all the guns, sometimes I feel like I got too many guns, not enough people to carry them in every mission lol. I generally go with a Sniper/Rifle/Shotgun/Greenadier-Pistoleer load-out, add different rifleman and/or submachinegunner if using Hummer or Copter.

[Thermite]

No...

But there is nothing there, just the dreaming stuff, that you can access later and isn't really that unique...

[Doc]

I have been using a FAL I got from some mooks in big missions. Sweet gun, but feels underpowered? Brazilian army was using FALs until 2000s something, and I know ex-military people. It should be quite stronger than M16.

Strange, I find the FAL to be the best all around assault rifle for its highly accurate snap shot and power bonus. All you're giving up vs the M16 is a little firing speed and burst fire accuracy, but I use rifles for aimed and snaps anyway. The M16 puts a lot of the other rifles to shame of course, but I'd rather take most of the 7.62 line if given the chance.

[nicedayright]

Not going to lie, I pick my weapons for aesthetic reasons almost as much as performance. I equip my rookies with FAMAS mostly because it feels like the kind of special snowflake rifle a director would equip to make the XCOM troops seem futuristic if it were a TV show. Sorta like the ubiquitous p90 from SG1, or the CX4 in Battlestar Galactica.

[Slaughter]

Strange, I find the FAL to be the best all around assault rifle for its highly accurate snap shot and power bonus. All you're giving up vs the M16 is a little firing speed and burst fire accuracy, but I use rifles for aimed and snaps anyway. The M16 puts a lot of the other rifles to shame of course, but I'd rather take most of the 7.62 line if given the chance.

I meant pure power. Even with the power bonus, average damage is lower or same as Magnum. Felt kinda underwhelming

7.62 is a helluva powerful rifle round.

Its a wonderful gun otherwise.

[Doc]

I meant pure power. Even with the power bonus, average damage is lower or same as Magnum. Felt kinda underwhelming

7.62 is a helluva powerful rifle round.

Its a wonderful gun otherwise.

Ah gotcha. Pistols in general compete with rifles in terms of power and mid range accuracy in this modpack. Bit weird, but I like it.

[justaround]

I can confess that before I get to acquisition of many of cult weapons I usually run around with things much, much better. There's simply no reason for me to invest in AK47, M16 and other FN FALs when I can jump ahead quickly enough to run with UAC and BlackOps stuff. It would make plenty of sense to make average old military weapons much more easily procurable than they are now - I mean, third world country warlords living in the middle of nowhere can easily get themselves crates of similar weapons, but our global hi-tech, internationally-funded organisation with contacts everywhere has to research hi-ranked cultists to get an in on the market?

I understand that in case of some there would be that red tape but in case of others - hell, average US resident, a regular civilian with gun license can shell just a handful of bucks and get a whole crate of mosins delivered to them.

If it's really requiring rebuilding whole tech tree then it's not worth it, but mostly because the rifles themselves are not worth that much compared to alternatives. If however just reordering those network entries would be enough (and possibly getting rid of acquisition entries for the most common stuff weapon markets are flooded with) then those weapons would serve more use than being variety for the sake of aesthetics and would encourage me to research them as some sort of priority, not something to occupy scientists with when I have nothing better to give them.

Also, largely unrelated: would it be possible to have activated directional flashlights built into higher tech pistols and rifles? Such accessories are normally pretty common and it pains me that my super organisation has still to use (way overpriced, but apparently that's by intent) flashlights while carrying their guns even if IRL both civilians and average SWAT-analogue teams can do much better.

[krautbernd]

Solarius, I got a ghost ship spawn (which i abandoned) before being able to upgrade to the new missionscripts.rul - how/where in the save can I reset one time missions?

[Solarius Scorch]

I have been using a FAL I got from some mooks in big missions. Sweet gun, but feels underpowered? Brazilian army was using FALs until 2000s something, and I know ex-military people. It should be quite stronger than M16.

It is much stronger than the M16 bullet. 2 points higher, and a firing accuracy bonus on top of it.

Also, largely unrelated: would it be possible to have activated directional flashlights built into higher tech pistols and rifles? Such accessories are normally pretty common and it pains me that my super organisation has still to use (way overpriced, but apparently that's by intent) flashlights while carrying their guns even if IRL both civilians and average SWAT-analogue teams can do much better.

Unfortunately no, guns can't give off light. And nothing can project directional light.

Solarius, I got a ghost ship spawn (which i abandoned) before being able to upgrade to the new missionscripts.rul - how/where in the save can I reset one time missions?

Sorry, can't help you much... But the mission is called STR_DR_HADRIEX_CRUISE, and the script's name is drHadriexCruise.

[nicedayright]

Isn't the issue with cult weapons justified as transport as much or more than procurement? I mean, you are basically flying your agents in on civilian airliners and presumably shipping the guns in separately to be picked up on site... That's a lot easier to do with weapons that aren't as iconically military as a PKM.

[krautbernd]

Isn't the issue with cult weapons justified as transport as much or more than procurement? I mean, you are basically flying your agents in on civilian airliners and presumably shipping the guns in separately to be picked up on site... That's a lot easier to do with weapons that aren't as iconically military as a PKM.

Curiously the airlines don't seem to have any problem with stuff you looted before getting into contact with the arms dealer...