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

[Bananas_Akimbo]

After some transformations, like pilot training or martial arts training, your agents are indeed transferred. Apparently the training happens off-site and takes quite a while.
Other transformations, like bio-enhancement and the tactical implant (i presume, haven't actually gotten that far yet), require surgery, so the "wounded" status is appropriate.

I agree, it would be nice to be notified, whenever an agent recovers from their wounds, and not only after a transformation.

[Solarius Scorch]

There are actually two factors here: injury and transfer. A transformation can use either, or both. So there's no hard rules here, depends on the transformation.

In other news, I suppose I should keep you guys more up to date with what is happening. And a lot is going on! here are some teasers of what has already been accomplished (definitely not a complete list):
- One of my current goals is to make late game more challenging, and I started by introducing alien plasma turrets in bases and some of the largest UFOs.
- For some complicated reasons related to late game balance, you can't buy AI units any more - now you have to make them out of very rare resource (you get a very limited amount in early game). On the other hand, AI units can be reactivated even if they "die", as long as you recover their remains.
- Thanks to the latest OXCE features, enemy units will now react to melee attacks, which really gives melee more depth. And even more importantly, targeting terrain with melee weapons is now possible! Big kudos to Meridian for adding these.
- A lot of graphics have been added or updated, with very generous contribution particularly from Brain_322, and also from Alex D (who really got into making interesting submods for XCF - check out his threads for details).
- Of course, new weapons, missions, terain features, rebalances, fixes and the like.

I'm not sure when 1.6 will come out, since I'm not tired of working on it yet and I have big plans. If you want to get the new content right now, you can as usual get it from https://github.com/SolariusScorch/XComFiles/archive/master.zip (possibly unstable, but I'm always trying to keep it in working condition).

Attaching a few random screenshots!

[HT]

There are actually two factors here: injury and transfer. A transformation can use either, or both. So there's no hard rules here, depends on the transformation.

I see. Can you have bio-enhancements use transfer or both then, please? That way we can keep track of when they're ready.

- For some complicated reasons related to late game balance, you can't buy AI units any more - now you have to make them out of very rare resource (you get a very limited amount in early game). On the other hand, AI units can be reactivated even if they "die", as long as you recover their remains.

Well drat, good thing I have a good reserve of AIs in my saved games. Remotely controlling a small scout drone is getting more and more complicated it seems.

Yay even more armors for dogs! No underwater capable ones, sadly. What about playable zombies controlled with chips?   
Probably a bit too unethical for XCOM though.

[Solarius Scorch]

The RD enhancement thing causes injury.

[HT]

I meant in the sense that you're given a warning when an agent is recovered, or that at least they return to their former jobs/positions/whatever (ie: training), rather than becoming idle, and forcing you to manually put them again wherever you wish them to be.

[Bananas_Akimbo]

enemy units will now react to melee attacks

Oh no!

targeting terrain with melee weapons is now possible!

OH YES!

[tarkalak]

So in order to retrofit an old save with the new AI stuff. I should either:
1. Unresearch Kiryu-kai (by editing the savefile), which will give me the ability to research it again and gain the correct item.
2. Find the string for the item given by Kiryu-kai and add it manually to the stores.
3. Do nothing and hope that it will drop from something, somewhere, somehow.

Old Basic AI Units should be ressurectable normally, right? Or I need a research to be able to do that?

Also, after sorting the above I should leave only one A.I., because if I started the campaign with this change, I would have had only one until I get more of the Alienware Shards (I am a bit lazy to check the actual name right now).

[Solarius Scorch]

I meant in the sense that you're given a warning when an agent is recovered, or that at least they return to their former jobs/positions/whatever (ie: training), rather than becoming idle, and forcing you to manually put them again wherever you wish them to be.

Well, that's certainly not related to me, since you are talking about how the game works, not the mod.

So in order to retrofit an old save with the new AI stuff. I should either:
1. Unresearch Kiryu-kai (by editing the savefile), which will give me the ability to research it again and gain the correct item.
2. Find the string for the item given by Kiryu-kai and add it manually to the stores.
3. Do nothing and hope that it will drop from something, somewhere, somehow.

If you want to be purist about it (commendable), then I suggest going with no. 1 and also selling all AI units you have. Feel free to add some other research instead, to make up for the lost research points.

If you don't want to be that super purist, but achieve the same result, then simply add STR_ALENIUM_SHARD to your stores and also sell any AI units you might have.

If you don't mean to be purist at all, but still keep things more or less fair, just keep your AIs, they'll be fine. You will also be able to reclaim any AIs you lost in the past, as long as they were recovered. You should also add STR_ALENIUM_SHARD to researched topics, just to have access to the Pedia topic (otherwise you'd have to wait until you find another shard somewhere, and this will probably take years in-game).

Old Basic AI Units should be ressurectable normally, right? Or I need a research to be able to do that?

Yes they should (as long as you recovered their wrecked chassis).

Also, after sorting the above I should leave only one A.I., because if I started the campaign with this change, I would have had only one until I get more of the Alienware Shards (I am a bit lazy to check the actual name right now).

To be precise, you get 1 shard from researching Kiryu-Kai and also 2 shards from a one-time event which you get after researching the first one.

[tarkalak]

If I unresearch the Kiryu-Kai I will have had some points from other researches done. I will think about it when I am back in Geoscope.

About the Boomer Organs. Are the Human Sacrifices from the Luchador mission (Barn of Gore) dead or alive? Would they be usable for the whole Boomer organ production?

[Mrvex]

Reacting to melee attacks ?

As in, they will now try to fight back with their weapons stock (if possible) or shoot at point blank ?.

[tarkalak]

Reacting to melee attacks ?

As in, they will now try to fight back with their weapons stock (if possible) or shoot at point blank ?.

If I recall correctly, the game first tries melee reaction attacks and then shifts to shooting reactions. So the enemies should first try to punch you, and if unable, try to shoot.

[Solarius Scorch]

About the Boomer Organs. Are the Human Sacrifices from the Luchador mission (Barn of Gore) dead or alive? Would they be usable for the whole Boomer organ production?

They're not relevant to boomer organs, they're just normal people. Alive and traumatized.

[Aciho]

I wish to report a hilarious bug.

[Solarius Scorch]

I wish to report a hilarious bug.

Thanks, it's been reported before (has a whole thread), and is now fixed... But indeed it was hilarious. (Some people are pretty sad about this issue having been fixed...)

Version 1.6 has been released!

1.6:
- New missions: UAC Weapon Lab, UAC Office, X-Com Slander (Shared Elerium Explosives).
- New units: UAC Engineer, UAC Manager, Alien Small Plasma Turret (graphics by Brain_322).
- New craft weapon: Pike Launcher.
- New UFO: MiB Strike Ship.
- New Alien Base mapblocks.
- New Forest mapblock (by Brain_322).
- 11 new maps for Urban Low (9 by Brain_322).
- New item: Alenium Shard.
- New armor for dogs: Synthgear (graphics by Brain_322).
- New armor for AI units: Sectopod Minigun.
- New weapon: H&K G36 (by Alex D).
- New ammo: EMP Minibomb.
- New ammo types for the Grenade Launcher and the Milkor (by Alex D), as well as the Tactical Grenade Launcher (graphics by Alex D).
- Sonic Shotgun is now 1x2.
- Improved UAC SMG, UAC Shotgun and UAC Rocket Launcher bigobs (by Brain_322).
- Better BlackOps Auto-Shotgun Clip sprites (by Alex D) and X-Com Assault Plasma sprites (by Brain_322).
- Hybrid flag (by Brain_322).
- Cyberweb Roboturret Ufopedia pictures (by Brain_322).
- Obliterator and Aquatoid (by Brain_322) and Minotaur (by Perturbator) autopsy pictures.
- Better MiB Heavy Trooper, Aquatoid, Gillman, Elite Soldier and Pig paperdolls (by Brain_322).
- New graphics for Ethereal Grand Master (by Brain_322).
- Completely redesigned how AI units work (now they need Alenium Shards to be produced, but can be revived after "death").
- Units should now react to melee attacks as well.
- Melee weapons now can target terrain and the kukri is now a melee weapon.
- Throwing things underwater now decreases the range.
- Men in Black streamlined and now with their own X-Com base assault mission.
- Aded a small second stage to the Underground Conduits mission for better presentation and structure.
- Some monster missions last longer.
- Reviewed and fixed various armor resistances.
- Organic units are now weakly susceptible to EMP damage.
- Chryssalid attack won't work if it doesn't do any damage (by Mistar Red).
- Rats have psi vision and better stealth.
- Boomer Organs can now be made from Zombie Parasites and are a bit stronger.
- Uncoupled Mass Drivers from Gauss weapons.
- Skulljack now really doesn't need Psi Skill.
- Alien Bomb can now be recovered and used.
- Miniguns somewhat debuffed.
- Renamed Small Launcher bombs to minibombs for clarity.
- Increased the price of some X-Com crafts.
- Temporarily disabled the Phase Drive item as necessary for Reptoid ships construction.
- Tweaked Enforcer stats.
- Dogs, rats and AIs now have their own "ranks" to easier discern them.
- Dogs now use layered armors.
- Large Alien Drone Adaptation fix.
- Mudranger door fix.
- Cow spritesheet fix (by Alex D).
- Minor fixes and additions.

Don't forget to upgrade to OXCE 6.7, since some mod features rely on it!

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

Hey, man.
Thank you for the mod. Just started playing it. Looks very interesting.

I am currently reading through descriptions. Most of them are very informative and help beginners like me to understand what to do.

Few questions.
Small shotgun seems to be lighter, more precise, faster, more powerful, cheaper than pump action shotgun. It is also concealable. What is the point to use pump action shotgun then???
There are a lot of small firearms with relatively similar speed, weight, precision. Their parameters vary by few percents or something. Is there really any difference in using them? What is the best one?
The three "Medi-kit" items have same exactly description. Would you mind to specify their benefits? Like the bigger one is healing better or have more charges or something?