aliens

Author Topic: Re: The X-Com Files - 3.4: Daggers for Hire  (Read 2361322 times)

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5265 on: May 31, 2023, 12:58:31 pm »
How are you supposed to see which agents have so low sanity that they should remain at the base?

My preferred method is going to the inventory and then pressing the rank icon (top left). Then you can click left and right arrows to brows all units on board.

Offline OwenQ

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5266 on: June 04, 2023, 01:59:02 pm »
Am I supposed to be getting alien retaliation missions before the invasion? It's November '98 and I just got blindsided by Floaters showing up in a forward operating base in South America. That seems like odd behavior given the only UFO I've interacted with was one that happened to land right by my European base months ago. I did apparently turn aggressive retaliation on which I guess might do it?

Online psavola

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5267 on: June 05, 2023, 09:04:14 am »
In my first game, I was a bit surprised to see Ethereal missions already in June/July 1999. Two small ones, then a large accompanied by two medium HKs.

But that aside, what are your best tactics of taking them down given the shields especially the higher tiers use, especially in the early game? At least at this stage of development, I found that good guys could melee them with katanas/battleaxes if can get to close combat (1 or 2 hits, meaning you'll need to prepare for getting reaction shot anyway). Spamming dozens of gas grenades (or mines) otherwise, as the shields shouldn't help protect against them (though it might require a surprising number of grenades each, even 3-5 hits). Shrapnel rockets or explosives, with 2-3 hits, seem to be OK but are very destructive and trigger their sniper/spotter mechanic so you'll likely be grenaded or shot the next turn. The big downside of these is that they cause a lot of smoke, and if you don't have an armor with good heat vision, the battlescape might be nightmare afterwards. In smaller ranges, 2-3 rounds of MAGMA pulse rifle with chem clips also works (but again, you need to prepare for the reaction shots). All in all, the small UFOs were somehow manageable, but the medium one with 20+ Ethereals was a major PITA. I dare not think about the large one with all the sectopods that are likely deployed there as well.


Offline Mathel

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5268 on: June 05, 2023, 07:16:54 pm »
Shotguns are notoriously good against shields.

Shields go over armor and as such are not protected by it. So for example a Heavy Shotgun Buckshot with 22x12 will do 264 damage to a shield from a short distance on average.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5269 on: June 06, 2023, 01:19:43 pm »
Am I supposed to be getting alien retaliation missions before the invasion? It's November '98 and I just got blindsided by Floaters showing up in a forward operating base in South America. That seems like odd behavior given the only UFO I've interacted with was one that happened to land right by my European base months ago. I did apparently turn aggressive retaliation on which I guess might do it?

Yeah, if some random scout noticed your base, I can't see why they wouldn't attack you. You specifically enabled this.

Online psavola

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5270 on: June 10, 2023, 03:30:53 pm »
In certain caves missions (noticed this with Chtonite Minibase Assault), the staircases appear to be destructible. A staircase was misshot by an alien, and as a result over half of my team was stranded in a dead-end part of the caves, so I had to complete the mission with other agents. I couldn't think of a way I could have gotten out of there. Maybe something to think about, for example should the stairs be made indestructible or at least more difficult to damage.


Offline zee_ra

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #5271 on: June 13, 2023, 09:51:19 am »

Btw, is there some kind of comprehensive summary/explanation of all wiki listed parameters? Some I did figure out, but others like aforementioned "Radius Effectiveness" are elusive. That would be much appreciated.

I don't think so, the ruleset reference is your best bet.


There actually a missing piece with the explanation of RadiusEffectiveness parameter.  It is stated that it is a part of calculations of the blast radius, but there is no formula that reveals its role.  Even as a coefficient, a parameter would influence the outcomes in very different ways, depending on its placement in the formula.

I would appreciate some explanation on this parameter, and perhaps a few examples would be appropriate.

I was surprised to see that its value is pretty low, e.g. 0.05 for stun and HE, and 0.03 for incendiary.  Why is that so?  Does the linear increase in the parameter result in the linear increase in the effective radius?


Offline zee_ra

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5272 on: June 13, 2023, 09:54:29 am »
In certain caves missions (noticed this with Chtonite Minibase Assault), the staircases appear to be destructible. A staircase was misshot by an alien, and as a result over half of my team was stranded in a dead-end part of the caves, so I had to complete the mission with other agents. I couldn't think of a way I could have gotten out of there. Maybe something to think about, for example should the stairs be made indestructible or at least more difficult to damage.

I think, tactically, it's the same consideration as e.g. the issue of dead ends and walls in the cyberweb levels.  The solution is to exercise better tactical prowess of your own.

There are always multiple stairs available on the underground cave base levels, so it only makes sense to separate the squad into smaller groups, and approach multiple entrances.  Just think about the risks involved with lumping everyone together, when alien explosives are involved.

Offline Lone Wolf

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5273 on: June 14, 2023, 10:01:47 pm »
Hello everyone, does anybody know how to increase the number of UFO missions flying around?  It's January of 2001 and I don't seem to be getting a lot of them.  Granted I have tormentors with Guass and stormlance missiles and I have been aggressively intercepting anything that enters Earth's atmosphere, but things seem kind of dead.  I also have had very few encounters with MIB, and I have not seen any of their ufos in a while.  The only thing that seems to keep popping up are the damn Hybrid missions.  I know you can't wipe them as a faction, but I already did the control room assault and as far as my head cannon is concerned, they are finished. 

How do I increase the frequency of UFO and MIB missions while decreasing the Hybrid ones?  Also, I have researched Men In Black so that is not the problem.

Offline Juku121

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5274 on: June 14, 2023, 10:16:37 pm »
How do I increase the frequency of UFO and MIB missions while decreasing the Hybrid ones?
Edit missionScripts_XCOMFILES.rul or make a submod with the changes. Mission frequency is controlled by 'executionOdds' and/or just adding more entries. Alien stuff is mostly at the beginning, but not always (e.g. Purges and Downtown Attacks). MiB are mostly towards the end, but a bit scattered. I'm pretty sure all of them can be found by searching for 'MIB', not so sure about the aliens.

Some MiB missions might need a live base/outpost to spawn them, so keep those around if you want to experience it all on a regular basis.

Hybrids can also be found by searching for 'hybrid', except for the chemtrails, holiday resort and Special Client missions. Fortunately, all Hybrid stuff is in one block towards the end.

...as far as my head cannon is concerned, they are finished. 
You sure you didn't mean the Heavy Head Cannon? :P
« Last Edit: June 14, 2023, 10:20:19 pm by Juku121 »

Offline Lone Wolf

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5275 on: June 15, 2023, 07:55:37 pm »
Ok, I found the missions in the missionScripts file.  Once again the ease which I can make my own mods to this game amazes me...

Thanks for the help Juku!

Offline Akamashi

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5276 on: June 20, 2023, 08:01:55 pm »
Does the announcement of the creation of the golden Lotus Academy mean that this academy is now on the map?

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5277 on: June 21, 2023, 01:15:03 pm »
Does the announcement of the creation of the golden Lotus Academy mean that this academy is now on the map?

No, not necessarily.

Offline Akamashi

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5278 on: June 28, 2023, 05:27:49 pm »
It would be better if ultra-rare items (crossblaster, neon bow and so on)  were not destroyed after laboratory examination. It is almost impossible to get two such identical items before the final stage of the game. This makes the reward of the Hacienda and Meridian missions meaningless... I propose to change this.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.9: The Empire Strikes Back
« Reply #5279 on: June 28, 2023, 05:54:08 pm »
It would be better if ultra-rare items (crossblaster, neon bow and so on)  were not destroyed after laboratory examination. It is almost impossible to get two such identical items before the final stage of the game. This makes the reward of the Hacienda and Meridian missions meaningless... I propose to change this.

I hear you, but I'm worried it would feel weird when some alien items can be examined without breaking them, but most cannot. When both are high-tech alien weapons. I haven't found a satisfactory solution yet.

BTW, I'd like to use this opportunity to share a few random pics related to the upcoming release.