Re: The X-Com Files - 3.7.2: Best and Brightest

[DarthTheIII]

Would that be usable in dimension X? 

[Stormtrooper]

Well, the description says "it works well in hostile environments" and it gives full choke protection, so in theory...
But the real answer is "no" given its warp resistance. Combined with severe stat penalties I also wonder about the usefulness of it all, especially since terramite isn't easy to get due to heavy rng involved in underground arc (the missions don't seem that frequent and require specific monster captures to unlock in the first place...).

But cool cybersamurai vibes, I want it to be useful so bad.

[DarthTheIII]

The warp vuln is rough, but I would totally use it in dimension X if it was available.  When fighting cyber web they’ve got a whole lot more laser than warp.  And it’s good enough against concussive to blunt high ex/boomeroids.

This is in comparison to aqua plastic suits, which is what I normally use to finish dimension X stuff.

[DarthTheIII]

They wouldn’t replace aqua plastic suits, but I’d love to use like 4 on the cyber web battleship, just to have some dudes who can tank the hordes of enemies pouring out.  The aqua suited guys can tank the disruption reaction fire as well. 

[edgarthewise]

I played a bit after transition from  2.8 to 3.5. Lots of new research. Ghost branch: research after hospital, reclamation faction; MAGMA tritanium ammo contract... I don't know if it is new researches, or fixed old ones.

And I have this research "Refuse contract: Cult arms dealer"(where it comes from?) and no accepting contract branch - how can I fix that?

What I'd like to know is - what is the benefit of researching "Refuse contract: Cult arms dealer"? Should I research it if I don't need their stuff?

[psavola]

What I'd like to know is - what is the benefit of researching "Refuse contract: Cult arms dealer"? Should I research it if I don't need their stuff?

Yes, you get 200 point bonus.

[Solarius Scorch]

Yes, you get 200 point bonus.

Also, you aren't being bothered by negative events and annoying missions.

[psavola]

Also, you aren't being bothered by negative events and annoying missions.

I think you're misremembering, because AFAICS (at least based on trigramreactor interface to the rulesets), there are no negative events and annoying missions or events that would get activated by researching any cult arms supplier or disabled by refusing the contact.

For what it's worth, I think the whole subplot is currently essentially useless. By the point you can get contact (cult operations researched), you already have access to similar or better gear. So I keep wondering why anyone would bother with the arms dealers. If you wanted to make the decision more relevant, one way might be to make this accessible already when researching any Cult Network instead of operations. And/or make the cult arms dealers have some heavier weaponry that would not be otherwise accessible at this point, such as stuff that's currently locked behind Promo III, like M82 Barrett (which Exalt enforcers already know about) which might come handy when dealing with esp. Red Dawn armored cars at their HQ. Currently the only weapon close to "special" is PKM (from red dawn suppliers) which otherwise requires machine guns license (though which you will also likely research before cult operations).

[DarthTheIII]

The arasaka 3000 is really good, but thats pretty much the only thing I use cult arms dealers for.  I think its fine the way it is though, allows access to decent weapons without promotion II.  I'll never get use out of it, but if you're doing a first time playthough and don't know to get promotion II quickly it's pretty helpful.

Getting barrets off of it would be insane though, those things are good until like mid 1999

[Solarius Scorch]

I think you're misremembering, because AFAICS (at least based on trigramreactor interface to the rulesets), there are no negative events and annoying missions or events that would get activated by researching any cult arms supplier or disabled by refusing the contact.

Yep, I misremembered... Sorry.

[psavola]

The arasaka 3000 is really good, but thats pretty much the only thing I use cult arms dealers for.  I think its fine the way it is though, allows access to decent weapons without promotion II.  I'll never get use out of it, but if you're doing a first time playthough and don't know to get promotion II quickly it's pretty helpful.

FWIW, I have never used Arasaka 3000. It's kinda sniper-like rifle, with almost as good armor penetration, yet it does not depend on firing accuracy for accuracy or damage, but gives damage boost for reactions. I guess it has some niche use outside when your firing accuracy isn't good enough (80+, especially with .308 CAL) to use sniper rifles. SVD is somewhat similar in this respect; I never use it myself either.

IMHO it's just so much easier to use other means to train firing accuracy up high enough to be able to use sniper rifles. But I agree that these could have some use until you do.

As for Cult Operations. If you want to optimize the game, you usually don't want to research any Cult Operations until you can do all of them. This is because researching Operations stops Safe House spawns, which are rather easy missions and can provide a lot of loot (even up to 1 million cash). You want to churn those for XP and cash until you can get to the next phase of the game. This requires all cult operations so that you can get OSPREY. Without osprey, you have no chance at dealing with Cult Forward Bases, so why not keep milking safe houses and outposts until you can deal with them.

[Akamashi]

I think it's a problem when an object disappears during the cancellation of production. I have already started production on the same base twice, but there was not enough space in the workshops to appoint engineers. I decided to move production to another base and cancelled the project. The damaged minigun tank just disappeared. The same thing happened with the synthetic suite. It's delusional and frustrating.

[DarthTheIII]

FWIW, I have never used Arasaka 3000. It's kinda sniper-like rifle, with almost as good armor penetration, yet it does not depend on firing accuracy for accuracy or damage, but gives damage boost for reactions. I guess it has some niche use outside when your firing accuracy isn't good enough (80+, especially with .308 CAL) to use sniper rifles. SVD is somewhat similar in this respect; I never use it myself either.

IMHO it's just so much easier to use other means to train firing accuracy up high enough to be able to use sniper rifles. But I agree that these could have some use until you do.

As for Cult Operations. If you want to optimize the game, you usually don't want to research any Cult Operations until you can do all of them. This is because researching Operations stops Safe House spawns, which are rather easy missions and can provide a lot of loot (even up to 1 million cash). You want to churn those for XP and cash until you can get to the next phase of the game. This requires all cult operations so that you can get OSPREY. Without osprey, you have no chance at dealing with Cult Forward Bases, so why not keep milking safe houses and outposts until you can deal with them.

I use the arasaka 3000 to replace blackops rifles/other similar weapons.  It doesn't replace true snipers.  It's great for getting 2 very accurate snaps a turn.

I mostly agree about your thing about optimizing safehouses, but like I said, the contact cult arms dealers researches are good for first playthroughs where you're not optimizing anything

[edgarthewise]

There's something I don't understand about transformations.
It seems that the experience-based stats caps are applied after the effects of transformations. For example, if an agent first gains enough experience to have 80 TU's and then gets bio-enhanced, they can go over 80, but if bio-enhancement comes first, they can no longer gain TU's over 80.
This feels like incorrect logic to me. Why would the order of battlefield experience and transformation matter so much?

[Stone Lake]

There's something I don't understand about transformations.
It seems that the experience-based stats caps are applied after the effects of transformations. For example, if an agent first gains enough experience to have 80 TU's and then gets bio-enhanced, they can go over 80, but if bio-enhancement comes first, they can no longer gain TU's over 80.
This feels like incorrect logic to me. Why would the order of battlefield experience and transformation matter so much?

That's not how it works. There's base stats (trained in gym, trained in battle and capped) and bonuses. Bonuses stack of top of base stats.
Transformations (and commendations) usually grant bonuses, so they'll add on top of base stats.
Agent base TU cap is just 65. Bio-ex grants 5 bonus TU, so, you'll have 70. Independent of the order. More TU with other bonuses.
Gun kata grants 5 acc bonus and 10 acc "exp" (!). Acc cap is 90.
If you get gun kata early, you'll benefit from exp bonus: e.g. you have 60+0 => you'll get 70 + 5. Training acc to a cap, you'll have 90+5.
If you get it late: 90 + 0 => 90 + 5. Your base stats won't get over a cap, and you'll end at same outcome.