Hello, and thank you for your kind words! Sorry for the delay, I have not had the time recently to check this thread. To my defence, my whole free time went into modding.
Hello. It's not a problem. I udnerstand that not only people may be busy, those posts of mine may be daunting. As you see, it took me a few days to get back to you, though partially it was because I played the game some more, got a dozen of more issues.
I will skip the parts where the other members already gave a satisfactory answer/explanation. (Thanks, Krautbernd)
I am thankful for Krautbernd's input as well, though I hope you've checked those bits they answered as well as some answers are only partial - and while I don't require you to answer those I want to make sure you did check them out.
Hopefully the new Pedia entries for vehicles will make things somewhat better.
Looking forward to it!
We don't really have space for more text. I could change "Interpol" to something else (poor translators), but I don't think it's that much of a stretch to engage Interpol - presumably they are equipped to deal with these people. Sure it's an assumption, but I suppose we can leave things a little vague - as much as I would like to build a reasonable setting, it's a tactical game, not an RPG. Unless you think it's really stupid?
No, it's not, I actually like the fluff so it's not my issue either. I just would like to have it underlined as something that actually impacts the works of the council and my organization. Even one more fluff entry coming with any dossier that "Such information, while only tangentially connected to our work, will make the council slightly more favorable in our monthly performance reviews." would do.
That being said, I'd avoid going too far with references. Mention of Xenonauts organization was fun (though it'd be good to have missions to retrieve some of their equipment and data from various caches and other such places) but STALKER's Strelok was a bit on the nose with very random "carries metallic objects on him". Also, it'd be good to stick to one style of presentation - some are real pictures, some are clearly 3D models and of various quality at that. Certainly, I'd prefer fluff and dossier for tiny, non-compulsory one-two-time missions that give certain small benefits (like aforementioned raiding caches for tools and resources or simply researching preserved databanks for data of defunct anti-alien organisations).
They can't be any faster without causing weird behaviour. (Ideally there would be 0 hours, but we can't have that.)
It's fine, as long as it gets assuredly researched by minimal-sized research team the closest midnight report comes around.
This was done as it was partially because of what was mentioned (damage rolls), but also because units in the game aren't complex shapes - they are cylinders with varying height. The armour and the roll together sort of simulate body structure (like being hit in a non-vital spot or the bullet going between your knees). Julian Gollop did it like this and I'm not one to argue with him about X-Com mechanics, it's too ingenious.
But I don't mind mechanics at all, merely stats, which can be adjusted so while they'll take mechanics into account, on average they'll ensure the enemies will be less bulletproof when repeatedly hit or hit with a weapon that deals seemingly unavoidable damage (like explosives).
The entire ghost arc consists of one mission, let's discuss it when there is something substantial to talk about.
Alright, though that may be something for you to consider to add in the basic "weird creature sighted" mission. A ghost.
I was referring the fact that we solve highly complex equations all the time: when walking, throwing things, estimating distances, etc. Psi is no different, as it also is a very complex but subconsious process.
Sure, understood, but then there are two issues - one is the researcher presenting it as a new concept while it's theoretical merely representation of things that are already happening (in which case they should simply say that it's not equations but some sort of effect caused by trained subconscious mind of a psionic-able individual affected by an effort of conscious will) otherwise it's like explaining to a person that using a gun or even a toilet depends on solving a set of complex equations - sure, it does in that context, but it doesn't really help. The second is that it ties it more with a body/brain mechanic than with any paranormal ability.
Not a bad idea per se, but might make actual stun weapons less useful. I'd like to hear more thought on this one.
True, but that's why I prsented it in such particular way - making sure it's merely a tool a psionics able individuals can use well, we don't phase out current stun weapons at all, but provide alternative for some of the characters.
They already are. Though of course we can discuss whether it's the right place/moment to show them.
That's the problem. In my campaign they were shown up among ufopedia artifacts despite me not even researching psiclones themselves. Thus, reporting it as a bug.
I'm open to suggestions, I honestly don't know what should be clarified further. (Emphasis on "should" - I like surprises.)
Sure. I am thinking of adjusting mission descriptions depending on what enemies spawn. When I click detail, I'd like to know if what was seen was some single big creature (spawning single fenrir wolf, a shambler etc), many oversized animals (rats, spiders, scorpions, beetles), diseased humanoid or humanoids (zombie, with distinction whether it's a single one or a group of them) or some absolutely alien creatures (muckstars, abominations).
Speaking of muckstars.
Muckstars move with a sound of someone slurping something through a straw. Please, no slurping muckstars. They levitate, like some drones and floaters. Long enough round and the slurping grows really bothersome.
Technical limitations, but also the Chief Accountant explains straight away why it takes so long.
I understand, though again - I think just making the value low enough that it'll be done after several hours waiting for the closest midnight report would be enough.
Gollop didn't care, so I'm not going to care either. To be honest I don't really know the difference myself, so I would not touch this anyway.
But, isn't a mistake a mistake even when Gollop commits it? I mean, part of OpenXCOM isn't to merely make the game work on new OS, but to fix many things Gollop left messed up since as great as the guy's contribution is, he's still human. Anyway, it's really up to you as like I've said, the issue isn't big. The difference is realyl simple and immediately understood once you google it - clip is a little strip you put cartridges ("bullets") on, magazine is the box with the cartridges you put into the gun (sometimes already having that strip). Generally, skimming through
this will explain it all.
Eh, maybe someday. I don't make new arcs just because I had an urge; most of these were planned since the beginning a few years ago
But.. wait. Isn't the fact that you working on things you've planned earlier actually meaning that you're polishing/building/improving things now? Why "maybe someday" then? I am confused.
Hey hey, you wanna get me strangled or what? Shining like a Christmas tree is often a bad thing, I can't force personal light on the players
And night is actually advantageous in most situations.
I fully understand, but even making more use of those inbuilt, toggleable suit lights feature Krautbernd mentions that's already in game would be fully satisfying. Currently nothing seems to really use them to degree even as great as what I can achieve by having my cellphone screen lit up - I understand regular suits, kevlar vests and leather coats may not have those, but exosuits, actual sci-fi armors etc all could have inbuilt toggleable light and have it comparable with actual flashlight. Also, still, flashlights could use price reduction. Even really quality ones don't cost as much as a proper gun IRL
You have to draw the line somewhere. If you're grabbing surf boards, why not chairs? TVs? Lamp posts? You get my point.
True, but it's kinda mine as well! Currently there's no consistency and agents often grab items at random. They will grab human sacrifice and dead farmers corpses but won't do anything with them (first is sellable for a lot fo cash for some reason, the other you have to pay a lot of cash to get rid of despite already being penalized in cash by the council) but won't do the same with random corpses in spider infested mines or other civilian corpses, they will grab bones and skulls (some will net you a bit of cash, some you have to actually pay, again, to get rid of which is kinda weird and unfair) but won't grab those leather bags filled with whatever or piles of gore. Generally, it's all inconsistent and makes no sense.
It's meant to be a nuisance... Not sure what is wrong here?
The fact it's kinda arbitrarily unfair. Most of the corpses council takes care of, some they for whatever reason - like aforementioned sacrifices - are even valuable. But then at random, council cleaners go on a strike and declare you have to grab and take a corpse of random farmer with you, then pay out of your own pocket to get rid of it despite the fact that the farmer dying is already penalizing you (negative points in mission review and thus council performance review at the end of the month). Such nuisance is unfair and may be even seen as insulting. Plus, again, lack of consistency. Either the council members are professionals or they're not working at all - they should clean any corpses and remains not directly connected to the case and important as some clue or material for XCOM operations. Again, exactly as how you wrote it:
You have to draw the line somewhere. If you're grabbing surf boards, why not chairs? TVs? Lamp posts? You get my point.
Where I'd like to kindly ask, maybe the line should be drawn at regular corpses that cannot be studied or other such remains that are just regular pieces of bone and whatnot of no practical value? Especially when they're arbitrarily "this corpse of some regular guy we will buy off you for a ton of money but that one, nuh-uh, I dislike their face, we will only let you get rid of if you pay us a ton of money".
Wat?
This isn't how it works...
Yes, it shouldn't, which is why I mention it! Maybe it was my mistake because I know there are separate missions for police and for military (though questionably, some of them, like the one with vampire knights, it should be military taking care of). Will report again if I'll stumble upon mission name-police/army mismatch?
Purely arbitrary. I could make it an end game tech which requires the Psi-Amp and Ethereal Commander and whatever, and it would still be legit. It is there because I've decided it should be there, for many balance-related reasons.
Sure, just making suggestion how it could be moved around to be good, though admittedly, if you had balance reasons I am not aware of, it may be that my suggestion would make things worse (though it was made with balance in mind as well, restructured in a way that'd wouldn't impact current order of access to items while providing basics of fluff knowledge for the content already available).
To sum up: the Council as a whole is not your friend.
True. I prefer to think of them as an employer, potentially reluctant at that. But they generally are pleased with my progress at least in some direction and are paying me more for it, so probably ensuring that data directly related to my work is not hidden, especially when I get Promotion III making me a global defense initiative - would benefit them as well.
On which stage?
Aforementioned third (last?) one? It's a nitpick, just a matter fo taste - I'd just like to have the global aspect of it underlined.
This should not be happening. Have you seen something like this? How long after the faction is destroyed?
Pretty sure it was Cult of Dagon, about a month (maybe just a few days less/more) since researching getting rid of them tech. Possibly also Cyberweb, but they seem to be already reported since my last post.
Edit: I've read around about how mechanics of setting up/deleting missions works. Will report it again if I'll confirm it was longer than a month and thus the mission shouldn't be scheduled at all.
Show me a game with more fluidity.
Is that a challenge?
Do you really think I wouldn't have done that if it was possible?
But the thing is, you CAN do it! At least in case of research, some of the gating is absolutely unnecessary and doesn't even exist in the base game! For example, one require tomb guardians to research vampire knight and then related topics. But they're all sentient, able to talk and so one should just be able to interrogate either the moment they get them, with same results and an access to various techs. Given I got myself vampire knights literally in-game years before stumbling upon a tomb guardian first, shouldn't I be able to just interrogate those vampire knights? If it's meant to be gated, maybe a tech requiring interrogation of both tomb guadian and a vampire knight would do (though I don't see why - sure, it may skip some content but one type of monster isn't weaker than the other so the right to interrogate them is won freely)? Also, why "vampire knight"? They're zombies, so even if it's just a nickname, not actual categorization of the monster, it's kinda misleading.
Anyway, such fluidity seems to be gated in other places as well. For example, some military-grade equipment I can use, other requires certain promotion despite being worse and outdated in comparison to modern stuff while being civilian-grade (you can legally buy it in certain countries IRL without additional permits). Same with alien tech. Sonic weapons and plasma ones I got long before working with laser (I believe the first ever alien whom I killed that dropped a plasma pistol). But it's again, years in game, with my men running around in cyber armors and flying in alien-tech-adjusted Skymarshals together with their psionic field hybrid compatriots fighting mutons, cyberdiscs and whatnot and those sonic and plasma guns still just rot in my storage. I mean, I got those weapons, I got them long time ago, shouldn't I be able to at least research them somewhat? I understand if I'd get a red-tape fluff of insufficient gear allowance from the council or other such stuff if I am not meant to use them but I fought aliens using them and got them fairly, sometimes at the price of lives - so it is balanced that I'd get to use them as well, at least after getting Promotion III.
So yeah, a lot of it can be made less gated/more fluid. From such tech and gear considerations, to stuff like interrogations, where I understand sometimes only specific type of alien possess specific knowledge, but the interrogation times and results are sometimes very inconsistent (some enemies take much longer to interrogate than others, very similar ones who shouldn't be more resistant etc).
Good point, but it's not easy to do. So for now I've decided to ignore it, as it's a very rare situation to have a living creature but not a dead one.
But.. it is very easy to do. Even I can do it, just let me turn currently-blocked option "Retain interrogate aliens" (which leaves their dead bodies after interrogation) on in advanced options!
There are already multiple sources, though most are only available in later game.
True, and I think it's awesome thing you've done - I'd just hope for more such stuff at all stages of the game, sometimes even as a goal of some small mission, even if it's not vital to pushing the plot forward
Yes, I have a few ideas already. Will work at it when I have time.
Sure - looking forward to it! But like I've ranted earlier, a lot of linearity could be simply improved by not gating various things. Mixing improvement of that with various balancing (better weapons much more expensive to stock with ammo, some weapons good but cannot be made, only scavenged, some better in one stat but worse in the other) should take care of it as well!
I understand the tech tree viewer is not good enough for you. But what exactly is missing? What info should be added and where? I'm open for suggestions.
It's not as much tree viewer as some things that do not appear in various places but should. Most item/people listings in workshop on 'info' middle-click does not tell me what are the stats of the item (giving me ufopedia item entry) but provides me with a topic and requirements as if I'd left-click the same item. I cannot check info in base information > stores on any item or personnel. I'd like to be able to see what information is left to be extracted from some captured gangster/cultist/alien outside of actually choosing them as a research topic for interrogation.
Next post - (more, as some was mentioned in this post as well) new stuff (character limit reached).