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

[Solarius Scorch]

No, they're unrelated. You are probably thinking of the Scarab, which indeed is somewhat similar to the Ironfist. (Scarab isn't available for X-Com, at least for now.)

[VodkaBear]

Since everyone just sharing their experience so here is mine:
Just started game, finished like 3-5 missions mainly with 1-2 humans\animals, looted 2-barrelled shotgun, bought some ammo for it. Another "common" alien treat mission and I see about 15 zombies around my 2 poor guys, instead of leaving immediately I've decided to give it a try. Well, that was long battle, 2 barreled shotgun really made this mission, when all ammo gone there was left about 5 zombies, thankfully I've brought combat knives too and final zombies were spread enough. 27 kills total, totally not what I've expected at the very beginning, but that was fun. In the next mission I've met muckstars and that was "okay, now I'm out of here", I like when conditions sometimes really force you to retreat and make to figure out tactics on next same battle based only on "I've got zapping shots in my face from nowhere, oh god", not only by afterbattle dissection research. Great mod so far, but power of some early game guns like mp5/m16 somewhat low for me even against weakest enemies, but I understood that it helps to survive me as well.

[krautbernd]

Great mod so far, but power of some early game guns like mp5/m16 somewhat low for me even against weakest enemies, but I understood that it helps to survive me as well.

Unless something has changed, i personally found the MP5 quite dependable against eraly cultists. Zombies and everything with decent armor or resistance against kinetic damage is another matter, but that is what non-standard weapons are for.

[karnaugh_map]

IMO best weapon progression is : Colt .45/Magnum -> Mac10 -> CAWS AP, with a few specialty weapons on the side (BlackOps Minigun, Flare Gun, Black Ops Sniper Rifle).

[Ciruil]

IMO best weapon progression is : Colt .45/Magnum -> Mac10 -> CAWS AP, with a few specialty weapons on the side (BlackOps Minigun, Flare Gun, Black Ops Sniper Rifle).

My variant: any pistol>black ops pistol>smart magnum>until laser weapons...
Armor: protect vest whith shield>tritanium armor whith shield (to research it you need to capture landed UFO for alen alloys, i did it on ironman highest difficulty whith 2 agents, key to victory - run in any house and wait sectoids for meleeing, probally trasher shotgun may been effective in ranged combat. For opening trasher you need found and research light cannon).
For opening smart magnums you need to finish duratread factory mission, research source of durathread for open cyberweb faction, token and research any robot wrechages of cyberweb.

Smart magnums:
Disadvantages: low accurasy, need reloading/manufacturing speedloaders pretty often (put at least 4 speedloaders in soldiers inventory and take many speedloaders if soldiers run out of ammo).
Advantages: 50 damage of tritanium bullets per shot (!!!), fast firing (compensates low accuracy, not moved agent can make up to 6 shots for turn), powerful owerwatch, one handed (allows using thith shield)

[VodkaBear]

Actually I have captured landed ufo on pure luck landing just 2 hours from my base on 1st or 2nd month, but it seems I have to research many things before ufo-related stuff appear. For now bolt-action rifle one of the best choices as I already facing some tougher red dawn and  black lotus guys on hideout missions who often carry ak\m16 as well as some body armor. I have 15 scientists, building another special lab, but progress of research is so slow, but I'm trying to research everything, as I dont want to spoil "right" way of researches for myself and it looks like I'm behind the enemy on quality of armament.

[tarkalak]

From the early rifles I like the FN FAL.
Damage:28+ 0.10*ACCURACY
With 100 aim agent it is equal to the Magnum. It can do 1 Aimed + 1 Snap or 3 Snap shots.
Th FN FAL's Snap shot has accuracy close to the Magnum's Aimed shots at medium range and can Full Auto at point blank.

The AK 47 and 5.56 NATO rifles lack stopping power. The 10% armor ignore from the 5.56 NATO round compensates for 2-3 damage points at best and doesn't compensate their low power. The last two updates had upped their accuracy, so they may be usable still.

The Light Pistol is the worst (or close to the worst) pistol in game. It's only redeeming quality is that you can bring it on Sporting Events. The crossbow is also Sports-capable.

The Snubnose Pistol is small 1x1 tile pistol that I use as a side arm for agents that ran out of space for a proper sidearm.

The Magnum is king of course. May be it should need Tough Creature Autopsy for Acquisition and the BlackOps variant should be under Premium.
The Desert Eagle is similar (1 damage less, 2% more accurate).

From the SMGs the MAC 10 is good (but $500 per clip is expensive). The others lack stopping power against armoured opponents. The Shotguns do better against unarmoured ones and have better effective range.

I like the SKS better than the Hunting rifle for my early long range gun. And it has that bayonet for some extremely close range poking.

[HT]

You know, I'm still disappointed that we still haven't got a proper chainsaw weapon to be used against zombies and other supernatural stuff. With all of the UAC stuff lying around and these demonic monsters, a chainsaw, no matter how good or bad it is as a weapon, would be quite fitting to use.

[Solarius Scorch]

You know, I'm still disappointed that we still haven't got a proper chainsaw weapon to be used against zombies and other supernatural stuff. With all of the UAC stuff lying around and these demonic monsters, a chainsaw, no matter how good or bad it is as a weapon, would be quite fitting to use.

OK, I see no problem with adding a chainsaw.
If you also want better chainsaws than the basic mundane one, please put ideas forth.

[HT]

Thanks!

As for upgrades, there's not much to do except having better technology behind the saws, using stuff like the double-chainsaw from Doom 64 as an upgrade to the regular, mundane one, followed by the Auto-Ax of Piratez! if you want a late-game example. There's already an end-game unwieldy melee weapon of sorts that works as a gun in the form of the plasma torch, so something akin to "plasma chainsaws" is probably something not practical enough for X-Com to bother.

Lastly: What about a chainsaw reinforced with an energy field for extra cutting power? While it is something that sounds taken from WH40k (which it is), I suppose it could be put ingame as a very rare alien weapon.

[krautbernd]

Actually I have captured landed ufo on pure luck landing just 2 hours from my base on 1st or 2nd month, but it seems I have to research many things before ufo-related stuff appear.

Not to spoil anything, but you're probably far better off selling almost all of the UFO stuff to build a second base wiht a second HQ to get more early research done.

[Solarius Scorch]

Version 0.9.9b has been released.
- Updated to the latest OXCE.
- New countries: Portugal, Iceland, Ireland, Poland, Ukraine, Mongolia, Mexico, Cuba, Indonesia, New Zealand, Turkey, Israel, Argentina, Iran, Finland, Libia, South Korea.
- Many new cities.
- Sun never sets on Dimension X now (as the planet is tidally locked to its star).
- Bank Robbery (Assassin Clans) now grants a $1 mln reward, if won.
- Overhauled civilian entries and added their IDs for research.
- Boosted Virtual HQ to 10 research stations (but is more expensive).
- Bulletproof Coat gives some basic protection against lasers (because it's shiny).
- Arrow is slower, but has better acceleration and is a little tougher.
- Tritanium clips are now researchable without Tritanium tech (but not manufacturable).
- Arasaka 3000 and Asuka 4000 extra damage now scales with Reactions, not Firing Accuracy.
- Arasaka 3000 has slower snaps.
- Minimi ignores some armor (like M16).
- Made the Pickaxe more sane.
- Bulletproof Coat grants +5 Reactions.
- New Dimension X palette (by Кнроптл).
- New background for League missions.
- Fixed and expanded some name files. Flag fixes (by Kato).
- Fixed a crash on Beyond The Doom Portal.
- Minor fixes.

[HT]

And so, the dance of letters begins! 

To be fair, your mod doesn't have an absurdly large amount of content planned nor multiple endings so, once the "arcs" are finished, then... You're pretty much almost done.

Speaking of Arcs: I read that there's a new feature with the engine that allows that ala tv show. Will you be using this, Solarius?

[Solarius Scorch]

And so, the dance of letters begins! 

To be fair, your mod doesn't have an absurdly large amount of content planned nor multiple endings so, once the "arcs" are finished, then... You're pretty much almost done.

This was mostly a bugfix release, there was little actual new content. So the "small" numbering was pretty much the only logical option. But I hope to move to 1.0 ASAP.

Speaking of Arcs: I read that there's a new feature with the engine that allows that ala tv show. Will you be using this, Solarius?

I have no idea what you are talking about. I mean, I know which feature, but how would it make the mod more "á la TV show"? Please explain.

[HT]

I have no idea what you are talking about. I mean, I know which feature, but how would it make the mod more "á la TV show"? Please explain.

I didn't explain myself well. Sorry.

IIRC, the "arc feature" of the engine lets you automatically enable new research stuff and events at the start of certain months, right?

The idea was to see if you could use this in your mod somehow because I was curious about how exactly it worked, but I think it's not necessary since you progress the game by researching certain topics, which activates new factions popping up next month and so on.

By the way, do you think my ideas for the chainsaw I mention in a previous post are feasible?