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

[Arcalane]

Nothing strange with progression of transport. Each craft has it's own parameters. Yeah, some of crafts are almost useless, but it should be so - that's the basic point of 'choice'.

The really question is why some crafts has opened front door? These f@cking enemy grenades inside the craft which destruct all the equipment... Arrrggghh!

I believe that's intended, to discourage you from taking so much stuff. We might not be living in the days of the 80-item limit any more, but that's no reason to cram your craft full of things so that you're ready for any given situation.

Speaking of craft though, it'd be really nice to have a 1x1 Garage that can hold stuff like cars or pickups or vans, but not larger vehicles. I imagine this is a technical/engine-side kinda thing though.

[TheCurse]

The really question is why some crafts has opened front door? These f@cking enemy grenades inside the craft which destruct all the equipment... Arrrggghh!

thats natures way of saying "don't pile equipment where grenades could be flying".
I actually prefer the open doors. better angle to shoot. good for shooting guys before they can throw stuff at me... 

that 1x1 garage is probably engine wise not a small thing.
(unless someone did that already)
like the idea though.

[Solarius Scorch]

i see.
what about samael then? its in the research tree...

Also WIP.

EDIT:
maybe the different crafts could be used in connection with that horrible "public car/..." stuff for e.g. beach/ski missions and such.
I´m not gonna keep a van around all game just for these missions.
But maybe skyraider could be kinda stealthy and be used for that. Or researchable upgrade. Something like that.

Yes, Skyraiders land on beaches all the time...

Seriously, keep the van.

The really question is why some crafts has opened front door? These f@cking enemy grenades inside the craft which destruct all the equipment... Arrrggghh!

Why not?
Also, more like "almost all crafts"... ;-)

[X-Man]

Why not?
Also, more like "almost all crafts"... ;-)

Sounds sadistic!

[TheCurse]

Yes, Skyraiders land on beaches all the time...

Seriously, keep the van.

well it could drop them off at a click distance or so.
its not like you have the vehicle in those maps anyway 
just the thought of literally crawling around half the world in a van, for days, just because on the last 1km or so you don't want a military vehicle to be seen... xcom should be smarter than that.
there´s some smart advisors. they even noticed the 2k$ price tag on the flashlights 

I´m seriously not gonna waste 4 precious building spots (bases are so freaking small) to keep an insanely slow tiny vehicle in there i might need for some rare missions...
hope none of them is mandatory.
sure i could put it up on secondary or tertiary base, but that still comes with allocating some veterans there and i can't spare any.
2nd base has 2 full gyms since many months and none of the soldiers is close to finished.
if you´re going to fight a risky fight with low tech small pistols and soldiers without armor, you even need to permanently block a hangar for it just to be able to do so if the chance arises...
thats just too high of a price to pay. as much as i like the mission diversity, the vehicle requirement is just too much.
also pretty sure a skymarshal could easily be loaded with at least 2 vans... 

tldr:
-there´s gotta be a better way for undercover troop transports after early game
-gyms (and prisons etc) have waaay too low capacity. base size is like vanilla. facility count is not.

[Alex_D]

that 1x1 garage is probably engine wise not a small thing.
(unless someone did that already)
like the idea though.

There were several requests made by different people with the same idea on multiple threads. Unfortunately, if it's done in a way that is at least mildly realistic, it requires important changes to the code.

[X-Man]

base size is like vanilla. facility count is not.

Everything is all right with it. You just need to specialize each base: for military&transport, manufacture, training and science. A bit more game experience, and you will learn how mix the types with each other and optimize structures' quantity.

[Solarius Scorch]

Well, you can just buy the van when you need it and sell immediately after mission. It's a legit strategy.

[TheCurse]

Everything is all right with it. You just need to specialize each base: for military&transport, manufacture, training and science. A bit more game experience, and you will learn how mix the types with each other and optimize structures' quantity.

actually doing that. but training still takes like half a year and each base has a full science roll out, since i have a serious backlog there.
also training is just not enough without actual combat experience.
currently building even more bases, but it takes some months too.

Well, you can just buy the van when you need it and sell immediately after mission. It's a legit strategy.

at the beginning i did that. but delivery times plus the long travel time are just too slow for a lot of missions.

[X-Man]

also training is just not enough without actual combat experience.

Of course not! That's why exist such missions like hunting for different monsters or attacking hybrid structures - a perfect combat training with minimal risks.

but delivery times plus the long travel time are just too slow for a lot of missions.

Delivery time is only one hour.
Travel time? The time being of all covert missions' length for a several days (near 5 days or more - don't know exactly). You don't have 3-5 c. missions in a day, so you have enough time to manage all of them. Moreover, after researching 'advanced undercover operations' you'll be able to purchase a pickup with capacity of 5 and speed of 400 - much more suitable than van. 
And what about the beginning... 3 hangars will with 3 vans are enough to manage almost all missions - believe me. Yeah, some missions on counter semisphere could be lost, but it does not matter. Just focus on researching of HUMVEE.

[TheCurse]

so basically its not anymore just to micro your stuff, but also to macro a steady supply of experienced soldiers.
not sure if i like that part. its kind of a grind...
mechanic wise makes sense though.
tbh most of my concerns atm are trying to get research done. 2 bases @40 scientists and at least 2 years stuff to research in backlog. 3rd base still in construction.
i feel like i´m falling behind, since there´s 1 alien base and 2 embassies on the map already. game is so variable its hard to grasp any metrics to determine if its going good or not.

[X-Man]

so basically its not anymore just to micro your stuff, but also to macro a steady supply of experienced soldiers.
not sure if i like that part. its kind of a grind...

Yes, it is, but if you are playing on 'superhuman' difficulty, such grind is vital. It's a part of global strategy. Moreover, you should begin a selection of soldiers since you'll research 'metapsychology' and focus on the training of selected soldiers. Otherwise you'll have a big troubles even with sectoids, I'm not saying about etherials...

i feel like i´m falling behind, since there´s 1 alien base and 2 embassies on the map already. game is so variable its hard to grasp any metrics to determine if its going good or not.

The only metric is your own game experience and skill What is current in-game date on your calendar?

[TheCurse]

20th may 99.
playing on veteran...
ye i got psi training already, but its again just 10 capacity per lab (build 2 per base). psi amp takes a lot of research i don't have yet.
not yet seen any psi improvement though...
psi control is pretty much my largest loss factor for soldiers. well that and plasma weapons... >_>
still using miniguns, no plasma yet. for anyone weaker the makro smg kinda rocks ^^

well i could estimate it better if i´d have at least completed it once...

[X-Man]

20th may 99.
playing on veteran...
ye i got psi training already, but its again just 10 capacity per lab (build 2 per base). psi amp takes a lot of research i don't have yet.
not yet seen any psi improvement though...
psi control is pretty much my largest loss factor for soldiers. well that and plasma weapons... >_>
still using miniguns, no plasma yet. for anyone weaker the makro smg kinda rocks ^^

well i could estimate it better if i´d have at least completed it once...

Oh, everything is ok then. A little tip: a good strategy is to combine science and training grounds. I'm always do 2 bases with full pack of science buildings (not only labs) and with 6 gyms and 6 psi-labs on each base, so I have 120 soldiers in training by the end of 1999. If you are average in tactical combat, such quantity should be more than enough. 

[TheCurse]

oh... so you can't train them at both same time? that explains a lot...
and how to get your psi guys into proper armor if they don't do regular training?
thats about what i was going for. problem is just the cost. how do you afford all that?
i have 12mio income and 8mio maintenance already.
(USA/canada/UK stopped paying. and it seems spain never paid a dime at all...)