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Author Topic: Re: The X-Com Files - 3.5: Whispers In The Dark  (Read 2453547 times)

Offline X-Man

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3165 on: December 14, 2019, 11:31:18 am »
I've launched Lunar satellite, rescued MAGMA cosmonaut, but nothing changes during last 3 month. No lunar missions appeared.
Every possible techs are learned. What do I need to continue Lunar arc?

Nice. http://prntscr.com/qap4kb
Why there is no in-game info about that??? A lot of hours of the real life fucked down...

Offline Spess Mahren

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3166 on: December 15, 2019, 05:40:24 am »
Congrats on making it to 1.0, I just wanted to ask two things. First the mod is balanced for experienced difficulty only correct? Second in regards to the default list of mini mods that openxcom comes with do I just leave everything off? Right now I'm just running the stat-string mini-mod because it doesn't effect game play at all.

Offline HT

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3167 on: December 15, 2019, 05:02:11 pm »
I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before, but it bears repeating: The mod doesn't exactly require, but would be better if there was some sort of "mind shield" against psychic attacks. Piratez has two types, and X-COM should be able to whip out a solution for that: Some sort of "neural shield" to protect weaker units from mind-rape. End-game power armor would have that option already built-in (since they lack space to carry additional stuff due lacking a backpack slot), at the expense of being more expensive.

Also, is the regular helicopter you unlock early intended to be allowed for infiltration missions? I suppose it makes sense that a civilian type helicopter is not too eye-catching compared to a hi-tech airship, but I wish to confirm just to be sure. Too bad the Skymarshall lost its frontal door.

Finally: Is there any thought about having an attack-type vehicle between drones and the HWP platforms? Before unlocking the small-sized tanks, I meant stuff such as military, bulkier drones. These are a thing IRL and they carry machineguns and stuff like that, so it would make sense if at Promotion 2 you can eventually unlock the option to have that before Promotion 3. Naturally, said unit would be big, but not as big as the HWP, and would be limited to having a machine-gun weapon only for balance purpsoses.
Thoughts?

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3168 on: December 15, 2019, 05:13:05 pm »
OK, 1.1.2 has been released.
- Reworked Urban Junk terrain.
- General terrain cleanup.
- Minor tweaks to the BlackOps LMG and the BlackOps Assault Cannon.
- Fixed some leftover crashes.
- Fixed missing stairs in one sewers map.

So basically another bugfix release, with some minor tweaks. I hope now it's all done and I can move on to actual fun stuff.

I downloaded 1.1.1a; waht's new?

Nothing warranting a changelog, there was only a misplaced file.

Also to unlock covert operation must research first "basic operations" and then two separate topics "cover:sportsmen" and "cover surfers"; personally i'd like if these were unlocked after researched a topic called "covert operations" after the basic on is completed: wouldn't have been more logical?

Sorry, I haven't fully understood this sentence. Do you mean less "cover" steps for the missions? If yes, eh, sure, everything can be made differently, but why would I gut the early game so badly? Also I can present some arguments for why it works as it currently does, but where are yours?

1) not necessairly a bug, but the handob for the small shotgun it's a regular shotgun one, may need to change?

Sure, some weapons share handobs. Making a special one for every single gun isn't very cost effective, as few people would even notice.

These have also the same price, pheraphs the small needs its price to be cut an half? May i suggest 900$ as price?

Regular shotgun: $2200
Small shotgun: $1700
Am I misunderstanding something?

2) the whole game sees three promotion steps but how to make five to make the game progression more gradual?

Why?
How?

Cannot see why some common items like the pitchfork, billhook and knife have to be researched..coe on these are just common item buyable even fron an hardware store!

Only people who read the Pedia understand such things. :P

3) may be more variety of layout for the crop circles in the battlescape maps, like the ones seen in TV?

I haven't watched TV for 20 years, I had no idea they are now transmitting standards for crop circles. :P
But seriously, there are 4 variants already, what's wrong with them? I can't think of anything else I could add.

4) for balancing purposes uzi should be more powerful but less precise than the skorpion SMG; actually the latter does the same damage but is a bit more precise, the former might be a little deadlier (dmg 23?)

But why would two 9mm bullets be different?

Also why don't use the handob from xeno operation mod? (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2913.0.html)

But Uzi already has its own handob... Some other SMGs don't, though.

5) In undercover missinons like the surfers, sky resort and the osiron business should be an escape area maked by green tiles as in xpiratez, though the briefing says that player cannot escape from the mission, if i press A in battlescape, my craft is able to return to base, once i get in geoscape mode. Please double check

What do you mean "should"? Why?
Honestly, you keep talking to me like I have never seen this mod up close. Also, where are the arguments? Reasons? It's like saying "UFO walls should be yellow instead of blue" without giving any justifications.

6) the skorpion smg handib may need to be made more brightned since i think it's not very "eye friendly"

I think you mixed it up with something else, because 1) the Skorpion doesn't have its own special handob, and 2) the one it uses is fairly light. So I can't say much.

7) might some rifles and shotguns  have a gunbutt attack option?

Theoretically yes, but deciding which one should and shouldn't would be pretty arbitrary and I am not eager to start this shitstorm. With easily accessible clubs, and also fist attacks, I don't think it's a big issue.

8) the shotgun and the black shotgun have stats inverted, unless it is intended, see 'shots attached

I can't see anything unintended. Yes, the standard shotgun has better accuracy.

9) I've started a secon base in the USA but i'm a very bad financial conditions  :'( any hint to give?

It's a tough question... Selling monster corpses is my main early source of income. Some cult missions have a good chance to yield valuable loot, like money bags.

I've also made some kind of colt M4 which is strangely absent from the game and a couple more of weapon sprites, just in case you'd want to add to the mod, the H&KMP5 navy version, a H&KG36, and a MK3 grenade (the last ones an homage to urban terror!) here these are attached :) I've made also a fire hatched, may be a sprite recoverable from urban scenarios

Thank you! Much appreciated. I'll add them to the big pile of sprites waiting to be implemented at some point. :P
These sprites needed some work (palettes, sizes, proportions), but I like the general designs of most of these. I kept the Colt M4, the H&KG36 (and the clip), the MP5 variant and the hoe. I had to fiddle with them a lot, but it wasn't much effort.
The fire hatchet is way too fiery. :) Fixing it would be too much effort, almost like drawing it from scratch, so I'll pass. And the grenade is the size of a flamethrower tank. :)
If you want to make more, could you please leave it in RGB? Your palettes were incompatble with X-Com, so I had to convert them anyway. No need for this extra step.
Anyway, good job. :)

Other suggestions: aside form farmers, also lumberjacks were involved in aliedn abduction stories; may add them by modifying the farmer sprite: lore they give may be more or less same as farmer, pheraps some new content. And while farmer may be armed with pitchfork, lumberjack with axes. For farmers i've made an hoe too here.

We have the Forester unit, which could be used. But they'd need a new mission anyway. I'll think about it.

As for gameplay: i'd add an handful of new common firearms to be found in the initial phases of the game, for instance an MP-40 which is way more common than the grease gun. Cannot remember if it's already in the game, sorry, if so please mind to make some new ones? In the meantime i'm making a nice with research and i was abble to afford a third base :)

Well, some players are already complaining there are too many guns... ;) I don't agree myself, though. More will be added when I feel like it, but let's face it, they only matter in very early game, before you get into BlackOps, UAC and M.A.G.M.A. Also, while I have quite a lot of graphics for new weapons, it's hard to make them different enough to matter and it wouldn't be good design to turn them into simple reskins.

Lastly: snother interesting thingh missing from the mod are: firefighters! May be involved in missiins helping the player in a burnin scenario where it is necessary to save secret documents, a mission style like "hot pursuit" in xpiratez; they should be equipped with frie extinguishers and hatchet (see above)  8)

Yes, there are many options. Osobist made some very nice firefighter sprites. We'll see when I have more time.

Edit: made some adjustments to sprites, hope you like these:)

Thanks man!

I've launched Lunar satellite, rescued MAGMA cosmonaut, but nothing changes during last 3 month. No lunar missions appeared.
Every possible techs are learned. What do I need to continue Lunar arc?

Have you researched an Ethereal Commander and The Martian Solution?

One Question about the changes between 1.0.2 and 1.1. I did a file comparison between both versions to check the consequences of this disastrous "issue" some days ago. I've been playing the Cult HQ Mission and wondered about the map. If i remember it correctly, i think it was some sort of jungle environment. This time it's been an "usual Base". The changelog already hints "Removed all terrains made by Hobbes", but it seems you've been forced to "fallback" to some default maps completely, or am i completely wrong?

Yes, some of his maps were used, so naturally they had to be replaced with something else - sometimes with vanilla terrains.

Why there is no in-game info about that??? A lot of hours of the real life fucked down...

I'm not sure how to communicate it better. Will think about it before the next release.

Congrats on making it to 1.0

Thank you!

I just wanted to ask two things. First the mod is balanced for experienced difficulty only correct?

It's not exactly balanced for any specific difficulty, this isn't Overwatch or any other competitive e-sport title. It's more of a personal choice, just assume that the lowest and the highest difficulty are borderline cheaty (for good or bad). The middle difficulty is, well, average.

Second in regards to the default list of mini mods that openxcom comes with do I just leave everything off? Right now I'm just running the stat-string mini-mod because it doesn't effect game play at all.

Yes, leave everything off. These mods won't do anything, and might mess with the settings. They're meant for vanilla.
The statstrings mod is pretty non-invasive, but also not very well adjusted to XCF, as the stat scale is different.

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before, but it bears repeating: The mod doesn't exactly require, but would be better if there was some sort of "mind shield" against psychic attacks. Piratez has two types, and X-COM should be able to whip out a solution for that: Some sort of "neural shield" to protect weaker units from mind-rape. End-game power armor would have that option already built-in (since they lack space to carry additional stuff due lacking a backpack slot), at the expense of being more expensive.

I've been considering this, but the engine limitations prevent me from doing it the way I like it. This is something I'm thinking about pretty often though, so might happen in the future.

Also, is the regular helicopter you unlock early intended to be allowed for infiltration missions? I suppose it makes sense that a civilian type helicopter is not too eye-catching compared to a hi-tech airship, but I wish to confirm just to be sure. Too bad the Skymarshall lost its frontal door.

Basically, yes.
Additionally, there's another copter in the making (not by me), so if it's ready, I'll probably use it. It would be a tiny one for only two people, but super stealthy.

Finally: Is there any thought about having an attack-type vehicle between drones and the HWP platforms? Before unlocking the small-sized tanks, I meant stuff such as military, bulkier drones. These are a thing IRL and they carry machineguns and stuff like that, so it would make sense if at Promotion 2 you can eventually unlock the option to have that before Promotion 3. Naturally, said unit would be big, but not as big as the HWP, and would be limited to having a machine-gun weapon only for balance purpsoses.
Thoughts?

Maybe, if I have a nice sprite.

Offline X-Man

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3169 on: December 15, 2019, 05:46:28 pm »
I'm not sure how to communicate it better. Will think about it before the next release.

Here is the situation.

I've built the satellite in late days of November '99, while small UFOs of etherials appeared in December '99 - January '00. Their very big UFOs (with commander on board) and base appeared at spring of 2000. As you can see, there was a very big time lag between building the satellite and the real opportunity to begin Lunar missions. That's why I think the necessity of EC interrogating is not good idea. I'm sure there are a lot of skilled players who could make it even faster. Why we should wait for etherials' appearing?

To my mind, EC interrogating should be excluded, only Martial Solution need to be researched. At least it may any of alien commanders to be interrogated for such purpose.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3170 on: December 15, 2019, 06:18:33 pm »
To my mind, EC interrogating should be excluded, only Martial Solution need to be researched. At least it may any of alien commanders to be interrogated for such purpose.

No, that would be too soon. You could get The Martian Solution and the satellite before seeing half the game.

misterx

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3171 on: December 15, 2019, 06:46:00 pm »
@Solarius, sorry for being quite invasive, there were only some suggestions accordin to my taste, obviously :P i hope if thr will be some consent on these fom other user please think about :)

About some points:

Sorry, I haven't fully understood this sentence. Do you mean less "cover" steps for the missions? If yes, eh, sure, everything can be made differently, but why would I gut the early game so badly? Also I can present some arguments for why it works as it currently does, but where are yours?

yes, actually i was thinking to one topic to unlock all that kind of operations, alternatively ome more (cover:scientist) may bu unlcked after some other prequiies met

Sure, some weapons share handobs. Making a special one for every single gun isn't very cost effective, as few people would even notice.

Well at least may be possble to take ut the butt from the handob?

Regular shotgun: $2200
Small shotgun: $1700
Am I misunderstanding something?

Sorry, actually i meant the pump action shotgun! See second screenshot here: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4595.msg120683.html#msg120683

Why?
How?
Don't know, that may make game progression more slower, needing an overhaul of the research three, adding more stuff. Mmmh if its to hard don't mind

Only people who read the Pedia understand such things. :P

i have to read more carefully, But seriously we don't need a scientist to research a pitchfok...

I haven't watched TV for 20 years, I had no idea they are now transmitting standards for crop circles. :P
But seriously, there are 4 variants already, what's wrong with them? I can't think of anything else I could add.

Spmething like that: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=crop+ircles&FORM=HDRSC2

But why would two 9mm bullets be different?

just for balancing purposes; im no weapon expert but ifferent guns firing same bulets may be different when it comes to damaing things? It may depends on the mechanichal of the thngh?

But Uzi already has its own handob... Some other SMGs don't, though.

Just to diversify thinghs, 90% of mods for the game share the same handob  :'( for instance ak-47 is the same as xpiratez; i was thinking about some different, see here: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4983.msg72985.html#msg72985 There are plenty of resources on this foru; why keep using same sprites' If alinare agrees, the resources from his mod here may be used, saving time:
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5410.0.html (latest version here: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5410.msg107940.html#msg107940)

that is a hell of a load!

We have the Forester unit, which could be used. But they'd need a new mission anyway. I'll think about it.
would be nice :)

Well, some players are already complaining there are too many guns... ;) I don't agree myself, though. More will be added when I feel like it, but let's face it, they only matter in very early game, before you get into BlackOps, UAC and M.A.G.M.A. Also, while I have quite a lot of graphics for new weapons, it's hard to make them different enough to matter and it wouldn't be good design to turn them into simple reskins.

Why folks why? "The bigger (selection) the better" :) well actualy i must to admit i was an eager fan of jagged alliance 2 so i like the gun porn :D

Thank you! Much appreciated. I'll add them to the big pile of sprites waiting to be implemented at some point. :P
These sprites needed some work (palettes, sizes, proportions), but I like the general designs of most of these. I kept the Colt M4, the H&KG36 (and the clip), the MP5 variant and the hoe. I had to fiddle with them a lot, but it wasn't much effort.
The fire hatchet is way too fiery. :) Fixing it would be too much effort, almost like drawing it from scratch, so I'll pass. And the grenade is the size of a flamethrower tank. :)
If you want to make more, could you please leave it in RGB? Your palettes were incompatble with X-Com, so I had to convert them anyway. No need for this extra step.
Anyway, good job. :)

Im glad you liked the drafts; but i'm not very expert about sprites stuff i spent a day making that hatchet usin paint.net, don't know how to save in .rgm with that software. Anyway as second attempt: tryed to modify the ax included in the mod to make a fire one but seems to be kinda sufficient.. Loooking forward to see firefighters in game! :P


« Last Edit: December 18, 2019, 04:34:00 pm by misterx »

Offline X-Man

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3172 on: December 15, 2019, 07:33:34 pm »
You could get The Martian Solution and the satellite before seeing half the game.

Yes, indeed. But since we don't need to
Spoiler:
go through TFD and X-Dim arcs
, this 'half of the game" don't have any sense, especially the second one. :) I think it is the question of personal choice: if player wants to do a "speed run", he should have such an opportunity; and if player wants to investigate every corner of the game he can delay Cydonia as far as he wants.


Offline BlackStaff

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3173 on: December 15, 2019, 08:41:37 pm »
i have to read more carefully, But seriously we don't need a scientist to research a pitchfok...
You are not required to search for all articles.... no ?  8)

Offline the nomad

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3174 on: December 16, 2019, 08:11:02 pm »
Hello everyone.

First, what..a...FANTASTIC...mod! Kudos, Solarius Scorch and whoever attributed to it.

I am just a standard player who finished all the X-coms old&new, but I am nowhere near expert and I am yet to understand some mechanics of the game lol, especially with this mod.

Probably as regular a question as they come, but can anyone tell me EXACTLY what smoke grenades do? I seem to get various results from using it. For example when I assault Black Lotus outposts and use them around my soldiers, they can't see me and do not fire at me unless really close. My soldiers can not see outside the smoke as well, unless they are toward the end of the smoke. I thought this is what smoke grenades do.

But when I assault the Durathread factories, the same stuff does not happen with the Red Dawn. They keep firing at me in the thick of the smoke, and I do not think there is a spotter that is just a couple of tiers away from me. And I can not see the ones firing at me. I become actually disadvantaged using smoke grenades against Red Dawn. They seem to be even more likely to shoot at me when there is smoke for some reason.

So what exactly do smoke grenades do? I am sure there are no expections in Red Dawn, it just seems I don't understand what they accomplish.

Offline Ves

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3175 on: December 16, 2019, 10:12:54 pm »
I guess smoke grenades still act in the same way, but there now is a spotter/sniper mechanic in place, in that if some units spot you the enemy team knows the position for (i think) 3 turns. So you receive a lot of inaccurate fire, even if the enemy shouldn't be able to see you right now. It somewhat resembles supression fire in my opinion. But the battles now get sooooo nasty sometimes :P

Search the forum for spotter/sniper. There should be some better explanations around.   
« Last Edit: December 16, 2019, 10:17:56 pm by Ves »

Offline TheCurse

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3176 on: December 16, 2019, 11:45:38 pm »
there´s also thermo/psi vision and such.
Wouldn't recommend to use smoke grenades vs aliens or several other enemies. They just don't care...  ;D
Red Dawn does have the spotter mechanics, but I´d assume some of their higher tier officers have limited thermal vision (due implants and such), thereby filling the spotter role quite well.

misterx

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3177 on: December 17, 2019, 12:01:30 pm »
Solarius, just playing some more, may be possible to have in total IV promotion steps:

promotion I --->international task force----->promotion II international paranormal unit--->promotion III (transformatin of promotin III prequisite)---->international agency----->promotion IV---> international body

I also redrawn a new sprite for the hunting rifle, and the AK-47 and uzi handobs with gunbutts, as for the former the current one is more of a micro uzi, i've made a standard model.

Also was figuring how to take out the gunbutt on the small shotgun (see https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4595.msg120683.html#msg120683) but did not find: probalby it shares the same sprite for the regular one?

I moved some graphical resources attached to this post here: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,7693.msg120961.html#msg120961 please pay a visit!
« Last Edit: December 18, 2019, 04:09:41 pm by misterx »

Offline HT

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3178 on: December 18, 2019, 08:22:32 pm »
I noticed you can build multiple "Headquarter" type facilities in the same base. Is that intentional? If so, I suppose it's a way to build additional labs once you built the regular ones, even if it's in a very cost-inefficient way.

Also, another question that no-one answered in the "open feedback" thread:

This has more to do with Piratez and X-Com Files, but I think it applies in regular X-COM games as well. If an unit has both a melee weapon and a firearm in each hand, which one takes preference if it can use both? Ie: Storming an UFO, you place a soldier next to the door to hit Sectoids with reaction fire, but doing so makes them come into melee range of the soldier.

Do your units take into account the CQC rules from the mods mentioned above and therefore automatically choose to use melee? If they have a hand slot free, would they automatically use unarmed attacks instead?

Offline unarmed drifter

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Re: The X-Com Files - 1.1: Big Rain
« Reply #3179 on: December 18, 2019, 11:22:39 pm »
@HumanTraitor
i've read somewhere in the forum, you have to click/select the hand of your choice. meaning, in case of a gun, not actually firing it, but just leftclicking so that the selection box pops up.