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

[Cynus_X]

I got some "criminal records" from the mission "shady Tavern". But I cant research it, nor does it show up in the tech tree. Which is peculiar since you can even research a drivers license. I thought they would give me some dossiers or an explanation like: These records contain the names of regular criminals not worth the attention of Xcom.

[krautbernd]

Check the Ufopedia entry (under artifacts).

[Fiskun1]

This is strange, but latest version OXCE 6.5.3 for Windows 64-bit + The X-Com Files v.1.4a does not load, while OXCE 6.5.3 for Windows 32-bit + The X-Com Files v.1.4a normally loads under windows 10... 

[krautbernd]

Unclear - does it load fine when you replace the 64-bit exec with the 32-bit one? Can't recreate, mod runs fine with 64-bit 6.5.3, but under win 7.

[Mathel]

No, you don't need large capacitors.
From the wiki of Ignition coil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignition_coil
So a taser powered by car battery and ignition coil can do dozens of high voltage hits. Hitting a normal human with the full power will likely kill him on the spot, but we can imagine that the agent controls the output with some knob.

As for the delivery method, I assume it is the same for the normal taser: a bunch of wires with arrow heads are launched at the target and make contact. An arc lightning will hit the closest uninsulated surface - usually the agent holding this contraption unless he wears protective gear. In the later case it will arc to the ground.

So yeah if you want to be realistic the Taser Cannon is way too underpowered (either in power or in number of hits per battery) for what we could do with the 90's technology.

I am not complaining actually, hitting that Black Lotus Avatar with it was very satisfying. 

The reason why the clip has to be capacitors is not the voltage.
It is that you can't possibly empty a chemical battery in 10s.
A chemical battery is composed from electrochemical cells. Each cell has two electrodes and an electrolyte which reacts with them.
This reaction pushes electrons into one of the electrodes and pulls them from the other.

Speed of any chemical reaction depends on:
Temperature, concentration of products, concentration of reactants, and surface. (and obviously what reaction it is.)
To get the fastest reaction at any given temperature, you have to have only reactants, in the perfect ratio, perfectly mixed.
This is not the case with batteries. You have the electrodes and the electrolyte is between them. Concentration of reactants is how charged the battery is. Concentration of products is inverse of that, combined with resistance, impedance and capacitance of the circuit.
Voltage of a battery is how far it is from equilibrium of the reaction. (Increasing resistance slows down the reaction, because the produced electrons can't leave that quickly, so it can't pull them on the other side as quickly either)
So even at 0 resistance, the reaction will still be slowed down by the electrodes not being mixed in, and by the battery not being perfectly charged.

Not that you would want to discharge a battery in 10s. It is an exothermic reaction. Waste heat would light your gun on fire, vaporise the electrolyte and cause the battery to explode.

[Fiskun1]

OXCE 6.5.3 64-bit (Extended-6.5.3-01283d3a0-2020-05-28-win64.7z) + The X-Com Files v.1.4a: not loading on Win10, when loading an error message
OXCE 6.5.3 32-bit (Extended-6.5.3-01283d3a0-2020-05-28-win32.7z) + The X-Com Files v.1.4a: loads without problems on WinXP 32bit (SP3) and Win10
I have not tried on Win7 64bit yet

[TheCurse]

ye but even a capacitor of that immense charge would be a lot lighter than that...
(i´d suspect a smaller battery part to charge the large capacitor, its usualy for setups with those requirements)

[anothrgamer1234]

I'm not that great with Doom lore. But well, anything is possible. For now I am not planning on adding any Doom stuff soon (I have plenty of other stuff to do), but if the time comes, then it's entirely possible.

The lore wasn't really a thing until Doom 2016 anyway, so don't worry about it. It's just something to think about for the Cult of Apocalypse finale, that's all.

[tarkalak]

ye but even a capacitor of that immense charge would be a lot lighter than that...
(i´d suspect a smaller battery part to charge the large capacitor, its usualy for setups with those requirements)

How fast does a capacitor loose charge?
The agents could conceivebly charge it the base, from the aircraft they use or from an outlet somewhere while traveling with public/private transport. So they might not even need a chemical battery with the ammo.

[Mathel]

How fast does a capacitor loose charge?
The agents could conceivebly charge it the base, from the aircraft they use or from an outlet somewhere while traveling with public/private transport. So they might not even need a chemical battery with the ammo.

From searching the internet:

Capacitors are poor at long-term energy storage. The best capacitor I tested lost 5% of its voltage overnight; the worst lost 50% in 5 minutes.

So if they were good capacitors, indeed no battery needed. They could charge up while traveling/on base (depending on how long they travel).

[Cynus_X]

Okay. So apparently your agent gets the "Betrayer" commendation after he loses consciousness whilst carrying a live knockout grenade  . Seems a bit rude to put on his gravestone when his family visits his grave 

Edit: The agent in question got hit by a grenade launcher, then passed out, and then his own knockout grenade killed him. Didn't know X-com was a catholic organisation to judge suicide so harshly 

[HT]

Okay. So apparently your agent gets the "Betrayer" commendation after he loses consciousness whilst carrying a live knockout grenade  . Seems a bit rude to put on his gravestone when his family visits his grave 

Lol, it's quite unfortunate to die from such grenade, unless the agent was already wounded, which would explain the stun damage overload which resulted on his dead.


That reminds me: If you throw two different explosives timed at 0 one near another, will the two explode one after the other, or will the first explosion destroy the second explosive without triggering detonation? I would say it's the first one, but explosions can destroy objects such as corpses if you're careless, so I wished to confirm.
Say you throw a regular grenade along with an Alien Alloy fragmentation grenade against the same target.

[Solarius Scorch]

That reminds me: If you throw two different explosives timed at 0 one near another, will the two explode one after the other, or will the first explosion destroy the second explosive without triggering detonation?

The second: the first explosion will destroy the other grenade without exploding it. Of course, provided that the damage is high enough to actually overcome the second grenade's armour value.

[tarkalak]

That happens in the original X-COM with the starting grenade, but most explosives can survive their own explosion after that, so you are fine. You can also use this little trick to clear proximity grenades and such.

[Vangrimar1]

Sometimes, when I send a transport to a mission, two alien probes attack it. At the same time, they arise suddenly and directly in transport. Is this a scripted attack? You can usually track when a UFO is intercepted.