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

[the nomad]

With the last update I am unsure what to do at the moment. I am at October 1998, trying to understand the new military air fights mechanisms. I bought those Little Birds, one for each base, and equipped all four slots with lmgs and miniguns. However 9 out of 10 times a basic jet crashes my helis down, and for better crafts I need Promotion III. To unlock Promotion III I need to be going on missions, which these jets are not letting me. I don't wanna savescum.

I hope I won't need to build like three hangars for each base to get out of this. Because those cover so much space.

[Solarius Scorch]

In the new version, I just got an anti-police monster operation where there are no NPCs at all on the map other than monsters. I tried retreating from the mission to make sure, and there were none. I'm using the latest version of the mod and OXCE

Sorry, without a save I can't say mu8ch. I don't think I've changed anything regarding this mission, but I might be wrong.

In my tests everything works.

With the last update I am unsure what to do at the moment. I am at October 1998, trying to understand the new military air fights mechanisms. I bought those Little Birds, one for each base, and equipped all four slots with lmgs and miniguns. However 9 out of 10 times a basic jet crashes my helis down, and for better crafts I need Promotion III. To unlock Promotion III I need to be going on missions, which these jets are not letting me. I don't wanna savescum.

I hope I won't need to build like three hangars for each base to get out of this. Because those cover so much space.

There are multiple ways to tackle this problem, and I don't want to just spoil them here. The simplest (but not necessarily best) solution is to use a civilian road vehicle, like the van.

[shpekdeluxe]

Hello, good people!
I decided to give this sweety(the modded game, v2.3d) a whirl. After a couple of in-game months, I started wondering why I level-up the "suppressor"-commendation so quickly, but cannot get any levels in the "takedown specialist"-one. After inspecting commendations_XCOMFILES.rul, I noticed that almost all of the triggers for "suppressor" (STR_MEDAL_SUPPRESSOR_NAME) and "takedown specialist" (STR_MEDAL_WRESTLER_NAME) are the same. To me this seems like a conflict, which will prevent one of these commendations to happen.
Am I missing something?

[Mathel]

Hello, good people!
I decided to give this sweety(the modded game, v2.3d) a whirl. After a couple of in-game months, I started wondering why I level-up the "suppressor"-commendation so quickly, but cannot get any levels in the "takedown specialist"-one. After inspecting commendations_XCOMFILES.rul, I noticed that almost all of the triggers for "suppressor" (STR_MEDAL_SUPPRESSOR_NAME) and "takedown specialist" (STR_MEDAL_WRESTLER_NAME) are the same. To me this seems like a conflict, which will prevent one of these commendations to happen.
Am I missing something?

It should not prevent them. Instead, it should trigger both.

Reading them, I see that Suppressor allows unarmed and certaing weapons, while Takedown Specialist only allows unarmed.
Also Suppressor is much easier even with only unarmed. By the time you get 1st level of Takedown Specialist, you also have to have at least 4th level of Suppressor. (10 takedowns)

By the time you get 10th level of Suppressor, you can have at most 5th level of Takedown Specialist. (50 takedowns)

[shpekdeluxe]

Ok, I've tested some more, and Mathel, you were indeed right! Thanks for pointing that out!

[Thunderwing280]

Since I've updated the aliens seem to contantly run supply missions to their bases, every 3-6 ish days, intended or not?

[Solarius Scorch]

Since I've updated the aliens seem to contantly run supply missions to their bases, every 3-6 ish days, intended or not?

I think there was absolutely no change in this regard, but I'll check.
What kind of bases? Just standard alien bases? If yes, which race?

[Thunderwing280]

I think there was absolutely no change in this regard, but I'll check.
What kind of bases? Just standard alien bases? If yes, which race?

I think they were regular Muton bases, they've slowed down but still feels more frequent than usual.

[Solarius Scorch]

I think they were regular Muton bases, they've slowed down but still feels more frequent than usual.

The look the same as other bases to me. (But I could have missed something.)

It's probably RNG.

[EleriumWard]

Yesterday, I was doing a Hybrid Embassy mission. Some of the enemies I encountered just happen to be the Medium Drones from Xenonauts. I had no idea that the Praetors also had their own plans for X-COM!Earth. 

[Solarius Scorch]

Yesterday, I was doing a Hybrid Embassy mission. Some of the enemies I encountered just happen to be the Medium Drones from Xenonauts. I had no idea that the Praetors also had their own plans for X-COM!Earth. 

Who knows?

Also, I'll take this opportunity to show some recent additions.

[the nomad]

Awesome adds!
 
And that map looks really fun to have a good battle .

[alexander steel wolf]

Greetings, Solarius Scorch and team of X com files:

I am an aspiring writer, and the x com series has always been my biggest source of inspiration (for me, "Enemy unknown" and "Terror from the deep" are the best games of all time). What started as a fanfic, has become a saga that I will call "The odyssey of chaos".

I just wanted to write to thank you and the team for continuing the legacy of this great game, and for all the inspiration playing this awesome mod has given me.
I also don't want to exaggerate in praise, because if you've come this far it's because you have to be a perfectionist, and believe me I understand you (it's never enough).

I'd also like to ask, if it's not too much to ask, if you plan to include any of these things in the future:

- There will be more than one ending? (which would vary based on completed arcs).

- It will be possible to attack dimension x and conquer it?

- You will include more aliens from x com apocalypse like the megaspawns or the psimorphs?

- You have thought something like making there be 4 promotions? (the fourth promotion would be the current third). I think that blackops technology is achieved very quickly, and it is not necessary to use weapons that become obsolete very soon.

- Will there be other ways to access Cydonia, or at least make the moon arc a bit more dynamic?

- Do you plan to improve the battle of Cydonia itself (it seems to me that it is very wasted)

- Do you have plans to make an event or an arc where the aliens from xcom 1, 2 and 3 are alienated? (I think fighting sectoids, aquatoids and arthropods in the same mission would be the dream of any xcom player).

Postscript: I'm sorry if my English is very poor, it's not my native language (I'm Spanish)

[Solarius Scorch]

First of all, thank you very much for your kind words. Especially since I have a soft spot for fanfics.
(Though I'm definitely not a perfectionist, else I would never finish anything... )

To address your questions:
- I want to make multiple endings, but I'm not sure I can commit this much time. For now, I don't have even one satisfying ending, so I am focused on this. In the future, if possible, I'd like to add alternate endings where you basically switch sides and ally with some other Great Faction, which will affect the ending and also some parts of gameplay (like new/different equipment). For now it's a pipe dream though.
- Dimension X is done and I don't plan to expand it any further. We are not at war with the Micronoids right now, so the Council doesn't want to stir up shit on a new front.
- Related to the above, there is no need to add more Dimension X aliens. I mean sure, if it was very low effort, I could add more races, but it wouldn't have much impact on the game. I don't plan any adding new Dimension X missions, unless maybe some "side quests".
- There is no as fouth promotion as such, but there are some other similar thresholds later. (And I think that basic BlackOps stuff is not really that great.)
- I plan to make some more Moon and orbital missions. We'll see. As for Cydonia - not planned right now.
- I don't have a good concept for Cydonia. Suggestions would make sense.
- Multiple sides are not possible, in X-Com, sorry... (Unless you use one of them as civilians, then... sort of)

[EleriumWard]

Just found these guys in a M.A.G.M.A. mission. I didn't know M.A.G.M.A. has some ties with the Xenonauts.