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Author Topic: Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin  (Read 1951714 times)

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4845 on: November 30, 2022, 04:40:33 pm »
One answer to these shield/armor variant overload problems would be to make Xenonauts-style shields which are basically separate, directional shield generators.

Yes, I am aware, although I haven't really used them. I can only assume they work.

If someone writes such a script, I will consider adding such an item (and removing the current armours with shields).

There's also the issue of making art for some sort of advanced alien alloy shield, but I imagine that's a lesser obstacle than merging all these scripts.

Yeah, I can do that.

Offline Mrvex

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4846 on: December 01, 2022, 01:34:34 pm »
The XCOM file arsenal addition submod has standalone shields that can be equiped with any armor as secondary weapon, comes with the guard ability to activate it for it to soak damage.
Here is the assault shield as example
Spoiler:

Maybe ask him if you can borrow it ?
« Last Edit: December 01, 2022, 01:40:08 pm by Mrvex »

Offline Juku121

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4847 on: December 01, 2022, 10:40:05 pm »
If someone writes such a script, I will consider adding such an item (and removing the current armours with shields).
Okay, I gave it a try and made a hack to use the existing energy shield script for physical shields.

Attached are my changes: items_XCOMFILES.rul only lists what needs to be modified from a regular shield; scripts_XCOMFILES.rul has all the affected script parts. Search for 'Juku121' to find the changes, at the end of a line if I did something to it, and as markers at the beginning and end of code blocks for new code. If you need a full script file, tell me what you want changed (which you likely do because there are design choices involved) and I can make one.

How it works: pretty close to how Xenonauts did it. Shields have X amount of 'HP', damage first reduces that HP and then does its usual thing if there's anything left over. HP is displayed as ammo, which has the interesting side effects of consuming 1 HP per shield bash (edit2: temporarily, until the next time your shield is hit, then it resets) and destroying the shield if you try to bash with a broken shield. I imagine you also lose damaged shields proportional to how much damage they've taken, like the disposable guns in Piratez, but didn't test this.

Right now, these physical shields are hardcoded to type 4 (75% kinetic and concussive damage, 50% melee damage; psi, special and smoke damage bypass shields), only block hits to the front and the shield hand side, and flash the agent a (configurable) grey on hit. They can also be dual-wielded for super-defensive goodness. Yes, a frontal hit needs to go through both shields. 8)


If 8mono wants to weigh in, all the better. But I figure the 'raise shield' mechanic and temporary armour derived from both armour and shield are a bit less intuitive.


Piratez also has physical shields completely blocking melee damage, and XCHR has a combination of the two, but I think both are a bit convoluted. YMMV.


Edit2: But if you really want the priming, accuracy penalties, damage reduction per shot limited to not just remaining HP but an armour value (that's what Arsenal Additions amounts to) and/or the 'shield dodge' mechanic, I imagine I can take a look at these, too.


Edit: As an aside, I found these lines in the scripts file:
Code: [Select]
                  # If it's special, choking, heat, or cold, just skip the rest
                  if or eq damaging_type 0 eq damaging_type 9 eq damaging_type 10 eq damaging_type 11;
But damage types 10 and 11 are EMP and electrical here. Maybe some conflicts with Piratez have crept in, or perhas it's intended and I'm just imagining things.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2022, 09:27:57 am by Juku121 »

Offline Fotos

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4848 on: December 04, 2022, 01:34:44 pm »
YouTube bans the video because of the track "Strategist
kensuke ushio" can the author replace it?  the in-game file is called GMGEO4 \XComFiles\SOUND
« Last Edit: December 04, 2022, 02:57:39 pm by Fotos »

Offline Juku121

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4849 on: December 04, 2022, 04:05:37 pm »
can the author replace it?
Unlikely. You are not the first nor even the third to have this problem, this is not the only copyrighted track (though others seem to slip by more easily) and Solarius has pretty much no incentive to sabotage his own work so some people have an easier time streaming while the vast majority of players get nothing at best and a reduced experience at worst.

This might be of some help.

Offline Akamashi

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4850 on: December 04, 2022, 04:12:11 pm »
Why has mib activity completely stopped? Why are there no more Chthonite missions? Is it forever, or can they appear again? I have not completed these storylines.

Offline Juku121

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4851 on: December 04, 2022, 04:52:09 pm »
AFAIK, MiB storyline currently has no end. Their temporary disappearance is most likely due to the same reliance on small-percentage RNG as pretty much anything else.

If by 'Chthonite missions' you mean the minibases, then IDK. These ought to spawn infinitely, once per four months on average. If you mean the other subterranean missions (Reptoids, Antmen, Spiders, etc), then that depends on how far along that story arc you are.

Offline krautbernd

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4852 on: December 04, 2022, 09:00:54 pm »
YouTube bans the video because of the track "Strategist
kensuke ushio" can the author replace it?  the in-game file is called GMGEO4 \XComFiles\SOUND

Why not replace it yourself? I quite like the track. Why should the mod cater to streamers instead of actual gamers?

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4853 on: December 09, 2022, 06:14:46 pm »
About music: I prefer to leave it to the modders' choice. It's easy to replace the file.

I've never considered that the mod would have any appearance on YT - frankly, I have never watched LPs before OpenXCom - and I'm not really interested in that. To me, a mod is something people download from weird sites and tinker with on their HDDs... :)

Okay, I gave it a try and made a hack to use the existing energy shield script for physical shields.

Attached are my changes: items_XCOMFILES.rul only lists what needs to be modified from a regular shield; scripts_XCOMFILES.rul has all the affected script parts. Search for 'Juku121' to find the changes, at the end of a line if I did something to it, and as markers at the beginning and end of code blocks for new code. If you need a full script file, tell me what you want changed (which you likely do because there are design choices involved) and I can make one.

How it works: pretty close to how Xenonauts did it. Shields have X amount of 'HP', damage first reduces that HP and then does its usual thing if there's anything left over. HP is displayed as ammo, which has the interesting side effects of consuming 1 HP per shield bash (edit2: temporarily, until the next time your shield is hit, then it resets) and destroying the shield if you try to bash with a broken shield. I imagine you also lose damaged shields proportional to how much damage they've taken, like the disposable guns in Piratez, but didn't test this.

First of all, thanks for the input. I will check when I get the chance.
HP on shields feel a bit more engineered than what I had in mind, but I'm not saying no! :)

Why has mib activity completely stopped? Why are there no more Chthonite missions? Is it forever, or can they appear again? I have not completed these storylines.

These missions never disappear. Including Chtonite minibases. (I think.)

Offline Chuckebaby

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4854 on: December 10, 2022, 01:20:02 am »
Early on in my game I wasn't experienced enough to catch the Black Lotus avatar lady alive. I just pelted her with bullets. I had 2 missions like this.
Will i ever get a chance to capture her again ? What should I be looking for ? Black lotus HQ ?
Thanks.

Offline Juku121

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4855 on: December 10, 2022, 01:55:17 am »
Black Lotus HQ, forward bases (not manors, though) and the Root of All Evil aka the jungle shrine (a single-time mission).

Offline Akamashi

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4856 on: December 10, 2022, 07:26:53 am »
Early on in my game I wasn't experienced enough to catch the Black Lotus avatar lady alive. I just pelted her with bullets. I had 2 missions like this.
Will i ever get a chance to capture her again ? What should I be looking for ? Black lotus HQ ?
Thanks.
The game assumes 100 times more flexibility than the original xcom. Capturing a naked woman is quite simple for two reasons. She doesn't bleed. It is perfectly shot with stun damage. Even a few hits with rubber shotgun bullets can easily calm her down.

Offline Chuckebaby

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4857 on: December 10, 2022, 01:53:57 pm »
The game assumes 100 times more flexibility than the original xcom. Capturing a naked woman is quite simple for two reasons. She doesn't bleed. It is perfectly shot with stun damage. Even a few hits with rubber shotgun bullets can easily calm her down.

I totally agree "Now". But a couple weeks ago, I did not. Hoping something will spawn again.
I think that is really the gest of this game. it's all about taking advantages of the opportunities you are given and if not experienced enough to know when an opportunity presents itself, your screwed..

Thank you (and Juku) for the replies.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2022, 01:57:35 pm by Chuckebaby »

Offline Akamashi

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4858 on: December 12, 2022, 02:06:04 pm »
...
In the base of the game, some weapons have a modifier line for the effectiveness of the influence of armor, and some weapons simply do not have this line, but judging by practice, often the absence of this line does not mean that the modifier is equal to 1.

Is my assumption correct that when the modifier string is missing, it means that the modifier is not just a number, but a formula of variables? For example, I suspect that the effectiveness of piercing armor with a titanium sword depends on the strength number of the agent.

Offline krautbernd

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Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities
« Reply #4859 on: December 12, 2022, 04:52:22 pm »
In the base of the game, some weapons have a modifier line for the effectiveness of the influence of armor, and some weapons simply do not have this line, but judging by practice, often the absence of this line does not mean that the modifier is equal to 1.

Is my assumption correct that when the modifier string is missing, it means that the modifier is not just a number, but a formula of variables? For example, I suspect that the effectiveness of piercing armor with a titanium sword depends on the strength number of the agent.

Can you list an example of what you're referring to here? Because the alloy sword has these entries regarding damage:

Code: [Select]
    power: 50
    damageType: 7
    damageBonus:
      strength: 0.6
      melee: 0.2
    damageAlter:
      ToTile: 0.3

Which is (of course) identical to what's listed in-game. No additional armor piercing, unless the item implements additional scripts which might modify damage behaviour. Why are you "suspect[ing] that the effectiveness of piercing armor with a titanium sword depends on the strength number of the agent"? What "effectiveness" are you talking about? What "number of variables"?
« Last Edit: December 12, 2022, 05:00:01 pm by krautbernd »