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

[Juku121]

Change missionScripts_XCOMFILES.rul, 'executionOdds' for anything involving the Envoy Ships. That seems to be just stuff involving STR_ALIEN_DIPLOMACY right now. Repeat for any other mission you deem too rare.

[Psyentific]

We have fanfics for X-files?  Where?

https://lparchive.org/X-COM-UFO-Defense/
GuavaMoment's Let's Play UFO Defense is one of the finest examples of the type; it's how I discovered ufo defense. It makes good use of map editing and NPCs to showcase non-combat or story-related scenes and it integrates content from other games as well. The five-part Kiryu Kai Disaster is a pretty self-contained story arc, makes for good light reading and does a fine job of introducing the 'lids.

[Raug]

I'm going to go mad, I swear I've followed the readme to the letter, but I don't see X-Com Files in the dropdown menu no matter how I do it.

[Meridian]

I'm going to go mad, I swear I've followed the readme to the letter, but I don't see X-Com Files in the dropdown menu no matter how I do it.

Hello there,

1/ can you attach your openxcom.log file?

2/ and a screenshot of where you placed the mod files?

[Raug]

I actually realized that it was because I was using Ksenni's sound enhancement mod, and replaced the base modpack's files instead of just adding the mod to the mod list, sorry for my lack of intelligence.

[Juku121]

After reading Rezaf's Recap, I was struck by the idea of having somewhat more diverse crop circles/cattle mutilations, and perhaps even abductions? Namely, offering some mission sites where you get a very early warning and the UFO is still there, making circles, molesting cows, impregnating Earth women, or whatever it is that they do.

Would need a pretty tight timer, comparable to UFO landings, or perhaps double landings. 10-12 hours, tops. The three varieties of scout ships and maybe Abductors/Harvesters look like a natural fit for such missions.

As time goes by, the balance would shift from traumatised farmers towards MiBs and then bigger and bigger farmer-traumatising-UFOs, with everything still possible at any stage, but weighted towards different target mixes.

This would sorta solve both of rezaf's complaints about there being a lack of early UFOs, and crop circles sticking around way too long. And also incentivise building transport coverage for time-critical missions earlier.



Although I know Solarius dislikes revisiting early game stuff right now, and I'm no mapper.

[Akamashi]

The horror that people sometimes come to mind.

[krautbernd]

And also incentivise building transport coverage for time-critical missions earlier.

But aren't the only transports this would apply to locked behind rng, i.e. alien power systems (or KITSUNE as early-game one off)? Everything else runs into issues either with range or speed given the time constraints. The only "regular" craft that can cover the "max 12 hour on a global scale" are the SKYRAIDER and up. And do players really need an additional incentive to build more advanced transport craft?

I mean strictly speaking none of the early crafts (Dragonfly/Osprey/etc) are "build", and I see no reason - apart from funding shortages - why the player wouldn't upgrade to the SKY[X] at the earliest opportunity, since they basically outclass all of the earlier transports (except for undercover missions).

[Juku121]

Transport coverage is not just the craft but also the base network. I recall someone, perhaps the original Helmet Hair?, maintaining a network of cars/vans in the air at all times. You don't need 'max 12 hours globally' if your nearest base is four hours away. And if there are several of these events per pre-invasion year, and you're not turtling in one or two bases, you should get something nearby unless the RNG hates you. Which it does, of course.

Skyraiders come along relatively fast, 'just' Promo II and Alien Power Systems. And these missions would help with the latter.

Kitsune and the others take quite a bit longer to access. And until they do, Ospreys still have their large transport vs fast transport tradeoff.

[Talpiot]

the UFO is still there, making circles, molesting cows, impregnating Earth women, or whatever it is that they do.

There have also been claims of alien mutilations with human victims. I doubt a mission about that could be made to fit this mod though.

[krautbernd]

Valid points if you want to advocate a very specific playstyle early game, but I don't think "keeping agents on flights 24/7" is everbodies cup of tea, nor very immersive or realistic (if that counts as an argument). Personally I don't like having to keep craft constantly in the air just on the off chance that it is the only way to reach an important mission, and I don't think adding more missions with tight windows that are only reachable under specific circumstances adds to the game experience. If anything this seves to frustrate new players and people like me who already have to work around parts of the existing mechanics which were introduced to make the game more "fun" to play.

I also don't think "These missions which are probably hard to reach for the average player not min/maxing the game serve as a way to unlock better craft which make actually reaching these mission sites in time less frustrating" is the best way to sell this idea.

[Juku121]

Keeping a network of agents ready all over the globe is very much more 'realistic' rather than all of them being cooped up in SHADO HQ. (And personally, my immersion would improve if I saw more of aliens doing alien things in an interactive manner, rather than being told about it in non-interactive events or pedia articles.)

But you don't need to do that. Nothing really bad happens if you miss these UFOs. Good things might happen if you get lucky and one spawns within operating distance of your base network, and a better network/better transports/proactive patrols increase the chances it does. You're essentially arguing that someone turtling in one or two bases and not optimimising their research nor transport coverage should have access to just as many missions as a more proactive player. Which is already not the case, nor should it be.

Also, we have early UFOs which are pretty much the same deal except you don't get guaranteed detection on those. You're complaining about something that already exists in a 'worse' form. This proposal means you basically get more chances at getting better stuff without much of a downside. Well, unless someone puts punitive score penalties on these, or you count 'frustration' as one.

[krautbernd]

Please don't misconstrue what I am saying. I am not claiming that having multiple bases to cover different parts of the globe is unrealistic. What I am saying is that keeping your agents eternally on intercontinental flights is. And I am also not claiming that what you are proposing is unprecedented - I am saying adding another instance of missions that might be hard and frustrating to reach / easy to miss, especially for players that don't "min/max" or are unaware of hw they are suppised to approach the game isn't the best thing to add.

And again, "These missions which are probably hard to reach for the average player not min/maxing the game serve as a way to unlock better craft which make actually reaching these mission sites in time less frustrating" isn't really the way to pitch this

I like the underlaying idea of encountering aliens actually trying to abduct civilians/livestock (not that there's much difference as far as they are concerned) and actually encountering both at an actual landing site (kind of what we get with Gertrude Ellson iirc), but I don't think making these missions hard to reach on purpose is the best way to implement them.

[Juku121]

Well, they aren't necessarily on intercontinental flights. They are parked in safe houses next to airports, or something like that. The engine doesn't provide that level of detail, so one has to come up with an interpretation.

And, again, it is not necessary to do that. A good base network will cover you, mostly. Upgraded transports (pre-Skyraider) will boost that coverage. Savescumming will cover you completely (and don't try to tell me that's not how players deal with 'frustration' ). Lucky spawns will. And not every mission needs to be done, especially considering that taking out a Medium Scout in 1998 isn't exactly something non-hardcore players do, either.

I mean, we also have the 'military shot down UFO' missions as well. If non-hardcore players need a boost, you could up those. But I am categorically opposed to the philosophy that optimising your gameplay should not be rewarded or even punished. And that's what you're essentially arguing here.


Plus, ultimately, it's an issue of, well, immersion. If the aliens were just dilly-dallying around their landing sites until the police/army/X-Com show up, how exactly do we still have a secret war pre-invasion?

[krautbernd]

Well, they aren't necessarily on intercontinental flights. They are parked in safe houses next to airports, or something like that. The engine doesn't provide that level of detail, so one has to come up with an interpretation.

I have yet to come up with a fitting interpretation of how they find all of these convient safe houses in the middle of the pacific ocean.

And I don't think "savescumming will make this work for everybody" is a better argument than "tackling this mission might get less frustrating if you tackle this mission".

These are all arguments for how or why this could work, but not arguments why it should or have to work this way. I don't think new missions should be needlessly frustrating - given that as you stated we already have "real" UFO landings and crashed UFOs - and I still don't see how this would incentivise players to "build" better transports is an argument, let alone needed.