Re: The X-Com Files - 3.7.2: Best and Brightest

[DarthTheIII]

I did not expect the geoscape to have ascension island mapped out.  Nice attention to detail.

[DarthTheIII]

Do the Psi strengh bonuses from death dealer commendation not count for transformation requirements?  I have a soldiers with 46 PSI strengh, 3 from death dealer, and they cannot do spartan transformation

[DarthTheIII]

I assumed this wasn't the case becuase ninja arts's requirement does count commendation bonuses to PSI

[Stone Lake]

Do the Psi strengh bonuses from death dealer commendation not count for transformation requirements?

Depends on transformation. In the wiki, there's `Include Bonuses for Min Stats? TRUE` for Martial Arts, but no such thing for Spartanism, so no bonuses are included. This mirrors `includeBonusesForMinStats` rule from ruleset.

Probably can mention "base stats" or "base" in the in-game description to distinguish.

[Solarius Scorch]

And how many non completed stories mod have currently? I hear stuff with ghosts still WIP.

The ghost arc is the only one truly unfinished at the moment.

I did not expect the geoscape to have ascension island mapped out.  Nice attention to detail.

TBH it's just a city, and not even added by me, but glad to hear that.

Probably can mention "base stats" or "base" in the in-game description to distinguish.

I can do that. Should I do that?

[Lupushonora]

Is there a reason why Mass driver weapons require the elerium battery tech but neither the clips nor the weapons actually cost elerium to manufacture? This is my first time reaching the invasion in this mod, but I'm struggling to work out what my next weapons tech actually is. As far as I can tell I have to use blackops weapons until I can research elerium battery, but by that point I would have thought I could just go straight to laser weapons as they seem to be better for the most part.

Have I missed something? Regardless I'm still really enjoying the mod, just a little confused.

[psavola]

Is there a reason why Mass driver weapons require the elerium battery tech but neither the clips nor the weapons actually cost elerium to manufacture? This is my first time reaching the invasion in this mod, but I'm struggling to work out what my next weapons tech actually is. As far as I can tell I have to use blackops weapons until I can research elerium battery, but by that point I would have thought I could just go straight to laser weapons as they seem to be better for the most part.

Have I missed something? Regardless I'm still really enjoying the mod, just a little confused.

Mass driver weapons are not really all that useful. Though nowadays you can use them without researching them, and I've tested them in some settings (e.g. EXALT HQ like close quarters missions where you want enough damage but sniper rifles are too restrictive). It is useful to research them to get mass driver cannon (and gauss cannon), which are really powerful for the crafts that use them. But you can go from blops to lasers and that's how I usually do it. Gauss sniper rifles do have some use when you really need to punch it, though.

[Lupushonora]

Mass driver weapons are not really all that useful. Though nowadays you can use them without researching them, and I've tested them in some settings (e.g. EXALT HQ like close quarters missions where you want enough damage but sniper rifles are too restrictive). It is useful to research them to get mass driver cannon (and gauss cannon), which are really powerful for the crafts that use them. But you can go from blops to lasers and that's how I usually do it. Gauss sniper rifles do have some use when you really need to punch it, though.

So there is no real weapons tech inbetween blops and lasers? surprising but not the end of the world, it does mean I've wasted a lot of time trying to research better weapons though, when I probably should have been focusing more on better armor. Speaking of which it's december 1998 and I'm still using armored vests, although I'm close to personal armor, what should I really be aiming for? I have dealt with the church of dagon and the black lotus but I worry I'm not ready for proper aliens. Fights with MIB or the red dawn HQ still feel very RNG dependant and I tend to take a lot of casualties.

[psavola]

So there is no real weapons tech inbetween blops and lasers? surprising but not the end of the world, it does mean I've wasted a lot of time trying to research better weapons though, when I probably should have been focusing more on better armor. Speaking of which it's december 1998 and I'm still using armored vests, although I'm close to personal armor, what should I really be aiming for? I have dealt with the church of dagon and the black lotus but I worry I'm not ready for proper aliens. Fights with MIB or the red dawn HQ still feel very RNG dependant and I tend to take a lot of casualties.

Not anything you necessarily need. What you use depends a lot on your style. I usually use a lot of .308 sniper rifle up through into 1999. When you have 100+ accuracy and decent bravery it's very good. Blops smartpistol is another nice weapon for shooting a lot of shots in other context. With my SH/IM playstyle I try to avoid guns in closer quarters because you rarely need them and you're more likely to get hurt if you don't keep the distance.

I never build personal armors myself. Synthsuit (if you get the synthmuscles) and cyber armor are the first ones you may consider manufacturing after some heavy tactical suits and aqua plastic armors. Armored vest at the end of 1998 is not too bad. If you have decent luck, you get heavy armors by live capturing heavy MIBs and the gillman hero in underwater city well before you can research heavy armors (though based  you your progress you're likely off from these as well). That's why I don't necessarily manufacture any heavy armors myself.

By mid-1998 and at the latest at the end of 1998 you should really have terminated the initial cults. And you should usually have started on hybrids, advanced cults and extra arcs like underwater and ghosts. It's not the end of the world if haven't yet, though.

Until you get heavy armors, it is not going to be effective against aliens. You just need to play in a manner where you avoid getting shot at. It is helpful to have area effect weapons against aliens (so that they won't sniper you in return) and ways to deal with them without directly shooting them unless you have weapons (such as laser sniper rifles) that can take them usually down in one hit.

[DarthTheIII]

I generally use a pretty big mix of weaponry before laser, the advanced blackops like smartguns, autoshotguns, TGL, etc, Barret snipers, heavy cannons, and pulse pistols/ rifles. 

I do like heavy mass driver/snipers as a heavy kinetic option.  I wish the heavy mass driver had some armor ignore though.

[psavola]

I generally use a pretty big mix of weaponry before laser, the advanced blackops like smartguns, autoshotguns, TGL, etc, Barret snipers, heavy cannons, and pulse pistols/ rifles. 

Good point. I should have mentioned Tactical Grenade Launcher, which is probably the best weapon in the game when combined with judicious use of especially gas grenades.

It is true that pulse weapons (esp. with chem clips) can also be nice, but by the point you get them, often you don't necessarily even need them that much anymore. Especially if you have stolen lots of laser weapons loot from MIBs or have progressed with the laser research path.

[Stormtrooper]

Thanks to extraordinaly brilliant rng I got the possibility to buy pulse weapons later than turbolasers and later than possibility to research plasma...
Kinda sad, I wanted to give them a go soley because they are called "pulse" and because Alien and stuff

[Solarius Scorch]

Oops, I forgot to update this thread from 3.7.1 to 3.7.2... Done now.

And to add some real value to this post, enjoy a peek at my newest creation.

[psavola]

And to add some real value to this post, enjoy a peek at my newest creation.

It looks very cool but I wonder a bit about the use case. I guess its main benefit is that you could get this before you can research and get power suits and other heavier armors. (I doubt it would have much use after you get them?) Maybe useful if you don't steal these heavy armors from MIBs and the gillman hero. But otherwise it is not very lucrative, especially given the stat penalties.

[Solarius Scorch]

It looks very cool but I wonder a bit about the use case. I guess its main benefit is that you could get this before you can research and get power suits and other heavier armors.

Yes, of course. You only need terramite and some basic titanium tech.

Maybe useful if you don't steal these heavy armors from MIBs and the gillman hero. But otherwise it is not very lucrative, especially given the stat penalties.

It's not for everyone (both in terms of units and players). I think it should be pretty neat, but haven't had the opportunity to test it yet.
Its major advantage over low tech powered exoskeletons is that you can still run.