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

[Arthanor]

Glad to help! I think you've taken a very intriguing twist with the "early XCom before XCom was really a thing" direction and the tiny teams (although I can see myself getting really frustrated at that, I'm one to always send more people than needed). And I'm quite curious to try this contentious bureaucracy barrier.

The current level of development sounds perfect for messing around a bit when I don't feel like raiding Guild Gunship #14513. Provided you don't add missions that get blocked by progressing past a certain point/time, hopefully there will be little problems with upgrading. I have some experience with Piratez any ways, that campaign is so long I've gone through enough updates to get used to it.

[HelmetHair]

Then no discussion about games makes sense. It's just a game, right? What are you doing here by the way, wasting your life on some silly game forum? Go do something meaningful!

Sol,

I'm going to place everything else aside...

Dude... I was poking fun at you a little, and not in a mean way. Just as you poke fun at me and I don't take it in a mean way. However, when something makes sense to you, it does not mean it automatically makes sense to me. This is not bad, this not good, it simply is. We are so lucky to be able to even have this conversation... Everything condsidered; that's all I meant.

Now, on the aspect of doing something meaningful with my life?

I design, fabricate, and fit prosthetic limbs and orthotic devices 3-4 days a week for no pay. Most of my clients are SALTY old veterans, diabetics and children with congenital abnormalities. I work a weekend job fri-sun overnights to provide for my family and to continue to do what I do in an effort to ease the suffering of others. That has no bearing on OXC, but it is the meaning I found in my life.

XCF is just a wonderful distraction from borderline functional alcoholism. 

I've not been explicit, but I will be now...

YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. TO. JUSTIFY. ANYTHING. TO. ANYONE!

least of all me.... ok?

Tell your story and don't sweat pissants like me.

Have a wonderful day!

-HH

P.S. My forum character and me personally are different, you have to know that... One is quiet, buttoned down, and never rude... The other is brash, doesn't give a fuck about anything and is trite with a capital T.

[Solarius Scorch]

Ouch, sorry if it was too harsh, I certainly didn't mean it as an attack! I may have been too direct, as in, forgetting it's the internet. Of course I'm not saying your life isn't meaningful or anything like that, it didn't even occur to me, I was only going to express that since we're talking the game, we're talking it for real. Sorry!

Anyway, the bug was found within seconds by Meridian the Hunter. I'll test some more and post when I think it's mostly safe.

PS. I'd love to see some pictures of your work! Prosthetics are fascinating.


EDIT:

Juku, I started browsing your version. Impressive. I'll probably include something, but it's complicated; for example I already added a plasma SMG of sorts which is completely different.
I also think it would be best if you made your mod as an expansion to mine. It would be much slimmer, since it would only include the changes, and also much easier to handle (by me, heh). You may specify in the metadata that your mod requires something else to work.

[HelmetHair]

As you wish... I do have some caveats that have nothing to do with you personally in your interest, but my relationship with my patients.

I will not show devices on patients or an individuals residual limb this would be a privacy violation and falls under the category of profession moral hazard as well as a personal breach of trust.

I can however; show castings, the steps and the end product, but not donned. I am willing to describe in general terms the etiology, pathology, technical challenges, materials, components and my failures.... Jesus, I've failed people despite my best efforts.

anyways, after I get home I'll post a few.

-HH

[Juku121]

Juku, I started browsing your version. Impressive. I'll probably include something, but it's complicated; for example I already added a plasma SMG of sorts which is completely different.
I also think it would be best if you made your mod as an expansion to mine. It would be much slimmer, since it would only include the changes, and also much easier to handle (by me, heh). You may specify in the metadata that your mod requires something else to work.

Well, I can't guarantee that I'd be able to do much in the near future (new (school)year, new people to teach at uni). There are also large swathes of unfinished work (item pricing and manufacture costs are rather ... random, especially all my new additions; I never got to the enemy stats overhaul, Meridian keeps adding new stuff I'd like to make use of at some point, and I've discovered and fixed a bunch of errors (I *think* they were all my own, not yours  ) since I posted my files).

Basically, I think there are a couple of unquestionably nice ideas (briefings on enemy resistances etc), some more controversial ones (Alien weapons must be converted/rebuilt before use) and quite a few rather random things (Psi-Suits, because I could). I mean what I said: use what changes/graphics you find to your liking, ignore the rest. My .rul files are close enough to yours that just comparing them with some file comparison tool should cut down on your work quite a bit. It'd be a shame to let all the work go unused and I'm currently not able to sustain and support a submod.

[HelmetHair]

Sol,

Here is a small sample of what I have and I'll describe them as I go.

This first set is one that is close to my heart....

This is a bit of prosthesis/ orthosis.... let me explain.

First, I'm pretty certain that you know nothing about rodeo work or working horsemanship such as cattle wrangling. I don't expect you to, and it's fine if you do or don't.

Anyway, Thumb injuries are really common in roping cattle, specifically in what is called team roping; specifcally "heeling" that is getting a rope around the back legs of the steer (neutered bull) while your partner "heads" the steer by getting a rope around his horns or neck or WTFE they can. The problem is the process called Dallying, that is pulling the steer with a rope, if you miss the dally your finger/thumb gets caught between the horn of the saddle and the rope.... and comes off. I've included a video link that shows a kid who got lucky and just how fast it can happen... he's heeling.

Old cowboys... if you ever get to looking at their hands... you can see how fucked up they are missing pieces of or complete fingers; it is the nature of the beast. A professional rodeo roper can win a few hundred thousand dollars a year... if they are good and most of these people are young, hardy, strong men and women who are incredible people who have been in an accident.... Anyway, I digress.

I had a patient who was about a year post amputation after losing a thumb and was mostly annoyed that they would bang their residuial thumb into stuff and it hurt. This is because your hands are incredibly innervated (duh) and surgical technique currently encourage neuroma formation. A neuroma is a cluster of nerve tissue that is balled up and sensitive... think like a pain/pressure/hot/cold button attached directly to your nervous sytem; because that is what it is.

I built a protective prostheses a touch longer so they could get their thumb into opposition and keep that tender end all nice and comfy. I actually built several... a few in silicone for daily wear, and a few utilising carbon fiber and thermoformed padding. In either case it worked out and I managed to allow my patient to not only be more comfortable, but resume roping using learned technique.... score. Also, being carbon fiber and done correctly it wouldn't crush in the event of a misdally.... Score.

Anyways, I have more.... just a hectice day.

video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_sauqj6-SY


-HH

[Solarius Scorch]

Thanks HH, that's really interesting. I'm working in medicine, so that's a given I'd be interested!

BTW what's a dally? All dictionaries only seem to know it as a verb...

[Arthanor]

Cool stuff. Both the fact that they can go back to what they used to do and that they actually want to is amazing.

Solarius: I'm looking forward to your next release to start a campaign. How's that bug fixed version coming up? (No pressure, just keen interest!)

[Solarius Scorch]

I'm looking forward to your next release to start a campaign. How's that bug fixed version coming up? (No pressure, just keen interest!)

Meridian helped me resolve this, so for the past day or so I was adding stuff, polishing articles and so on... But I cannot remain indifferent to such interest! So, version 0.3 is online.

I was hesitant to call it 0.3, since a new decimal number should only appear when a new arc is complete, and in this case it isn't. But the Cyberweb arc is huge and I'll probably take a break from it before it's done, especially since it smoothly leads to the next arc while already requiring much of its resources... So I'm releasing the first "episode" of Cyberweb now, and the rest will have to wait.

Now, what's inside?
- Started the Cyberweb arc. The new terrain is kinda ramshackle, I will work on it more.
- Prisoners are now divided between aliens, humans and animals, each with their own facility. Alien Containment is researchable.
- Added Sick Bay facility.
- Added Groza assault rifle.
- Added Blackops Sniper Rifle.
- Rebalanced shotguns (again) for the new pellet calculation system. (Now they can actually hit something.)
- New Magnum sprite, by Yrizoud.
- Decreased Glock clip price.
- Flare Pistol is now concealable, like other pistols. (At least unless it is used, then it becomes the total opposite of concealable.)
- Standard plasma weapons now use Gaussian formula for damage, meaning they will get average results much more often. This is kinda experimental, so I hope it works and doesn't break anything!
- Taser only has Aimed Shots now. This is to prevent agents from using it in reactions - it's a taser, not a six-shooter.
- Added some Ufopaedia pages about weapon types.
- Added more info to some Ufopaedia weapon entries.
- Improved some Ufopaedia articles (with help from Juku - now the Ufopaedia is 10% less Polandball-like).
- Reordered some articles (work in progress).
- Added more fluff articles, including Meridian the Hunter (a donation prize).
- Fixed SOLFOREST14 map, by Dioxine.
- Added four city map blocks by Civilian.
- Fixed X-Com car map. Now its middle section is actually taller.
- Added new death screams, for all humans. And I think they're hilarious.
- Fixed personal files page palette issues.
- Fixed a missing research for Obliterator.
- Fixed a wrong terrain for the cult outpost.
- Added small personal lights to all armours.

I didn't use the new pilot mechanics, because I'm not sure if X-Com agents should pilot jet fighters...

[HelmetHair]

A Dally is the few wraps of rope around the horn of the saddle. To Dally or dallying is to wrap the rope around the horn of the saddle, making a dally.

The best form is for it to be done thumb up, but most cowboys (and girls) will complain about a loss of control etc,... fine. However even that event the rope should be wrapped counter-clockwise with steer to the left and clockwise with steer to the right to prevent the thumb from being pinched.... at least in a typical team rope. some times shit happens and then people "misdally" which is to dally thumb down or wrap wrong and boom thumb goes flying.

Yeah, I hate the fact that it happens. It isn't usually the old dudes either... it is the young guys and gals. 17,18,19,20 who get their shit wrecked. It pisses me off... but what am I gonna do? tell them they can't? No. Warn them to use proper technique and gear? Yes.

The next is a Symes ampuatation that is in this day...quite rare. They are a bit of a pain in the ass to fit for, but can have great outcomes.

The advantage of a Symes amputation is that the residual limb is end bearing. If you Haven't seen one, google it... Basically it is an ankle disarticulation replacing the heel under the ankle mortis.... The talus is either preserved or removed, and the malleoli are left alone or trimmed; and either a myodesis or a myoplasty is performed. The best outcome for a young adult patient is preserved talus, trimmed malleoli and a decent myodesis. Which is the patient presented in my next photos.

Pretty straightforward  amputation due to trauma, you can see there is no wasting and the patient trained hard to get back into their life. They were walking 4 weeks post op and running in 6. That is what determination looks like. This particular patient got into weight lifting and hiking etc again and the biggest accomodation had to make is that the patient would break down feet. We switched to cheap feet to get it done right. They are good with it... so I'm good with it.

SACH foot on a lacer of a modified Canadian VA design from 1945ish.

Carbon core, basalt transition layer, fiberglass abatement/ damage resistance layer with a polyester scrim ( for shine bruh )

The modifacations have to do with where it suspends on the patient. Positive lock on the patellar tendon for added weight bearing, reduction on the belly of the gastrocnemius, medial and lateral of the tibia with more weight bearing towards the lateral and 5 degrees of dorsiflexion for maximized and comfortable muscular potential.

These photos are fom during fabrication...

-HH

[Solarius Scorch]

Yep, looks awesome! I really like the form.

(I wonder if I should split the thread...)

[Arthanor]

Woot! 7 hours on the bus coming up and a 3 days weekend, just compiled the latest of latest of Meridian's branch and I know which mod I'll be playing. Thanks for releasing Solarius!  I'll keep you posted! Maybe I'll make reports, kinda like the il' captain's log. No graphics (too much work!) But stories are nice and they write themselves.

I think my first duo will be Sol and Dio (Sun and God? What a team!!), we'll see how long they last!

[niculinux]

Did a very very quick shot at 0.3, some hint:

1) researching basic stuff may wrk as extended piratez, it should lead to some items buyable, not other ones to be researchd from scratch. Same should apply for (ifprogrammed) ak-47, ma-16 and so on..maybe the magun may be renamed .357 magnum or even better .44 magunm (dirty harry would be happy  along luger, thompson 1929A may fit as starting crap smg, improved version should be the uzi. The former may have the actual uzi damage (20) latter may have more (25-30?)

2) a starting buyable item may be also pepper spray, useful only agains human enemies.

Edit: as for 0.3, how, if any, changes from the user Juku121 verison have been implemented? if noy, any of these are planned to be? Thanks again for the great mod!

Edit 2: as early-mid game, an IMI Negev may be fine, later something a bit heavy like M60

Edit 3:In general improved versions of weapons (electric baton) should be researchble and manufacturable, while the basic onles (eg stun baton) shoulb be unlocked in the market after some research on the right contact/dealers. Also, would be nice also to have an operative field suit (mimetic- paramilitary alike), the only outfit to support kevlar vests, quite uncommon to wear it on a "casual outfit". Maybe don't know if it might be doable, but whatever

[Nord]

New version? Good... New game must be started, or old saves will work?

First report: animal pen and prison has no ufopedia entry.

[HelmetHair]

Up to you.... On splitting the thread. I'll share more if you wish... or shut up


Now, about 0.3...

Fuck yeah!

I'm pretty excited and ready to play it.

On the Taser, did you just eliminate the snapshot or replace snapshot with aimed shot for all values.... nevermind, I'll download and look.

-HH