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

[HelmetHair]

With the changes to some features within the XCF could we get a "mobile operations base" that is a semi tractor trailer or a cargo container. they fly, float and drive those things all over the world everyday.

the reason why should be obvious... so we can have more than 4 dudes on long term patrols. Like 8 or 10 men with HWP capacity and a very limited radar range. I'd love to post them around the planet for rapid response without making the mudranger obsolete.

thoughts?

[Solarius Scorch]

With the changes to some features within the XCF could we get a "mobile operations base" that is a semi tractor trailer or a cargo container. they fly, float and drive those things all over the world everyday.

the reason why should be obvious... so we can have more than 4 dudes on long term patrols. Like 8 or 10 men with HWP capacity and a very limited radar range. I'd love to post them around the planet for rapid response without making the mudranger obsolete.

thoughts?

You mean something like the Spy Zeppelin in Piratez? Yeah, doable (obviously), but at this point I don't have much ideas on how exactly I should do it and what for.

But I'd love a flying base, SHIELD-style.

[HelmetHair]

not exactly... but let's consider the following as it exists now.

We use vans as convenient containers for holding 4 guys in limbo in the air to patrol or move all over the globe to fight monsters. XCF canon says their rented vans, but let's place that aside for just a minute.

I personally like the feeling of having my men being on call at all hours to try to kill monsters and save lives, but 4 people is not enough to truly tackle some situations... especially early on. Air craft reduce the logistical pains and eliminate the need for more than one interception base or craft so you only use that because it is easy.

I suspect you are both going to neuter the ranges on craft and increase the mission frequency soon to keep pressure on the player.

so hypothetically
early to mid game, multiple bases, teams and aircraft will be harder to manage due to their expense which the trade off is more control of engagement conditions like daylight.

while a mobile operations center is would be cheaper and give almost as rapid response with the caveat of more preparation and the inability to swap equipment easily but the upside to operate with fewer physical bases.

so we look at ubiquitous things that carry a lot of crap and are shipped all around the world using rail, planes, shipa, trucks etc... shipping containers. Hell, the Seals use them to move shit around sneakily and so do many other nations and organizations  even to move people.

I think xcom would totally be on board...hell they obviously have some great logistics as I can transfer material from Central African to North America in like 18 hours.

any clearer? or should I stop drinking paint thinner?

[Solarius Scorch]

No, it's OK. Well, not much I can say right now, except that I'm not exactly sure yet. It'll become clear at the right time, I guess.

In the meantime, I'm finishing up the Syndicate arc. All that is left is the final mission, and I don't have a clear idea on what terrain I could use for that. Something subterranean...

[mrbiasha]

Oh, a flying base would be a thing to insert into MiB arc! So that placeholder landed UFO would not be such a placeholder! And maybe you can capture it from them and use it...

Anyway, there are definitely some balance and progression issues, but I don't see how they can be totally solved without releasing 1.0. I mean Solarius has a number of arks WiP and a number as ideas only, so without them how could it be defined where should be a transition to FMP end game content? And what stats changes should be implemented? For now I can only see an increase of time limit before invasion and probably an even greater buff to aliens (who are going become alien gods by the end of all this buffing).

[mumble]

Actually, I think maybe MIB should be around with alien landings before 1999, kinda like all landings are meeting with them, or at least supervised...it would also enable more gathering of MIB info, potentially...though I only got 1 ufo in those first 2 years, because chasing a UFO in a van is kinda retarded 

[Solarius Scorch]

Actually, I think maybe MIB should be around with alien landings before 1999, kinda like all landings are meeting with them, or at least supervised...it would also enable more gathering of MIB info, potentially...though I only got 1 ufo in those first 2 years, because chasing a UFO in a van is kinda retarded 

It sort of is already happening... When we'll get there, there will be more.

In other news: the Syndicate arc is complete. Excuse me while I'll douse myself in alcohol, drugs and women.

[Dr.Crowley]

My, my, it's 5th June, 1999 and I feel bored. Every aviable research is completed, no crop circles or cattle mutailations at all, MiB withdrew their forces everywhere after several casualties, mutant sightings became rare, zombie outbreaks almost ceased, even aliens seem to forget about invasion. The only way to have some fun for me are cult encounters - but this are only EXALT/Red Dawn outposts. My "witch hunters" are getting sick from the lack of action. I wonder what happened with Black Lotus after I raided their stronglond and killed their Avatar? And what about Cult of Dagon? Did they migrated to the seabed en masse? Geez, I miss those old good days when I had almost no rest with numerous incidents around a globe... Now everything I do except clashing with EXALT/Red Dawn is just mass-producing Durathread and Alien Alloys. Duh.

[Solarius Scorch]

When Yankes and Meridian release the new version, you'll be neck-deep in fun, I promise.

BTW I'd like to share my idea for a breather mission (breather for me, not for you!) I'm considering for fun: a fan convention. The idea is to collect all those random units like superheroes, fantasy warriors etc., let them loose in a Commercial area... and spawn a UFO with Sectoids. Imagine a bunch of aliens entering GenCon, everyone thinks they're costumes, and then blam! They start killing everyone! There's screaming, panic, plasma fire, some random cosplay dudes try charging at them with swords, the entire convention extravaganza  going down in flames. Isn't it fun?
A little silly maybe, but I made 16 serious missions since last release and I want to do something fun (and easy).

[HelmetHair]

Ha!

Reminds me of a book called Princess of Wands where like dragoncon is attacked by a demon and a necromancer...hilarious.

or

A scene in one of the monster hunter novels with orcs rocking out at a Heavy metal concert. do it. I'm so game.

[Dr.Crowley]

When Yankes and Meridian release the new version, you'll be neck-deep in fun, I promise.

Well, I guess I could be not so much bored if I wasn't so stupid and captured some high-ranked dagonites when I had a chance. All Cult Outpost missions I'm receiving now are related to Red Dawn and EXALT. As I told before, Black Lotus seemingly went into hiding after I killed Avatar and Church of Dagon isn't heard about at all. And I wonder if Mutant arc ends up with introduction of bio-extraction or I missed something again. As for aliens - it seems to me that they saw me aborting terror mission and said to themselves: "Damn, to hell with this boring planet!"

BTW I'd like to share my idea for a breather mission (breather for me, not for you!) I'm considering for fun: a fan convention. The idea is to collect all those random units like superheroes, fantasy warriors etc., let them loose in a Commercial area... and spawn a UFO with Sectoids. Imagine a bunch of aliens entering GenCon, everyone thinks they're costumes, and then blam! They start killing everyone! There's screaming, panic, plasma fire, some random cosplay dudes try charging at them with swords, the entire convention extravaganza  going down in flames. Isn't it fun?
A little silly maybe, but I made 16 serious missions since last release and I want to do something fun (and easy).

Hah, I guess you just found a good way to use sprites from this superhero costume mod

And then I discovered how hilarious (and awesome) can be equipping an agent with a Alloy Vest/w Shield and Alloy Sword. What is it, modern age knights? Jokes aside, one-hit killing of 3 EXALT grunts is really cool. I wonder if I can compete Black Lotus ninja in melee now.

[Solarius Scorch]

Well, I guess I could be not so much bored if I wasn't so stupid and captured some high-ranked dagonites when I had a chance. All Cult Outpost missions I'm receiving now are related to Red Dawn and EXALT. As I told before, Black Lotus seemingly went into hiding after I killed Avatar and Church of Dagon isn't heard about at all. And I wonder if Mutant arc ends up with introduction of bio-extraction or I missed something again. As for aliens - it seems to me that they saw me aborting terror mission and said to themselves: "Damn, to hell with this boring planet!"

Are you sure you didn't just murder all of them already?

And regarding killing the Avatar... Killing the Avatar! Haha, that's a good one! ^_-

And then I discovered how hilarious (and awesome) can be equipping an agent with a Alloy Vest/w Shield and Alloy Sword. What is it, modern age knights?

More like WARRIORS! FROM THE FUTURE!

Jokes aside, one-hit killing of 3 EXALT grunts is really cool. I wonder if I can compete Black Lotus ninja in melee now.

In melee maybe, but not in dodge.

[Dr.Crowley]

Are you sure you didn't just murder all of them already?

Nope, just raided some outposts and safe houses 
And I suddenly started to meet dagonites agan. Sadly, there are only safehouses with some unlucky scaly butts. Also, I managed to give Red Down another day in Vietnam with a rain of incedentary grenades. They could barely leave a house and immediatly found themselves engulfed by flames. Yeah, that smell of napalm in the morning... 

And regarding killing the Avatar... Killing the Avatar! Haha, that's a good one! ^_-

It looks like I completely missed a point =_=" Anyway I'm pretty sure that these ninja-wannabe guys had more Avatars among them, just for fanservice.

More like WARRIORS! FROM THE FUTURE!

Haha, exactly!

In melee maybe, but not in dodge.

Oh well, and I forgot that these geezers can cloak =\

I guess I was tempting fate with all my complaints about being bored - suddenly missions started popping out one by one. A good opportunity to test Arasaka 3000 anyway: this gun is a real monster that is capable to dispatch most enemies with 1-3 shots (except of aliens maybe). First of all, Crop Circles made a big return - and MiB as well, but their agents are now useless - I just selled them (wait, maybe it was a ransom?). And I had a Enviromental Alert mission with spikeboars... in a farm map. Yeah, you got it right: 2x2 monsters in a maze-like map full of 1-square-wide corridors. One especially unlucky bastard spawned in a small garden, completely unable to get out of there and forced to wait until my agent will find him and zap him good with stun rods. Another mission was the Megascorpion hunt in jungle where I was throwing incedentary 'nades all around and got panicing monsters after round 4
Now I received another call from M.A.G.M.A i they got lab problems again.  I guess they will probably never learn from their mistakes - just remember their parent universe 

One more thing about monster hunt - Fenris Wolves are far too rare. I met them four or five times IN PAST TWO YEARS IN THE GAME and every time there was only one of them on the map. Swarmids are even more rare - but thank god for this, I don't want to meet them again until I'll get some chem sprayer or flamethrower. And Shadowbats completely dissapeared after the first encounter - I wonder if I made them extinct.

Spoiler:

And I'm trying to imagine what Underdark arc will look like because this is more interesting than aliens from space IMHO. Giant spiders, reptiloidsReptoids, Antmen (Waspites?), maybe Shadowbats.... mmm... wishlist: troglodites, "primitive" snakemen/nagas with spears or swords, Lovecraftian ghouls maybe 

And now for something completely different: seems like I'm especially "lucky" because I can produce toxigun and canister gun but not ammo for them. What.

[mumble]

hey, is there a reason commendations aren't availible in this like in final mod pack???  I just noticed they are missing, and this is a big bummer for me...are they unlocked later, or just not added yet??

[Solarius Scorch]

I want to redo them completely, as they don't suit agents at all - they are for army soldiers (US Army soldiers, to be precise).