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

[krautbernd]

BTW, how far along are the MIB missions in 0.6.9? Still trying to get the "MIB activites" research topic, but the only MIBs i'm encountering are the ones on certain crop circle missions. Any way to get the the higher-ranked ones yet?

Could you maybe post something akin to a progression chart (mission triggers/encounters) of what's in the mod right now? I just feel that i'm missing out on some content that i should have encountered at some point, but i can't tell if that is due to bugs or simply messing things up on my part.

Also, how does armor work in regards to stun damage? I have been trying in vain to stun an ethereal speaker with a dart pistol (dart c). Small launcher and ethereal guardian also doesn't seem to work. Electric damage though seems to work just fine sometimes. Is this intended? Or is this due to the additional damage types you introduced? On that note, in which order are they listed in armor.rul?

[Solarius Scorch]

Is it planned in the future for something like the Personal Disruptor Shield ?

Possible, if the scripting engine grows big enough.

BTW, how far along are the MIB missions in 0.6.9? Still trying to get the "MIB activites" research topic, but the only MIBs i'm encountering are the ones on certain crop circle missions. Any way to get the the higher-ranked ones yet?

The MiB part is basically the same as in FMP - I haven't revamped it yet. But they do have a few missions.

Could you maybe post something akin to a progression chart (mission triggers/encounters) of what's in the mod right now? I just feel that i'm missing out on some content that i should have encountered at some point, but i can't tell if that is due to bugs or simply messing things up on my part.

I think more than we already have in the first post would be a spoiler... I like the player discovering (or not) some content, as it's an investigation/mystery-themed mod after all.

Also, how does armor work in regards to stun damage? I have been trying in vain to stun an ethereal speaker with a dart pistol (dart c). Small launcher and ethereal guardian also doesn't seem to work. Electric damage though seems to work just fine sometimes. Is this intended? Or is this due to the additional damage types you introduced? On that note, in which order are they listed in armor.rul?

I haven't done anything drastic to Ethereals, they're just pretty tough.

As for the damage types, the order is:, None, AP, Inc, HE, Las, Plas, Stun, Melee, Acid, Smoke, EMP, Electric, Psi, Warp.

[ohartenstein23]

Possible, if the scripting engine grows big enough.

It's already big enough, I've written scripts to make energy shield items, included in the Piratez script file.

[Solarius Scorch]

It's already big enough, I've written scripts to make energy shield items, included in the Piratez script file.

But do they work upon equipping?

[ohartenstein23]

But do they work upon equipping?

Not quite all the way, if that's what you're getting at.  But they work when built in to armor (as a tag, not a built-in item), and when held in hand, just not anywhere else in inventory.

[krautbernd]

The MiB part is basically the same as in FMP - I haven't revamped it yet. But they do have a few missions.

Thanks, but i've never played FMP, so i can't really tell which missions i "should" get. Again, the only ones i am getting are the crop circles MIB ones. Looking at the misisonScripts.rul, i need to research STR_MIB_ACTIVITY to enable the cover-up missions, but seeing how I never get anything but agents (from the crop circles) this never happens. As far as i can tell i STR_HYBRID_MIB_MEETING should spawn missions with MIB scientist, but so far this hasn't happened either. I don't really know how mission generation in openXcom works, but neither the coverup missions nor the meetings are included in the possibleMissions table upon starting a new game. Is this intended? What MIB missions can actually be encountered at the moment?

Also Hybrid Base missions (keeps?) are still being spawend as UFOs.

[Solarius Scorch]

Yes, they should spawn, but not earlier than the end of second year (except the crop circles).

[krautbernd]

Yes, they should spawn, but not earlier than the end of second year (except the crop circles).

Despite them not being included in the list of possible missions or regions.rul?

[Solarius Scorch]

Despite them not being included in the list of possible missions or regions.rul?

Yes, they use missionScripts (like pretty much everything that isn't UFOs).

[krautbernd]

Yes, they use missionScripts (like pretty much everything that isn't UFOs).

Ok, thanks,  that kind of clears that one up for me, but i still don't understand why they don't have to be in the possible missions list when pretty much everything else is. But i guess that's more of a general question and not related to the mod.

[Solarius Scorch]

Ok, thanks,  that kind of clears that one up for me, but i still don't understand why they don't have to be in the possible missions list when pretty much everything else is. But i guess that's more of a general question and not related to the mod.

I don't really understand... Are you asking why these missions aren't in regions? Well, for once, because they aren't UFOs but spawned missions...
Anyway, I don't like regions. They're useful for UFOs, but that's about it. mission scripts are way cooler.

[krautbernd]

Uh...i don't mean to get on your nerves with this, and i'm an amteurish programmer at best, but STR_HYBRID_MIB_MEETING in alienMissions.rul includes ufo: STR_MANSION_MIB. That ufo is not defined in ufos.rul. I just tried in vain to get the MIB-Hybrid meeting to spawn and got the sectoid-hybrid every time, regardless of missionWeights. Removing the hybrid-sectoid mission spawns no ufos at all. Wouldn't it be simpler to just spawn the mission and removing the UFOs altogether (for hybrid bases as well)?

As long as the MIB crop circle missions only spawn agents, there is no way right now to progress along the MIB path (or are there base assaults that include the higher ranked MIBs?). How do you get to MIB activity when you can't get anything but agents from crop circles and the mission that's supposed to include MIB scientists doesn't spawn because of a missing ufo entry?

Like i said, i have no idea what you've actually implemented so far in regards to the MIB arc. I'm trying (in vain apparently) to find out how progression along that arc is supposed to work. That's way i was asking for some kind chart or description. What i've figured is that you (somehow) need to get your hands on STR_MIB_ACTIVITY to unlock the base and clean-up missions (research for STR_MIB_ACTIVITY has needItem: true), but STR_MIB_ACTIVITY doesn't actually spawn or drop in the crop circle missions. Seeing how interrogating normal agents doesn't yield any useful information (at least lore-wise -> Staff Input: Mysterious Man) i figured  STR_MIB_ACTIVITY might be supposed to spawn during the MIB-Hybrid meeting on the scientists, but that doesn't seem to be the case either.

So yeah, how is this supposed to work? Is it supposed to work at all at the moment?

[Solarius Scorch]

Uh...i don't mean to get on your nerves with this

No worries

but STR_HYBRID_MIB_MEETING in alienMissions.rul includes ufo: STR_MANSION_MIB. That ufo is not defined in ufos.rul. I just tried in vain to get the MIB-Hybrid meeting to spawn and got the sectoid-hybrid every time, regardless of missionWeights. Removing the hybrid-sectoid mission spawns no ufos at all. Wouldn't it be simpler to just spawn the mission and removing the UFOs altogether (for hybrid bases as well)?

It would, and that's what will happen.

Anyway, whether sectoids or hybrids spawn depends on the race, not the UFO or mission. But still, why did I refer to a UFO called STR_MANSION_MIB when it doesn't exist? I can't remember...

Oh well, it'll all be overhauled anyway.

As long as the MIB crop circle missions only spawn agents, there is no way right now to progress along the MIB path (or are there base assaults that include the higher ranked MIBs?). How do you get to MIB activity when you can't get anything but agents from crop circles and the mission that's supposed to include MIB scientists doesn't spawn because of a missing ufo entry?

There are flying MiB crafts (the "cover up" missions).

Like i said, i have no idea what you've actually implemented so far in regards to the MIB arc. I'm trying (in vain apparently) to find out how progression along that arc is supposed to work. That's way i was asking for some kind chart or description. What i've figured is that you (somehow) need to get your hands on STR_MIB_ACTIVITY to unlock the base and clean-up missions (research for STR_MIB_ACTIVITY has needItem: true), but STR_MIB_ACTIVITY doesn't actually spawn or drop in the crop circle missions. Seeing how interrogating normal agents doesn't yield any useful information (at least lore-wise -> Staff Input: Mysterious Man) i figured  STR_MIB_ACTIVITY might be supposed to spawn during the MIB-Hybrid meeting on the scientists, but that doesn't seem to be the case either.

With time, yes. For now, they just fly about... Sometimes a base spawns.

So yeah, how is this supposed to work? Is it supposed to work at all at the moment?

Yes... sort of.

[krautbernd]

There are flying MiB crafts (the "cover up" missions).

But those don't spawn because of the missing research topic (->researchTriggers: STR_MIB_ACTIVITY: true for base and cover-ups). That's why i was asking how you get MIB_ACTIVITY in the first place. When i said that everything i can get right now are the crop circle missions that's exactely what i meant. There are no other missions. No bases, no cover-ups, because of the missing research topic (which can't be researched because it is needItem: true and doesn't drop).

Anyway, whether sectoids or hybrids

Don't you mean sectoids or MIB? 

[Solarius Scorch]

But those don't spawn because of the missing research topic (->researchTriggers: STR_MIB_ACTIVITY: true for base and cover-ups). That's why i was asking how you get MIB_ACTIVITY in the first place. When i said that everything i can get right now are the crop circle missions that's exactely what i meant. There are no other missions. No bases, no cover-ups, because of the missing research topic (which can't be researched because it has needItem: true and doesn't drop).

Hmmm, you're right... But STR_HYBRID_MIB_MEETING should still work if you have hybrids.

...Yeah, it's a small windo, but it's there.

Don't you mean sectoids or MIB? 

Yes