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Author Topic: Re: The X-Com Files - 3.5: Whispers In The Dark  (Read 2447505 times)

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1455 on: September 27, 2017, 08:59:27 pm »
Sten is in the game, it's fairly easy to find and early.

How about you just play the effing game for half an hour before trying to fix it?

niculinux

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1456 on: September 27, 2017, 11:57:24 pm »
Sten is in the game, it's fairly easy to find and early.
Unlucky me then, since I did not find it  :'(

How about you just play the effing game for half an hour before trying to fix it?

Actually tryed it for 3 hours (more ore less)...ok sorry won't bother anymore, since from now on i play rather infrequently :)

Offline tkzv

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1457 on: September 29, 2017, 02:12:08 pm »
Yeah, sometimes you can catch very early UFOs. I still wonder if it's okay.
By mid-1997 I managed to capture several landed UFOs with sectoids (who died without containment), and some weapons and UFO components I couldn't research. Then nothing until I start building fighters around mid-1998. Did UFOs stop landing altogether, or was it just my luck?

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1458 on: September 29, 2017, 05:15:07 pm »
The first month Sectoid research is a guaranteed mission and it always happens in your region. It consists of two UFOs: a Small Scout and a Mexium Scout.
Whatever comes later is pure chance.

Offline tkzv

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1459 on: September 30, 2017, 04:04:34 am »
"Homicidal Maniac/Soldier/Madman" cannot be researched. Do you plan to add something to it later or leave it like that?

If you did not plan anything, how about giving the piece of information that drove him mad?
  • Psiclone. He could be an addict driven mad by attempts to quit. More likely for "madman" or "maniac".
  • Storm. Could've fried his brains with Storm. More likely for the soldier, I guess.
  • Church of Dagon Rationale.
  • Dagon Morph. They surely look scary.
  • Basic information about Church of Dagon.
  • Description of some scary monster, like Reaper or Cryssalid. Maybe werebeasts.
  • Syndicate Experiments. Gives a clue, but no leads to the Syndicate itself.
  • Alien Infiltration.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1460 on: September 30, 2017, 12:31:14 pm »
"Homicidal Maniac/Soldier/Madman" cannot be researched. Do you plan to add something to it later or leave it like that?

If you did not plan anything, how about giving the piece of information that drove him mad?
  • Psiclone. He could be an addict driven mad by attempts to quit. More likely for "madman" or "maniac".
  • Storm. Could've fried his brains with Storm. More likely for the soldier, I guess.
  • Church of Dagon Rationale.
  • Dagon Morph. They surely look scary.
  • Basic information about Church of Dagon.
  • Description of some scary monster, like Reaper or Cryssalid. Maybe werebeasts.
  • Syndicate Experiments. Gives a clue, but no leads to the Syndicate itself.
  • Alien Infiltration.

It's not a bad idea. Do you think it should work as getOneFree, so when you research them, a random article is displayed?
(Help wanted as there are many articles to write lol)

Offline tkzv

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1461 on: September 30, 2017, 01:30:07 pm »
It's not a bad idea. Do you think it should work as getOneFree, so when you research them, a random article is displayed?
(Help wanted as there are many articles to write lol)
Yes. I think, researching madmen should open existing articles that don't lead to new inventions (no weapons, no UFO components and such) and don't imply much technical data (no autopsies and such). The list I gave is just that — pieces of information of no immediate value, but that would add to the bigger picture down the road. There are some more articles that I missed.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2017, 02:28:19 am by tkzv »

Offline mumble

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1462 on: September 30, 2017, 07:00:21 pm »
My thought is maybe he could provide leads to things. Perhaps a lead to MIB (maybe he was almost recruited, but found it morally repugnant, leading to the killing spree. Perhaps comes with a card showing an address list with MIB ontop, similar to the first movie, and xcom could raid it. Even if it had minimal information to grab, getting an MIB recruiter could at least break through the surface to unlock more.

It would also be a good way to introduce hybrids, like perhaps he sees his neighbors leaving their human skin, and decides he will kill everyone.

I think these 2 ideas would work, as currently the 2 archs aren't really touched much (afaik) so there would be good transitions into them : by getting leads.

I also like the idea of random bits of information found on the dark web, from chrysalis feeding videos, to cult of dagon execution videos. Ideas of random lore is OK, but i would hope the lore would be significant enough to reasonably force such madness, in which such people happening upon things "by chance" would make sense. Be it addresses for MIB meeting places, activity of hybrids, or other stuff.

I might try and see if I can write something about it.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1463 on: September 30, 2017, 11:23:38 pm »
OK, I've created the research entries for madmen. We'll see how it goes.

Offline mumble

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1464 on: October 01, 2017, 12:42:18 am »
I had a recent thought about tazer pistols. Shouldn't they, first off, have more difficulty penetrating armor? the prongs themselves dont penetrate well, and I doubt it would work great in most cases because of this. Even just a 25% armor + would be interesting

Second, couldn't tasers be used as a melee weapon with lower accuracy than the baton? I figure you could still shock people with just the pistol end, even if it was unwieldy to do so, and far less accurate.

Beyond that, any chance we could get a bulkier version of the pepper spray, like a police variant bear spray? A low range, small "explosive" shot which rolls against smoke resistance, lowers TU's of the victim, saps energy, and morale? And perhaps with a much harsher damage / TU reduction, to show the difference between 40$ civilian spray, and 100$ police grade bear spray, designed to incapacitate meth addled lunatics.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2017, 01:51:55 am by mumble »

Offline tkzv

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1465 on: October 01, 2017, 02:26:08 am »
Second, couldn't tasers be used as a melee weapon with lower accuracy than the baton? I figure you could still shock people with just the pistol end, even if it was unwieldy to do so, and far less accurate.
There is a "Gun Melee" mod that gives a melee capability to any vanilla weapon. I've mane a similar mod for XCF, but Solarius won't include it, because rebalancing the game would be too much trouble. It's here if you want to try it: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5719.0.html

Offline mumble

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1466 on: October 01, 2017, 03:15:15 am »
I wasn't exactly suggesting gun melee in its entirety, simply because several guns simply aren't good weapons for melee blows, or bashing them would damage the gun possibly.  Actually using a gun as melee is wildly unpredictable unless the gun was MADE for it, and at most id suggest the piratez method if that was what I was talking about, where some guns have melee, others dont, but thats not my idea.

I suggest it for tazers because AFAIK this is actually completely possible, to let off an electrical current via 2 prongs without launching them,  essentially using a tazer pistol as an electric PROD. It wouldn't be a bludgeoning weapon even, as it would be too light, flimsy, and fragile for straight up punching someone with it, but the electrical current would still be viable as a "press against person and zap" as most tazer batons are now-adays, and even with the 2 spring / nitrogen fired prongs discharged, one could still probably use it on the battery alone to try and dispatch someone close range. I'm sure a prod would work far better obviously, but I could see it conceivably working, albiet with a high melee requirement to use with any reliability against anything besides a hapless civilian.  It wouldn't make it too overpowered compared to a tazer / stun baton combo, because the combo would be more flexible for those with more average range melee skills.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1467 on: October 01, 2017, 04:01:42 am »
Hmmm... I'll think about it. But that AP penalty - ugh, make the taser even crappier than it is already?

Offline mumble

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7b alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1468 on: October 01, 2017, 10:56:56 am »
Well, this would be an excuse to bring in bean bag rounds... I suppose the tazer vs armor would be  an issue, but at least on a realism standpoint, I doubt they could penetrate a leather armor. Wish I could honestly find data on the penetration of the prongs, but I doubt its much more than an air rifle to be honest.

Then again, heavier duty prongs are like flechettes with wide backs, essentially shanking the target with very short razor sharp rounds designed to penetrate, but with less power....so maybe the effect would work? after all, it only requires it to poke through and hit the flesh to take effect, so I figure that might work, even if it stopped most of the force, kevlar wouldn't do shit if both prongs poked into your belly. I suppose you could assume they are heavier "flechette" style prongs, which would penetrate armor like spike boar darts.

How about a compromise, of an armor penalty with further range? Or is this possible? Like the farther you fire it, the harder time it will have going through, while point blank all the velocity will push it through?

still, I do wonder about tazers having melee, just with far less effectiveness than the prongs (less armor penetration) and less reliability behind it. Though this might screw with balance a bit, as it would make many other melee weapons redundant.

....also, why are tazers crappy? Besides the short range, they seem pretty effective to me.... ...though, I did use like 4 shots to take down a dagon morph.

...maybe you are right.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: The X-Com Files - 0.7.1 alpha: Breaking The Waves
« Reply #1469 on: October 02, 2017, 09:48:11 pm »
Version 0.7.1 has been released.

- Added the spotter-sniper system (experimental) by Ohartenstein.
- New missions: League Apprehension, Zombie Hive, Vampire Castle.
- New units: Bloodhound, Ghoul, Ghoul Warrior, Vampire Queen, Strix (all by Dioxine), Seeker Drone (by SideQuests).
- New weapons: M-14, Iron Pipe, Battle Axe, Rusty Blade, Bow, Heavy Crossbow.
- New damage type: E-115.
- New craft: Hummer.
- New staff inputs.
- Changed one music track.
- Empowered dodging.
- Added more variants of cave maps.
- Added Greaser paperdoll.
- Cheaper Hybrid research.
- Rebalanced ship construction costs.
- Increased prices on some weapons.
- Rebalanced AKSU and Groza.
- Large explosives are better against terrain.
- Incendiary Grenade anti-morale effect a bit weaker.
- Catacomb walls and cave walls are weaker.
- Fixed some armour inconsistencies.
- Certain weapons available earlier.
- Skyraider has slightly less range.
- Incendiary ammo is more harmful.
- Fixed Light Cannon Ufopaedia entry.
- Fixed AA BS ammo prices.
- Fixed Cyberweb Plans sprite.
- Fixed Steppe Desert.
- Fixed EXALT HQ escape again.
- Fixed Sledgehammer.
- Fixed helicopter wheels.
- Fixed MiB arc.
- Fixed too short vision range on Polar Suits.
- Minor fixes.