Random thoughts / questions / opinons

[AncientSion]

- Seagull Missels purchaseable for 50k each, is anyone buying these like...ever ?
When would it be worth it to spend like a million credits (if lucky!) to down a random shipping ? I cant imagine a situation like that.

- Early game armour...personally i feel like every single early game armour is useless, except for the Runt (to carry stuff). I cant imagine when or why i would equip scout, adventurer, pirate, rags, nude at all...i basicly buy a handful of Tac Vests from the Market right after i can sell my first Engine and Slave AIs. All other (starter) chest pieces, seem to be clutter to me. When and why would you use them ?

- Early game, instead of fighting with muskets and flintlocks, the very best approach (to me) seems to be to just buy a handful of Hunting Rifles for their excellent damage and accuracy. Like no other weapon on the market is as powerful, except a flamer (when breaching)
Whats another really **valid** early game (im talking first 2/3 battles) approach all things considered (costs, training, risk for Gals) ?
I think one could make a point for just getting rid of muskets and flintlocks and just give the player another 30k money so he can buy what he likes instead of offering flavourful but in the end useless clutter items ?

- Brave Whaler vessel: in general, my opinion is that missiles arent useful, they cost too much, dont hit and you only have very few of them. Even with "buff" slot items. I cant see why i would use something like the Brave Whaler. I can see how the Kraken is good, but that is because its a flying tank, not because of its missiles. Is there an efficient way to use the Brave Whaler or missile crafts in general ?

- Has anyone successfully tried to go the Linux SMG, Boarding Gun, super-boarding gun tech route ? I feel like in general its not worth it to spend your time to get these, because you get better weapons via lot earlier...?!

- For the fun of it i recently did start a new game, beginning in Africa. 2 or 3 months i had like 1 shipping each, which i wasnt able to catch. In addition, i got a whole bunch (like 5?) of 3-level Church ships, which i of course was unable to engage (i tried).
Yet i somehow did end each months with a positive score ?! By July i had NO research topics anymore, because i wasnt able to attack crafts. Was this just a REALLY bad luck streak, is Africa a bad base spot or what did i do wrong ?

EDIT: For whatever it is worth, according to the lore the Gals are mutants with tough bodies and the ability to learn extremely fast. In the same vain one could argue that they should have increased regeneration abilities and lower the amount of sickbay-time compared to the base game where its centered around human regeneration times.

thanks for your input

[legionof1]

From the top.

Seagull missiles have a niche role in covering times when you lack either components or runt hours for other missiles. Alternatively when your craft tech is ahead of your weapon tech(unlikely but it happens). Being able to arm a craft with a bad slot is better then an empty slot.

Most of the starter items are fairly low quality but at high difficulties ekking every little advantage can be the difference. Also a good deal of variation in the starting gals can lend to the use of certain outfits that may otherwise be pointless for another batch. For instance say your starting batch has poor bravery, compensate with pirate outfits and the battle flag. I am of the opinion that tac vests are a useless outfit. You think differently. Different stuff for different folks. Though i agree on the rags having more marginal use then the average.

Muskets are to me a very first battle or two tool. Mostly until you can kill someone and take there gun. I tend to conserve every penny and do not like buying much from the market if i can help it. I know RNG may dick me over and leave me operating at deficit for an extended period. I actually find that the first few battles can be managed in an almost purely melee manner given good use of smoke and other LOS manipulation. Muskets actually do have a niche utility with there gas rounds. I enjoy the flavor at least.

I actually really like the whaler for late mid to early late game. Prior to the plasma tech hvy weapons, missiles pack the most alpha damage, and compete for most damage in a mount. When fighting big craft prior to the availability of the saber and the dragon downing a craft quickly means less damage and risk for the tank craft. Also high speed allows for interception other craft may not be able to manage. Later missiles are actually very accurate. Also the accuracy stated in bootypedia is vs medium craft. Larger craft are easier to hit. The bigger the craft the better missiles become. 

The boarding gun line i actually used a fair amount in my current campaign as it provides a decent heavy hitter when things like LACC and auto-cannons where in shot supply. Things you can make yourself are always worth consideration. Also quite cheap techs so its possible to finish the entire line before you gather much else and even before PS ammo. Even so 46 base dmg with eventually 6 shot auto is pretty beefy damage.

Starting in Africa and only covering Africa is a indeed a poor choice at is only has 2 nations. Nations should mean somewhat less in this mod but we are still dealing with putting a fresh lick of paint on an old system. UFO missions target specific nations territory/regions of the map. Europe followed by North America have the most target zones. Africa has only 2. And yeah also a bad steak getting multiple shrine ships.
 


 

[Baldri]

Seagull: I do use Seagulls on my Hunters. While Hunters aren't the best Vessel they carry my early to mid campaign due to the mass I have. Also they paying for themself cause as staited out you should use them only versus big targets which bring quiet a lot of money. I do not even see them as a niche but as a mainweapon so far.

Armor: I tend to minmaxing her. So I never use the Tacarmor because it makes so little difference. Dead is dead, right? Also Rags are useful^^. From a rpg POV. The real bad gals have to fight naked. When (or if) they survive a few fights they get "promoted" to wear rags because of the added carrying capacity. They still are faster then the units they have to shield but are more useful now. When they survive the rag-phase I make em "regular" plundering beasts. Also because of the better Stamina they are still "faster" then Scouts even if they have less TU because they can simply run more as well as use their ninjastars more often.

Muskets: I agree. Another viable approach would be melee and smoke instead of hunting-rifles though.

Bravewhalers are awesome because of their speed.

I like the bording gun, it packs quiet a punch. Linux however feels just too inaccurate.

[x60mmx]

- You would be better off shadowing craft and engaging them when they land.  No craft ammo useage and better loot.  You also don't have to worry about shooting down craft that are of a penalty inducing faction.  If you happen to trail and ambush a government craft, for example, you can bail without killing anyone.  I only shoot down craft when I feel it may be looking for my base or other as-needed reasons.  This covers your other craft stuff too. 

-  The only way you can find all those armors are useless is not being crafty about how you use your girls.  I initially did the same nd treated my girls like I would my soldiers in X-Com.  Equip a moderate sized squad with the heaviest armor + best gun and walk through battles easily.  This did not work so well in Piratez, so Iearned to bring large squads of girls with diversified roles which is where these armors come into play.  Keeping a high Bravery/Ranking gal in Pirate armor off the frontline with a battle flag, grenade launcher and various support items can save your day on brutal missions when girls start breaking and your frontlines are getting hammered.  I can cook up a helpful role that will be boosted by most of the armors and would not stick tac armor on many of my critical roles.

- As for the weapons, I agree that most weapons are skip-overs whenever possible.  Keep in mind though that the factions you run into and things made available for research can be quite different from game to game.  I have used "sub-optimal" weaponry in a pinch when I needed to manufacture ammo for my good weapons, as backup when some of my good stuff got destroyed in battle, etc.  It keeps the equipment from being in an X-Com scenario, where the equipment doesn't matter in a few months because every enemy carries the best stuff, so you never have to worry about making ammo, developing tech, etc.  The diversity of equipment, and most importantly the varied effectiveness of items, solves one of my biggest issues with X-Com.

- Having a base in a non-ideal location will make things a bit harder, but far from impossible.  You should be monitoring shipping status in the first week or two of every month and patrolling the areas they target, don't wait for them to fly over your bases.  Even if you have a base in Europe and N. America, you will find yourself in the same position should the be targetting Australia and S. America in a given month.  Invest in a Pigeon or two.

- I wish the surgery room increased healing times, but I manage as-is.  As long as you keep your score <1k by every months end you will be fine, so you can ignore many shippings.  Sometimes most. Ths gives you time to research, build and let gals heal.  Keep enough girls healed up for the monthly Pogrom and you will be ok.  I actually appreciate feeling compelled to not go after every shipment, helps keeps me from getting burned out.

Fwiw, I am nearly through my first year on average difficulty in ironman mode. With two established bases, on new base, and do good with 35 gals onhand at my primary base.  It may take you time to stop aying it lime X-Com, and start playing it as Piratez.  That's how it went for me.

[Arthanor]

Missiles:
That sounds ridiculously expensive, yes. You are eventually able to make missiles, which makes things a lot cheaper. As was stated, missiles win in dps whereas cannons win in total damage. Usually, you don't need to use all your ammo, so might as well get the damage in early so you don't get damaged too much.

Armors:
- rags: stamina regen makes them a good starting armor for bow-gals or weak/slow scouts
- scout: for gun gals that aren't on the front-line, but too weak to carry much
- adventurer: for stronger gun gals
- runt/brainerz: They belong in the base. Less accuracy or stamina regen is bad on already lowish starting stats. You can design roles for them, but I feel you can perform these roles with other armors better.
- pirate: could work on melee gals, but these, being skilled yet on the frontline, get my first ~4 tac vests.
- warrior: for gun gals once they are strong enough and have enough stamina
- guerilla: for scouts and weak gun gals once you get it
- metal: for already fast gals and melee fighters

Early game:
I agree on hunting/scoped rifles being great but to me it takes too long to down tougher enemies with those, so I only give them to good accuracy gals. The rest get: a few bows+Fuso knives+spears for good throwers, flamethrowers to take care of armor, and a few rapiers/axes/cutlasses/pipes.

Early crafts:
I don't build interceptors until a fair bit later in the game, given that there are so many landings. Then just build whatever you have that's best. Fast missile crafts are great to support your tankier ones when taking out big things. Or they can take out the smaller ones by themselves.

Linux & Boarding crafts:
I used the Linux extensively in this playthrough for mid-range support gals. Those gals that start with good firing and melee accuracy are worth enough that I don't just send them forward, but I keep them close to the front so they can train firing, and also grab a melee weapon and rush targets (or grab a handle/fistycuff and bash a VIP). It's worked well for me. Boarding gun I use as an early sniper rifle because of the good damage, then in midrange support for gals that are strong enough to take it. I don't intend to develop it further though, as other guns are more versatile.

Starting location:
I always try to cover as many mission zones as possible with my first base, so it is in Creta. You get good coverage of north africa, europe and the the middle-east, so you almost never have mission issues. If you start in a bad location, you'll need to invest in pigeons and zeppelins. It's probably doable, but why would you? (unless you're Meridian wanting to show off with his Hawaii one base LP).

Healing time:
I agree it takes a bit long. I also wish it were possible to have a healing facility.