Active Alien Geoscape AI - has anyone ever taken a stab at this?

[Hobbes]

I didn't start yet on how all the activity will be guided by rulesets really. Currently it's like GCI, in addition to regular missions, if the code decides you're detected, and random gods wink so an so (to be tied into craft availability), it spawns an ufo and guides it to the target, no connection to existing AlienMissions.

Well this is great just as a difficulty option for OpenXCom: activate it and a few ufos will instead attack your craft if detected by either a base or a ufo

As it is, the only AlienMission that resembles interception a bit is the base assault, and it is so hardcoded, that it's useless as a model. So something else will emerge. Currently I'm reassigning missions from ufos to flights of ufos, so that the dogfight UI will have some uniform place to fetch info from.

If the GCI option was available, then all it would require is a setting for the specific ufo type (canIntercept: true) for the ruleset so that the engine uses the detection/interception for this specific type, then it would be a matter of creating a regular alienMission of objective 0 like Alien Patrol (who just fly around and not land), assign to its waves the interceptor ufos  and you could have alien bases spawning either intercept or/and patrol missions.

[Stoddard]

Well this is great just as a difficulty option for OpenXCom: activate it and a few ufos will instead attack your craft if detected by either a base or a ufo

If the GCI option was available, then all it would require is a setting for the specific ufo type (canIntercept: true) for the ruleset so that the engine uses the detection/interception for this specific type, then it would be a matter of creating a regular alienMission of objective 0 like Alien Patrol (who just fly around and not land), assign to its waves the interceptor ufos  and you could have alien bases spawning either intercept or/and patrol missions.

I'm not sure how bases can spawn missions, but anyway I don't know enough about modding side yet. These simple rules would be a great start, thank you.

I plan to stop at 4x4 max intercepts right now, each intercept window will show all the ufos, current target being designated like this:



and changed by just clicking another ufo; the "show ufo" button showing currently designated target, possibly with damage levels (might depend on a craft module). Did not decide on how approach should work wrt other ufos yet, any ideas appreciated.

This flight vs ufo business proves to be tough though.

[Solarius Scorch]

Cool, we could have UFO formations then. Like in Xenonauts, where it could be a real PITA.

What's next, tactical aerial combat?

[Yankes]

I think one biggest change needed to made intercepting workable is blocking of minimizing dogfight windows when UFO is in aggressive stance.
With that you can easy surpass limit of interceptions without any exploits.

Image that I send 4 crafts to attack some ufo and another to attack base. Now when I have all 4 in range I decide to only follow it and not to attack.
But meanwhile my transport craft get attacked. New popup is shown (maybe with different color when ufo is aggressive?) all other are blocked and now I need resolve this fight to continue. I can press disengage to try run away but as long ufo is in range and aggressive you cant skip it.
Similar for normal interceptions, normally you can always end fight but if you piss off it too much it switch to aggressive and block you option to minimize all windows.

With that all fights always will be 1 vs 1 or 1 vs 4 if you start it. Is no way to block alien interceptions because if all other windows are hidden then you will have new popup but if they are show then time is stop.

If something like that will be implemented I gladly grab it to my branch.

[Meridian]

I think that shouldn't be too hard to implement.

However, if we do that, we need also those X-Com crash sites...

[Solarius Scorch]

However, if we do that, we need also those X-Com crash sites...

It would be nice, but Xenonauts skipped this part.
X-Com: Apocalypse did that too, BTW. Whoever was on board, dies.

A possible half-assed solution would be to go the Power Dolls route: any lost crew has a chance of returning. If it happens, it happens within days or weeks, not straight away.
It's not very elegant and would require new mechanics, but the feels when someone you thought dead suddenly shows up at your base are wonderful.

[Hobbes]

It's not very elegant and would require new mechanics, but the feels when someone you thought dead suddenly shows up at your base are wonderful.

"Frank, you're alive!"
"Quick, shoot it you moron! That's a alien disguised as Frank!"

[Solarius Scorch]

"Frank, you're alive!"
"Quick, shoot it you moron! That's a alien disguised as Frank!"

...well, at least we recover his corpse...

[Stoddard]

A possible half-assed solution would be to go the Power Dolls route: any lost crew has a chance of returning. If it happens, it happens within days or weeks, not straight away.
It's not very elegant and would require new mechanics, but the feels when someone you thought dead suddenly shows up at your base are wonderful.

Set up a transfer. Choose a base that has spare barracks space at random.

This should be easy enough to implement. Only the surprise part isn't entirely possible: even if the transfer is made to not show in transfer lists, the barrack space must be reserved. If the only base with spare space is the launching one, that'd be a clue that someone made it out. Still unknown who exactly of course.

[Hobbes]

...well, at least we recover his corpse...

Just to quietly dispose of it in the base's furnace because funeral services were held for Frank 3 weeks ago and you wouldn't want to upset his family again, would you?

Set up a transfer. Choose a base that has spare barracks space at random.

This should be easy enough to implement. Only the surprise part isn't entirely possible: even if the transfer is made to not show in transfer lists, the barrack space must be reserved. If the only base with spare space is the launching one, that'd be a clue that someone made it out. Still unknown who exactly of course.

This idea of the crew or parts of it returning after some days doesn't make much sense if you consider that if there was a crash there would be a search and rescue operation right away.

Also, why would aliens be present on a crashed xcom craft site?

The aliens could assault the crashed craft right away (and you'd be defending it, so essentially another ufo mission), but it doesn't make much sense for these sites to be present for days or weeks.

[Stoddard]

This idea of the crew or parts of it returning after some days doesn't make much sense if you consider that if there was a crash there would be a search and rescue operation right away.

I guess the idea was that it was you who has to execute CSAR. Which you might not be able to do right away. So if enemy doesn't arrive, and friendlies don't arrive, survivors hitchhike out and you lose whatever equipment survived the crash.

It all depends on the setting. I agree this all doesn't make much sense in vanilla setting. There are others though.

Also, why would aliens be present on a crashed xcom craft site?

They don't, unless they come, as you say. They might not be able or willing to come though.

The aliens could assault the crashed craft right away (and you'd be defending it, so essentially another ufo mission), but it doesn't make much sense for these sites to be present for days or weeks.

The first part I agree, but still think that for some settings having to do SAR yourself or lose stuff and possibly more people might make sense.

I'm of no opinion on whether or how exactly to implement this. Got to do the basics first. Let's return to this after hostile intercepts and multifights actually work.

[Stoddard]

I'm writing god-damned flight model for the ufos, complete with orbital insertions and reentry. Someone please stop me.

Also, Hobbes, how did you do non-stock markers for the bases?

[Hobbes]

Also, Hobbes, how did you do non-stock markers for the bases?

Code: [Select]

alienDeployments:
  - type: STR_SKYNET_BASE_ASSAULT_CORE
    markerName: STR_SKYNET_CORE
    markerIcon: 13
extraSprites:
  - type: GlobeMarkers
    width: 60
    height: 3
    subX: 3
    subY: 3
    files:
      0: Resources/Geoscape/globe_ufo_expanded.png

You can find the vanilla markers on \openxcom\standard\xcom1\Resources\UI\globe_ufo.png, just add to that image file the new markers (they're 3x3 in dimensions so really limited in design). You can add new markers for bases and terror sites but for everything else (UFOs, craft and waypoints) you can only replace the existing markers.

[Solarius Scorch]

I'm writing god-damned flight model for the ufos, complete with orbital insertions and reentry. Someone please stop me.

Are you trying to woo me? Because it's working.

I'm not sure how much it relates to Area 51, but I'd love to hear more.

You can find the vanilla markers on \openxcom\standard\xcom1\Resources\UI\globe_ufo.png, just add to that image file the new markers (they're 3x3 in dimensions so really limited in design). You can add new markers for bases and terror sites but for everything else (UFOs, craft and waypoints) you can only replace the existing markers.

How are these extra markers numbered? In your example it's number 13, but where does it start?

[Hobbes]

I'm not sure how much it relates to Area 51, but I'd love to hear more.

This isn't related at all with Area 51. If this is implemented it might be included on the Terminator: Tech-Com mod, but right now that total conversion is way still on its early stage.

How are these extra markers numbered? In your example it's number 13, but where does it start?

0-8 are used for vanilla, extra markers start at 9