[WIP] Tech-Com - Terminator series

[Hobbes]

About the HKs, they will be hunting our transports o just patroling/doing missions like the normal UFOs?

Some HKs are set to prioritize hunting and shooting down your transports - every time you send a transport to an area that you don't have coverage you'll need to send an escort or risk losing the transport (either on its way to or from the mission site)

[Gordonmull]

 

Air combat is nearly done, needs a lot of testing, and I already started working on some ground missions. I should release an alpha in the next days

YEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Sorry, did I give away my excitement there?

[efrenespartano]

Some HKs are set to prioritize hunting and shooting down your transports - every time you send a transport to an area that you don't have coverage you'll need to send an escort or risk losing the transport (either on its way to or from the mission site)

Sounds great. How many types of Machines will be in the mod?

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[efrenespartano]

YEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Sorry, did I give away my excitement there?

I'm just like you! Terminator is one of my favorite sci-fi sagas and I'm excited to play a mod of such quality based on this series. As we say in Mexico, "estará chingón".

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[Hobbes]

Sounds great. How many types of Machines will be in the mod?

Bad news is: there's only 1 type of Terminator and 3 HKs that are available at the moment.  I have some other robotic units but they don't look like terminators at all, so I'm not using them in the mod right now.

Good news is: you won't see anything from the original XCom during tactical combat since there's the Osprey transport, new armor skins for soldiers and new weapons.  You might see some of the original terrains or civilians but I'm working to replace those.

[efrenespartano]

Bad news is: there's only 1 type of Terminator and 3 HKs that are available at the moment.  I have some other robotic units but they don't look like terminators at all, so I'm not using them in the mod right now.

Good news is: you won't see anything from the original XCom during tactical combat since there's the Osprey transport, new armor skins for soldiers and new weapons.  You might see some of the original terrains or civilians but I'm working to replace those.

Hey, that isn't bad news at all. Better something than nothing hahaha.

I guess the Terminator you say is the T-600, right? They look pretty badass with their Miniguns.

Could you show us some of the new weapons and armors?

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[Gordonmull]

Hey, that isn't bad news at all. Better something than nothing hahaha.

I agree completely. Very soon we're going to have the chance to go after a terminator. That is good news. But how many good people will die in the first battle against the machines?

I'm also very interested to try the air war side of things, though. How tense would it be to commit a "fighter" to support a ground recon mission only to have to dispatch a squad with no air cover and very little choice? Even that opens up choices. Do I send in rookies in case the machines intercept the craft or do I risk vets?

Actually, where are we putting all these planes, Hobbes? Hangars are really big. I'm already planning in my head for 2 fighters, 1 air recon, 1 ground recon and one transport in one base. Doesn't leave much room.

[Hobbes]

I'm also very interested to try the air war side of things, though. How tense would it be to commit a "fighter" to support a ground recon mission only to have to dispatch a squad with no air cover and very little choice? Even that opens up choices. Do I send in rookies in case the machines intercept the craft or do I risk vets?

It is tense - I've seen what you describe about having to choose which planes (and crews) to risk.

And it is also very different:
* Your base' radar now feels like a protective bubble where your craft can fly more or less safe without being ambushed by HKs
* That bubble is pretty small when compared to the rest of the continent, and radar planes are critical to conducting ops outside the bubble
* If you place your base in the middle of Skynet's territory, the plane can be attacked the moment it launches
* If you place your base too far from ruined cities (the white Xs) then you risk your transports not being able to reach the supply caches or any other mission that only appear on those locations
* Another thing is that crafts now require pilots and these are chosen from your soldiers (some have piloting skills, others have not) onboard the craft. So, even losing a fighter will cause you to lose personnel.

Actually, where are we putting all these planes, Hobbes? Hangars are really big. I'm already planning in my head for 2 fighters, 1 air recon, 1 ground recon and one transport in one base. Doesn't leave much room.

I got it covered - current starting base now has 4 Hangars, and each can support 2 planes. There's also some major changes coming to base design, but I still need to figure things out a bit because HK interceptions changed things.

[efrenespartano]

I agree completely. Very soon we're going to have the chance to go after a terminator. That is good news. But how many good people will die in the first battle against the machines?

Probably the first assaults will be tough for the Resistance. I wonder if Hobbes will put the rifles we saw in the "Future War" part of the first two Terminator films of just simple M4 Carbines and MP5s of T:Salvation.

I'm also very interested to try the air war side of things, though. How tense would it be to commit a "fighter" to support a ground recon mission only to have to dispatch a squad with no air cover and very little choice? Even that opens up choices. Do I send in rookies in case the machines intercept the craft or do I risk vets?

Haha maybe the rookies won't be useless as in OpenXcom. Remember, there are few survirving humans, every soldier counts.

Actually, where are we putting all these planes, Hobbes? Hangars are really big. I'm already planning in my head for 2 fighters, 1 air recon, 1 ground recon and one transport in one base. Doesn't leave much room.

It's the same problem with me. Too many aircraft, very little room for them. xD

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[efrenespartano]

I like the new sprites.

It is tense - I've seen what you describe about having to choose which planes (and crews) to risk.

And it is also very different:
* Your base' radar now feels like a protective bubble where your craft can fly more or less safe without being ambushed by HKs
* That bubble is pretty small when compared to the rest of the continent, and radar planes are critical to conducting ops outside the bubble
* If you place your base in the middle of Skynet's territory, the plane can be attacked the moment it launches
* If you place your base too far from ruined cities (the white Xs) then you risk your transports not being able to reach the supply caches or any other mission that only appear on those locations
* Another thing is that crafts now require pilots and these are chosen from your soldiers (some have piloting skills, others have not) onboard the craft. So, even losing a fighter will cause you to lose personnel.

OH MY GOSH, pilots! <3 That's a great idea!
And it totally make the air combat more strategical.

I got it covered - current starting base now has 4 Hangars, and each can support 2 planes. There's also some major changes coming to base design, but I still need to figure things out a bit because HK interceptions changed things.

Well, that solves my problem.



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[Hobbes]

Probably the first assaults will be tough for the Resistance. I wonder if Hobbes will put the rifles we saw in the "Future War" part of the first two Terminator films of just simple M4 Carbines and MP5s of T:Salvation.

Future War.

Tech-Com starts as the Resistance sector leaders realize that Skynet will win once it gains control of enough resources and territory to support its war effort, despite their success fighting a guerrilla war, because the technological curve favors the AI.  The high command then decides to create a Tech Command from the existing 'tech-comm' units on each sector and invert the tech curve.

Here's the current ideas for Tech-Com bases:
* Besides piloting, I've ask Meridian to check if it would be possible to have soldiers act also as engineers and scientists, i.e., some soldiers are spawned with those abilities and you can assign them to labs/workshops or bring them on missions if there's a need (and they can fight and die also during base defense).
* Bases facilities are initially built on the surface, on existing civilian buildings adapted by Tech-Com, and they'll take less time to build. Or some you can build underground versions to better protect them and your soldiers but they'll cost and take more time to build.
* Living Quarters, Stores, Lab and Workshop are now 20x20 facilities instead of 10x10. But Labs and Workshops now have a maximum space for 5 scientists/engineers (research/manufacture time will also decrease on the same proportion)
* Base Defense should work slightly differently: the starting missile defenses will be effective against most HKs trying to attack a base, but the HKs involved will vary and carry different numbers of Terminators. Some attacks will be minor raids (but which still can kill people), while on others you can and will lose the base.
* On Base Defense the terminators are deployed from the air, so they can start anywhere, specially on top of buildings. Most of your soldiers will start on specific locations, and there will be also civilians either carrying weapons or spawning in the same locations where your base items appear (so they can actually pick a gun and fight).

* General Stores, Living Quarters, Labs and Workshops are now 20x20 maps instead of 10x10

[efrenespartano]

* Bases facilities are initially built on the surface, on existing civilian buildings adapted by Tech-Com, and they'll take less time to build. Or some you can build underground versions to better protect them and your soldiers but they'll cost and take more time to build.

Can we build bunkers, barricades or some kind of defenses, besides Missile Defenses?

Base Defense should work slightly differently: the starting missile defenses will be effective against most HKs trying to attack a base, but the HKs involved will vary and carry different numbers of Terminators. Some attacks will be minor raids (but which still can kill people), while on others you can and will lose the base.

* On Base Defense the terminators are deployed from the air, so they can start anywhere, specially on top of buildings. Most of your soldiers will start on specific locations, and there will be also civilians either carrying weapons or spawning in the same locations where your base items appear (so they can actually pick a gun and fight).

Yay, that's what I'm talking about! The refugees and other civilians will be useful defending the base.

Would you add some mini HKs in ground missions, so we can blow them with RPGs?

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[Hobbes]

Would you add some mini HKs in ground missions, so we can blow them with RPGs?

At this stage anything is possible, if someone designs the sprites for it

[efrenespartano]

At this stage anything is possible, if someone designs the sprites for it

Haha too bad I suck doing sprites.

Talking about HWPs, do you have planned to add any for the Resistance? Some technicals or mini drones, maybe?

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[Hobbes]

Several different types of missions displayed, most within range of the base's transports (roughly half the radius of the displayed circle)
* Blue cross - Assist Resistance forces
* Green cross - Resistance Supply Drops
* Pink cross - Defend Resistance forces
* Red cross - Defend Civilians
* Green square - Abandoned base (supplies)
* Other pink symbols - different types of Skynet bases. Pink square is a factory that has already placed a 2nd HK base (V) in the region