[TFTD] [Expansion] TWoTS+ Release (v.2.62)

[chronocide_commando]

I'll add it in next update.

Thanks!

What's the intended way of dealing with USOs until you get the Barracuda? I lost a campaign in August because of massive negative rating, probably because I couldn't shoot down any USOs with Cormorant, especially with all the interceptors around. But in an earlier playthrough (around mid-2018) I didn't have any problems like that for some reason.
Was there some balance change regarding alien activity? Was it just bad luck? Should I have used Seamasters as fighters instead of Cormorants? Are Cormorants completely useless? How to deal with interceptors in early game, especially if aliens have a base close to one of yours?

[MeaslyTpod]

What's the intended way of dealing with USOs until you get the Barracuda?

Last night I sent a Triton to raid a touched down USO(very small one)...then the touched down USO suddenly started moving and shot down my Triton...
It was April of the first year, when I had no access to Barracuda.
The only way to protect a Triton without Barracuda/Cormorant would be an escort of Seamaster, well at least it can be equipped with DUP...or save scum.

Players have to rush to Barracuda asap from the beginning, you might be able to unlock Barracuda in May/June if you rush, I totally ignore Cormorants btw.
I managed to finish the interrogation of a live cultist in March so Temple Mission should spawn in the next month.
and if I managed to finish researching Church Database in the same month then Blackbox Mission should spawn in the next month, May.

Creeper corpse unlocks Alien Containment facility, non-laser Cultist equipments unlock Stun Grenade, Live Cultist unlocks Temple Mission(in the next month after interroggation), Self-Propelled Projectile unlock Dart Gun with stun ammo, a live alien unlocks Stun ammo for Jet Harpoon, SORESO/Church Database unlocks Khimtar Crash Site(in the next month after the research of both databases), Heavy Aquatic Weapons unlock Torpedoes to deal with Xarquidos at the crash site, Khimtar Blackbox unlocks Barracuda, yay!

[Nord]

Last night I sent a Triton to raid a touched down USO(very small one)...then the touched down USO suddenly started moving and shot down my Triton...

Turn on radar circles for hunter-killers. It will make your play a bit more comfortable.

[chronocide_commando]

Turn on radar circles for hunter-killers. It will make your play a bit more comfortable.

How?

BTW, checked out the saves from the failed campaign in debug mode. The aliens went from one colony in June to three by the beginning of August and five by the end of August (just as I finished my first two Barracudas). Is it supposed to be like that? I didn't rush Barracuda specifically, but ran out of things to research long before Khimtar Crash Site appeared, so it's not like I was too slow.

[MeaslyTpod]

Turn on radar circles for hunter-killers. It will make your play a bit more comfortable.

If you don't mind, I'd like to know how to turn on that feature!

BTW, checked out the saves from the failed campaign in debug mode. The aliens went from one colony in June to three by the beginning of August and five by the end of August

Eh seriously?
During my last playthrough I lost 3 countries by the end of August on veteran difficulty.

[Nord]

Looks like this parameter was removed from options of main menu. Ok, so here is file to replace.

[chronocide_commando]

During my last playthrough I lost 3 countries by the end of August on veteran difficulty.

I only lost one, but then I got -2711 rating and lost the game, which was kinda unexpected.

Looks like this parameter was removed from options of main menu. Ok, so here is file to replace.

Thanks.

[Shiroi Bara]

Big alien waves is hardest part of this mod. You could lose game at the middle of you progress through story  or even at the end if they're decided build up few bases on the globe. They just send bunch of USO's and always protect them with HK. The only way is sacrifice few of you Barracudas (sometimes big landed ship is protected by 2 of HKs) while you approach to big landed USO with Triton. If you playing on genius or superhuman all you interceptors just useless because alien fire rate becomes instant - it's just evaporates you ships. It could even damage Leviathan 3/4 of it's health. Or you must wait while all HK is landed and get rid of them 1st. Plus they like to patrol areas and make you life terrible, because you can even leave sometimes you base. And if you decide go to alien base...  well building temporary attack base inside alien detect radius could do a trick. Zoom in and send out you ship for 1 mile out of you base and wait while HK pops out and you get message what you ship get targeted by HK. Immediately go back to you base. HK will lose his target and  will land in few minutes. Now you can send you Triton to alien base while HK not active. Destroy colony and dismantle you temporary base. Or you may go for landed HK instead of colony. Doing bunch of landed HK still gives you good score, but take care of Molecular control, because aquatoids there like do it.
P.S.
Wow, you vars.rul changes everything. Usually this HK detection radius only shows when you have Transmission resolver. it might change game difficulty a lot now.

[Evil_bl]

Big alien waves is hardest part of this mod. You could lose game at the middle of you progress through story  or even at the end if they're decided build up few bases on the globe. They just send bunch of USO's and always protect them with HK. The only way is sacrifice few of you Barracudas (sometimes big landed ship is protected by 2 of HKs) while you approach to big landed USO with Triton. If you playing on genius or superhuman all you interceptors just useless because alien fire rate becomes instant - it's just evaporates you ships. It could even damage Leviathan 3/4 of it's health.

I`m finished this game on Sup/Ironman.
"Big alien waves is hardest part of this mod." - not really. You can ignore them if you have good rating(as practice shows, there are no problems with the rating, even if there a lot of UFO`s and terrors missions). You should hold on up to first armored Gillmans or Lobstermen (After that, the game will go much easier). In my last try i had 8-9 active alien colonies (2 of them i destroyed). The hardest part of this mod - main base defense (Because of stupid AI. They just waiting for you).
As for Barracudas vs interceptors. I find out only one way to destroy them without losing Barracudas. You need 2 barracudas with coward pilots and "Shkval" rockets (i don`t know how it called in ENG version, because i`m played on RUS. They have 60km range, 50% hit, 40 dmg). Cowards pilots slows down interception speed, and you can shoot twice. Shoot only on Caution Attack. It will help on first phase of the game. And yeah, always launch your Triton with 2 Barracudas in escort....ALWAYS!=))) Against interceptors with a shield i use only Disruptors rockets.

Another tip. Use you sonars to hold on mission spots on a globe. Just send them to a terror or another mission(not all) and you can buy some time for reorganization or making some staff.
Also, You can do a trick. Just build a base on colony. Build a dock. Send to this base you triton with staff. And launch a Triton to assault =) I didn`t do that, but in theory it should work

P.S. Sorry for my English

[MeaslyTpod]

Thank you for vars.rul, so USO with radar radius is a HK...how about adding a topic on usopaedia explaining HKs.
Oh and I'm having trouble finding ALIEN NAVIGATORs who are required to research Gauss Weapons, all I can see is soldier/squad leader/technician...help?

Well, I wonder what the merit of dealing with Polyphs is...each of them can withstand a direct hit of a large torpedo while Xaquid/Halcinoid easily dies with 1 direct hit.
and they unlock vital researches.
I usually abort missions with them cause they're time/resource consumer.

[Nord]

Artikle exist, but it can be upgraded.
As of polyps - try something else than explosives.

[chronocide_commando]

Polyphs are easy to kill by spamming aimed shots at long range. Too easy, in fact, since they have shorter range than your guns and can't shoot back.

[Shiroi Bara]

I`m finished this game on Sup/Ironman.

Wow, impressive, I did around 50 attempts to do it about half and and year before, but fail, get tilted and start whine here, making people angry here because my behavior. So I gave up and no longer play Iron man and using middle difficulties. But this is great what people beat this game on hardest difficulty, great opportunity to learn how to play. You result proves what game beatable on hardest level, but require good tactics skills and planing.

Just build a base on colony.

Almost doing same. Not building attack base on it, which might work very well, just inside of detection range of it. And I mentioned it before.
Any chance to see you playthrough? Of course if you can upload it and recorded it early. Or may be redo it in future? It's rare now to see how people play openxcom mods, people are prefer modern games now. And Russian OK, because I'm native speaker.

[Evil_bl]

Wow, impressive, I did around 50 attempts to do it about half and and year before

I did only 12 attempts. All previous attempts I spent on studying the game and possibilities =) I can only say that experience from another mod helped me a lot (Hardmode Expansion, that i also finished in sup\iron)

Any chance to see you playthrough?

Yes. You can find my gameplay on my youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuRqrGgfk1RSfyuEzb4TcxRHJE2Qkbh-H (there is some short videos, because of some kind youtube issues and my internet. Sorry about that. On my Twitch a have more "Stable" videos but they will expire soon)

[MeaslyTpod]

On paper, Poseidon carries up to 18 units but in the battlescape somehow only 15 appear, help?
On this screenshot it appears 15 soldiers were onboard but in truth I brought 18 yet 3 of them disappeared as if they weren't onboard from the beginning...what?
I aborted the mission and realized the 3 missing soldiers ARE still onboard alive, scary.

It seems the last 3 of the passenger list disappear during the ground combat.
Maybe this has something to do with Poseidon map fix from 2.38, which I requested?
I suspect the deployment coordination hasn't been relocated accordingly after Poseidon itself was moved so 3 soldiers spawn in the wall of Poseidon's hull...

As of polyps - try something else than explosives.

Thanks guys, soooo jet harpoons seem to be powerless against Polyphs, I need to find more powerful weapons.