Stuff I'd love to see in XPiratez!

[Psyentific]

How come the Assault Ninja suicide explosive pack is only a ninja thing? Aren't we supposed to be a successor to XCOM? Isn't suicide rookies supposed to be one of our tricks?


New outfits wanted:
-Terrorist /PEA and Terrorist /SS
For expendable Peasants and Slave Soldiers. Comes with built-in high explosive. One hand free to use a gun, the other occupied by the dead-man switch. Bomb comes primed and cannot be dropped or thrown, but does not explode in inventory. Optional: Unique to Gals Are Superior recruitment path

[ontherun]

The incinerator is one of those weird craft I struggle to find a use case for. Too slow to intercept anything but ground targets, overkill for most of those. I think I've seen the "vampire army" UFO exactly once, which is presumably your ideal target, but it was far, far too early for me to have the incinerator up and running and I'd struggle to justify keeping one around to carpet bomb ratmen hordes into oblivion even though it would be pretty funny. Making them mission craft is just... like... a VTOL B17 is like something out of an airport thriller novel. Matthew Reilly, eat your heart out. It goes on the list of things I never use right below the AWACS and the blimp.

Same here mostly.  I don't think I've even used the 'Spitfire' in any playthroughs.

Actually, I have used the blimp once or twice as a radar picket to cover the Pacific region before getting a 'proper' AWACS craft.  I just used in one game though as I found I got better radars later in the game.

well actually right nie i can think of ut as a "primitive" scarab..maybe both might need some changes to make more useful? Otherwise these will be pretti useless....

How come the Assault Ninja suicide explosive pack is only a ninja thing? Aren't we supposed to be a successor to XCOM? Isn't suicide rookies supposed to be one of our tricks?


New outfits wanted:
-Terrorist /PEA and Terrorist /SS
For expendable Peasants and Slave Soldiers. Comes with built-in high explosive. One hand free to use a gun, the other occupied by the dead-man switch. Bomb comes primed and cannot be dropped or thrown, but does not explode in inventory. Optional: Unique to Gals Are Superior recruitment path

interesting, maybe some crazy research should be needed first..please go wild with any ideas about it if you have! :-P

I mostly play this on my laptop in a desolate location with no internet, so bad ideas tend to build up in my head before I return to civilization. I'll helpfully categorize them so you can ignore/mock them more conveniently.

WEAPONS

Primitive Sling - a simple leather strap for hurling rocks. Infinite ammo (you're just picking up rocks) throwing weapon which doesn't require much in the way of research or strength. Thematic for Peltast armored Slaves. Probably a free research with Primitive Weapons.

Bola - consumable throwing weapon with low health/stun damage but a significant reaction disrupt that largely ignores armor. Helpful for getting into stun range of that overwatching osiron or guilder whose armor makes them immune to other options. Gated behind primitive weapons.

Buffalo Rifle - Heavy levergun that fires Ol' Magnum rounds with a bit more range and accuracy. Obtained from bandits.

Auto-Crossbow - A crossbow modified with a compressed air system reload after every shot. Quicker snapshots without the energy cost of the basic crossbow, and the capacity for limited autofire. However, the added weight makes aimed shots significantly more difficult. Gated behind Steam Power and Ballistics.

Bullwhip - Ranged melee snapshot weapon with TU disrupt. Like the other whip but longer ranged. Can't be crafted or bought, only found in Archeology Dig sites. (obvious Indiana Jones reference)

ARMORS

Master Blaster Lokk'Nar Armor - Actually just a trained Humongous Raider with a little blue gal perched on his shoulders. Bonus strength and survivability (and maybe that healing mechanic that Hyena mounts get) but can't go in tunnel missions.

TRAININGS & TRANSFORMATIONS

Top Gun School - Dedicated training for dedicated pilots. Increases relevant piloting stats by a lot, but gals sent to piloting school now refuse to take off their aviator shades and therefore have massively reduced battlescape vision range.

Nerve Stapling - A targeted lobotomy which reduces a human's psychic signature and makes them harder to affect psionically. Ignore the drooling and unfocused eyes. Perfectly humane, which is why we only do it to Slaves. (++psi strength ++bravery --freshness --reactions)

Idol Training - a merchandising deal with the Goblin Zax bankers means that we can finally start cashing in on our Gal's fame (or infamy). With a large investment of Glamour, we can set a gals salary into the negatives, meaning she'll earn us a hefty paycheck monthly instead of costing us one. Only works with experienced gals that have seen enough action to build up some fame.

AMMO TYPES

Assault Cannon Grapeshot - Really just a handful of musket balls stuffed down the barrel of a cannon. Why didn't we think of this before?

Grenade Launcher Buckshot & Beanbag Shells - These are both real things.

Recoiless Rifle Casaba Derringer Shells - Most of a Hellerium Grenade sealed in a plastasteel shell with a pinhole at one end to direct the blast. Turns a recoiless rifle into a single shot plasma cannon. Expensive and heavy, but devastating to a single target.

Tazer Arrows - a higher tech solution to stun arrows kinda sucking.

MISSIONS

Cage Match! - Underground fighting rings host deathmatches for fame and fabulous prizes. You cannot bring any weapons on these missions, and no real armor either (anything that looks like it would fit as a wrestling costume is allowed). One Gal is locked in an arena with her opponent, with various random low-tier melee weapons scattered around the arena (Any extra hands will spawn in the stands with the audience). Your opponent could be pretty much anything the fight organizers could realistically corral into the ring. Chrysalids, werewolves, two dozen dogs, etc.

Pirate Cruise! - A luxury cruiseline has approached us with a deal: wealthy, jaded investors want to experience the thrill of being robbed and captured by real live pirates! The passengers get the thrill of a lifetime, we get the loot and prisoners and the cruiseline gets to commit insurance fraud. Everybody wins! Except maybe it's a double cross: even chance of a cruise ship full of unarmed civilians who surrender turn one like the aircar race missions or a megapol sting squad or maybe those rich investors wanted the thrill of pirate *hunting* and showed up armed.

QUALITY OF LIFE/MISC

Another spitball idea. Is it possible to give come creatures/support units the ability to eat downed units for health/energy? Manacles can already effect downed units, spending TU's to increase their stun (or something, I actually never use them), so giving, say, a werewolf a built in "Devour" which costs most of his TU's but restores some health and a lot of energy by dealing damage to the unit below you? I'd originally thought of doing this for Hyena Riders but 2x2 units are so damn finicky when it comes to floor items. Actually, the best way to do this would probably be a one tile, autoshot, flurry attack with a low CQC accuracy that heals/restores energy as a percentage of damage dealt. I know some weapons already have a lifesteal mechanic.

I'd also like to have a talk about the 25mm cannon in the battlescape. I feel like the niches filled by the 25, both as a gun for the armored car and the bandit field gun version would make more sense for the 50mm cannon instead. The significant AoE radius seems a bit large for the calibre and rate of fire, and the field gun version feels weird because a gun-carriage 25mm is just... I don't want to say heresy, but why. Also begging for the field gun reaction fire to be nerfed because jesus christ, the guy pedalling that thing 360 degrees to no-scope the gal that just spent her TU's throwing a molotov (as well as everyone unfortunate enough to be hiding behind the same wall) must be a gene spliced mutant hybrid of Lance Armstrong and the average Korean starcraft player.

Finally, a construction project that can "mothball" a craft, turning it into a warehouse item (and back, presumably) that allows you to swap which craft is occupying a hangar in exchange for storage space would be a real boon in the early game, especially now that we're jugging so many neat new early game craft with a limited amount of hangar space.

neat ideas! Out of curiosity tryed to search the forum about that sling thing and actually some body made some sort of, here:

https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=5097.msg123103#msg123103

and that cage fight made me remember of mad max 3 thunderdome fight!

i'd add also a mission where gals have to protect a valuable vehicle ambushed by bandits, which carries valuable resources for a local mutant village...

Oh and that v8 needs to be made into a proprer v8, at least in the bootypedia right now seem a 70's pink pimp car

edit: lastly, some kind one-round-at-time speargun, buyable at black market and capable of being used both in land and underwater, whose zaxx's harpoon carabine would be an upgrade.  With sone research it might fire explosive bolts (dynamite-attached) like mad max thunderstick

[nicedayright]

XCOM Files has the harpoon gun, so the assets are all there.

[ontherun]

XCOM Files has the harpoon gun, so the assets are all there.

I know even xpiratez has it (the one from TFTD) but i meant something original and steampunk alike, maybe someone might want to draw one....

[nicedayright]

This thing

[ontherun]

This thing

That is from TWOTS also, but is kinda more "ndustrially polisehed", i meant something more "postapocaliptic", examples:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

[Psyentific]

Isn't that just the Harpoon Carbine?

[ontherun]

Isn't that just the Harpoon Carbine?

Yes i know, read previuos post 

edit: lastly, some kind one-round-at-time speargun, buyable at black market and capable of being used both in land and underwater, whose zaxx's harpoon carabine would be an upgrade.  With sone research it might fire explosive bolts (dynamite-attached) like mad max thunderstick

[Fe-li-ne]

Im gonna go ahead and copy the other guy and give my ideas in this manner:

FACILITIES

PIRATE MARKET - a 2x2 facilty that becomes available after you've researched a collection of guns and ammunition you can manufacture. As the name implies it's a clandestine market where mutants can peruse the weapons and ammunition your gals make at home, it requires a couple of runts/workers to make who will be permanently stationed in it to manufacture a steady stream of the items that will be on sale on it, at the end of every month you will receive a random (but still sizeable) amount of profits in the form of credit chips. Also, during base defenses the facility will spawn random armed individuals that will defend the facility with you, and also maybe it can come in a 3x3 version too? (sorry if this one's a bit convoluted, it could be simplified probably.)

NANCY'S HARBOR CAFE (name pending) - 1x1 (or maybe 2x2 as well?) seedy tavern where not only do the gals have a drink and relax (speed up in recovery time and works as a cultural center) but also, mutant outsiders and travelers stop by to have a taste of your X-Grog, ressupply and also will help fight off base assaults.

WATCH POST - a small closed up cubicle where a hired gun and/or a gal is stationed to shoot at intruders out of small windows. The squatter you hire to the guard post has a chance of spawning sleeping on the job. Features some extra storage space and can be built over. 

WEAPONS -

Flare Gun - when NV is a bit scarce, especially in the early game night missions, it would be helpful having something like this to light up farther away areas when an electro flare or magna-lite doesn't quite reach and can be used as an actual weapon too.

COMBAT UNITS -

Armored Hyena Rider - Exactly what it means, a zone hyena rider upgraded with aqua plastics to make it even more resistant to small arms fire. Maybe there could go further and have a more upgraded one with a refractor.

Sabertooth Tiger - Turns out they're not extinct somehow, and they're being kept in captivity by the factions for their own purposes. After liberating them in a special mission for it, you get to tame them and either use them as beefed up dogs or ride them into combat as an even faster hyena with less health. Has an armored version too.

Hyena / Sabertooth /Gun Mount - an armored Hyena or Sabertooth but with an assault machine gun mount on it's side. Just like Metal Slug!

Autodog - point reward from the bank or Jack maybe? a four-legged ramshackle automaton with a special Sonic Bark attack that hits enemies in an area in front of the autodog, reducing morale and dazing them.

MISSIONS

FULL FRONTAL ASSAULT - You get a tip off about a gang of highwaymen/raiders about to have their way with a group of captured slaves and it's your chance to get their discarded loot AND save the damsels for profit and infamy. You cannot bring any male soldiers and are restricted entirely to naked with no weapons, but so are all your enemies in the mission.


Aaaaan that's it, im not very good at balancin stuff so if any of this is broken or doesn't work just let me know lol

[Rokksta]

PIRATE MARKET and CAFE
So you want it mostly as base defence? Random individuals that you can't control? Sorry, but they will be near useless.

WATCH POST
If the squatter can shoot the enemy, than the enemy can also shoot back. He will die before he can get a kill.

Flare Gun
Well this would be nice. Especially with Peasant Revolution. Than I will have one or two peasants as "Illuminators" just shooting around with it

[Fe-li-ne]

PIRATE MARKET and CAFE
So you want it mostly as base defence? Random individuals that you can't control? Sorry, but they will be near useless.

WATCH POST
If the squatter can shoot the enemy, than the enemy can also shoot back. He will die before he can get a kill.

Flare Gun
Well this would be nice. Especially with Peasant Revolution. Than I will have one or two peasants as "Illuminators" just shooting around with it

The idea was mostly as money-making buildings with the base defense as a bonus, and i was attracted to the surprise factor that it could spawn a very random assortment of 4-6 NPC's, like you'd get either a Tough Guy with a rusty niner or an allied Human Commando, hell could have some unique NPC's for it.

Yeah looking back the watch post ain't the best, maybe if you have control over the guard?

Like i said im not very good at actually balancing these, i just thought of what would be cool and fun lol.

[Rokksta]

I cannot see a way to integrate the Market without messing up the balance. But the CAFE gave me a different idea. I mean tavern are known as places for gathering informations. So building it should add some mission scripts (for more missions). That would be nice.

[unarmed drifter]

we have the mess hall already, which speeds up recovery time an unlocks new missions (bounty hunting)

[Psyentific]

PIRATE MARKET - a 2x2 facilty that becomes available after you've researched a collection of guns and ammunition you can manufacture. As the name implies it's a clandestine market where mutants can peruse the weapons and ammunition your gals make at home, it requires a couple of runts/workers to make who will be permanently stationed in it to manufacture a steady stream of the items that will be on sale on it, at the end of every month you will receive a random (but still sizeable) amount of profits in the form of credit chips. Also, during base defenses the facility will spawn random armed individuals that will defend the facility with you, and also maybe it can come in a 3x3 version too? (sorry if this one's a bit convoluted, it could be simplified probably.)

I love it. It's flavorful and it has a niche. With inventory space, maintenance discounts and monthly credit chips it's a pretty strong facility; like a cross between large vault and plantation with the chips and NPCs tossed in as flavor.

NANCY'S HARBOR CAFE (name pending) - 1x1 (or maybe 2x2 as well?) seedy tavern where not only do the gals have a drink and relax (speed up in recovery time and works as a cultural center) but also, mutant outsiders and travelers stop by to have a taste of your X-Grog, ressupply and also will help fight off base assaults.

This could be a good way to flesh out the Tavern Deeds you get from the Taverna Del Diablo mission. Requires Mess and Still, 1 per base, maybe a brainer slot. If the facility artworks could be sourced then you could even do multiple variants; a pirate bar for most normal captains, a dive bar for the more grungy types, and a fancy tavern as an addon for the VIP Club

WATCH POST - a small closed up cubicle where a hired gun and/or a gal is stationed to shoot at intruders out of small windows. The squatter you hire to the guard post has a chance of spawning sleeping on the job. Features some extra storage space and can be built over.

Another good one, could be unlocked alongside the Outpost and Trap Room. Rather than making it an NPC guard or a turret, just make it a room with 1-2 guaranteed spawns for your defending units. Main floor is a room with a door (2 doors?) and firing ports, upper floor and sewers are blocked off. Alternately, it could be a sidegrade to the Security Corridors (ie requires Electronics research) and features the above but with 2 cameras outside.

[nicedayright]

Playing a male touch route for the first time in a while and I can see some opportunities to give the guys a bit more love, outfit-wise, especially in the early game.

Guys are missing an equivalent to the Sailor/militia gear in the sense that they don't have something with an exp boost. Either something like a martial-arts gi or just straight up make it a version of the sailor suit, stealing the paperdoll from the Osiron goons or the guild pilots respectively would do the trick. Or IDK schoolboy armor or something if you want to be cheeky.

Guys don't have a version of camo-paint, so it would be neat to take it a different direction like SS Woad or SS Warpaint and make them high-stress but stealthy melee raiders a la Savage armor.

Guys and Peasants both are missing an early game flying armor, and it would be neat to make it a Rocketeer homage, with the leather jacket, helmet and jetpack.

Guys are also missing a seduction outfit, so either lean into a chippendales uniform or a more disturbing village people look with the authority cap and assless chaps. I know I'm a bad person for thinking of this, but it fits.



Also feel like there should be a Tanker condemnation for kills with vehicle weapons that grants increased armor but decreased stamina. Anyone who drives a tank for a living is going to learn how to angle their armor for maximum effectiveness, but lack of cardio is a real killer.