Can't wait for next release!

[XCOMJunkie]

I've been playing a lot of the last versions, and have been having so much fun with it. I've been trying to think of what might be in the next versions, has there been any hints dropped by Dioxine or others?

[Eddie]

There have been major updates to OXCE+ which introduced new features that are not yet used by Piratez. I would assume these will make it into the next version. Meridian usually implements things when he gets a request that a modder wants to use it. So what to expect?

- Major change to how alien bases work in geoscape.
Bases can spawn Ufos to hunt your interceptors and transports. An alien base could impose a 'no-fly-zone' on the region where it is if you can't handle the hunter-killers it sends after you. Bases can also spawn missions now, like terror sites or conversion. I expect major nastiness from alien bases in the next release. Leaving them to farm supply ships and the like will not be an option anymore.

- Hunter-Killer Ufos and escorts
Mission Ufos can now be escorted by other Ufos (fighters) that will attack your interceptors and transports if you get near them. A landed big Ufo could still have airborne fighters guarding the landing site. I expect there will be increased requirements to you interception abilities in the next version.

- Base building
Latest OXCE+ allows to upgrade existing buildings by building directly on top of them. Downgrade is also possible. I expect to see that mechanic used in the next release of pirates. Like, a burrow can upgrade to a barracks or a prison.

If these things are implemented, that is enough work to balance and playtest that I expect not too much else in the next release. If it comes soon, that is. We eagerly await the results of your work, Dioxine :-)

[ivandogovich]

At this point Dioxine has given zero indication that he will use the Hunter-Killer features.  These were built mainly for Hobbes' Tech Com project.

[Ethereal_Medic]

If we can 'upgrade' certain buildings those upgraded versions would have to hold onto the feature the core-building offered in the first place.
If we upgrade our burrows to barracks, can we still housekeep animals? A barracks right now can't do that. Do we lose vault-space too?
It's a very neat idea and makes base-planning a bit easier at some parts but this still leaves 1-2 open questions or requires further stat-changes to existing facilities to archive a workable upgrade/downgrade mechanic.

Also hype for reverse dogfights. I certainly hope the early crafts can survive those ships or we will lose quite alot of equipment and personell to those fighters.
Merc. Fighters must be super deadly with the increased +aim to their crafts.

[Dioxine]

Yeah I won't be implementing the so-called "hunter killer" mechanics as that would, as you seem to be forgetting, go against the lore (the Cloaking Devices).

As for the building swap options, it's actually me who asked about these features first so yeah, I do have plans (although it's not likely these plans will be realized in the next release; my day job required me to reduce the amount of work on the mod across January-February).

As for what in the next version? A lot of new shit, obviously. I planned to relese it last weekend, but it fallen through, I wanted to add too much. I'm very busy next 2 weeks, so I guess around 20th March, maybe.

[Eddie]

A lore friendly way to include HK would be HK with very short radar ranges, accounting for the cloak. We also have the base mind shields, but they don't make your base completely undetectable. The cloaking devices on your ships don't prevent enemy ufos from shooting you, so they must be able to detect you in some way for targeting.

Short radar range HK could still be used as escorts, to guard landing sites and for alien base protection. Just some creative input...

[Martin]

Yeah I won't be implementing the so-called "hunter killer" mechanics as that would, as you seem to be forgetting, go against the lore (the Cloaking Devices).

Isn’t it strange that the ancient Stellar Empire has no way of dealing with cloaked ships? The cloaking technology isn’t even unknown ot them, while the cloaking device is way above their capabilities, it is no way an out of context threat to them.

[Ethereal_Medic]

Don't stretch the engine too much. Also revisit the bootypedia for the cloaking device.
It clearly reads that it blocks longrange detection. Short-range detection and clear eyes on the goods is the only possible option dogfights happen at all.

As revolutionary and new those enemy fighters are I want to know the exact conditions for them to target your crafts.
Is the airbus or any battery-ship even save from them? Does they target 'bypassing' crafts and hunt for your mutant alliance friends too?

Anyway I'm happy with every new feature added in terms of items and missions. Maybe even more space missions to duke it out with marsec and megapol?

[Eddie]

According to the stated craft weapon ranges, dogfights happen at up to 60 km distance. Can be argued if that is still visual range.

Anyway, it's up to Dioxine if he wants to implement HK or not. In my opinion HK with a short detection range would be compatible with the lore. But I haven't tested the HK feature yet, so I don't know if they work well with short radar ranges.

[ohartenstein23]

Given that the craft you're intercepting only can detect and fire on you once you start the interception, the acceptable radar range lore-wise is shorter than even the Airbus radar and is effectively negligible. The only way it would come into play would be to have an HK escorting a landing ship - then you'd be forced to kill the HK to make it to the landing site.

[BBHood217]

I'm just glad to finally have a maybe sorta concrete release date, so I can finally fully focus on playing something else in the meantime instead of fearing to start anything else in case the update suddenly happens and I'd have to drop said something else just as I get started on it.

[HT]

I for one am glad that we won't have such "hunter" UFOs to worry about: Airship combat in Piratez is way harder than the original and we don't need even more handicaps when it takes good metagaming or at least 1 ingame year to have "profitable" air combat, for not to mention the battery ships would become extra vulnerable.

[Martin]

Well how about Megapol (or Space Rangers) using holoships masquerading as civilians to bait you and then forcing you to land with tractor beam?

[Ethereal_Medic]

Space Rangers have no own faction, only their guns are tied to 'Sentry' vessels.
Never got the sniper-rifle version so far, only the sexy shotgun, the pistols and sometimes other junk.

I don't wanna be the party-pooper but Dioxine said that this feature will not come into this mod because of the lore.
How complex this game is right now it's very difficult to balance this feature for early-mid-late game.

Early game you're simply f'ked if they shot down your airbus/-van/-car. Battery crafts are paper-thin and early on you don't have your casual 120aim/100reactions/90-100bravery pilot for maximum benfits. If this feature isn't coded correctly, you can lose your campaign simply because of lack of information. You can't see the enemy craft lurking around your airbus-target and *boom* goes your airbus with all equipment and your 6 lunatics. If this happens around month 2 or 3 you can simply reset but I can only agree that it takes a very long time to get enough tech/equipment and do$h to maintain your very own fighters. Codex-Fighters like Scarab or Scorpion are not really made for this and this also leaves the question open how those fighters advance over the cause of the game.

[Martin]

Space Rangers have no own faction, only their guns are tied to 'Sentry' vessels.

They are supposed to be floaters + snakemen, so all the models already exist.