Newbe questions

[DIhlo]

So have been playing the mod for a while now, still on my first try, but then again I started on low difficulty for a reason, really enjoy it even if it's very confusing and baffling sometimes.

Anyway I had a couple of questions:

1)Is there a way to see if a craft is underwater capable before buying it? For example I looked at Snake (wiki tells me it's underwater capable in the article about the tiny drill): I checked bootypedia entry, I checked extended stats, but that doesn't seem to be shown anywhere that I saw.

2)Is there a RELIABLE source of apples? In the beginning I seemed to swim in the things, since almost every mission was lokk'narrs or ratmen, and there was always apples on the ground. Nowadays I have 2 bases with 70 runts each, and that setup seem to have gone through my 270+ apple stockpile in a couple of months making wine. Now I need some to make Rum as field healthkits... And last "help the lokk'narr" mission didn't give me any despite stating an apple reward in the briefing (all I got was 20+ sectoweed).

[Toothless Shark]

So have been playing the mod for a while now, still on my first try, but then again I started on low difficulty for a reason, really enjoy it even if it's very confusing and baffling sometimes.

Anyway I had a couple of questions:

1)Is there a way to see if a craft is underwater capable before buying it? For example I looked at Snake (wiki tells me it's underwater capable in the article about the tiny drill): I checked bootypedia entry, I checked extended stats, but that doesn't seem to be shown anywhere that I saw.

2)Is there a RELIABLE source of apples? In the beginning I seemed to swim in the things, since almost every mission was lokk'narrs or ratmen, and there was always apples on the ground. Nowadays I have 2 bases with 70 runts each, and that setup seem to have gone through my 270+ apple stockpile in a couple of months making wine. Now I need some to make Rum as field healthkits... And last "help the lokk'narr" mission didn't give me any despite stating an apple reward in the briefing (all I got was 20+ sectoweed).

1) The only way to see that info at the moment is to select non underwater craft and try to send it to underwater mission. You will get a warning that craft is not suitable for that kind of mission and will list you all the craft that you have researched that can be used. This basically means that you have to wait for underwater mission to pop up only to get that info.
There really should be a more convenient way to get that info.

2) You get apples often enough from various missions as random loot or as loot specific to some maps. For example, maps with lots of apple trees in them give you apples at the end of the mission. You really shouldn't have trouble getting apples in game, just do missions.

[Negative]

Just don't blow those apples away or burn them

[Dakkdakk]

Loads of mission have the potential to have lots of apples, even bounty hunt ones. You best bet is to just take every mission, no matter how unimportant. Death and Taxes almost always have some or lots of apples, also. I dont think there are any 100% guaranteed ways to get apples, tho, since even lok'narr missions sometimes don't have them.

I also think there's a chance downed UFO's will have maps with apples in them.

[legionof1]

Yes apples are just map RNG, usually there pretty plentiful but chance is just that. Sometimes your gonna have to do without for awhile.

[Zharkov]

Is there a way to see which topics cannot be researched because of missing facilities?

[cc]

Is there a way to see which topics cannot be researched because of missing facilities?

Not really. The only thing you can do is check whether all topics show up after unlocking them and then use the tech viewer to figure out the missing facilities on those that do not. To complicate things, unless you check out the anal info on buildings, you might miss out on what services they provide (e.g. Surgery Room provides both Medical and Surgery; Luxury Spa provides Mess, etc.). On the upside, what's required is generally obvious.

[niculinux]

Is there a way to see which topics cannot be researched because of missing facilities?

They only one seems to be pretty crucial is the mess hall (as it is told in bootypedia description)

[cc]

They only one seems to be pretty crucial is the mess hall (as it is told in bootypedia description)

No, several others (Library, Labo/C-Core, Workshop, and Medical first and foremost, but Surgery, CPU2, and Summoning are also used iirc) matter quite a bit as well. This becomes especially important when setting up a research base which may not have a Lab or a Workshop.

[Zharkov]

No, several others (Library, Labo/C-Core, Workshop, and Medical first and foremost, but Surgery, CPU2, and Summoning are also used iirc) matter quite a bit as well. This becomes especially important when setting up a research base which may not have a Lab or a Workshop.

And, I just found out that you need the Beast Den to research and build named bloodhounds. Usually I do not use Beast Dens, so I wonder, what else I am missing.

[cc]

And, I just found out that you need the Beast Den to research and build named bloodhounds. Usually I do not use Beast Dens, so I wonder, what else I am missing.

To have all base functions, you need to have (at least):
Armory Tower
Luxury Spa
Still
Mint
Refinery
Red Tower
Extractor
Industrial Printer
Power Station
Fusion Reactor
Surgery Room
Computer Core
Cloning Centre
Beast Den

For most of the game, you'll probably want to have a Library, Lab, and Summoning Circle (superceded by Red Mage Tower), as well as a Workshop (superceded by Industrial Printer/Armory Tower), a Medbay (superceded by Surgery Room), and a Mess Hall (superceded by Luxury Spa). Please note that not all of the above may be used in research or, as a matter of fact, anything at all (looking at you, Red Mage).

[Zharkov]

To have all base functions, you need to have (at least):
Armory Tower
Luxury Spa
Still
Mint
Refinery
Red Tower
Extractor
Industrial Printer
Power Station
Fusion Reactor
Surgery Room
Computer Core
Cloning Centre
Beast Den

For most of the game, you'll probably want to have a Library, Lab, and Summoning Circle (superceded by Red Mage Tower), as well as a Workshop (superceded by Industrial Printer/Armory Tower), a Medbay (superceded by Surgery Room), and a Mess Hall (superceded by Luxury Spa). Please note that not all of the above may be used in research or, as a matter of fact, anything at all (looking at you, Red Mage).

For which Research do you need the mint for?

[cc]

For which Research do you need the mint for?

None as it turns out. See my last sentence from the previous post.

[OXCEForumLurker]

How do you engage the land based, early game ufos?  (Rogue Courier, Roving Bands, Highway Convoy etc.)  Starting up a new game, I recall in the old one, by the time I had any craft weapons at all, they'd pretty much all disappeared.  I think I got like one highway convoy the entire game.  Anyway, I've got a little better idea what to rush but I still have the sense that the way research is choked down early on that it will be a matter of a month or two earlier.

It seems like you'd be able to just... land near the roving bands and the courier, given how slow they move.  Anyway, just want to make sure I'm not missing anything and I'm *supposed* to sit around twiddling my thumbs waiting for Academy airbusses to land right near my base for months at a time, besides random missions

[Ultimoos]

Roving bands, the one that goes 90 miles will eventually "land" and you'll have a mission to save 3 castaway gals. You can try to tail it with hunting party and once you see it landed send airbus. I've never seen rogue courier landed. The earliest thing you can use to intercept it is "little bird". It will take you over 2 months to get one if you rush it. Same deal with highway convoy. You can very quickly research V8 and get fast 5 sit car to chase rowing bands too.