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Author Topic: [4] OXCE mechanics compared to OpenXcom (differences)  (Read 24114 times)

Offline Meridian

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[4] OXCE mechanics compared to OpenXcom (differences)
« on: July 29, 2018, 01:36:40 pm »
Hi folks,

people often ask me how different is OXCE from OXC and if they still get the vanilla experience.
I usually answer that we are 99%+ compatible and vast majority of new mechanics must be modded before taking effect.

Obviously the next question is... what is that <1% ?
So this post will summarize the changes in game mechanics (not GUI!) that are NOT optional.

If you start a new game in unmodded OXCE, you may notice the following differences:

1. Throwing random stuff around doesn't train throwing accuracy anymore
(it can be trained by using grenades, arcing weapons, limited range weapons and weapons flagged by a modder as such... in unmodded scenario, it's basically just grenades and proxies)


2. Enemies panic less (not by much) when they are in huge numbers
(this doesn't apply to unmodded games, because vanilla never generates enough enemies for this to happen)

3. Stunned units are still considered as units for explosion damage calculation (not as corpse items)
(let's consider an explosive weapon that needs 3 shots to kill a unit... in OXC when you stun a unit you need only one shot to "remove" the unconscious body from the game, in OXCE you need 4 shots, 3 to kill and 1 to remove the dead corpse)

4. Hitting a tile floor will hit a stunned unit on the ground; fire and smoke affect them too

5. Chain TERRAIN explosions can't cancel each other
(for example if one terrain explosion causes two more terrain explosions very close to each other (e.g. exploding oil barrels)... in OXCE both new explosions will happen... in OXC the first of the two will most likely cancel the second one)

Note: this does NOT affect two grenades (or any other explosive items), just terrain explosions

6. Hand wounds only matter when you actually use hands
(if a weapon is not in your hands (e.g. a special weapon) it doesn't suffer penalty from fatal wounds on hands in OXCE)
(only possible in modded games actually)

7. Since OXCE v7.0, calculations using item `maxRange` are happening in 3D. In OXC, the calculations are in 2D (ignoring the Z coordinate).

8. Since OXCE 7.9.14, an Ironman game is NOT saved automatically when you press Alt+F4 in Windows (or equivalent in other operating systems).
(This can lead to all kinds of save corruption, and I don't have time or patience to fix peoples' saves anymore.)
(In OXC, the saving is still done (including save corruption).)

9. TODO...

I can't currently think of any more... but I will enhance this list once I recall anything else or implement something new.

Disclaimer:
----------------
- OXCE has an ambition to stay true to the vanilla experience!
- When asking for new features, please formulate it in a way so that vanilla experience is preserved... otherwise they will be rejected!
- If you notice a difference in mechanics that is not listed above, please let me know... I will either fix it or put it on the list

Regards,
Meridian
« Last Edit: September 30, 2023, 06:27:22 pm by Meridian »

Offline Meridian

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Re: Differences in OXCE mechanics compared to OpenXcom
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2021, 04:34:37 pm »
Since OXCE v7.0, calculations using item `maxRange` are happening in 3D.

In OXC, the calculations are in 2D (ignoring the Z coordinate).
« Last Edit: March 06, 2021, 04:36:13 pm by Meridian »

Offline Meridian

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Re: [4] OXCE mechanics compared to OpenXcom (differences)
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2023, 11:34:44 am »
1. Throwing random stuff around doesn't train throwing accuracy anymore
(it can be trained by using grenades, arcing weapons, limited range weapons and weapons flagged by a modder as such... in unmodded scenario, it's basically just grenades and proxies)

Since OXCE v7.9, this feature is also optional.

More info here: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4230.msg154823.html#msg154823

Offline Meridian

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Re: [4] OXCE mechanics compared to OpenXcom (differences)
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2023, 06:26:56 pm »
Since OXCE 7.9.14, an Ironman game is NOT saved automatically when you press Alt+F4 in Windows (or equivalent in other operating systems).

This can lead to all kinds of save corruption, and I don't have time or patience to fix peoples' saves anymore.

In OXC, the saving is still done (including save corruption).