Hello fellow players.
I adored the TFTD Rework mod. It really adds a lot of sense and challenge into the game. Unfortunately, it stopped working with latest OpenXcom engine. So I took a liberty to fix it and also modify it slightly to my preferences while I can. I am still in the playtesting and some parameters would need to be adjusted. Especially interception combat. However, I think I'll start posting it here for everybody to enjoy.
I've called it "Evolution" to highlight evolutionary development of better and better weapons and to further advance in the game with their help. I.e. better craft armaments allow fight stronger enemy, receive less interceptor damage which equates to less repair time, better responsiveness, ability to knock down more USOs as game progresses and their appearance frequency increases, etc.
Here is the copy of the README.txt from inside of the archive. There are just few changes mostly related to Gauss weapon (both hand and craft) balance.
TFTD Rework: Evolution by Alpha Centauri Bear
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Based on TFTD Rework by R Kallisti (aka Orz, Illamasqua)
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4265.0.htmlChanges
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Fixes
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Recent OpenXcom engine changes rendered TFTD Rework mod unworkable. I have fixed all negative indexes references to make it work.
I have also removed add-on folders out of the mod directory. The sub mod directories are not supported by OpenXcom.
The "TFTD Rework: AlienSubs" add-on is converted to separate mod that can be applied independently.
Other add-ons were just removed. They are not that big and can be taken and used by themselves.
Completely rewrote research tree to make it work for OpenXcom Extended as well as well as few other files. Now it can be launched in OXCE. Still need testing, though.
General mod ideas
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Make *all* weapons (both hand and craft) usable at least in their respective time. Gauss weapons should not be skipped. They are valuable assets. Partially this is already implemented in TFTD Rework mod by making Sonic weapon research dependent on many preliminary steps thus effectivelly delaying their appearance. This mod continues balancing them so that each one has its merits.
Hand weapons (Gauss and Sonic series)
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Gauss and Sonic weapon series power ranges are overlapping so that Heavy Gauss is stronger than Sonic Pistol and about same as Sonic Rifle. This lets player fighting Lobstermen and Tashots with Heavy Gauss should they popup before Sonic Cannon get discovered.
Gauss hand weapons have auto shot due previous experience in automatic weapon design. That makes them more appealing to research and use especially in early game to fight weaker armored races. Also gives a good combat verstility in early game terror mission when time is of the essence.
Gauss hand weapons are slightly faster on auto/snap shots. Conventional technology specially adapted them to human anatomy versus weird not-intuitive alien devices.
Sonic weapons are lighter. This is how it was in vanilla. I guess resonance chamber versus conventional weaponry metal work.
Sonic weapons are more accurate. This is how it was in vanilla. Probably to give aliens accuracy advantage.
Gauss weapons by level (pistol->rifle->heavy) get progressively slower and progressively more accurate making Heavy Gauss the most accurate weapon in the series. I felt sorry for it in vanilla. Why it is the one and only gun unfairly deprived in accuracy while UFOpaedia describes it as an ultimate devastating weapon with the scope attached to it?! It is supposed to be more powerful and more accurate as more advanced technological step. Being heavy and slow is enough penalty for it.
Due to Gauss weapons being faster in general Gauss Pistol is the fastest one among all hand weapons allowing 5 snap shots or 3 auto shots. The only other equally fast weapon is Dart Gun but, obviously, Gauss Pistol is twice as more powerful and more accurate.
Gauss hand weapon series have specializations in accuracy/range. Unlike Sonic hand weapon series, different shot type accuracies progress at different speed in Gauss family. Auto accuracy does not grow at all. Whereas, aimed grows very fast. That makes Gauss Pistol the most effective close range automatic weapon in the game. While Heavy Gauss truly shines as an ultimate long ranged sniper weapon. Gauss Rifle, as usual, stays as a versatile balanced weapon averagely good at all shot types.
Gauss hand weapon series powers are spreaded a little to differentiate them more: 40-70-100. Gauss Pistol is slightly less powerful than in vanilla and Heavy Gauss is seriosly more powerful. That is much better progression than in vanilla where Heavy Gauss is not even twice more powerful than Gauss Pistol.
Sonic hand weapon series powers are spreaded more evenly: 70-100-130 to level out this super high jump in Sonic Cannon power.
Sonic hand weapon series accuracies are slightly reduced to cap at 100%. As Orz already pointed out there should be some randomization in combat. It is too boring when every shot hits. They are still more accurate than corresponding Gauss ones except Sonic Cannon and Heavy Gauss both having 100% accuracy.
SWSs
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Coelacanth/Gauss ammo power is reduced to 90. It shouldn't be as powerful as Displacer/Sonic ammo.
Displacer/Sonic precision is reduced slightly. Same consideration for more combat randomization.
USOs
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All USOs attack range is 60. Now interceptors receive some damage from each attack. Could be pretty small from tiny USOs but still something to take into account when planning an intercept. Vanilla DUP shooting most USOs with impunity is boring. Now interceptor damage depends on target USO size as well as craft armament range and firepower! All these parameters become quite important and every single improvement matters. What is more interesting is that now it is better to attack *any* USO in group to minimize interceptors damage! Much more challenging and tactical this way.
Survey Ship gets minimal weapon power.
USOs damage capacity are about doubled and their weapon power is about halved with some adjustments here and there. That doesn't change their overall threatening but prolonged combat and made initial approaching less devastating to interceptors. Crafts with projectile armaments now able to close up and unleash their power. Number of misslie loads were increased proportionally to compensate for higher enemy damage capacity.
X-Com craft armament
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There are two armament classes: projectiles and missiles. The important idea implemented in this mod is that missiles have higher range but slightly lower firepower and limited payload. Whereas, projectiles have lower range but slightly higher firepower and unlimited payload. Even single Gas Cannon equipped craft is capable to down a Dreadnought provided it survives long enough.
At the same time, more advanced weaponry generally has higher firepower and payload within its class. That stays unchanged from vanilla. I just adjusted them to highlight their benefits and made each technology advancement useful. Gauss Cannon is now much better than DUP in some cases.
Longer ranged armaments are safer for interceptors as they have shorter closing time, obviously.
Limited missiles payload also requires more missile armed interceptor attacks to sink larged USOs *on average* just because their damage capacity. Actual results may vary due to random fluctuation in impact damage.
Limited missile payload is compensated in higher relative interceptor safety due to shorter attack duration. That allows missile carrying interceptors to attack USO in waves by smaller groups (or even one by one). Whereas close range projectile armed interceptors need to attack in as large group as possible to split exposure damage between them while approaching USO. However, they may require lower number of total interceptors engaged in single USO attack as their payload is enormous and then won't run out of ammo.
Sonic Oscillator range is reduced to 30. This puts it in range with other projectile armaments. It is already insanely powerful so doesn't need to exceed missile range.
Fire rates were adjusted to progressively increase relative armament firepower within classes.
Craft Gas Cannon -> Gauss Cannon -> Sonic Oscillator
AJAX -> D.U.P. Head -> P.W.T. Cannon
Facilities
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General Stores capacity is increased to 100. It is seriously annoying me every game to not being able to buy a little bit more of equipment in first base right away.
Base defenses strength and cost are proportionally increased to let them occupy less base space but keep about the same cost per defense value. Buidling 20 Torpedo Defenses to destroy Dreadnought is laghable. Now they have more concentrated firepower resulting in less total number of facilities.
Here are probabilities for each defenses to stop a Dreadnought with given number of facilities. One needs just a half of given numbers with Bombardment shield, obviously.
Torpedo Defenses: 2=25%, 3=50%, 4=70%, 5=80%, 6=90%, 7=94%, 8=96%
Gauss Defenses: 2=35%, 3=65%, 4=80%, 5=90%, 6=96%
Sonic Defenses: 2=50%, 3=80%, 4=90%, 5=97%
PWT Defenses: 2=65%, 3=90%, 4=97%
Base defenses relative strength and cost/maintenance are adjusted to make smoother progression. More advanced defenses cost more but are more compact. Total cost/maintenance grows about 25% per each defense level. That is a trade-off for more compact defense.
Unit stats and armours
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TFTD Rework set Tashoth health to 90. I think it is a mistake. Reset it to about vanilla values.
Reduced Deep One armor and health slightly. I understand Orz wanted some more challenge with them. However, they appear at first terror mission at the end of January and players absolutely rookie weaklings should fight them with conventional weapons or gauss pistols at best. I'd say it is too much of a challenge.
Lobsterman and Tasoth armors are now equal on all sides. Player tends to face opponents to use stronger frontal armor. Whereas AI units just wander around aimlessly turning all their sides to the player to shoot at. No much use in armor variety for them. I should do the same for all other creatures but I am lazy to go through whole list. Maybe I will later.
Reduced Coelacanth/Harpoon and Coelacanth/Gauss armor a little. Otherwise, it is impenetrable for Sonic Pistols. It's not that they should be invulnerable, only tough.
Reduced Ion and Mag-Ion armour values a little. It is overprotective in vanilla.
Swapped Ion and Mag-Ion armour side and rear values. I never could understand this "brilliant" innovation in TFTD. Correcting it now, when I can.
Evened out the difference between front-side-rear protection values on all armours. It is quite often random choice between hitting front and side armor plates (same for side and rear ones). The protection value should be distributed as evenly as possible to avoid sudden random variation in combat outcome.
Increased soldiers' initial health to 30-50 and health cap to 80. This is in conjunction with their armor value decrease to make them wounded instead of instantly dying more often.
Research
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Gauss Technology research cost is reduced to 10. So 10 initial scientists can research it in a day. I don't really understand the idea of having this preliminary tech that gives nothing but just leads to Gauss Pistol research. Should probably remove it altogether but was lazy.
Gauss Pistol research cost is reduced to 50. This is the first and weakest manufactured weapon. Need to shorten the research to load technicians with something right away.
Gauss Rifle and Heavy Gauss research costs are reverted to their vanilla values. TFTD Rework added some extra cost on top. I don't think this is really needed. Their costs are adequate to very beginning of the game when player don't have too many scientists.
Sonic hand weapon research costs are progressively increased. Vanilla Sonic Cannon research cost was about the same as Sonic Pistol. Now it it is twice bigger.
Strategy tips
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Hand weapons
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Gauss pistols can be researched and manufactured right away. Player can equip team with them in a middle of January in preparation for first terror attack. A definite close combat replacement for Jet Harpoon as it surpasses it in both power and speed. Its single shot is still nominaly weaker than Gas Cannon AP one but it 2.5 times surpasses it in close range combat with its auto shots. Besides, some weaklings cannot even carry heavy Gas Cannons. So I usually immediately reequip team with Gauss Pistols complementing them with larger arsenal of explosives. The shooting speed and ability to carry primed explosive in off hand during teror missions are invaluable.
Gauss rifle is as good and versatile weapon as it was in vanilla. No changes there. It usually makes sense to switch all soldiers to it except absolute weaklings.
Heavy gauss is an ultimate precise weapon. It should shine at a single turn aimed shot. Pretty slow and heavy, though. Only very strong soldier are capable to carry and shoot it.
It makes sense to keep supply of all three Gauss hand weapon levels with the team to adapt for soldier strength and accuracy.
All gauss weapons also have auto shot capability with the same exactly accuracy for all weapon levels in the series. Yet it largely irrelevant as auto shot is used at close range anyway. Heavy gauss has the most automatic shot firepower despite appalling precision and potentially can kill Lobsterman and Tasoth in two bursts provided all shots connect. Heavy gauss auto shot is time consuming, though. So melee weapon can be better option for approach and hit tactics.
Sonic hand weapons are generally better and more convenient (one can just pick up more weapons and clips from killed aliens). They could replace Gauss weapons gradually - level by level: pistols then rifles then heavies. It is still may be useful to carry Heavy Gauss unit Sonic Cannon is discovered. Later on their auto shot loses the value with stronger armor and melee weapon development.
Craft armaments and interceptor combat
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USOs are progressively tougher but their firepower is reduced a little so no single shot destroys Barracuda outright.
All projectile armament has much higher firepower than missiles. When they get in range they start destroying enemy submarine pretty quickly provided they survive the approach.
Missile long ranged armament are relatively safer for interceptors themselves but may require more attack waves due to limited payload.
All USOs get progressively more dangerous except Large ones. Battleship has lower damage capacity but higher firepower. Fleet Supply Cruiser is the exact opposite. Therefore, missiles are safer against Battleship but projectiles are much cheaper and effective against Fleet Supply Cruiser.
New TFTD Rework Predator USO is formally a "large" size but takes place in between medium and large USOs being a weakest large alien sub.
Gas Cannon is the cheapest solution out there allowing to save money in exchange for longer interceptor repair intervals. Best in very early game.
AJAX is slightly better in effectiveness but pricier too. A good transition in early game when USO start appearing more often.
DUP is the safest conventional armament but quite expensive. Affordable only when player economically established themselves.
Gauss Cannon is somewhat better than any conventional weaponry and first advanced armament allowing to sink Battleship and Dreadnought with four interceptors attack.
Sonic Oscillator is further advancement in effectiveness. Its full load costs three times more than Gauss Cannon one. So may be interchanged with Gauss Cannon depending on economy state.
P.W.T. Cannon is the safest of them all as usual. Allows to take down strongest USOs with relative impunity. It does require Zrbite to produce, though. So may be used sparringly even in later game.
