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Author Topic: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle  (Read 8228 times)

Offline The Martian

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[OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« on: December 23, 2020, 01:03:54 pm »
[OpenXcom Extended version 6.5.5 or newer is required to use this mod]
(Get OXCE 'HERE')

This mod adds a new weapon to the game called the "Hydrogen Rifle".

My intent was for it to be a Gauss / Laser alternative, however despite having a slow firing rate it ended up more versatile than expected.

I've tried to keep the aesthetic in line with TFTD but made sure to change the colour scheme for the X-COM: UFO Defense version as bright yellow weapons are much less common there.


Additional credit goes to Ohartenstein23 who wrote the script that allows changing of BigOb, FloorOb & HandOb sprites during the battlescape.
Thank you for making that script available for the community to use.


Four versions of this mod are available:
Hydrogen Rifle (X-COM: UFO Defense / Enemy Unknown) V1.1
Hydrogen Rifle (X-COM: UFO Defense / Enemy Unknown) V1.0

Hydrogen Rifle (X-COM: Terror From the Deep) V1.1
Hydrogen Rifle (X-COM: Terror From the Deep) V1.0


Changelog:
(V1.1)
. UFOpaedia now displays more information about the amount of damage dealt by the Hydrogen Rifle.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2020, 04:14:39 am by The Martian »

Offline Dwarmin

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2020, 05:02:16 pm »
This mod looks neat. Like the tradeoff between valuable elerium and a better class of weapon. Xcom could use more mid-game resource crunch like this.

Also, this certainly has the Heavy beat in overpriced ammo.

"It costs fifty thousand dollars to fire this weapon...one time."

Offline Lord_Kane

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2020, 05:08:58 pm »
Nice!

Offline Meridian

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2020, 05:12:19 pm »
The screenshots look absolutely terrible... I strongly recommend using zooming (e.g. 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc.) instead of stretching (1.5x or 2x).
Otherwise the text and everything else looks like a bad joke.

Offline BlackStaff

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2020, 02:27:59 am »
Nice work !
Thank you very much !  :)

Offline HT

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2020, 08:20:39 pm »
Tested it with X-COM Files just for fun and it works, although I'm not sure how much damage this weapon is supposed to do. It is apparently enough to one-shot basic aliens with ease, and the damage indicators are not very clear (it says something like 1-1, even though it can one-shot XCOM agents for instance).

Offline The Martian

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2020, 01:28:29 pm »
"It costs fifty thousand dollars to fire this weapon...one time."

From my experience it makes you really feel it whenever a shot fails to connect.

It is apparently enough to one-shot basic aliens with ease, and the damage indicators are not very clear (it says something like 1-1, even though it can one-shot XCOM agents for instance).

The power value of 1 is misleading so I hid it on the equipment's UFOpaedia pages. Since it takes a fair chunk of health from the target I thought leaving the exact amount ambiguous would be more interesting.
Spoiler:
It packs enough of a punch to easily down an "Aquatoid / Sectoid" or a "Gill Man / Floater". Hardier aliens like Mutons, Tasoth and the Chryssalid can withstand the weapon's damage output.

When you need heavier firepower Sonic weapons and Large Rockets usually outperform the Hydrogen Rifle unless the target has really thick armor.

The screenshots look absolutely terrible... I strongly recommend using zooming (e.g. 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc.) instead of stretching (1.5x or 2x).
Otherwise the text and everything else looks like a bad joke.

I've been setting the video options to "Battlescape Scale: Original". Aside from the image shrinking with "Battlescape Scale: 1/2 Display" I noticed no visual difference between Battlescape Scale "Original", "1/2 Display", "1/3 Display" and "1/4 Display".


If there is a better graphics setting I would like to use it, what am I looking for?

When I'm working with a mod I usually keep the resolution at 800 x 600 and run it in Windowed mode would that effect the quality of the screenshot?

Here are a few screenshots of the video option menu's configuration and the resulting inventory screenshot from X-COM: UFO Defense:
Spoiler:






« Last Edit: December 28, 2020, 01:30:15 pm by The Martian »

Offline Meridian

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2020, 02:22:53 pm »
I noticed no visual difference between Battlescape Scale "Original", "1/2 Display"

If you're not bothered by text distorted as fu*k on your "original" screenshot, compared to sharp text on the "1/2" screenshot below it, then by all means keep using it, I'll go vomit now and try to survive it somehow.

When I'm working with a mod I usually keep the resolution at 800 x 600 and run it in Windowed mode would that effect the quality of the screenshot?

In Windowed mode and Original scaling, the only non-fu*ked-up resolutions are 640x400, 960x600, 1280x800, etc.
If you can, switch to 960x600 when using Original scale.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2020, 04:08:53 pm by Meridian »

Offline The Martian

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2020, 09:18:33 am »
Thank you for the example image, once they are side by side the text distortion becomes much more noticeable.

I've edited the original post and swapped the preview image for a new version.

The new preview image has been recreated using Display Resolution "1280 x 800" and Battlescape Scale "Scale 1/2 Display".

Unfortunately 960 x 600 doesn't appear to be a supported resolution mode for my system.
(I couldn't scroll to it in the options menu anyway.)


Here is the old and new version for easy comparison: (Old / New)

Offline Meridian

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2020, 09:53:35 am »
Unfortunately 960 x 600 doesn't appear to be a supported resolution mode for my system.

We don't make any limits on resolutions.

Just click there and write the resolutions manually.

Offline HT

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2020, 11:37:18 am »

The power value of 1 is misleading so I hid it on the equipment's UFOpaedia pages. Since it takes a fair chunk of health from the target I thought leaving the exact amount ambiguous would be more interesting.

I think it's more annoying than "interesting" being unable to find out how much damage that weapon does, when every other weapon tells the specifics. I'm not sure if inside the INFO submenu it tells you how much damage the Hydrogen Rifle it can do. Regular XCOM1 already has weapons doing literal random damage values, so not being able to tell how much power this thing packs is annoying. Speaking of: Does the HR follow the 0-200% damage rule, or the 50-150% from XCOM2? I believe it depends on the game you use rather than the weapon itself, but I'm not sure, you can change that for the item in question.

Offline The Martian

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2020, 04:41:42 am »
Just click there and write the resolutions manually.

Thank you that is working well.


I think it's more annoying than "interesting" being unable to find out how much damage that weapon does, when every other weapon tells the specifics.

You've convinced me. I've altered UFOpaedia articles to include more information about the weapon's damage output.

Here are the new versions of the mod:
Hydrogen Rifle (X-COM: UFO Defense / Enemy Unknown) V1.1
Hydrogen Rifle (X-COM: Terror From the Deep) V1.1

This information is contained on the Hydrogen Rifle Clip's UFOpaedia page in the X-COM: UFO Defense version.
(The TFTD version has the information display in the normal format.)

Does the HR follow the 0-200% damage rule, or the 50-150% from XCOM2? I believe it depends on the game you use rather than the weapon itself, but I'm not sure, you can change that for the item in question.

OXCE grants the ability to assign the method of randomization used by each individual item.

If you are interested take a look at damageAlter: and RandomType: for additional information on this.

Here is the method used by the Hydrogen Rifle:
Spoiler:
In this case the Hydrogen Rifle has been setup to use neither X-COM: UFO Defense's (0-200%) or X-Com: TFTD's (50-150%) damage randomization. Instead 100% of this weapon's power is dealt every time with no random fluctuation.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2020, 04:45:32 am by The Martian »

Offline HT

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Re: [OXCE][UFO][TFTD][WEAPON] Hydrogen Rifle
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2020, 02:10:43 pm »
You've convinced me. I've altered UFOpaedia articles to include more information about the weapon's damage output.


Here is the method used by the Hydrogen Rifle:
Spoiler:
In this case the Hydrogen Rifle has been setup to use neither X-COM: UFO Defense's (0-200%) or X-Com: TFTD's (50-150%) damage randomization. Instead 100% of this weapon's power is dealt every time with no random fluctuation.

Thanks for the change! Uh, 100% damage? That makes it way better than most gear, since a consistent-damage weapon will obviously be much better than a high-value but random damage one. Still, the HR is balanced by having very small clips, so it should be fine.