Aliens can enter XCOM sub?

[NastyKhan]

Hi,

Ok, maybe I'm stupid, maybe I was lucky but I beat original DOS TFTD few times in my life and I never experienced Aliens being able to open Triton's door and enter the sub. Is that something new? If so - can we disable it?

Best regards

[The Martian]

I seem to remember an alien walking into the Sky Ranger back in the DOS version, but I may be misremembering and recalling an OpenXcom mission.

Had the aliens seen your X-Com soldiers yet in that mission before they entered the sub?

[NastyKhan]

I don't know do we understand each other, Good Sir

I started my X-COM adventure decades ago with TFTD. That was prior Internet was a thing so didn't even knew such thing as Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense existed. Anyway, when I finally launched it for the first time - it hit me. And damn it hit me literally very hard: In TFTD a transporter named "Triton" had doors. Enemy Unknown "Skyranger" doesn't.

So yeah - aliens walking into Skyranger was a rare thing (because usually it was empty) but was possible. Aliens walking into sub with doors? I don't know. I don't recall that.

And as for your question - I decided to wait 20+ turns to lure them and I planned to hit&run them from inside, hiding behind Triton's blast door. I remember that worked in DOS when fighting Tentaculats. Slow, cheap but safe method. However now they just entered a sub like it was nothing and slain my dudes.

So my question is: should aliens be able to open TFTD doors and enter a sub? Was that always a thing?

Best regards

[The Martian]

I started my X-COM adventure decades ago with TFTD.

You started with a good one then. I know Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense is the more commonly liked game but TFTD was much more intense in my opinion.

...I decided to wait 20+ turns to lure them...

That probably did it.

The reason: (If I'm not mistaken)

Spoiler:

After turn 20+ (I'm not sure of the exact number) aliens become more aggressive in hunting X-Com soldiers, this behavior change may have allowed them to enter the sub.

I tried to find an article about this on the UFOpaedia site but could not locate the information so I could be in error.

I only mentioned the original Skyranger as an example of enemy AI units entering the map block with an X-Com craft on it. As you've said the subs having doors (In theory) blocking enemy line of sight should change everything as they have no way to detect X-Com's Aquanauts.

Spoiler:

Are you using the OpenXcom TFTD Patch? (If you used the Windows installer it should already be applied)

My understanding is that patch fixes a few errors in the map data. It is possible there was a microscopic hole in the Sub's map data that an alien glimpsed one of your soldiers through before entering the sub to attack.

I'm not sure about the exact map fixes delivered by the OpenXcom TFTD Patch so this is just a guess.


From what I've read the AI in openXcom is slightly different vs the original release. So if you are very familiar with the original the enemy units may sometimes do something unexpected.


I haven't done any map editing yet but from what I have read so far I don't think door tiles can be assigned with an attribute prohibiting enemy units from opening them.

It could be that you just got very lucky vs the Tentaculats in the DOS version.


If you really want to prevent the aliens from entering an X-Com sub and don't mind doing a bit of modding: I think that OXCE allows for the creation of a map tile the aliens won't step on... but I may be mistaking it for the "Death Trap" tile.

[The Martian]

So my question is: should aliens be able to open TFTD doors and enter a sub? Was that always a thing?

I was reading the "LOFTEMPS.DAT" page on the UFOpaedia site and noticed something that may relate to what you experienced.

Blatant LOFTemps Bugs

While the game developers showed a large amount of attention to detail in constructing the 3D objects used in the game, there exist a number of errors. Here we have some of the more notable "gaps" in supposedly solid shapes, going beyond those caused by the diagonal joins mentioned above.

These images were created using Bomb Bloke's "LOF Terrain" program, which allows you to see the 3D shapes using the game engines themselves. Although still viewed in 2D (hence making it impossible to see all the details without "cutting away" certain tiles), this still shows many such problems at a glance.

Perhaps the aliens spotted an X-Com soldier through that hole.