Jump to content

[X:CE 0.34 U] Super fences, immoveable shields, trollish maps


Recommended Posts

This is a combination of four problems, nicely illustrated by one image (attached).

1. For some inexplicable reason, and despite being able to hold their shield about 30 cm off the ground at all times, xenonauts can't lift it over a simple fence (or, in fact, even a flowerbed), nor can they throw it over the fence and then climb after it.

2. Shields can't be placed inside or attached to backpacks.

3. Fences in XCE seem to be made of the hardest substance in the universe, and able to project a force field across their gaps and above them. They block bullets (23% chance!), resist C4, and their gates are so tightly locked that not even a full squad of elite troopers can open them.

4. Some maps start with all the xenonauts completely enclosed by a fence. Coupled with the above, makes players feel like the mapper is trolling you (although it's probably just a case of poor testing - or making the logical assumption that all xenonauts will be able to climb over or destroy the fences).

The result is that any shield users that happen to be in one such mission have to either remain inside their little "pen" or ditch the shield, and go cowboy for the rest of the mission.

XCE_bug_Fences.jpg

Yes, I know I can bring extra guns, but that doesn't change how ridiculous all of the above are, nor does it make possible to use shields outside the fenced area.

Shield users should be able to climb over fences, they should be able to hang the shield on their back, the fences should be (very easily) destructible, shouldn't offer any protection from bullets, and no areas should be completely enclosed by fences (though that wouldn't really matter if the other issues were fixed).

XCE_bug_Fences.jpg

XCE_bug_Fences.jpg.ef8eaebc8f35b3244f5c4

Edited by Professor Sparks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey spark.

I see your points. Your problems are mostly about that fence and shields.

All of the tiles in the game got a very little xml file for their stats. Probably there is a additional 0 at the health of the fence so it's hard to destroy. The cover percent is there too. So editing 2 number will handle your fence problems.

I do remember ppl carring shields at backpack. But I could be wrong so after you edited this fence health it will be enough to destroy it only a grenade or some bullets.

Fence door.. I do not know it's open able from the start but it would be a good point to make it so.

XCE and it's content and mods are as you know done by ppl who gives their time to improve this game. They do not have time to test every point. They can miss things too. So the players who plays this mods should report thrm nicely. If theere is a problem, it will be fixed. Like here its a 5 min bug fix.

İ hope you get my point..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It might be "a 5 minute bug fix" for people who know which parts of which files to edit. And that's why I reported it in the bug report forum - so that the people who develop the game (and presumably can fix it in 5 minutes) may do so. If players just edit their local files and don't report things, they never get fixed in the game.

Anyway, I find it very hard to believe that no one has ever tried moving across a fence with a shield carrier, or that no one has noticed that picket fences block >20% of bullets, so I assume(d) that these problems were due to some recent change (ex., loading the properties for the wrong type of wall).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some ppl are not so forum friendly. We got not many ppl here commenting. Saying trolling maps like things at bug report. . Maybe I take it a bit harsh.. anyway..

At higher diffucultues ppl became happy when they find somewhere to protect their selves and they don't bother it.

I am sure ilunak will handle it.. and specially the thin can or whatever it is at the middle of your ss is not crash able by heavy units.. that little thing don't make my tanks pass through :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been complaining about this too during my play sessions.

Shield users can't jump over things other soldiers can; forced to destroy the cover (wasting TU or even turns) or find a way around it, if possible. Didn't even realize we can drop shields, but then that makes them fairly useless.

The shields are too long to fit in the backpack, so soldiers can't take extra ones on missions to replace them when they break.

I can understand gunfire being blocked, but having it blocked when one tile away and standing doesn't seem logical.

If fence gates can't be opened.. then why are they even modeled?! Vanilla oversight?

I would like to see changes made to shields in the CE; at the very least let us carry them in our backpack.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

None of these are actually bugs. They are complaints about design decisions made during development of the original game. This thread has been moved to the appropriate forum.

As X:CE is entirely a volunteer effort, I'm going to volunteer my effort for two things I can address. Once I've worked out the problems with my Garrison Duty mod, I shall put some work in on adjusting the HP, armour and cover values of some of the most commonly encountered props (like fences), and I'll take a look at the maps in the map packs released with X:CE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shields are too long to fit in the backpack,

They're not, actually. The shields are 5x3 squares (you can see when they're on the floor). The backpack is 5x5, so they should fit. There's code in the game specifically to prevent them from fitting (no idea why - it's perfectly possible to carry another shield on your back, if you can handle its weight).

I can understand gunfire being blocked.

I could understand maybe 5% chance of being "blocked"; even that isn't realistic for a wooden fence vs. a bullet, but I suppose it could alter the trajectory of the bullet slightly and make it miss (and since the game doesn't support that, "blocking" would be a substitute). But a 24% chance to stop a bullet fired by a rifle, that isn't even travelling through it (it's travelling above it) ? That's a bug. It might be a design bug (not a typo in the code), but it's still a bug, and should be treated as such. You can clearly see the bullet travelling above the fence and disappearing. If a piece of thin air above a crate blocked bullets in CoD or some other shooter, no one would call it "a design decision", they'd call it a bug.

It gets worse, BTW - bullets also get blocked by 10 cm tall flowerbeds. Gives "flower power" a whole new meaning. :D

And if shield users have never been able to climb over fences, that makes it even stranger that so many maps have areas fully enclosed by fences (and at least two of them start with all your xenonauts inside such areas).

Again, having maps that make one of the game's classes impossible to use definitely fits my definition of a bug (unless it was deliberate, in which case it feels like the map is trolling you: "haha, you brought shields, sucker!" but I doubt any serious mapper would do that, as mentioned in my first post).

The simplest solution is probably to make all fences destructible with a single melee attack, but I have no idea if this can be done globally or if it means going through every map and changing it individually.

Edited by Professor Sparks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 10/12/2015 at 6:42 AM, drages said:

You don't need to edit every map for one melee attack destroy, as I said the xml file of that fence is enough.

Everybody can do it as a little mod. You can change every fence or object you think problematic.

 

Actually I've been trying to do it, but cannot find the XML files "controlling" each tile on any given map. Is there an easy way to get it? I tried the Map editor, but it has generic names that do not match any filename. Anyone has any idea how I can find the right XML to edit?

cheers,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...