Modding idea - K-9 Attack Dogs for the Xenonauts

Hello All,

I am fairly new to the game of Xenonauts and the community in general, but I wanted to throw out my idea for the game and to see if such an addition is possible. I have no experience in modding myself, but if anyone wants to use this idea, I won't stop you.

My idea would be to give the Xenonauts an attack dog. Something like a German Shepard K-9 unit, but trained to combat aliens.

The dog would be unable to use ranged weapons (obviously), and it would be even flimsier than the human soldiers, but it would make up for it by:

• Being able to quickly scout out the map. (Think movement ranges on par with the Reaper Aliens)

•Being relatively hard to hit because of its small frame. (Maybe a permanent bonus equivalent to crouching)

•Be capable of carrying things (like med packs or ammo) to help keep the Xenonauts supplied on the ground.

•If need be, it can attack enemy units. Nothing as damaging as a stun baton or other melee weapon, but a series of rapid bite (melee) attacks could help keep an alien occupied if one of your soldiers was caught out in the open.

* Real world attack dogs are trained to subdue attackers, so maybe a dog attacking an alien would result in immediate suppression (or a very high chance of it)*

Maybe later technological advances would allow the Xenonauts to build dog shaped armor for increased protection and/or add weapon hard points with computer controlled guns that would allow Scooby to shoot back at the alien invaders.

Would something like that be possible?

For the aliens, perhaps. For humans, no. Not without changing the code.

Why couldn't you make a new armor, make new sprites that just look like a dog, the program will just think its a human with different armor.???

Off you go then. Show us pictures when you're done of the werewolf armour.

No need to be sarcastic. Would it work or not. If you make sprites look like a dog, and give it k9 stats, then why would it not look like a dog and have the stats you gave it?

Yes it would.

No one's gonna make it though.

The stats would actually be a problem, because they'd use the soldier's stats as a base. And you'd be relying on player discretion not to arm their dogs with machineguns!

I actually think a better was of doing this would be to have a mechanical/robotic unit instead. But, lorewise, I don't think there'd be a good reason to make it dog-shaped.

superman, it would look like werewolf armour. You could try and fix the stats using stat bonuses and maluses in CE, but that wouldn't take away the issue that it's werewolf armour, not a K-9. It would be joke armour, on the same level as replacing all the dragons in Skyrim with models from Thomas the Tank Engine. As I said previously, off you go. You want to see werewolf armour, then implement it.

Ok, then what about creating a new vehicle, make the sprites look like a dog, give it the stats, then don't make any weapons to load onto it. Would that work?

And quit being a jerkoff telling me to make it, I am trying to come up with ideas for the poster, not myself.

Game can't handle vehicles smaller than 3x3 tiles.

superman, if you feel I am being discurtious in asking you to make the things you suggest the I apologise for my behaviour, but it's because I want you to try and think about what you're saying before you say it. Throwing mud at a wall and looking to see if any sticks is a useful thought exercise in propagating then weeding out bad ideas, however the person who throws the mud is usually the one who has to clear it up, rather than expecting others to do it.

Starting to seriously think that UFO ET is way more flexable and interesting MOD wise.

Ok, then what about creating a new vehicle, make the sprites look like a dog, give it the stats, then don't make any weapons to load onto it. Would that work?

And quit being a jerkoff telling me to make it, I am trying to come up with ideas for the poster, not myself.

He's saying that nobody is going to implement an idea they view as a joke. At that point, you have to do it yourself or leave it alone. Nothing mean about being honest.

And before we get to the point of flaming Xeno because nobody will implement your ideas, it is not the game's fault for that. You're not paying the modders for their time or effort, are you? In that case, you must take whatever they are willing to do, or do it yourself.

It is very easy to throw ideas around when you have zero interest in figuring out how they can be implemented.