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(Mod Update) XNT Into Darkness V6.0 - "Hellgate" (DISCUSSION THREAD)


TacticalDragon

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this version is MUCH easier than 5.3 ))

looks like you were progressing too slow and quite a lot of game time passed so the base was "grown up". If you can't deal with the base have to live with it until you get better guns/armor. If the aliens rape you like this in the majority of ground combats probably time to restart and focus on improving your tech speed. Dropping down difficulty can also be a good option

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THIS MOD IS GREAT! I LOVE IT! Veteran is very well balanced up till corvettes, dunno if still balanced afterwards, we'll see, the submachine gun MURDERS aliens ;)

Mods please keep updating!

I can write xeopedia info if you need help...

Edited by Argh
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THIS MOD IS GREAT! I LOVE IT! Veteran is very well balanced up till corvettes, dunno if still balanced afterwards, we'll see, the submachine gun MURDERS aliens ;)

Mods please keep updating!

I can write xeopedia info if you need help...

Thx arch. I will send a note to u. This mod is enough balanced. Balanced more thrn enough. It should be more hard..

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I fixed the male Coyote armor issue in the equipment screen by copying the file from the female soldier folder. However, there's still a problem in the 3D combat world, where any soldier with Coyote armor and a flame thrower is invisible. Jackal + flamethrower works fine, using the heavy MG model/sprite; coyote + HMG also works fine, so how do I clone this for the coyote+flamethrower combination?

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this version is MUCH easier than 5.3 ))

looks like you were progressing too slow and quite a lot of game time passed so the base was "grown up". If you can't deal with the base have to live with it until you get better guns/armor. If the aliens rape you like this in the majority of ground combats probably time to restart and focus on improving your tech speed. Dropping down difficulty can also be a good option

Well bro I am a veteran in turn based games especially in xcom one's anyways for the progression stuff by 2 month(when u get ur second funding) I had 40 scientists, 43 engineers also had all the second tier ballistic weapons that 3 round rocket laucher, warhawk pistol, new AssaultRifle G(something), thunderbolt shotgun and ofc jackel armour I had stun weapons, aleinum grenades, incediardy and acid .... 10 intercepters, 4 chebruskas, 4 appolos, 2 condor... :cool:

I am not trying to say I m the best or anything just saying that played completed game on ironman few times now so I know how things work :) but thanks anyways

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4 Apollo is fail because they are just recon.. with this mod version if u rush u die.. at 5.3 version whatever u do u die.. I am veteran too but I save load very much.. but u need to use to it.. it's like a Xcom game butbut got many tricks u need to know.

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@gikki

sounds solid, then it seems just the base was too strong. Fwiw, I had a few base assaults so far and the aliens always stay defensive - not popping out to the drop room. I had to progress slowly though b/c if I quickly go into the next room through the bottom path indeed sebs and reapers tend to rush in obliterating my poor guys (equipped like yours). Napalm grenades rule I can say - block dangerous paths with fire, destroy doors

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... I find current sell prices on UFO "recovered equipment" are too high, I cut down by roughly 30%, not sure if it's enough

this mod got many things to search and manufacture.. and new shiny toys are expensive.. when u think you are just find, suddenly u get a bankrupt.. a battleship gives you 850k .. it looks much maybe but the new planes/armors/weapons and the payment to 50/60 researcher and manufacturer takes much too..

why dont u help me at coding for next version of XNT? u are very active at this comminity as i see..

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well, maybe b/c you don't ask anything specific :)

on the other hand, I think the next XNT version should be prepared to work with vanilla 1.5 + respective XCE, which are not ready yet. Doing something major for XNT atm might become a waste of time... And TBH I'm not a fan of huge additions that might erode game atmosphere.

anyway, if you have something to suggest PM me, I'm always open for a discussion

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Maybe :)

XNT is old, i am new.. i think exactly as you think.. so i am working on with standart simple coding like adding changing weapons, editing sprites and go on.. so this kind of codes wont get a big change.. but i dont know XNT got problems with 0.30.. there are many things i didnt touch yet like AI, airfight..i will create step by step.. i got so many things to do until CE and vanilla 1.5 just became bugfree...

Additions can be different.. some additions realy adds what it needs and make it more rich... and some just goes other ways.. depends on the maker.. Some ppl like it simple.. some ppl search for more.. If you play XNT, you already want more..

I am working to create an atmosphere, as XNT tried.. A horrific storyline.. got more things and this additions got a lore with it.. I wrote this to the Before the Fall topic..

I got a very good writer for tons of pedia lore and i need a aircraft modder right now to start to create our airforce...

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IMHO if you want to step forward in a huge advancement for the game you need to explore Branched "locked" techtree. Add more weapons is senseless, but separating the tech is the best way to go and add lot of playability.

For example, when you reach the tech requirements for advanced Tier 1 weapons you need to choose between "Hellgate project" or "Archon Project". One of this paths lead you to laser and the other to plasmas (equivalent in power but with different strong points - laser high accuracy and ammo capacity - compared to plasmas High damage but lower ammo capacity and accuracy)

This model can be used for armors, for example "heavy armor" or "inteligent armors".

If the player start a new game can choose between paths an mixes, Heavy armor + Hellgate, Inteligent armors + Lasers, Heavy armor + Archon.... etc and so on.

This was planned for XNT V6 but unfortunally I cant work in XNT for some time.

@Recovered UFO prices,

This values are carefully calculated, depending on the difficulty time and Tier.

@Modding the AI,

This values are quiet complex, in some moment I was near to cooperate with The Goldhawk AI programer, each one giving lot of synergy. Is more safe let the AI parameters static, each one is carefully designed.

Thanks for you feedback and good will!!! :)

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I also have a feeling there is enough weapons in the game, I even haven't opened/used all of them. Adding more will likely result in a mess. But this is up to you of course.

What I don't like is similarity between laser/plasma and ballistic weapon lines. Basically there are just a few stats differ and animations. This is where I'd put some thought and effort, though not sure is it possible to do smth good about it

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I also have a feeling there is enough weapons in the game, I even haven't opened/used all of them. Adding more will likely result in a mess. But this is up to you of course.

What I don't like is similarity between laser/plasma and ballistic weapon lines. Basically there are just a few stats differ and animations. This is where I'd put some thought and effort, though not sure is it possible to do smth good about it

There is tons of things about weapon.. their acc, tu, damage type, stun damages, burst and snipe capasity, weight, being heavy, armor penetrating, size of area, range..

Vanilla game is like u said.. sadly most of mods dont give any differences too.. XNT got special weapons but if u ask me, its not enough... more and more and more and more ballistic weapons.. kinetic damage... they all needs special research items or chain, this was good idea..

But the question i try to answer is, if i got a good shotgun which can will an enemy easily at one turn, why should i need pistol? You can say, its for shield.. then i ask why should i bring shield if it depletes so fast.. so a high tech pistol with a lame shield which will gone after 2 shot.. so bla bla bla... this goes forever..

I got crazy ideas in my mind and i am working my whole free time for it.. i wont spoil any more here.. i need ppl who like to brain storming and serius ideas.. i am open for all pms..

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Even if you think that weapons in XNT dont have nothing different I need to say that's not true. Mosto of the weapons are statistical calculated and designed to bring something new to the ground.

Lasers are unique, plasmas unique and ballistics had a important role in gameplay.

I think that diversity of weapons are very limited considering all the current options. Is better make a HUGE pool and separate it in branched techtree. Believe me ^^

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Even if you think that weapons in XNT dont have nothing different I need to say that's not true. Mosto of the weapons are statistical calculated and designed to bring something new to the ground.

Lasers are unique, plasmas unique and ballistics had a important role in gameplay.

I think that diversity of weapons are very limited considering all the current options. Is better make a HUGE pool and separate it in branched techtree. Believe me ^^

Dont get me wrong TD.. you are right about it.. just its up to ppls choises.. like i dont use shields and vechles..

I am making a huge pool to enemies right now.. every enemy will have a unique weapon serie.. So there will be about 30 new enemy weapons.. you will research them and you will get weapons with this combinations.. But just looting wont be enough.. you will need a live alien to search them.. u will have hellgate-laser very soon as basic ballistic-energy weapons.. then you should research and fight for new weapons..

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one thing that may need improvement is the damage parameters of the weapons. lasers either melt or sublime matter depending on their power. it would be good against armor but humans (and aliens presumably) are mostly water which has a high specific heat capacity. get down fast and that laser wont kill ya. plasma is just plain dumb really if it were doable like it is portrayed it'd be an effective weapon but its just not possible in the real world. Electro-lasers would be cool, they are in the prototype phase right now (which means the US military has used them since the 80s) they use a medium wavelength ultraviolet laser to create a plasma channel in the air that a high-voltage shock can then be sent down. while the intention is for long range repeat fire tazers increasing the amperage could make them deadly. mag weapons in the vanilla game are... odd. sometimes they act like coilguns other times like rail guns. For anyone who doesn't know the difference ill give a quick explanation. a coilgun uses a series of electromagnetic coils wrapped around a barrel to accelerate a ferromagnetic projectile down the length of the barrel. this simultaneously pulls and pushes the projectile and very high accelerations can be achieved. the main issue is switching IE turning on and off the coils to maximize efficiency. Rail guns on the other hand accelerate a projectile by passing a high amperage current down one rail through the projectile and out the end of the other rail this accelerates the projectile through the Lorenz force. rail guns tend to wear out more quickly but they are more simple in construction. when a hyper sonic projectile (IE one fired from something like a coilgun railgun or light gas gun) hits flesh it fragments instantly and causes massive tearing. with conventional rounds slower heavier bullets tend to have better penetration because of this (i will take heat for that last sentence so ill clarify: i'm referring to a 9mm parabellum vs a .556 x 45 NATO) where as high speed rifle rounds tend to fragment and therefore impart more of their energy to a target. mind you armor piercing rounds (often a steel core within a lead bullet) almost always over penetrate since they are designed to go through a target. Hollow points are the opposite, they mushroom out flattening and reducing penetration but increasing stopping power. id also like to mention that mercury filled hollow points are a stupid idea, not only would it be prohibitively expensive but liquids are very very very poor projectiles and it would likely have negative effects on stopping power vs something like a +P hollow point. Also don't suggest anything about liquid metal guns like the reapers have in mass effect metals loose their magnetic sensitivity before they melt meaning you couldn't accelerate it at all. plus the ammo would be far more massive then that for a coil gun or rail gun...

Ok i honestly forgot where i was going with this but i think it was something about improving realism.

i am not under the influence of any substances i am merely a sleep deprived High school senior languishing on a Monday night.

and talking about advanced ballistics... i need some sleep

Edited by LORDPrometheus
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github might not be such a bad idea *shrugs*

might want to add a blurb at combat start explaining the new stat rules, i can't figure them out really. Has AC been limited based on TU's? No idea...

i like the new weapons theyre cool, i just think some of them are way imbalanced. The armor piercing laser sight magnum is VERY powerful, especially with a shield, you can take on androns pretty easily with that and jackal armor, no need for any other weapons since its both accurate and deadly with small TU cost so it's like a half and half one handed sniper rifle/shotgun (plus 100 shield points) :)

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@Prometheus, I really like your point of view. Realism is important in some point but recalibrate weapon damages is quiet annoying, let me explain.

In the game theory of Xenonauts each damage has a random variability, if we increase damage of a weapon we increase the random range of the weapon.

Example:

Assault rifle deals 40 damage, assuming that random component of the weapon is 50% the damage range of this weapon is 20-60.

When you look over more powerfull weapon, a Laser rifle that deals 60 damage the range is increased to 30-90.

An that is the problem, only single shot weapons can deal this amount of damage because multiple shot can maximise the nominal damage caused by the random component.

I personally calibrate and calculate Laser and Plasmas properties. In fact there are multiple differences Laser are accurated and has longer ranges, plasmas deal solid amount of damage but has lower accuracy and range.

If you have a rookie with low accuracy is better equip Laser Rifle or Sniper.

@Drages, the point is not to add such amount of content. A good example is Xenophobia, I dont know how people play it.... for my is quiet annoying. Micromanagment and the huge amount of content is ... confusing and boring. Most of the time is better add one ONE thing that can be usefull and LOCK feature is the best way to go to increase diversity.

:)

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Its nice to see you often here TD..

I checked the Xenophobia files.. Mostly to find something cool to use at my mod.. If i need to make a critism, the material used in that mod is not so good.. You can see the detail quality difference between XNT content and Xenophobia one.. so i couldnt find anything usefull to use.. they just dont fit at all.. swords and shields from midage in here.. nop.. pass..

I added that much of content to "enemy"... Even at vanilla game we got about 20-25 weapon and enemy only 7-8?... as i said behore i am happy with losing some micromanagement but sometimes i miss them.. I want to feel that there is an army of united alien races against me with different behaviour, weapons, weak and strong points.. and i want to be exited with the loot from a GC mission, not just money..

At vanilla game we got 4 tier of weapon - ballistic-energy-energy-ballistic

I think we need 2 branch for per tier.. energy/ballistic and i plan to make with but 3 tier.. and there will be unique equipments too..

TD.. i am thinking about locking research but, there is 2 questions in my mind..

1.How? I mean as story, lore.. there must be a reason to tell the player, why he cant research something...

2.Which? Where should i need to use this lock... what will be the choises..

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A/ How?

Easy, alien tech has thousands of years of developement against humans. Understanding artifacta in matter of months is impossible, so you need to focus research and developement effort.

Take and sacrifice, if you unlock a research you can lock other one.

I can explain you the mechanism.

The result? A diverse game with lot of options and replayability. ^^

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I play xenophobia I just did a few XML edits so I don't have to make grenades and tier 1 weapons then figured out the rest by rail and error. As for quality remember it is a compilation based on XNT 5.31 so the XNT code is good but a lot of the rest is sketchy at best lol. I really love the tiered base improvements like having a mk1-3 workshop being more expensive and more effective the higher up that is one feature I really hope makes it into XNT *wink

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