Totally Random Tips

Been playing Xenonauts and decided to post some tips I used.

Primus, Prior to Buzzard Suits, if you want to find out what's at the end of a super exposed area, have two people who can reach the end, one runs while the other runs and smokebombs if there is a threat.

Secondus, switching the first Machine Gunner and Sniper creates a high accuracy Machine Gunner that can barely move properly. Personally I love it since High Accuracy means lot's of kills.

Tertius C4 Everything prior to the Alien Space Ships that is potentialy hiding something dangerous or that let's you kill something faster.

Quadra, initially I've build strength for my troops so that they can carry 4-8 grenades + their normal loadouts.

...

I love grenades.

Pentus, Aliens Can't throw grenades through doors.

Also three more tips.

A stun grenade in a small corridor between a reaper and your team is more effective than a grenade on the Reaper itself.

In the event a soldier is surrounded by ... let's say Reapers, and he has not enough TU to run away. Check his inventory for C4. If there's one equip and arm it and watch it go boom the next round when the Reapers come to him.

Always stay at least one square away from anything that can explode. A lot of the engine like thingy on an UFO are convenient covers but would effectivelly expand the range of an enemy grenade if it blows up

The second one is kind of wrong. On heavy weapons, strenght limits accuracy. But once you get to Predator armor, your best snipers become the best HW soldiers.

Hmm... let's see if I can add a few more.

If you like to blow up the doors and don't want to risk missing a C4, activate the C4, move towards the target, drop it on the ground and move back.

If you lose your shields a lot, have every team member that can fit its weapon on his backpack carry 2 shields as their default loadout and drop them on the first turn. Now you have more shields than you'll ever need.

Most of the contents of the UFOs are useless. Unless it looks like a reactor or engine don't be afraid of blowing it up.

If I may add a couple of observations.

Bravery and reflexes should take priority when selecting new soldiers as these are the most difficult to improve.

Sometimes soldiers will have a decent line of fire on the tile an enemy is standing on but won't be able to actually see the enemy. One of my snipers was able to kill a Caesan on the second floor of a warehouse this way.

If you have multiple crash sites make a save before sending out your dropship. This way you can if a site disappears en route you can reload and airstrike it.

Look at how much money you'll get from an airstrike, and send your dropship to the highest paying site. Unless you need a relations boost in a certain area more.

Look at how much money you'll get from an airstrike, and send your dropship to the highest paying site. Unless you need a relations boost in a certain area more.

Unless you're playing a modded game, crash sites don't give relations bonuses.

Didn't know that, thanks for the tip.

One right of the bat which I find pretty useful later on in the game. Enemies wielding the Heavy Plasma (or whatever their explosive plasma / rocket launcher replacement is called) cannot fire back if suppressed, and if isolated, is free Reflex training for anyone capable of wielding a weapon

Note: I haven't tried this out in modded versions, so perhaps it is only valid in vanilla. However, I do recall certain enemies are still capable of throwing a grenade even if suppressed, but my memory might be fooling me on that one.

Another one I think some people are missing, is that Strength levels up just fine without overburdening your troops up till 76, as long as they are filled to their maximum weight capacity without time unit penalties. To go above 76 requires the soldier to be overburdened enough to incur a single "tick" of time unit penalty.

Note: If you lose some of the weight early in the mission, your Strength might not go up, as I think in order to acquire a point of Strength, a certain distance with the required weight has to be traveled. I could be mistaken on that last bit though.

Another one I think some people are missing, is that Strength levels up just fine without overburdening your troops up till 76, as long as they are filled to their maximum weight capacity without time unit penalties. To go above 76 requires the soldier to be overburdened enough to incur a single "tick" of time unit penalty

I didn't know that. That explains why my officers stop gaining strength even though I have them fully loaded to the TU threshold. I thought maybe there was a cap on strength or something. Thank you for the info

Most of the contents of the UFOs are useless. Unless it looks like a reactor or engine don't be afraid of blowing it up

Are you sure that's correct? I was always under the impression that destroying props in UFOs would lower the alloys that you get

Are you sure that's correct? I was always under the impression that destroying props in UFOs would lower the alloys that you get

Only the important ones. The ones that look like screens, crates and hexagonal barrels (and the small waist-high railings) hold literally no value. I just blow everything that I don't need for research or know that holds materials to hell and back.

EDIT: I think I recall reading a post about a mod in the making that intended to fix this... the general idea was to evenly distribute the materials to all props.