Lotean

Honestly I feel there's another problem. The mid - late areal situation is too difficult. I might be wrong here but I still use the condor as a short - mid range patrol fighter, though even with a squadron of corsairs and marauders I feel the end game situation would be too difficult. I mean the enemies are just spamming carriers when this vessel probably took a lot of manhours, materials, and most importantly fuel to make, yet they're sending these things down like a zerg rush. I feel a few things might allay this, perhaps the enemy could start sending their landing ships with a sort of automated corvette, instead of immediately escalating to a cruiser or even mix the two for a while longer before escalating to a full attack vessel. Maybe even only use fighters, heavy fighters, and interceptors for air superiority missions only. So when you cowboy up to take out the corvette guard, you're completely unready to take down an interceptor group. Secondly I feel that the current air force could be enhanced, like the greatest failing of the foxtrot as a dog-fighter is it's inability to roll in combat and it's lack of cannon. Hey wait... didn't the corvettes and other alien ships have really precise thrusters that could make that happen and alien materials to make sure the craft didn't rip itself apart? !!! meet the foxtrot - E, a dogfighter model that has a cannon and can roll and dance in the sky. Not as much as the awesum marauder but until you get the materials and facilities for one, this can close the gap. What's that? The biggest problem with the condor is it's lack of speed and it's essentially weak firepower after it's missiles are gone? More of it's weak armor keeping it out of the fight? Well lets beef up the armor with these new materials we found and use an alieum/fuel hybrid to speed it up a little, and call it the F - 17X for fun. What? that's not enough? okay lets use a pure alien reactor and use even more alien materials. Hmmmm. I hear that the aliens use really complex alien electronics. Could that not support a feed system for say, an additional missile on each wing and then further armor upgrades. Lets call it the F - 17 E because the foxtrot got an E after being beefed up so why doesn't it? I propose these enhanced Terran craft have to spend time in the workshop being enhanced, after being bought, or built outright. But I really don't see the xenonauts seeing these new alien craft and doing absolutely nothing to beef up their existing crafts while they bring the corsair and marauder into being. Just like I always wondered why they would leave their current ballistic weapons the way they are instead of using the alien tech to add sights, scanners, maybe even rangefinders in the very late game. lastly, I don't see why alien materials can't be used to make upgrades on the current jackal armor. Like come out with a 'coyote' armor, that has the light agility of the jackal, with some of the protection of the wolf but without that jet pack. Hmmmm... that andron armor is pretty strong, though it doesn't seem to weigh down the andron that much. Maybe we could make it with these shiny new materials we got, and come out with a sort of 'fox' armor, all the strength of the wolf without the weight. Then we could have the juggy armor for heavier troops while the other troops can do what they do around the heavies. These are just some thoughts I have from my recent play-through of this awesome game.

you know. the OP has a wonderful idea. and hey we can even throw the cold war into it. Like russia will pay more if you... neglect to defend certain places such as military targets and the US will pay if you... neglect to send your ground teams to recover downed UFO's. maybe even say if 'local forces' such as spetsnaz or Delta force, defeated the alien craft on the ground or if the aliens got away. Giving them a greater chance to discover where your bases are. Maybe even have alien 'rescue' missions where the alien menace is trying to get intel on you just like you are on them...

Adding to the 'can't pay wages' message. Can't the system work to where the governments of the world pay us 'then' we pay our soldiers, maintenance and engineers?

that and I think we're missing one key aspect here. The alien plasma weapons aren't 'rapid fire' so to speak. So they would have an instant disadvantage in this mechanic. Plus your system advocates simply throwing a lot of rounds in the air and hoping for the best, hoping that you aren't fighting something like 'the Andros' that can simply take your fire and don't get suppressed. realism is good but we need to sometimes suspend our disbelief. besides aren't most xenonaughts hardened combat veterans that have come out of S.E.A.L.S training, Vietnam, Afghanistan, cypress and didn't we put them through another training program when they got there to become 'corporals'. Which I think they should really be 'rookies' until they have the training, then 'privates' even though that might not sit well with some of the men. I mean some of them might have been E - 5's or greater going into xenonaughts. Just saying.

I've noticed this too. taking away their main armament. I.E if you put an M-16 in their hands then take it away and put it back. you should notice their AP going back up to 'normal'. I'm sure this is a bug but I think this would be a great way to force the player to 'rotate' their soldiers and not having them go out on multipule missions. Simulating fatigue and battle stress. Though for now I think it's a bug.

well couldn't she migrate into a combat role if she wanted? And there's a lot more to espionage than simply 'blending in'

also I pre ordered this ages ago. where ish my medal?

Also don't forget what this war is supposed to be. I think that this is supposed to be like the air war over Britain in WWII. If you look up the battle of britain, and see exactly how they defended themselves, I think you'll see exactly what this is supposed to be. Only now you're fighting for technical superiority as well as areal supremacy. Well 'supremacy' being optimal conditions to send a slow moving transport.

Hmmmmm... Also I've been thinking. Well two thoughts. Why not have training programs available to soldiers, I.E. Heavy weapons, sharp shooter, CQB, Anti- Psyonic (Psychic). Then why not have pilots being a part of the personnel roster. The air war is just as if not more important than the ground conflict. Oh maybe an officer corps for Sgt's wanting/needing to move up to a better level of leadership. Hmmmm... maybe have a slot that provides 'global' benifits like a 'company commander', 'platoon commander' type thing?

Awww... so basically we've won once we actively start using alineum torpedoes?

Hey wait a minute. weren't there women serving in soviet intelligence agencies? KGB, SMERSH, Ect well before SMERSH was disbanded. well wouldn't those women have to go somewhere to apply their skills?

Okies. thank yous. It was just an idea!

SMG's anyone? I only think this would be a cool addition because well of the time period and the type of combat that we're facing. Maybe some kind of 'mid game' research option that allows for smaller, more compact machine guns that take up less weight but produce around the same firepower. Secondly, what about some kind of close air support craft? I know the Huey was still in service from vietnam and the F -14 I believe was relegated to this role as well. I just think that it would be more interesting to have more involved in the 'over world' sense. Like if in the 'air' part of the combat the main craft's escorts weren't dealt with properly then they could help out when you tried to assault the downed craft... The aliens are interested in strafing highways after all.