RustyNayle

In the above thread, @drages suggested not only a different name for the game, but the force itself could be renamed. I honestly don't think it should be called Xe2. We have been referring to it as that in these discussions to differentiate it from Xe1, but if it's a reboot and not an actual sequel, then just calling it Xenonauts: [enter subtitle], with a different subtitle that reflects the new focus the devs are taking with this game compared to the first (like my example of "Xenonauts: Secret War") would be better. In that thread, @Sheepy even suggested something as simple as "Xenonauts 3D"

Eh, it looked cool when he ran and knocked the door down, but then he was way too static. How easy would it be for someone behind cover to just shoot for his centre of mass or even aim at his head, he was only moving his arms moving around while standing completely still. 2/10

The above thread already discussed the subtitle name for the game, I think @drages is saying that while the game might be called "Xenonauts: Secret War" (or something like that), the actual task force themselves should have a different name, in his opinion. So the secret organisation and its soldiers might be called something different. I don't think it's necessary, why change something that works.

Yes, it might have been voted down or the devs just made an executive decision not to include it in their vanilla game, but if they can make it easy for modders to enable their own art / units that would be a good way for them to support those that do want multi tile units

I would say if enough people are actually interested in this then maybe the devs could make it easy for a modder to code in these variables as editable in a simple menu screen for those that want to enable the mod, but it shouldn't be part of the vanilla game.

I like a game with many option variables which can be checked or left unchecked to try out different game modes. A sandbox mode with no pressure to end, a dynamic one where everything is against you and there is a very limited window through which you should hit Endgame (not too fast as you have to find your enemy first and earth tech will be no good, but don't take too long as all the nations of Earth will eventually be dominated and hunting you as well), and some other modes in between due to different options being checked or not. Obviously, the ability for modders to tweak these further will be a big boon towards replayability.

I think it's good if you're going to share certain abilities between field techs and soldiers, that the techs start with very high values in their chosen skills and even though soldiers can also advance to some extent in these skills they never get as good as a specialised tech at the same level. Vice versa, the techs can advance in their combat skills, but will never be as good as a specialised soldier at the same rank (although they will be better than a rookie soldier).

I like plotting nodes on move path as well, allows soldiers to do a big move while passing several cover points without having to stop and start (especially if you're going to use @Ninothree's idea, which I think is great btw). Soldiers could have cones of varying size while moving at different speeds, but when they stop it returns to 360 degree. Or maybe there's an action you can click on that lets them scan (rather than right clicking a few times)?

Civilian field scientist (former archaeologist / linguist) effectively wielding Beretta akimbo by the end of the first season of Stargate SG-1. End of argument He also gets pretty good at P90 and the Goa'uld weapons as well. He always pulls that funny face while doing it though, haha

I think in the new XCOM that soldiers are aware of any enemy within visual range worked much better than having to turn and face at every corner like the original X-COM (and Xe1).

Rather than call it "Xenonauts 2" since it is in fact a reboot, it could be "Xenonauts: From the Shadows", since this connotes the alien puppet masters working in the shadowS, and the Xenonauts themselves operating from the shadows rather than engaging in open war (initially).

Maybe when researching a new weapon a prototype becomes available for use. The soldier that first succeeds in testing it by hitting or killing an alien with it will then get his name memorialised once the research is complete and the final report is produced. A random element would be if the prototypes are dangerous to use, and a soldier attempting to use it could suffer damage when it explodes or some other poor effect depending on what sort of tech was being researched, this would also be fun to include in the final mission report. Or, even if the random chance of something going bad doesn't produce a result, the scientist might remark, "We were very glad we fixed _____ problem before someone tried to fire it in burstfire, otherwise something very bad would have happened"

This sounds fantastic! If Xe1 only used TU reserve due to its focus on being a spiritual successor to X-COM, why not flex your creativity and do something new with Xe2? I really hope the beta community supports it if it works well in practice.

Raiding organisations and selling psyclone was a great fund-raising tool in X-COM Apocalypse. Even the Cult of Sirius raid loot would contain some, you didn't even have to target the crims directly.

Oh, a rocket to the face from a cultist was a very real possibility. They did get other alien tech later on, too.

Yes, is this a simulator for education / training purposes, or a game for enjoyment / entertainment / past time? I think most gamers in this genre opt for the latter, rather than the former. The game designers have the prerogative to make it whatever they like.

I like the idea in X-COM: Apocalypse of agents taking conventional vehicles like cars to a site, it gave a real "men in black" feel. Hey, if you're running on a budget, why not send a team with concealable weapons on public transport - taxi, train, bus, or tram? This would make extraction a lot more difficult if things turn hot, especially if you're in a hostile nation. I guess the skyranger would be on stand by in case a loud extraction was necessary. A mini game of shots being exchanged between cars (flying or land-based) with agents leaning out the windows to use their weapons would be so much fun!

I think depending on the level of suppression which the soldier is affected by, even if they ran out of TUs before their own turn was ended, they should be forced to crouch, drop (if you allow prone, as in X-COM: Apocalypse), dive for the nearest cover, run away, go beserk, or whatever. Then the TUs required to do this - and then some - are deducted from their next turn's TUs (rather than just a set "half of total TUs"). I like the idea of concussion damage being different than suppression, more of a dazed and half incapacitated effect rather than unwillingness to stick your head out. The former might be dampened by special tech, but the latter is more of a morale / armor thing.

Hi guys, I know you're working on the kickstarter launch for Xe2. I was just wondering why Steam says it's updating Xe1? I couldn't find any mention of what changes you have been making to it? Cheers

At first I thought this idea was too complicated, but imagine if soldiers could start off with high accuracy (makes sense with those that are well trained / have natural affinity), but low bravery and/or encountering new aliens is a huge stress on new recruits, so they will have a low effective accuracy at first. If they manage to survive missions without major injury or trauma, and are briefed after autopsies / interrogations, their bravery increases. This is better than supposedly experienced or trained soldiers just having an actual low accuracy score with no explanation as this genre of game tends to have. This is already covered by the suppression mechanic. Perhaps if someone is suppressed, they might also lose some morale (makes sense). Or do it your way (wounds and even missed shots lowering morale) and add the kneeling / loss of TUs "suppression" effect as one of the possible outcomes of lowered morale, so brave soldiers aren't affected by suppression as much as others. I really like this idea! Psionicists have the ability to heal all morale at once in other games, but for a soldier with appropriate training to be able to steady their own resolve even a little is a great idea, and makes it a bit more gritty. It forces encounters with a lot of morale penalties to be much more drawn out, without requiring lots of enemies to mow down, which I think suits the Secret / Cold War theme better. Eh... Not a fan of terrain directly affecting morale. I think doing more work on the amount of concealment that certain tiles offer is a great idea, though - especially if aliens that were previously not seen by the squad suddenly revealing themselves in close range causes a massive hit to individual / group morale. In Xe1, when soldiers could easily see aliens standing in fields of wheat it wasn't as scary as it should be in real life. Players would direct their soldiers around those fields due to the increased TU cost, not because there might be aliens hidden among it. The new jungle map mod for Xe1 was fantastic, as aliens could be hidden in all sorts of corners and you could even walk straight past them and not even notice (reminded me of the coral labyrinths in X-COM: Terror From the Deep). More work on the light / shadows, and concealment mechanic would really add to the Secret / Cold War feel, I reckon! Aliens that have an increased ability to hide as long as they are in full cover / high concealment would increase the players' paranoia, and if it resulted in soldiers being surprised by enemies then that would increase the effect of the morale mechanic. Yes, I think if there is going to be more work on concealment / lighting and shadows mechanics, then they definitely have to consider static lighting, and not just chucking flares around the map / using soldiers' torches on their guns.

Every weapon currently has the capacity to make melee attacks (pistol whip / rifle butt), but for weapons to be able to be modded with bayonets would be great

Jet fuel doesn't melt steel, but thermite charges can m'kay

If the Cold / Secret War idea is being pushed, then noisy Chinooks might not be the best transport option, they would most likely opt for smaller stealthier craft until the war gets "hot" and/or really good relations with the nation, etc

These changes to the recruitment screen could be explained with the idea of Xenonauts flagging potential recruits from various intelligence / science / military organisations across the funding nations - and outside those national borders as well. Those potential recruits the player is not interested in at all could be "de-flagged" and drop off the list entirely, allowing the recruiters in your administration to search further to add new potential recruits to the pool. Maybe fresh recruits have greater potential for more flexible or specialised skill development within the Xenonauts and/or can reach higher levels (or are cheaper to maintain once they reach higher level), whereas the more experienced mercenaries recruited externally are only good at combat and plateau earlier, or are just too expensive to maintain on staff in the long term. In X-COM: Apocalypse they enabled the use of androids, which were good at supplementing rookie squads or defending bases but couldn't advance their skills (vehicles in the original X:UD and Xe1 were similar, with upgradeable SHIVs in X:EU).

Yeah, I'm using the No Click one, but I thought your soft click sounded a bit better, rather than removing it entirely.