spolokh

It would be nice to have such option

Hi. I "finished" Xeno2 three times. I am a big fan of the X-COM series and Xenonauts is a proud successor of this game. I am apologice in advance for a long read, but I have many ideas. The following text is order important, so the later paragraphs may apply to some ideas described in former ones 1. Starting base layout makes me crazy, is it possible to: - make it flexible, so we can fit it to our strategy - add medic and training module at start. Medic module is very important. 2. Deployment craft arsenal. It would be nice to have an arsenal at the deployment craft, so solder can change equipment (and his role) at the mission. It is also required when two or more deployment done during the flight. Size of the arsenal should be enough to carry 3 shields, 6 primary weapons, 4 secondary weapons, 20 clips and grenades. Soldier equipment can be selected before deployment craft departure in armory at base, but also can be updated before mission start using the equipment in craft arsenal. By the way this process can hide mission loading time. 3. Deployment team size - 9 solder team is good for cleaner missions since you can separate whole troop in two teams (2 fighters, sharpshooter and machine gun), but there is a problem with UFO capture mission when you need a third team to operate inside the alien craft. Only one soldier left for shields and it is not enough. especially when you need to collect 2 UFOs without returning to base. After the first mission the shield is gone or almost destroyed. Shields are vital inside, but almost useless outside. Problem can get a workaround using arsenal described above. 4. Soldier stats 4.1 Stamina/Energy may be an additional mechanic to be used 4.2 Health may affect accuracy and recoil (and throwing range ?) 4.2 Morale may affect accuracy too. Moral should be more affected by combat situation as: 4.2.1 other soldiers proximity 4.2.2 enemies detected 4.2.3 mission progress - enemies killed, ufo located, amount of mission objectives completed 4.2.4 allies killed 4.2.5 supression state 4.2.6 stun state 4.3 May strength affect damage of stun rodes? 5. Tactical combat 5.1 it would be nice to keep soldier order to the next turn in case it was not completed during current one. It is especially good when retreating in the cleaners missions. 5.2 It would be nice so the main UFO entrance will be locked for humans. It should be breached only by dedicated explosives. This approach also provides an opportunity to make UFO capture as time based - UFO must be captured withing a limited amount of turns once main entrance is breached. 5.3 Defense of the deployment craft. Deployment craft should play more important role in the ground combat. It may not be abandoned. It must require protection. Aliens should seek to capture and destroy it. Once craft destroyed - there may be some penalties - no items recovered from crush, delay in returning to base, new craft should be constructed. 5.4 Aliens AI - For my taste closing distance with enemies is too easy. Lightly weaponed aliens should retaliate only at distance when hit is almost guaranteed. Hand-grenade throwing range should be cut to pistol-shot distance. Shock grenade - to guaranteed snap shot distance. (Shock grenade radius may be decreased?) 5.5 Capturing aliens. Capturing aliens should be a task himself. It must require planning and rewarded as a kill or even more. May be there should be a medal for it?! By my taste player should plan that in this specific mission a very special alien should be captured, for example - scientist or reaper. It may be required for research or as a bounty request from some country. 6 Team work. There would be nice to dedicate soldiers in the deployment troop to teams. For my taste a single team should be of 4 soldiers. Deployment craft should be capable to carry 2/3/4 teams. As far as I think about it - this is a tough proposition with a great potential to bring a special identity for the Xenonauts series. To expose the potential the following can be done: 6.1 Create team roles, according to the role team can have a goal. Completing a goal provide team member with experience can be invested into stats during training at base: 6.1.1 - common fight. Team goal is to kill aliens. In my vision it should contain two rifleman that keep frontline, gunner that suppress and soften targets and sharpshooter that finishes them. 6.1.2 - reconnaissance team. Team goal is to detect aliens, mission objects (collect mission objects?), save civilians. This team will require some equipment not yet exist in the game in addition to shields and secondary weapons 6.1.3 - UFO capture team. Team goal is to breach UFO and capture it. Team consists of shield carriers and shotgun fighters. Shock grenades and explosives are welcome. 6.1.4 - abductor team. Team goal is to capture specific alien (that is usually require clearing hostiles around it). Lot of stun grenade usage. 6.2 This feature will require screen in already existing layout [geoscape][base][research][manufacture][soldiers][store][armory][aircraft][archives] to manipulate with team organization and training there. 6.3 Team should be created as at the newly proposed screen. "Creation" of a team will require some time, otherwise teammate will get morale debuff. Teammates can recieve morale bonus from team leader in addition to the troop leader 6.4 This feature will require refactoring of the base armory screen to choose teams and not soldiers 6.5 Team role can either be selected at base armory screen or before mission at newly created craft arsenal screen 6.6 Team role (and equipment) can be changed from newly created craft arsenal screen (if all the teammates appear in the arsenal?) 6.7 This feature may require redesign of the deployment craft to use team structure in an optimal way. For example, Skyhawk. It is of 3x6 size and has wide door at back and narrow ones at sides. Can we change be of 2x4 size with narrow exits at sides? (Dead zone can be solved by last proposition) So the Dragonfly will be 2x6 with ide door at back and narrow ones at sides. And the ultimate will be 4x4 with exits to all sides? 7. Medals - good thing, but looks raw, here are my propositions: 7.1 following medals may have degrees - service medal, golden star, award for bravery 7.2 following medals may provide a greater bonuses - award for valor, award for courage, crux solaris, crimson heart 8 Training. It would be nice to have a separate training screen where training process may be visible and guided. For example, some soldier stats may be selected as primary and receive greater improvement then others. it would be also nice to select soldiers for training when there is no enough training room capacity instead of decreasing training efficiency. Anyway, in my eyes soldier progress should relate to its activity on the battlefield, but it be accrued at the base during training. It means that rookie never participated in the battle should progress slower then veteran that completed many mission goals. On the other hand it is difficult to explain why solder became stronger after exhausting combat. 9. Weapons. 9.1 Grenade launcher is funny, but I found it useless. Is it possible to replace it underbarrel grenade launcher? It also would be nice to have different types of shots for it - explosive, shrapnel (same effect as shotgun), phosphorous and shock. Laser rifles can lack of it, but it can be a good reason to use the accelerated rifle instead. (AFAIK there is a problem to convince player to run into this development branch) 9.2 It would be nice to have a reconissance drone (we are in XXI century, right?), same as Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet 3, sorry for advertisment. It should consist of control pad (secondary weapon) and some grenade size drones. Soldier can either move by himself, launch the drone, or control the drone (when drone moves TUs consumed for the operator too). Drone may have a limited amount for TUs (40-60). It cannot open dors, but can bypass windows (should the window be already brocken?) Can there be a larger drone with explosives/shock/smoke? Only a single drone can be controlled at once. There can also be a limit on turn the drone can be in air. 9.3 What about toxic gaz and fire grenade? 9.4 Can we get a law rocket? I hate those big drones. 10. Soldier inventory. 10.1 Idea of the belt is so attractive!!!! Belt should be able to carry a single secondary weapon (in addition to the secondary slot under the main weapon slot), pair of ammo clips (except machine gun ones). There should be an option to swap secondary weapons between belt and one being used. Manipulations with this slot should not take time, except of dropping item that should take a minimal. 10.2 Hemet slot. It would be nice to equip helmet with different accesories as long range visor/night visor/ rebreather. Any such module should not weight a lot. 10.3 Backpack slots. Maipulation with items in this slot should take a lot of time. Let say there can be 3 of them. Any one can be of following type: 10.3.1 Regular backpack. Should be able to carry a main weapon. Two (or three) slots of this type should be united in a single backpack of relevant size. Two slots should be enough to carry a body. 10.3.2 Armor plate - should be a heavy one 10.3.3 Jetpack 10.3.4 Special module for reconnaissance drones, it should carry 2 small ones and drone recharge device. Launching drone from this module should take less time. Soldier may be able to carry drones in a regular backpack and load them to this module. 11. Combat vehicle. For my taste X-Com and all its successor had poor mechanics related to combat droids. It is always better to bring a soldier instead, but can we get it in addition? If the craft was able to carry it outside and deploy it just before landing? My best regards

Totally agree with all said above. It would be nice to improve science management