gG-Unknown

I went for a short walk Chriss, if you want give a player an option to peak thru teleport, make MARS viable. I mean, currently MARS is hopelessly overpriced, so it is not used by experienced players, for others it works as a noob trap. Slash all MARS prices by half = build, rebuild, all eng. upgrades, all eng time consumption. This way player get an expendable device. Experienced players will not use MARS anyway, becaouse solider is better, but for a noob, it could be a way how to loose a unit cheaply. For example, send to teleport to check siituation. When we talk about number changes, Andron need : armour + 5 , HP -5 , TU - 5 It will be more susceptible to baton, and it will be easier to guess where he could move - so it will be easier to make an ambush. On the other side kill it by shooting wiill a bit more difficult.

Do you actually see that sort of behaviour happening much? // yes, it is common meta. Same as overloading soldiers. But setting a limit of one teleport per turn is going to affect a lot of players who aren't abusing the teleporters, who would just be confused and frustrated by the artificial limitation - and there's likely to be a lot more casual players who are affected than there are experienced players who want to cheese the teleporters. // There are (almost) no situations where normal player would like to port-in-and-out-in-same-turn. (There are two rooms in alien base with one teleport, room has no other entry. So in this special case, you would do a " normal" play, go in, check room - and go out. ) If you remove those two room which has zero value, then I can safely say >> Whole Game has No situation where normal player want to teleport twice in a turn. Do you see, there is no single case where a normal player could be confused or frustrated. Normal play by my book is : Teleport in, do some action, which always takes more than one turn. Go back. you see, the normal player will not even notice the rule " one teleport per turn", because he play like this naturally. I'm not sure that this issue is a huge priority really, // yes it is but I guess a better solution would just be to give a large Reflexes penalty to any soldier who uses a teleporter more than once a turn. That would make any teleport-cheese soldier very vulnerable to reaction fire but not affect players who are playing normally. // Well, you miss the target, again. By Add any artificial debuff after the second teleport solve nothing. Because, after second teleport soldier is back on the safe level. so He doesnt care any debuff. BTW > a de-buff it is even more artificial than simple denial. It's not that dissimilar to cheesing a doorway or a building corner really. // Oh Dear ! Do you remember that myself and Skitso were screaming on you, about 2 years ago, that doors in a base have to be fully automatic because manual doors is cheese ? You deny it, then re-enabled, then again enabled then again. Crazy ! You probably dont know term " Walling " it was coined in early online games, where players cheese AI by pushing self or enemy into the wall, to fool AI do not attack. this type of gameplay was punished by a ban from online world. Here we go again, AI has some limits (or turn based ruleset) then player cheese it, by opening doors, or teleporting back and forth. It is the same principle, gain advantage by abusing rule-set or technical boundaries. The issue with making this strategy less effective is exactly what the player said in the video - "I don't know what to do here, the Andron is unsuppressable". The danger is that command rooms become a place where people are guaranteed to take casualties whatever they do. Setting it so teleporters are effectively one-way trips would do that, I think. // WHAT ?! Chriss, you have made many great things but sometimes, ... Peak up is fallowed by peak down :-] No offence, only one who does nothing makes no mistakes. Player is weak, he do not use Machinegun nighter melee, he is not prepared to use shield so absorb dmg for sake of team assault - he dont need to suppress Andron, it is the only tactiic he knows. Instead, he could kill opponent in one go. On top, you probably missed Servitor which didnt get chance to shoot do to teleporting back and forth. Again, weak player is not a reason to allow cheese !!! In my current plathru on M6 I reached day 200, never used in-out teleport in one turn. Never been wiped ( whole team dead, or mission failed) because of one way ticket. HOW A TELEPORT SHOULD BE USED NORMALLY Player gather group of soldiers, prepare their equip, share grenades (we should have a feature to pick up items from adjacent tiles) then execute BREACH. Shield goes first (lets assume that narrow shield has been fixed) then other soldiers fallows based on situation, perhaps Mg, perhaps shotgun, perhaps melee. BREACH is most dangerous and iconic moment of the whole gameplay !!! Player have to prepare then move carefully and consider risks. In out teleports removes the most iconic part of game THE BREACH! Bridge of every UFO, Alen base Control room - these are sort of the Boss fight. (using dungeon crawler terms) It is the final AND most difficult fight of the whole map/dungeon. Player should execute perfect BREACH or swallow the consequences. To support intense gameplay, to support risk management, teleports have to use rule "one time per round". Here is lore : Teleporting an entity means dissemble all molecules then assemble it back on other place. If you try to teleport to quickly, back and forth, molecules start to vibrate differently, which leads to an unpleasant result. Teleported item do not assemble correctly but turns into a blob. Therefore, all teleporters have a safety feature, to check if entity is ready to be teleported.

No kidding, invasion is in full swing see for yourself Here is a full document, get your Blasters ready : insert_to_your_browser youtu.be/6OBMUFmXRj4?si=bX27l_5y1_zV-sKM&t=98

I have found perfect example of Whack-a-mole issue. https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2694823663?t=00h41m22s I highlighted the issue several times already, include suggested solution. Make sure that the new trigger use a rule "one teleporting per turn at max" See my previous post in this thread. The trick is based on mechanic of reaction fire, as long as teleported soldier keep enough TU he is safe. I em highlighting it again, by video, to make sure we get rid of this toxic type of gameplay.

Map is nicely done. It fits the style. Dont cut it. I see solution by adding more oponents. For all difficulties. On veteran I would say 20 is optimal. (see alien base numbers or abductor = both has 20 ) Recruit should have 16 opponents but weak once. I think Secton with a new pistol of 9 range is the proper opponent which helps tune maps for Recruits. BTW : The scaling of difficulty you did with Sebilians by healing-regen works great. ( Scale based on simple armour buff is removed = superb) If you go add Feed and OverFeed feature I proposed in M6 balance thread, it could scale the same way = Higher level of Seb adds higher percentage gain from feeding. e.g. Base Seb gets 30% healing from melee dmg, Each level add 10% so Praetorian gets 80% healing from melee dmg. You know, I would really like to see an youtuber screaming : " Stop eating me ! " ---------------------------------------- Interesting catch - this is my second Terror mission AND both are Soviet town = that stinks. A bonus tip for you to make game feel more divers >>> Rule : Terror mission spawn system check the previous biome of terror mission then select different. e.g. if I get the first Soviet town then the second mission will certainly not be soviet town.

I have a save on turn 0, landing. user_day_185_terror_site_manual_save-33.rar There was a lot of civ, none survived, it is possible that 2 aliens were killed by civ so I didnt see them. Number of aliens should be related to the map size. Mayby that soviet town design is full of small buildings and walls so it feel like a larger than it actually is. Result playing Soviet town is = empty feeling. I cant remember how many opponents I get in M5 in terror missions but it felt more intense. On top, It was a night mission, so I expected I will be demolished, but I get only two hits. ( OR perhaps I m just insanely good tactician, LOL, and this complain is nonsense.) Anyway, The bombs are not there that is for sure.

it is a second terror mission on Veteran diff. Day 185, see the opponents numbers. On top their HP and armour is weak. Difficulty setting is totally off. On top no bomb present on map, so I didt get alenium LOOT ! On top, on the after mission report, I do not see mission reward. Where is panic ? Why did I made an effort ? do not know ... satisfaction zero.

I know there will be community members happy // small step for a astronaut programmer, but huge leap for a humankind playerkind to read about things like the return of weapons having Reflex Modifiers, // Yes, please. Reaction bonuses were removed for a good reason - Too many numbers, I agreed to delete them. Lets Do not fall into the same hole again. I think we need just one Group - "Fast Handling Weapons" which all gets the same bonus. Every other weapon then stay as now. Power of Simplicity is underrated. Make it as a Weapon Property so it is easy to find in Xenopaedia. Quick handling weapons should be : pistols, SMGs, shotguns (include alien versions. We want fair play, right) and all melee weapons include natural weapons like claws. (alligator lurking just behind the door should go snappy snap). When we talk about this, natural weapon should be considered as "always selected", therefore aliens could use in reaction two weapons in one round, the one which is selected AND the natural. This way, Aligators are always ready to bite with a bonus for melee reaction, regardless weapon type in their hand. the addition of a new Interrogation project for Cleaner Leaders, // Very nice. Several missions offers to capture them, so allow interrogate all of them them is lovely. the ability to manually activate teleporters when your soldiers are stood on them, // Ooooh! Looking forward the for the UI. Anyway, please Make sure that the new trigger use a rule "one teleporting per turn at max", current unfair whack-a-mole trick is awful. and making being on a higher / lower level than your target give a more straightforward hit chance increase / decrease in the tactical combat. // I know this was asked several times but, I strongly ask you do not do this. Seriously no. It is an artificial rule which is copied from dumb games. After your latest balance package regular_rifle x sniper it is just perfect, dont brake it please by adding a flat acc bonus. Here is a better version for height advantage : being on a higher level than your target reduces target's cover which comes from an interfering objects. (not smoke, only items)Each level of difference reduces (subtract) 20% of interfering, so when attacker gets on level 3 shooting down on level 1 have an advantage minus 40 % from cover made by interfering objects. That means hiding behind items do not help (mostly) against attackers at high ground. Which is perfectly OK. Contrary, If you would add a straightforward flat acc bonus to hit, you get unwanted edge cases like a shotguner climbs on a container to shoot 2 tiles away on a target to get the height bonus. Or even worst, people will try to end round on a container while crouching to get defence bonus. Ridiculous! Add a defensive bonus to higher targets is not needed at all, just make sure that all buildings have the small defensive wall on roof. I know that all the buildings in arctic environment do not have this wall, perhaps there are some others too. Here is another idea, which support verticality gameplay : being on a higher / lower level than your target give a plus / minus one tile of throwing range per level of difference Logical and fun rule. You throw further from higher place AND it is obviously harder to throw up. You could try it yourself, climb on a garage and throw a canned beer, you will see that you land it farther than usual. Chriss, Do you like it ? Thank you considering my ideas to make the game better !

Looking forward for those 5000 words update. Funny thing, I have asked for Colossus being able to crush Symbionts a year ago, and Chris replyed: Well, it was not true. I can not crush Symbiots when they are not on battlefield, obviously. So It took me just a year of recommendations, bitching, and announcing bugs that aliens are not using the bugs. Then suddenly we get a superb news : Hallelujah ! Could I ask for another 3 related improvements ? Make Symb Luncher use ballistic curve like grenade luncher , so the live form can better survive g-force acceleration and it would it would be only indirect alien weapon. (aliens should have at least one, right ?) Current texture of Symb. luncher weapon uses the same colour like mantid natural skin colour, so it looks like an thick hand instead of The_Signature_Weapon. Solution: re-skin Symb luncher so it uses an distinct colour, like toxic green or meaty pink - which are different to mantid brown. When Mantid dies, it release one Symbiont which lives in symbiosis attached on Mantid. Praetorians can release 2 Symbionts. More Symbionts, means more powerful symbiosis means more powerful Mantid. Easy as that. Thank you in advance, // I edit and fixed an typo mistake and it asks for approval from moderator again. Sorry.

Blocking partial burst was discussed several times. Same as clip consolidation feature (combine two partially consumed clips into one) ===== Results were 2. types : No response from devs. Vague promise that somewhere in the future it could be possible. ===== Recently I have asked Chriss for a fix off rolling loading (partial loading, one by one, how you name it) for shotguns and Grenade louchner. By my guess it could take 2 man-days of work, but it was considered as too expensive and not important. I would assume that proper handling ammo, clips and loading is the highly important part of tactical game with weapons but, ...

we want to avoid vertical stacking of smoke too. // that is sad. Majority of players consider it as a bug, worth to announce, but you see it as intended feature. We had similar conversation yesterday. partially because stacked smoke would be extremely hard to see through and navigate in general, // I have asked several times, make smoke less thick. Smoke visual should be an information for player not actual hindrance. partially because when shooting up / down a level you'd get into situations where a bullet passing through a single ground-level tile might end up hitting both the ground floor smoke and the upper level smoke (which would be very confusing for a player), / I dont see any problem here. and partially because the smoke particles look a littlle strange hovering in mid-air. // perhaps you need two types of smoke item, one anchored to the ground, second which is a mid-air-smoke so it is properly attached to top of the ground smoke. It can also be quite difficult to figure out where a smoke tile actually is if it's not on top of a ground tile due to the perspective of the camera. // no, see the sentence before There is long time bug/feature (several times announced as bug in bug section with zero response) that smoke do not spread on water. Are you going to fix it or keep it as "intended" ?

Spread smoke as expected in volume, then check camera position and do not show stacked smoke tiles. Do things properly. I see certain patternt in bugs and issues, it looks to me, that lots of coding and "solutions" are result of previous fake or mockups.

Civs on abduction missions are present for at least 2 years, I guess you saw them on your various playthru. Saved civs on terror mission or survived civs on terror mission do nothing since terror missions was introduced.

Your vision is different from a player vision. Your easy 30 minute fix creates a list of issues for player. Sometimes your ideas are great, the last balance fix for sniper x regular_rifle was awesome, but quite often is not even average.

I am sure that in last two years it doesnt. However, if you merge civilians with reward and civilians without reward into one number it only adds confusion. In many cases, player is asked to save civilians ( I am sure the Operation lady on first Terror mission makes a specific request) but there is no reward. Is it bug , or intended , or underdeveloped ?