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Fishman

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Posts posted by Fishman

    Depressingly true

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    I have to agree about sim city, I don't understand why you always have to be connected to the internet to play it.

    They try to make it harder to crack. What was done quite fast after the premiere BTW, so the measure failed miserably.

    It's a single player game and having lots of people on one server is just pointless. The city size should be a lot bigger as well. I don't know what their motivation was making it like that. But they can make it how they like and people can decide whether they want to buy it or not.

    If people could do what they want out of the box, who would buy all the size- and feature-increasing DLC's, $25 each?

    Depressingly true

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    Not applicable. If Exxon ran their business the same way you would arrive at the gas station only to find that there was a line of one thousand cars ahead of you. Sadly your car would only run on Exxon fuel. Once you got to the pump you'd have to leave the gas hose in your tank while driving the down the road because they'd only give you enough fuel to keep your car running while the hose was in. Your car would frequently stall and leave you by the side of the road due to fuel contamination and broken gas hoses. When you called to complain they'd send a non-English speaking crew out in about three months with one pipe wrench and a can of Slick 50 to fix the problem, if that failed you'd have to call back repeatedly and they might send another crew in three months with a hammer. For your trouble they'd give you a choice between free can of used oil or some dirty wiper fluid.

    Hm... sounds just like Apple iCar ;)

    Depressingly true

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    It's really quite simple.

    What doesn't concern you, doesn't exist.

    Three killed in Boston bombings? OHMYGODWHATATRAGEDY!!!1111oneoneone

    Forty dead in Pakistan due to earthquake? Who cares?

    Still, the AE is one of the worst companies in gaming industries when it comes to end-user satisfaction and that's why every annoyed teenage player voted for them.

    So, what other Squad Level Turn-Based strategies have you played?

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    Oh, another gem I've almost forgotten about: Gorky 17 (Odium in the US).

    Not exactly your typical turn-based strategy, as the maps were crampy and the combat was more Final Fantasy-ish, but nevertheless it was fun.

    [video=youtube;FCM4qC6E4Q4]

    And the one game, I'm almost sure noone here not being from Poland had a chance to play: Rezerwowe Psy (Reservoir Dogs) - a really awful Jagged Alliance clone that was more a work of satirical fiction on contemporary political situation than actual game.

    181826428720110507231823.jpg

    Let's talk about Xenonauts, shall we?

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    Ohh... do I get a special badge by being answered by Project Leader? ;)

    I've played it some more in the weekend and actually yes, there are better and more diversified maps that the desert ones that I encountered before. Yet still, they look incredibly flat. I guess that's where the engine limitations comes into play.

    After a few battles the shooting system seems better than at the first sight. After a few rounds I started having some recollections from Jagged Alliance 2 ;) And the aiming level is remembered between shots, so it's not that much of a hassle. Yet there are still some projectile path problems that need to be solved - it seems that whole tiles where there's even a piece of alien ship are treated as solid cover. There was an alien standing with a plain line of sight between him and my soldier near the entry of alien ship but they couldn't see or shoot at each other.

    Xenonauts engine

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    Not that I know anything about game design, but working with large IT projects taught me that sometimes you just have to scrap much of your work because previously chosen solution can't comply with new demands. I know it's way easier said than done and involves a lots of frowning over wasted time and resources, but there's only one thing worse over wasting a part of your work: wasting all of your work because the final product is unable to satisfy project requirements.

    So, what other Squad Level Turn-Based strategies have you played?

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    I loved Silent storm. Heard bad things about the sequels so I haven't tried them.

    The Sentinels are good, maybe even better than the original in some aspects. Harder, especially at the beginning, because you have very limited resources and everything costs money.

    Hammer&Sickle is badly developed and much harder than the Sentinels. There are no clear goals in missions, and one bad decision or even missing some time-constrained event guides you to an inevitable path to failure. "Frustration: The Game" I'd call it. How would anyone think of it as a good game concept?

    So, what other Squad Level Turn-Based strategies have you played?

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    I can say, I've played quite a lots of them:

    - X-COM: UD

    - X-COM: TFTD

    - X-COM: Apocalypse

    - UFO: Extraterrestrials (couldn't really get past certain poing despite several tries)

    - Jagged Alliance 2, 2.5, Wildfire

    - Silent Storm

    - Silent Storm: Sentinels

    - XCOM EU 2012

    Games I've tried but couldn't really get into them:

    - The UFO series with active pause - real-time and SLS don't mix very well.

    - Fallout Tactics: BoS - as a harcore Fallout fan I was gravely disappointed this not being Fallout 3 and boycotted the game. Tried to play it lately - not that bad, but doesn't have "that something".

    - UFO: Alien Invasion - played some early build, half of things weren't working.

    - Some turn based Warhammer 40k game - meh

    - Hammer&Sickle - RPG based on Silent Storm placed in Cold War theme. So much potential, so poor execution :(

    Where in sweet holy X-Com did this game go?

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    For me, the main factor for a game being good is if I've had fun playing it. And it certainly was the case with XCOM 2012.

    It could be a much better game not being so dumbed down, but it also could be a complete disaster. I'd rather take it for what it was than being a sales failure shutting down the market opprotunity for any high-budget turn-based game for years!

    Do I want a more in-depth XCOM remake? F**k yes! Why in the hell would I buy a preorder of Xenonauts if I didn't? Especially after playing the disaster that UFO:ET was...

    While you wait for Xeno to progress...Silent Storm Gold is on gog.com

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    The panzerkleins were a bit unbalanced in the first game, and a complete gamechanger - up for 75-80% of the storyline you basically hide and wait for the enemy to come into range trying to avoid being shot at as much as possible, while after obtaining PKs it all boiled down to rolling in and opening fire at the nearest enemy, as nearly all of infantry (and enemy PK - except for mortar and beam) weapons were ineffective against you. That's why many of players hated the ending, that could make their team completely obsolete if not leveled up with the endgame playstyle in mind.

    Not even to mention, that you had a good chance (guaranteed for axis campaign) that the first mission you'd encounter enemy Panzerkleins, there's a large group of them, the toughest type in the game, accompanied with a mass of infantry and the (almost) only way to defeat them is to capture beam weapons from enemy attacking you. Oh, and the complex is rigged to explode after killing the commanding officer. WTF were the storyline designers thinking??? It's way harder than any other mission in the game.

    That's why I recommend playing with the aforementioned mod that weakens the Panzerkleins.

    In the Sentinels addon they are much more balanced - they're much weaker, and there is a variety of infantry weapons that have enough firepower and penetration to deal with enemy PKs and wearing them is no longer an easy mode, as missions after obtaining them are filled with enemies carrying anti-armour weapons and enemy PKs.

    Where in sweet holy X-Com did this game go?

    in Off-Topic

    Posted

    Well, the XCOM 2012 IS a good game, no doubts about it.

    It doesn't have a high replayability factor and is oversimplified, but nevertheless it's a fun game and a must-have for every genre lover. It's not the XCOM revival we were waiting for, but it's a step in a good direction, showing that turn-based games have a place on modern game market not only in the indie niche.

    Let's talk about Xenonauts, shall we?

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    Also, think of it this way. There's really no way to improve the stats of a vehicle unless you completely overhaul it.

    Firing accuracy depends on the accuracy of the gun.

    Reactions depend on how fast the chassis/turret is able to turn.

    Speed is dictated on the power of the engine.

    Strength? Suspension.

    You could always just treat it like an armour suit (Panzerkleins! YES! :P ) that gives certain bonuses/maluses to the soldier "wearing" it. Not that I know anything about the current engine, but the idea doesn't seem to be hard to implement.

    Let's talk about Xenonauts, shall we?

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    Yeah, because redesigning the way the engine works is a simple fix.

    Probably unbeknownst to you, as you appear to be relatively new here, the company that owns the engine that Xenonauts uses has refused to give up the source code for the engine so Goldhawk can improve it. Moreover they haven't even returned any of Goldhawk's attempts to contact them.

    Wow, weren't expecting that! I was under impression, that Xenonauts are an independent project written from scratch by the current team, so it would be logical that they could modify the engine. Is it a third-party one or dig Goldhawk overtake the project from a previous designer?

    Anyway, having an outdated engine with badly limited options for modyfing it doesn't show a good final outcome for the game :(

    There's a UI update coming. If you ask nicely (like many of us have) then maybe we'll get that. (I'd like that too, honestly, but considering the unfinished state of the game I don't mind it too terribly, as long as there's a fix coming.)

    That was the whole purpose of my post ;)

    Personally, I'm more concerned about killing the aliens then about getting XP. You can decide not to use the vehicles if you want, and try to get XP for all of your troops, but I'd say that it's better to keep your troops alive by letting a drone take the hits, then for your soldiers to gain a rank posthumously.

    Well, theres one thing - I tend to treat my soldiers personally in turn-based combat that emphasizes on survival. Aliens in x-com series are basicly near-mindless biological engineered drones/weapon carriers (with the exception of high-rank commanders), while humans are the collection of individuals that wage their lives to protect Earth. With unmanned vehicles it basicly boils down to throwing money at aliens until they die...

    Also, humans cannot use psionics in the game. As you mentioned, mind controlling aliens made it way overpowered (there's no blaster launcher in the game either, for similar reasons).

    I demand artillery support! ;)

    Let's talk about Xenonauts, shall we?

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    I totally disagree with the statement that "all maps are big and open". There is plenty of cover on most maps. In fact, there is too much cover on a lot of them. I don't really care too much about hills. I'm not exactly sure what that would add to the game. A hill is really just the same as a building or other type of cover. All the other points seem to be fairly minor.

    Well, it might be right, as I said, I really played only two full missions and they seem to be the same desert type.

    Let's talk about Xenonauts, shall we?

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    Flat maps - due to engine there can't be slopes.

    Maybe it's time to improve the engine and not use it as an excuse? ;)

    It looks really lame right now.

    Lack of cover - I agree with this, but having too much would draw out battles unnecessarily due to any cover in the shot path having a good chance to block shots.

    Again - it's only a matter of coded coefficients, as it can be avoided by adding a chance to destroy/penetrate cover.

    Aiming - Right-clicking or scrolling will cycle through the aim levels. Different weapons have different possible aim levels, with Precision rifles having the most at 4 or so.

    And I'm down to tens of clicks every round.

    It's really easy to add markers on weapon's image that will let me choose more permanently.

    Later ingame vehicles are unmanned I think. Also balance issues. You can upgrade the weapons though.

    If you can balance regular soldiers and unmanned tanks, you also can balance manned vehicles.

    Besides, it makes much more sense - if the aliens are more technologically advanced, they could easily take control over remotely-controlled vehicles. Besides, in the original game and remakes, they actually played only a role of scout drones later in the game - why use it to kill enemies with no experience gain, while your troops can kill any foe a map away with their blaster launchers and gain exp/accuracy or just use mind control and let aliens kill themselvs?

    Let's talk about Xenonauts, shall we?

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    Or more specifically, the v18 beta candidate, dear America... ekhem, I mean dear beta-subscribers and developers.

    I've downloaded it, played a couple of missions (2? Because the pregenerated crashed ufo reports were upopulated one-turners). There are some things that I need to share with all of you.

    The things I liked:

    • The look and feel of geoscape. Map instead of globe was a surprise, but a cat is fine too.
    • The base UI is quite nice. It needs some improvements though - I mean, why the hell are all scientists/technicians not added to new project immediately? There should be at least an option/checkbox.

    The things I didn't like and should be reworked/changed in the final release:

    • Flat maps. Seriously, you really shouldn't do a remake that's actualy worse than the original!
    • Lack of cover on the maps - the maps are flat AND empty. That's a big no-no for a game that gives big defense bonuses for cover and a big aesthetic issue. By no means I want you to do another cover-system-shooter like XCOM:EU - just make it good.
    • As there is no map rotation, the soldiers hidden behind obstacles (Chinook) are invisible. You should at least add some kind of transparency "bubble" for them - classic Fallout style.
    • The battle intreface needs some major rework. Why the hell can I not select "spend all AP on aiming" from the weapon menu?
    • Why there's no running option for soldiers? As it's a turn-only game, there should be an option to let your soldiers move/flank faster - with some drawbacks as decreased accuracy/spot/sight range.
    • The kneeling/prone option should also be independent from movement for ergonomics sake - if I tell my soldier to run from cover to cover, he should automatically stand up, dash, and then go prone behind cover. There's a lots of space on the UI for such switches.

    The things that I'd suggest:

    • Make ingame vehicles manned - it would be nice to have drivers gain experience and drive/pilot them even better in time. In the original (and the remakes) they're just a cheap Chryssalid baits as soon as your soldiers gain some experience and/or psi skills.
    • Make smaller UFOs more prone to destruction instead of crashing, as new aircraft weapons are developed or at least add (researchable?) option like "aim for the reactor" to interceptor attack menu. I'd rather see severely reduced income/loot from scavenging destroyed wrecks (freelance agents option? letting the country that got crashed UFO share most/some of the loot based on country/x-com diplomacy rating?) than purposely shooting smaller ships into the sea or going through 800-th boring scout mission just to avoid the drop in ratings. I've dropped the UFO: Extraterrestrials after it began spawning massive fleets of ships and my geoscape looked like a face of a 14-year old with severe hormonal problems.
    • Storage space on the transport ship - it should be reasonably weight constrained, but neverthless it's needed there.

    More to come ;)

    Precision rifle and LMG set-up?

    in Xenonauts General Discussion

    Posted

    So I was watching ClosetYeti run through the latest Xenonauts version and playing some myself and I had this question.

    Is it possible for your LMG or sniper guys to spend a turn setting up? As in, they might drop a bi-pod or something so that the following turn they are more accurate?

    Just curious because with the animation with the machine-gunner when he crouches it looks like it might be possible.

    There was an option like this in Silent Storm, where you could line up shot and aim at a target in sniper mode in one turn and fire in the next one.

    Don't know if that's translatable for Xenonauts mechanics, since I havent yet to play it ;)

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