Muskrat
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Posts posted by Muskrat
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The idea of re-inventing air combat is exciting, but I have to admit what you're describing sounds like a step backwards to me. It sounds like an expansion on XCOM air combat, which is pretty bad, and I don't think the mechanic you're describing will make it much more interesting - at least to me.
I have some pretty memorable moments from Xeno air combat, like needing to rush 1 MIG vs 2 fighters to save a transport ship en route home, and managing to out maneuver them and win. I feel like moments like this would be lost with the new system.
Just putting an idea out there, it's not the most fleshed out, but what about exactly mimicking ground combat with air combat. Make a turn based air combat system based on the same grid type layout. There are board game systems that can be bench marked for how this might work (Aerotech, for example). Movement could be restricted based on the craft type (turn radius, speed, etc..). So the basic game mechanics stay the same for air and ground combat. You have a unit, with weapons load out, and you maneuver to get a kill. Missiles could be units on the map that "home in" and need to be avoided using countermeasures, or just a more powerful "bullet" with a higher chance to hit. This would allow more realistic, larger load outs on the planes (chances to miss, chances to have missiles overcome). You could also have larger air battles with more units involved.
"Terrain" features could be mountain tops, or even canyon walls, clouds, etc.you could even allow for elevation changes.
This would slow air combat down, but could make it a legitimate part of the game, just as enjoyable as ground combat.
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In previous game's (pre-launch) this strategy was very effective.
In my current 0.27 CE game, I have noticed alien's tend to target the soldier behind the shield unit a lot more, making this strategy of advancing using a shield unit less viable. Possible due to AI update?
Also, does the shield only cover the center cell, or does it cover all 3 cells across the front, a least to some extent? I seem to be getting hit a lot more from a slight angle than I remember.
All this seems to be making the shield a lot less worth-while.
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No working for me. Not compatible with CE for some reason?
I followed instructions but the hidden movement screen still comes up, and still says alien turn.
Edit:
Ok, I sort of got it working, but the text is showing up as "######"
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Oops, missed that.
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Even if the soldier was outside the 18 tile range for that Ceasean, if another enemy could see your soldier, he could be shot. Just like how you can use forward soldier's to spot for your sniper's.
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Noticed in 0.27 that an open window is not recognized as cover by the cursor indicator. Not sure if it is actually acting as cover, and just not indicated, or if it actually isn't providing any cover.
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It would be nice to just automate the gaming, so that all troops boosted str and tu after each mission.
So there are 2 parts to this post. 1 is how do we make stat progression modable, the other is what my idea for a mod might be.
My intention with the mod would be to make stat progression automatic based on role - no jumping through hoops. The idea was the stat progression would be balanced based on class need. But you are right you could just choose role based on what stat you want to up right now. Tieing it to equipment would be better.
The reason I show other conditions is because I think CE should not change vanilla intent for stat progression, just allow a mod to change it.
I really like your idea kabill, the question is how do we adjust the game code to allow mods that kind of flexibility to make changes like that?
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I'm not sure how feasible this is to do, but I figured I'd start a thread to get a discussion going.
To me, the Vanilla stat progression system is very gamey, and I'd love to be able to mod a system that is more natural - and less open to abuse. I believe this system is hard-coded, however.
The current system almost forces you to play a certain way, or you handicap soldier's later on (making sure to to use all TU's each turn to "train" TU's, always loading soldier's up in their encumbrance point to "train" strength, etc). If you don't you end up with soldier's who care barely wear armor and carry a weapon, or who are low on TU's vs other's because they don't move as much (sniper's), and thus can't keep up. It also makes some stat's, like bravery, hard to train.
It's also able to be abused where if you "play the game" you end up with super soldier's by the end.
What I am envisioning is setting up stat gain in an xml file, with field's for each role (the tricky part would be how to accommodate custom roles - possibly link to icon type?), and condition's for stat gain set up. The initial setting's could mimic the current Vanilla system, but now it can be modified.
My thought for the mod would be a more natural system linked to soldier role, and possibly promotion. For instance:
A Rifleman might gain +2 Health, +1 TU, +1 Accuracy per mission, and +3 Strength, +3 Reflexes, and +5 Bravery per promotion. So the field's most used by that soldier increase quickly, while the other's go at a slower pace. The +N could vary per stat also. Obvious this would need to be balanced over the course of a game, but that would be modder responsibility.
You could also keep condition's similar to Vanilla, or change how the conditions are applied.
A psuedo-code example might be something like:
for <role> and <stat> if <cond 1>&(<cond 2>or<cond 3>)&...<cond n> then <effect>
Where
<role> = all, rifleman, heavy, scout, etc
<stat> = str, acc, rfx, brv, hp, tu
<cond n> = set list of possible conditions, like PerMission, PerPromotion, EveryNSteps(N), Capacity>N%(N), ReactionShotNTimes(N), WoundedNHP(N) etc.. where (N) is a variable to be entered.
<effect> = +1, +2, +3, etc..
Please let me know thoughts.
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Yeah, my point was really: it's a legitimate strategy, the game mechanic is fine and puts an appropriate penalty for carrying the gear. If someone wants to employ that strategy why limit it? It's not game breaking. Who are we to judge that they are "wrong". Seems to me programming effort is better spent elsewhere.
As for you point about a soldier carrying it..generally they do what they are told. If they are told bring 100lbs of extra gear they will. Its not abnormal to hear veterans talk about stuff like that. There is a point where a soldier with free will may abandon it, but in xenonaughts every soldier perfectly follows orders....until they berserk or flee....
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My point was that it makes sense in terms of modelling the effects of weight on movement, rather than that it made sense in terms of what a soldier would realistically carry. I totally agree that in reality no soldier would ever be so burdened that they can barely move. But that's not what you'd stated in the post I was replying to.
Is this so different than say, paratroopers in WW2 making a jump with 150lbs strapped to their bodies, barely able to move? Granted xenonaughts is modeled after more of a surgical strike team, but it's a legit, real world tactic to overload soldiers on entrance to a battlefield, and establish an operations post to deposite those supplies.
In game terms, I'm not really sure of the advantage. I've never run through my inventory on a mission, and needed resupply during the mission, and it replenishes each mission. The only benefit maybe wanting to swap gear out for an assault on a ufo, vs whats used to clear the town. Which again is a legit reason to bring extra supplies. The down side is the mission becomes more tedious.
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Xenonaut's uses a hybrid system. "Soft" action's like moving, opening door's, etc I believe are fixed, while "hard" action's like shooting, and throwing grenade's are percentage based. So you can do all those little maneuvering action's, while limiting your ability to deal excessive damage though too many action's.
I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve by imposing a lower "limit". The percentages were set up to balance the amount of action's possible in a turn. The only impact you would have, would be to allow MORE action's, and thus affect the game balance in your favor.
Currently if it take's 60% to fire a rifle your experienced soldier can still do more with his remaining 40% than a rookie. Ability to maneuver and still shoot should not be underestimated.
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Possibly a simple mod - make the effect take place at the end of each turn, instead of the beginning.
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Have you ever tried to shoot down a bush/wall/etc IRL? Take's a lot of bullet's.
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No dev feedback on this? Some of these are pretty significant game play concerns for me. Especially #1 and 2.
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Rank's in Xenunauts don't really indicate rank - as in job role, but experience level. I'd rather have them be something more descriptive (Recruit, Rookie, Soldier, Veteran, etc..), or just eliminate that title all together, and have rank be an independent, player controlled function. You can already tell experience by how much they've improved, stat wise.
It's too late to change it for release, but maybe a patch later?
I'd limit rank for soldier's to Lieutenant, or Captain, and allow the player to promote. Maybe something simple like Private, Sargent, Lieutenant. Basically, you have have 1 Lieutenant for every 10 or 12 soldier's, 2 Sargent's, and the rest are privates - trying to simulate a realistic squad structure.
Rank give's a higher moral bonus when in the vicinity of soldier's, but also a higher panic when wounded or killed.
The player can choose who to promote to what ranks. I'd require all rank positions to be filled.
Promoting a soldier gives a bonus to bravery, demoting a HIGHER penalty to bravery (so you end up worse off) to simulate effect on moral.
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Are you sure it's not an Aerial Terror Site? (need to send fighters)
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Elevation doesn't provide any advantage right now, except in rare situations.
It should offer a bonus against blocking objects below (they block less), but also provide a small defense bonus when shot from below. The bigger the elevation difference, the bigger the bonuses.
It could possibly be implemented the same way the increased blocking from being crouched was:
Aka - If you are on level 1, blocking for your shots is normal, and shots at you are normal.
Level 2 - your shots -15%, at you +15% (or some value)
Level 3 - your shots -30%, at you +30%.
etc..
This way there no calculation, it's just a static variable based on your position and target position, and the difference works itself out (aka, if both on level 2, you receive a -15% bonus, but also incur a +15% penalty and it's a wash.)
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I think every time a UFO comes into the radar range, regardless of if it was previously detected, there should be a pause.
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So more like the T-1000 than the T-800 then.
Yeah, minus the liquidy bits...
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I've always seen them meld through half-walls (the ones you can vault over).
Specifally walls in the UFO's, and walls in the "city" terror mission maps that I can recall.
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I actually just did a landing ship mission where a Blue Andron DID walk through a full wall...so maybe this is already implemented? or at least partially?
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Don't think of it as the medal giving your soldier a magical accuracy boost, think of it as your soldier having improved their accuracy, as proven by the kills they've made, and the medal is their reward, the "Bonus" Associated to the medal is just representative of the gain they made through their achievement.
But you already get this though..killing stuff. That effect is already implemented, why does getting a medal give them even MORE?
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I'm sure this is known, but I couldn't find a recent discussion on it.
Androns just kinda...meld through half-walls. I'm sure this is due to there not being an animation for them hoping the wall, but I'd like to make some suggestions:
1) Andron's destroy the wall when they walk through it (maybe allow them to walk through full walls also?) They are basically a walking tank, after all.
2) Because Andron's are stiff and clunky, they can't actually hop over a wall. Make them need to walk around, similar to shield guy's (which I still disagree with).
I like #1 the best. Gives them a bit more fear factor...and maybe put a special red Andron in that says "Oh Yeah!" every time he busts a wall down?
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I have a few bugs, and also putting a couple balance concerns in here. Let me know if you want me to repost those in the Balance Forum.
Attached is the save file I found these issues in. (sorry for all the Andron's)
1) Map's need to have 1 elevation level higher than their maximum floor, so you can fly over obstacles on on highest elevation. In my example there is a 3rd floor roof with a wall. I can't get up there because I can't go above level 3.
2) Awning's are blocking 100% of shot's from roof top (and assuming it works the other way around, to the roof top). These should probably just have a 0% to block, or a low percentage and ignored if adjacent.
3)Holes shot in a roof aren't impassable and/or cause you to fall and/or make you fly over them.
4) Balance - Block percent from the roof for this park bench feels abnormally high. I understand how it's determined (I think), but it feels way off. Also, why does a park bench block more than a wall? (50% vs 45%)
Edit: 1 more thing
5) You can't land on the top of storage container's.
Xenonauts 2 - Weapons and Armour Development
in Xenonauts 2 Discussion / Suggestions
Posted
I really like this idea, and support it. The idea that the advance tech had to fall into the same role as the previous tech always kind of irked me. What, exactly, is a "laser shot gun", for instance. Or why all the advanced tech reacts the same as ballistic tech, but more powerful.
Part of this requires a willingness to deviate from established X-com/Xeno1 lore, however.
I think it would be interesting if the advanced tech did different things than the convention counterpart's, and developing them opened up new strategies, instead of just "better" damage/acc/etc. Let me upgrade current weapons to deal better damage (alien alloy bullet's, explosive rounds, "guided/homing" rounds, etc...).
For instance, let's look at plasma rifles. Technically a flame thrower (current tech) is a "plasma rifle". A lightning bolt could also be considered a form of plasma, so a gun that shoots lightning bolts might be considered a plasma rifle. I actually like that idea. A Plasma rifle that allows you to focus a lightning bolt at a target somehow (that's the scifi element..), and it then arcs out to other objects/enemies/friendlies near by.
Also, who says aliens wouldn't use ballistic technology also? It could be different/more advanced, and explain how we advance our ballistic tech in response.
Also, concerning the grenade spam concern earlier, you might consider reworking the inventory system to be less of a general backpack, and have more specific "slots". So maybe there's 2 holster/medpac slots. 6 Grendade/c4/ammo slots. 1 "Large Items" slot (rocket launcher, backup weapon, shield, jetpack, etc). And what you can carry is limited not only by weight, but space for those items.
So you simulate a belt that can accept a holster or med pack, an area to clip grenades on, and the ability to sling a weapon/shield over your shoulder, or attach something to your armor.
Also, please add the ability to transfer items between soldiers standing next to each other