Alien numbers and types

[Nibelung44]

Hi,

Can someone point me on the right files to mod number and type of aliens per mission, including when they defend or attack a base? Thanks much!

[kabill]

They're all in the assets/ufocontents folder

[Nibelung44]

Thanks! How to add aliens then, there is no editor for these files I believe, so do we edit directly them?

<Row>

<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">4-4 Caesan_Warrior_Defensive</Data></Cell>

</Row>

What is 4-4? Where do I see the coordinate of the alien?

[Chris]

Open the files with Excel. The two numbers are the minimum and maximum quantity.

[kabill]

Oh, sorry. If you have Excel, you can load the files in that. Apparently a lot less people have Excel than I realise, though. So use something like Notepad or Notepad++ to open the file and you can edit it.

To add in alien types, you'll need to add in rows (so, for example, copy what you've posted above and change the entry).

The numbers are the beginning are the number of aliens of that type that can spawn. So the entry you've copied would spawn 4 Caesan Warriors with the Defensive AI script (i.e. they would defend the UFO).

You can set it to a range to randomise the number of aliens, though. So if you changed it to "3-5" instead, it would spawn 3, 4 or 5 Caesan Warriors with the defensive AI script.

Hope that helps.

EDIT: Ninja'd

[Nibelung44]

perfect, thanks, I do have notepad++ and Excel, no problem. Thanks for the values, this makes sense.

1. There are some preplaced aliens though in the command room, how they are set up to always appear here?

2. For others, they can spawn anywhere, right?

3. About Xenonauts base attacks, how it is setup?

4. About terror mission, that's only specified by the UFO type doing the mission or there is something else to fill up?

[kabill]

1. Command room aliens are specified by giving them the "Command" AI script. This will only work in UFOs which have designated command rooms (basically, not Light Scouts and Corvettes).

2. Sort of. Defensive AI aliens will always spawn in the UFO (and can do so anywhere). Passive and Aggressive aliens will spawn outside of the UFO at randomly chosen spawn-points set on the maps.

3. I assume the "base attack" column works for both the UFO loadout and the actual base attack mission. It's odd, because terror missions have separate loadouts for in-flight and the actual terror attack. But I think it works like that.

4. Yes, it's by mission type. As I mentioned already, there's two columns - one for the UFO on-route (i.e. for if you shoot it down) and one for the actual terror mission itself.

[Nibelung44]

thank a lot, very informative, I'll work with that. I must confess I have been a bit disappointed by my first base attack, but that's perhaps normal as this was the first base to be attacked, so perhaps a small base? There was no more aliens than in your average corvette UFO, it made no sense.

Also, looking at the number, like 4-4, it seems all spawn are deterministic? Would it be not better to add a 'fun' factor of uncertainty by having a range?

Anyway, really great game, I have a load of amusement already!

by the way, is 'aggressive' meaning to move forward and seek the xenonauts? I have been ganged up in a terror mission by Sebillians all on attack and it was tough as hell!

[kabill]

Yeah, aggressive aliens will move around a lot to find you, while passive aliens will hide and wait to ambush you.

In terms of the range of alien numbers: personally I like the idea of random crew sizes, but it can be tricky to balance as if you get only a small number of aliens a mission might be a bit dull.

[KevinHann]

I'm curious about the empty rows between some of the aliens, do they serve a function?

[kabill]

I don't think they do anything, other than help break up the AI types so it's a bit easier to tell what there is.