A few thoughts from an X-Com fan

[Sathra]

1. Should be in a bug report. If you could record which buttons it would be very helpful. The currently known one is double-clicking a soldier's name in the personnel screen.

2. Yep. Some aliens will escape if you take too long. You lose points for it happening, but you don't have to hunt them down again (its assumed they eventually die or reach an alien base, causing havoc on the way with civilians and local forces).

3. Just flares, maybe flashlights/headlights. Night-vision/heat vision doesn't actually add anything besides a crappy vision mode (and a mild reduction in tactics/increase in busywork), but the advanced scout armours do have longer LOS. This is assumed to be some combination of night-vision, heat vision, life-scanner, whatever. End result is better (longer) vision.

4. Motion scanners will be in. Most likely as some kind of overlay on the map itself when the scanner is actived (blobs on the map rather than a on a separate screen).

5. Stun grenades. They might just cause stun damage rather than any TU reduction. For breaching, we have combat shields, which work like portable cover but only allow the use of pistols/grenades/stun batons. They're designed to absorb reaction fire when breaching.

6. No on-map defenses. It reduces tactics, and the game is more about using your soldiers and vehicles properly. THis has been argued about alot, but isn't going to change.

7. No idea. I assume the medi-kit (the white one) is the advanced version of the medipack.

8. Soldiers: Probably not. There will be a limited list to hire from; but as you hire troops the list refills as well as changing slightly over week.

Basic starting equipment (infantry and vehicle) is free and unlimited in quantity. You manufacture everything else (you can't use alien weapons directly, you make your own versions of their stuff).

9. Brought up before. Unlikely.

10. Nope. Doesn't fit with the game.

11. Maybe. Won't be for a long time yet, and if they were it'd be stuff like Soviet weapon skins.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Sathra

[81dB]

Thanks Sathra,

I'll compile a list of double-clicking crash errors the next time I get a chance. There were at least 2-3 other instances where double clicking crashes the game.

Can't wait for V8!

[Sathra]

Its what I'm here for, re-informing folks of stuff.

And, y'know, moderating.

[Chris]

Elydo - the next build or one after should have the distinction between 'UFO shot down' and 'UFO destroyed'. Fighters are always destroyed.

Sathra - thanks, saved me a lot of typing.

[Moonie]

Since the original UFO/X-com series there have been dozens of remake of one form or another, a few were allright-ish but most were bloody awful.

I guess to keep those bits that made the originals great, and add those things that the originals lacked, is a very fine balancing act, and I would imagine a hell of a lot of work. But if it can be nailed down then there will be a lot of very happy gamers out there.

[Betuor]

What are your thoughts on helicopters?

What are your thoughts of them as HWPs?

[imperialus]

don't see how they could work. The Xenonauts need to be able to respond around the globe and helicopters are pigs when it comes to fuel consumption. They handwave this with the Chinook due to the fact that a large amount of the cargo space has been replaced with extended fuel tanks but for a gunship type helicopter that's not an option. Given late 70's tech it is also just not an option to have some sort of 'folding' helicopter that could fit in the Chinook. Remember the Hunter is basically a small armoured car along the lines of the soviet BTR-60 or BMD-3.

[Betuor]

I ment helicopters for, like, base defense. I nstead of shooting missiles, you send of helicopters to intercept.

Also, I just thought of something; do local forces have HWPs?

[Sathra]

Why though? Helicopters would be less disposable and take up more room in the base. Late game defenses would probably be mostly beam weapons I'd imagine.

Local forces should be getting vehicles of their own, but they'd most likely be static due to local forces acting as 'guards' of map areas. Some of the vehicles mentioned that they might have are the T-70/T-90 tanks. Originally we would have gotten them as player vehicles, but there were problems with them due to their shape, which aren't problems if the vehicle is static.

[anotherdevil]

9. I heard selling captured equipment and basic funding would be the only ways of making money. How about selling your tech patents? Say we sell the technology "laser pistols". Then, we will gain an increase in our monthly funding (royalties from the sale of laser pistols around the world), or maybe a set amount (e.g. a one-time payment of $5,000,000), however we lose the ability to manufacture our own, and must buy from retailers (at an expensive, capitalistic price) if we ever want additional laser pistols. Let's face it, laser pistols become widely unused once laser rifles are researched (many technologies follow the same fate). If funds are tight, selling tech can be a good way of making some quick bucks, especially unused high-level research.

Sathra, do you feel as old as I do? I swear this is the THIRD time I've seen this suggestion come up, once originally (Gazz I believe), then when the new influx of people came after that Expo, and now with the new forums! =p

[Sathra]

The second time was someone necro'ing Gazz's old thread I think.

It went all weird as well, with suggestions of making industrial rooms or something to churn out 'trade goods'.

[Betuor]

Sathra, do you feel as old as I do? I swear this is the THIRD time I've seen this suggestion come up, once originally (Gazz I believe), then when the new influx of people came after that Expo, and now with the new forums! =p

How about once you sell the patient, the local forces get them?

[anotherdevil]

Covered that. Eventually they'll get laser tech, but probably not higher that that

[Sathra]

They might get laser tech. I'm not actually sure if its a 'sure thing' that's going to be added, but it was reasonably well accepted.

[Gauddlike]

How about once you sell the patient, the local forces get them?

I am pretty sure that is against the patients' human rights as well as numerous slavery laws.

Not to mention the Hippocratic oath of any medical personnel involved in such a transaction.

Might be a good way to get your cash levels up though

Could also raise your standing with the aliens if you sell them good test subjects.

[Sathra]

Thankyou Gauddlike. Was wondering if anyone of the old gang would make a classic smart-alec comment about that.

Really makes these new forums feel like home.

[Elydo]

Here I was thinking that we could sell the apathetic, the ones just willing to wait and see how it all turns out. Only the proactive shall be valued!

Although, if only the proactive are valued, how would you know what to charge for the patient? Oh, I'm confusing myself now...

[Sathra]

Okay, one or two more, and then we'll have to go back on topic.

@Betuor: The word you were looking for was "patent".

[Betuor]

You sure?

}

[Sathra]

Yep. There's a different thread about what happens with the aliens we capture (I think its the one about blue aliens).