Jump to content

[Feature Request] Sidesteping and backstepping


Recommended Posts

So... this morning I was thinking maybe we can streamline the turning part of ground combat.

Removing tactical depth is certain to attract naysayers, I myself has said no for other ideas too, so here is another option...
If we press Alt when we issue the order to move, the soldier will move sideway / backstep as necessary to keep their facing.

I won't mind if it cost a little bit of additional TU per tile.  I find myself doing this on two soldiers for three turns in a row:

  1. Walk to edge of rock wall.
  2. Turn to peek, see nothing.
  3. Walk one tile out of the wall.
  4. Turn to look.  May see enemy, may see nothing.
  5. Turn back and walk to safety.
  6. Turn back again to keep watch.

If we have sidestep, it'll be much simpler and efficient, and I hope more intuitive (less stupid) once the player get use to it:

  1. Sidestep two tile out to look.  If soldier see the enemy when it reach the wall corner with his first step, he will automatically stop.
  2. Sidestep two tiles back to safety.

Side/back stepping is also useful in many tactical situations, so I think it'll see many use once implemented.  It can also make light armours more maneuverable (full sharfe) than heavy armours (forward and backward 45' sharfe) and SHIVs (wheel or tracked).

Main cons that popup in my mind is... how about the aliens?  The animation and intelligence is going to cost and they may look rather stupid :p

While I am writing this, I suddenly remember the soldiers seeking cover in Apocalypse when they come under enemy fire.  If I remember correctly, they would turn back from enemy, run, turn, run, and turn back to face the enemy, all on their own.  I already felt it was hilarious at the time.

Edited by Sheepy
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second this. A really good idea, but maybe it should be restricted in tiles you may side/backstep, or soldiers will tend to move sideways for proverbial miles, which is not really realistic. Maybe sidestepping should give the enemy a bonus to reaction fire, as your soldier clearly moves slower and more upright than s/he could when moving forward.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. Adding even a slight TU cost per tile - as small as 1 TU or 0.5 TU - will make longer moves less TU efficient without preventing it.  I see soldiers/swat do that in movies - when they are moving along a wall on high alert.

But that should be enough and I don't think further adding elements to the reaction fire would be good; the current system baffles player enough by depending on multiple indirect or hidden parameters.  Have seen steam reviews that complain it is random.  Fair enough, I know I can't judge the reaction modifier of enemy's weapon just by looking at it.  Can't think of any good solution, though.  Switch to xcom overwatch and add perks to limit it?  Add a reaction fire indicator?  Limit reaction fires to end of enemy turn?  Hmm. May be I should open a new thread to discuss that. :p

Edited by Sheepy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

---
(( I am aware it's a report of the same comment I made elsewhere, but I say it's worth to do it. ))
---
Reposting my comment on this topic from this link:
http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/index.php?/topic/14324-crouching-cover-adjacency-bonus/&page=2#comment-160624

 

Quote

"(Open)Xcom" has a toggle option for "Alternate Movement Methods", which you can activate with "CTRL"
((that's how it's is written in the menu of "Nightly 2017_02_24_1629"-version; I personally would have used "Alternative")).
These include "strafe / sidestep" (quite self-explanatory, uses slight extra + one-square-movement), "run" (uses less "time-units" but more "energy / stamina") and "independent tank turret movement" (read: turning).

So maybe Xenonauts could have special-movement-option available both on the user-interface and modifier-buttons/keys.


---
---
---

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Pave said:

(( I am aware it's a report of the same comment I made elsewhere, but I say it's worth to do it. ))

Reposting my comment on this topic from this link:
http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/index.php?/topic/14324-crouching-cover-adjacency-bonus/&page=2#comment-160624

Ah. I remember the run and turret turn, because I didn't think that'd help the game much for the complexity they'd cost. Totally forgot the strafe proposal.  Ninja'ed. XD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

---
Considering the possibility that we necessarily wouldn't have "breathing / stamina" in "Xenonauts 2", or the "running"-motion could be only "ticked" on the UI, we could simply make the back-step enabled with BTRL similar to how it was done in old "Jagged Alliance":

"Quick Reference Card"-quote
 

To back up .................................. Hold down CTRL during normal move

Although for whatever reason, this is how it was written in the Instruction Booklet / manual:
 

Back up: Hold ALT and select the destination.

---
(( Note: These are the direct quotes from the goodies given in the GOG.com-purchase. ))
---
---

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
  • 11 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...