Xenonauts-2 July Update!

[Chris]

Hi everyone - time for another monthly update, and lots of tactical combat changes to talk about! The first new thing we've been working on is the art for the modular MARS, and you can see a couple of the concepts below. The in-game models are nearly complete but not yet set up in the game. The MARS is now a vehicle that can use one of three primary weapons (rocket launcher, cannon, machinegun) that are all upgradeable as you research new weapon tiers. The MARS also has heavy / light armour variants (also upgradeable), which allows you to give the vehicle additional HP at the cost of slightly reducing its time units (the concepts above don't show this, but it's reflected on the model - the tracks and body have additional armour, etc).

Finally, the chassis itself can be upgraded - once you reach a certain tech level you will be able to upgrade the tracks into a hover chassis which has additional TU and jetpack functionality. This replaces the existing "ARES" vehicle, so the MARS is now the only vehicle in the game - but a MARS vehicle you build at the start of the game can be continually upgraded all the way throughout the game to change from a tracked unit with steel armour and a ballistic weapon into a hovertank with alloy armour and powerful plasma weapons.

We're planning to test this is the game to see if its fun. The idea is that your vehicle doesn't become obselete in the same way that a soldier doesn't become obselete; you just keep giving them new equipment throughout the game to keep them relevant. But the alternative setup is to split the hover chassis out into a seperate vehicle called the ARES with improved stats and then force the player to build a new vehicle. It's sometimes kinda fun to get a whole new unit rather than an upgrade, so we'll see how it feels.

Secondly, we've been working a lot of things that improve the general look and feel of the ground combat. The first thing is updating the texturing and lighting in our tactical combat maps to be a bit more like the painted style in the original Xenonauts (softer lighting, less visual noise, etc). If you've not been playing the closed beta builds then the need for this visual update may not be obvious (because we don't tend to take screenshots of bits of the game that look bad), but the visual quality of the biomes and the objects within each is currently quite inconsistent. Some stuff looks great, whereas other stuff very much does not. This new approach is giving everything a more consistent level of quality and that means the scenes feel like they join together better. The new Desert and Polar biomes are taking shape nicely; I was hoping to show off some screenshots in this update but sadly we're still not quite there. Hopefully soon.

We've also made two code changes that also improve the clarity of the maps. The first is that the shroud now hides objects on hidden tiles - whereas previously a tall tree on a hidden tile could cause a black tree-shaped shadow to rise from the shroud and cover part of the battlefield, now the tree only pops into existence when the tile it stands on becomes visible. This makes a surprisingly large difference to how clear and clean the map feels.

Additionally, we've changed the height of our tiles to be 2.25 meters tall instead of 3 meters tall, which means our tiles are now very similar in dimensions to what they were in the first game. When we started development on Xenonauts 2 we decided to make tiles 3m tall because it was a nice round number (especially as tiles are 1.5m wide) and it's actually a more realistic ceiling height than 2.25m in most buildings, but in practice it causes problems because units are only 2m tall and so 3m high walls tend to obscure a lot of the action if you're fighting in tight enclosed spaces - which is a pity, because X-Com games are generally most exciting when you're fighting in relatively tight spaces. People playing the closed beta would probably have noticed that their interior spaces of UFOs feel quite restricted and hard to fight in; this should fix that.

One final set of code changes we've made to improve ground combat is to speed things up a bit. We recently increased the run speed of units, and we've now updated the code to remove the pause before units die - they should now start playing their death animation instantly after recieving lethal damage (whereas previously they'd stand still for a second or so before dying). Combat in Xenonauts and original X-Com is actually very snappy - units move quickly, shoot quickly, and die quickly - and getting that snappiness into Xenonauts 2 helps make the game feel more responsive and fun to play.

A couple more systems we've been working on but aren't quite yet finished are the new UFOs and the night missions. The night missions are pretty much done, but although the fog of war works correctly the shroud is ignoring lighting and being revealed up to the normal vision range of units, which feels kinda weird. Once that's fixed they'll be playable. The new UFO hull hiding system (i.e. when you see the inside of a UFO, the hull disappears and it turns into a floorplan like in X1) seems to be working well too, and we're in the process of blocking out the hull models and floorplans for the first 4-5 UFOs. Once we've playtested the interior spaces of these UFOs and we're happy with them, we'll do the final texturing on the outer hulls.

That's enough from me for now - you can expect another update in four weeks time! Thanks for reading.

[Alienkiller]

The first Part of that DD with the MARS / ARES sounds very nice, and it´s an similar System like in the new XCOM EU / EW-Game with an big difference. Like to see it.

That UFOs in the existing Betas were not easy I agree. We will see how good the UFOs are in the new System with the cool Xenonauts 2 Graphics. I liked the night Missions from X1 and the old X-Com / new XCOM-Games as well as the 13 Year old UFO Extraterestials. So lets see how they are looking in Xenonauts 2. Being surprised for them.

The first 2 Parts of the Ground Combat sounds good and hopfully it works with the cool new Xenonauts 2 Graphics. The last Part for Ground Combat is O.K, but I don´t like the to fast firefights and Movements. That´s why I play such Games Roundbased and not Realtime.

The third Part of the Ground Combat worrys me. If there no other Changes are done and looks like we know already from the Vids and Betas (Soldiers, Enemys, Buildings, Vehicles and such) then it´s ok. But if it´s looking like in X1 where you have to play with an magnifying glass to see what the Soldiers, Aliens, Police etc. are doing it´s not of interest anymore.

[Dagar]

Thank you for the update, @Chris. Can you take the time at some point to talk about the mod support? What is possible currently, what extent of mod-ability is planned?

[Alienkiller]

@Dagar: Mod support get integrated while in Development, if possible, from what I heard and read.

The good thing is, that Modders can´t use it while the Game is still in full development with changes in every version. In that case all Devs (dosen´t matter from which Company) don´t give Mod support until the Game is fully ready for the down market / mass market (Public Full Version 1.0.0 or higher). That´s the normal procedure and an unwritten Development law.

Everything else would make no sense. More Work for the Modders than it pay before the final Version comes out. That says allone the common sense.

The other alternative is that you are getting an official Development helper (like in UFO2 Extraterestials) and work with the Devs and other externel Helpers on the Game.

@Chris: Thanks for the Update. Hope we can get another Beta soon. It´s good to hear that Development moves on and cool new Stuff get implemented.

What the first Post from me here belongs, so I hope that the third Part dosen´t make it like Xenonauts 1. That were a very very bad step backward in Xenonauts 2 and there you needed an magnifying glass to see what happens. The Maps we have now since the Betas up to now are very good and you can overlook very good and see what your Soldiers, Helpers (Police, Army, Weaponed Civilian etc.) and Aliens are doing. We have to see how good or bad the new Map Concept / UFO Concept will be in the next 2 / 3 Betas.

On 7/21/2020 at 4:58 PM, Alienkiller said:

The first Part of that DD with the MARS / ARES sounds very nice, and it´s an similar System like in the new XCOM EU / EW-Game with an big difference. Like to see it.

That UFOs in the existing Betas were not easy I agree. We will see how good the UFOs are in the new System with the cool Xenonauts 2 Graphics. I liked the night Missions from X1 and the old X-Com / new XCOM-Games as well as the 13 Year old UFO Extraterestials. So lets see how they are looking in Xenonauts 2. Being surprised for them.

The first 2 Parts of the Ground Combat sounds good and hopfully it works with the cool new Xenonauts 2 Graphics. The last Part for Ground Combat is O.K, but I don´t like the to fast firefights and Movements. That´s why I play such Games Roundbased and not Realtime.

The third Part of the Ground Combat worrys me. If there no other Changes are done and looks like we know already from the Vids and Betas (Soldiers, Enemys, Buildings, Vehicles and such) then it´s ok. But if it´s looking like in X1 where you have to play with an magnifying glass to see what the Soldiers, Aliens, Police etc. are doing it´s not of interest anymore.

 

The 2D Base-Buildup (which is hopfully only a makeshift) is at the moment o.k. for stability and such. Expect the to be testet refited UFO-Concepts and more stable maps in cool new Xenonatus 2-Style other Backsteps to an similar Xenonauts 1-Part have to be avoided. I and some others were very Unhappy with the makeshift Base-Buildup we have now again, but sadly Phoenix-Point have an similar system. And I belive UFO2 Extraterestials will have such an similar System too.

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Alienkiller

[Voxette]

On 7/21/2020 at 5:42 AM, Chris said:

Secondly, we've been working a lot of things that improve the general look and feel of the ground combat. The first thing is updating the texturing and lighting in our tactical combat maps to be a bit more like the painted style in the original Xenonauts (softer lighting, less visual noise, etc).

Awesome!

[Alienkiller]

We will see, but I have a bad feeling with the Comicstyle-Modification in the cool Maps we have already.

[odizzido]

Thanks for the update, I always like reading them

[cardboardMike]

I have a theory that there is a very strong correlation between how good a turn-based game is (i.e. how well it scores on metacritic) and how fast (or "snappy") the turns are.

I can think of several examples at both ends of the spectrum that support this.

So it's good that this has been done.

[ScottyWired]

8 hours ago, cardboardMike said:

I have a theory that there is a very strong correlation between how good a turn-based game is (i.e. how well it scores on metacritic) and how fast (or "snappy") the turns are.

I can think of several examples at both ends of the spectrum that support this.

So it's good that this has been done.

Absolutely. Most actions in a game are mundane- move, crouch, take a potshot that's probably going to miss. They're boring and there's no need for suspense, just get it over with.

The only time a player should wait is when something dramatic is going to happen. Launching a big rocket, busting open UFO door, landing a kill shot, and such

[Alienkiller]

Chris and his Team are doing a good job so far and give a complete new Gameplay from that Gerne. That´s I wanna say first which I like. Esp. the special Implementations and Things which get better and better and Ideas which dosen´t get finished from the competitors. And new surprises which are already implemented and more still comming. The best thing is, that X2 plays complete differently as the predecessor from beginning on.

 

But there are many things too, which make us Beta-Testers Stommachache:

1. the come-back implementations from X1, which means the Base-Building-Concept and some things more

2. some of the Map Reworks we have read so far (like the reduction of the High and the comic-style)

And if Beta-Testers say that they have stomachache with more X1-comebacks then it´s a warning Signal. So we have to wait what the next Version brings to us. Maybe it´s good, maybe not.

That doesen´t mean that I personaly not unhappy with X2. So far I personally hope that some bring-backs we have from the Predecessor are only interim solutions.

From what you both Rookies spoke means that you have only played X1 and have no Idea what X2 get in.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Alienkiller

[John Knee]

I need to confess I haven't booted up Xenonauts for a few months since Mount and Blade 2 came out so I am out of sync as to changes since then - please don't ban me  Some parts of the update strongly remind me of the modular system employed in the X-Com wannabe UFO:Aftershock - especially the hover chassis part.

 

Could I at this late stage suggest a 4th turret type? I am thinking of the Mortar. The main characteristics is that unlike the other turret types, it is a high arc indirect and has the following benefits over the other turret types:

 

a) can theoretically hit targets have a map away so can offer genuine long range support without getting into danger.

b) due to the high arc nature of the firing, it can hit things behind or on the roof of buildings and can therefore can theoretically hit enemies you know is there but can't shoot at without putting your soldiers at risk.

c) you can target enemies without the enemy getting a lock on where your soldiers are if they are still in cover and haven't revealed themselves.

 

Downside

a) Delay between shots for the turret to put a new shell into position to fire.

b) Has no back up weapon if attacked at close range.

c) Accuracy depends on factors explained below

 

If the target is within visual range of the Mortar MARS, then accuracy of one square either side of targetted square.

If the target is not within visual range but has another soldier spotting the target, then accuracy is within 3 squares of targetted square 

If the target is not visually spotted, and the round is being fired purely on guesswork, then it is accurate with 7 squares of targetted square.

The aim will be 100% accurate if your team has developed a hand held laser designator device that is pointing at the intended target.

 

The mortar will be able to fire a range of warheads of which a limited number of any combination can be selected prior to the fight:

a) HE round - basically a grenade

b) Napalm bomb - less initial bang but does fire damage over several rounds

c) Acid Bomb - as per Napalm bomb but burns off enemy armour

d) Airburst Bomb - like the HE round but explodes while in the air so AOE is wider but less damage given.

e) Smoke Grenades

f) Flares - lights up a large area which slowly gets smaller over several turns as the flare on a parachute slowly falls. Once on the ground it has the residing glow of a normal glowstick.

g) Flashbangs - aka stun grenades

h) ECM round - stun grenades for anything using electronics.

 

Obviously most of these can be upgraded into more powerful forms over time.

 

 

 

[odizzido]

On 7/27/2020 at 1:35 PM, cardboardMike said:

I have a theory that there is a very strong correlation between how good a turn-based game is (i.e. how well it scores on metacritic) and how fast (or "snappy") the turns are.

I can think of several examples at both ends of the spectrum that support this.

So it's good that this has been done.

Darkest dungeon is a good example of snappy controls feeling good. They also have good immediate audio to go along with it. I think if Xeno2 has both of those it would help the game feel much better to play. The sound effects in Xeno1 were kinda meh, honestly. I think it would work really well with laser weapons as aliens could start dying the moment you click.

[Xeroxth]

Nice update. Hopefully the execution of the night vision and new ufo designs get implemented in the next update.

On the M.A.R.S being taken further, @John Knee suggestions sounds very good and I can see it having more types of turrets, equipments and even chassis. For instance, rather than having a turret, especially in the late game where larger 4-tile-vehicles get used, the M.A.R.S can get an additional compartment to carry ammunitions, medic kits for your troops or energy shields. Or maybe a for-legged chassis similar to the Boston Dynamics robots that allow it to enter buildings and go on stairs, equipped with flamethrower or an industrial shotgun made specifically for breaching (or annihilating) any aliens that hide behind covers.

This can allow for more play styles where most of your squad can be replaced with 4 M.A.R.Ss and one soldier with the benefit of huge firepower but in exchange with no ability to gain stats and extremely expensive to rebuild when killed.

[Alienkiller]

The MARS is good as it is. You can have a Rocket-Launcher, A heavy Mashine Gun or a Cannon. Atm we can intodruce a Smoke Generator, a Sub-Mashine Gun or an Targetthingupgrade for better Accuracy. As well as you can upgrade it with Steal-Armor and after the next upgrade with an light Steal-Armor for Armor-Points, which get the first shots before the HP´s are reduced.

What we can do with the MARS after the Refits in the next Beta-Version we will see. But one thing is clear: We won´t get an Mortar for that thing!

The Reason is easy: We have already an Mortar for the Infantry which is not good. After Reworks, Refits etc. in the last 9 or so Big Betas with all smaller Hotfixes we Betas and the Devs decided not to bring in an other Mortar. That´s an 1.000.000 % Decission.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Alienkiller

[Emily_F]

I'm kinda sad that with each update, they revert closer and closer to X1. Actually, not sad.  Angry.  None of the suggestions I put forward were implemented so we couldn't even have a go at playing them to see if they were any good.  X2 was meant to be different from X1, and it simply isn't.  The orbital bombardment thing sucks; it's just an annoyance rather than a playable part of the game. The missions get really boring as there is basically one tactic-per-map that works well and everything else just doesn't work.  There just feels like there is nothing that actually makes a difference in a game other than a bigger gun. I wish the devs had listened to, and acted on, suggestions earlier on.  My feeling now is that without a major re-write of the game mechanics, it's going to fall on its face at launch.  There, I said it.  Sorry

[Alienkiller]

Not only you have that Feeling Emely_F. I have it too and we both said it several Times in other Words.

 

[Ruggerman]

This game start with such high ideals, but has not got any were near them, in it present form. Waiting to see what the next update will bring, we live in hope???

[Xeroxth]

23 minutes ago, Ruggerman said:

This game start with such high ideals

Being a relatively new member of the forums, I’m curious, what were those high ideals? I only started following the development after the devs canceled the terrible new base building and unworkable air combat.

8 hours ago, Emily_F said:

The orbital bombardment thing sucks; it's just an annoyance rather than a playable part of the game. 

Seeing how it played out by now, I agree. There’s pretty much nothing you can do to mitigate the damage and it’s nothing but a way for millions to die senselessly. It took people out of investing for the campaign when you can do nothing to stop it. At least have some way to gather intel to let the population evacuate or in the late game build city wide shields to stop them.

[Alienkiller]

Such Elements like the Orbital Bombardement is a must have. I remember on UFO Extraterestials (2007) where the Aliens get an very big UFO / Station to Earth Orbit and subdude the Humans. The Aliens did it fully and any resistance get swamped out in the finisch Part. But they had a Problem, which get told in the Named Game and have to visit the Colony Planet from the Humans called Esperanza.

An other Example is the new XCOM-Row and in an similar form like Xenonauts 2 the old X-Com-Row. Without that Elements such an Game is not good and get borring (see Xenonauts 1).

The good thing on Xenonauts 2 is too, that the Devs finish begunn projects from her rivals. Like the MARS-Vehicle, the Airforce or the Soldiers with more Equipment-Posibilitys / Refit Posibilitys. And the more Possibilitys which we get in Xenonauts 2 (like Panic-Reduction with Technology-Sharing, smaller Outposts, special Missions and much more), which we don´t have in the Predecessor and rival Games.

On the other Hand I agree in some Points which Emely F and others said that Xenonauts 2 get more and more an Copy from Xenonauts 1. Some of the Rework-Points are debt to the Stability / Playability to the Game, but the others aren´t unlock to me.

Let´s see what the new Version brings to us.

 

 

Edited August 3, 2020 by Alienkiller

[John Knee]

18 hours ago, Alienkiller said:

What we can do with the MARS after the Refits in the next Beta-Version we will see. But one thing is clear: We won´t get an Mortar for that thing!

The Reason is easy: We have already an Mortar for the Infantry which is not good. After Reworks, Refits etc. in the last 9 or so Big Betas with all smaller Hotfixes we Betas and the Devs decided not to bring in an other Mortar. That´s an 1.000.000 % Decission.

There is a difference between a human and robot fired mortar - with a robot version you tell the computer how far away you want to shoot and the direction and it will accurately calculate the angles and fire. In the case of infantry fired mortars, there is a bit of guesswork and at long range, the difference in distance between an angle of 45% and 45.1% can easily throw the range off by meters.

The size of the mortar is limited for humans based upon carrying ability. A mortar on a chassis can be a lot larger and can carry heavier and more powerful shells. And mounted mortars generally shoot longer range.

Summary: A MARS Mortar would be more powerful and accurate than an infantry carried variation "which is not good". 

Where the human has an advantage is once the limited number of shells have been fired, the solder can whip out an assault rifle and continue to fight. A mortar on an MARS becomes useless and thus the MARS becomes unable to fight. A human can enter grounded UFOs and buildings which a MARS may struggle to do - even if the side of the building is sufficiently blasted that it could drive in, the mortar would simply shoot the roof above it and damage itself.

 

I do agree with you that we will never get a mortar for the MARS.

 

It is a shame as it would be something that would give huge tactical advantages and would be inherently super powerful on certain semi-open maps where there are a number of spread out buildings that aliens could be hiding behind. And it would be majorly nerfed on other maps where it is either completely open (better off taking a sniper) or heavily dense in buildings (where aliens are hiding in rather than in the open where the shell would fall on their heads). Depending on the location, the player has to decide if it is better to take the MARS with a Mortar, the MARS with a different weapon, or to take a sniper or assault solder instead.

[John Knee]

10 hours ago, Xeroxth said:

Being a relatively new member of the forums, I’m curious, what were those high ideals? I only started following the development after the devs canceled the terrible new base building and unworkable air combat.

To quote from the March update (https://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/index.php?/topic/21010-xenonauts-2-march-update/):

 

When I backed the kickstarter, I used to glance at the forums quite regularly but since I don't have extensive experience of playing X1 then I never really commented and left it to more experienced campaigners to speak. I'm exaggerating a bit but at the start the tone suggested as if Xenonauts 2 would be like Xenonaut 1 but with a huge DLC installed with extra shiny buttons that would offer greater strategy and features. I think a proportion of the player base feel as if the final game will end up being Xenonauts 1 but with a few mods installed that tweaks the game and installs a few "nice to have" features. 

[John Knee]

On 8/2/2020 at 4:37 PM, Emily_F said:

None of the suggestions I put forward were implemented so we couldn't even have a go at playing them to see if they were any good. 

I wish the devs had listened to, and acted on, suggestions earlier on.

 

One of the things I would also have loved to have seen but never suggested as it would never have been included were the introduction of drones. On the basis that they are small, quick, nimble and delicate in real life,

 

a)       enemies would have a shot accuracy penalty (small target = harder to hit)

b)      would have long movement distance per TU (quick)

c)       Have a dodge ability (nimble)

d)      Have really low health and would be at risk to being one shot by any weapon with any half decent level of power.

 

They would need to be controlled by a solder with a remote control and any movement and actions taken by the drone would be taken from the solder’s TU pool. On the basis of real life, the drone will as per standard be fitted with a small camera so that the controller can fly it when out of sight plus a small flashlight that can be turned on and off – so when used to scout forward, the light on will give better visibility at night but will also give its position away. As per real life drones, the drone will have a generous but limited range from the controller (when being controlled – if the drone is flown to a point then the controller wanders off, it’ll just hover there until the controller is in range). Of course, you’d be able to research the controller box so that it is has a better range.

 

It’ll start with just the camera and flashlight so the drone will nothing better than a scout.

 

But with research it could develop:

 

1)      Weapon holder which you can place 3 weapon types:

• Small machine gun – not very powerful and fires in quick bursts so that the recoil does not send the drone flying backwards. Useful against lightly armoured / HP aliens or any injured aliens needing finishing off.
• Small sawn-off shotgun – limited 2-3 barrel variant with rounds pre-installed. Powerful but very short ranged.
• Cattle Prod – for those times when you simply want to stun something and knock them unconscious. Limited battery life and the player has to select the power of the zap – Level one for low level aliens, level two for higher level aliens and level three and four to zap any enemy robotics or to try and kill an alien rather than simply stun.  May also require hand held cattle prod to be developed first. (the different zap levels are the equivalent of a solder shooting single shot or automatic)

          When running out of ammo / charge, it will need to either fly to the controller or a special spot in the ship where new ammo can be added.

 

2)      Inventory Bay which can hold up to 4 items that a soldier can normally carry such as ammo, grenades, med kits etc.

3)      Bomb Bay which can carry up to two grenades (any sort carried by solders) which can be dropped individually or together. Remember to have enough TUs left in which to fly out of the blast range! The Bomb Bay can only be researched once the Inventory Bay has been built.

4)      Laser Designator which would be researchable once a hand held laser designator was researched for the solder as part of the Mortar MARS idea.

5)      Night sight Camera – so for night missions your drone can scout without needing to turn on the flashlight and give itself away

6)      IR Camera – its ability to detect heat means it can sense aliens who might be behind a wall or fence. It should be enough that it can sense only without being able to easily identify what sort of alien it is. Possibly only researchable after Night Sight Camera has been built.

7)      MOAB Device – or Mother of all Bombs, this is strapped to the drone and turns the drone into a flying bomb with a big bang. Inspired by the old Blaster Bomb from the original X-Com, it’ll find it’s own waypoints and detonate once it hits its target. Downside is that the drown is destroyed so should only be considered on extreme missions. Only researchable once more powerful grenades / explosives have been researched.

 

The above was part of an idea of a tinkerers workshop (or rather a separate tech tree once a workshop was built) where you could research things like radio controlled cars with cameras / flashflight as a scout device or maybe with a carry case where the controller could pull the pin on a grenade, put it in the case and then drive the car next to an alien – naturally the car would be destroyed. Unlike the drone which can fly over walls etc, the car would only be able to drive over solid ground.

[Alienkiller]

John Kee the MARS get tested as mostly everything you said. To make it more special and rare the Devs overworked it for the final MARS / ARES a last time.

The MARS get as Main-Weapons / Main-Parts following in the last Betas incl. Beta 13:

- Main Weapons: Rockets, Gun, Mashine Gun in several Variants [Normal, Laser, Avonium-Explosive etc.]

- Main Parts instead Weapons: Shield (after Research) and Stun Batton / Stun Weapons

- Secondary Weapons: Sub-Mashine Gun (MP)

- Secondary Parts: Rangefinder or Smoke Generator

Im happy that we have the MARS like it is now, which is Upgradeable from a light Ground-Vehicle to a light flying Vehicle. To minimise the all thing-Vehicle the Devs will eliminate some of that things (Stun Weapons defenetly). What more we see after Beta 14 is out.

The Armor-Part get to light (Scout-Variant) and heavy (Fighting-Variant) which can be changed / upgraded any time at the Base-equipment-Screen to get Armor-Points before the Shots of enemy / friendly Weapons get to the Health Points.

If it´s going to it´s Life-End you can switch to the ARES-Conception with has more Stability, HP´s, Movement and such then an up to date MARS.

 

2 things are clear for that Vehicle since the Development startet:

1. We won´t get a Ground-Transport-Vehicle like you think John Kee. The MARS / ARES are light scout- and attack-Support-Vehicles for your Soldiers.

2. Only 1 can be with your Soldiers in the Transport. The Pilots needs full concentration on the MARS / ARES so no other baublery will get in. Yes we will get upgrades for the MARS / ARES, but only such which are usefull.

 

 

Edited August 5, 2020 by Alienkiller

[EurekaSeven]

On 8/2/2020 at 1:30 PM, Xeroxth said:

Nice update. Hopefully the execution of the night vision and new ufo designs get implemented in the next update.

On the M.A.R.S being taken further, @John Knee suggestions sounds very good and I can see it having more types of turrets, equipments and even chassis. For instance, rather than having a turret, especially in the late game where larger 4-tile-vehicles get used, the M.A.R.S can get an additional compartment to carry ammunitions, medic kits for your troops or energy shields. Or maybe a for-legged chassis similar to the Boston Dynamics robots that allow it to enter buildings and go on stairs, equipped with flamethrower or an industrial shotgun made specifically for breaching (or annihilating) any aliens that hide behind covers.

From what I've read the current main issue of 4-leg chasis into military service is the maintainence instead of noise that people often refer, that legs are fragile, complex in structure and more expensive comparing to traditional wheels or tracks. Which currently is a problem that can never be overcome with modern technology. If the lore says 4-leg can have benefits, then it would be good to have one but with higher maintainence cost.

Good update although i'm not a fan of combat robots. But i do hope they would have more variant of armaments (or modded onto), like mortars mentioned above, flamethrowers, swarm missiles, or even loitering munitions. I would hope to see what it can do in game. Just, having more indirect fire or supportive options. Big guy swinging a grenade launcher running around is surely not enough to be the only artillery choice.

Edited August 5, 2020 by EurekaSeven

[stewpidbear]

Or going back a step..............