Jump to content

Ground combat: are there new effets and mechanics?


Recommended Posts

Hello,

I haven't tried Xenonauts 2 yet and I wonder if some mechanics and effects that were absent in Xenonauts 1 have made or could make their way with the new engine:

  1. Laser weapons:  Will smoke and very hot sources alter laser fire to some extend? Like laser beams being scattered by dense smoke (or special grenade), and refracted by hot air (and incendiaries)? There could be damage reduction and/or loss of accuracy or penetration for each square passed through. The point is not to depict in details what would happen with real weapons (I'm not a specialist) but wouldn't it be interesting if weapon tiers are not just... tiers (i.e. more damage, more penetration), and have there own assets and flaws. Also, about special effects, would it be possible to not have just red "bullets" or red "lines", but also an animation that renders a beginning of ionization and/or visual persistence after the shot?. Again, I'm not a specialist and I don't know how a hand held weapon would be like; at least the most powerful lasers mounted on vehicles could have such effects (I read that even invisible lasers could left a bright trail by night).
  2. Plasma weapons:  In Xenonauts 1, alien plasma projectile were displayed like very thin elongated "bullets", because the aliens used gravitons to keep plasma balls in shape. In the end, we had like explosive bullets. Yet, the pictures in Xenopedia featured some big balls of doom, and not to speak about the alien plasma thrower that ended as a mere carbine. In contrast, I'd like visual splashes and audio hisses, at least for some weapons that are deemed to cast true plasma balls. What's the decision or the limitation here? Also, I wonder if some large projectiles shouldn't generate a small EMP damage (Androns)?
  3. Gore: In Xenonauts 1, descriptions referred to carbonized or even vaporized body parts or even whole people. We effectively had goo effect for overkilled units (and all civilians), but what about maimed, bloody or half-striped corpses, especially with the new localization system? I figure that corpses are now visible where they fell (and not just when looking at the inventory), but some diversity would be welcome. It would add a touch of anguish, I feel.
  4. Hazards: Can unprotected soldiers choke if they stay in a smoke cloud long enough? Do crashed UFOs have leaking radiative sources (alenium's potential was based on molecular bonds)? I figure that this could be rendered by a kind of smoke, but perhaps surviving aliens would be too vulnerable to this?
  5. Terrain: Could there be special squares of terrain that trigger a trap-like effect? I'm thinking about shifting sands, muskegs, snow holes, plain holes, mines, even spider mines. Perhaps at least a framework for modders to use. In Xenonaut 1, the jungle tile set had "slow motion" water squares; imagine if there was "very, very slow motion" 1-radius, invisible squares as well (of course, with a pertinent visual effect to illustrate what happened to the "trapped" unit).
  6. Non-Xenonauts: In Xenonauts 1, we had the pleasure to find our research spied on, and then local forces armed with lasers. Could this be extended to lesser armour as well? And why not a T1 vehicle sometimes (if there is any army base map). Also, why not some rare tries from major powers to fight down small UFOs, escorts, or air superiority missions, with makeshift T1 planes. Perhaps no spying would be involved, only a well understood interest in common. That is, the player would have the sense that the planet  makes it better and better through the invasion (should it stay on the first stages). Also, having surviving local forces fighting together with the deployed Xeno team would be nice. Sometimes, in Xenonauts 1, we had a glimpse of this feeling when an Alien spawned in the same room of a local force, and we heard its demise and then saw its corpse.
  7. UFO Crews: I read in the Features subforum that crew will be clearly separated like in Xenonauts 1, and I can understand why. Nonetheless, I can only regret the atmosphere in the Crimson Dagger novel left by a composite crew (five species, counting the Androns, each one their role). Drones have well explained roles (scouting, defense, ...), and we find them only with a certain other species. Harridans have well defined roles (master pilots, void maintenance), and we don't find them aboard any large ship (as if Sebillian ship don't need maintenance). Caesians are feeble, and they can build their own base without the muscles of some Sebillians, Andron guards could be last-ditch onboard defenders, and we never see them defending anyone but themselves, etc. At least, the largest ships could feature such a diversity (as in the  novel).

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will try to make an Answer for that Points. I´m not an Developer but an Beta-Tester.

1. Laser Weapons: They are different to the orignal Xenonauts in the Beta already.

- The Shots here are limited for the First Weapons and you don´t need to reaload

- After you have made the shoots to the max. limit you can´t shoot anymore to the next round

- The Laser Damage are in the near of the Alien-Stanard-Weapons, which get reduced / blocked by Armor and the Distance already

- You can research a better Version after much more R & D and upgrade the existing Versions to the new one

- The first Laser Tech is one of the Specials for your Founders which make them happy

- There are some Ideas to improve the fully Laser Tech-Parts (like better Aiming for the Soldiers against Standard or Improved / new Ammunation Weapons, but with restrictions like the limited Shots per Round which is already there)

- For the other question an absolutly no, you have to see where your shots have hit.

2. Plasma Weapons: I haven´t had Plasma Weapons, so I can´t say anything else to them.

3. Gore: Yes it is there and you can see it on the Map if someone is hit (Alien, Soldiers, Civilians etc.). And you hear it if someone get deadly wounded (Alien / Human / Vehicle) or get Stuned.

4. Hazard: Yes they can, but they get stunned if they are breathing to much smoke of a smoke Grenade. You can save them with an Armor-Upgrade called Breather against that. No, no Radiation, but if you hit it, it get a big explosion. There are other Alien Surprises in the Game with the same Effect.

5. Maps: The Ground-Maps get a complete Refit / Rework after the first Betas (which needed 4 fully Month) to solve Problems with implementations already in the Ground-Maps and for new things like Special Missions and such which get implemented from the Geoscape. I haven´t heard and read anything about that, but secrets like Mines, Spider Traps won´t get in. Maybe something of the other Parts for the Development there.

6. Non-Xenonauts: Yes, such things will come in again or get already implemented, which come from special R & D after a while (30 Days) for the Founder States and special Xenonauts-Outposts.

7. UFO Crews: Yes they get seperated, but specialised like Engeeniers, Pilots, Soldiers, Warriors, Commanders, etc. That has something to do with the new R & D - System and Storyline-System which get implemented for Xenonauts 2.

Edited by Alienkiller
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you! I appreciate the effort to not spoil the content too much. I'll have to see by myself then. After all, a special effect is only worth as part as a whole, and the whole can very well be enticing enough no to demand too many aesthetic/immersive effects or features. (I'm still playing Xenonauts 1 with 2D sprites for example, without the slightest feeling of repulsion).

 

A few last questions if you don't mind:

8. Audio volume: are there 3 settings for music, special (technological) effects, and ambient effects? We had only 2 of them in Xenonauts I.

9. Stunning and suppression: I think that the two mechanics should be linked, at least in one direction. Do stunning weapons suppress? Do suppressive weapons have more effect on partly stunned/dazed/dazzled targets? There was a link through moral and AP loss, but I'm not sure it was thorough. Perhaps now, wounds could alter the suppression regeneration, depending on their location ("Am I really going to be evacuated?")? Also about stun grenades, I guess that standard ones may be resisted by alien physiologies. Do we have research to adapt them to each new alien species? Is there one stunning/choking device per species? Like flares at night (or special oxidation grenades, even by day?) to stun/suppress thermal vision species, concussion devices (or sonic weapons) to stun/suppress vulnerable species, micro-fragmentation grenades to threaten Harridans in their sealed suits? No need for actual weapons, but it would be nice, perhaps if existing weapons had different effects to different species (instead of species/armour-dependent resistances to the same mechanics); to be clear some hidden settings that Sebillian Soldier type resists Mk3 grenade and not Mk2 grenades' stunning effect, and that's the reverse for Caesans (no need for visible numbers).

10.Wound regeneration: Except perhaps when they were stunned, I don't remember that a Sebillian could passively regenerate when left for dead, or worst, when mimicking the dead. Referring to the novel one time more, I wonder if we should not overkill some of them, or have a dedicated scout run at each corpse to check their status and perform a termination protocol (once a proper research has been conducted).

11. EMP damage: Back to Xenonauts 1 we had EMP "explosives". Are plasma projectiles deemed powerful enough to generate an electromagnetic field disturbance, at least when they penetrate armour? I mean that they are not only searing hot.That is, couldn't be EMP damage be associated to projectiles/hits, the same as there is a suppression damage?

12. Ammunition magazines: Are their mechanics basically unchanged? Or do we have special ammo and partially depleted magazines that can return in the inventory (like rockets)? I'm thinking about explosive/hide piercing/EMP bullets for instance. Mods can't do anything if the proper mechanics isn't implemented.

 

Also, you mention two tiers of laser technology:

13. Weapon Tiers: I'm just curious how technological breakthroughs confront with tactical considerations (RP-wise). Do all assault rifle share the same stats throughout the game or do we use basically the same weapon with other visuals and more damage, as in Xenonauts I? I know that at some point, game balance and handiness shall prevail, but why design a brand new weapon with just one consideration in mind, that to not disturb those poor rednecks that can't use anything different from their usual toys, for sure. Perhaps playing on damage reduction with distance will be enough to have feeling of novelty, as it seems the case for lasers?

Edited by Rodmar18
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8. Audio Volume: Haven´t looked at that.

9. Stunning and Suppression: Nope, it´s a seperatet must have with many Upgrades.

10. Wound Regeneration: Not changed, maybe a secret must have.

11. EMP Damage: Don´t know that atm, Game still WIP for 3/4 in R & D.

12. Ammunation Magazines: Not atm, but we discuss with the Devs about that. Maybe something to test will come in Beta 15 or Beta 16.

13. Weapon Tears: You get upgrades in Weapon Tears, don´t worry, esp. in the Beginning and Mid Game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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...