Motion tracking device

[chihwahli]

In my ealier thread I mentioned that aliens holed up in a room are just too dangerous. If you go in you will 99.9% die.

That aint no fun. We should have some kind of device to chck if there is someone inside.

Or do we have something we could use?

[Vivisector 9999]

I know a motion detector was one of the Kickstarter goals, but I don't think they made it (it was among the final ones).

It probably wouldn't help as much as you think, since you still wouldn't know if that blip is an alien or just a civilian running around. Also, I've noticed aliens (especially when they're in their UFO) tend to hold still a lot. That may be because the AI is still in its early stage, or because they're saving up time units to reaction shoot you with. Either way, though, a motion detector wouldn't show anything.

If the rooms are giving you too much trouble, try peeking through a window (if there is one), blowing down the walls with explosives (your tank, rocket launcher, C4), or tossing in a flashbang first.

[Max_Caine]

Yeah, flashbangs and other grenades are the way to go. And when the combat shield code and animations are finalised, that should be a BIG help.

[crusherven]

My experience in the original xcom was that motion detectors weren't that useful for that purpose just because the aliens might not even move. And then, it works and you know there's an alien in there, you still have to go in with almost exactly the same technique and with the same chances of getting shot as if you were ignorant. Just like room clearing in real life, you breach every door as though there are hostiles inside and expect the first guy through to get shot.

[thothkins]

I always got the feeling I was supposed to use them a lot more than I ever actually did in the original. It would be interesting to hear form those that did make good use of them. It's always nice to have as many equipment options as possible in the game, so I'd not say no. But as someone said, it was a ways down the track on stretch goals.

[jars_u]

If the rooms are giving you too much trouble, try peeking through a window (if there is one), blowing down the walls with explosives (your tank, rocket launcher, C4), or tossing in a flashbang first.

I agree... I would rather point a rocket then a motion tracker and if I remember reading right, somewhere it was pointed out that destruction of buildings should be possible? Bonus.

[Vivisector 9999]

Collapsible buildings should be in the game (as of v13). If you take out enough walls, a building should fall down.

That's good news, as this is one of the things that really bothered me about the original X-COM. You'd take out the floor level of a building (or the first half of a lamppost!), and the top half would just hover there...

For what it's worth, I don't remember ever using the motion tracker in X-COM, either.

[Gauddlike]

I used motion trackers a little, usually only if I was desperate and couldn't find the last alien on a map.

They didn't work well though.

If you were close enough to pick up the motion you were usually close enough to find them anyway.

[MrPyro]

I used them in Apocalypse because they improved the interface; rather than having to go to a separate screen and then come back, the motion tracker was something you switched on and then had a window in the corner of the screen whenever that soldier was selected. I think the soldier using it suffered some kind of TU penalty for having it switched on (to represent slower movement because of the need to keep an eye on the screen), but it could be useful.

[Okim]

Used MT a lot in the original game. Especially on large UFO recovery missions and always on alien base and base defence missions. Used them on terrors too, but always switched off if i wasn`t fighting Snakemen with Cryssalids. Though they didn`t help much against Lids as those are freaking fast and usually stalked my soldiers form distances too far for a scanner.

In TFTD never went on any mission without one. The abundance of cover in that game forced usage of PD sensors, especially this was true in (once again) alien base and activity missions.

In APOC always had a guy with a pistol and a sensor. Aliens in APOC run in groups and were quite easily distinguishable from lone civies.

[Gorzahg]

When I first played XCOM I never used motion scanners as I thought they were a waste of space BUT, later I decided to experiment with them by giving them to my scouts who were equipped with Laser Pistols and Stun Rods. I'd use them:

- On the second turn after before my guys got out of the Skyranger as sometimes there's an alien that spawns behind the Skyranger who sometimes gets reaction shoots. He also always moves on the first turn so the scanner picks him up.

- Before entering a UFO I'd get my scouts all around it and use their scanners to find out how many aliens were inside. The aliens usually move too. Also works for buildings.

I've found the motion scanner to be a pretty good way of avoiding reaction fire and getting intel before committing too many troops to an area.

[StellarRat]

I think dogs trained to sniff out aliens is a better alternative. Of course, you'd have to capture some live aliens first so the dogs could be trained.

[Vivisector 9999]

I don't know if it'd have to be live aliens, wouldn't corpses work just as well? Either way, the aliens would probably have an unearthly smell that you could train a dog with.

Of course, if you could train your alien-sniffing dogs to be attack dogs as well, that would be even more efficient. Even the goddamned Batman has trouble fending off a big dog pack.

[Gorlom]

Corpses doesn't sweat Vivisector. Besides they tend to smell differently when they decompose... or has been barbequed by laser or plasma fire.

Doesn't batman carry around 4 T-bone steaks and a string of sausages in his utility belt for just such emergencies?

[thothkins]

Doesn't batman carry around 4 T-bone steaks and a string of sausages in his utility belt for just such emergencies?

I thought that was for Bat-snacks while he was on Bat-patrol. Holy fry ups Batman!

[Gauddlike]

I was going to go with 'Holy mixed grill Batman'