New mission type ideas

[zakalwe]

Hey guys,

Been playing the alpha and lurking on the forums and thought I would post an idea. Apologies if its been floated before.

One thing that occurred to me playing the alpha was the lack of diversity and mission goals. I know we are likely to see improvements in Terror missions and base assaults, but was thinking that maybe a few other kinds of mission might add to the game.

My suggestion is that in missions where alien craft have sustained catastrophic damage in the crash there is now a potential for these missions to become power core diffusal missions.

Xenonauts are briefed on arrival that the power core in the craft is in danger of going critical, and that they have say, 15 turns to diffuse it before it blows. This would create a rush to secure the craft asap, and encourage more risky behaviour as players are forced to weigh the danger of waiting to kill nearby aliens with the need to breach the craft with a small team. TENSION!

This would be easy to explain narratively as well, as either a damaged core going critical, or maybe as a self destruct option initiated to avoid capture.

IF players fail to disarm the device, there could be a large explosion on the map itself, a failure of the mission as the area is destroyed, or a 'evacuate NOW' order (say 8-10 turns) after the point of no return has been passed and xenonauts flee to the dropship to escape the explosion, with an associated penalty to nation score for failure.

Success in the mission would lead to a repaired power generator that would otherwise not have been salvageable. Potential items added could involve a diffusal kit and possibly a fire extinguisher to allow quick entry to ships that are blocked by fire.

This could be a later game mission for the larger craft, or something the ai throws your way if you look like you are coasting.

Apologies if the idea has been floated before, had a look but couldn't see anything on it. Do post any ideas for other mission types.

[LesserAngel]

I think there's plans for more mission types, it's just early to attempt to implement them. (Devs, correct me if I'm wrong)

[ooey]

What about one where one of your buddies is on vacation and gets caught up in an alien raid (without a gun) i.e. he's hiding or acts like a civilian during the mission. Your squad has to go in and rescue him (hes radioed you because he always carrys his brick-type mobile phone or something).

I remember an interesting mission in Lazer Squad where you had to rescue 3 of your men from a prison dungeon. That might be good!

[HWP]

Please just let's not steal too many ideas from EU.

One thing I would like added is double-UFO missions: another UFO arrives at a crash site (to assist, clean up or whatever) - and your cakewalk to salvage a light scout turns quite a bit harder. Double or nothing, baby.

[ooey]

No! - steal ALL the mission ideas from EU but add more - variety is what made EU great!

[zakalwe]

I like the arrival idea, like your not the only one intercept the crashsite. You could mix it up by having a rogue government or criminal syndicate arrive to try and secure the alien technology. 3 way gun battle between the hostile force, xenonuats and aliens trying to rescue their buddies.

I thought maybe a tower level could be cool, nothing is being made of the height dynamic at the moment, a tower mission where a scout has crashed into a skycraper and you have to work your way up in an enclosed space might be cool. Lots of fire hazard! and smoke.

[zakalwe]

I haven't played EU, guessing the diffusal ideas in there?

[LesserAngel]

Yes actually, it is (aliens planted a bomb, you gotta get to it and diffuse it, mop up remaining aliens.) So it's not EXACTLY the same as what you suggested though.

[ooey]

Oh HWP means the NEW xcom:EU - rrriigghhhttt! I was referring to the old one. Still, if the new one has some good mission types then why not adopt them too?

[HWP]

The old game is X-COM:UD (or UFO:EU). The new is XCOM:EU. Generally UD and EU respectively seem to be the accepted terms for distinction.

I'm just saying Xeno is its own game and it shouldn't try to be like EU.

[LesserAngel]

Does that mean we can at least have base defense, since EU nixed that?

[zakalwe]

What about bonus type missions derived from alien interrogations? At the moment you only really need to get one of each type of alien. Its quite fun bagging them, but no point. Maybe captured aliens could be interrogated.

Subect #2419 Report. During before expiring, interrogation subject revealed intelligence linked to:

Alien Supply Network

Mission: Hit the aliens by surprise during a refueling/landing operation. Lots of alien equipment

Alien Infiltration

Mission: Assassinate Alien controlled clone/mc'd politician or general undermining support for xenonaughts. Small team, maintain stealth or big penalty to a nations score. Success = Bonus to funding from that region.

or

Alien Jamming Frequencies

+25% radar coverage for 1 week

Alien Shield Cycles

+25% damage to aircraft for 1 week

Terror Intelligence

3 days warning before next attack

[LesserAngel]

What about bonus type missions derived from alien interrogations? At the moment you only really need to get one of each type of alien. Its quite fun bagging them, but no point. Maybe captured aliens could be interrogated.

Subect #2419 Report. During before expiring, interrogation subject revealed intelligence linked to:

Alien Supply Network

Mission: Hit the aliens by surprise during a refueling/landing operation. Lots of alien equipment

Alien Infiltration

Mission: Assassinate Alien controlled clone/mc'd politician or general undermining support for xenonaughts. Small team, maintain stealth or big penalty to a nations score. Success = Bonus to funding from that region.

or

Alien Jamming Frequencies

+25% radar coverage for 1 week

Alien Shield Cycles

+25% damage to aircraft for 1 week

Terror Intelligence

3 days warning before next attack

Oooh, now that's a good idea.

[Gorlom]

My suggestion is that in missions where alien craft have sustained catastrophic damage in the crash there is now a potential for these missions to become power core diffusal missions.

Xenonauts are briefed on arrival that the power core in the craft is in danger of going critical, and that they have say, 15 turns to diffuse it before it blows. This would create a rush to secure the craft asap, and encourage more risky behaviour as players are forced to weigh the danger of waiting to kill nearby aliens with the need to breach the craft with a small team. TENSION!

This would be easy to explain narratively as well, as either a damaged core going critical, or maybe as a self destruct option initiated to avoid capture.

How would the Xenonuts be aware of the need to defuse and more importantly how to defuse it?

while realism, verisimilitude and immersion isn't that important for me there are others on this forum that think it is super important

or

Alien Jamming Frequencies

+25% radar coverage for 1 week

Alien Shield Cycles

+25% damage to aircraft for 1 week

Terror Intelligence

3 days warning before next attack

I'm not a big fan of player created bonuses. They are rarely balanced, fun or any point to.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Gorlom

[svidangel]

Yes, I like that one! Think I mentioned in another post how it was nice in EU that there was more of a purpose in interrogating and dissecting most aliens vs the one or two useful ones in the old XCOM.

Also I think it would be a shame to avoid the few good ideas EU had, simply because they came from EU.

[HWP]

There is something ridiculous about flying in from 10,000 miles away for a ticking time bomb defuse mission and then having 3 minutes to defuse it.

Seems there was absolutely no way for you to arrive 3 minutes earlier, and you weren't afraid at all of arriving 3 minutes later just in time for the bomb to blow you up. Got to be movie magick.

[LesserAngel]

Well, you wouldn't know that it's a bomb mission until you get there, but yeah, even in EU they TELL you it's a bomb defusal mission before you get there. Odd, but meh, not everything can be realistic, that's just no fun.

[Gauddlike]

Maybe the timer wasn't started until you landed and the aliens became aware of your presence?

It wouldn't make sense for a self destruct to begin until there was danger present after all.

Until you arrive they were still concentrating on repairs and escape rather than last stands and self destruct.

The old game is X-COM:UD (or UFO:EU). The new is XCOM:EU. Generally UD and EU respectively seem to be the accepted terms for distinction.

I know the original game as X-Com: Enemy Unknown from the 1995 playstation version which is the one I played the most.

I use x-com for the original and xcom for the new one generally.

Although I don't talk about the new one much, not played it and waiting for a good sale discount before I consider picking it up.

[HWP]

Yeah, UFO self-destruct timer in Xeno might work (not in EU where it's different).

But that's a pretty big decision gameplay-wise, raising the question of why don't all UFOs do that. And if all do, it's a big change.

[Gauddlike]

It could depend on the amount of damage, the type of aliens left (engineers and commander both required for self destruct etc) or the aliens need to feel threatened then move to the engine room and control room to trigger the destruct.

Making it as a possible action of the AI rather than a random mission type works better for me, probably more work though.

[HWP]

I'm also not sure how you would even learn that they have self-destruct activated. And would you be able to deactivate it anyway?

I suppose a random risk of that happening if you are playing successful turtle-advance (a lot of turns, took down some aliens, took no casualties) might work, but OTOH, if you don't know about it, that might make the game a gimmicky backgammon crapshoot like EU.

[thothkins]

Some other mission types form another thread

Use of certain missions/maps to have increased impact on scoring.

The suggestions below should offer the following advantages

- Enhance the mission objectives screen

- Combine those objectives with the GeoPol suggestions above

- Provide additional incentive to commence missions throughout game.

- Use these additions with minimal additional terrains/maps

Definitions -

Primary Objective – Mission critical

Secondary Objective – Bonuses to mission score should they be achieved. Not mission critical.

Many of the suggestions below use the conceit that the map for that particular mission is in fact more important than it normally would be.

The simplest way of implementing this is to add commentary onto the mission objective screen and add victory points accordingly.

The farm map becomes a “Key Produce Center” and the “Industrial tile set becomes a ‘Key Manufacturing Hub.’ Protect them to receive a +% score for that funding nation.

In keeping with the GeoPol suggestions, Nation based missions are given first, followed by Objective based missions.

Nation based in a particular map

Military Base - losing will reduce funding and local force support

Port attack – protect shipping of funding nation

Airfield – allows local forces to intercept later in game more effectively

Cruise Ship - protect um tourism.

Oil Rig - claustrophobic and protects funding nations energy reserves

Defend research station– bonus to nation relationship

Defend radar station of funding nation – bonus to nation relationship/ keep chance of nation detecting UFOs

Power Station – Protect energy supplies. bonus to nation relationship

Hospital – Morale boosting, improves relationship score.

Reactor - Protect energy supplies. bonus to nation relationship

Protect mines – Some sort of manufacturing bonus? And you get a new map.

Eliminate alien cultists – Reduces infiltration chances/ boost to country score, helping it out of scores that have alien infiltration missions. This uses local civvies as cultists, and can be on any map

Prevent building destruction – a secondary objective to keep a key building or all buildings on map as intact as possible.

Objective based missions suitable for any map

Alien Base – specialised alien bases for different purposes – weird gas into the atmosphere etc. Could use nearly all existing graphics.

Alien Artefact site - what are they really up to? from TFTD seize or destroy

Building search/ raid - to prevent alien infiltration

Subdue hostile local forces – use existing graphics

Assassinate hostile government representative/ mind controlled dupe – defended by existing local forces

Defend crashed Chinook - using any of the existing maps

Area denial – plant explosive as carpet bombing from above is harsh.

Hold off attack on power station/ reactor/ hospital etc

Rescue key research scientist – bonus for a particular line of research or an unlock to research.

Rescue hostages

Escort diplomat safely – either an interceptor mission (imagine that) or across a battlescape (as long as they can dodge) exfiltration area (VIPs could be player-controlled to avoid AI issues);

Protect key politician/scientist/ engineer

Alien hunt – an overly aggressive alien is contained in a busy building – hunt it down

Hold off alien attack of town for X turns– terror attack with different and increased spawning – huge propaganda benefits.

Rescue ejected Interceptor pilots

Alien Abduction - free the abductees from the UFO without damaging it (killing them). You only have a set time before the ship will depart or surgery/probing is performed on them.

Alien Mutilation - Just like a terror mission, except that you are protecting cattle herds in your area from alien injury.

Alien Base & Alien Terror are in already

UFO Recovery of landed craft

UFO Crash Retrieval

Eliminate alien cultists – farmland siege to inner city indoctrination centre

Subdue alien sympathisers

Subdue/ stop mind controlled civilian rampage.

Destroy “infiltrated” civilians – they will be marked as red on the screen but only from a short distance. possibly needs a device to detect. Any killing of actual civvies counts as a double penalty as Xnauts seemingly go nuts.

Quarantine – prevent civvies from leaving an area – may require hazmat suits or later armour – alien gas in centre of map

Rescue Chinook crew - You have an aircraft shot down but the crew have survived. You must rush to rescue the downed pilot/survivors of the helicopter crash before the aliens get them. Basically a normal map but with a pilot/soldiers somewhere on the map instead of a crashed UFO and a number of aliens from a landing party trying to kill/abduct them. Kill all the aliens, save the crash survivors.

Abductor - The UFO you shot down was transporting abductees. Discovered upon searching the crashed UFO. The normal "capture the UFO" objective is extended a number of turns and more aliens spawn. You have to hold out and protect the abductees long enough to drive the aliens off.

Alien Denial - The aliens try to recreate the Iceland incident. Having now entered the UFO you now have 10 rounds to get back to the Chinook and flee the Battlescape.

Alien Infestation – dependant on Alien Hive stretch goal. Map tiles of the hive are combined with a normal set. The xenonauts have to kill all of the spawning aliens to prevent the hive spreading across the map.

Further Mission options

Investigation – scientists and/or technicians are removed from the allocation pool. This indicates that they are off on a mission, in order to investigate a particular occurrence. This could be the site of a sighting, an abduction or some alien sabotage or it could be rumours of an alien base or infiltration. All of this is handled purely in the Geoscape.

The mission comes up in a pop up, the pool is adjusted for a set time period and the results determined (currently based on nation relationship with a random element as there are no scientist or engineer skills. With skills, there would be a success total and this would be matched against the skills of those sent over the time period allowed). This forms the basis of an investigative module.

Extended Mission Objectives

Offer points to Xenonauts to increase focus on their area (shoot down all UFOs over area for 1 week for increased funding/ increase patrols over funding nation for 1 week)

Offer points to not shoot down UFOs over another funding nation (possibly not in keeping with Xenonaut goals, but part of Realpolitik funding nation action above.

[Gorlom]

I think I had a dream about that alien mutilation mission

[GoodGuyEddy]

UFO self-destruct timer in Xeno might work

What timer? The energy is extracted by using laser beams on alenium to release enrgy. All you have to do is turn the dial up to eleven.

That's pretty much how alenium based explosives work. There is no "charging time", no "meltdowns" just firing all the laser emitters in the energy source at once and barabing.

Alien Supply Network

Mission: Hit the aliens by surprise during a refueling/landing operation.

Alien Jamming Frequencies

+25% radar coverage for 1 week

How would that increase anything and only for one week? All that can happen is that your detection resumes as normal or you integrate the alien tech into your detection methods and gain a permanent boost.

All they need to refuel is to insert a yellow rock in a refrigirator sized generator and off you go! Landing? Aren't those terror missions and setting up an alien base?

Terror Intelligence

3 days warning before next attack

Eh should be possible to implement although we would probably not see that until the very very late game. Reverse engineering a gun that is in fine working orther in in front of you is one thing, but deciphering a language of really untalkative aliens is quite another.

Edited October 19, 2012 by GoodGuyEddy

[zakalwe]

Alien Supply Network

Mission: Hit the aliens by surprise during a refueling/landing operation.

Alien Jamming Frequencies

+25% radar coverage for 1 week

How would that increase anything and only for one week? All that can happen is that your detection resumes as normal or you integrate the alien tech into your detection methods and gain a permanent boost.

All they need to refuel is to insert a yellow rock in a refrigirator sized generator and off you go! Landing? Aren't those terror missions and setting up an alien base?

Terror Intelligence

3 days warning before next attack

Eh should be possible to implement although we would probably not see that until the very very late game. Reverse engineering a gun that is in fine working other in in front of you is one thing, but deciphering a language of really untalkative aliens is quite another.

What I was suggesting with the supply network really was just a different type of mission scenario, say you have a map with two intact ships and a bunch of aliens standing around in the desert or something, rather than just the usual hunt and kill all situation, which is fun and all, but why not add depth with an optional interrogation dynamic, where you can capture and interrogate aliens progressively. Missions generated from interrogations seemed the best incentive for that.

To be honest bonuses like +25 Radar coverage over a week I agree would not be as good as a mission type based on intel from captured aliens. Permanent bonuses would be good,You could also imagine capture and interrogations similar to a tech tree.

In terms of adhering to plausibility, in any kind of war intelligence plays a critical role, so sometimes do the actions of individuals, and so to random, unpredictable accidents. In the context of the game, we have to accept that the aliens are wildly more powerful but not invincible, or immune to the rules of chance and bad judgement. For me its a bigger stretch to accept that everything possible about alien biology, language, society, history, etc can be uncovered using just one corpse and one live specimen.

Hell I would be happy with just some more unlocked text/backstory to read for my troubles. Or a zoo/trophy panel in the base where they are all kept and I can sell them to unscrupulous corporations and governments.