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What game options do people want?


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I'm currently scoping out our expanded campaign options, which will allow players to fine-tune the difficulty of the campaign a bit if they want. As part of this we may also add various options that allow people to change certain aspects of the gameplay too. If you've got any requests for game options that don't currently exist, please post them up here and I'll consider them.

For example:

  • An option to disable displaying the Health numbers above the enemy heads
  • etc
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-Strategic camera height: close/medium/far/dynamic

-Strategic HUD scale: 5-300% (or whatever is suitable)

-damage numbers: on/off

-ufo crew multiplier: 0.5-2.0 (or whatever is suitable)

-night visibility range: 0.5-1 (or whatever is suitable)

Edited by Skitso
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I haven't played the game yet, so can't make highly specific suggestions. Having various options to increase the difficulty would add replayability and give streamers a nice challenge to show off their skills. I like watching these kinds of streams. For the most fun, these optional settings should change the way the game is played.

A setting where a large number of small weak enemies are added to maps in addition to the usual enemies. Call it "Swarming".

A setting where alien bosses are more aggressive and dangerous.

An option to increase the frequency of assaults on player bases,

A setting to slow down research speed.

A setting where recruits are added to the pool over time, up to a limit, so that you can't replace large numbers of losses as easily and have to recruit soldiers in advance.

Also a fatigue system where you have to rotate soldiers.

 

Edited by Pold
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Specifically options related to difficulty?

  • Option to let the quantum building thing reveal information globally instead of per base
  • Multipliers for a lot of things:
    • Building cost
    • Building base stats (storage space, power generated, radar range, etc)
    • Engineering cost
    • Item cost, airplane cost, build time
    • Damage taken and damage dealt
    • Soldier base stats
    • Aircraft fuel use
    • Ground combat rewards
    • Monthly report rewards
    • Panic
    • Amount of terror missions / base assaults / other 'hard' missions
    • Base survival rate
    • And probably a lot of other things
  • Option to reveal ground combat maps fully on landing
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4 hours ago, asdfcyber said:

Specifically options related to difficulty?

  • Option to let the quantum building thing reveal information globally instead of per base
  • Multipliers for a lot of things:
    • Building cost
    • Building base stats (storage space, power generated, radar range, etc)
    • Engineering cost
    • Item cost, airplane cost, build time
    • Damage taken and damage dealt
    • Soldier base stats
    • Aircraft fuel use
    • Ground combat rewards
    • Monthly report rewards
    • Panic
    • Amount of terror missions / base assaults / other 'hard' missions
    • Base survival rate
    • And probably a lot of other things
  • Option to reveal ground combat maps fully on landing
4 hours ago, Skitso said:

-Strategic camera height: close/medium/far/dynamic

-Strategic HUD scale: 5-300% (or whatever is suitable)

-damage numbers: on/off

-ufo crew multiplier: 0.5-2.0 (or whatever is suitable)

-night visibility range: 0.5-1 (or whatever is suitable)

Yeah, I agree with all of these points. I'll just add on to them as I would have probably put all of these points down already. 

Balance

  • Soldier growth rates (potentially bring them down to zero so they don't grow at all) 
  • Alien and ufo stats (to mess with them on a more granular level) 
  • starting amount of money
  • the option to assemble the initial base however the player wants 
  • changing the cost decay on items as their sold (and potentially lower it to zero for people not interested in that mechanic) 
  • changing the turn limits on many missions, like on alien abductions and xenonaut victory on crash sites 
  • changing research and engineering decay as you get more scientists and engineers (potentially lowering to zero) 
  • option to remove the endgame laser event if it still exists by release 
  • changing the amount of rewards for a mission 
  • having a setting so someone could auto-win all air combats and/or ground combats (essentially cheat mode) 
  • option to remove alien health and armor values 
  • option to see exactly what research projects unlock after completing the previous research project before researching it 
  • option to make the dropships/planes go to their destination instantaneously
  • make all killing blows knock aliens out instead
  • change the likelihood of certain alien species appearing in a given playthrough

Qol

  • option to shuffle in music from x1 to increase music variety
  • option to mess with how common each track plays
Edited by Kamehamehayes
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Thanks. All suggestions are of course welcome but generally these options are either going to cover things that the existing difficulty settings already change (e.g. starting funds, monthly funds, numbers of aliens, alien Accuracy boost, soldier base survival chance, etc) or specific things where we've changed the formula from Xenonauts or classic X-Com and players might reasonably want to change it back (which is why I used the "not showing health above enemies heads" example). I guess I'm casting around to see if there's anything in the second category that I might have missed.

More granular control of difficulty may well be something we add in time, but it won't be in the first draft. It is interesting to see all the suggestions for the things we can tweak though.

The option to reveal the entire map at the start of the battle is possibly one that might be worth looking at. It's probably not hard to do and while I think it would make the game less fun, I'm not necessarily against allowing players to play the game that way if they really want to.

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18 hours ago, Kamehamehayes said:

Yeah, I agree with all of these points. I'll just add on to them as I would have probably put all of these points down already. 

Balance

  • Soldier growth rates (potentially bring them down to zero so they don't grow at all) 
  • Alien and ufo stats (to mess with them on a more granular level) 
  • starting amount of money
  • the option to assemble the initial base however the player wants 
  • changing the cost decay on items as their sold (and potentially lower it to zero for people not interested in that mechanic) 
  • changing the turn limits on many missions, like on alien abductions and xenonaut victory on crash sites 
  • changing research and engineering decay as you get more scientists and engineers (potentially lowering to zero) 
  • option to remove the endgame laser event if it still exists by release 
  • changing the amount of rewards for a mission 
  • having a setting so someone could auto-win all air combats and/or ground combats (essentially cheat mode) 
  • option to remove alien health and armor values 
  • option to see exactly what research projects unlock after completing the previous research project before researching it 
  • option to make the dropships/planes go to their destination instantaneously
  • make all killing blows knock aliens out instead
  • change the likelihood of certain alien species appearing in a given playthrough

Qol

  • option to shuffle in music from x1 to increase music variety
  • option to mess with how common each track plays

Most of them are nice Ideas Kamehamehayes. Some important Points you mention are already integrated in the Game with UFO-Pedia-Infos / Building-Infos and set fix in the Difficulty-Settings, which don´t need such Options (f. e. Starting Amount of Money).

The Points which aren´t set fix in the Difficulty-Settings and under the Disagree-Points (Cheating and if the brain get used Unnessecary) are very interessting.

Disagree in the following Points like every Main-Beta-Tester and Main-Crowfounders from beginning on:

1. changing the cost decay on Items as their Sold = you need an Market to sell items on your Crowfounders (North and South America, Europe, Asia etc.); there is much you can implement (Events, Requests and similar on the Geoscape, that their special Units can be upgraded [Fighter-Planes, Specialists which help you f. e. to hold Outposts). The only thing where I agree is the Cost-Decay, which need an much better ballance to each of the Founder Country seperated (with growing up again if nothing get sold).

2. Option to remove the Endgame Laser-Event = absolutly NoGo (untuchable); you need in such Games Heartbeater, otherwise they are only 08/15-Scrap;

What the Gamers instead like more importantly is an Option to raise the Game-Time: Instead to Remove the Endgame Laser-Event (which causes in the atm. Daytime Limit at Day 320 / 330 from maximum 360 Days) is to give the Gamers the Option to Double (720 Days) / Tripple (1.080 Days) as an much better Alternative.

3. having a setting for autowin all Air-Combats / Ground Combats = absolutly NoGo; that´s Cheating and completely forbidden; everybody which think about it, is completly wrong in Computer and Palour Games.

4. option to make the Dropships / Planes go to their desteniation instantaneously = absolutly NoGo; thats Cheating too and completly forbidden; everybody which think about it, is completly wrong in Computer and Palour Games.

5. Soldier Growh-Rates: absolutly NoGo (untouchable); nothing more to say!

 

20 hours ago, Pold said:

I haven't played the game yet, so can't make highly specific suggestions. Having various options to increase the difficulty would add replayability and give streamers a nice challenge to show off their skills. I like watching these kinds of streams. For the most fun, these optional settings should change the way the game is played.

A setting where a large number of small weak enemies are added to maps in addition to the usual enemies. Call it "Swarming".

A setting where alien bosses are more aggressive and dangerous.

An option to increase the frequency of assaults on player bases.

A setting to slow down research speed.

A setting where recruits are added to the pool over time, up to a limit, so that you can't replace large numbers of losses as easily and have to recruit soldiers in advance.

Also a fatigue system where you have to rotate soldiers.

Very good Points Pold. The last Point we tested out 2x already and we hope that this Feature come back again. It´s an very good Feature in Phoenix Point and the new XCOM-Row (beginning in XCOM 2 and integrated in XCOM: Chimera Squad too). Sadly in Xenonauts 2 it didn´t work correctly as it should, so it´s in an 3rd Rework / Refit again.

But in 2 Points I have to disagree:

1. A setting to slow down Research Speed. = Absolutly an NoGo if you don´t want to have an similar End like in the first Part of new XCOM or the outdated UFO After-Series.

2. An Option to increase the fequency on assaults on player Bases. = don´t get needed, there are more cooler Options with implemented Outposts (Tested already with Air-Battles), friendly Bases (like an military Post or similar) and much more which can be done on the Geoscape to increase the important Defense-Missions.

 

20 hours ago, asdfcyber said:

Specifically options related to difficulty?

  • Option to let the quantum building thing reveal information globally instead of per base
  • Multipliers for a lot of things:
    • Building cost
    • Building base stats (storage space, power generated, radar range, etc)
    • Engineering cost
    • Item cost, airplane cost, build time
    • Damage taken and damage dealt
    • Soldier base stats
    • Aircraft fuel use
    • Ground combat rewards
    • Monthly report rewards
    • Panic
    • Amount of terror missions / base assaults / other 'hard' missions
    • Base survival rate
    • And probably a lot of other things
  • Option to reveal ground combat maps fully on landing

Some important Points you mention are already integrated in the Game with UFO-Pedia-Infos / Building-Infos and set fix in the Difficulty-Settings, which don´t need such Options (f. e. Starting Amount of Money, Building Costs etc.) and don´t need to be cheated with such Options. The Quantum-Thing need only an stable Bugfix to work like it should (if not already done for V.26.3) or in Progress (V.27).

But where I aggree to make the Game more interessting are the following Points:

1. more Quantum-Oriented-Effects from the R & Ds. In what shape I have no clue atm. about not gotten the more advanced Techs in the Game (Day-Limit is to short to get them atm; therefore I said it´s an must have to get the Double (720) or better Tripple (1.080) Time-Limit) to integrate such cool Feature-Effects.

2. Building Base Stats: That don´t need such Options [the most Gamers would cheat]; the much better Alternative is to bring back Workshop-Upgrade-Projects back (like in the Tutorial explained for Radars) to upgrade the Storages, Radars etc. like it is already integrated for some Buildings (Power-Generators, Defenses etc.)

3. Aircraft Fuel Use: That don´t need such Options [the most Gamers would cheat]; there to is an much better Alternative in Progress: Plane-Upgrades with modular Builups (like Engine-Refits in the X-25, better Maneuverability in the X-25 etc.) up to an Point where Upgrades are not doable anymore

4. Ground Combat Rewards: Yeah, there I agree. Like in the UFO ET-Series / new XCOM-Row you get Specials (Armour Constructions, Research Boosts, Workshop or Upgrade Boosts or whatever), esp. from bigger UFOs.

Monthly Report Rewards: Yeah, there I agree. There can integrated Bonuses we discussed already for the Geoscape and Management-Part (like Outposts for special R & D, Storage & Dismantle UFOs / UFO-Parts, outdated Xenonauts-Bases which have to be reactivated with limited Buildings).

 

What I like to have is an more easy to bring in Option for the integrated Crowfounder-Soldiers (secured with the made in-Thing, which make them untouchable for unauthorized People). The Problem is that you can´t see in the Menu weahter the selected Soldier is showing up correctly or not (showing the Face-Parts). Therefore you have to start atm an new Game and look at your Soldiers you have. That would be nice and reduces the Time to bring them in and check them correctly showing up in the Game. 

Edited by Alienkiller
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22 hours ago, Chris said:

I guess I'm casting around to see if there's anything in the second category that I might have missed.

Being able to parallelize research is the only thing that comes to mind in that category right now, but I don't think that would particularly well as an option. A free camera might also be nice (but also quite moddable, not sure how useful it would be tough).

22 hours ago, Chris said:

The option to reveal the entire map at the start of the battle is possibly one that might be worth looking at. It's probably not hard to do and while I think it would make the game less fun, I'm not necessarily against allowing players to play the game that way if they really want to.

As a third option, would it be possible to keep building interiors hidden while revealing the rest?

9 hours ago, Alienkiller said:

The Quantum-Thing need only an stable Bugfix to work like it should

No, it has been confirmed that per-base is how it is supposed to work right now:

9 hours ago, Alienkiller said:

That don´t need such Options [the most Gamers would cheat]

There is a thin line between 'easy' and 'cheating' that every player should be allowed to define for themselves imho.

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On 3/2/2023 at 5:47 PM, Chris said:

I'm currently scoping out our expanded campaign options, which will allow players to fine-tune the difficulty of the campaign a bit if they want. As part of this we may also add various options that allow people to change certain aspects of the gameplay too. If you've got any requests for game options that don't currently exist, please post them up here and I'll consider them.

I suggest:

Increase the number of aliens on the battlefield by 2-3-4 times. Increase the maximum size of a tactical group on the battlefield to 20-24 soldiers. This will allow you to diversify the number of tactical situations that arise on the battlefield. Do this at least for the final (plot, key, final) missions. Due to the narrow restrictions on the number of soldiers in missions, all battles are extremely monotonous in tactics and the distribution of tactical roles of fighters.

In the future, this will help create mods with epic final and key battles.

Create a wider range on the scale of the battle, as in OpenXcom.

 

P.S. There are contradictions in the mechanics of the game:

1 - the game forces the player to create several tactical teams (stress mechanism, forced rest);

2 - the player cannot realize in the final of the game the advantage gained due to the high-quality training of two teams. (Take more trained soldiers on the final mission).

Edited by Komandos
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Very nice Ideas which get collected here. Some are realizeable.

Where I agree in Komandos Ideas are the following 2:

1. Send only the best Trained Soldiers in the final mission = that´s what I do in most similar Games too (like new XCOM, old X-COM, UFO ET-Series)

2. the Reintegration of the Stress- / Tired-Mechanism = that have teste already and I hope with the 3rd Rework it work like it should at final

 

Where I and many Main-Beta-Testers disagree fully is the Tactical Team-Part which is an bigger Micromanagement as it is now, the fully use of Maximum Soldiers / Support Vehicles direct at the Beginning [would make the R & D for Transport Planes obsolete] and the increasing of Enemys to much. Otherwise we would have mentioned that already.

But evtl. that could be an Idea too [expect the tactical Teams and Maximum Soldiers / Support Vehicles direct at the Beginning] in an DLC. The Idea is to have then for special Missions (like Outpost-Defend, Securing important VIPs and similar) to work together with the Security-Personal / Army / Police in that Mission.

Edited by Alienkiller
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10 minutes ago, Alienkiller said:

Where I and many Main-Beta-Testers disagree fully is the Tactical Team-Part which is an bigger Micromanagement as it is now, the fully use of Maximum Soldiers / Support Vehicles direct at the Beginning [would make the R & D for Transport Planes obsolete] and the increasing of Enemys to much. Otherwise we would have mentioned that already.

The final battle (final battles) must necessarily differ from the usual battles both in scale and complexity. The player in the final should get the strongest impressions, the widest range of gaming sensations. This cannot be done if the final battle is not fundamentally different from all other battles.

20-24 soldiers is even less than in classic games (26-36 soldiers participate in the final battle).

We were asked: what additional levels of difficulty do we dream about? I replied that I was dreaming of just such additional types of complexity that some players find too difficult.

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adding an option for vision modes, early night vision and thermal vision with some enemies having counters to some.

Night vision provides black and white extended view with no health bars

Thermal vision reducing visual range, but highlighting 50% further range for Thermally illuminated targets in line of sight.

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Kommandos, that Troop-Numbers you will get with the best R & D-Transport later on. But it makes like in old X-COM etc. no Sense to get the big Soldier- / and Assistance-Vehicle-Numbers directly in the Beginning.

That you have a bigger Number of trained Soldiers incl. Assistance-Vehicles at the final Stage of the Game, I aggree with you. In all Games of that Gerne I have played (fully old X-Com, new XCOM, UFO Extraterestials-Row (both Parts) you get the high Number of Soldiers Step by Step for advanced Transports.

Like said, the Idea to involve the AI-Friend-Troops as an Team with your Soldiers is interessting for an DLC or if we get Lucky in the later Stages from the Early Access for the Main-Game later on for some special Missions (special Missions, Defense from Outposts, Military Posts, Rescue VIPs etc.).

Edited by Alienkiller
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The difficulty of the game (difficulty levels) lies in the player's desire to spend more time and effort on the game, but at the same time still enjoy the game. This cannot be achieved without increasing the variety of the game.

For example: in order to spend more time on the game, many people suggest removing the orbital bombardment and the game time limit. But if there is nothing interesting in the game (what to do all this time), the player will quickly get bored. In the original game: the player himself decided when to go to the final battle.

In order to increase the effort spent on the game, players suggest limiting the effectiveness of "simple game mechanics" and increasing the share of using "complex and multi-way game mechanics" (which requires the player to have deep knowledge of the game, memory, attention, intellectual tension). But at the same time, the player wants to enjoy the game, not get tired of it. This means that the complexity of the mechanics must be compensated by entertainment and rewards. 

And it also requires broader rules and less narrow restrictions (more freedom in the gameplay). The higher the difficulty, the more freedom and variety should be given to the player.

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You don´t need an deep knowleadge for such Games like Xenonauts 2. They are easy to learn and easy to play. Like said we are not in the 1990s / Beginning 2ks anymore with Games a la FALCON 4.0 where you had an Handbook which had 300 Sides.

There are Points, which have to be fix and not changeable to make the Game interessting. That can be the Mothership-Bombardement in UFO ET and new XCOM, the Avatar-Project from XCOM 2 or here the Orbital Bombardement from time to time after the Aliens see that with normal instruments can´t be the Earth conquered. If someone turn that out, he / she is cheating. That Cheating have to block the Game and Saves until the Cheating is set of.

Where I aggree is that the Gameplaytime is to short [in about 360 Days you get the Minimum-Parts for the Midgame] and if you get lucky the Main-Base Upgraded with more Buildings, and an 2nd / 3rd Mini-Base. There have to be adjusted a lot more.

But there the Game is in big WIP and get some more cool missing Things in (more Missions, more special Geoscape-Surprisses etc.). And we will get some personal Adjustments, but no Cheating Adjustments.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Something that makes new bases cost a lot less. Many bases is something I want in this game, because having few reminds me of other Ufo games. I want lot's of soldiers and lot's of bases and I want to build more of them without it costing too much. They should still cost, but right now 750 000 or whatever it costs, is way to high.

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Ruggerman, if you have played old X-COM (dosen´t matter what Game of that Row) and UFO ET-Row, then you will know that you can´t manage them. You won´t have the Money for it. It´s the same Thinking like in Real. Either we invest the Money in Barracks to 100% or in new Equipment for the Soldiers, Pilots etc. to 80% and in 20% for new Buildings.

You have to decide either to win the Game (lesser Bases, therefore new / upgraded Equipment, Transports, Fighters etc.) or to loose the Game (more Bases, therefore no new / upgraded Equipment, Transport, Fighters etc.).

That´s why we think further with the Outopsts again to avoid such Problems and / or to find older Xenonaut-Bases which are limited in Buildup [3x Hangars for the Fighters, 1 or 2 Living Rooms, Energy-Center, Storage-Room, light Defenses and either 1 or 2 Labs / Workshops] to keep the Upkeep-Costs down.

Edited by Alienkiller
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Building up base is a slower systematic process, you build one, and then another, and then you move old equipment to the new base, when that is operational it can begin the make more equipment and the you make another and then another. this is like use the wide front strategy. 

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Yes, it is an slow Process and in old X-COM you could build up 1 or 2 more Bases with lesser Buildings. That´s why in UFO 2 ET the Secondary Bases and Main-Bases are limited in the Buildup (f. e. you can build up 1 Defensive System from every Part [Guns, light / heavy Rockets, Photon and the last one I have forgotten]) to save much Upkeep Costs. And it have an other new cool Feature too (mobile Bases as Cruiser-Aircraft-Carriers), which give you as Player the possibility to decide of having an Mix of both Base-Types later on.

The limitation for the Secondary-Base-Buildup is there: Engery-Center, Workshops, Hangars, Defensive-Systems, Radars / Sonars / Scanners (Standard-Base / Mobile Base). That´s why we Beta-Testers think about an similar System with limited Buildings in the Secondary-Bases / Mobile Bases to reduce the Upkeep Costs for them in Xenonauts 2. Or findable older Outposts from your Predecessors which you can use, but not extend.

 

If you check up your Main-Base-Costs (with the Buildings, Personal and Upgrades of Buildings you will need to the Maximum) incl. an Secondary Base with the Minimum Buildings (Energy-Center, 3 Hangars with Fighters, 1 or 2 Storage Rooms, 2 linked Defenses, 1 Radar, 1 Living Room and 2 Workshops or 2 Labs) to the Maximum Income from your Country-Founders (600k each) you will see, that the Limitation-Buildings for Secondary-Bases are an must have in the either or other-method.

With the exisiting System all Beta-Testers agree in the Point, that you can build up maximum 3 Bases worldwide and the other 2 or 3 Slots are empty. With the direct Comparision to the UFO ET-Row an Chance have come up, if you don´t wanna have the Problem old X-Com had (dosen´t matter what Version you have played from them: Enemy Unknown, Terror from the Deep, Apocalypse, Interceptor) with or without the special Tool.

 

Edited by Alienkiller
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Hi, I want an option to pay less for a new base so I can actually have a few bases and not just one or two. At least three bases shouldn't be a problem, mostly because this game isn't a 1 base game and shouldn't be a 1 base game. Less soldiers, less bases and less ships makes for a more boring game in my opinion. If you want 1 jetfighter, 1 base and 1 soldier sure, you should play that game and that option could then exist. I want like four bases, a hundred troops or more and lot's of radar coverage. I want things to build and things to consider. I don't want stuff you can never buy and never have in a game, because those things won't be used. 750 000 for a base feels very expensive.
Now I know this isn't for everyone, so that's why we could make it optional. Upkeep could also be lower. If it's an option I'm sure a lot of people will like high upkeep and they should have it. I don't like it though. There's also a balance between coverage of the globe and healthy research and I don't want that balance to completly destroyed, but I don't think this option will do that.
I also don't expect new bases to cost that much later in the game, because I do realise that while testing things out a lot of bases can actually be a problem for the testing. However once this game get's stable enough and actually works, a lower prize for an in game base expansion and more bases might be a good thing to test out.

Edited by Doshniel
I missed a few things, wanted it to be better and perhaps nicer to read.
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