feedback AI Adjustments Suggestion

[Ward_CO]

AI Adjustments Suggestion

Not sure how feasible it might be, but wanted to suggest three things in regards to friendly AI

Could we get an occasional special/rare civilian? Maybe a doctor or paramedic running around who will notice your troops and heal them if they're wounded, and back off a couple tiles afterwards. Or maybe a mechanic/engineer type who will try to repair the MARV. ALSO we could add local politicians/senators/governors as secondary objectives! If they survive or you escort them back to a certain point of the map, have it reduce panic for that region (I really like this idea, given that reducing panic feels mostly based around shooting down UFOs and that's it) Could also open up a lot of fun room for Easter Egg characters like a cowboy with a revolver, neckbeard with a katana, MI6 operative in a suit with a silenced pistol.

Another thing that I think is much more important and would love to see. Maybe add a command system for friendlies? Make it cost 4 AP to direct a friendly to hunker down, follow me, or head to shelter. Give the Squad lead or everyone a green flare they can throw to 'designate' the shelter point to the AI, and once you're in a certain range you can send them to safety. Could also make it a dice roll against your soldiers bravery stat, braver meaning more trustworthy and likely to be listened to, maybe local military and police will actually join up with your squad if you have a VERY brave soldier command them to. (Not suggesting that you recruit them after the fact, but that could be a cool idea, more interested in just being able to command them for the duration of a mission)

Lastly, dunno how feasible it would be, but would be cool to see local military fighting more coherently, instead of just scattered with the rest of the civvies all alone. Maybe spawn them in a pod of 3-5 and tether them to a certain point or their own squad leader. Would be cool to see them acting cohesively and trying to hold down a position while sticking together. So far my experience with local military is them standing in the middle of the street, refusing to use any form of cover, and generally just being bait,

[Ogilvy the Astronomer]

I like these ideas!

[Ward_CO]

Thank you!

[Ward_CO]

Also wanted to add in here as I play more, could be neat to see region's local military slowly updating their own gear. Maybe if you sell 100+ alien laser or plasma weapons, the counties themselves start to figure out how to make their own magnetic or laser weapons. Small touch but seeing the wider world react and adapt would be neat.

[Ward_CO]

Excited that they're updating the AI, secretly hoping its something like the changes I suggested here. I wanna command the police lol

[gG-Unknown]

Controlling civilians is can of worms. If you allow add  another team member by "controlling civilians" game could turn to be tedious. Even now 12 members is overwhelming. I said in another topic, number of soldiers under direct players controls  have to low, to keep gameplay flow. For most of combat missions I would rather see limit of 9 Xenonauts.

 

However, I would like to see an ability to narrow down friendly AI behaviours.

Idea is : Soldier come to distance of 2 squares to civilian, then icons of hand ( same as operating abduction tubes or recover data sticks ) allow an interaction dialogue with civilian. Dialogue is Basically menu for AI behaviour switch

1) Stand still

2) Fallow me

3) Go to chopper

4) Do as you like ( it is a default behaviour)

This way player  get feeling of  controlling the battle without overwhelming player with micro-manage an army of civilians.

Edited November 30, 2023 by gG-Unknown

[Komandos]

On 30.11.2023 at 14:27, gG-Unknown said:

Even now 12 members is overwhelming. I said in another topic, number of soldiers under direct players controls  have to low, to keep gameplay flow. 

Minimum number of soldiers under the player's control: equal to one soldier.

Please do not forget that the games UFO:1-2-3 were tactics at the level of one platoon. And that the Xenonauts game is aimed specifically at fans of UFO:1-2-3, and not at fans of games of another genre. In UFO:1-2, the maximum platoon strength is 26 soldiers, in X-COM:3 (UFO:3) The maximum strength of the platoon is 36 soldiers.

By reducing the maximum number of soldiers to one squad, the Xenonauts game ceases to focus on the tastes and expectations of UFO fans:1-2-3. Currently, there are many games where tactics are present at the level of one squad (4-10 soldiers) and these games are much better made than the Xenonauts game. The Xenonauts game will not stand up to competition in the niche of games (in the genre of games) "tactics of one squad of 4-10 soldiers)".