Budget Game Over - No Warning - WTF

[bonerstorm]

I just had - I believe - my second month total end with negative bank balance... and it was a game over. It'd be really nice to have a big warning attached to this eventuality in the future. Perhaps it should be two consecutive months... or not a game over condition at all.

The reason why is - especially on higher difficulty - having negative monthly budgets happens within normal play. Having enough bases and aircraft and tech to handle the game will almost certainly put you over budget. This will certainly ambush a lot of players who play very close to the wire on budget.

[Chris]

19 minutes ago, bonerstorm said:

I just had - I believe - my second month total end with negative bank balance... and it was a game over. It'd be really nice to have a big warning attached to this eventuality in the future. Perhaps it should be two consecutive months... or not a game over condition at all.

The reason why is - especially on higher difficulty - having negative monthly budgets happens within normal play. Having enough bases and aircraft and tech to handle the game will almost certainly put you over budget. This will certainly ambush a lot of players who play very close to the wire on budget.

It should already be two consecutive months? It's never really been tested before because until recently it wasn't actually possible for cash to go negative.

Yes, it probably does need a clear warning about it.

[bonerstorm]

3 hours ago, Chris said:

It should already be two consecutive months? It's never really been tested before because until recently it wasn't actually possible for cash to go negative.

Yes, it probably does need a clear warning about it.

Thanks! I played well past the 200-mark to see what kinds of things were possible... a (by my standards) fully-kitted-out Xenonauts organization pulls a little less than $1M budget deficit per month. That's one base with 3x X-55's, two bases with 3x X-25's, enough radar coverage to encompass the globe, 4x labs, 3x workshops, 23 soldiers on main base and 10x each on the two other bases. It's very easy to go negative. Honestly not sure it's worth it from a balance perspective for negative balance to be a game over since the player is in a rough enough spot without money anyway.

Another quick balance suggestion: speed up the construction time of radars. The game progresses so fast that waiting almost a month for those things to get operational is a severe handicap on the ability to halt panic deterioration in places you didn't start, This wouldn't be as big of a deal if it were more feasible to use interceptors to patrol without radars.

OK just one more: At this point, Quantum Arrays aren't remotely worth the price tag. $1M could get you a brand new base plus radar coverage... or a minimally kitted-out X-55.... upgraded armor and weapons for two whole squads... the player just doesn't gain that much from knowing the type of ship and mission they're on.

Maybe Quantum Array could pinpoint landed ships anywhere on the globe? Or you could just cut the price down to $500k.

[Grobobobo]

21 hours ago, bonerstorm said:

Having enough bases and aircraft and tech to handle the game will almost certainly put you over budget

Honestly, Being in the red enough to bankrupt yourself and lose the game is pretty impressive. I'm very curious to see how you managed that.
 

Quote

That's one base with 3x X-55's, two bases with 3x X-25's, enough radar coverage to encompass the globe, 4x labs, 3x workshops, 23 soldiers on main base and 10x each on the two other bases

Oh. That is pretty excessive.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Grobobobo

[bonerstorm]

2 hours ago, Grobobobo said:

Honestly, Being in the red enough to bankrupt yourself and lose the game is pretty impressive. I'm very curious to see how you managed that.
 

Oh. That is pretty excessive.

Can you get away with playing one main base and advanced interceptors? If so, that's pretty wild. What's that timeline look like? I'd love to test it.

[Grobobobo]

1 hour ago, bonerstorm said:

Can you get away with playing one main base and advanced interceptors? If so, that's pretty wild. What's that timeline look like? I'd love to test it.

Until like day 100-120, yes. That's because until then there aren't many panic inducing ufo's so if you take out cleaners early there isn't that much panic generation period. After that a 2nd base is enough to cover all regions but one (which is all you need to win) . Keep in mind that funding no longer depends on panic, so as long as it's below 100, it's fine. Also remember that each month there is a 10 global panic reduction. Another tip - if you leave workshops and labs idle, they actually generate profit. Pretty slow and long term, but if you're looking for endgame funds then it's worth mentioning.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Grobobobo

[bonerstorm]

2 hours ago, Grobobobo said:

Until like day 100-120, yes. That's because until then there aren't many panic inducing ufo's so if you take out cleaners early there isn't that much panic generation period. After that a 2nd base is enough to cover all regions but one (which is all you need to win) . Keep in mind that funding no longer depends on panic, so as long as it's below 100, it's fine. Also remember that each month there is a 10 global panic reduction. Another tip - if you leave workshops and labs idle, they actually generate profit. Pretty slow and long term, but if you're looking for endgame funds then it's worth mentioning.

Good to know about funding and loss condition. I guess... one base in Asia Minor and another in Mexico or Eastern-Europe? My concern with getting secondary bases up and running is getting the opportunity to harvest more UFO's for cash and loot. Since panic isn't as much as a concern in this build, farming money is. I may have racked up over 800k in deficits, but that's past day 250 with everything on my wish list bought. More ground missions absent UFO combat would definitely be appreciated, because otherwise there isn't much reason to actually do much of it in the midgame - at least for me. I just passed day 60 (still pretty early) and I've already got like 2/3 of my 23 soldiers heavily wounded after taking out the cleaner base on day 60, so I had to pass up on a downed UFO, but I could afford those two new bases.

So you rush advanced interceptors and have them up by what date?

[Grobobobo]

58 minutes ago, bonerstorm said:

So you rush advanced interceptors and have them up by what date?

I mostly rush tactical things actually, angels work for quite a while until they are unable to catch up with ufo's. The most important air game upgrade is actually the gauss autocannon, this lets you take down a LOT of ufo's with a low amount of interceptors.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Grobobobo

[Alienkiller]

Grobbobo, that´s very easy to reach to get Bankrupty in the first 2 Monthes. You only have to build up to much and have no Money for the monthly Costs, Upgrades etc. left.

That´s exactly I have said too several times to make Secundary-Bases much smaller and limit the Buildings there to have enough Money left for the Upkeep-Costs, Upgrades in all Parts etc.