Milestone 5.22.0 Released! (Experimental)

[Chris]

This update is also only accessible by switching to our Experimental branches (instructions on how to do so here) - although please be aware they have slower load times and worse performance than normal builds due to the extra logging they contain!

This is the fifth Milestone 5 STABLE "release candidate" build. We're going to let people test it over the weekend, and if no critical bugs are discovered then we'll be releasing this onto the public branches for everyone to play early next week. 

Changes:

• Added additional aliens to ENDGAME part 2, and swapped out a couple of lesser aliens for Heavy Cyberdrones in part 1.
• Opened doors no longer block vision in their new position.
• Biters can no longer open doors.

Bugfixes:

• Fixed a crash that could occur when a unit fell from a destroyed shipping container.
• Fix the "Focus on UFO" button on the Geoscape sometimes scrolling the Geoscape map the wrong way while trying to focus.
• Fix the Battleship UFO doors opening / closing incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where soldiers can only open / close a specific door once during their movement (which was a problem if the move path forced the soldier to first close the door, then open it again to move through it).
• Fixed an issue where sometimes soldiers would refuse to start walking down a path that was partially covered by the shroud.
• Fixed some more wall visibility issues in ATLAS / Cleaner Base missions.
• Fixed an issue with the UFO containment tube glass drawing below the shroud (again).
• Fixed the Singularity Core in the Battleship UFO poking through the floor of the level above.

[gG-Unknown]

On 3/28/2025 at 2:03 PM, Chris said:

 people test it over the weekend, and if no critical bugs are discovered then we'll be releasing this onto the public branches for everyone to play early next week.

I did. I have noticed that you focused for squashing bugs this month, it is very good. But many Tactical suggestion are missing.

I have made a list, on top is ON-OFF camo mechanic, which made intense negative wave on forum, then you said it is easy to revert.

**** Wright ****
- Remove ON - OFF switch camo on-hit
- Keep turn-on  camo on-hit mechanic. Keep camo on for one or two turns. Random one or two turns so it is less predictable.

Add this : activated camo reduces spot range by 2 tiles. Target for this change is fallowing behaviour : after hit, alien  activates camo, player sees shadow form, then after a second alien disappear for good. Proper wright moment - now you see me, now you dont.Spooky.

**** Servitor ****
- make AI move them as  last units in the AI turn. So it can better position self as support  to (behind) other unit, not frontline explorer.

**** Colosus ****

- Colsus is weak. AND  Inventory over-filled by MG ammo looks silly. >>>Allow use modules.

**** Stun gun ****

- EMP dmg rise 22 >> to  32,
Current melee is much more fun and efficient for catch a live opponent, than Stun gun. However, Stun gun could get a niche task fighting robots.

 

Throwables
======================

Cut Smoke blast radius by 1
Cut Flashlight throw range by 2
Rise throw range  of grenade (frag,flash,smoke) by 1
Flashbang: add  1 OR upto 5 stun dmg (difference between base-flash and upgraded electro-flash is too much, on top it better communicates that base flash has some stun, then  upgrade has more stun)
Better visibility for grenades. Add  "smoke trace" similar to bullets.
Demolition pack weight 6 >> 7
C4 package:
weight 15 >> 8
blast radius 2 >> 4
damage type change to Thermal so it blows up enviroment
add throw range for C4 package 3-5 tiles based on Strength
add C4 package augmented by Alenium (more dmg)
add C4 package  with fusion fuse (even more dmg)

 

Shotgun
=================
Selling reasons : easy to hit, makes high dmg against soft (not armored) target
- 3 x 28 = 84dmg >>> 5 x 17=85 dmg
change number of pelets to 5 while combined dmg is the same. (shotgun will be SOFT TARGET killer, a weapon of specialist)
- armor destruction -2 >>> -1 per pelet ; total armor reduction is lowered by 1
Armored targets could soak first shot  very easy.
Rise range 9 >> 14
Reduce range hit bonus 7,5% >>> 4,8% (the max bonus is the same 67,5%)
Base Shotgun - reduce weapon clip from 8 to 6, reload time keep the same
Delete Laser Shotgun - technical nonsence (emit several "pieces" of light while laser is about focused stream photons), Also, laser weapons tend to shred armour which is against shotgun role - the soft target killer.

*** Laser rifle ***

- it should be universal weapon but clip size is crippling.

- clip change from 5 >>> to 6 ( so it is higher than pistol and it does two bursts)

 

Thank you !

 

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2025 by gG-Unknown

[pwd]

Strongly agree with changing the on-off wraith mechanic. The first thing I look for when I look at these updates is whether that has been changed. [Caveat is that I have not played the game since it was introduced, but I'm pretty confident I would dislike it as much as I imagine.]

I liked the original mechanic and the need to factor hitting them once successfully into plans (even if that largely was just yeeting a grenade near them). 

Off by default and activating on hit feels like it makes sense, but might make them to hard to kill and affect game balance, which I guess is why it only lasted one version iirc.

The suggestion above of changing it to reduce spot range while active sounds like it could work well. (Maybe more than two squares so it happens more frequently?) Shadow form if hit on player's turn until it has a chance to move with reduced hit chance, then effectively invisible if outside the reduced spot range. Forcing players to go look for them feels right. I think this would be a fun mechanic.

 

Edited March 31, 2025 by pwd

[Chris]

14 hours ago, gG-Unknown said:

I did. I have noticed that you focused for squashing bugs this month, it is very good. But many Tactical suggestion are missing.

I have made a list, on top is ON-OFF camo mechanic, which made intense negative wave on forum, then you said it is easy to revert.

 

1 hour ago, pwd said:

Strongly agree with changing the on-off wraith mechanic. The first thing I look for when I look at these updates is whether that has been changed. [Caveat is that I have not played the game since it was introduced, but I'm pretty confident I would dislike it as much as I imagine.]

I liked the original mechanic and the need to factor hitting them once successfully into plans (even if that largely was just yeeting a grenade near them). 

Off by default and activating on hit feels like it makes sense, but might make them to hard to kill and affect game balance, which I guess is why it only lasted one version iirc.

The suggestion above of changing it to reduce spot range while active sounds like it could work well. (Maybe more than two squares so it happens more frequently?) Shadow form if hit on player's turn until it has a chance to move with reduced hit chance, then effectively invisible if outside the reduced spot range. Forcing players to go look for them feels right. I think this would be a fun mechanic.

We'll create a Milestone 5 STABLE balance thread where this can be discussed. We can gather a bunch of opinions and then do a proper balance pass in a week or two.