Milestone 6.5.0 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!

Unfortunately this update breaks save game compatibility, but if you want to continue your 6.4.0 campaign then please switch over to the Experimental Legacy branch.

Changes:

• Added research art for Biosurvey Array research project.
• Updated the ENDGAME biome art to reflect we now use a teleporter rather than the Pegasus.
• There's now a dedicated "Supporter" line in the Funding Report that shows the funding received by the Geoscape Supporters.
• Supporter icons are now darkened when they are in the "replacing" state.
• Building roofs on the UOO Sabotage mission are now destructible.

Balance Changes:

• Reaper Zombies now only spawn new Reapers if they survive the incubation period, which has been reduced to two turns. Killing the Zombie within two turns of it being spawned therefore prevents a new Reaper from spawning.
• Sniper Rifles have been buffed and Rifles nerfed slightly, as there were situations where the rifle was a better pick for long-range sniping. The Sniper Rifle now has a longer range, is cheaper to fire, and the penalty for moving has been reduced a bit (but it can still only fire once per turn).
  • Rifle accuracy slightly reduced (by about 5% on a 100% accuracy shot).
  • Sniper Rifle range increased to 26 (from 20).
  • Fire cost of both Sniper Rifle fire modes decreased to 52 / 64 TU (from 56 / 70 TU),
  • Reduced the "no move" accuracy bonus on the sniper rifle by about half, and added a similar amount to the standard fire modes. Essentially this means the weapon is now more accurate if the soldier has moved, and the same as before if the soldier has not moved.
• Automed Unit is still too much of an autopick item, so the weight has been increased to 12 (from 8) and the healing amount decreased to 3 HP per turn (from 5). It's intended to stop units dying from bleeding wounds, rather than replacing conventional healing items!
• Wraith Cloaking Field ability now triggers once at the end of a burst, meaning hitting a Wraith with two or more shotgun pellets / machinegun rounds / etc will only change the cloaking state once.

Bugfixes:

• Fixed doors automatically closing after the line of sight updates. This means you should no longer see situations where the front door of a UFO closes at the start of the turn and the aliens inside are still visible in the fog of war.
• Fixed the game displaying the "UFO Captured by Xenonauts" toast at the end of the mission if the final alien was stunned.
• Fixed some more visual issues in various maps.
• Destruction particles should now correctly fall through the gaps between the space platforms on the UOO Sabotage maps.
• Fixed a bug in the French translation.

[ih8california]

Are you still considering module buffs to colossus armor?

[SoftwareSimian]

Is it expected that funding amounts are drastically lower? Supporters now give +$15k instead of +$150k, plot research gives +$75k instead of +$150k, etc

[Skitso]

Imo snipers shot cost/accuracy were fine and needed more range, damage and penetration.

[gG-Unknown]

20 hours ago, Chris said:

Changes:

Changes:

• Updated the ENDGAME biome art to reflect we now use a teleporter rather than the Pegasus. // Good. Consistency matters. All final missions who use higher number of soldiers are on Teleport Tech.

Balance Changes:

• Reaper Zombies now only spawn new Reapers if they survive the incubation period, which has been reduced to two turns. Killing the Zombie within two turns of it being spawned therefore prevents a new Reaper from spawning. // Superb ! Thank you that you considered a dialogue I had with Kouki about this issue ! Yes, Copiing mistakes of previous UFO games is not always best way to fallow. Definitely logical improvement and adds a gameplay decisions.
• Sniper Rifles have been buffed and Rifles nerfed slightly,(but it can still only fire once per turn). // very sensitive change, I like it all. I ve recommended most of this, but I were not courageous enough to ask for range on sniper. Now, the range rise and mobility rise allows kiting tactic = superb !  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_video_game_terms#kiting
• Automed Unit is still too much of an autopick item, so the weight has been increased to 12 (from 8) and the healing amount decreased to 3 HP per turn (from 5). It's intended to stop units dying from bleeding wounds, rather than replacing conventional healing items!  // not good. Main problem is, it heals 3 effects at once. Split them, so it heals just one negative effect per round.
• Wraith Cloaking Field ability now triggers once at the end of a burst, meaning hitting a Wraith with two or more shotgun pellets / machinegun rounds / etc will only change the cloaking state once. // good partial improvement, but still waiting for fix  the main issue the ON-OFF feature.

 

Waiting for balance pass :

Colossus - latest armour buff is a bad joke. Recommend use my briliant idea "shield on back", it brings lots of new situations.

Shotgun - current shotgun is  very very bad.

I made a full article, well several, but here is a short version :

Shotgun is a mid range soft-target weapon of specialist. It should be best against servitors, crawling bugs and   targets  which  were  softened by  someone else.

range : 14 , number of pelets:5  ; armor destruction per pelet :1 ; dmg :  is same as now but split into 5 instead of 3, which means  armoured targets are mostly invulnerable.

 

e.i. sniper has most pen  VS shotgun has lowest pen of all weapons. Also, pistol has lowest range NOT shotgun !!!

Edited September 4, 2025 by gG-Unknown

[gG-Unknown]

4 hours ago, Skitso said:

Imo snipers shot cost/accuracy were fine and needed more range, damage and penetration.

range get buffed, also mobility. Now the sniper  can  shoot and change position to  take cover in one turn.  It rises survivability.

rising dmg and pen even further is not wise. Sniper use the same ammo as machine-gun. Sniper has just longer  barrel which  add just a bit of speed. You cant expect too much difference on impact.

Lets keep weapons grounded, keep relations linked to reality.

Edited September 4, 2025 by gG-Unknown

[Skitso]

17 minutes ago, gG-Unknown said:

Lets keep weapons grounded, keep relations linked to reality.

Yeah, if we assume one turn is 10 seconds, you can't move and make a well aimed shot with a sniper rifle in that time frame.

In an abstract system not everything can make perfect sense. Meaningful gameplay balance is way more important than perfect realism.

Edited September 4, 2025 by Skitso

[Chris]

9 hours ago, ih8california said:

Are you still considering module buffs to colossus armor?

Yeah, we are. I haven't had a chance to properly test it myself in my most recent playthrough so I've not finalised the changes for it yet.

5 hours ago, SoftwareSimian said:

Is it expected that funding amounts are drastically lower? Supporters now give +$15k instead of +$150k, plot research gives +$75k instead of +$150k, etc

No, none of that data has changed. It's likely a bug related to the updated Funding Report. I'll look into it.

5 hours ago, Skitso said:

Imo snipers shot cost/accuracy were fine and needed more range, damage and penetration.

Well, they've got more range now, which is the main thing. I think giving them a little more flexibility is fine too. Adding damage / penetration is a much bigger deal because it complicates the ratios between different tiers of weapon / enemy. I might buff those things in future but not in my first round of changes.

40 minutes ago, gG-Unknown said:

Wraith Cloaking Field ability now triggers once at the end of a burst, meaning hitting a Wraith with two or more shotgun pellets / machinegun rounds / etc will only change the cloaking state once. // good partial improvement, but still waiting for fix  the main issue the ON-OFF feature.

Shotgun - current shotgun is  very very bad.

I made a full article, well several, but here is a short version :

Shotgun is a mid range soft-target weapon of specialist. It should be best against servitors, crawling bugs and   targets  which  were  softened by  someone else.

range : 14 , number of pelets:5  ; armor destruction per pelet :1 ; dmg :  is same as now but split into 5 instead of 3, which means  armoured targets are mostly invulnerable.

The Wraith Cloaking Field is fine in my opinion. I like that it makes you think about your attack sequencing.

I also think the shotgun is fine as is - if anything, it's a bit overpowered. I'm not really interested in mirroring the real-life properties of a shotgun here, because this is a video game and having a weapon that is ineffective against armour would fall apart very quickly in the midgame where most enemies have at least some armour. Everyone would just use a rifle instead (just like in real life).

The commonly understood "shotgun" archetype in video games is something that does massive damage at short range by firing multiple smaller projectiles, and our current version works pretty well at doing what people expect while also being a viable primary weapon.

[Skitso]

6 minutes ago, Chris said:

I also think the shotgun is fine as is - if anything, it's a bit overpowered.

Agree. Shotgun is, especially in the hands of mid-late game high level soldiers, way OP. I proposed nerfing it's armour penetration to counter that.

Agree also on shotgun gamification for gameplay purposes 100%.

[gG-Unknown]

1 hour ago, Skitso said:

Yeah, if we assume one turn is 10 seconds, you can't move and make a well aimed shot with a sniper rifle in that time frame.

In an abstract system not everything can make perfect sense. Meaningful gameplay balance is way more important than perfect realism.

Well, the expectation  is  :

Sniper gets into position, press TURN

wait, press TURN

Sniper  gets no move bonus,  hit the  target and get into safety. press TURN

==

It  is a hunter - ambusher , who choose position where to strike, then run away after attack. So in case we  are locked in turns, sniper need enough movement points to run away. Recently added range rise combined with Cammo-chameleon armor  type makes very strong character (for certain situations). I prefer those fine tuning changes which creates opportunities rather than dull rise dmg and pen.

[gG-Unknown]

Forum having  some dropouts, so part of my comments dissapeard.

Skitso,

in case  turn is 10s, then realtime starts to translate at the moment   when finger press the trigger.

Sniper role, uses the extra  time to get away, not get into  the action.

Get noticed main power of sniper is in the "no move" bonus, so the  current mechanic are guiding you  to move AFTER the shot.

Also, remember your own issue-ideas that you recommended that sniper need an artificial bonus on higher floor  becouse defence. No needed. He need to move after the shot. Much better solution gameplay wise.

Edited September 4, 2025 by gG-Unknown