Combat.shield

[Mytheos]

Here's the wiki for ballistic shield

"Early ballistic shields consisted of shaped sheet metal with a thin eye slot hole for vision. These were very heavy, which limited their usage in certain tactical situations."

and a nice pic (with lights on!)

That's what I see in Xenonauts. Something that's quite cumbersome and with vision limited to that thin slot when in use. It offers frontal protection, meaning that any shots from anywhere else will negate it, meaning it's mainly of use in breaches or entering enclosed spaces where there's only a single line of fire.

There are other shield on the market of varying sizes, but that first generic one I saw pretty much matches up with the one I see in Xenonauts. I just can't imagine anyone being an effective scout with it. I'm assuming that your scout should have a reasonable pace to cover the map, and plenty of Tus to get out of any trouble.

Yeah but again...this guy is in a crouched position, do you see him looking through the visor? No he is looking over it, so where is the vision penalty?

Also if you are moving while using the shield you wouldnt hold it up and look through the visor...you'd trip and look like an idiot running through most terrains.

You again would hold the shield up but be looking over it while moving...unless there is someone behind you pointing a gun around the side (In which case your weapon is not drawn) or you are moving with weapon pointed (usually) at a specific direction where you know there is a threat. (Going through the front door of a bank during a robbery, you arent worried about your right or left...unless I guess there is a really disgruntled starbucks employee with really bad timing for a shooting spree)

Firering with a shield WOULD cause a loss of accuracy for obvious reasons, and ones not so obvious...you spend your time training to fire a pistol not using a shield, so most of that practice and developed muscle memory is now worthless.

But in a tactical situation where the enemies could be anywhere from any angle, you would look over it as you moved so you would have better situational awareness, and could move more quickly.

And thus no vision penalty.

Keep in mind moving the shield up to protect your head and look through the slot means leaving your groin and legs exposed...personally I'd rather get shot in the head than the groin.

7

[Mytheos]

But the point is the game really.

And start simple, why do players use shields? If the answer is...

Shieldwalls to march towards the enemy - FAIL (Unless you are using them as fodder and 2-3 shield guys dieing a mission is ok with you)

UFO Breaches to Absorb Initial Reaction Fire - Great Idea, make it bonus not Absolutely have to have tho.

Scouting - Good idea, allow scouts, which have the highest chance of over extending or being hit with a reaction shot the ability to take an extra shot.

However we're talking about end of the day taking a shot or two then tossing them on the ground, anything beefier than that and they are OP.

If you have a vision penalty then using them for scouting is mostly pointless, and shieldwalls obviously ruin the tactical combat of the game.

And I would put forth that if their only use is UFO breaches you might as well just take them out of the game, as including them would end with few people using them, because they are mostly pointless and it isnt worth loosing 1-2 guys that can do something more.

You'd be better off just using rookie fodder soldiers to absorb reaction fire during breaches, as at least they can scout and add fire power until they die.

Edited June 30, 2013 by Mytheos

[RawCode]

currently military armor helmet actually improve vision and performance, most helmets have integrated communications, NV\IR\OM\ monocular and or onhead displays and mounted scaners.

nice sample of technology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interceptor_body_armor

soo armor shoud be available in atleast two varians - assault and recon, first with improved protection, second with improved vision, soo everyone who dont need max armor, still will be inside recon armor, just to ensure survival.

[Mytheos]

currently military armor helmet actually improve vision and performance, most helmets have integrated communications, NV\IR\OM\ monocular and or onhead displays and mounted scaners.

nice sample of technology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interceptor_body_armor

soo armor shoud be available in atleast two varians - assault and recon, first with improved protection, second with improved vision, soo everyone who dont need max armor, still will be inside recon armor, just to ensure survival.

The current military part. Its 1979.

But I agree with you, there should at least be a scout version with no penalty.

But the reason there is SO much discussion on armor and shield vision penalties is you are taking away something massive (vision) and giving something that doesnt really make up for it (Defense)

Vision helps you NOT get shot and Defense helps when you do, but if having poor vision is WHY you got shot then how useful is the armor really?

Sending in during a breach? Ok

Sending that guy around the corner first?

This sounds like scouting, and a slower guy with less vision isnt a good scout, its rather fail when a guy peeks around a corner and gives the all clear because an Alien was a few tiles outside his vision range...because it obviously wasnt "all clear"

That or they have to practically over extend themselves to get a good look...which gets them shot and killed more often that the nekkid guy that just peeked but could see far enough.

[Name]

Why not use teh nekkid guy for sight the the shortsight guys with armor to soak up some damage. That is what I do. Are people really having problems with this? (rhetorical question btw)

[Solarius Scorch]

I know it's only indirectly related to the vision range question, which is only indirectly related to the combat shield, but I resent the fact that now Sebilians have human-like sight range. It's contradictory to the Xenopedia and it bears strong marks of "oh no, humans are actually better at something, let's take it away quickly because no fun allowed".

Honestly, sight range is a very, very delicate issue.

[Mantaray]

i don't see why we cant just have a flat and uniform sight range. and then give one extra tile to the buzzard. i mean seriously. if the helmet is obscuring your view, then you should damn well put it on properly! the concept of make someone wearing a bit of kit look through beer goggles is daft.

[RawCode]

iterceptor armor with NVG and onheaddisplay were used from the 1990th...

it just 10 years difference from ingame lore and IRL lore, but still, ever with allien technology, room tempature superconductors, unlimited power sources xenonauts cant develop NVGs, advanced combat helmets and other stuff to keep with alliens, its just stupid and completely unprobable.

it will be nice if player on some moment of time forced to provide some units with recon armor, just to keep sight range in line with alliens, but not vice versa.

[Sathra]

I did this a little in my mod. The heavy armours do reduce sight range a little (not as much as vanilla), but the scout armours don't reduce, or actually increase it.