More Hires - Doctors and Maintenance Crews

[DNK]

Basically, add this requirement to base staff. The more maintenance crew, the faster the turn-around for repairs, refueling, and rearming. More doctors = faster recovery. Obviously, this would need a cap since 1000 doctors can't make your skin regrow faster, but it adds more to base management, which currently is a bit lacking.

[Lorebot]

I wouldn't complain about such an addition if living quarters were increased in capacity to compensate for the additional need for base crew.

It could be linked to the Medical Bay and the Garage, each Med Bay could support 5 doctors and each Garage could support 5 maintenance crew. Each doctor or maintenance man could increase recovery/repair/refuel time by 5%.

[DNK]

Maintenance for hangars too.

Actually, I prefer reducing living quarters space to increase base management difficulty, but whatever, that's not the point

[Jorboc]

Only if they get sidearms. I'll even take a ballistic pistol over those bad old days from APOC.

Even the Cooks & Electronic Techs in the regular army get basic training.

[thothkins]

Basically, add this requirement to base staff. The more maintenance crew, the faster the turn-around for repairs, refueling, and rearming. More doctors = faster recovery. Obviously, this would need a cap since 1000 doctors can't make your skin regrow faster, but it adds more to base management, which currently is a bit lacking.

This is pretty much considered a distraction from the focus of the game. The base facilities are deemed to pick up on the key requirements for the roles. For example, a fully equipped and staffed Medical centre gives you the results you see in the game and likewise a fully equipped and staffed garage gives you what you see in the game.

I do like having more options such as this, although I'd start with Pilots, Drivers first then personalise the scientists and engineers next and then mechanics and medical staff.

If staff like this were to appear, then should they also appear in the Base Defence Mission? If so, should their demise result in a loss to the base facility? If there's a loss to the base facility, then it's that hiring mechanism you mention. Should there be varying skill levels - much like X-Com Apocalypse?

[Queamin]

scientist and engineers with skill points like in apocalypse would be interesting idea I think.

[thothkins]

It was part of Apocalypse that I really enjoyed. I just have to remind myself that Xenonauts is focused on the battlescape and trying to recreate the feel of EU1994, rather than the things the original designers did to improve that game.

Still....

[Lorebot]

There was a reason the original designers made changes in the sequels.

Many of the features from Apocalypse were fantastic, but others were not. The real time system was clunky and too unforgiving for many players. But the changes made to the economy, research, production, and base features were generally very well received by players, as was the improved interception combat. I'm very happy with the air combat in Xenonauts, but the geoscape needs some work yet and I'd like to see some of the improvements that were successfully in X-Com's sequels be folded in to Xenonauts as well.

As often as I go back to play EU1994, I've gone back to Apocalypse far more often. Though I've played UFO Aftermath more than both of them, and if you haven't played that yourself I'd highly suggest you check it out. The geoscape is extremely simplified, there's no economy to speak of, the UFO interception isn't very engaging but it's fast, the battlescape is very well put together and combat is very well balanced (unless you let the game go too long and then every alien is coming at you with a rocket launcher >.<).

[thothkins]

I wasn't even thinking about the real time aspect of Apocalypse I always played it as turn based, so it doesn't cross my mind so much. Pretty ambitious of them.

However:-

Squad Movement

Relationships between funders and being able to influence them

The Cityscape

Squad selection

Modular vehicles

Mission types that included investigation as well as demolitions.

and on and on...

I often feel X-Clones miss some tricks by not incorporating the elements that the original designers felt improved the game, even if it was in a different setting.

[Queamin]

I wasn't even thinking about the real time aspect of Apocalypse I always played it as turn based, so it doesn't cross my mind so much. Pretty ambitious of them.

However:-

Squad Movement

Relationships between funders and being able to influence them

The Cityscape

Squad selection

Modular vehicles

Mission types that included investigation as well as demolitions.

and on and on...

I often feel X-Clones miss some tricks by not incorporating the elements that the original designers felt improved the game, even if it was in a different setting.

Yeah they got almost everything right and real times was not a problem as you could use turn based option apart form base attacks? as the base defenses inside the base only worked right in real time if I remember right.

Also in another thread someone said about androids I used or 2 because of mind wipe or what ever it was i cannot remember the bloody things that jumped on your head.

[Gauddlike]

Yet if you talk about x-com or turn based games in general I find few people refer to apoc rather than the original.

I still go back to both and much prefer the original.

That is more about the feel of the game though as I really liked some of the additional features from apoc I just don't have the same attachment to the game as a whole.

[thothkins]

I love them both, in different ways. EU1994 had the far better storyline and progression. However Apocalypse had made many advancements in other areas that made it a joy to play.

[Newfr]

I love them both, in different ways. EU1994 had the far better storyline and progression. However Apocalypse had made many advancements in other areas that made it a joy to play.

Apocalypse brought a lot of new and interesting ideas. But the game was rushed and feels overall unpolished (even unfinished somehow). Also as far as i know it was meant originally to be real time and turn base mode was added under pressure of Microprose because they feared massive butthurt from X-com fans. Also it has some major bugs like one with brainsucker and troops in prone position.

Btw playing Apocalypse now and one thing i can tell you for sure: i hate AI of all that hovercrafts. Maybe it's just me but this AI doing more damage to the city with missiles than to alien crafts...

[ThunderGr]

Btw playing Apocalypse now and one thing i can tell you for sure: i hate AI of all that hovercrafts. Maybe it's just me but this AI doing more damage to the city with missiles than to alien crafts...

Change the behavior of the AI. I used to set the range to close and make some other fine-tunings to prevent that.

Apocalypse lacked many of the cool stuff the other X-COMs had but had some nice improvements in many areas, as well. Scientist and engineer skill rating, different research areas, method of recruitment, training, healing system, economy and factions. However, it had small geoscape, limited UFO encounters, inability to use vehicles in ground missions, the real time mode was taking away many of the tactical aspects of the Turn Based system while the turn based system was just a compromise that did not have the depth of the other 2. This is why I only played apocalypse in Real Time mode. And everything was scaled down in terms of numbers.

[Lorebot]

Yeah, the best way to prevent damage to the city is to only engage at close range, only use flying vehicles to engage the UFOs, and to have them fly at max altitude. The downside to this is that they're sitting ducks for alien weapons and you'll lose more ships. Early in the game I care less about the city getting hit than I do about losing hovercars or valkyries so I tend to force them to use the taller buildings for cover where I can. Easier deal with an angry faction or some loss of funding than it is to constantly be replacing my vehicles.

Of all the things that are bad about Apocalypse there are many things that are good about it. And what can we learn from that? What works and what doesn't? What can the devs fold in to Xenonauts and what can't they? The 'experiments' have been done, the info is collected, we know what makes a great X-Com. The question remaining is can we get all the good stuff in 1 game?

[ThunderGr]

Yeah, the best way to prevent damage to the city is to only engage at close range, only use flying vehicles to engage the UFOs, and to have them fly at max altitude.

Well, my strategy involved having them to fly at low altitude so that they fire at the UFO from below, ensuring that any stray shots will go to the sky instead of the buildings. From high altitude, the stray shots are going straight to the city.

When I was really concerned about losses and damage, I micromanaged the interception, pausing and selecting the various types of vehicles(double clicking on one selects all, IIRC) and concentrating their attacks and retreats. My results were far better(shorter in-game time to down the UFO, less losses amongst my forces, less damage to the city) but it cost too much real life time and needed lots of patience. I had what it took, though, others don't have this type of patience .

[thothkins]

The question remaining is can we get all the good stuff in 1 game?

Not so far

[Lorebot]

Well, my strategy involved having them to fly at low altitude so that they fire at the UFO from below, ensuring that any stray shots will go to the sky instead of the buildings. From high altitude, the stray shots are going straight to the city.

When I was really concerned about losses and damage, I micromanaged the interception, pausing and selecting the various types of vehicles(double clicking on one selects all, IIRC) and concentrating their attacks and retreats. My results were far better(shorter in-game time to down the UFO, less losses amongst my forces, less damage to the city) but it cost too much real life time and needed lots of patience. I had what it took, though, others don't have this type of patience .

The big problem with flying at low altitude or attacking a UFO using ground vehicles is that the aliens miss almost as often as you do, and their attacks do WAY more damage to the city than yours.

[ThunderGr]

The big problem with flying at low altitude or attacking a UFO using ground vehicles is that the aliens miss almost as often as you do, and their attacks do WAY more damage to the city than yours.

Yes, but you are not responsible for that kind of damage .