Breaching Charge (for 19.7)

[kabill]

So, some folks wanted a breaching charge. Not sure whether I do, but I figured the best way to find out was to make one! And having done so, I figured I might as well make the files available here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8nrent2z14exqo6/MeJmrrgI4J

To download, click on the gear icon in the top corner and "download as .zip"

To install, replace the default items.xml, strings.xml, weapons.xml and weapons_gc.xml with the downloaded files. Add Breach.png to the Weapons/Misc folder.

Alternatively to combine with a mod, copy the breaching charge entry from weapons_gc.xml into your own file, and copy the last line of the other files into your own corresponding one. The image goes in the same place, obviously!

The charge has been tested and works. It is used exactly like C4, but it has a higher damage, a very small radius and no suppression. Also, the throwing distance is heavily reduced, so you can't just use it like a better grenade. Since you can't place it on props, it has to have a radius 2 blast size. It's not ideal, but I'm not sure there's another (easy) way to do it.

[Ishantil]

Sounds good. Are UFOs indestructible like the Chinook is? I want to blow a hole in the UFO.

[kabill]

I think the outsides are indestructible, aside from the doors. Not sure about the inside walls, though.

[Ishantil]

I wonder if this can be modded...

[kabill]

I think the issue with the outside of UFOs is that the entire outside is a single image, rather than being composed of multiple elements which could be destroyed. Aaron's previous indicated that he'd be willing to give advice to anyone interested in trying to make a more modular system. Not sure whether anyone's taken him up on that, though.

[Ishantil]

So the lack of destructibility is tied to way that the images are displayed. In X-COM, they were simply tiles, I think. I think X-XOM treated them all the same way. Xenonauts has a much more elaborate (and better looking) display system, especially for the UFOs.

[Aufklarer]

I liked in the original that a damaged UFO could be entered from its damaged sides, it also made the approach to breaching a UFO more tricky. Modular UFO's should have been the way to go from the start, I'd rather have the option of multiple levels and destructable walls than a pretty looking image.

[Ishantil]

I agree with everything you just said.

[Zekram Bogg]

Seconded.

I'm surprised that at the very least, there isn't a "Damaged" variant of UFOs that is composed of tiles that can thus be breached.

Like, the justification could be that when structurally intact, the advanced alien alloys are impervious to further damage since hull integrity hasn't been compromised. These are the types of ships you see only on landings, and it keeps the art already in the game.

But when you shoot down a ship, then an alternate is used that retains the same basic original shape, but is composed of tiles that are tough, but destructible, especially by laser and plasma weapons. These can have some new layouts and variants so that the crashed ships show damage, and allow for alternate paths into the damaged ships to take out their commanders.

[thothkins]

There's a post from Aaron, I think, somewhere explaining the reasons for non-destructable UFOs. I believe there's assistance/advice offered for anyone who'd like to take a look at it too.

[WalrusJones]

Well, To be fair, at the very worst, we would end up with something like what happened in the original Xcom, where the easiest way to clear out a UFO was to just blow a hole in it, and load it up with enough explosives to kill all the inhabitants.

We would need to be VERY careful to make sure that it has enough risk involved that we don't end up with that.

[EchoFourDelta]

That's the easiest way to clear out a UFO now.

[Elydo]

Ah yes, the Sathra Doctrine as applied to boarding actions.

[EchoFourDelta]

First man in every room's a frag grenade.