Skitso's random thoughts on 19 stable

[Skitso]

Today I started playing this game first time in a semi seriously manner. Here are a collection of thoughts I had in my first 5 hours or so:

Whoa, I'm impressed! The game has really changed in the last 6 months or so. Superb improvements in every department. AI is really aggressive and deadly. Great job there. Music is nice and the game is surprisingly stable. I had only one crash and two or three strange behaviors in ground combat.

I think the game could use a bit more tutorials in the early game. Atm I really don't know what I should be doing in the early months. Different mechanics should be explained much more clearly. The game is full of numbers, statistics etc, but the game doesn't give me enough information to make anything useful from it. For example what I should build in base and why, how my success is monitored, how my income is calculated etc. I could also use a bit more information on how different things effect country relations. There could be pop ups for every missed ufo or ground combat on how it affected your relations to that country?

Okay, here's some random thoughts thus far: Please Chris and GH, don't take this in any bad way or as a too harsh critisism. I only want to make this game better. I might also be missing something so some problems might just be LTP (learn to play) problems.

I would like the global map and air combat to edge scroll in the same manner as ground combat. Air combat doesn't even scroll with arrow keys like global map. A bit confusing that some parts of the game scrolls differently than others.

If you zoom in the global map and try to build a base in a certain city, you can't do it.

Cursor hot spots are too small and too low. (probably a known problem that is fixed with the new UI?)

When reqruiting new people, they are referred as items when arrived.

Some notification sound would be nice when alien is spotted in ground combat

All invertory sceens should support click and move as well as drag'n drop.

My first mission was an automated crash site with 9 sebillians. A bit steep learning curve as my ass was handed to me in a way I was never thought was possible in this game (6 xenonauts were killed). Cool I guess, but for a first timers I think it might be a bit too harsh...

Some xenonauts death sounds are bad

Unit getting gibbed doesn't have any sound effect. Some DooM'esque splatter sound effect would be nice!

Some way to know which first aid level is the maximum so I wouldn't need to scroll them three times around every time...

Are you going to fix the mirrored art in the global map screen? Seems a bit lazy...

Why cant I start building a foxtrot if I don't have a free hangar? Seems a bit silly especially if my hangar is ready before foxtrot

Research projects in the list at the right side of the screen shouldn't show projects that are already under work. or at least it should show its current state of progress and that the research is underway.

How can I open UFO door without walking through it? I'm getting slaughtered by reaction fire whenever I try to breach the UFO's. Small Scout's layout is maybe a bit too annoying and lethal to breach as a frist UFO type that should be more like a tutorial for a noob player...

[Josip Broz Tito]

You raised a lot of great points.

1. Opening a UFO without entering: stand next to it, hover over the door until you get the door open symbol, then right-click. Faster UFO clear, highest risk method.

2. Alternately, you can blow up UFO doors with c4, grenades(ineffective) or rockets. This will kill/supress aliens near the door and keeps your troops safer from reaction fire. However, alien corpses/aliens killed will gib and you will lose out on equipment. Fastest clear method, safe, but lose equipment.

Option 3 for opening UFO's (my favorite): Use gunfire to open the door. Click your weapon, then hover over the door until it turns green with a % accuracy amount, then select your aim level. It may take a few turns to shoot it open, but you don't damage any corpses behind the door and have an unobstructed view to rake the inside w/ gunfire. IMO it's the most cost-effective way to breach and the safest. Takes the longest though.

Building Foxtrots + hangars: I'm assuming that the free hangar is where the foxtrot is kept while being refitted with heat resistance and sensors. I understand the annoyance, but I feel it makes sense in the game.

Your other points= I'm in agreement with.

An easier first mission, or a tutorial mission might be a great way to introduce players to the game. Having that initial difficulty is important, but has to be balanced against player frustration.

[thothkins]

When recruiting new people, they are referred as items when arrived.

Well, you don't want to get too close to them as they have the life expectancy of fruit flies.

Click your weapon, then hover over the door until it turns green with a % accuracy amount, then select your aim level.

Oh, I see I wasn't reading your last post on that properly. Good tip. Thanks.

Interesting to hear another view on the number of aliens on the first few missions. I felt they could be a little high for a new player. After I posted that I saw a YouTube video of 3 X-Com guys get shot leaving their Skydiver in Turn 1 of the original game. So, Xenonauts didn't seem so bad then.

As mentioned there's a new UI coming, and hints of a funding type screen have been made.

[Josip Broz Tito]

Nice, a funding screen would be a great addition. Kinda rough having to hover over each block and read small type : )

[Skitso]

Continuing my game and whoa, whats up with the difficulty in this game!? I know it should be hard, but god damn! I'm not sure if I'm meant to have better equipment or soldiers when going in to a first terror mission but man... my ballistic team with jackal armor didn't have a chance. After killing 13 caesans and one flying drone, I had at least 6 caesans and one drone left at the moment of full wipe. This game seems way, WAY too difficult for a non xcom veteran.

If one is playing in a non optimum way, the cumulative losses mission after mission are making this game impossible. I love the game and practise makes perfect they say, but still... wow! I think the normal difficulty setting should be a bit more main stream maybe?

Also, my current objective: "capture an alien officer for interrogation". I need more information. Where is one, what does one look like etc. A mission objective marker in ground combat, anything.

[Saskali]

If one is playing in a non optimum way, the cumulative losses mission after mission are making this game impossible. I love the game and practise makes perfect they say, but still... wow! I think the normal difficulty setting should be a bit more main stream maybe?

+1

Mind you i love the difficulty but normal mode on v19 is a no error allowed mode for now. Gave up not reloading bad missions where i loose soldiers as i would not be able to do it in the long run.

I think that balancing the normal difficulty aroud the point of views of veteran X-com players has made it too tough.

The normal difficuty actually should be changed to be the veteran difficulty. I finished the OG several times and i have a hard time with the normal mode of xenonauts. I dont even imagine a new player who has never played the OG coming to this. You might have to respond for several hangings .

[Ol' Stinky]

When reqruiting new people, they are referred as items when arrived.

I'm going to use this as the jumping-off point for my main UI geoscape grievance: even the original X-Com had a screen detailing outstanding orders. If I save the game and come back in, say, a couple of days, I'm not going to remember exactly how long it's going to take for the 5 scientists to arrive. And it's aggravating if I have more than one item being delivered, because not being told what exactly's arrived, I have to go through the various tabs to work out where I stand.

Putting this into the stores tab also means that stores will be looked at in the first couple of months. With the default set of weapons being free and everywhere, even if you do plump for early expansion, you currently won't visit the stores screen until you have armour/laser+ weapons to transfer.

Maybe this is already something that's going in for v20. I sure hope so.

As for difficulty, is it purely the number of aliens that make it hard for you? Personally, I'd prefer it if the ground combat difference was only the number of aliens present. Or do you feel that the aliens are too tough, or that your soldiers are too weak? (As far as I know, the only currently enabled difficulty modifiers are floating numbers and an alien stat modifier for the ground combat, and number of continents the aliens need to take to win on the geoscape. Edit: Oh, and alien weapon damage is x0.75 on easy, but x1 on normal/vet/insane.)

[lemm]

Continuing my game and whoa, whats up with the difficulty in this game!? I know it should be hard, but god damn! I'm not sure if I'm meant to have better equipment or soldiers when going in to a first terror mission but man... my ballistic team with jackal armor didn't have a chance. After killing 13 caesans and one flying drone, I had at least 6 caesans and one drone left at the moment of full wipe. This game seems way, WAY too difficult for a non xcom veteran.

I think terror missions and base defense missions are still a bit imbalanced. Granted, you can abuse the AI by constructing a vehicle, because aliens with plasma rifles will very rarely target your vehicle.

Agreed with the tooltips though. Hopefully there will be an instruction manual published for the game. (I just found out today that you can switch soldier inventory in the battlescape by right-clicking)

[Skitso]

As for difficulty' date=' is it purely the number of aliens that make it hard for you? Personally, I'd prefer it if the ground combat difference was only the number of aliens present. Or do you feel that the aliens are too tough, or that your soldiers are too weak? (As far as I know, the only currently enabled difficulty modifiers are floating numbers and an alien stat modifier for the ground combat, and number of continents the aliens need to take to win on the geoscape. Edit: Oh, and alien weapon damage is x0.75 on easy, but x1 on normal/vet/insane.)[/quote']

I thought I was doing just fine (1-2 dead xeno's per mission) until the first terror mission. 20+ aliens just felt completely overwhelming. I'm fine with aliens having edge in fire power and health, but combined with 3 times the number of units, I had no chance...

[Josip Broz Tito]

I can see easy mode having this factored in. I'm in the camp where I feel the game should be balanced based off of the higher difficulties, then have simple things like lowered alien count/handicap for lower difficulties.

Terror missions do need some sort of more advanced warning when they pop up to bring plenty of explosives, armor, smokes, and a vehicle. They are absolutely doable as it is now, just not for those who don't know what to expect. That is a problem.

I'm all for games kicking you around, but for xenonauts losing your veteran troops is devastating. Have to replace them with people that can barely wear armor and a weapon vs having a decent loadout. Do I mind this? No, but I understand how frustrating it can be for someone not used to this game.

Perhaps the very first terror mission could involve lots more local forces, since the aliens aren't using their most elite troops and weapons yet. As you get further in the game, local forces are obviously outmatched.

[Coup]

Well I'm new to Xenonauts. First version I played was v19 exp about 4 days ago. So the toughness you guys are complaining about, is all I know. I never played the "easier" versions..And I don't think this version it so unbalanced. Its tough, yeah, but hey "its X-com baby" But seriously, there's an easy mode. People always forget that there's an easy mode in games.

[Josip Broz Tito]

Coup, we'll be getting along well : ) Figuring out how to help newer players on the easier difficulty settings is always good for player retention though. As for the higher difficulties= I'm a masochist. Give me the TFTD and Apoc goodness.

[Skitso]

Getting no answer for this, so I quote myself here:

Also, my current objective: "capture an alien officer for interrogation". I need more information. Where is one, what does one look like etc. A mission objective marker in ground combat, anything.

So how am I supposed to know as a first timer what to do next. This objective for example is vague at best. The game desperately needs more direction (yes I know it's supposed to be sandboxy and old school, but still) at least for lower difficulty modes that us "normal" gamers are going to use for the first couple of games.

The game could, for example, tell in the ground combat loading screen that there is an alien officer in this ufo you just shot down. It looks like this and that and you should use stun baton or grenade to take it down alive for interrogation. Something like that maybe? Or when a player seen an alien officer for the first time in ground combat, a pop up text could inform that "this alien here is the officer you are supposed to capture". Would make this game far more approachable.

[Elydo]

But how would the xenonauts know?

My approach was always "He looks different. Damn, I'll have to stun the bugger to find out what he is. Well that'll make life more complicated."

[Ol' Stinky]

The objectives thing was only put in very recently, so it's really undeveloped. As for your question, I think I read in one of the 'pedia entries how to identify the officers - maybe Alien Interrogation's entry? - and that's to look for the caesans/sebs with helmets on. As for where you'll find one, I believe there's always an officer in an alien base, right at the very end.

[Skitso]

okay, so no officers in crash sites or terror sites?

[Ol' Stinky]

Landing ships are the earliest ones that carry officers, I believe, and theoretically they always carry an officer - but if you shoot the ship down, they're not prevented from dying in the crash (I think). Maybe my playthroughs are an anomoly in that I tend to get an alien base detected in the first few months, sometimes before I get a terror mission.

I'm skimming the .xml files in Xenonauts\assets\ufocontents\ to check, and it looks like officers will never appear in a terror mission, at least right now. If you don't get any alien bases, intercepting a landed, er, landing ship with the charlie's the earliest guaranteed officer you can capture.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Ol' Stinky

[Skitso]

Thanks Stinky! I suppose I need to start a new game and try harder this time to survive my first terror mission.

[Dranak]

Getting no answer for this, so I quote myself here:

So how am I supposed to know as a first timer what to do next. This objective for example is vague at best. The game desperately needs more direction (yes I know it's supposed to be sandboxy and old school, but still) at least for lower difficulty modes that us "normal" gamers are going to use for the first couple of games.

The game could, for example, tell in the ground combat loading screen that there is an alien officer in this ufo you just shot down. It looks like this and that and you should use stun baton or grenade to take it down alive for interrogation. Something like that maybe? Or when a player seen an alien officer for the first time in ground combat, a pop up text could inform that "this alien here is the officer you are supposed to capture". Would make this game far more approachable.

The game used to say somewhere that officers are the ones wearing hats/different armor, but that doesn't seem to be present currently in the Xenopedia.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Dranak

[Chris]

Yes, the game could do with better signposting in that respect.

[Josip Broz Tito]

I have a bit of a hard time telling which are the caesan officers, but the others aren't to hard.

Andron: Purple coloration on whole body, head is different than the others: has a visor and a small antenna going up from one side. Not that it matters, can't stun them : (

Sebillian: Heavily armored with only the head exposed, slight red lining to the neck area (if I recall correctly)

Wraith: I've only seen one, but I think I remember it having purple or red armor.

If you get to the top floor of a landing ship and are in doubt= stun everything. When you are attacking the command room of an alien base, the officer will look different from all of the rest in the room. Harder to capture them there.

[Ol' Stinky]

Nah, seb officers have a helmet on. Here's what the caesan and seb officers look like (although guns may differ):

[Josip Broz Tito]

Look at me mis-remembering. GJ posting those up, Stinky.

[Max_Caine]

Mine and a333's Alien Class Analysis mod addresses that particular issue. It works with SC3, but really needs to be re-inserted in a more up-to-date xenopedia. In any case, we do have pics of all the classes for those interested.

[Josip Broz Tito]

Amazing, to bad the aliens don't have mellee attacks. Those drawings are beautiful.