Hordes of Aliens

[Jossis]

In the game I'm playing its about Mid December when I really start noticing in Terror missions where there is literally a Horde of aliens descending on Helio. It gets to about round 5 and I start having 7-9 aliens. Not to mention that I've taken down about 5 or 6 of these before the mass forms. My best soldiers are overwhelmed between having to reload and with so many aliens shooting. I haven't gotten the Shrike yet which 5 more soldiers would be nice. Still these Mass of Aliens is frustrating to say the least.

[thothkins]

It's taught me to alter my tactics for those sorts of missions.

Use Chinook for cover, Use smoke are that sort of thing for example.

But to not overextend, and provide plenty of support, use only the largest cover, be content to sit and wait rather than spend TUs getting to a position that's less secure.

that sort of thing.

[thothkins]

yeah, it is really tough going. When it was me a few build ago, I was using a lot of alenium rockets and grenades.

[StellarRat]

I do think the Xenonauts need more ammo capacity in each magazine for every weapon above ballastic right now. As another player stated, he's out of ammo even though his troops are alive because it simply take too many rounds to kill the hordes that are coming after him. In the OG, the Skyraider could carry a ton of extra equipment/ammo we don't have that here and the aliens don't have to worry about ammo.

[Tobbzn]

Use confiscated alien weaponry? It doesn't work very well for sniping gameplay, but it's excellent for tighter industrial maps and breaching.

[StellarRat]

Use confiscated alien weaponry? It doesn't work very well for sniping gameplay, but it's excellent for tighter industrial maps and breaching.

Yeah, you can use it in an emergency, but really the Xenonaut ammo supply needs to be about 25% - 50% larger for everything from lasers up OR we need ammo lockers on the dropship. You should have to be intentionally wasteful to run out of ammo on anything other than a base assault or terror mission, IMO. Either that or GH ought bring back ammo for the aliens to even things up. They are constantly burst firing without penalty. Edited September 4, 2013 by StellarRat

[Mordobb]

I agree on ammo at least for laser weaponry, clip size is too tiny, you end up spending more time recharging than shooting.

Althought Chinnook refill could be an alternative for terror mission.

Each time i invade a medium to large bases i end up, as in terror site, having to use Alien material.

One thing that could be simple (or not) and fun (or not) would be an arsenal robot.

A simple dumb robot RC controled (ingame contoled like a soldier)which just carry ammo and/or weapons and/or material (medipack).

This robot could be destructible, which the penalty of loosing part, or all ut s carrying, and could use some soldier TU to be activated. The soldier in question must have in hand (or not) an objet called remote control.

There s space in that chinook left empty.

Just a wild idea...

Edited September 4, 2013 by Mordobb

[GizmoGomez]

One point of the game is for ammo to be a limited commodity. However, if we're not physically able to carry enough ammo (within reason; a pack totally full of mags isn't reasonable) then something's wrong.

[Gromitek]

I think that Chinook has to have 6 places. With 8 soldier the game is to easy (I play on vet lvl)

[StellarRat]

I think that Chinook has to have 6 places. With 8 soldier the game is to easy (I play on vet lvl)

We're only talking about adding ammo storage to the Chinook not more troops.

[Tobbzn]

I haven't really had much problem with not being able to carry ammo for Lasers, and for Plasma, how about using looted alien plasma cells for our own ammo?

[StellarRat]

I haven't looked at an alien body for so long, are the cells still there?

[Ishantil]

It would actually make a lot of sense to use the same ammunition for human plasma weapons, so you could take ammunition from your enemies in the field. It's why we use compatible ammunition across various weapons in the NATO arsenals, so you can share ammunition in a pinch.

[Elydo]

For the cells to be compatible, presumably the power levels would have to be comparable. Or else it'd be like slapping an explosive into your weapon. Aren't the human plasmas lower-powered than the aliens'?

That doesn't solve the laser issue either.

[Chris]

This may need a nerf. Given that experienced players are just cowering behind the Chinook and newer players are finding it hard, I imagine we'll want to reduce alien numbers a bit.

[StellarRat]

This may need a nerf. Given that experienced players are just cowering behind the Chinook and newer players are finding it hard, I imagine we'll want to reduce alien numbers a bit.

If you repositioned the aliens to start further from the Chinook that would probably take care of the problems. Being flanked on two sides at the start is the main issue.

[lemm]

If you're running out of ammo, just give one guy a bunch of power cells and have him dump them at the beginning of the mission.

[StellarRat]

If you're running out of ammo, just give one guy a bunch of power cells and have him dump them at the beginning of the mission.

Great idea. I never thought of that! Duh!

[Mordobb]

I think that Chinook has to have 6 places. With 8 soldier the game is to easy (I play on vet lvl)

If i m not mistaken right now all the game is NORMAL dificulty whatever.

I only play in INSANE in hopes of.

The AI is in WIP so i think things may evolve a lot in dificulty term.

its easy to slap up alien number, accuracy, hp etc...And it hasn t been done.

Right now my only grip is with laser weaponry. clips are way too short.

[thothkins]

Ammo mules have come in handy in this game a few times, particularly for terror missions. As I don;t often get to plasma (and I skip laser) I use them mainly for the rocket launchers.

[StellarRat]

Ammo mules have come in handy in this game a few times, particularly for terror missions. As I don;t often get to plasma (and I skip laser) I use them mainly for the rocket launchers.

Yeah, but really you could just load up everyone to the point where they could barely walk then dump all the excess ammo in the Chinook and use it as a depot later. Kind of gamey really, but you'd think Chinook could just be loaded with a few crates of whatever you need before take-off. The Skyranger was much better in this regard. Edited September 5, 2013 by StellarRat

[crusherven]

Yeah, but really you could just load up everyone to the point where they could barely walk then dump all the excess ammo in the Chinook and use it as a depot later. Kind of gamey really, but you'd think Chinook could just be loaded with a few crates of whatever you need before take-off. The Skyranger was much better in this regard.

But much worse in others. Still, some way to carry extra ammo that isn't gamey would be nice. I like having to consider ammo tactically (rounds in the magazine) and to a certain extent strategically (how much can I carry) but if I *can* bring as much as I want to a mission, it shouldn't be gamey to actually do it.

This may need a nerf. Given that experienced players are just cowering behind the Chinook and newer players are finding it hard, I imagine we'll want to reduce alien numbers a bit.

Maybe on easier difficulties. That doesn't sound that different from the OG when you put it that way. Also, I think most missions feel about right for enemy numbers.

[Elydo]

Ultimately ammo mules should not be necessary for anything other than heavy weapons. I'd want laser cells in particular (I haven't checked the capacity of plasma weapons beyond pistols) to be capable of more shots and really I'd like a couple more belt squares in the inventory to allow for more ammunition to be carried. Or maybe a couple of squares on each thigh or something. Distributed gear capacity is a military specialty after all.

What's that saying; have enough rounds that if you run dry you have officially had a bad day and can go home?

[Mordobb]

Maybe on easier difficulties. That doesn't sound that different from the OG when you put it that way. Also, I think most missions feel about right for enemy numbers.

If you talk about normal OK, if you talk about insane its too easy.

Our problem is, looking at it, from another perspective, a weight probem.

Soldiers can carry up to ten clip, 6 nades, weapon armor, camel back, and medikit, sidearm, ammo for sidearm, with no problem, a 209 and a bunch of 40mm nades with no problem.

Machine gunner usually have 400 ammo or more...and some nades, armor camelback sidearm...

Something wrong with the weight system.

And laser have too few shots per clip.

Edited September 6, 2013 by Mordobb

[GizmoGomez]

Ultimately ammo mules should not be necessary for anything other than heavy weapons. I'd want laser cells in particular (I haven't checked the capacity of plasma weapons beyond pistols) to be capable of more shots and really I'd like a couple more belt squares in the inventory to allow for more ammunition to be carried. Or maybe a couple of squares on each thigh or something. Distributed gear capacity is a military specialty after all.

What's that saying; have enough rounds that if you run dry you have officially had a bad day and can go home?

I agree; we shouldn't need to use gamey whatevers to play the game. Loading up soldiers with tons of ammo and dumping it in the chinook isn't what we need.

Brilliant idea that could/would solve the issue:

I really like the idea of an ammo crate in the chinook. Really like it. People's got a point; why wouldn't they have a box in the dropship that has spare mags?

Personally, and I don't know if this'd be possible, I'd make an "Ammo Crate" equipment entity permanently assigned to each dropship (like soldiers are assigned to dropships) in the soldier equipment screen. Here you'd be able to load stuff into the inventory squares. In the dropship management screen you'd have another "ammo crate" symbol to move around (like you move around soldier starting positions) so you can decide where to place your stuff. It'd just pile the equipment on the ground on that spot.

The "ammo crate" would be limited in what it could carry because of the size and number of the inventory slots. I'd recommend making it large enough for rockets, C4, grenades, and ammo, but not large enough for weapons or shields.

I'd recommend this kind of set up:

[ ] = equipment square

[ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ]

[ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ]

[ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ]

[ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ]

The rows are one high, and three or more wide.

Ammo, rockets, grenades, and C4 would fit easily in the spaces provided. Weapons would not; not even stun batons or pistols. (This could be altered by making the spaces 2 high and less than 5 wide if we wanted to allow pistols and batons).

More rows could/would be added for higher-end dropships to accommodate the larger number of troops.