Is it just me or are Lizardmen nothing like their autopsy and interrogations info?

[ArchonSmite]

I feel there is a bit of inconsistency with the lizard men. In their description, lizard have bad eye sight and poor weapon control, thus their ai should have them be aggressive and maintain medium to short range, since they also don't know better, also indicated in their details. Yet when during crash and base missions they run and in terror missions they complete ignore the information by keeping their distance, have better aim and vision than all my majors, will almost always land a shot during barrages, all the while shooting from shadows and kiting my vision. I'm not sure if I am missing something or my researchers are morons.

P.s. Are the urban terror missions always suppose to have terrible landing zones?

[TheDjinni]

I feel there is a bit of inconsistency with the lizard men. In their description, lizard have bad eye sight and poor weapon control, thus their ai should have them be aggressive and maintain medium to short range, since they also don't know better, also indicated in their details. Yet when during crash and base missions they run and in terror missions they complete ignore the information by keeping their distance, have better aim and vision than all my majors, will almost always land a shot during barrages, all the while shooting from shadows and kiting my vision. I'm not sure if I am missing something or my researchers are morons.

During my first ever mission in the game (a UFO shot down by an ally), there were about 8 Sebilians and they all rushed my position en-masse when I ran low on TUs while moving to a new position. When I restarted the mission to see what might develop, they decided to camp behind a wall near the crash site. The AI seems to balance aggression with temperance based on the strength of your force and the safety of your position.

If you find that the Sebilians camp a lot, it might be because the AI interprets your squad to be overwhelmingly strong. Once you start facing advanced Sebilians, they'll probably be more aggressive.

P.s. Are the urban terror missions always suppose to have terrible landing zones?

I imagine so, yes. You are meant to be about as afraid of the terror missions as the name implies. The aliens are terrorizing the populace with their brutal assault, and the game is terrorizing you with the difficult mission. I suggest bringing along a tank; aliens in V19 don't seem to try and shoot it (or anything hiding behind it), and while it lacks the firepower of the two infantry slots it takes up, it's better than losing those same two infantry trying to get out of your ship. Just make sure you go to the aircraft tab, switch to the dropships, and ensure that the tank is the first thing out of the aircraft BEFORE you launch the dropship.

Edited October 25, 2013 by TheDjinni

[StellarRat]

You are meant to be about as afraid of the terror missions as the name implies. The aliens are terrorizing the populace with their brutal assault, and the game is terrorizing you with the difficult mission.

The problem the LZ always being red hot will be fixed. Aaron says he is going to move the aliens to the other side of town and the civilians toward the LZ. That will give your troops a chance to land and get out of the ship. You'll be able to better defend the civilians too.

[yunthi]

was thinkin the chopper is sortof really badly designed for the purpose of landing and the pilot is a moron landing it in the middle of enemies. surprising it ever makes it to the ground intact like that.

i seem to end up in an area clear of any cover while theres 5+ enemies behind cover just next to my chopper. makes me wonder if the pilot was under alien influence or something. maybe just install some rails on the landing ramp for initial cover or something. altho the current changes do sound good as well

[ArchonSmite]

The AI seems to balance aggression with temperance based on the strength of your force and the safety of your position. If you find that the Sebilians camp a lot, it might be because the AI interprets your squad to be overwhelmingly strong. Once you start facing advanced Sebilians, they'll probably be more aggressive.

See that's the problem, the sebillion ai shouldn't be balancing anything. They should run when out numbered, that's fine, but when either with upper hand or equal level, they don't do what their info implies they should do. They snipe with great accuracy , keep distance, and only charge when they know through computer brain power that they out number you 7 to 2 and they can't possibly lose.

Also there is a difference between terror of aliens within buildings camping and shooting from the dark vs. all landing zones means certain death due to smart pilot, lack of any early cover, country forces are there to just die right away(due to poor positions and disturbing lack of numbers), and enemy aliens have already have your ramp and left or right doors covered. The latter isn't even terror, it is just comical in a dark sad way.

[Jebediah]

Honestly, I think the LZ should be located within an "Alamo stand" position established by the local forces. The two things that bother me in the terror missions is that the local forces seem to behave more like Call of Duty players than any form of tactically cohesive unit and appear in ones and twos scattered across the map rather than a concerted defense, and that (as mentioned before) the pilot likes landing within pistol range of the enemy. Maybe because he usually never gets to see an alien from the cockpit on the normal crash site runs and he decides terror missions are the perfect opportunity to get a peek at one by landing IN THEIR STAGING AREA.

Anyway, it wouldn't be an overpowered stronghold by any means; half a dozen indigenous friendly forces, with wounded, resorting to handguns in some cases, against an equally concerted enemy force that's going to wipe them out in four turns anyway, but at least their last conscious act was to secure the LZ for the Cavalry to arrive.

Honestly, I rather LIKE the idea of two-thirds of the terror mission being fighting your way out of the LZ. You having to repulse the counterattack before being able to do anything seems realistic to me, since the last thing the aliens are going to want to do is let the Chinook full of special forces dudes get a single moment of initiative. The first terror mission you do is a great contrast with the Light Scout crash sites where the crew runs the hell away and 90% of the operation is chasing them down...it really shows you that the "easy part" is over.

But yeah, the thing I was actually wanting to come and complain about was the eyesight part. It's not so much that theirs is too good, it's that ours is too bad. I can't imagine why my sniper can't SEE targets that are easily hit when somebody actually takes the time to walk down the impossibly dark NOON-DAY STREET to find them.

[Chris]

Yes, we know more fine tuning is needed of the AI. At the moment the aliens get scared and retreat too easily, but I don't think it'll take too long to fix.