V21 Experimental Build 5 Released!

[Betuor]

I used to keep a copy of each build so when it updated I could try the new one without losing my progress in the old one.

Just copied the whole Xenonauts folder to a new location and ran from there.

I'll have to do that next time. I still don't know why Steam updated when I told it not to update.

[Moonie]

'Alien accuracy reduced by approximately 15 points across the board'

Yeah! You have made my day!

This could mean that it's now possible to kill a alien before it kills me. That would be excellent.

Dead soldiers are now dead? That's just plain cruel. Dead soldiers should only be pretend dead.

[S0ny_B1ack]

I'll have to do that next time. I still don't know why Steam updated when I told it not to update.

Turning off autoupdate does not meant don't ever update, but don't update before I actually need it - so you won't eat my bantwidth while I play other games...

And yes, steam does not display that, nearly everyone learns it the hard way...

[Betuor]

Turning off autoupdate does not meant don't ever update, but don't update before I actually need it - so you won't eat my bantwidth while I play other games...

And yes, steam does not display that, nearly everyone learns it the hard way...

Thanks for the tip.

Also, on another note, while trying to breach a light scout I threw in a flashbang and my person standing near the door got hit by the very far edge of the blast took 6 damage and got a bleeding wound. Unless we are using some super flashbangs with built-in shrapnel, it shouldn't give my own soldier a bleeding wound. Has anyone else experienced that yet?

[Moonie]

Thanks for the tip.

Also, on another note, while trying to breach a light scout I threw in a flashbang and my person standing near the door got hit by the very far edge of the blast took 6 damage and got a bleeding wound. Unless we are using some super flashbangs with built-in shrapnel, it shouldn't give my own soldier a bleeding wound. Has anyone else experienced that yet?

Yep, flashbangs can be grenades. I threw one in a alien ship and it blew them all up. A bug I think has been around for quite a few builds.

[KateMicucci]

Thanks for the tip.

Also, on another note, while trying to breach a light scout I threw in a flashbang and my person standing near the door got hit by the very far edge of the blast took 6 damage and got a bleeding wound. Unless we are using some super flashbangs with built-in shrapnel, it shouldn't give my own soldier a bleeding wound. Has anyone else experienced that yet?

People die from having flashbangs land on them in real life. They're dangerous incendiary devices.

[VaeliusNoctu]

- Weapons now cost a percentage value of units max AP to fire (rather than a flat value)

Not sure i like it.

I liked having veteran troops that are able to fire their weapon multiple times.

Different Ap costs just seems weird.

Will have to play around with it a bit.

I agree. The veterans should still better: HP, running, reflex, strength, etc. .. but shoot exactly as often as recruits ... that would be annoying. Especially if that has not changed in the AI as well.

But first try, maybe it's quite Interesant.

For me, the most important is the:

1) search accuracy of KI was reduced

and

2) The fight something more to offer than just battles from cover to cover. I want to catch the AI ​​with his pants down without coverage. At least realistic often, always would indeed be bleak. ^ ^

I Believe point two worked at least in UFO crashes. Bases and terrorist missions, I could not test.

I have (a few posts ago) read my post which was perceived by someone as inappropriate. ^ ^

That was certainly not my intention, I am somewhat directly. That's why I've also noted that I like the game. To clearly say I like the game, but as it (at that time) it was unplayable. I think the developers are making a very good job. I say it but even if I do not like a change, or it makes the whole game unplayable.

I'm curious how the changes affect as soon as I get to play.

What I would now like to see would be the campaign is finished. The story of the campaign I would also like a bit darker. Somewhat like UFO Enemy Unknown. If you have lost because all mankind was infected and the survivors are mutates and were enslaved. Although there were only images with text that has really had atmosphere.

[Chris]

Flashbangs actually shouldn't be causing injury, nor detonating C4. It's a bug we'll get around to fixing before release, but it's not high-priority right now.

There's a big discussion going on on the merits of the TU % change in the ground combat balance thread linked in the OP, so if people are interested in discussing that then that's the place to do it!

[Betuor]

Flashbangs actually shouldn't be causing injury, nor detonating C4. It's a bug we'll get around to fixing before release, but it's not high-priority right now.

There's a big discussion going on on the merits of the TU % change in the ground combat balance thread linked in the OP, so if people are interested in discussing that then that's the place to do it!

Ok. I was just wondering.

Poor little thotkins... Some little ole flashbang tore straight through his aorta.

[StellarRat]

Ok. I was just wondering.

Poor little thotkins... Some little ole flashbang tore straight through his aorta.

Well, we've been trying to teach him how to count to three correctly. I'm sure he won't forget this lesson too soon. We'll start again after he completes his agility training, problems with furniture right now.

[VaeliusNoctu]

Found two bugs:

1) Load a self created savegame dont possible

2) Sometimes you cant give Soldiers a Order. I can Select a Soldier and shot, but give no move order.

[Skitso]

quoting myself here:

New debriefing is nice, but could use a bit trimming. Heading should always be centered, also bottom left is a strange place for a confirmation button. It should also be centered. This way left and right info panels could be evenly aligned at top and bottom. This way the screen would look much more balanced.

I'll try to mod it a bit tonight and post results here..

This is what I had in mind. I can upload the modified script file if Chris likes this better.

What I would still like to change is to add a header to the top left window with kill information the same way the window below it with information about recovered items. Also the confirmation button could read something more than OK, like "Leave mission area" or similar.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Skitso

[Gauddlike]

I still think it looks a bit better with some artwork in the background.

It fits with the hidden movement screen as well then.

Down side is that the game doesn't appear to be able to select a background based on the victory condition in this version.

It would always have the same one.

[Moonie]

Game play's nice again. I didn't come across any one shot sharp shooting aliens, and enjoyed myself.

One thing, I found I could not target aliens when in a building.

Really like the new mission screen.

[Chris]

Hmm, the difference between the new debrief screen and the hidden movement screen is that there's no text displayed on top of the hidden movement screen - it is literally just an image. Adding background images just makes the actual information harder to read imo.

Skitso - that looks nice, but you lose a fair amount of useful space doing it that way, which is why I didn't originally do it. I didn't think it was worth the loss of the couple of extra soldiers on the list in order to improve the aesthetics a bit.

[Chris]

It's possible we could stick an extra pop-up screen in before the debrief that just says VICTORY or DEFEAT and shows the artwork before the debrief screen. It's just whether people want to have to click through it every time or not.

[Gauddlike]

I would like to see more artwork as I am not a big fan of the plain black screens in general.

Either way not a massive deal but with a bit more tweaking of transparencies and so on the text can be clearly read.

It might actually work better if the background was more transparent while the text boxes were still opaque as now.

You would be able to see more of level behind through it which eases off the blackness.

Might give that a shot later.

[Skitso]

Skitso - that looks nice, but you lose a fair amount of useful space doing it that way, which is why I didn't originally do it. I didn't think it was worth the loss of the couple of extra soldiers on the list in order to improve the aesthetics a bit.

I think the game scales the soldier tabs when the window height is decreased so it fits the same amount of information. They only get a bit smaller...

It's possible we could stick an extra pop-up screen in before the debrief that just says VICTORY or DEFEAT and shows the artwork before the debrief screen. It's just whether people want to have to click through it every time or not.

No! God, no! Keep it simple, no additional, forced clicks, please!

Edited February 27, 2014 by Skitso

[Skitso]

Either way not a massive deal but with a bit more tweaking of transparencies and so on the text can be clearly read.

It might actually work better if the background was more transparent while the text boxes were still opaque as now.

You would be able to see more of level behind through it which eases off the blackness.

Might give that a shot later.

...or you could just download the newest version of the Oppressive UI MOD. It does exactly that for every single pop up screen in the game(as you might faintly see in the picture I posted few posts ago).

Edited February 27, 2014 by Skitso

[Gauddlike]

It's possible we could stick an extra pop-up screen in before the debrief that just says VICTORY or DEFEAT and shows the artwork before the debrief screen. It's just whether people want to have to click through it every time or not.

I don't think that is necessary.

It is more work for you and more clicking for the player just to shoehorn the artwork in there.

If the required screens cannot be made more aesthetically pleasing then I would rather put up with the black screens than add more screens for the sake of it.

I think you are right that most people would get more annoyed having to click through an extra screen each time than would appreciate the artwork.

*edit* I think I did notice it subconsciously Skitso, that might have been what prompted me to mention it as I hadn't actually realised until I looked back.

[Redwallzyl]

so a civilian runs into a ufo....

[Moonie]

so a civilian runs into a ufo....

I had one running around my ship, I think he was robbing it. Bloody looters.

[Chris]

Heh. Ironically, the civilian running into the UFO is probably an example of the AI working well but doing unexpected things as a result. Civilians don't like open spaces where aliens might shoot them, so they find small enclosed spaces to hide inside. A UFO is a nice enclosed space, and the AI doesn't know there are aliens inside the UFO until the civilian actually goes inside and sees them.

[Amiga4ever]

I wondering where's UFO crash site? It looks really awesome! Will it return in later release?

[Chris]

Unfortunately not. The problem with those tiles is we had to do a different crash site image for each UFO for each tileset (the ground is a different colour for each tileset) and when you've got something like eight UFOs and six tilesets it ends up being a LOT of artwork.