Down Ufos

[VonDeath]

Hi, I am new to the forums and I have a question:

If I take down an Alien transporter and don't recovery it, will it infest any building ?

[[NKF]]

No it will not. If it makes you feel better, you could also destroy the UFO by using manual control, but they won't do anything once they're down, except perhap trigger the appearances of Cult blazer turbo bikes.

 

Although, with a type-3, I probably wouldn't let it go unless you've already captured one.

 

- NKF

[Cornuthaum]

you should capture all ships you can get on the off chance that they carry a small disruptor shield - I got a light disrupter beam off one now, and thats on day eight :X (in my first game I didn't get one until week six >_<)

[[NKF]]

Shields aren't hard to collect. If the ship is larger than types #1 and #2, and the health bar indicates that it is shielded, you'll be able to capture one shield after you clear the mission. The size of the shield depends on the type of UFO.

 

- NKF

[VonDeath]

The ships aren't appearing with shields yet! Thank god! Edited December 28, 2006 by VonDeath

[Cornuthaum]

Well, I think it depends on your score - I got 8k score on week 1 3/4 (friday week 2) and now I'm facing shielded ships with bolter lasers (gimme that lineage cannon! i want to BURRRRRRN them!)

 

And as for capturing shields - Fast Attack ships for me are shielded, but I -only- get disruptor beams off them (which I cant mount anywhere but on hawks >_<), but off Assault Ships I only get shields (which is all good and well, but I'd rather take at least one medium beam so I can go and RESEARCH those bloody shields >_< instead of my 4th small dis shield )

 

If His NKFness reads this: I've seen a Point to Alien Gear ratio table here on the forums somewhere, but can't find it anymore - do you know where this is? :x

[Tsereve]

Small shields are quite often superior to large ones. It's 2x2 for 200 points, compared to the 3x3 for 400 granted by the large. Unless you need lateral space for 3x1 equipment on a ship, shall shields are usually the better choice.

[Cornuthaum]

I've got a question - are there pieces of equipment (not weapons) that are 1x1, 1x2 or 1x1? the hoverbike has an equipment slot, but I've never, ever found anything that fits onto it

[glen_es]

How about Small Weapons Control? I'm not near the game at the moment to check, but I think it's only 1x1.

[[NKF]]

I suppose you do need to have the right technology levels unlocked before you can recover them. Hmm. Generally they only appear once you've unlocked it. Oh well.

 

And just to confirm, the small accuracy module is 1x1 in size. The medium module is the only 1x2 in the game.

 

Oh, and the point score thread is pinned in the strategy/tactics subforum.

 

- NKF

[Cornuthaum]

A.) Thanks - Somehow I repeatedly missing that particular sticky in the Strategy subsection >_< ...

 

B.) Research for the Small Disruptor Shields:

 

Find a Small Disruptor Beam (craft weapon, most commonly found on assault ships)

Research it

Find a Medium Disruptor Beam (craft weapon, type 5+ craft usually have them)

Research it

Find a Small Disruptor Shield (all shielded craft above the Scout have those)

Research it.

Give your Hawk two lineage cannons, a medium disruptor and four shields and watch as he deals more damage than three unshielded hawks without dying

 

:x

[VonDeath]

The Aliens invaded a Diablo building. Problem:The Diablo is my enemy. If I just level the building I will kill the aliens. Right ?

[[NKF]]

No. The building surroundings will still be infiltrated, and this will in turn infect adjacent sectors. A destroyed building will also mean that you cannot go in to clear up the infestation, thus you'll get a lot of infiltration spread out from the one site. This is a logistical nightmare.

 

Just go in. You'll get Diablo thugs as well as aliens. You might as well "attack" the building and get free equipment generated in the equipment spawn spots as well for extra loot.

 

So not only do you get more enemies (and their weapons), you'll get the random equipment on the ground as well. This really improves your scratch. Also you'll knock out the core of the infestation. Not bad for a single raid.

 

- NKF

[Cornuthaum]

the problem with angry diablo thugs and aliens is that Dimension Missiles and rocket launchers are -not- good for your soldiers. not at all. explosions ALL over the place within seconds after placement, and 99% of the explosions right in your team (until you mind control one of their buggers and have him blow their shields away)

 

I lost 16 perso shields to a psyke alien cleanup (8 soldiers with double shields) in the first 17 seconds of battle - since the damnable game spawned me right next to 8 psyke goons with lots of rockets >_<

[Tsereve]

Here's a little tip for avoiding damage to shields, assuming you have Disruptor Armor (otherwise, your agents will of mincemeat be made)

 

When you see the explosion go off by your agents, there will be a small lapse in between the explosive animation and the shimmer of your shields being damaged. Within that time, if you time it right, you can drop your shields on the ground and have them be in mid-air when the explosive damage takes effect. It requires practice, and if you get it wrong the shield will be destroyed outright (dropped it too soon) or damaged normally (dropped it too late), but once you get the timing down it's like magic to saving your shields.

 

Oh, and using smaller squads (2-3 men) with Cloaking Devices really cuts down on shield damage from explosives too. Two decent agents with Devastators can almost always cut down a lone gang member before he can get a rocket off.

 

Edit: You know what, everyone but NKF just forget what I said above. I explained that terribly, and if you follow my instructions to the word there it'll probably just get you really pissed at me. Just...wait for NKF to explain this, k? XD

Edited December 30, 2006 by Tsereve

[Cornuthaum]

Its not like losing 16 shields is a terrible blow to me, toxigunning down aliens since the end of week 2 has me owning well over 100 shields by now

 

And I know what you mean - drop them after the explosion, but before the damage actually happens - have them in midair so the explosion doesn't fry them on the ground or on the body either.

 

But honestly, it was a RT game.

 

It starts in pause, I issue my commands as to who goes where.

Unpause

"Hostile detected: Psyke" x5

Pause. Sweatdrop. Looking for exit pads. None in range.

 

Issue "Who runs where in aggressive mode so they wont stand still and die" commands.

Unpause

Watch a buttload of rockets decimate my shields.

Watch my agents gun down the hostiles within seconds after they are in cover

 

Curse the placement of my agents.

 

Gun down all else that moves.

[[NKF]]

Even with me, sometimes all I can do is take the hit and attempt to recover from it. Full disrupter suits (as long as their durability holds) are dimension rocket and popper proof, but not disrupter and entropy proof, nor can they survive direct hits with vortex mines. But it's still better than nothing at all. This is the reason why I have minimal flight capable units in my team makeup - I can't afford the loss in protection by having too many Marsec torso plates.

 

Rockets are the same everywhere... It doesn't really matter who or how many you're up against if the game decides to put a few crazies with rocket launchers right next to you.

 

As for throwing shields in the air, I've never been to successful with them. Others may have had better experiences, but for me they tend to get fried anyway. But, that's not to say that you shouldn't at least make the effort to try it.

 

- NKF

Edited December 31, 2006 by NKF

[VonDeath]

I see... It's gonna hurt, I know it will.

[NRN_R_Sumo1]

Minimal flying? Pfft.. I keep a Marsec in every mans pack or free hand xD

[[NKF]]

It's just that after watching a soldier in a full suit of disrupter armour take six dimension missiles in succession with only 1 HP loss, and then comparing it to the agent in the partial suit who was critically injured after only one missile, I like to have a slightly larger mix of tanks compared to the flyers. Mostly on account of the poppers and the dimension missiles. Nasty things.

 

I make up for it by sharing the one or two Marsec torso units I've got amongst the whole squad when I need to get more than the flyers up to a high location fast. It does mean leaving one soldier without a chest plate for a short while, but otherwise it works. Just as long as the disrupter shields hold, not wearing any armour won't be a problem during the brief exchange of torso plates. I mean, you get into worse situations with agents covered in entropy enzyme. If you can't escape, your only option is to strip and wait a few seconds for the enzyme to wear off.

 

 

- NKF

Edited January 6, 2007 by NKF

[Aiki-Knight]

The value of running

 

I learned before I had shield that an agent will suffer less damage if he/she is running in any direction but forward into the missile when a missile hits. Perhaps even running forward!

 

The reason has to do with area-effect damage. If the agent is running when then missile explodes, the agent will be slightly farther away from the centre of the explosion as it spreads out. Having been playing for years, I know for a fact this works, and it really can make the different when you're still wearing MegaPol armor and a gang member or cultist starts unleashing MarSec heavy launcher missiles.

 

I did NOT realize that disruptor armor could just shrug off Dimension Missiles. I usually send in 16 agents double-shielded. On the (rare) occasion that an agent loses shields, I evacuate him/her unless there's a very good reason not to (he/she is key in defending other agents under heavy fire or brainsucker attack, or the agent is out of danger and can pick up dead aliens' shields). Yet even with this knowledge, I'm unlikely to alter my strategy. I play as if the agents are real people (I name everyone after friends and family). It makes the game more tense, and forces me to be very careful with every agent. Agents do die, but I generally don't subject my friends and (combat-capable) family members to Dimension Missile fire when they're unshielded.

 

Either way, when cover's not available, running for short spaces as the missile hits can make a real difference between life and death. Consider it!

[[NKF]]

That certainly applies to thrown explosives. However I hate to say it but it doesn't work too well against missiles in general. Here's why: All rockets in this game that are targeting a moving unit will have some minor homing ability. They will correct their flight path to line up with your soldier. They do the same with attacks on the ground - but that's a immobile target.

 

Now, if you were able to dodge the missile on those rare occasions (and they are rare!), you would see it go past you and swing around in a circle to attempt to track your location. This is luckily often thwarted by obstacles. It's even more obvious with the teleporters. If, let's say, you were flying in the air in an open field and tracking a rocket that's just been fired at you. If you pause at the last minute and teleport over to the alien that shot the rocket, be absolutely sure that there are some obstacles in the way of the missile or else it'll swing around in a wide turn and strike you in the back. I was quite perplexed when this happend to me a few times, thinking that I'd missed some dimension missile toting alien behind me. Then I saw it in action while there were some soldiers who were on overwatch a little way behind the scout. Frightening indeed! This is true for all missile-type projectiles in the game. Entropy, mini-launcher, cityscape missiles etc.

 

 

---

 

Knowingly running around without shields is always a bad strategy - which is why I do not promote doing so. Even one shield is enough, but two is ideal. Three if you're willing to give up your second weapon or cloaking device - but that's just plain greedy.

 

The full disrupter suits are still the best protection you'll get at the moment the shields do die out and you're being fired at by multiple enemies with dimension missiles (say, Megaspawn). If it nullifies a dimension missile or two or even a series of poppers (and do they come in series on some missions!) after your shields are zapped, then they'll have saved your soldier's life. You'll now be vulnerable to everything else, though.

 

The rest - I agree - involves running. Fast. Head for cover or flee if you're in dire straight. And, where applicable, search for a replacement shield before the explosive barrage destroys your armour, and you'd be truly vulnerable .

 

- NKF

Edited January 8, 2007 by NKF