Jump to content
XCOMUFO & Xenocide

A Suggestion For Future Xcomutils


dillster

Recommended Posts

  • 3 weeks later...
I'd love to see an option when listing your troops to be able to also see their stats for strength, TU's etc... to go along with their names and ranks.

That's a very reasonable request. I'll consider it for the next release, whenever that is. I couldn't reply sooner, because I have either been on vacation, sick, or both, for the last month.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok, considering this work is all done by one (incredible) person, i never thought that you would really take suggestions.

 

-One thing that bugged me is when you run the setup proggie, it asks you if you want these changes. Now I've looked around the readme file and i didn't see an explaination of those changes. Sure some a self explanitory, but others (like improved weapons) leave much to the imagination.

 

-You should have an option to turn off the ability to put troops in intercepter vehicles.

 

 

Your editor is awsome, and no one has expected one individual to ever take this editor as far as you have. For that, congratulations are in order a million times. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

-One thing that bugged me is when you run the setup proggie, it asks you if you want these changes. Now I've looked around the readme file and i didn't see an explaination of those changes. Sure some a self explanitory, but others (like improved weapons) leave much to the imagination.

 

-You should have an option to turn off the ability to put troops in intercepter vehicles.

 

also, how about an option that forces you to depend upon your funding more then sales of equipment?

The improved weapons really don't add much, but the description, including the one for the old WPN command, explains almost all of the changes. If I think of it next time, I may expand the documentation. Are there other problem areas?

 

You are not the first person to ask for an option to prohibit putting troops on Interceptors. I just can't imagine why this is a problem. Just don't put troops on Interceptors. I am not forcing you to do it.

 

I already have an option that virtually eliminates all funding, but I never considered eliminating sales. I guess it would be possible to modify the tables which define the cost of items. I'll consider it, since it would make the game much harder and I always like to do that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scott,

 

I have a lot of suggestions I'd like to propose, but I won't bother you with them today (well, to tell the truth, I've forgotten most of them :) ). They're very minor things, like being able to choose the sort order of your troops based on certain critera and whatnot. Actually, I'd like to take a crack at making them first before I make any further suggestions, purely as a programming exercise. :) But that's not what I want to ramble on about today.

 

Regarding XComutil's workaround for the base disjoint bug:

 

I haven't updated my copy of the utility in a while, so I could be a bit outdated here. Anyway, would it be possible to insert a few lines in xcusetup so you get to choose whether or not to have Xcomutil knock the walls out of the base map files upon its first installation? Perhaps even allow it to restore the walls later?

 

I merely ask this for the benefit of those who know how the bug works (and how to work around it/make use of it), or just don't want the walls to be knocked out.

 

I have one other possible solution I'd like to suggest. Instead of removing the walls completely, how about replacing the walls (that sit on the edge of the tile rather than that sit in the tile) with the HWP closet doors instead? The bug will still be there, but instead of walls, you get doors. At worst, you'll have lots of little 3x1 or 1x3 wide closets along the edges of the base. :) I'm going to test this myself some day and see if it's a viable solution, or whether it'll mess things up entirely.

 

Just some food for thought.

 

- NKF

Edited by NKF
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to see one that is directory independent, so I can stick it in an "editors" directory.

I'll have to think about that one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scott,

 

I have a lot of suggestions I'd like to propose, but I won't bother you with them today (well, to tell the truth, I've forgotten most of them :) ). They're very minor things, like being able to choose the sort order of your troops based on certain critera and whatnot. Actually, I'd like to take a crack at making them first before I make any further suggestions, purely as a programming exercise. :) But that's not what I want to ramble on about today.

 

Regarding XComutil's workaround for the base disjoint bug:

 

I haven't updated my copy of the utility in a while, so I could be a bit outdated here. Anyway, would it be possible to insert a few lines in xcusetup so you get to choose whether or not to have Xcomutil knock the walls out of the base map files upon its first installation? Perhaps even allow it to restore the walls later?

 

I merely ask this for the benefit of those who know how the bug works (and how to work around it/make use of it), or just don't want the walls to be knocked out.

 

I have one other possible solution I'd like to suggest. Instead of removing the walls completely, how about replacing the walls (that sit on the edge of the tile rather than that sit in the tile) with the HWP closet doors instead? The bug will still be there, but instead of walls, you get doors. At worst, you'll have lots of little 3x1 or 1x3 wide closets along the edges of the base. :) I'm going to test this myself some day and see if it's a viable solution, or whether it'll mess things up entirely. 

 

Just some food for thought.

 

- NKF

IF I get ambitious, I might consider that, but for now I will just add it to a list of possibles. At the moment, I have no plans to work on XcomUtil for a while. My real job currently has me very busy and XcomUtil does not pay the bills.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...
Guest General Snoopy

As the X-Com guru perhaps you can solve this problem.

 

In the Collector's Edition there seems to be a problem with the blaster bomb way points--can't go up or down levels. This bug did not seem to be a part of the original DOS program. Other then the original programmers you are probably the only person that could solve this problem. Much thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As the X-Com guru perhaps you can solve this problem.

 

In the Collector's Edition there seems to be a problem with the blaster bomb way points--can't go up or down levels.  This bug did not seem to be a part of the original DOS program.  Other then the original programmers you are probably the only person that could solve this problem.  Much thanks.

That is a problem in the code, not the data. My agreement with my employer prohibits me from disassembling the code except in very specific cases. That isn't one of them. Sorry, but I wouldn't be able to look at the problem even if I knew where to look.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

There is actually one thing that came to mind while I was looking through some old threads.

 

Would it be possible to make some of the country relationship modifying commands a little more flexible? That is to say, allow users to force countries to withdraw (by setting everyone to $0 - while positive numbers return them)?

 

Now I know it may initially sound a bit on the ridiculous side, but it is rather amusing to play a game where all the countries have withdrawn from the very start (you can still lose by all the same means though).

 

If you demolish your first base and give yourself enough funds to start a very basic base from scratch (6mil to 9mil or less - anything as long it's just enough to get a fully complimented Skyranger and radar), it becomes even more of a challenge. When I tried it, I wasn't able to intercept anything until at least early February - but still got a positive score for January on a few trials.

 

The only real bad side effect emerges later in the game - the threat of enemy infiltrators is nullified. They'll still infiltrate, but the severe effects they have that we all know and loathe are no longer there. There's no one else to defect. So all they end up doing is increasing area activity and nothing more.

 

This was actually a bit of an experiment to see if countries did return. Well, on versions 1.4 and 1.4ce they do not - I have no way of testing v1.1, 1.2 or the Playstation version.

 

Mind you, this is not really an important request or anything. There are editors out there that can already do this. I just thought as you can already adjust funds globally and get everyone to return, then perhaps the same function should also be able to remove countries as well. (it has been a while since I checked the documentation or used the global fund setting function - so I don't know if this function has already been implemented)

 

- NKF

Edited by NKF
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Would it be possible to make some of the country relationship modifying commands a little more flexible? That is to say, allow users to force countries to withdraw (by setting everyone to $0 - while positive numbers return them)?

...

Mind you, this is not really an important request or anything. There are editors out there that can already do this. I just thought as you can already adjust funds globally and get everyone to return, then perhaps the same function should also be able to remove countries as well. (it has been a while since I checked the documentation or used the global fund setting function - so I don't know if this function has already been implemented)

 

- NKF

 

This is not something I am interested in adding to XcomUtil. Instead, I would rather continue to waste all of my free time playing World of Warcraft, as I have been doing since the beginning of March. I'll continue to fix bugs, but the only new feature that interests me at the moment is the Xcom research tree, and I have never decided how to proceed with that. Sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair enough. XComutil's already a fully packed swiss army knife amongst game utilities as it is.

 

I just figured that this suggestion was only going to involve a small tweak of an existing function. But as I'm not privy to the source, I really shouldn't comment. ;)

 

- NKF

Edited by NKF
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the things I alwase do is reset the verry smalls so they are visible again. If i'm not planing to use your terrain randomizer. could you make a change to the intsaller to alow for the use of thease ships and have it disable the random terrain options.

 

It makes sense to removet them bye the latter months but I like to see the verry smalls in jan and feburary.

 

-Blade FireLight

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

1) Alter the troop placement system.

Currently, the system you use may move a fast reaction soldier to the back of the skyranger due to a promotion (ie- the guy is now 'valuable' and needs protection).

This can be annoying because you equiped him with the rocket launcher or whatever you wanted up the front.

I'd be much happier if weapons, like armour was simple pre-equiped on the soldier

 

2) It seems, plasma canon requires 80 workspace now.

(im not sure if this is xcomutil or a slowdown patch i use)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
1) Alter the troop placement system.

Currently, the system you use may move a fast reaction soldier to the back of the skyranger due to a promotion (ie- the guy is now 'valuable' and needs protection).

This can be annoying because you equiped him with the rocket launcher or whatever you wanted up the front.

I'd be much happier if weapons, like armour was simple pre-equiped on the soldier

 

2) It seems, plasma canon requires 80 workspace now.

(im not sure if this is xcomutil or a slowdown patch i use)

 

The troop placement algorithm can be changed by editing XcomUtil.cfg. See the XcomUtil.txt file for details.

 

The workspace required for the plasma cannon is not modified by XcomUtil, UNLESS you use the New Laser Weapons feature. If you read the new UFOpedia entry for the plasma cannon, it says:

 

"Although this weapon is extremely difficult to build, its range and power makes our interceptors more than a match for all but the largest alien ship."

 

To make this work, I increased the space required. So, if you are seeing this, you have probably enabled this feature. If not, it is a bug and you should let me know.

Edited by stjones
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Although im sure I'll catch a whole pile of blahblah on this ive always thought that the X-com Agents initial armour was practically useless...rarely surviving any shot...dying even if shot in the foot.

 

what ide like to see is the soldiers equipped with the most useless upgraded armour of all (TFTD) Plastic-Aqua-Armor...heck I honestly doubt anyone bothers manufacturing them so as it stands its a Useless Research Project

but it would be useful to initial troops who could get hit with a pistol occasionally and possibly Survive it

 

Possibly also the Ability to manufacture it immediatly so those 10 enginerrs actually have something to do in the first 6-7 days of the game while you wait for research projects to finish.

 

And of course Eliminating the 4 alien alloys required to do it..again really no huge impact on stores or money gained by that measly 4 alloys.

 

Anyways thats my wish oh n ps Scott although i havent used any of the new upgrades on the initial ships i LIKE that they are there for me to Exploit if I so choose to

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

At this point, I don't plan to make any more changes to XcomUtil. I have not played a game of Xcom in over a year. However, most of what you want is already in XcomUtil.

 

Look at the description of the TEC flag in XcomUtil.txt and you will see that TEC:HUMAN will give your engineers plenty of work to do. Most people seem to forget that XcomUtil is primarily a command line utility and XcuSetup.bat was just added to make selecting things easier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...