XCom veteran playing again after many years

[Warface]

Some peanuts from the gallery:

 

Turn 20 is not always enough (at least, not on Superhuman). Sometimes there will indeed be aliens who wait until turn 40+ or even 100 before exiting the UFO. Sometimes they even wait until your soldiers are lined up outside ready to kick the door in. Often, there is a command crew of 1-3 aliens who do not exit at all, but instead path around the bridge/command room waiting for fresh meat.

 

iirc Seb's Extender doesn't modify anything you don't want it to.

 

Use TWO smoke grenades on Turn 1: One on the ramp and one on the edge of the cabin level of the craft.

 

If you don't want soldiers using reaction fire with rocket launchers, you do NOT have to drop the launcher. Keep a sidearm on the soldier and simply select the weapon. Whatever weapon your soldier is shown to be holding is the one they will typically react with (from my experience).

 

Armor works very well. Except when it doesn't. Flying suits absorb approx. 50% of all Heavy Plasma fire against the front plates. Soldier health has to make up for the rest, which means about 20% of all Heavy Plasma shots will be instant kills on a max health (~60) flying suited soldier.

 

Similarly, a tracked HWP can absorb 90 points of a Heavy Plasma to the front without taking damage. Since H Plas can do 220 max, this can one-shot any tank including a hovertank (exactly 220 armor+health). Still, this is a 100% damage roll which does not happen 100% of the time.

 

Auto Cannons are VERY useful with both HE and Incendiary ammo when you have Power Suits or better. TRUST ME. A mind controlled X-Com soldier with AC-HE is virtually HARMLESS to you, DEADLY to aliens (when you actually have control).

 

Heavy Cannons are your shotguns. Best direct-fire weapons in the beginning. Other than that, they really do suck.

 

Rocket launchers are ideal for destroying terror units before you have lasers and plasma.

 

Why does everyone keep saying "AFHE"? Don't you mean ACHE?

 

RL-rocket launcher

AC-Auto cannon

HC-Heavy cannon

 

What is AF? Alien Frag? No seriously... Well I'm kidding but... no seriously... What is this AF?

 

p.s. Why did it take about 5 posts for me to go from 55 to 56 posts on the forum?

Edited October 6, 2009 by Warface

[oldfan]

NKF and Warface, thanks for your replies. I guess I've already adapted most of the tactics already and your answer only confirm my findings and preferences. As for the auto cannon, I find its usage mostly for night tactical missions as it acts as "natural" flare, and using auto shot can illuminate quite a bit of landscape.

 

As for proximity grenades, I rely heavily on them and make educated usage of them but they are just one of many tools. By the way, it is worthy to note that when spotting a shotdown UFO, if it has a hole in the ceiling, one should throw one or two proximity grenades when fighting floaters. One time I had secured the area nicely and proxied the door only to find out that a floater popped out of the roof of the UFO and plasma fried one of my poor chaps.

 

Yesterday I had to start a new game (again) after making some critical error on a tactical mission. The new game progresses very well. In fact, I think I got the laser gun pretty fast this time which lead me to believe that perhaps I chose a level other than superhuman by mistake. Does anybody know whether difficulty level has any effect on research progress and whether there is a way I can verify what is the current difficulty level (saved game files perhaps)?

Edited October 6, 2009 by oldfan

[Warface]

NKF and Warface, thanks for your replies. I guess I've already adapted most of the tactics already and your answer only confirm my findings and preferences. As for the auto cannon, I find its usage mostly for night tactical missions as it acts as "natural" flare, and using auto shot can illuminate quite a bit of landscape.

 

I would mainly recommend the AC for dealing with psionics when you have none of your own. If the aliens have no psi, or you have your troops properly screened, the AC becomes rather obsolete. Incendiaries make great illumination but even those will become cumbersome later on when dealing with the item limits, and flares do the job quite nicely, being reusable.

 

As for proximity grenades, I rely heavily on them and make educated usage of them but they are just one of many tools. By the way, it is worthy to note that when spotting a shotdown UFO, if it has a hole in the ceiling, one should throw one or two proximity grenades when fighting floaters. One time I had secured the area nicely and proxied the door only to find out that a floater popped out of the roof of the UFO and plasma fried one of my poor chaps.

 

Some people swear by proxies; meh. They are merely an alternative to straight hosing the buggers. Screw waiting for them to path over an item. I just use proper ambush tactics and blast the crap out of them with small arms.

 

Yesterday I had to start a new game (again) after making some critical error on a tactical mission. The new game progresses very well. In fact, I think I got the laser gun pretty fast this time which lead me to believe that perhaps I chose a level other than superhuman by mistake. Does anybody know whether difficulty level has any effect on research progress and whether there is a way I can verify what is the current difficulty level (saved game files perhaps)?

 

Apparently not. The best way I know of to determine if you are playing on Superhuman is to compare the number of aliens neutralized on few landed (not shot down) UFOs to the tables on the online UFOpedia. Just click the ship type in question and scroll down. You won't get the maximum every time so you may need a few sample ships to discern the difficulty level.

Edited October 6, 2009 by Warface

[oldfan]

NKF and Warface, thanks for your replies. I guess I've already adapted most of the tactics already and your answer only confirm my findings and preferences. As for the auto cannon, I find its usage mostly for night tactical missions as it acts as "natural" flare, and using auto shot can illuminate quite a bit of landscape.

 

I would mainly recommend the AC for dealing with psionics when you have none of your own. If the aliens have no psi, or you have your troops properly screened, the AC becomes rather obsolete. Incendiaries make great illumination but even those will become cumbersome later on when dealing with the item limits, and flares do the job quite nicely, being reusable.

 

As for proximity grenades, I rely heavily on them and make educated usage of them but they are just one of many tools. By the way, it is worthy to note that when spotting a shotdown UFO, if it has a hole in the ceiling, one should throw one or two proximity grenades when fighting floaters. One time I had secured the area nicely and proxied the door only to find out that a floater popped out of the roof of the UFO and plasma fried one of my poor chaps.

 

Some people swear by proxies; meh. They are merely an alternative to straight hosing the buggers. Screw waiting for them to path over an item. I just use proper ambush tactics and blast the crap out of them with small arms.

 

Yesterday I had to start a new game (again) after making some critical error on a tactical mission. The new game progresses very well. In fact, I think I got the laser gun pretty fast this time which lead me to believe that perhaps I chose a level other than superhuman by mistake. Does anybody know whether difficulty level has any effect on research progress and whether there is a way I can verify what is the current difficulty level (saved game files perhaps)?

 

Apparently not. The best way I know of to determine if you are playing on Superhuman is to compare the number of aliens neutralized on few landed (not shot down) UFOs to the tables on the online UFOpedia. Just click the ship type in question and scroll down. You won't get the maximum every time so you may need a few sample ships to discern the difficulty level.

Well, AC carries 14 rounds for each clip which is roughly equivalent to 14 flares (of course, you cannot place them in a ballistic manner). Both have their uses. As for proxies, Aside from just putting them on corners, I sometimes deploy a far away minefield just to provide cover and advance warning to my soldiers as it is very far away and may be in the range of hostiles. Certain things are just a matter of personal preference. I have found this to work rather well.

 

Another issue which is very important is paying attention to the weapons carried by aliens. Sometimes, it is better to concentrate efforts on killing a one or two aliens which seem to carry something big (rifle/heavy plasma) rather than those carrying pistols. This is especially true if you have a HWP or a heavily armored soldier. Of course, those with plasma pistols can also throw a grenade if they want to which changes things.

[Warface]

The main problem I've found with incendiaries as illumination is that if there's nothing to burn, the fire goes out after a couple of turns. Then again, flares are easy to destroy with explosives, so it's really a tradeoff. Both have their merits, for sure.

 

edit:

 

Another issue which is very important is paying attention to the weapons carried by aliens. Sometimes, it is better to concentrate efforts on killing a one or two aliens which seem to carry something big (rifle/heavy plasma) rather than those carrying pistols. This is especially true if you have a HWP or a heavily armored soldier. Of course, those with plasma pistols can also throw a grenade if they want to which changes things.

 

Additional note regarding difficulty. If after the first few months you're getting Plasma Pistols or Rifles with any kind of frequency, you probably aren't playing on Superhuman. I almost never see anything besides H Plasma. I'm talking 100% minus an occasional "fluke" rifle. Pistols and Rifles should just stop dropping altogether, even on Scout class UFOs.

Edited October 6, 2009 by Warface

[[NKF]]

I booted up the PSX version of UFO for the first time a few days ago and launched right into a superhuman game (expecting my posterior to be returned to me on a platter - with a ribbon). On the very first mission (UFO 2 - medium scout), there were a few sectoids that were already carrying heavy plasmas.

 

Another way to determine if you are playing superhuman is to use the mind probe. Check the armour levels of the aliens. Beginner level armour have half the normal armour levels. The wiki will have the relevant information you can look up.

 

- NKF

[oldfan]

I booted up the PSX version of UFO for the first time a few days ago and launched right into a superhuman game (expecting my posterior to be returned to me on a platter - with a ribbon). On the very first mission (UFO 2 - medium scout), there were a few sectoids that were already carrying heavy plasmas.

 

Another way to determine if you are playing superhuman is to use the mind probe. Check the armour levels of the aliens. Beginner level armour have half the normal armour levels. The wiki will have the relevant information you can look up.

 

- NKF

Hmmmmmmmm..... for some reason lately I've been posting a few times and it doesn't "show up". Anyway, according to http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?sh...rt=#entry162655 I opened the file and used Notepad++ hex editor - I'm indeed playing on superhuman. Though something VERY weird happened. I use 17 scientists in the first month (government funding only) and usually finish laser rifle research near the end of the January (I don't remember the exact date). However, this game I was able to finish research on January 18 and am already starting to manufacture them. Is this some sort of bug? I thought each technology takes X amount of man hours - hence my original question about perhaps having difficulty affecting it. I started a new game and new research with 17 scientists, and sure enough this time I finished research on February 1st. (in a good way perhaps) Is there something I'm missing? Is there a base research rate for every technology and then a +- certain hours?

Edited October 7, 2009 by oldfan

[Zombie]

Hmmmmmmmm..... for some reason lately I've been posting a few times and it doesn't "show up".

Not sure what could be causing this. Are you sure? My posts seem to be incrementing my count properly. Keep an eye on it and if you witness it again, let me know and I'll contact an admin.

 

Anyway, according to http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?sh...rt=#entry162655 I opened the file and used Notepad++ hex editor - I'm indeed playing on superhuman. Though something VERY weird happened. I use 17 scientists in the first month (government funding only) and usually finish laser rifle research near the end of the January (I don't remember the exact date). However, this game I was able to finish research on January 18 and am already starting to manufacture them. Is this some sort of bug? I thought each technology takes X amount of man hours - hence my original question about perhaps having difficulty affecting it. I started a new game and new research with 17 scientists, and sure enough this time I finished research on February 1st. (in a good way perhaps) Is there something I'm missing? Is there a base research rate for every technology and then a +- certain hours?

Aye, much like the listed power for a weapon is the base, the same is true for research. It has a standard rate of completion but the random number generator gets involved and modifies it by .5 to 1.5 times as long. So a project with a 50 day completion time could take anywhere from 25 to 75 days depending on the roll of the dice.

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

Hmmmmmmmm..... for some reason lately I've been posting a few times and it doesn't "show up".

Not sure what could be causing this. Are you sure? My posts seem to be incrementing my count properly. Keep an eye on it and if you witness it again, let me know and I'll contact an admin.

 

Anyway, according to http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?sh...rt=#entry162655 I opened the file and used Notepad++ hex editor - I'm indeed playing on superhuman. Though something VERY weird happened. I use 17 scientists in the first month (government funding only) and usually finish laser rifle research near the end of the January (I don't remember the exact date). However, this game I was able to finish research on January 18 and am already starting to manufacture them. Is this some sort of bug? I thought each technology takes X amount of man hours - hence my original question about perhaps having difficulty affecting it. I started a new game and new research with 17 scientists, and sure enough this time I finished research on February 1st. (in a good way perhaps) Is there something I'm missing? Is there a base research rate for every technology and then a +- certain hours?

Aye, much like the listed power for a weapon is the base, the same is true for research. It has a standard rate of completion but the random number generator gets involved and modifies it by .5 to 1.5 times as long. So a project with a 50 day completion time could take anywhere from 25 to 75 days depending on the roll of the dice.

 

- Zombie

I assume this is per each research and not for the entire game?

 

Well, in this game, I guess I got a lot of luck with the computer "rolling the dice" for "Laser Weapons", "Laser Pistol", and "Laser Rifle" research.

[Tiruas]

I totally agree on that - for close range almost any weapon will do. And yes, I do tend to mine every corner if I can.

Unfortunately, some civies dare step on it and waste my precious $500.

 

Terror missions usually start like this - I let the first turn pass and then you hear a bunch of plasmas going off and many screams by civilians. This is also true for the second turn and then the civilians stop screaming (non are left).

 

In Superhuman it is not uncommon for the aliens to kill all the civilians in 2 turns, but even if you give the aliens round 1 (which i always do) you can still save about 50% on average by being proactive in round 2.

 

As for civies stepping on mines, the real cost is more than $500, it is the negative morale that your agents feel for killing civilians, and increased penalty scores, which in turn have a role in your end of the month financing (every little bit counts)

 

Also, as Warface pointed out, the ACHE will be harmless to you, but deadly to aliens, once you have powerarmor & as NKF pointed out you can get high ground with flying suits & rain explosives over large areas... because of these i find that the ACHE will indeed be useful (even if diminished) very late into the game

 

I've said enough, and NKF has added his thoughts... but again it is up to personal preference...

 

Maybe when you finish this game, give it a try going through with all explosive munitions, ACHE, rocket, & grenades (other than proximity)

 

PS Warface when i was saying AFHE i was trying to refer more specifically to the AC's "auto-fire" capability with HE ammo... the HC has HE ammo but not AF... either way it's the AC i was referring to

Edited October 8, 2009 by Tiruas

[Tiruas]

My standard starting equipment is generally all rifles & high explosive grenades, with 4 ACHE and HE ammo

 

My 1st research target is Laser Rifle

My 2nd research target is Plasma Beam craft weapons

3rd power armor & 4th firestorm/lightning/avengers

 

Although i will pick up medkits somewhere around the time i grab armors, bc they start to be useful then...

 

After i get LR & power/flying armor on all my units, i still have at least 4 ACHE onboard, basically at all times...

i never use the rocket launcher, and bc i focus on the LR i have plenty of room with the 80 item limit

 

i leave at least 10 flares on board, day or night (because if i don't i'll forget them on the next night mission)

 

the few times i ended up using the proxy mines, i did feel as Warface does... it just adds boredom to the game IMHO

i did not feel like it was necessary and if i mined the doorway of a UFO i would get tired of waiting for them to come out...

 

that might be useful on a few missions, where you spread out your troops in a semicircle around the UFO doorways

to train them on reaction fire (useful for the proxy to prevent them from coming out before you're fully setup)

 

but, overall i feel they are not necessary, and any benefit they provide can be overcome with good tactics

 

you also said that you like rocket launchers because they can vaporize both a target's cover & the target at the same time...

 

i will contend that 3 shots of ACHE or AFHE ^^ for short, will indeed vaporize anything a rocket launcher could

 

the only exception i can think of would be a brick wall, AFHE will not destroy a brick wall (however laser rifle fire will)

i'm not sure if you hit it with a rocket if it would kill an alien behind it, but i do know it will destroy the wall & light fires nearby...

still i'm pretty sure the alien on the other side of the wall would be fine, and then have a clear view of you, but on the other hand

if you auto laser rifle 1 section of wall & reveal an alien, it is likely that 1 of the 2 extra shots will hit him as well (if he's directly behind it)

and if it doesn't reveal an alien (or he's further back inside the building) then you can light up the floor near him with AFHE and he's going down

 

the only time AFHE will not be very useful is if an alien has high ground on you... but the good news in this situation is...

if the alien has high ground, odds are good that anyone in your squad can take shots at him, with everyone having a laser rifle...

odds are good he is going to be boned quickly...

[oldfan]

My standard starting equipment is generally all rifles & high explosive grenades, with 4 ACHE and HE ammo

 

My 1st research target is Laser Rifle

My 2nd research target is Plasma Beam craft weapons

3rd power armor & 4th firestorm/lightning/avengers

 

Although i will pick up medkits somewhere around the time i grab armors, bc they start to be useful then...

 

After i get LR & power/flying armor on all my units, i still have at least 4 ACHE onboard, basically at all times...

i never use the rocket launcher, and bc i focus on the LR i have plenty of room with the 80 item limit

 

i leave at least 10 flares on board, day or night (because if i don't i'll forget them on the next night mission)

 

the few times i ended up using the proxy mines, i did feel as Warface does... it just adds boredom to the game IMHO

i did not feel like it was necessary and if i mined the doorway of a UFO i would get tired of waiting for them to come out...

 

that might be useful on a few missions, where you spread out your troops in a semicircle around the UFO doorways

to train them on reaction fire (useful for the proxy to prevent them from coming out before you're fully setup)

 

but, overall i feel they are not necessary, and any benefit they provide can be overcome with good tactics

 

you also said that you like rocket launchers because they can vaporize both a target's cover & the target at the same time...

 

i will contend that 3 shots of ACHE or AFHE ^^ for short, will indeed vaporize anything a rocket launcher could

 

the only exception i can think of would be a brick wall, AFHE will not destroy a brick wall (however laser rifle fire will)

i'm not sure if you hit it with a rocket if it would kill an alien behind it, but i do know it will destroy the wall & light fires nearby...

still i'm pretty sure the alien on the other side of the wall would be fine, and then have a clear view of you, but on the other hand

if you auto laser rifle 1 section of wall & reveal an alien, it is likely that 1 of the 2 extra shots will hit him as well (if he's directly behind it)

and if it doesn't reveal an alien (or he's further back inside the building) then you can light up the floor near him with AFHE and he's going down

 

the only time AFHE will not be very useful is if an alien has high ground on you... but the good news in this situation is...

if the alien has high ground, odds are good that anyone in your squad can take shots at him, with everyone having a laser rifle...

odds are good he is going to be boned quickly...

 

There were so many times that I aimed a rocket which hit a wall of a barn followed by death screams. I also throw mines around corners and "garden" (those areas with trees) and other places aliens may be coming from. It is not uncommon for me to have tactical missions with 1-3 aliens stepping on them and dropping dead because I placed them in narrow access routes or places I didn't have lots of soldiers with line of sight.

 

Also, I'm playing with government funding ONLY which makes you play very cautiously because funds are really hard to come by and soldiers cost funds. I don't storm UFO often but this is not because I'm waiting for the aliens to come out but rather I sweep the area very cautiously which takes a while. I usually storm the UFO only if it is really close by to the landing zone.

 

Luckily for me, I played the game so long ago I don't quite remember the whole tech tree (nor do I want to remember - it adds for the fun!). Laser Rifle were research first due to their much greater fire power which can enable one shot one kill, at least initially. Personal armor is next along with medikit. Now I'm research heavy plasma to give a boost for my guys with some heavy weaponry which is also very accurate. Plasma cannon will probably be next as Avalanche missile can be expensive and they miss their target every now and then. Small launcher might be the next as I do want to capture a navigator (perhaps mind probe) though I may focus on UFO technology so I can built faster crafts (which also don't have any monthly maintenance). Having only government funding sure changes things. At first I thought it was impossible, but I find it more real and it contributes to a better game. Otherwise, in no time you can get so much cash and setup so many bases around and have fast research that it really makes the game so much easier and less challenging.

 

P.S.

I use the ranged accuracy mod. Now, an aimed shot really carries a punch due to its accuracy, so using auto cannon to long ranges is hardly effective.

Edited October 8, 2009 by oldfan

[Tiruas]

There were so many times that I aimed a rocket which hit a wall of a barn followed by death screams. I also throw mines around corners and "garden" (those areas with trees) and other places aliens may be coming from. It is not uncommon for me to have tactical missions with 1-3 aliens stepping on them and dropping dead because I placed them in narrow access routes or places I didn't have lots of soldiers with line of sight.

 

Also, I'm playing with government funding ONLY which makes you play very cautiously because funds are really hard to come by and soldiers cost funds. I don't storm UFO often but this is not because I'm waiting for the aliens to come out but rather I sweep the area very cautiously which takes a while. I usually storm the UFO only if it is really close by to the landing zone.

 

Luckily for me, I played the game so long ago I don't quite remember the whole tech tree (nor do I want to remember - it adds for the fun!). Laser Rifle were research first due to their much greater fire power which can enable one shot one kill, at least initially. Personal armor is next along with medikit. Now I'm research heavy plasma to give a boost for my guys with some heavy weaponry which is also very accurate. Plasma cannon will probably be next as Avalanche missile can be expensive and they miss their target every now and then. Small launcher might be the next as I do want to capture a navigator (perhaps mind probe) though I may focus on UFO technology so I can built faster crafts (which also don't have any monthly maintenance). Having only government funding sure changes things. At first I thought it was impossible, but I find it more real and it contributes to a better game. Otherwise, in no time you can get so much cash and setup so many bases around and have fast research that it really makes the game so much easier and less challenging.

 

P.S.

I use the ranged accuracy mod. Now, an aimed shot really carries a punch due to its accuracy, so using auto cannon to long ranges is hardly effective.

 

 

Are you hitting the outside of the barn wall or the inside? because if you're talking about hitting the wall INSIDE, then of course yes, but that would be the same with the AFHE too...

 

*edit* also, as for garden areas, *shrugs* the most economical thing to do would be to light up the whole garden top to bottom with laser fire, or if you suspect an alien in a particular part of the garden, then light it up with AFHE... the AFHE feature will make short work of a garden in 1 or 2 attempts... *end edit*

 

as for the mod, well, i play the vanilla, so it's bound to have differences, still unless the target is extremely far off, if you target the ground in front/behind them you should hit them at least once with the AFHE, and even if it isn't fatal, they'll probably be crippled

 

besides if they are so far away that you can't hit them once with a AFHE, then he's hardly "threatening" you at that point, and you could take him down with laser fire...

 

and i didn't say AFHE is the answer in EVERY situation, you're coming up with single scenarios where it wouldn't be useful...

 

i merely stated that because you don't use them at all, you're costing yourself unnecessarily

 

again you stated cost effectiveness with the government funding patch, and i'll contend that AFHE *is* cost effective, after an initial investment in the AC itself... each "clip" of HE serves as roughly 4-5 grenades, and can be used to create light smoke screens... ALSO, AFHE can take out aliens without the need for direct line of sight... which is extremely useful, you can blast a few squares in around a corner (say on level 3 of a supply ship, outside the nagivation room, where they typically lurk & get reaction shots)

 

you could grenade these areas, but i contend that you *could* also AFHE these areas too, since each clip costs about what a grenade does & can be used 4-5 times... it is cost effective as well...

 

sure you can come up with times where it wouldn't be useful, that can be done against any gun (except the LR possibly), but i will stand firm behind the ACHE, and say that with it's immediate availability (from start) and usefulness until end game... no other weapon is so versatile or useful overall, because of this alone...

 

so i'll repeat myself one last time... it is useful, if you don't want to use it at all, that's your preference, i just think you're hurting yourself & missing a piece of the puzzle... that's all

Edited October 8, 2009 by Tiruas

[oldfan]

There were so many times that I aimed a rocket which hit a wall of a barn followed by death screams. I also throw mines around corners and "garden" (those areas with trees) and other places aliens may be coming from. It is not uncommon for me to have tactical missions with 1-3 aliens stepping on them and dropping dead because I placed them in narrow access routes or places I didn't have lots of soldiers with line of sight.

 

Also, I'm playing with government funding ONLY which makes you play very cautiously because funds are really hard to come by and soldiers cost funds. I don't storm UFO often but this is not because I'm waiting for the aliens to come out but rather I sweep the area very cautiously which takes a while. I usually storm the UFO only if it is really close by to the landing zone.

 

Luckily for me, I played the game so long ago I don't quite remember the whole tech tree (nor do I want to remember - it adds for the fun!). Laser Rifle were research first due to their much greater fire power which can enable one shot one kill, at least initially. Personal armor is next along with medikit. Now I'm research heavy plasma to give a boost for my guys with some heavy weaponry which is also very accurate. Plasma cannon will probably be next as Avalanche missile can be expensive and they miss their target every now and then. Small launcher might be the next as I do want to capture a navigator (perhaps mind probe) though I may focus on UFO technology so I can built faster crafts (which also don't have any monthly maintenance). Having only government funding sure changes things. At first I thought it was impossible, but I find it more real and it contributes to a better game. Otherwise, in no time you can get so much cash and setup so many bases around and have fast research that it really makes the game so much easier and less challenging.

 

P.S.

I use the ranged accuracy mod. Now, an aimed shot really carries a punch due to its accuracy, so using auto cannon to long ranges is hardly effective.

 

 

Are you hitting the outside of the barn wall or the inside? because if you're talking about hitting the wall INSIDE, then of course yes, but that would be the same with the AFHE too...

 

*edit* also, as for garden areas, *shrugs* the most economical thing to do would be to light up the whole garden top to bottom with laser fire, or if you suspect an alien in a particular part of the garden, then light it up with AFHE... the AFHE feature will make short work of a garden in 1 or 2 attempts... *end edit*

 

as for the mod, well, i play the vanilla, so it's bound to have differences, still unless the target is extremely far off, if you target the ground in front/behind them you should hit them at least once with the AFHE, and even if it isn't fatal, they'll probably be crippled

 

besides if they are so far away that you can't hit them once with a AFHE, then he's hardly "threatening" you at that point, and you could take him down with laser fire...

 

and i didn't say AFHE is the answer in EVERY situation, you're coming up with single scenarios where it wouldn't be useful...

 

i merely stated that because you don't use them at all, you're costing yourself unnecessarily

 

again you stated cost effectiveness with the government funding patch, and i'll contend that AFHE *is* cost effective, after an initial investment in the AC itself... each "clip" of HE serves as roughly 4-5 grenades, and can be used to create light smoke screens... ALSO, AFHE can take out aliens without the need for direct line of sight... which is extremely useful, you can blast a few squares in around a corner (say on level 3 of a supply ship, outside the nagivation room, where they typically lurk & get reaction shots)

 

you could grenade these areas, but i contend that you *could* also AFHE these areas too, since each clip costs about what a grenade does & can be used 4-5 times... it is cost effective as well...

 

sure you can come up with times where it wouldn't be useful, that can be done against any gun (except the LR possibly), but i will stand firm behind the ACHE, and say that with it's immediate availability (from start) and usefulness until end game... no other weapon is so versatile or useful overall, because of this alone...

 

so i'll repeat myself one last time... it is useful, if you don't want to use it at all, that's your preference, i just think you're hurting yourself & missing a piece of the puzzle... that's all

 

I appreciate all the feedback (that is why I post here). I totally understand. but like I said, each person has his/her own tactics. I tried experimenting with AC and explosive shells but had too many friendly fire incidents and found the rocket launcher to be better for long range demolition. Though I'm early in the game (no power/flying suits yet) so that can very well make a difference. I do remember that I played the game years ago I never bothered with smoke grenades or proximity mines much, but now, when playing on superhuman (when it doesn't revert to beginner) and limited funding it makes all the difference in the world. I might actually give thought and try using AC on a rookie storming a UFO - it ain't pretty if one opens the door and finds 3-4 aliens looking at you. It is a guaranteed death sentence.

 

By the way, I always try to use a "surgical kill" when possible, using laser rifle. If all else fails, a rocket launcher (which has pretty good aim shot) is used as last resort as it doesn't have to score a direct hit. But for just taking out suspected places, I always use rocket launcher on barns, concentrated jungle trees, and the like. And yes, if it hits the outside wall and there is an alien inside next to the wall I believe it'll kill him though this can be verified.

Edited October 8, 2009 by oldfan

[[NKF]]

I just thought I'd add:

 

The Autocannon is great, but be mindful of autofire bursts with HE rounds. If the first or second round kills the target, and the remaining shots shuckeroonies, you could destroy the defeated alien's equipment. The rocket launcher's first hit could kill the alien but you don't stand the risk of destroying the equipment on that shot (not counting equipment piles in the blast area).

 

If you're restricting your income to being mainly from your collected loot, then from an economical point of view, perhaps the large rockets are better even if the missiles are more expensive than the individual ammo clips.

 

- NKF

Edited October 8, 2009 by NKF

[oldfan]

I just thought I'd add:

 

The Autocannon is great, but be mindful of autofire bursts with HE rounds. If the first or second round kills the target, and the remaining shots shuckeroonies, you could destroy the defeated alien's equipment. The rocket launcher's first hit could kill the alien but you don't stand the risk of destroying the equipment on that shot (not counting equipment piles in the blast area).

 

If you're restricting your income to being mainly from your collected loot, then from an economical point of view, perhaps the large rockets are better even if the missiles are more expensive than the individual ammo clips.

 

- NKF

Well, only in the first month I really run into problems of not having enough money for rockets. Though destroyed equipment/corpses means less score per machine which translates into less additional funding. But I usually stick to the rule of kill 'em if you can't. Though sometimes, especially near choke points, when you have a bunch of dead aliens with equipment, it is a shame to destroy it all. But you bring a valid point. Also, you could actually kill a stunned alien as well. This can be annoying especially if this is a leader/navigator.

[[NKF]]

Well, blowing up loot is a judgment call to make as the battle happens. Particularly when lives of your team members are at stake. It's good to be mindful of it.

 

Oh hey, just noticed the forum didn't like my use of the past tense of 'hit'? Or maybe I... oh I might have mistyped. Never mind.

 

- NKF

[oldfan]

I think I read somewhere that your line of sight increases a bit if you are on higher grounds. Any truth to this?

[Zombie]

Not one bit (as far as I know). It does get above certain ground-level LOS obstacles such as fences, hedges and trees which allows you to see past them though.

 

- Zombie

[zaimoni]

I think I read somewhere that your line of sight increases a bit if you are on higher grounds. Any truth to this?

Only for terrain; not for aliens.

 

In the absence of visual obstructions, at ground level, terrain is mapped at range 1 further than you can see an alien. Each level above ground increases this excess mapping by 1.

[[NKF]]

No, it doesn't quite increase the to-hit chance of the shots. However, having a downward angle means that you are more likely to strike something solid (i.e. the ground) closer to the target than if it were to be fired at the same level as the target.

 

Works wonders with ranged area effect weapons like the rockets or stun bombs.

 

 

 

- NKF

[oldfan]

It seems that hiring personal costs two times as much as their monthly salary. Aside from that, why does one have to pay them upon hire? Special incentive bonus? Weird HR, I can tell you that.

[uncy]

It seems that hiring personal costs two times as much as their monthly salary. Aside from that, why does one have to pay them upon hire? Special incentive bonus? Weird HR, I can tell you that.

Just to cover the funeral's costs, since most of your soldiers die rather quickly... Seriously, you should pay more to higher rank soldiers, would make a nice patch

[oldfan]

It seems that hiring personal costs two times as much as their monthly salary. Aside from that, why does one have to pay them upon hire? Special incentive bonus? Weird HR, I can tell you that.

Just to cover the funeral's costs, since most of your soldiers die rather quickly... Seriously, you should pay more to higher rank soldiers, would make a nice patch

Hey, I was actually referring to the scientists and engineers. They are just roaming the base freely, eating good food, and working on the cutting edge of technology. But when you think about it, 25k-30K isn't a lot even by 1999 standards (taking inflation, house prices, and the rest).

[Zombie]

Hey, I was actually referring to the scientists and engineers. They are just roaming the base freely, eating good food, and working on the cutting edge of technology. But when you think about it, 25k-30K isn't a lot even by 1999 standards (taking inflation, house prices, and the rest).

That price is per month mind you, so engineers would have a yearly salary of $300,000 and scientists would earn $360,000 (not including the signing/hiring bonus). A fairly good salary I'd say.

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

Hey, I was actually referring to the scientists and engineers. They are just roaming the base freely, eating good food, and working on the cutting edge of technology. But when you think about it, 25k-30K isn't a lot even by 1999 standards (taking inflation, house prices, and the rest).

That price is per month mind you, so engineers would have a yearly salary of $300,000 and scientists would earn $360,000 (not including the signing/hiring bonus). A fairly good salary I'd say.

 

- Zombie

Wow! Seems like my math skills are very rusty. Hey! You're right, that is pretty good salary (for whatever reason I thought it was yearly even though I knew it was monthly). Now that I think of it, it is waaaay to high. I think I'll petition the UFO scientists union or something. As for the engineers, half the time they don't do anything (government funding only mod). Humpf!

[oldfan]

I've started encountering a problem I never experienced before. A lot of times (especially when spotting hostiles near the LZ), I get one of my guys out the ramp (first tile) have him/her take a shot and go back into the safety of the craft. However, recently, it seems they do NOT want to go up the ramp even though they have plenty of time units. This causes traffic problems near the ramp which just invites a grenade.

 

Anybody else encountered this? Any remedies?

[Zombie]

How much is "plenty" TUs? I know that different areas of the ramp cost more TUs to traverse than others (see this old topic at StrategyCore). Can you maybe attach a saved game here for me to look at?

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

How much is "plenty" TUs? I know that different areas of the ramp cost more TUs to traverse than others (see this old topic at StrategyCore). Can you maybe attach a saved game here for me to look at?

 

- Zombie

I don't remember exactly, but I think it could have been 20-30. Next time it'll happen I'll save the game.

 

By the way, I just found two more annoying issues:

1. After tactical mission, Skyranger always returns to base stating that fuel is low even if that is not the case. One cannot set a new destination for it which can be very annoying if you miss the window for a day mission or possibly missing a terror site.
   
2. Sometimes missiles launchers are armed together (one for each launcher every hour) though sometimes it is one per hour per launcher. The craft is also "arming" for one our after completing refueling even though it is fully armed.
   

Edited October 26, 2009 by oldfan

[oldfan]

I'm using Seb76 UFO Extender mod to enable stunning with weapons as well. I had a soldier with a rifle standing next to a sectoid yet I couldn't stun it. The stun option was not available and it is enabled in the .ini file. Any ideas?

[Seb76]

Being a software tester in real life, I take revenge by introducing regressions every now and then to see if you guys can catch them

Can you provide your ini file and a savegame which shows the problem?

Seb

I'm using Seb76 UFO Extender mod to enable stunning with weapons as well. I had a soldier with a rifle standing next to a sectoid yet I couldn't stun it. The stun option was not available and it is enabled in the .ini file. Any ideas?

[oldfan]

Being a software tester in real life, I take revenge by introducing regressions every now and then to see if you guys can catch them

Can you provide your ini file and a savegame which shows the problem?

Seb

I'm using Seb76 UFO Extender mod to enable stunning with weapons as well. I had a soldier with a rifle standing next to a sectoid yet I couldn't stun it. The stun option was not available and it is enabled in the .ini file. Any ideas?

 

Unfortunately I don't have the save anymore :-(

 

Here is my ini file:

 

; UFO Extender - Mod for X-COM

; See <http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=User:Seb76> for more details.

; Copyright © 2008,2009 Seb76

;

; This file is part of UFO Extender.

;

; UFO Extender is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify

; it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by

; the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or

; (at your option) any later version.

;

; UFO Extender is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,

; but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of

; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the

; GNU General Public License for more details.

;

; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License

; along with UFO Extender. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

 

 

; Note From Xeucom:

;

; This is a community consnsus standard config for new or returning players

; to start out with that allows jumping into the game with bug fixes

; and convenience features in line with original developer intent and flavor

; of the game.

;

; See: http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=E...nknown_Extended

;

; Tested With UFO Extender Version: 2009-08-09

 

 

[Loader]

Executable=UFO.exe

 

; These all make sense and are purely informational or time saving.

[Equipment Screen]

Show Stats=1

Weight=Weight>

Accuracy=Accur>

Reaction=React>

Psi Strength=P.Str>

Psi Skill=P.Skill>

 

Show Grenade State=1

Primed=primed

 

Save Equipment=1

Auto Flares=1

 

 

[Music]

Apply=1

Source=MP3

;Source=PSX CD

 

CD Drive=D

 

MP3 Folder=mp3

Battlescape=*Battlescape*.mp3

Start Menu=*Final Briefing*.mp3

Bad Ending=*Final Briefing*.mp3

Good Ending=*Dogfight*.mp3

Geoscape=*Geoscape*.mp3

Dogfight=*Dogfight*.mp3

Mission Debriefing=*Debriefing*.mp3

UFO Assault=*Briefing1.mp3

Base Defense=*Briefing2.mp3

Base Attack=*Briefing1.mp3

Mars=*Debriefing*.mp3

Terror Mission=*Briefing2.mp3

 

 

; Makes recoveries much more fun. Although gives more

; information than you would normally get, it is a very

; minor advantage and worth the compromise to original.

[Wreck Analysis]

Apply=1

Zone Discovered=Intel found out that the %s UFO was raiding %s

Mission Discovered=Inspection showed that the %s UFO was on an %s mission

Both Discovered=Ship investigation revealed that the %s UFO was on an %s mission in %s

 

 

; Makes it too easy to find scouts and crashing this often

; does not make sense given alien technology level.

[Roswell]

Apply=0

 

;Terrain names

Jungle=Jungle

Farm=Farm

Mountain=Mountain

Desert=Desert

Polar=Polar

 

;Dialog strings

Title=UFO Incident

Info=Crash reported

Location=LOCATION

Type=TYPE

Terrain=TERRAIN

 

; Changes original game mechanics. May be fun to toy with,

; but not important.

[Range Based Accuracy]

Apply=1

Minimum Efficiency=40

Snap Penalty Distance=24

Auto Penalty Distance=10

Orange Cursor Threshold=95

Red Cursor Threshold=75

 

 

; Changes original game mechanics. Something as out there

; as mind control probably wouldn't require line of sight.

; Initially thought this had to do with aliens,

; but UFO Extender documentation says this applies to the

; X-COM team

[Line Of Fire Check]

Mind Control=1

Panic=1

Mind Probe=1

 

 

; All enabled ones seem to fix the game to original developer

; intent or save time and don't unbalance

[bug Fix]

 

; Not having this issue.

Tactical Scroll=1

Pay For Dirt=1

Phantom Radar=1

Base Disjoint=1

 

; Tough call on this one as it changes original game mechanics,

; but looks like intent of original developers on base

; base information screen.

Radar Stacking=1

 

Base Facility Dismantle-Construction Crash=1

Collectors Edition Blaster Bomb Bug=1

 

; Not having this issue

Video Pitch=0

 

Proximity Grenades=1

Proximity Grenades Experience=1

 

; Would make sense for it to take some time to get craft

; ready in new hanger, so leave alone so as not to change

; too much from unmodded version.

Transfered Crafts Refueled=1

 

; The 50% return to base limitation doesn't seem planned

; since non-Elerium craft don't have this limitation.

Elerium-fueled Craft Bug=1

 

Displayed Base Maintenance Cost=1

Intro Sounds=1

 

; Did have issue with regular MIDI files and enabling this

; seemed to make tactical movement slow, but not having it

; with music set to play MP3s

Music Change Freeze=1

 

Door Jam=1

Personnel Overflow=1

Funky Fire=1

Hostile Civilians=1

 

 

; Unless otherwise noted, these change original game mechanics,

; probably not in ways intended by the developers and could

; affect difficulty.

[Mod]

More Reaction Fire=0

Hot Grenades=0

Alien Inventory=0

 

; Simply saves time

Save Reserve Mode=1

 

; May make things slightly harder, but more believable that

; both shoot downs and ground assaults could spark a retaliatory

; response from the aliens.

Retaliate Against Ground Assault=1

 

; Simply informational

Rank In Inventory=1

 

; Saves time, but set to 0 if starting for first time

Skip Intro=1

 

; Sounds great, until aliens benefit. Leaves unpredictability in

; a good way to leave alone.

No Blaster Bomb Drift=1

 

; Saving interceptors better than taking shot, especially with

; game running quickly.

Manual Interception Fire Mode=1

 

; Useful and still restricted to weapon and fuel requirements

; so does not unduly unbalance

Crafts Always Ready=1

 

; Makes sense and probably what original developers intended

Stunned units KIA=1

 

; If they are in the base, it seems that you should be able to take

; them home. Not unbalancing because there are plenty of navigation

; modules you get from simple ground assaults.

Keep Base Navigation Modules=1

 

; Too complex for the starting or returning player for benefit

Base Building Stacking=0

 

; Avoids instances where you fire smoke grenades or explosives

; and no smoke results because there is already a lot on the map.

More Smoke=1

 

; Saves time

Force Language=1

 

Funding Council Income Only=1

Surrender Defence Missions=0

Disable Base Defenses=0

Initial Alien Bases=0

Heavy Laser=0

 

; Being able to hit aliens with weapons is in the original game

; manual, but did not make it into the original release. Concerns

; about the balance of this are resolved when required time units

; and accuracy is taken into account as compared to the guaranteed

; hit and low time units of the stun rod

Stun Fest=1

 

Fast Base Defenses=0

 

; Useful and saves time

Reorder Soldiers In Crafts=1

 

; Combat might not be the only reason for promotion

No Funkers=1

 

Bloodthirst=0

Limited Military=0

 

; Originally thought possibly unbalancing, but simply saves time

; of buying and putting on cannon to sell, so less micro-management

De-equip Crafts=1

 

; Useful fix that was done in TFTD anyway

TFTD Doors=1

 

; Simple fix to make assigning all scientists or manufacturers to a

; project easier.

Assign All Personnel=1

 

; One of these needed for higher resolution (hq4x smoothes pixellation).

HQ4x=1

D3D=0

 

Scale Mouse=1

No Auto Wake Up=0

Alien Bleeding=0

No Alien Freak Out Messages=1

 

; All affect game play too much

[Hack]

No Score Game Over=0

Big Brother=0

Alien Pets=0

No Alien Psi=0

Directly Use Alien Weapons=0

Recover All Clips=0

Show All Locations=0

 

 

; The initial base in the original game is poorly designed to withstand

; alien attack and promotes bad base building technigue for the new

; or return player. This saves frustration of tearing down initial base

; and shows good base design from the start.

[initial Base]

Apply=1

row1=HangarTL HangarTR HangarTL HangarTR HangarTL HangarTR

row2=HangarBL HangarBR HangarBL HangarBR HangarBL HangarBR

row3=AccessLift Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty

row4=GeneralStores LivingQuarters SmallRadar Laboratory Workshop Empty

row5=Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty

row6=Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty

 

 

; Leave existing caps as are

[Caps]

Apply=0

Time Units=80

Health=60

Strength=70

Energy=100

Reactions=100

Firing Accuracy=120

Melee Accuracy=120

Throwing Accuracy=120

Psi Skill=100

 

 

; Shortcuts are useful, though some don't work

[battlescape Shortcuts]

Apply=0

 

End Turn=Return

Multilevel View=Y

 

; Would be nice if this escaped from map if in looking at it

Show Map=U

Center On Unit=P

 

; Would be nice if escaped from inventory when looking at it

Inventory=Space

Kneel=M

Next Unit=K

Next Unit Skip Current=L

 

; Would be nice if this worked in map as well

View Up=O

View Down=I

Go Up=N

Go Down=B

Left Menu=H

Right Menu=J

 

; Would be nice if this escaped from stats when looking at them

Unit Stats=Shift

Options=Escape

Lift Off=

Reserve None=7

Reserve Snap=8

Reserve Auto=9

Reserve Aimed=0

 

[Geoscape Shortcuts]

Apply=0

 

; Rotation doesn't seem to work

Rotate Right=K

Rotate Left=J

Rotate Up=H

Rotate Down=L

 

; Zoom does work

Zoom In=I

Zoom Out=O

 

; High speeds too fast, so disable them

Geo Speed1=7

Geo Speed2=8

Geo Speed3=9

Geo Speed4=

Geo Speed5=

 

; Basically goes to next promptable event

Geo Speed6=Enter

 

Intercept=M

Bases=N

Graphs=G

Ufopaedia=U

Options=Y

Fundings=B

 

; Additional keyboard shortcut cluster for the base screen would be

; ideal so you could hit the shortcut to go to base and then the shortcut

; to go to, say, base information. Exit key would be nice.

 

; Additional keyboard shortcut cluster for when interception window is up

; would be nice as well. Minimize key would be nice.

 

 

; Leave original balanced figures alone. Inability to breach

; UFO walls could be explained through any number of fictional

; devices concerning Alien technology

[OBDATA.DAT]

Apply=0

 

;Make grenades indestructible to allow stacking several explosions

Grenade Resistance=255

 

;Make HE packs capable of breaching UFO walls

High Explosive Damage=200

 

Heavy Plasma Weight=10

[Seb76]

I'm using Seb76 UFO Extender mod to enable stunning with weapons as well. I had a soldier with a rifle standing next to a sectoid yet I couldn't stun it. The stun option was not available and it is enabled in the .ini file. Any ideas?

That was an old regression; stun only worked when heavy laser was enabled. It should be fixed in today's version.

 

1. After tactical mission, Skyranger always returns to base stating that fuel is low even if that is not the case. One cannot set a new destination for it which can be very annoying if you miss the window for a day mission or possibly missing a terror site.
   

The "low fuel" status is set on purpose. When a mission finishes, the craft is reequiped immediately so you could hop between different assaults with fresh equipment without going back to base. I presume the developers catched this and forced a return to base to work around the issue.

Seb

Edited November 1, 2009 by Seb76

[oldfan]

I'm using Seb76 UFO Extender mod to enable stunning with weapons as well. I had a soldier with a rifle standing next to a sectoid yet I couldn't stun it. The stun option was not available and it is enabled in the .ini file. Any ideas?

That was an old regression; stun only worked when heavy laser was enabled. It should be fixed in today's version.

 

1. After tactical mission, Skyranger always returns to base stating that fuel is low even if that is not the case. One cannot set a new destination for it which can be very annoying if you miss the window for a day mission or possibly missing a terror site.
   

The "low fuel" status is set on purpose. When a mission finishes, the craft is reequiped immediately so you could hop between different assaults with fresh equipment without going back to base. I presume the developers catched this and forced a return to base to work around the issue.

Seb

Thanks! Will give stunning a try later on. Too bad about the low fuel and re-equipped immediately thing. This can really be a pain as one can miss certain missions (terror site included), or favorable day tactical mission instead of night. Weird workaround the developers found, if you ask me.

[oldfan]

I had two or three occasions where an alien just died. This wasn't due to a blast or a missed shot on my account. Nor have I heard any alien shooting or seen evidence of an alien grenade mis-throw. At the end of turn, all of the sudden I heard its death cry. Although I'm using Seb's UFO Extender, the alien bleeding/wounded mod is not enabled. Maybe the alien heard my XCom platoon is coming and he just got afraid and suffered a heart attack? ROFL

 

Has anybody experienced anything of this sort?

 

P.S.

I believe this occurred on UFO crash missions. I don't suppose an alien can get injured on the crash and die later on? Also, has anybody ever noticed that UFO crashes always have survivors?

[Zombie]

I had two or three occasions where an alien just died. This wasn't due to a blast or a missed shot on my account. Nor have I heard any alien shooting or seen evidence of an alien grenade mis-throw. At the end of turn, all of the sudden I heard its death cry. Although I'm using Seb's UFO Extender, the alien bleeding/wounded mod is not enabled. Maybe the alien heard my XCom platoon is coming and he just got afraid and suffered a heart attack? ROFL

 

Has anybody experienced anything of this sort?

 

P.S.

I believe this occurred on UFO crash missions. I don't suppose an alien can get injured on the crash and die later on? Also, has anybody ever noticed that UFO crashes always have survivors?

Alien can only take health damage from a UFO crash or battlescape hits. However, if you mind controlled the alien and it was shot during it's turn, it'll probably get a fatal wound (or more) and die turns later. The fatal wounds it takes still reduce health like normal x-com units, and it will slowly bleed to death.

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

I had two or three occasions where an alien just died. This wasn't due to a blast or a missed shot on my account. Nor have I heard any alien shooting or seen evidence of an alien grenade mis-throw. At the end of turn, all of the sudden I heard its death cry. Although I'm using Seb's UFO Extender, the alien bleeding/wounded mod is not enabled. Maybe the alien heard my XCom platoon is coming and he just got afraid and suffered a heart attack? ROFL

 

Has anybody experienced anything of this sort?

 

P.S.

I believe this occurred on UFO crash missions. I don't suppose an alien can get injured on the crash and die later on? Also, has anybody ever noticed that UFO crashes always have survivors?

Alien can only take health damage from a UFO crash or battlescape hits. However, if you mind controlled the alien and it was shot during it's turn, it'll probably get a fatal wound (or more) and die turns later. The fatal wounds it takes still reduce health like normal x-com units, and it will slowly bleed to death.

 

- Zombie

I am aware of that, however, that is not the case. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps the crash site had minor fires (which were not visible not me), and one of the aliens caught on fire. Other than that, I think they just heard that I was coming and they got a heart attack - that sounds much more reasonable.

[Zombie]

I am aware of that, however, that is not the case. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps the crash site had minor fires (which were not visible not me), and one of the aliens caught on fire. Other than that, I think they just heard that I was coming and they got a heart attack - that sounds much more reasonable.

It's plausible that an alien caught fire in the crash and died from it's wounds. You can believe what you want - I don't want to burst any bubbles.

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

Anybody ever noticed that there is no problem engaging a UFO while it is moving in the air but one cannot shoot it while it is stationery on the ground?

ROFL

 

I guess interceptor pilots are too noble, and can't shoot a helpless UFO.

[[NKF]]

And blow up the precious loot research material? Never! They would get court marshalled for that.

 

- NKF

[oldfan]

I have something SUPER annoying. I was on a machine raiding a landed large UFO. Lots of cyber discs and a few times got MCed. Anyway...... I was willing to sacrifice men in order to capture a live sectoid leader. However, he seems to be up in that room with a hole in the floor and there is no way I can reach him.

 

This is especially annoying as I was able to isolate him with no casulties whatsoever. There is a hole in the floor and my men just fall down to the first level. Is there something I'm missing?

[[NKF]]

Which UFO is this? The Battleship or Terror Ship? Either way, it sounds almost like a bit of the floor was blown away.

 

Do you have any small launchers on hand?

 

- NKF

[oldfan]

Which UFO is this? The Battleship or Terror Ship? Either way, it sounds almost like a bit of the floor was blown away.

 

Do you have any small launchers on hand?

 

- NKF

I think it is a supply ship as I spotted it after it has landed. I think I got tons of elerium from it. The funny part is that the floor was like that on both sides of the UFO, so I don't think it was blown. On both sides there is a small room with the "hole" in the ground.

[Zombie]

That would be the Terror Ship. Like NKF said, if you have Small Launchers the easiest solution is to just fire a couple stun bombs at it. Alternatively, just wait nearby (underneath) with Stun Rods drawn. This is assuming that the Leader is indeed caught in that room. If my understanding of the routes & spawn points is correct, the only type of alien which could show up there are terrorists or alien soldiers. The leader is always found on the bridge of a Terror ship as there are two reserved spawn points for it and only one is slated to spawn. (Normally. On Ethereal Terrorships, more leaders spawn due to substitution of the missing ranks).

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

That would be the Terror Ship. Like NKF said, if you have Small Launchers the easiest solution is to just fire a couple stun bombs at it. Alternatively, just wait nearby (underneath) with Stun Rods drawn. This is assuming that the Leader is indeed caught in that room. If my understanding of the routes & spawn points is correct, the only type of alien which could show up there are terrorists or alien soldiers. The leader is always found on the bridge of a Terror ship as there are two reserved spawn points for it and only one is slated to spawn. (Normally. On Ethereal Terrorships, more leaders spawn due to substitution of the missing ranks).

 

- Zombie

Hmmmm..... than perhaps I killed him by mistake, or one of the badly thrown alien grenade (by aliens) made them bontha-fodder.

Anyways..... why would a terror ship land anywhere aside from a terror zone? I didn't shoot it down - I spotted it on the ground.

Unfortunately, I didn't research yet the small launcher (council funding only does put a serious limitation on researching capability).

[Zombie]

Anyways..... why would a terror ship land anywhere aside from a terror zone? I didn't shoot it down - I spotted it on the ground.

Aye, Terror Ships do land on occasion. The most frequent is during the final "push" on an infiltration mission. The usual group is a Terror Ship, a Supply Ship and two Battleships... and they all land... at the same time, unfortunately.

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

Anyways..... why would a terror ship land anywhere aside from a terror zone? I didn't shoot it down - I spotted it on the ground.

Aye, Terror Ships do land on occasion. The most frequent is during the final "push" on an infiltration mission. The usual group is a Terror Ship, a Supply Ship and two Battleships... and they all land... at the same time, unfortunately.

 

- Zombie

At the same time? Really? Annoying, because they landed across the other side of the planet and my Skyranger has to refuel even though it has plenty of fuel. Though by the time it returns, the aliens would already be gone.

 

I must say, only after one has power armor (and preferably heavy plasma), taking on cyber discs becomes an option. On terror sites, if the first thing I see is a cyber disc, I immediately "tactically withdraw" (which in English translates to run away as fast as you can and let civies die).

 

 

On a completely different note, I read rumors that Firaxis (the well known Sid Meier) is developing Xcom which is supposed to surface on 2010. If that is true, I'm afraid I'll spend most of 2010 glued to my computer.

[Zombie]

At the same time? Really? Annoying, because they landed across the other side of the planet and my Skyranger has to refuel even though it has plenty of fuel. Though by the time it returns, the aliens would already be gone.

Give or take 30 minutes or so. But you will normally see them all on the ground at the same time at some point. You can't get them all especially if you are on the other side of the world, so you'll have to pick and choose what UFOs you want to visit. I usually get the Battleships first, and let my interceptors try to shoot down the Terror Ship and Supply Ship as there is little risk that way.

 

I must say, only after one has power armor (and preferably heavy plasma), taking on cyber discs becomes an option. On terror sites, if the first thing I see is a cyber disc, I immediately "tactically withdraw" (which in English translates to run away as fast as you can and let civies die).

Rocket Launchers w/Large Rockets, High Explosives and Laser Rifles are your friends against Cyberdiscs. Having a few guys with Laser Rifles gang up on a Cyberdisc (even on Superhuman) will take it down within that same turn usually. HE Packs are fun to use if you can heave one at a disc, then scurry around a corner to take cover. May kill a civie here or there, by Cyberdiscs are so good at killing civies that you'll have little to worry about usually.

 

On a completely different note, I read rumors that Firaxis (the well known Sid Meier) is developing Xcom which is supposed to surface on 2010. If that is true, I'm afraid I'll spend most of 2010 glued to my computer.

Don't hold your breath or loose any sleep over this. There has been rumors about this floating around the net for years already and I haven't seen any positive proof that the game is even in development anymore other than a few blog mentions in 2007 by some people who were in the know and used it on their resume...

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

At the same time? Really? Annoying, because they landed across the other side of the planet and my Skyranger has to refuel even though it has plenty of fuel. Though by the time it returns, the aliens would already be gone.

Give or take 30 minutes or so. But you will normally see them all on the ground at the same time at some point. You can't get them all especially if you are on the other side of the world, so you'll have to pick and choose what UFOs you want to visit. I usually get the Battleships first, and let my interceptors try to shoot down the Terror Ship and Supply Ship as there is little risk that way.

 

I must say, only after one has power armor (and preferably heavy plasma), taking on cyber discs becomes an option. On terror sites, if the first thing I see is a cyber disc, I immediately "tactically withdraw" (which in English translates to run away as fast as you can and let civies die).

Rocket Launchers w/Large Rockets, High Explosives and Laser Rifles are your friends against Cyberdiscs. Having a few guys with Laser Rifles gang up on a Cyberdisc (even on Superhuman) will take it down within that same turn usually. HE Packs are fun to use if you can heave one at a disc, then scurry around a corner to take cover. May kill a civie here or there, by Cyberdiscs are so good at killing civies that you'll have little to worry about usually.

 

On a completely different note, I read rumors that Firaxis (the well known Sid Meier) is developing Xcom which is supposed to surface on 2010. If that is true, I'm afraid I'll spend most of 2010 glued to my computer.

Don't hold your breath or loose any sleep over this. There has been rumors about this floating around the net for years already and I haven't seen any positive proof that the game is even in development anymore other than a few blog mentions in 2007 by some people who were in the know and used it on their resume...

 

- Zombie

 

I ain't holding my breath. Though what I wrote is based on a true rumor. ROFL

[oldfan]

I've noticed something after playing the game for a while - a lot of times, when equipping troops prior to a tactical mission, the encumbrance is incorrect . Meaning, I have a soldier with a rifle (plus clip) and a grenade and he is already at 20. I have noticed that sometimes the calculation is above and sometimes below (and sometimes it is correct). Could this be due to Seb's UFO Extender?