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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Intelligent Life?


War_Lord

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Okay, maybe this has been discussed before, and maybe not... but here it goes anyway:

I'm playing XCOM 1 and I'm on a Night Terror Mission with Ethereals and Sectopods (the first time seeing them this time around, so my guys are already unprepared, and nighttime just makes this worse). So I've got one of my best units pinned down by a vicious Sectopod behind that little storage area right next to the gas station. Every time I step out, he shoots (we've all seen this before, right?). Well, I snuck a unit up behind him so I could see him, but he couldn't see that unit. Then, I had the unit he was pinning down run the opposite direction (and out of his view). Now comes the interesting part: The sectopod actually turned (even though he couldn't see the unit he was pinning down) and stayed locked onto her as she moved away! I could see him turning as she moved because I had the other unit right behind him.

Has anyone seen this before? I was pretty impressed (and a little pissed off). Seems a little unfair that he can track my units even when they are walking behind walls and out of his line of sight. But, nevertheless, he did it.
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hmm that is interesting.. maybe the guides lie because they say the aliens have the same view you do but just remeber your location after their turn.
Maybe aliens can see through walls.. X-Com programmers loved taking short cuts, so they may let aliens see through walls. that would explain alot actually ;)
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Well aliens do have that vision thing that allows aliens to continue seeing units X amount of turns after lossing sight of them. The whole sectopod thing is wierd. Seems like it was going to do a reaction shot but didn't shoot. Very odd by the way, which system was this on?

-PSY GUY- :alienmad:
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Guest stewart
It's pretty standard that the computer in some way will cheat. Often difficulty levels are simply the level to which the computer cheats. The most common "cheat" used by the computer is the "100% intelligence rule". This basically means they know the entire map. Often it's too much work not to give this to the computer. You can lessen it to some extent by throwing in more "If's". It just a fact of computer game life kids.
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I can guarantee that the AI cheats with character location knowledge. I've seen too many missions in Genious and SuperHuman end badly because of blaster launcher hits against units that had never been spotted by the aliens or psi attacks against characters still inside the landing craft. They know where all your characters are all the time. But they'll only shoot if they also have actual line of sight. Movement routines seem to be a bit funky but seem to vombine both the knowledge and the restriction.
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Yeah, it's not exactly that I was suprised the computer was cheating (just the opposite, in fact). I just thought it was interesting to mention the phenomenom because although I had suspected the computer of such behavior before, I had never actually gotten in a position to witness it before.

If I hadn't witnessed it, of course, the now turned sectopod would have shot at the same unit he was locked onto when she walked out in the open on the other side of the building she was behind (which would have been impossible for him to see had he not been turning with her).

Anyway, it's all trivial because I just sent 3 units behind the sectopod and let him have it with about 6 bursts of autofire. It was very pleasing to watch. :D
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Now I have seen something that claims the AI keeps knowledge of a unit's location for 3 or 4 turns after spotting them, which seems to be true to a point. But I've also seen the AI get reaction moves for units on the other side of a wall, and seen them psychically attack units that have never been spotted. But, I think that if I say the AI can spot through walls, then combining the two features probably explains all the AI behavior I've encountered.

Of course, sometimes my people can see through walls too. This is particularly true of the diagonal walls on space craft. I've many times had people walking around the outside of a craft or on the roof and spot an alien on the inside. Even on totally undamaged ships.
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  • 1 month later...
To me, I kinda notice they use gorilla tactics, im sure youv all seen this befor. They come out, shoot a few of your guys, then move back into cover. realy annoying with floaters i have noticed. Also, on downed craft missions, maybe they prepare for you, by se camping in certain spots? Iv had it the first round where my craft landed by 3 sectoids and i think one had a bb becuase one was shot right near my ship on the first round they got. I just dont think it would be logicall that if your shipped crashed, somebody is going to come to take you out, so why not prepare?
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What was the level of difficulty WARLORD?
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Guest stewart
[quote name='c4t' date='Dec 21 2002, 01:41 PM']To me, I kinda notice they use gorilla tactics, im sure youv all seen this befor.  They come out, shoot a few of your guys, then move back into cover.  realy annoying with floaters i have noticed. Also, on downed craft missions, maybe they prepare for you, by se camping in certain spots? Iv had it the first round where my craft landed by 3 sectoids and i think one had a bb becuase one was shot right near my ship on the first round they got.  I just dont think it would be logicall that if your shipped crashed, somebody is going to come to take you out, so why not prepare?[/quote]
Each map tile has designate starting points that the computer may select at random to begin an alien at.
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  • 2 months later...
I agree with Stewart. You more often see aliens in the food storages in the Alien base missions, then in the small elerium fields. Also, i have noticed, that they somethimes start (even other races then flooters and ethernals) at the top of these big-elerium fields. You are normaly not able to go op there, without flying suits. Also, you never see aliens on below the starter-teleportation spot (or right next to you, above! :blink:).

(imagenates aliens scatered at retalitation missions. :whatwhat: Please! No!)


However, back to topic. Perhaps an eternal looked at you, and made the 'pod retaliate? Look at the UFOpedia. It says, that the 'pods are acturly somewhat 'mindcontroled' by the eternals.
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