Investigate Alien Activity -> Is It Useful?

[ToeJoe]

If one organisation has some percent alien activity, will investigating for alien activity improve our relations with them or maybe lower percentage?

[Tsereve]

It depends. If investigated building is infested, then investigating will have the same effect as any other mission. (You can tell if a building is being infested during a UFO invasion--white beams shooting down into building=aliens. Check all surrounding buildings, too.)

 

If the building does not have aliens in it, said organization will grow slightly less friendly with you (although this is usually not enough to require a bribe). Even if it does have aliens, investigating a building a damaging it will reduce friendliness with organization. but the cost of having aliens grow and spread throughout the city (and they will, just give them a few hours!) it too great, so investigate if you have the slightest hunch.

 

If an organization has some % alien activity, investigations will do nothing if there aren't any aliens actually in the buildings.

[[NKF]]

Here's how I handle my investigations and mop up any leftovers.

 

First of all, after a UFO drops aliens into a building, remember that building. I normally do this by sending a hoverbike, or a road vehicle here as a marker. Not a transport. Just an empty vehicle. Or if you've got a fotographic memory, all the better. Do whatever you want as long as you can remember the drop sites.

 

After you've dealt with all the main drop sites, let time pass. Watch the top-10 infiltration list. If you spot any infiltration, bring up the overhead map of the city, open the factions tab and select the organisation with the most infiltration. This'll highlight all their buildings on the map. Look for any of their buildings that are closest to the drop sites and then go there to investigate. After that, wash rince repeat with all the really infested organisations. Do a few more checks. Once all is quite or the infiltration starts to drop off, you're all set for the next UFO incursion.

 

Remember that aliens can sometimes return to a previously infested building.

 

This is a lot better than waiting for an alarm (which doesn't always come and is detrimental to your score), or sending vehicles out to random buildings belonging to the infested organisation.

 

- NKF

Edited March 13, 2005 by NKF

[Exo2000]

Alternately, look on the minimap. All infested buildings -should- have a red ring on/around them. The smaller the ring is, the less time you will have to react to the alien threat - they're either hiding and then perishing, or being killed by local security forces.

 

ALSO:

 

Never investigate an infested building for hostile/unfriendly organisation. Not only will you have to fight their forces, but you'll also have to fight the aliens. This is not a good thing.

 

(Unless your troops are rock 'ard and have big guns that easily flatten bits of the building. Then go by all means, and FLATTEN EVERYTHING!!!1111!1!one)

Edited April 12, 2005 by Exo2000

[[NKF]]

To make up for the inconvenience, it might be better to just attack infested hostile buildings rather than investigate them. This generates random loot, and you still get to fight the aliens.

 

Only companies that have decided to ring up and complain about funny creatures making a mess of thesmelves (well, the siren) get marked with a circle. This is generally a bad thing in terms of public relations. You also get asked to go and investigate the site on the spot when one of these sites are identified.

 

- NKF