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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Upgrading Armor!


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Doesn't sound like too bad an idea, does it? Think about it - with each development of armor technology, the things you learn in further research could graft additional functions onto currently-existing armor types. Expandibility gets a whole new meaning! Gone are the days where the discovery of Power Armor makes Personal Armor obsolete! Skeptical? Bear with me, here...

 

Individual armor components should be modular, or otherwise expandable. For example, once you research an as-of-yet-not-conceptualized tech like, say, Integrated Digital Display systems for your armor, your motion-tracker tech could be used to install a leg-mounted tracker system that automatically serves as a motion tracker without the need of consuming inventory space. Since I'm all for expanding individual stats, I think there should be a so-called "Awareness" stat that serves as a soldier's overall acuity - his ability to spot thrown grenades, or quickness to notice an advancing enemy, etc. Perhaps a development of this trait could be a tech that would benefit both you, the player, and the unit using it. Example, installing a threat detector could yield an Awareness boost, allowing a soldier to spot threats more quickly. For you, that means dangerous items like grenades are highlighted in brackets should a soldier notice them. Player/soldier benefits sound like a great incentive. Maybe there could be a nightvision augmentation that not only allows your operatives greater field of vision in dark areas, but also gives a vision filter you could toggle that highlights units, too?

 

See, my idea is that, once researched, these individual "upgrades" are manufactured directly into the armor of a soldier of your choosing, thereby creating customized armor. At a hefty price each time, of course. Maybe it should be part-specific, like the leg-mounted motion-tracker, or maybe certain upgrades could restrict others, or both. Alien tech could be used not only for armor, but for weapons too. Auto-heal systems that can keep a wounded soldier from bleeding to death after recieving a fatal wound. Stealth generators that can temporarily render a soldier invisible to the enemy (building off alien tech that, y'know, doesn't exist at this point ^_^ ) Heck, maybe Flying Armor could just be a development of Power Armor outfitted with specific upgrades? What about research items that can improve the overall integrity of armor defense by a few points? Or structure refits that can reduce TU consumption by a few points during movement (translation: makes a unit run faster)?

 

There are all kinds of "in-the-air" ideas I've had floating around for some time now, and though I'd love to elaborate further, I'm afraid I'm running a bit short of time. <_ guess it have to wait for tomorrow. any thoughts in the meantime>

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Well, I love the concept of designing the look of my units where possible, so it'd be fun to me.

 

Heck, just looking back at the first three original armor types (I don't include the T-shirt/kevlar since you don't make or buy it), if you could break it down by head, arms, torso and legs, that's already a fairly impressive mix of options right there.

 

I can only imagine the headache though in determining weight, TUs and stamina as addons and doohickies get added to those (lamps, night vision, crossbow wrist launchers etc.). These things would either be at the heavier or lighter end of the scale as things begin to get minaturized. Naturally if all you have is kevlar, that unit should be the fastest mover of the lot in battle.

 

By extension, I think if we look at the first generation of each armor as the fastest of their category (stock configs), then I suppose its easier to tack on hits to the unit to weight, TUs and stamina from that point onward.

 

I would probably give each separate modification a weight of 1-3 (perhaps up to 5 if the modifcation is terribly sophisticated?). When your done toying with your arrangement, you could see on the soldier page for the unit's armor how each quarter is and how its been changed.

 

For example, the way the info on each armor states front, back, and under armor values.

 

The other thing to consider too when mixing and matching armor parts on the fly, is where it comes to power/flying suit components. Since the flying suit was an outgrowth of the power armor, I put these types together...Anyway its in what ways or rather what mandatory power suit segments must be placed to get a break on weight or movement restrictions?

 

My guess would have to be torso and legs sections at least. It wouldn't seem right that you just went with the power torso segment and just kept your legs either free or it had the personal armor layer. Not that you couldn't have that combination or anything, just that I think it'd work against you in terms of movement speed at a minimum.

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