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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Battleview Craft Equipment


Robo Dojo 58

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I'm sure there's another topic on this somewhere, but I'm feeling a little lazy to check. Besides, with the detail of dropship exits being discussed in another thread, I thought I'd bring up a different aspect of the dropship for discussion.

 

Securing a landing zone is a hazardous task. You only have the armor of your front line troops and the dropship's hull to protect your troops from initial harm. But that itself becomes inadequate later in the game. With guided missiles, snipers, and even PSI powers at the enemy's disposal, a sheet of metal is not going to keep your troops secure. Also as you outfit your troops with more and more equipment, you may find the current loadout inadequate. So I'd like to suggest a few extra things that can be added to craft, which are only meant for battleview combat.

 

For the XC-11 Condor:

Weapons locker- This standup locker replaces a seat in the Condor, to provide room for additional troop equipment. An extra (50-100 cargo space) is provided as a result. Limit 2 per craft, providing (100-200) extra cargo room for -2 troops. These systems are automatically installed whenever the cargo hold is not fully loaded with troops, and are stored in the Hangar with the craft. (no storage space, no purchase/sell, comes with the rental)

 

Smoke grenades- This craft system deploys a smoke screen covering the initial drop zone. Troops are better hidden from gunfire, better for securing the drop site. This system is built into the Condor, and may be enabled or disabled at the deployment screen. Our contract with the (Condor company) allows us an unlimited on-demand supply as included in the rental costs. (you don't need to worry about purchasing ammo)

 

Flood lamps- These lights are deployed for night missions to help illuminate the zone, and are used to assist when patrolling for Alien Bases. Units staring into the lamps are blinded (acting like a one way fog?) and will suffer accuracy loss. it will also attract some gunfire as it is an annoyance. 4 TUs (rotate 180 degrees a turn). May deploy and turn on (4TUs), or undeployed and turned off(4TUs). This is also stored in the hangar as inherant craft equipment, along with fuel, spare parts, and maintenance tools.

 

For the XC-22 Eclipse:

Weapons locker- same as the Condor, except the Eclipse only has room for one.

 

Smoke grenades- Also standard on the Eclipse, (some company) has seriously overproduced craft smoke systems, and can't get rid of them fast enough. Never fear, we won't run out of these.

 

Flood lamps- Same as the Condor, with the only difference being different placement.

 

Craft weapon "XCAP"- Using the mounted weapon pod, the Eclipse is able to provide limited cannon or beam fire on the battlefield. Plasma beams are powerful enough to penetrate UFO hulls, and create a small explosion on impact. It has a limited firing arc (no more than 180 degrees), and limited firing rate. 4 TUs, shooting takes 2TUs. The cannon instead has an autoshot for 2TUs.)

 

Gravity repulsion system- Using the Xenium based engines, the craft is able to slightly repel incoming grenades and missiles on the battlefield. Grenades thrown near the craft have a chance to have reduced range and accuracy, and guided missiles have a small chance to veer off their target (although the explosion is still big!). Requires advanced knowledge on alien gravity technology, but thereafter requires only a few tweaks to get working.

 

For the XC-33 Vengeance:

Weapons locker- same as the condor, except the Vengeance can fit 3-4.

 

Smoke Grenades- In exchange for their silence, (the same company) has required us to place these unsellable items on the Vengeance. After some negotiation, X-Corps got the company to install them at their expense, along with an unlimited supply. In exchange, the company is allowed to recoup their losses as a "charitable tax benefit" on their part. What good will they do in space, or flying at 5000+knots? Seriously? Oh well, turn them on or off at the deployment screen.

 

Flood lamps- Once again standard for ground deployment and base scouting missions. Provides initial light for night missions.

 

Gravity Repulsion system- More advanced than the Eclipse, this system uses a complex control system with the craft's powerful engines, to provide a countermeasure to slow flying projectiles. Grenades thrown towards the craft have a good chance of being violently thrown away, and incoming missiles have a strong chance of getting thrown off course, or miss all together. The ultimate in providing troop safety when securing a drop zone. This device is functional once you have advanced knowledge of Xenium engines.

 

Lastly, there is the Psionic Disruption Shield. With advanced knowledge of psionic attacks and defenses, craft have been redesigned to block incoming attacks. Small devices are placed around the hull to scatter alien thoughts as they attempt to reach the troops inside. These devices are expensive and difficult to manufacture. At least they would have been, but as soon as the scientists finished figuring all the details, multiple high ranking officers pulled some strings and got these devices installed practically overnight.

 

 

By and large, you don't have to worry about these craft systems. Only the Eclipse's craft weapon comes with any expense on the player's part. The rest are installed automatically as you develop the tech. These systems shouldn't turn your craft into a fortress. Rather, their main purpose is to keep your craft as a safe starting point for initial deployment, as the alien weapons become more adept at getting inside.

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Weapons locker- This standup locker replaces a seat in the Condor, to provide room for additional troop equipment. An extra (50-100 cargo space) is provided as a result. Limit 2 per craft, providing (100-200) extra cargo room for -2 troops. These systems are automatically installed whenever the cargo hold is not fully loaded with troops, and are stored in the Hangar with the craft. (no storage space, no purchase/sell, comes with the rental)

As my current plan is for equipment to be carried by troops, not craft (eliminating the need to equip your troops before starting every mission) the weapons locker is probably useless.

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As my current plan is for equipment to be carried by troops, not craft (eliminating the need to equip your troops before starting every mission) the weapons locker is probably useless.

 

My feeling is similar, however, if troops take what's on them anywhere they are stationed, if we were to keep the 80 item limit for ships, that's more than enough room for extra gear and it makes keeping that original limit more tolerable as it wouldn't interfere with personal carried equipment. That is unless having other features on a transport would mean that it begins to eat away the 80 item limit.

Edited by Snakeman
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As my current plan is for equipment to be carried by troops, not craft (eliminating the need to equip your troops before starting every mission) the weapons locker is probably useless.
Hmm, that would solve most issues with troop equipment. Beyond what troops can carry, I can only imagine some situational gear being useful to store directly on the craft. Night flares, stun weapons, extra missiles, that sort of stuff. Even then, that kind gear can fit on spare troops without difficulty. If craft storage is unneccessary, then the weapons locker won't be needed.

 

Perhaps there are comments on the rest of the equipment? I do think some craft smoke would be handy. :P

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On transports, I'd think that mechanisms for chaff, flares, smoke screens & lighting for the ship's immediate area (underneath and extending outward of around 5-6 tiles around it) would seem like standard capabilities.

 

The chaff and flares I threw in as an afterthought as these would probably be basic countermeasures in the Geoscape early on before any new countermeasure developments spring forth (I'm guessing you'd need something more advanced than chaff for instance to thwart fusion missiles, possibly in combo with EMP devices, better radar absorbing ship alloy, cooler running engines etc).

 

This is why I think holding onto the 80 item limit (or increase/decrease this by hull type) as well as solder backpack stuff is good. It opens up the possibility of a component designed outlook to ships to use that space as we want it. Each capability can eat X amount of space onboard to enforce various space tradeoffs vs tactical choices in the field.

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