The XCOM Thread: HOW DOES SNEK KICK DOOR?!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > The XCOM Thread: HOW DOES SNEK KICK DOOR?!

frank.club: Jan 15, 2011; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

The Sectoids being able to mind control and reanimate at the same time is bullshit

e:vi literally can not believe I pulled this mission back from that

frank.club fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Feb 25, 2016

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:30

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# ? May 22, 2024 06:31

800peepee51doodoo: Mar 1, 2001; Volute the swarth, trawl betwixt phonotic
Scoff the festune

WhiteHowler posted:

I'm really torn on the timers.

I like the idea of not always having unlimited time to play safe. The time pressure keeps you moving and taking risks. I've definitely lost soldiers to enemy fire due to this, and that's pretty cool.

On the other hand, the penalty for not meeting the time requirement on some missions is pretty harsh, especially missions with mandatory evac. One turn late to the evac point? You lose your entire team and all their gear.

I'd rather see something more interesting: every turn late calls in more reinforcements at an unmarked position, or increases the chance of an Avenger defense, or immediately triggers a dark event.

Sure, I can see how different ways of balancing the timers could be more/less effective and I think there's been a lot of discussion about it in this thread. My first campaign ended like 4 missions in when I took just a bit too long on a VIP extract because I thought it would just end up in a mission fail, not losing your whole team. That is pretty harsh but now I know and I can respect what's at stake so its turned some missions into real nail biters. Its weird to me to see so many people, game reviewers especially, just completely miss the point of timers and concealment when what they add to the game feels pretty tangible to me.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:37

Normal Adult Human: Feb 12, 2012; by FactsAreUseless

Pimpmust posted:

Some ideas:
Add something akin to security guards/local law enforcement, guys with stun-batons/riot shields/shotguns/SMGs for the early game. They can start out in small 1-3 man patrols sprinkled across urban maps or help guard objectives in larger groups, not so much threats on their own but they can easily walk in on any firefight and make it harder (without it being so *very* much harder that a second ordinary pod is). Local unmodified collaborators.
Reserve the ADVENT Troopers and crew for guarding really important objectives and for the ADVENT drop ship reinforcements early game, but increase their power and numbers (especially the vanilla ADVENT reinforcement feel weak as poo poo/tiny in numbers most of the time).
Late game the basic guards can upgrade to some form of SWAT.
Another idea is to have them and other ADVENT pods all activate and congregate once one of the pods are triggered, sorta lika a radio network (seen a mod that attempts something like this, but it's pretty crude). Allow hacking of ADVENT posts to delay it. Reinforcements are supposed to feel like ADVENT is reacting to you and pushing you to get to the evac point but you still get weird situations where you can be blowing up entire buildings just a few tiles away from a second pod and they don't activate (plus we can skip crude design shortcuts like dumping 50-75% of a maps pods right on top of the objective just to guarantee a fight). Put in some randomized turn-delay the further away a pod is for when it will activate and you can have a much more "natural" feeling time limit for missions than the arbitrary one we get now.
That and allow more than one drop ship / turn to show up on higher difficulties, you'd be a lot more "Oh poo poo" if two reinforcement flares popped in (or they just dropped off a second pod at an unmarked location on the highest difficulty).

this is what advent were supposed to be until firaxis realized if they are just 'the army' then you're literally just terrorists throughout the entire game as opposed to the majority of the game

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:44

Pimpmust: Oct 1, 2008

ADVENT: FIRAXIS does political commentary on the militarization of the police force.

Man, I can't merge Beags "pious (but secretly sipping that beer) european monk"-look with his deep another-shrimp-on-the-barbie voice. It's so weird.

Pimpmust fucked around with this message at 21:51 on Feb 25, 2016

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:49

Synthbuttrange: May 6, 2007

Speaking of which: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=624820879

Suicide vest.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:50

Normal Adult Human: Feb 12, 2012; by FactsAreUseless

if ADVENT are the only guys who can reinforce they should probably have had a larger variety of units, especially units who use different weapons like the stun lancers. advent heavy gunner who prefers to use demolish, advent sniper with high accuracy in cover but needs both actions to shoot, advent gunslinger who have a pistol and flashbang, maybe some incredibly bullshit drone guy, idk.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:54

Affi: Dec 18, 2005; Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA

We pretty much are terrorists given we blow poo poo up without flinching.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:58

Pimpmust: Oct 1, 2008

There's like 3-4 ADVENT unit mods already. The Scout that flanks, the Sniper that pew-pews, the Commander that's just...beefed up + Energy Shield and the Psi-Operative.

Still missing a shotgun dude.

And a middle-aged overweight mall cop with gunslinger perks at higher difficulties.

Pimpmust fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Feb 25, 2016

# ? Feb 25, 2016 21:58

Loel: Jun 4, 2012; "For the Emperor."

There was a terrible noise.
There was a terrible silence.

Pimpmust posted:

Some ideas:
Add something akin to security guards/local law enforcement, guys with stun-batons/riot shields/shotguns/SMGs for the early game. They can start out in small 1-3 man patrols sprinkled across urban maps or help guard objectives in larger groups, not so much threats on their own but they can easily walk in on any firefight and make it harder (without it being so *very* much harder that a second ordinary pod is). Local unmodified collaborators.
Reserve the ADVENT Troopers and crew for guarding really important objectives and for the ADVENT drop ship reinforcements early game, but increase their power and numbers (especially the vanilla ADVENT reinforcement feel weak as poo poo/tiny in numbers most of the time).
Late game the basic guards can upgrade to some form of SWAT.
Another idea is to have them and other ADVENT pods all activate and congregate once one of the pods are triggered, sorta lika a radio network (seen a mod that attempts something like this, but it's pretty crude). Allow hacking of ADVENT posts to delay it. Reinforcements are supposed to feel like ADVENT is reacting to you and pushing you to get to the evac point but you still get weird situations where you can be blowing up entire buildings just a few tiles away from a second pod and they don't activate (plus we can skip crude design shortcuts like dumping 50-75% of a maps pods right on top of the objective just to guarantee a fight). Put in some randomized turn-delay the further away a pod is for when it will activate and you can have a much more "natural" feeling time limit for missions than the arbitrary one we get now.
That and allow more than one drop ship / turn to show up on higher difficulties, you'd be a lot more "Oh poo poo" if two reinforcement flares popped in (or they just dropped off a second pod at an unmarked location on the highest difficulty).

Loel fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Feb 25, 2016

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:03

Pimpmust: Oct 1, 2008

Got most of those, but yes.

At this point my game is basically XCOM2: Deathwish

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:06

Segmentation Fault: Jun 7, 2012

It'd be cool if we got an ADVENT flying unit, maybe like the camera drones in Half-Life 2. They could be used for surveillance in the lore and for flanking/marking targets in-game. Officers could get something else instead of Mark, like maybe a non-psi inspire like move that can be used once. Maybe a random XCOM perk like covering fire or salvo.

Later in the game advent dropships could be replaced or supplemented with psionic gates, like what the codex or avatar use to teleport into the area. You'd still get a notice (except it'd be a purple glowing orb of some kind instead of a red flare) but instead of some ADVENT you'd get a couple of mutons and an archon.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:07

binge crotching: Apr 2, 2010

Re: Timer chat

I think more of the missions with timers should act like the UFO recovery mission, where the timer doesn't start until you make contact with the aliens. Certainly all the ones where you start in concealment because they don't know you're there should be like that.

I saw a few mods that are supposed to do that, but I haven't actually tried any of the timer mods yet.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:08

DMW45: Oct 29, 2011; Come into my parlor~
Said the spider to the fly~

Crosspeice posted:

Also did I seriously fail at a 99%?????? I really doubt that.

Congratulations, you are the 1%

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:12

Pimpmust: Oct 1, 2008

Segmentation Fault posted:

It'd be cool if we got an ADVENT flying unit, maybe like the camera drones in Half-Life 2. They could be used for surveillance in the lore and for flanking/marking targets in-game. Officers could get something else instead of Mark, like maybe a non-psi inspire like move that can be used once. Maybe a random XCOM perk like covering fire or salvo.

Later in the game advent dropships could be replaced or supplemented with psionic gates, like what the codex or avatar use to teleport into the area. You'd still get a notice (except it'd be a purple glowing orb of some kind instead of a red flare) but instead of some ADVENT you'd get a couple of mutons and an archon.

Hell, if the modders can figure out how to import XCOM1 units (and maybe give them a touch-up) floaters would work fine I think.

The downside to the majority of units in XCOM2 feeling and looking like unique mid-bosses all on their own is that the alien roster is a little short on grunts to back up those guys (there's the Advent Trooper and the Muton... and that's about it?). Seeing multiple Archons/Codex in one pod always looks weird.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:18

Affi: Dec 18, 2005; Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA

Are there even any flying units in the game?

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:23

Pimpmust: Oct 1, 2008

Archon and the Gatekeepers count as flying I think? You just don't normally notice because they'll beeline for your guys and gently caress you up without leaving ground level unless it's the Archon missile massacre attack.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:25

Crosspeice: Aug 9, 2013

They do fly, but don't get any bonuses for it, so they cannot take fall damage, for instance. But they do have a higher Defense compared to other units, which is technically the same thing.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:28

a cow: May 6, 2007; friendship is magic
in a pony paradise
don't you judge me

Game seems to be running less hot lately/after the patch - fans are still running like crazy, but the air coming out isn't scalding anymore. Good job, someone! :shobon:

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:28

SpookyLizard: Feb 17, 2009

They really missed something by not having the advent dudes all be the EW classes.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:33

Pimpmust: Oct 1, 2008

When I was drawing up a rpg/boardgame for funsies after the original XCOM: EU came out I pitched a alien-controlled world and X-COM vs the resistance/terrorist V-CONTRA organisation :v:

Go watch the original 1983 V-miniseries if you haven't, it's basically XCOM2: The TV Series.
Michael Ironside vs ADVENT

Pimpmust fucked around with this message at 22:46 on Feb 25, 2016

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:36

ZuljinRaynor: Apr 25, 2010; NERD LICENSE IMMUNITY
It's just been revoked!

I wish they had modernized the caped crusader OG Floaters and threw them in as an enemy. They're my favorite from X-COM because of how goofy they look.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:49

Taratang: Sep 4, 2002; Grand Master

Brasseye posted:

Im playing ironman for the first time on my second run of xcom 2 and it makes routine guerilla missions or whatever feel like a struggle for survival. Had a full party wipe of all my best dudes about 20 missions in and nearly gave up altogether but somehow have managed to hang in there until the point where Ive got plasma weapons and nearly have the aliens on the back foot. Basically ironman is amazing and everyone should give it a try

One wipe after successful 20 missions is nothing in XCOM 2. Try racking up a more than dozen deaths in March/April alone and just barely riding the doom clock to something resembling stability 6 months later (Commander/Ironman):

# ? Feb 25, 2016 22:51

Loel: Jun 4, 2012; "For the Emperor."

There was a terrible noise.
There was a terrible silence.

SeaTard posted:

Re: Timer chat

I think more of the missions with timers should act like the UFO recovery mission, where the timer doesn't start until you make contact with the aliens. Certainly all the ones where you start in concealment because they don't know you're there should be like that.

I saw a few mods that are supposed to do that, but I haven't actually tried any of the timer mods yet.

I use 'timer doesnt start until contact' and 're-enter concealment after 2 turns'. Its been fun so far.

As an aside, I'm working on a master list of mods that seem to come up a lot in this thread:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Sr1fnNST5xwhkIGuHixQrbA4uu2bSS0eDVBES-tRM8/edit?usp=sharing

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:05

Demiurge4: Aug 10, 2011

Beagle was a riot on the Firaxis stream. I don't usually like the host dev but they had good chemistry

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:06

RBA Starblade: Apr 28, 2008; Going Home.

Games Idiot Court Jester

About to beat the game, never saw an aim pcs or the avenger defense, sniper remained inaccurate and lovely the whole time. Maybe next time around!

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:08

Locke Dunnegan: Apr 25, 2005; Respectable Bespectacled Receptacle

Taratang posted:

One wipe after successful 20 missions is nothing in XCOM 2. Try racking up a more than dozen deaths in March/April alone and just barely riding the doom clock to something resembling stability 6 months later (Commander/Ironman):

"Operation Blood-Soaked Laughter" is a pretty apt mission name for this game.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:08

RiotGearEpsilon: Jun 26, 2005; SHAVE ME FROM MY SHELF

Brainamp posted:

Welcome to math.

1% of the time, it fails every time.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:11

CapnAndy: Feb 27, 2004; Some teeth long for ripping, gleaming wet from black dog gums. So you keep your eyes closed at the end. You don't want to see such a mouth up close. before the bite, before its oblivion in the goring of your soft parts, the speckled lips will curl back in a whinny of excitement. You just know it.

WhiteHowler posted:

I installed the All Soldiers Gain XP mod that helps with this on my higher-difficulty runs.

Basically, the troops back at base watch battle reports while the main force is out fighting, and they get a lesser amount of XP and will (slowly) level up even if they're not going on missions.

Overall it doesn't really seem too unbalancing (all the B-team guys are still much less effective than the ones going on missions), and it prevents a single catastrophic mission from completely decimating the roster.

Yessssssssssssss. I asked for exactly this a couple of days ago, it's perfect.

So is there a way to get two uses of your EXO/WAR suit weapon? I thought I saw some people mentioning firing their Shredder Cannons off twice, but I tried speccing a Grenadier to that "use grenade item twice" ability and that didn't work, they still only get one use of the rocket launcher. I think I'm gonna keep it anyway because I put Acid Grenades in the grenade slot, bwahahahaha, but I may hand the WAR suit off to my Specialist.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:12

RiotGearEpsilon: Jun 26, 2005; SHAVE ME FROM MY SHELF

CapnAndy posted:

So is there a way to get two uses of your EXO/WAR suit weapon?

No. But bear in mind - it does work with Salvo.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:15

RBA Starblade: Apr 28, 2008; Going Home.

Games Idiot Court Jester

Boy was this mission a bad time for los to bug out and not tell me there was a pod right in front of me, and also for mimic beacons to stop working.

Also I fired a proximity mine and it opened a door, for some reason.

e: Using Gremlin Heal just triggered another pod, further away from the direction it went, what in the gently caress.

e: My front most soldier couldn't see any enemies until I overwatched another soldier ten tiles behind him this level is broke as hell.

RBA Starblade fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Feb 25, 2016

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:19

dyzzy: Dec 22, 2009; argh

RBA Starblade posted:

Also I fired a proximity mine and it opened a door, for some reason.

Oh hey I've seen this happen too.

Also gremlins are just plain hosed up. Checking the hacks on a security tower has triggered a pod and dropped concealment on me. And if you roll phantom via AWC on a specialist just take that soldier out to pasture if you know what's good for you.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:27

Crosspeice: Aug 9, 2013

RBA Starblade posted:

About to beat the game, never saw an aim pcs or the avenger defense, sniper remained inaccurate and lovely the whole time. Maybe next time around!

That's strange, even with a Scope and height advantage, Snipers are pretty great and easily exceeds aim of above 100% most of the time.

...you were removing everyone's cover, right? Cause at least the Aim PCS lets you just ignore low cover with enemies.

I will admit I wasn't too hot with Killzone, my Sniper did tend to miss those shots, so I preferred to just remove an enemy from the pod, no question, much better.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:28

oswald ownenstein: Jan 30, 2011; KING FAGGOT OF THE SHITPOST KINGDOM

I'm all about some minor buffs to this or that, but you're nuts if you think a mod that lets you bring your A team to every mission every time and not have to worry about your other soldiers gaining xp is "not overpowered at all"

Having to take and level up B team / C team squad members is part of the balancing act.

It's a single player game so hack in god mode for all I care but don't delude yourselves into thinking it's not that big of a change

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:32

RBA Starblade: Apr 28, 2008; Going Home.

Games Idiot Court Jester

Oh lord I didn't know Chryssalid burrowing could activate, then give them a full turn during your turn.

Crosspeice posted:

That's strange, even with a Scope and height advantage, Snipers are pretty great and easily exceeds aim of above 100% most of the time.

...you were removing everyone's cover, right? Cause at least the Aim PCS lets you just ignore low cover with enemies.

I will admit I wasn't too hot with Killzone, my Sniper did tend to miss those shots, so I preferred to just remove an enemy from the pod, no question, much better.

Yep. Usually hovered around 80% with height advantages. Usually hit maybe twice a mission. The mission I gave up on them was his 40% to hit an exposed muton. :v:

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:34

AlternateAccount: Apr 25, 2005; FYGM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1hZ5XnAmKE

*AlternateAccount has panicked!*

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:37

-Dethstryk-: Oct 20, 2000

RBA Starblade posted:

Yep. Usually hovered around 80% with height advantages. Usually hit maybe twice a mission. The mission I gave up on them was his 40% to hit an exposed muton.

Did you expand out the to-hit to see why they were so lovely?

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:39

raverrn: Apr 5, 2005; Unidentified spacecraft inbound from delta line.

All Silpheed squadrons scramble now!

Orgophlax posted:

Hahaha, that'll learn me to train 2 psi-ops. Did second to last mission, got her gravely wounded, and no way to heal her before the last mission.

Just Soulsteal her back to health.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:40

Crosspeice: Aug 9, 2013

RBA Starblade posted:

Yep. Usually hovered around 80% with height advantages. Usually hit maybe twice a mission. The mission I gave up on them was his 40% to hit an exposed muton.

Well that's unfortunate, I'm a bit biased since my Sniper is the most consistent damage dealer I have and out of my two playthroughs, the guy that always has the most kills, no doubt.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:43

Danaru: Jun 5, 2012; 何 ??

The EVAC All mod feels so satisfying

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:48

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# ? May 22, 2024 06:31

RBA Starblade: Apr 28, 2008; Going Home.

Games Idiot Court Jester

-Dethstryk- posted:

Did you expand out the to-hit to see why they were so lovely?

In that instance it was squadsight. 80% is what he had when he was in range of most targets. He missed all but three shots in killzone the entire campaign, too.

quote:

Well that's unfortunate, I'm a bit biased since my Sniper is the most consistent damage dealer I have and out of my two playthroughs, the guy that always has the most kills, no doubt.

For me it's the Gunslinger, and she's also significantly better at hitting with the rifle than the other guy.

# ? Feb 25, 2016 23:53

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