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There are actually a ton of ways to guarantee damage to enemies in the air in XCOM 2. You have the previously mentioned Shadowkeeper, the Hail of Bullets perk, Soulfire, Combat Protocol, the SPARK's Nova, Schism-Insantiy and Stocks.quote:Of course, you only get one of each and no idea when they'll appear. Is this an actual issue? They're all literally the best equipment for their slot in the game (Though the Bolt Caster is the weakest and most easily replaceable). Why would you not bring them on a mission?
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Jul 6, 2016 21:03
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UberJew posted:One of the things I quite like about xcom 2 is that it's awfully hard to lose; you have an infinite supply of whatever tech level of guns/basic armor you've researched and while rookies are worthless you can train squaddies without sending them into combat and a bunch of squaddies with grenades can do work even in the late game. Irreplaceable gear the game is balanced around is less good. Zore posted:There are actually a ton of ways to guarantee damage to enemies in the air in XCOM 2. You have the previously mentioned Shadowkeeper, the Hail of Bullets perk, Soulfire, Combat Protocol, the SPARK's Nova, Schism-Insantiy and Stocks.
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Jul 6, 2016 21:15
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teethgrinder posted:The rookies don't seem that bad to me? Especially compared to XCOM1 at least. But yeah, worthless against rulers. if you have the Shadowkeeper equipped and haven't used the ability, you have it available. Unless the sharpshooter is the one who's been grabbed, or he's out of range. It doesn't need unlocked.
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Jul 6, 2016 21:16
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Zore posted:Is this an actual issue? They're all literally the best equipment for their slot in the game (Though the Bolt Caster is the weakest and most easily replaceable). Why would you not bring them on a mission? I think the issue at hand is that for the good stuff you only get one use per map (two for some of the armor abilities). On the one hand, it's a pain to save abilities only for a ruler to never show up. On the other hand, you never NEED to use the limited-use abilities on regular enemies, so there's no harm in holding on to them.
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Jul 6, 2016 21:19
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BlazetheInferno posted:if you have the Shadowkeeper equipped and haven't used the ability, you have it available. Unless the sharpshooter is the one who's been grabbed, or he's out of range. It doesn't need unlocked. Sorry I meant, I might have used the ability not expecting the Archon to drop in. (At work and will confirm tonight!) Also, I've never encountered it before so I wouldn't have known that's key. And even if, it's 4 units of damage a single time, and the guy is just loving destroying my troops between the ability that targets several of your guys, and the one that pulls one into the air.
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Jul 6, 2016 21:25
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teethgrinder posted:Sorry I meant, I might have used the ability not expecting the Archon to drop in. (At work and will confirm tonight!) So, some tips for the Archon King. Flashbangs are fantastic and neuter organic enemies by removing most of their dangerous active abilities. This goes double for rulers and is always a good choice for someone's utility slot if you have nothing else to throw in it. Similarly, poisoning him (Venom rounds, Gas Grenades) cripples him by destroying his aim and does damage every time he takes a turn for a bit. Burning is also good because it destroys some of his actions. Other than that, just focus on DPS. He'll run pretty quickly if you land some high-damage on him and as you've found out trying to take defensive actions against him is a bad idea. Hit him with Rapid Fire/Chain Shot/SPARK punches etc. and don't try to run your dudes away. It just give him more time to hurt you.
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Jul 6, 2016 21:32
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Zore posted:Is this an actual issue? They're all literally the best equipment for their slot in the game (Though the Bolt Caster is the weakest and most easily replaceable). Why would you not bring them on a mission? Not sure how to respond to this, it's a decent point. But I'm not sure how I feel about having to rely on one-of-a-kind super-powered weapons just in case a ruler shows up. I mean, if things go poorly in a map (as can happen, it is XCOM after all) then the special weapon could be gone. And if the weapons are powerful enough to ensure that doesn't happen then that's another problem entirely. I guess my position can be summed up as "The rulers feel like they break the mechanics of the game just to be unfair, and the special weapons also feel unfair in the player's favor". Whereas the rest of the game's mechanics seem pretty well balanced, and the Spark doesn't have the same issues. Freeze Grenades in particular feel like an unfair advantage for the player, at least that early in the game. If they were late-game they wouldn't be as much of an issue. They'd still be very strong but at least they're on par with what Psiguys can do. edit: Zore posted:So, some tips for the Archon King. I never thought of using flashbangs, how long does the debuff usually last? One turn like most other enemies, or multiple like I think Freeze does on rulers specifically?
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Jul 6, 2016 21:32
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many johnnys posted:Not sure how to respond to this, it's a decent point. But I'm not sure how I feel about having to rely on one-of-a-kind super-powered weapons just in case a ruler shows up. I mean, if things go poorly in a map (as can happen, it is XCOM after all) then the special weapon could be gone. And if the weapons are powerful enough to ensure that doesn't happen then that's another problem entirely. I mean, the weapons are good but they aren't game-breakingly good (outside of maaaaaaaybe the Freeze Grenade). The Axe does slightly more damage than a regular sword and has a 50% lower chance to inflict stun/burning on those tiers and in exchange gets a 1/use per mission ranged attack that doesn't take an action. Bolt Rifle is really cool and high damage for Alpha strikes, but 1 ammo and no mods give it appreciable drawbacks. Even the Freeze Grenade is basically just a 1 or 2 use per mission version of the basic ability of the Psi-Trooper which also precludes you from bringing armor-stripping, DOT or cover-destroying grenades. Also, ironically, worse against rulers than Stasis. None of that is super-overpowered and mostly has drawbacks. The only one that really doesn't is Shadowfall, being a Pistol with a few free extras for no cost. Even then its literally a small aim boost and a really neat 1/mission ability. They're good, but I really hesitate to call them super-powered. quote:I never thought of using flashbangs, how long does the debuff usually last? One turn like most other enemies, or multiple like I think Freeze does on rulers specifically? They usually last about as long as an application of Burning/Poison/Acid 4-5 Ruler turns in my experience. You ever want to trivialize a ruler, bring a Psi. Stasis lasts your entire turn so you can re-position everyone and get everything ready. Zore fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Jul 6, 2016 |
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Jul 6, 2016 21:41
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SlyFrog posted:Wow people on Steam reviews really hate the Alien Hunters DLC. They also comparatively love Shen's Last Gift. I just think that Alien Rulers, thematically, is pretty ridiculous. Granted, the devs said they wanted to add kind of a "fantasy element" to the game and it shows. Armors etc are very D&D-like. I just think it all just sucks and looks bad. To the point where I don't ever play it because it looks and feels bad.
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Jul 6, 2016 21:47
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I'm all for more to do in a game but reacting for every action point spent was going too far for a vanilla experience. Granted you don't have to go on the mission or can do it when you have upgraded your tech and soldiers, but they're purely something that's going to gently caress your game up at some point, especially ironman runs. Appearing on VIP missions, timed missions, not showing up in the shadow chamber, they were kind of just pushed out the door with short term ideas. The long-term consequences when thinking about everything else going on in the game were not considered. I feel like Firaxis only considers Beagle's playstyle when conjuring up the next thing.
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Jul 6, 2016 21:58
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I got lucky enough to not encounter one on a VIP mission, but on the geurilla missions they've appeared on (as well as a retaliation, and also a UFO landing) the rulers appeared as the leaders of the farthest pod, after I've completed the objective. I'm not sure if that's just coincidence or if they're programmed to do that though. It helped.
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Jul 6, 2016 22:03
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the first time i had a ruler on a vip extraction, it was the berserker queen. she was tooling around to the north of my position when i hit the armored car moving the VIP like a tornado and left one dazed and confused ADVENT squad behind me, with another reinforcement squad dropping in the turn afterward. i decided 'screw that, not worth it' and started hauling rear end to evac. then the next turn i hear the berserker queen roaring and beating the absolute poo poo out of the ADVENT i left behind. every time i end turn she walks over and punches another unlucky gently caress to death. it was incredible
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Jul 6, 2016 22:07
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None of it gels with the rest of the game. Make a squad with the weapons and armor and they look more like a WoW raid group. Not really sure why they decided to go out of left field for two of the DLC packs when modding has shown that people want more of the current game and not your usual out-of-DLC-ideas make a wacky pack.
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Jul 6, 2016 22:10
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Was thinking that if you halved everything about the rulers -- their damage, their reactions (giving them one move per two squad actions), and their health, they'd be much more even.
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Jul 6, 2016 22:11
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Yeah, I've just started a fresh game with the alien rulers and even though I've only encountered that loving snake I have to say that blending two different rulesets for enemy actions just doesn't gel for me. While it's probably a bit hyperbolic it does feel a bit like Firaxis are using Beaglerush's LP's as some kind of roadmap for gameplay "fixes".
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Jul 6, 2016 22:20
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Challenge aside, I think the biggest damning factor with the alien rulers is that having a reaction on every player action is just an un-fun mechanic. I feel like there are a lot of more interesting ways they could have thrown the player off balance with the rulers without it feeling so cheap by just having them break the long-standing turn rules for the game. For me personally, I was really looking forward to "new alien types" as they called it when they advertised Alien Hunters, and was pretty let down when they only came up with modified existing alien types.
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Jul 6, 2016 22:29
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Carecat posted:None of it gels with the rest of the game. Make a squad with the weapons and armor and they look more like a WoW raid group. I think it was Coolguye who said it best with the Alien Ruler DLC: the devs touched the third rail. On one hand that gives you lots of power, on the other hand it's also very dangerous. So they came up with and created something that alternates between the following states: loving BULLSHIT, a fun challenge, and goofy as gently caress. Every single one of the DLC's tidbits (besides further confirmation that Vahlen is/was a madwoman) upsets someone. RBA Starblade posted:The worst part of the tower is you don't get a hundred mec and turret wrecks to sell. Heck, just say they're too junked to use and give me a single piece of alien alloy for every rusted MEC and turret I blow up. That would give me more of a reason to play the mission. I mean I like it thematically and (when not imploding due to bugs) was a fun battle. The fact that they fit 3 maps into one mission is pretty cool as well. But now that I've done it...I feel there's not much of a reason besides an early Spark.
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Jul 6, 2016 22:43
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Thankfully everything that people dislike about this game is redeemed so much by its modding, even if it is a clusterfuck for the creators. 
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Jul 6, 2016 22:45
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I never found the alien rulers all that bad once you gas them/flashbang them/freeze them
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Jul 6, 2016 22:47
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Let's step back from all this pointless dlc argument. Incendiary Grenade, best grenade, or best thing in game?
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Jul 7, 2016 00:33
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Aquila posted:Let's step back from all this pointless dlc argument. Proximity Mine, best thing in game?
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Jul 7, 2016 00:35
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Aquila posted:Let's step back from all this pointless dlc argument. Incendiary Grenade, best grenade, or best thing in game? What about Acid? I can never decide between them. Best item is the blaster launcher though, because it has range + precision.
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Jul 7, 2016 00:36
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I think Firaxis attempting Beaglerush countering is what they're doing, as in order to keep the Rulers from being too bad, you kinda need to be crazy prepared and that might be a bit much for any difficulty that isn't Legendary, where you won't end up using most of those items on a regular mission if you don't encounter them. While going Flashbang/Gas Grenade/Freeze Grenade/Stasis is the best plan, it does mean you don't have much of a reason to go for anything else and I think that's a shame, as XCOM is fun when you try all kinds of crazy things in all kinds of crazy situations and somehow make it out. But that could be me talking from a Legendary perspective, as once you get a handle on that difficulty it's hard to go back to other difficulties as you feel that you don't really need to pull out all the stops on Commander or lower, so you feel like your items and abilities are going to waste. I think I like these new DLCs, I find the game enjoyably challenging (when it's not bugging out), but they're definitely not perfect and I'll be interested if we're gonna get an expansion later down the line that can overhaul the current game into something different, or better, or both.
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Jul 7, 2016 00:36
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I'm surprised no one's modded EU/EW units back into the game yet. I mean, maybe someone did a stat overhaul, but I'm talking models and everything.
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Jul 7, 2016 01:13
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Lurdiak posted:I'm surprised no one's modded EU/EW units back into the game yet. I mean, maybe someone did a stat overhaul, but I'm talking models and everything. I really, really want to see the original sectoids back in some manner. Bonus points if we can train them as sidekicks for soldiers.
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Jul 7, 2016 01:27
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My Psi soldiers should have a little tiny OG sectoid that runs around and does things, like the Engineer's Gremlin.
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Jul 7, 2016 01:33
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Lurdiak posted:I'm surprised no one's modded EU/EW units back into the game yet. I mean, maybe someone did a stat overhaul, but I'm talking models and everything. So far there's armor, weapons, and MEC skins!
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Jul 7, 2016 01:35
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I'd like a mod that replaces rulers with 3-man superADVENT squads. They show up randomly like rulers but follow normal turn rules and won't run away. They're in addition to the normal pods on the map. Give them more health and special weapons like XCOM has. They're the XCOM hunters! I'm way too lazy to try to mod that but I'd sub to it. The Archon King wrecked me on the Avenger defense mission. By the time I chased him off 2 advanced MECs charged onto the platform and I lost the mission. And the only reason it was even a close fight was because he dove into his own pinion attack and set himself on fire. I like the idea of adding a new challenge. Having to abandon a VIP mission or coming home carrying 2 wounded soldiers is intense. Not being able to reload a weapon without someone getting nuked is a bit too much for me. Edit: Jake Solomon must have read my post, gone into my XCOM files and changed all the hit percentages for me. Knowing where and when the Archon King was coming from made a big difference. I was sort-of ready for him. Fighting him mostly alone, I got some decent overwatch shots off. He flew into his own fire again so that nullified his slam for a few turns. I had him burning, poisoned and covered in acid for most of the fight. Then when he popped his portal I stunned him, froze him and stunned him again while pouring on the damage. He got out with about 1 full bar of health left. Without his massive dodge I could have beat him. Doobie Keebler fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Jul 7, 2016 |
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Jul 7, 2016 01:39
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Lunethex posted:So far there's armor, weapons, and MEC skins! I want Sectoids motherhubbard, not dressup for my units. Shakill OReal posted:My Psi soldiers should have a little tiny OG sectoid that runs around and does things, like the Engineer's Gremlin. That would rule so hard. The new Sectoids are creepy looking but they're not nearly as fun of a design. Plus they're kind of a joke to fight.
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Jul 7, 2016 01:43
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Fuuuck, the VIP "dead on arrival" glitch is so loving annoying. I even made sure to send the soldier carrying the VIP up first that turn before I evaced the Spark giving him cover. But nooo the objective list goes dark and Bradford goes "VIP is dead."
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Jul 7, 2016 04:10
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Alien Rulers is a good DLC, if only for the Bolt Caster. It's such a satisfying weapon to fire. Brrrrm...kchunk. Also Frost Bomb was EXTREMELY handy when I ran into A Better Advent's Chryssalids... on the first supply raid of the campaign. 
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Jul 7, 2016 04:44
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Jetamo posted:Alien Rulers is a good DLC, if only for the Bolt Caster. It's such a satisfying weapon to fire. Brrrrm...kchunk. At least those ones only do a little damage and don't poison. I'm dreading the day when I finally find a Chryssalid Queen.
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Jul 7, 2016 04:48
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Massacring an arriving reinforcement pod with overwatch fire as they drop out of their transports will never not be hilarious. "LZ is hot!"
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Jul 7, 2016 04:57
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Mister Bates posted:Massacring an arriving reinforcement pod with overwatch fire as they drop out of their transports will never not be hilarious. I hang out in evac missions just to do that.
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Jul 7, 2016 04:59
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Mister Bates posted:Massacring an arriving reinforcement pod with overwatch fire as they drop out of their transports will never not be hilarious. I have attempted to fail hacks (choosing the less likely "entire squad gets +2 sight range" instead of the specialist) to get reinforcement pods to drop to farm experience. When you just have to hack the thing or blow up the thing and have 3 or 4 turns left, it's a pretty safe play. Once I miscounted down from shadow chamber numbers and had a pod roam into me when I did it. Nobody died, but it wasn't too smart.
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Jul 7, 2016 05:04
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I'm months in. Haven't done blacksite, haven't done the nest, just built proving grounds. I have no PCS mods and nearly no weapon mods. I'm about to get the continent bonus for instant build proving ground projects. What I do have is nine elerium cores. 
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Jul 7, 2016 06:04
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Speaking of continent bonuses, is there a mod or something to see what they are without having to a) research resistance radio and b) connect to the continent?
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Jul 7, 2016 06:22
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RBA Starblade posted:I'm months in. Haven't done blacksite, haven't done the nest, just built proving grounds. I have no PCS mods and nearly no weapon mods. I'm about to get the continent bonus for instant build proving ground projects. I once made the mistake of selling elerium cores in the early months, when I had no Proving Grounds yet and wanted some extra cash to speed my advancement into mid-tier tech. I figured I had plenty of cores now and could easily find more as time went on. I was so very, very wrong in that choice. No amount of cores will ever be enough.
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Jul 7, 2016 14:07
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Last night I learned the Spark Fist isn't the MEC Kinetic Strike Module. It's much weaker and can miss (and is pretty inaccurate, hit chance was in the 70s). I should have taken Rainmaker. Backhand posted:I was so very, very wrong in that choice. No amount of cores will ever be enough. I sold two advent datapads on my first run figuring intel wouldn't be that hard to come by. 
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Jul 7, 2016 14:11
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If you won those campaigns, what you sold was just fine.  RBA Starblade posted:Last night I learned the Spark Fest isn't the MEC Kinetic Strike Module. It's much weaker and can miss (and is pretty inaccurate, hit chance was in the 70s). I should have taken Rainmaker. Someone fix this, pronto! 
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Jul 7, 2016 14:28
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