27 replies to this topic

[NKF]

And just to add to the discussion, Deep Ones in TFTD do not reaction fire as well. I think the AI may not normally react with terror unit turrets that fire in an arc.

- NKF

[Tycho]

Has this been checked in the DOS version?

I checked the code in CE and it is pretty specific that celatids are prevented from using snap shots, so they cannot make reaction shots.

[silencer_pl]

In OpenXcom aliens can use auto fire for reaction shots. Also I've noticed that the Celatidis in OpenXcom ALWAYS hit. Never saw a miss.

[magic9mushroom]

silencer_pl, on 19 July 2014 - 09:45 PM, said:

In OpenXcom aliens can use auto fire for reaction shots. Also I've noticed that the Celatidis in OpenXcom ALWAYS hit. Never saw a miss.

Aliens can use autofire for reaction shots in the original game as well, so that's not a change.

It sounds like Celatids' attack damage hasn't been increased (it was always supremely deadly) but some of the restrictions on their attack that make them much less dangerous haven't been implemented in OpenXcom. The main reason they were kinda derpy in the original was because their harsh range limits made them sitting ducks for weapon fire that didn't have those limits; they've always been terrifying up-close, but they're not particularly durable or fast (unlike Chryssalids) so they have a hard time closing the distance. They also show up alongside Mutons, which pack extreme durability and often carry Heavy Plasma, so they don't make much of an impact compared to their masters. Unlike Cyberdiscs and Chryssalids, which far outclass Sectoids and Snakemen, or Sectopods which pose a completely different threat than Ethereals, Celatids are just a decent beatstick that's paired with a race of beatsticks. Not very memorable.

[Tsathoggua]

Just seen a celatid hork up a react-fire loogie, can't be sure of shot type though. Had just caught up with a muton, saw it was packing a blaster launcher so charged the thing, wanting to take it alive. Didn't get to, though, had to blow its head off with a burst from the trooper's plasma rifle. Damn floating kidney was busy palpitating away round the corner but way too close, fried the muton crispy alright, made sure it never got a shot off with the launcher but the soldier died (albeit a hero, but still very, very dead) because the celatid spat on him.

And then itself got punished for it with a blaster round in the ass. Well whatever passes for something to crap out of anyway if your a floating, squelching, twitching; acid-spitting kidney monster,giving the walls, floors and ceiling a kidney transplant.

Do celatids still need LOS with that arcing attack of theirs? the 1 alien seen a soldier/HWP then the rest of them have the info as well rule not withstanding. And how does one tell  for LOS and sneaking up which way a celatid is facing...when they don't have any.
if they get an attack off and hit with it then  sure they make an impact alright. Not like a blaster shell or one of their grenades into a room full of troops mind you but whoever is on the sharp end is going to know about it, or whats left of him certainly is. Mutons take a lot of putting down, making for a lot of potential for reaction fire but a hit from a celatid  is not usually a pretty sight. Well never a pretty sight considering its flying flesh-bag phlegm.

[magic9mushroom]

Tsathoggua, on 29 June 2016 - 02:54 AM, said:

And how does one tell  for LOS and sneaking up which way a celatid is facing...when they don't have any.

You're thinking of Silacoids. You can quite easily determine which way a Celatid is facing - the one in this picture is facing east (down and to the right in the main view, directly to the right on the minimap).

[Tsathoggua]

No, I am, indeed, thinking of celatids. Just couldn't remember which side was which.

Given how dangerous their attack is, and that they are capable of limited range only, best policy is to wipe them out on sight and prevent them closing the distance, just like deep ones in TFTD.,

Its bad enough coming into contact with (strong, or HF) acids in the first place. Having a giant floating evil kidney SPIT it in your face, well damned if thats not just adding insult (and a retaliatory blaster shell probably) to injury. At least LAST time it was my own fault (the acid not the up close encounter of the organ-'o-licious facemelting kind, and no, thankfully it wasn't HF...stuff gives me the fucking creeps, although in my defense entirely justifiably)

I tend to use the alien grenades a lot against celatids.  They are pretty physically weak and can't take much before dying, they can just dish it out pretty well, crappy accuracy as I remember from the old UFO defense, can't comment on what they are like in openXcom because while yes I've come up against a few of them they haven't had the chance to attack much, although when they have then its been a fatal attack most of the time, don't forget they are meant to be able to burn through UFO hulls like a round from a blaster launcher,albeit not so easily and without there being a blast wave to take out targets on the far side of the wall. So since redownloading UFO and installing
openXcom the only times I've seen them get to take any actions has been attacking usually reaction fire from close up after getting surprised or blundering into a celatid. So its been a fair while since actually getting to see one move, and then they never seemed capable of reaction fire. Although neither do deep ones either. If they CAN then their reactions must be terrible.

No, I am, indeed, thinking of celatids. Just couldn't remember which side was which.

Given how dangerous their attack is, and that they are capable of limited range only, best policy is to wipe them out on sight and prevent them closing the distance, just like deep ones in TFTD.,

Its bad enough coming into contact with (strong, or HF) acids in the first place. Having a giant floating evil kidney SPIT it in your face, well damned if thats not just adding insult (and a retaliatory blaster shell probably) to injury. At least LAST time it was my own fault (the acid not the up close encounter of the organ-'o-licious facemelting kind, and no, thankfully it wasn't HF...stuff gives me the fucking creeps, although in my defense entirely justifiably)

I tend to use the alien grenades a lot against celatids.  They are pretty physically weak and can't take much before dying, they can just dish it out pretty well, crappy accuracy as I remember from the old UFO defense, can't comment on what they are like in openXcom because while yes I've come up against a few of them they haven't had the chance to attack much, although when they have then its been a fatal attack most of the time, don't forget they are meant to be able to burn through UFO hulls like a round from a blaster launcher,albeit not so easily and without there being a blast wave to take out targets on the far side of the wall. So since redownloading UFO and installing
openXcom the only times I've seen them get to take any actions has been attacking usually reaction fire from close up after getting surprised or blundering into a celatid. So its been a fair while since actually getting to see one move, and then they never seemed capable of reaction fire. Although neither do deep ones either. If they CAN then their reactions must be terrible.

No, I am, indeed, thinking of celatids. Just couldn't remember which side was which.

Given how dangerous their attack is, and that they are capable of limited range only, best policy is to wipe them out on sight and prevent them closing the distance, just like deep ones in TFTD.,

Its bad enough coming into contact with (strong, or HF) acids in the first place. Having a giant floating evil kidney SPIT it in your face, well damned if thats not just adding insult (and a retaliatory blaster shell probably) to injury. At least LAST time it was my own fault (the acid not the up close encounter of the organ-'o-licious facemelting kind, and no, thankfully it wasn't HF...stuff gives me the fucking creeps, although in my defense entirely justifiably)

I tend to use the alien grenades a lot against celatids.  They are pretty physically weak and can't take much before dying, they can just dish it out pretty well, crappy accuracy as I remember from the old UFO defense, can't comment on what they are like in openXcom because while yes I've come up against a few of them they haven't had the chance to attack much, although when they have then its been a fatal attack most of the time, don't forget they are meant to be able to burn through UFO hulls like a round from a blaster launcher,albeit not so easily and without there being a blast wave to take out targets on the far side of the wall. So since redownloading UFO and installing
openXcom the only times I've seen them get to take any actions has been attacking usually reaction fire from close up after getting surprised or blundering into a celatid. So its been a fair while since actually getting to see one move, and then they never seemed capable of reaction fire. Although neither do deep ones either. If they CAN then their reactions must be terrible.

[Tsathoggua]

I've just noticed something, alien base mission, soldier just took two hits (and SURVIVED! from a celatid in one of those maze-like garden things. Celatid was floating on top of the rock formations, some distance back and at first could not be seen. But the second X-com turn had my soldier react with extreme prejudice and take the celatid over. MC, got the bugger, used it to hit a muton. While their snap shot (in openXcom,it can now be confirmed they do NOT have autofire capacity. Snap and aimed only.This particular individual has an accuracy stat of 106, and the accuracy of its actual aimed shot is 116, So with its aimed shot, it will not miss, due to the fact it can take full advantage of that accuracy stat and of the inherent accuracy of the weapon itself, because it CAN only ever fire from a close range, so in effect its an extremely accurate alien sniper limited to the use of a close range but highly accurate weapon. Taking an aimed shot those things can in terms of accuracy, best my most experienced elite sniper taking a shot from a kneeling position, with.the other hand clear, crouched down on top of the skyranger; whilst he aims at a target WAY beyond visual range. Said sniper ISN;T a psyker, not as such although I have had him, in an absolute emergency when he hadn't the time to both travel to a point establishing line of sight and shoot a heavy weapon, be tossed a psi-amp and use that to panic a targetOh and I've noticed something, just because someone said that you can easily tell which way a celatid is facing, at least in openXcom, you can't. I tried, MC'ed one, took it over and no matter which way I made it 'look' the sprite did not change from the point of view of the soldier that had it under their control. One still sees the front of it, with the frontal crease along the 'kidney' facing towards the screen in a downwards direction, doesn't make a difference which way one points the celatid's 'view' it still appears the same onscreen, only its line of sight changes.