ACM (UFO Aftershock)

[Okim]

The beginning is indeed interesting, but hard. How about giving some mutants reticulan power cells, so the ammo won't run out so fast in case all begining missions will be against mutants, not Reticulans (there cound be some explanation in glossary that for unknown reasons mutants like to collect and carry reticulan power cells ), or equip mutants with some basic pistols and ammo, but don't allow them to use it (don't know if this is possible...).

 

I`ll consider it, but honestly i don`t want to change it.

 

I've also found some minor bugs:

 

-Morelman melee weapon (visible when capturing one of them in mission) is called "Rostya punch attack"

 

-Game still displays "New technology availible" for Drone Autodestructor

 

-Barret cannot be fired from prone position (tested with Psionics, not sure about other races). Is this intentional?

 

1. Rostya punch attack is original name for morelmans attack. Rostya is morelman`s original name, BTW.

 

2. Yeah. I know. It also displays new tech available for pistols which are not even present in tech files

 

3. This is bug, but a predictable one. I`ve set it to fire only in kneeled stance. I`ll make it prone-only in future updates.

 

Thanks for reporting them.

 

-Also, have you thought about changing or removing Atoll from the game? Right now it often spawns in buldings (which doesn't look good as it is supposed to be biomass fragment), and it's turning toward the enemy, which also look kind of... :\ It posesses almost no threat, so I think most players won't even notice that it's removed.

 

I thought that all biomass mutants were removed with 0.92... Strange. I`ll check it.

IIRC i`ve replaced them with normal soldiers in ACM. I`m too not fond of these creatures )

 

 

Generally speaking, I think this mod is great I hope, you'll find some time to further improve it

 

I`m planning to return to modding in the middle of the may after some local table-top gaming events.

[psyhotik]

I thought that all biomass mutants were removed with 0.92... Strange. I`ll check it.

IIRC i`ve replaced them with normal soldiers in ACM. I`m too not fond of these creatures )

 

Hmm. I definitely encountered Atolls and Scuttlebugs in mission against cultists. I'll try to provide a screenshot if needed.

[gunnergoz]

I'm enjoying the mod very much and appreciate the work put into it - but wonder if there is some way to add more maps to the game? I noted that an earlier mod ("Combomod" I think) said that it included some maps "found" by someone. Any chance that you could include these "found" maps or other new maps into your mod?

I'm really a fan of the game since I never took to AL's cartoony look and AS still has the atmosphere I like.

[mike9o]

I've really forgotten how to play Aftershock. In my first game I only built factories in my bases, so I had to restart. In my second, I built rails everywhere, using up my resources, and the cultists chew me up everytime I meet them. I have to make so many saves that the games become tedious, and that's on normal! That first meeting with the Cultists, when they are far better armed that my level 3,2,2,2,1 squad and they outnumber me 3-to-1, not so good! For my third game, I'll try newbie and only use rails to connect bases like you're supposed to. The models are great, even if I only see the new weapons used against me.

[psyhotik]

Hello! It's me again I have some bug reports and suggestions (hope it helps making this mod perfect )

 

Bug report:

 

a) Item descriptions:

 

- Some psionic equipment has a line "his or her mental powers". "His" is unnecessary as there are no male psionics.

 

- Scanners (doppler and bio), Personal Cloak and Sound Dampener descriptions say they don't require any training but in fact they do (Scout equipment)

 

- Powersword and Chainsword descriptions say they don't require any training but in fact they do (Commando equipment)

 

- Drone Cores descriptions say they require Drone training but apparently they don't (unless there's something I don't know about)

 

- Tactical Laser description says it require Sniper Training but it doesn't.

 

b) gameplay

 

- Psionic projectors work even without Projector Vambraces (as I remember it was also in unmodded game. Is it unfixable?)

 

- Does Confusion effect (from projector or dart) actually works in game? Everytime I confuse enemy he only stand still instead od dropping weapon or attacking other enemies.

 

 

 

Suggestions:

 

- Have you considered changing the resource system? Right now most of resources are consumed by track maintenance while research and manufacture costs almost nothing. How about:

 

 

[mike9o]

Hello! It's me again I have some bug reports and suggestions (hope it helps making this mod perfect )

 

Bug report:

 

a) Item descriptions:

 

- Some psionic equipment has a line "his or her mental powers". "His" is unnecessary as there are no male psionics.

 

- Scanners (doppler and bio), Personal Cloak and Sound Dampener descriptions say they don't require any training but in fact they do (Scout equipment)

 

- Powersword and Chainsword descriptions say they don't require any training but in fact they do (Commando equipment)

 

- Drone Cores descriptions say they require Drone training but apparently they don't (unless there's something I don't know about)

 

- Tactical Laser description says it require Sniper Training but it doesn't.

 

b) gameplay

 

- Psionic projectors work even without Projector Vambraces (as I remember it was also in unmodded game. Is it unfixable?)

 

- Does Confusion effect (from projector or dart) actually works in game? Everytime I confuse enemy he only stand still instead od dropping weapon or attacking other enemies.

 

 

 

Suggestions:

 

- Have you considered changing the resource system? Right now most of resources are consumed by track maintenance while research and manufacture costs almost nothing. How about:

 

 

[Okim]

a) Item descriptions.

 

Some of the listed is not mine

I`ll fix these in the future updates.

 

 

b) gameplay

 

- Psionic projectors work even without Projector Vambraces (as I remember it was also in unmodded game. Is it unfixable?)

 

All projectors always worked without projector vambrasses. There is no such thing as a requirement of particular item to be equiped in order for an item to work.

 

- Does Confusion effect (from projector or dart) actually works in game? Everytime I confuse enemy he only stand still instead od dropping weapon or attacking other enemies.

 

Hell knows. Aftershock uses different entries for panic and confusion, but both seem to be working as panic. At least when your guys are confused they begin shooting everything visible.

 

 

Suggestions:

 

- Have you considered changing the resource system? Right now most of resources are consumed by track maintenance while research and manufacture costs almost nothing. How about.

 

No thanks. I don`t have enough time for tweaking resources. It will take ages to find the date, modify everything and then balance it.

 

- Weapons modifications should have (if possible) detailed description, what exactly they do in game (like "Accuracy +X, Range +Y"). Right now it's hard to determine which of them are best to use as some seems to have similar effect (Tactical Laser and Gyrostabilizer for example). Also, what is the difference between Sniper Scope and Nightvision Scope? Does the first works only during the day and second only during the night? Or is one of them just a better version of the second?

 

They will have in future updates. Tl and stabilizer are totaly different. The first one adds a small bonus to accuracy and the second one almost completely removes recoil. Night scope is a result of an attempt to create a scope with great bonus to accuracy in night missions. An attempt was a failure and nscope will be removed (or be made a clone of sniper scope).

 

- Most of drone weapons use the Mechanical skill, making other skills obsolete. Is this intentional?

 

Intentional. Most of them are machineguns or other heavy weapons.

 

- How about allowing some accessories to be added to Airgun?

 

Already present in comming update alongside with two new models for basic unupgradeable aigun and advanced airgun with muzzle and scope attachments. The muzzle attachment will make it a long range weapon requiring sniper training.

[psyhotik]

All projectors always worked without projector vambrasses. There is no such thing as a requirement of particular item to be equiped in order for an item to work.

 

But the projectors description says they require projection vambraces to work and projection vambraces description says it allows using projectors. Was it simply forgotten by the Altar, or the game engine doesn't allow such requirement?

 

Already present in comming update alongside with two new models for basic unupgradeable aigun and advanced airgun with muzzle and scope attachments. The muzzle attachment will make it a long range weapon requiring sniper training.

 

Good to hear that I like using commando

[Faith]

Okim:

 

We are still waiting for the Lightsaber and the finalfintasy VIII Gunblade like for close combat.

Please create them to enhance your masterpiece. Can you create those?

A lightsaber it very cool. Also creating a swordpistol that really shoot and cut it's amazing.

Another good weapon could be the smart gun of the Alien movies.

That will be great we all are gonna be very glad to see those pieces of equipment ingame.

 

Thanks. Great Job. Your mod kinda rocks!

 

Faith.

[Okim]

But the projectors description says they require projection vambraces to work and projection vambraces description says it allows using projectors. Was it simply forgotten by the Altar, or the game engine doesn't allow such requirement?

 

AS engine does`n seem to be able to support that. Hmm. It seems that these proj vambraces are not working at all.

 

We are still waiting for the Lightsaber and the finalfintasy VIII Gunblade like for close combat.

Please create them to enhance your masterpiece. Can you create those? A lightsaber it very cool.

 

I don`t like lightsabers and other animatish thrash, sorry.

 

Also creating a swordpistol that really shoot and cut it's amazing.

 

There was an idea to create a powered fist-like melee weapon that would deal hard damage (as AP and chainsword) and would include one of these attachments: smg, shotgun, dartgun, laser gun, gauss gun, plasma gun and force field generator (acting like additional melee weapon dealing plasma damage).

 

The idea was suspended as there are already a lot of advanced one-handed melee weapons.

 

Another good weapon could be the smart gun of the Alien movies.

 

What for? Another trash that would confuse players? No thanks. There is already too many weapons (both firearms and energy) that become totaly useless in midgame.

 

BTW, future updates will have some weapons removed...

[psyhotik]

AS engine does`n seem to be able to support that. Hmm. It seems that these proj vambraces are not working at all.

 

In that case, how about giving these projection vambraces an ability to boost Psi Power by 1 or 2(using the same logic as in Trueshot Vambraces giving +1 to Long Range - not sure if possible. I'm not a modder)? May be useful for first-level Psionic at early stages of the game and will fit into original idea of vambraces made for use with projectors.

[Faith]

Okim:

 

I suppose you don't take any request for mods, but I'm gonna try.

Can you do a small stand alone mod with lighsabers or gunblades(swordpistols)?

 

I believe I already know the answer but I'm not lossing anything until I ask you.

 

Thanks.

[Okim]

I gave them an armor protection value of 50 (+50%) against all psionic attacks.

[Pariahsolo]

Okim,

 

First, excellent mod and great work on your part.

 

The only complaint of your mod is that I have is that I think the Cultist and Cyborgs are WAY too tuff in the begining. Mainly I feel that way because of their numbers. Twice I had a battle against 19 foes. 19 Foes! And me with light armor and no advance tech. Not an exercise in futility I like to repeat. Funny thing is that only those two factions have shown up in such large numbers; I don't think I have faced more than 10 mutants on a mission.

 

I have another complaint but this one I am fairly sure is not related to your Mod; that complaint is that UFO:AS is BUGGY AS PUCK! You mod took away a lot of the end game bugs I was running into but I am still experiencing a game breaker of a mod; the game won't START half the time! It is like a crap shoot to see if I will get to play; I clik on the UFO exe and sometimes the Cenega screen splash will start and sometimes it won't (I get nothing but a black screen). Sometimes I will get the music and sound effects and sometimes I won't. Sometimes I will get the Cenega splash page to work, and if I let the opening graphics (guys running) play, most the time I exit out of it and the game options page (your ACM page) STILL won't load.

 

I thought there was a way to remove the opening graphics and go straight to your ACM options page but after searching this forum, I come up with bumpkiss.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

 

Albert - Pariahsolo

[Okim]

Defrag your discs. It surely helps a lot.

 

The only problem that i had was a game crash during some tactical mission. Defrag has removed the problem and it even removed lags and made save games stable.

 

About enemy numbers. This was am ACM pre-release addition and wasn`t tested properly. Future updates will decrease current enemy numbers.

[psyhotik]

Another report and ideas:

 

- Sonic Gun (Close range weapon) seems to have very high accuracy, even at long range, when fired in aimed shoot mode. After switching to snapshot mode the accuracy can fall from 100% to 1% so I assume that this 100% was a bug.

 

- All Gauss weapons (including Gauss Sniper Rifle!!!) use Close Range skill.

 

- I know you don't want to tweak rescources, but maybe at least make Autopsies (at Medical Lab) cheaper? Now it's quite expensive for a research that in fact don't change gameplay much (excluding Sg Hover Autopsy).

 

- Speaking of Hover autopsy - it is required for warp weapons research but it's not obvious for a player, who don't know it. Maybe this requirement should be changed, or there should be some hint in description that researching it can lead to new technologies?

 

- Contrary to the description, I was able to replace Cyborg Arm Strenght implant with Dexterity implant (description say it can only be replaced by better version of the same implant).

 

- Is it possible to have 2 vision modes in one item? If yes, maybe additionally give the infra-eye implant the night vision mode (of course name should be then changed too )? Right now this implant is not very useful (it does exactly the same that infravision system for helmet, but cannot be removed and require additional research).

 

- Also Reticule eye implant should be changed. After long and expensive research you get +1 to long range, and it requires 3rd lvl cyborg. Rather useless, as at this point of game you probably have good, non-cyborg snipers. Maybe it could give +2 to dodge (the eye can calculate bullet trajectory) or increase chance for critical hit (the eye can locate vulnerable parts of enemy)?

 

- Drones seems to be overpowered. Over 10000 HP of tracked defender with heavy armor makes it almost invincible. 2 drones with brownings or hyper-plasmas can win most of missions without any help or in-field repair (tested on Veteran mode). And after a few missions against cultist you have a lot of cores to spare.

 

- I think that Cyborg heavy weapons should be more powerful than their drone equivalents. Reason? It's much harder to train a 3rd lvl Cyborg with decent mechanical skill, than to build a drone. Drones can also be replaced easily when destroyed, cyborgs not (hiring 3rd lvl cyborg requires good relations with them and costs much in midgame).

 

- Some of tactical maps are used very rarely (like "protect our track system" map or base defence maps with cranes and drydocks). Maybe it's possible to make them appear more often? Some of them may be used for normal "destroy all mutants/reticulans" missions if engine allows that. (note: IT IS NOT A REQUEST TO CREATE NEW MAPS! Only to make use of some special and rarely encountered maps that are already in game).

 

That's all from me for now

[Okim]

Drones will have their armor removed (however cultists ones will retain their armor). In addition they will be highly susceptible to laser fire and explosives.

 

Gauss bug is fixed. Sonic bug is a mystery to me.

 

Cyborg weapons are a bit faster and can be reloaded. Cyborgs can use other equipment and drones cannot.

 

Maps are directly linked to specific locations and missions. For example you`ll never get an ufo map while fighting on another resource map or base map. You`ll never get naval port on inland base and track defence in locations (bases) that have no tracks.

 

The idea of the mod is not to adjust resources, maps or correct description mistakes. It is about new items, new models, greater numbers and better equipment of all soldiers.

[psyhotik]

The idea of the mod is not to adjust resources, maps or correct description mistakes. It is about new items, new models, greater numbers and better equipment of all soldiers.

 

OK. Please don't get me wrong. I still think this mod is great. That was only a suggestions but of course you are the author and you decide how this mod will look

[Pariahsolo]

Defrag your discs. It surely helps a lot.

 

The only problem that i had was a game crash during some tactical mission. Defrag has removed the problem and it even removed lags and made save games stable.

 

About enemy numbers. This was am ACM pre-release addition and wasn`t tested properly. Future updates will decrease current enemy numbers.

 

Okim,

 

Thanks for the suggestion but it worked but didn't work. My harddrive really needed a defrag and the game started right up afterwards. However, I think I ran into a bug because when I restarted after defragging, I had a mission lined up (rescue a native from mutants) I did the mission but didn't get the sector so I pressed the mission again and without going to antoher screen prior to launching the mission I got the same mission but this time from the Reticlans. When I completed that mission, I knew I had enough xp to advance a couple of squaddies and after doing that I went to the manufacture screen. Everything written word on the manufacture screen was replaced by "Debug" and some other characters.

 

I think I goofed next because I did the save and exit and after it saved the game quit responding. I have tried launching it twice since and the first time it crashed when I tried to "resume" the game and the second time I tried to start the game, the Cenega splash page was black with music in the background.

 

As a side note, I can concur that the the "help" the natives are a joke because they have more fire power than I do and normally wipe the cultist/aliens before I can arrive to help them.

 

Also I have run into another batch of 19 Cultists but most times when I face the mutants I am lucky to face more than 6 of them. It is like the muties are a cakewalk and the cultist are playing on nightmare.

 

Thanks for all the work you have done.

 

Albert - Pariahsolo

[Pariahsolo]

Gah have gotten the game working a couple of times and it locked up. 1st was on the research page and 2nd was while I was reading though the glossary (silly question, is the Dam/sec how long it takes to ready a weapon? For example a pistol seems to be 0.67 while a sniper rifle is 0.40 and there for the lower the number the slower your are firing the thing?). Both times it quit working without a prompt on my part, ie I didn't click anything.

[Okim]

Reinstall UFO, apply the latest update and launch. If it will work correctly without crashes and freezes than smth was wrong with install or ACM.

 

Install ACM and try to launch it. Be sure that you have used a proper link to download it (this thread) and have installed it properly. Localization folder must be replaced and a file acmod.vfs must be placed in UFO AS core folder (alongside with AS executables).

 

If it will still crash - please report. If it plays normal - than your UFO AS install was somehow bugged and corrupted.

 

Currently there is a problem with game crashes during tactical game. This is probably due to large numbers of models and thus huge amounts of data that is constantly being stored\loaded. This one is fixed mostly by the defrag procedure.

[gunnergoz]

Thanks for a great mod! It is working fine on my machine. The only thing I have found wrong are some spelling typos in the weapons descriptions, but that's really of no consequence. Good job!

[Pariahsolo]

Don't know why but the game for the most part has been starting up when clicked on. It still gives me a black screen (with or without sound) on startup once but the game has been fairly playable.

 

Bug wise, found one that I have been able to replicate. Inside the Squad screen, when I grab a squaddie to add to my active squad and I don't click exactly on the block I want the new squaddie to go into, I get a crash to desk top (normally, my active squad is full and it seems to happen when I am moving Psionics). Also the game hangs for a second ever time I click on one of the drones.

 

The other CTD I have been occurring has been AFTER I completed a Tactical mission and I click the Finish Mission button, when the game tries to go back to the geoscape, it instead crashes.

 

Question; where do I find the weight of the weapons/items and the Time to Fire? For example the write up says the Laser Sniper rifle is heavier than standard sniper rifles and more bulky therefore it takes longer to fire. I would really like to be able to compare those two bits of info when choosing how I want to kit out my squaddies.

 

Comment wise, I thought the Wargots were supposed to be tough? Granted I am playing on Easy, only way I could play AM but the ballistic protection of the standard Wargots is only 5%, is that right? The Power Armor is at 70 or 72% and a couple of LMG doesn't seem to have an issue tearing through it's armor. The weapons that do the most damage to me are the area effect "thrown" weapons, those are the weapons that has killed my squaddies the most but at the same time, they are equal opportunists because the bad guys seem to take out a fair share of their own with them as well.

[Okim]

LOL!

 

I was playing Fallout 3 with all its DLC recently and was shocked when i saw for the first time their gauss rifle. It looks like the one that i`m using in ACM! And taking in account that ACM was released long before Ancorage DLC - that`s mine rifle they are using!!!

 

Thats a joke ofcause. However, I`ll post a shot when i`ll be able make it to show you what i`m talking about )))

[Solarius Scorch]

First of all, Okim: I haven't played your mod yet, so I won't really give you any feedback yet... But sure as hell I will give it a try. What I can see here is marvellous!

 

Having said that, I'd like to shamelessly insert my own wishlist (it's nothing outlandish):

 

- New equipment for Psionics. I especially mean psionic weapons that do damage. Psionic equipment now is mostly impractical mumbo-jumbo, as you can kill an enemy faster with normal weapon (even a weak one) than it takes for them to drop dead from poisoning. My thought: if starghosts can levitate using psionics, it means that psionics can exert some physical force; therefore, one can also construct a "force projector", which would constrict the target and damage it using physical force.

 

- Heavy armour improvement. HA is almost useless in the vanilla version, as the Medium Armour is almost as good (with modifications it's even better!), and much more accessible, not to mention much lighter. Since HA is described as powered, maybe it could give you a bonus to Strength? If you think it's unfair on the Cyborgs, probably increasing encumberance would do.

 

- More characters. I've always been a bit disappointed about the number of faces and voice themes. I guess that new faces should not be too dificult to add as soon as you can reskin them (well I don't), but new voices would a bit more complicated to produce. Just more faces would be cool, too.

 

- How about bringing back XM8? Scar-l is fine, but I miss XM8's smooth, futuristic design. Can't these weapons coexist?

 

- Same for plasma shotgun - it was epic, if not overly effective. It's hard to part with it.

 

I hope you don't get mad about these requests, I just wanted to know what you think... and ask you to at least briefly consider them.

 

Good luck!