What are good values for each stat

[Lymojo]

This is not a question about WHICH stats are good, mind you.

 

I want to know, what are the ideal numeric ranges for each individual stat when you're grooming your new recruits.

 

I'm particularly interested in strength. How strong does someone need to be to carry around a rocket launcher (or whatever else) without getting encumbered?

[Zombie]

Have you checked the Item Weight page over at the X-COM Wiki? It lists the weights of all the carryable items in the game including popular combinations. A soldier with a strength rating equal to or greater to the total weight he/she is carrying is unencumbered.

 

As for the other stats, I couldn't really care about them while training. Honestly. Usually they are so low that any increase will provide little to no noticeable improvement. Even at the beginning of the game I'm unconcerned about the stats. It's great to see a high Psi Strength number after the initial Psi-Lab training session, but at the end of the day it is just as meaningless as the other stats since during training the Psi Skill is too low to be of any benefit. When you get Psi Skill up to a level of about 60 or so is when Psi Strength makes it worthwhile. Depending on a number of factors, my Psi trooper needs to have a PStrength of at least 65 and a PSkill of 60 to be of any use. And a Psi soldier having 75 TU or more is always good since you'll be able to wage 3 Psi attacks per round instead of 2. Other than that, a reactions score of 50 or above is a nice thing to have.

 

- Zombie

[NKF]

I don't usually mind too much about the starting stats with the exception of psi strength. Obviously the more the merrier, but to actually put values on the stats? I couldn't really say, but let me give it a go.

 

TUs: Since energy refresh rate is directly tied in with what you start with, 60 is the ideal starting level, guaranteeing 20 points of energy recovered each turn! At least, it's important for scouts to have high TUs. 55-60 for them. For most soldiers that don't move much and are simply used for attacking enemies at a distance, the minimum of 50 works well.

 

Stamina/Energy: Unless you're exhausting all of your TUs on just walking continuously over several turns, the starting level for stamina is rarely an issue.

 

Health: I can't put a value on this one. Life's a lottery in this game.

 

Reactions: I think 45+ for scouts keeps them reasonably safe as long as they do not waste too many TUs. Doesn't matter too much what level it is for soldiers that train in large ambush teams or snipers, but obviously the more the better.

 

Accuracy: I go with whatever value is given. Soldiers that are extremely inaccurate for example get to practice with grenades or they make up for fighting at close range or just plain volume of fire.

 

Throwing: Due to the nature of grenades, accuracy of hitting the destination tile is no overly important.

 

Strength: Like Zombie recommended, check the weight tables to get the exact strength needed for any particular setup. For me, 35 and upwards is good for carrying heavy equipment like the cannons and provides fair throwing range. 40+ is my magic number for when I can reliably start throwing high explosive packs around as if they were grenades.

 

Bravery - I go with whatever is given.

 

Psi strength: Since this UFO, I like at least 60 minimum. In TFTD, I'd go so far as 70 - 80 minimum. That doesn't offer complete immunity to mind control, but should give you room to weather the attacks a bit.

 

It's worth knowing that weaker secondary stats like health and strength tend to shoot up faster when they are at lower levels, so they'll quickly even out with those that started at high levels. Just remember to let the soldiers actively participate in the battle. A few missions can turn even the worst of rookies into decent soldiers.

 

- NKF

[Jman4117]

I only really get picky about reactions and psi, bravery is a plus, but not to the extent of the other two.

 

I like about 50-60 psi for keeping guys from being controled, 80+ for controling.

For reactions, I like to have 50+ for training scouts and reaction troops, 40-50 might work, but they tend to get left in the dust, 30-40 usually end up snipers.

I prefer to have bravery of 40+ but I never sack any over it.

 

The other stats I simply add a stat string to the end and send them into the field, firing of 60 gets an S, throwing of 70 gets a G, strength of 35 gets an H. TU/Stamina I don't bother with since I can see that without going into each guy's stats.

[(name_here)]

I tend to just throw everyone I hire into the fray and see who eats a plasma bolt.

 

Actually, at the start I do make something of an effort at actually dividing out some snipers and a heavy weapons team, but that tends to fall by the wayside later, as I end up just giving everyone the biggest gun I've got researched. That's probably why I lose a lot.

 

Later, I tend to do the following with psi:

 

1-40, label "puppet" or "weak" and do not give them guns on psionic alien missions.

41-70ish, depending on quality of others, get guns

71+: psi corps troopers, tend to mark out 90+ guys separately.

[Reprobate]

I've just started replaying the game on the PS2 after a long layoff.

 

What would be considered a good accuracy rating?

 

I've got operatives in the mid 60's-70's range in this stat and they still couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with an aimed shot from 10 spaces away.

[NKF]

Even with realtively high starting accuracy, the chance to hit a target is random. Aimed shots need to have a very good chance of hitting to make the TUs spent on it count, otherwise your best bet would be on snap and auto.

 

One suggestion is to have the 70 accuracy soldiers arm rocket launchers. That allows a 92% chance-to-hit while kneeling and aiming. You only need to raise accuracy to 76, and your kneel+aim shot will be 100%.

 

The other method is to use volume: use fast firing snap and auto weapons like the laser pistol and laser rifle. On high accuracy soldiers, they can prove to be quite effective at mid to long range. Don't forget to kneel as well.

 

- NKF

[Bomb Bloke]

Less accuracy allows a wider range of bullet-spread. If you've got snipers covering scouts, make sure the scouts aren't too near to the LOF or they WILL catch a stray round sooner rather then later.

 

But otherwise, quantity beats quality - I take auto-shots over aimed ones any day. Especially true when you consider that the first shot might not put the target down, and goes double for the better armored foes (eg Sectopods and Cyberdiscs).

 

Lasers are great if only because you can spam shots all over the place without worrying about the ammo bill. The Heavy Plasma still beats 'em in terms of getting the job done though, even if they cost a bit more to use.

 

Rockets are great if firing at a target next to a wall or something. It really isn't that hard to hit the broad side of a barn if you aim at one, and the splash damage will seriously mess up the squishier aliens.

 

In fact, rockets may be the one weapon you don't want to kneel with: The higher you are, the lower you have to aim, the more likely the shot will at least hit the ground near the target if it misses (especially true against Sectoids, which are short). Getting down low means the shot has a higher chance of missing completely and sailing off over the horizon (because it'll be fired on an upwards angle) - even if your chance to hit the target directly does indeed go up.

[Civilian]

When getting new soldiers I usually look for 2 stats only: Bravery and Strength.

 

Strength should be at least 30, otherwise even a single pistol will make them slow and overloaded (warning: over-exaggerated), they will loose TUs under the slightest load and be a general burden to the gameplay.

 

With Bravery it's similar: Mass Panics, people going berzerk in the worst moments, shooting of own soldiers... well, I guess you know what I mean. I really do not need chickens at the frontline. (except maybe fried chickens as food) And then the extra effort to bring back equipment and panicked soldiers to the Skyranger. And guess who will most probably panic again one feet before they enter the Skyranger again? No, thanks.

 

All other stats are easier to improve during the game and so I do not care too much about them as much.

 

Ok, later in the game, PSI defense is essential, but that is only logical.

[zaimoni]

I want to know, what are the ideal numeric ranges for each individual stat when you're grooming your new recruits.

Sadly, the important stat is the one not displayed for new recruits: psi strength.

 

The others are all recoverable from. Bravery matters less than it looks.

 

I'm particularly interested in strength. How strong does someone need to be to carry around a rocket launcher (or whatever else) without getting encumbered?

Use the weight table, and the throwing distance table. My loadouts are, in practice:

* Rifleman: STR 20 (anyone)

* Autocannon: STR 36.

* can actually use High explosive as a grenade: STR 40

* Rocketman (large rockets) with laser pistol backup weapon: STR ~50