Let's Play OpenXcom: UFO Redux

[Nookrium]

Introducing some green friends to the party...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Pv1afO0pI

[silencer_pl]

Tanks taking damage from fire? Is this something new in OpenXcom?

[NKF]

I often say there are few problems that can't be solved by using more high explosives. At least, in the context of this game. HE rounds for the Heavy and Auto cannons will serve you better at fighting the Mutons than most of your light AP weapons. Large rockets and high explosives are always useful. You can also experiment with the proximity mine if you're feeling particularly nasty.

 

Tanks taking damage from fire? Is this something new in OpenXcom?

 

Tanks do take 40% damage from incendiary. In this case, the tank was on its last few hit points.

 

- NKF

[silencer_pl]

Logically that doesn't make sense. Power Armour also should then take damage form INC.

[Nookrium]

I fear the damage I might do to myself with proximity grenades . But I'm surprised at the power of the HE packs, I've never really used them too much because alien grenades are always one of the first things I research.

 

I think I've decided that tanks are not my thing, at least until I can get a plasma tank. They don't seem to be able to take much more damage than a power armored soldier, plus I'm really terrible about throwing them into the fray.

 

In other words, I still think 4 rocketeers are better than 1 tank.

[silencer_pl]

Default armoured tank yes, it's piece of crap. Improved tank is way much better it has 120 armour comparing to 130 armour of hover tank and 110 armour of flying suit.

[NKF]

Considering none of the tanks have yet survived a mission, It would certainly keep the expenses down. Power suits are a technological step up from the basic tanks, so a couple of soldiers would survive a lot better.

 

The basic tanks are well protected in the early stages but become glass cannons once the aliens get better weapons. When this happens they should be hanging back with your snipers and rocket soldiers to provide additional fire power when needed.

 

With the proximity mine, if you're using it to set traps, then you have to be very mindful of where they are. That's what causes most of the self inflicted injuries. But you can also use it out in the open like a normal grenade and toss it at an enemy you can see.

 

Recall that troublesome Muton that was giving a hard time to those two soldiers with the High Explosives packs that they couldn't throw. If you had proximity mine, you could toss the mine at it, then have everyone back off to safety. After a few turns, the Muton would have wandered off to find you. Being a Muton, the mine probably would not have finished it off. But at least you would have wounded the Muton and reduced its accuracy and forced it to use some of its TUs.

 

I think you do have a mine or two on one of your Skyrangers. It might be worth giving it a go. Except for the unique triggering mech, it's the well-balanced Mario of the grenades.

 

- NKF

[Nookrium]

I think this song might be appropriate for the next video...

 

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

[Zombie]

In other words, I still think 4 rocketeers are better than 1 tank.

 

I used to think the same way... until I started to play TFTD. It really becomes crystal clear that 4 soldiers with rocket launchers are more of a liability early on. None of them can match the sheer distance a tank can cover in one round. The more aliens you can spot and kill, the easier a mission becomes. And what happens when things go pear-shaped (as they normally end up)? Would you rather have a never-wavering tank which doesn't panic or 4 separate soldiers panicking with loaded launchers at the ready? Um, yeah. Or how about psi-attacks? Same deal there. Not to mention that tanks make great meat shields. Let the aliens poke at them, and your soldiers live to fight another day... with better stats!

 

- Zombie

[silencer_pl]

Now you have to kill everyone again and make me Commander again.

[Space Voyager]

If this was your playthrough, we'd witness some huge renaming project, huh?

[silencer_pl]

In my playthrough you would have been sent to be omnomend by the reaper.

[Nookrium]

Now you have to kill everyone again and make me Commander again.

 

You've seen me play, it's very possible

 

In other words, I still think 4 rocketeers are better than 1 tank.

I get the benefit early on, but once everyone can equip power armor and the aliens start carrying heavy plasmas I'm not sure I see the benefit (other than the psi resistance). Why not just send an armored rookie out to scout, he's only $40k + the armor cost.

 

Now once plasma tanks can be made then they're valuable again, those things are beasts.

[silencer_pl]

I hope Nook won't mind for little hijacking of his LP thread. However he made me little interested in this mod, and since he missed the mercs, here is the first encounter of the mercs

 

 

And the research lab after the fight.

 

 

My initial thoughts directed to you Hobbes.

 

1. We first encountered the mercs, where did they managed to prove themselves as being capable fighters? This needs to be addressed better, first encounter with mercs probably shouldn't be random radar scan, but we should meet them either on terror mission or random UFO encounter being it landed or crashed.

 

2. They seem to see as far as aliens do. That's little unfair considering they are humans. I know that you can come up, but they have better tech. Then it looks like the world didn't give it's best to the X-COM. I don't mind better weapons but if we must use flares, they should too.

 

3. A little bit too accurate for the first encounter. Their hit % is pretty high and since it's on the first month, X-COM will have only rookies. I doubt that any average player will win the fight without using save scumming. I wouldn't mind fighting against elites in their own base though. However if they sight at night will be reduced to XCOM range, I don't mind them being stronger.

 

4. Mercs Skyranger needs a patch in the front. I had a situation where enemy fired through the nose and I could spot him. Not only that, he even managed to hit my soldier. Take a look:

 

 

5. Since mercs are so tough I wouldn't mind getting some tasers. Capturing that Leader in skyranger wasn't easy. Don't know if I needed him for anything (don't tell I'll research him myself)

 

6. Don't know if it is the latest night build (25-05) or the map itself but the game was pretty slow for this map. My first map with downed UFO was ok.

 

 

Oh and one more thing I forgot to ask. Why not every small UFO contains elerium ?

 

Edit:

 

Second landed merc mission gives a CTD. Will check with lower night build.

 

Edit 2

 

Upon landing and clicking ok after briefing it CTDs. I've been using the latest night build, and also moved to the lowest possible openxcom_git_master_2015_05_10_1447

 

Save file to check. Mercs should appear in 1-2 days time mostly when the Merc Leader is researched.

https://www.mediafire.com/download/n0c87zaw0ji26gu/yyy_%282%29.sav

 

And Hobbes clean up your message box please?

[silencer_pl]

I've restarted again, and this time somewhere mid January on landed UFO I found the mercs there with cleaned UFO and dead alien corpse. I think this should be the first encounter player has with Mercs right? Then on 26th of Jan I detected their transport that went again to the Iceland(?) well the same area I've posted video. Is that the second encounter?

 

Also the first data disc says that we found the mercs on crashed mission, while it was landed mission. If on the 25th is the first merc Skyrangerm then where is the Omega Facility that should be there on first month?

[Nookrium]

Look at all that weapons research

[Zombie]

I get the benefit early on, but once everyone can equip power armor and the aliens start carrying heavy plasmas I'm not sure I see the benefit (other than the psi resistance). Why not just send an armored rookie out to scout, he's only $40k + the armor cost.

 

Now once plasma tanks can be made then they're valuable again, those things are beasts.

 

Were you replying to me? Anyhow, I can agree if you have armored soldiers then normal HWPs don't really cut it anymore. I find the rocket tanks to be effective additions to a squad at least until the Hovertank/Launcher as there aren't many AOE HWPs.

 

The thing with tanks is that they need to grow along with your squad. If you have a better HWP option available, get it ASAP so that your squad isn't babysitting a worthless machine.

 

I should also mention the idea of usefulness. If a tank isn't going to be useful on a mission, it's a good idea to leave it back at base and bring some more soldiers instead. For example, do you need a tank on a Small Scout mission? Probably not (and you probably don't need the extra soldiers either)! What about a landed Supply Ship? Maybe, maybe not. If you have a rocket tank, you probably don't need it since there isn't any terror units present. However, it may be useful in clearing the battlescape. But then you have to remember that all the tanks can't enter a Supply Ship (without widening the door with blaster bombs) so that limits effectiveness.

 

But tanks still make great meatshields, no matter the type. Are they better meatshields than 4 soldiers in armor? Almost always. Why? LOF Templates. Tanks are a continuous blob whereas 2 soldiers standing side-by-side will allow bullets to pass between them. And tanks are awesome at area denial. (Need to block a door? Park a tank in front of it).

 

- Zombie

[Hobbes]

2. They seem to see as far as aliens do. That's little unfair considering they are humans. I know that you can come up, but they have better tech. Then it looks like the world didn't give it's best to the X-COM. I don't mind better weapons but if we must use flares, they should too.

 

At the moment it is impossible to mod unit's LOS range but their vision will be limited at night when technically possible.

 

3. A little bit too accurate for the first encounter. Their hit % is pretty high and since it's on the first month, X-COM will have only rookies. I doubt that any average player will win the fight without using save scumming. I wouldn't mind fighting against elites in their own base though. However if they sight at night will be reduced to XCOM range, I don't mind them being stronger.

 

Maybe this mod isn't for the average player

 

 

4. Mercs Skyranger needs a patch in the front. I had a situation where enemy fired through the nose and I could spot him. Not only that, he even managed to hit my soldier.

 

Yup, I've known this bug for a while but I've tried and can't fix it through the terrain files,

 

5. Since mercs are so tough I wouldn't mind getting some tasers. Capturing that Leader in skyranger wasn't easy. Don't know if I needed him for anything (don't tell I'll research him myself)

 

Mercs have the same armor stats of your soldiers but slightly more health.

 

6. Don't know if it is the latest night build (25-05) or the map itself but the game was pretty slow for this map. My first map with downed UFO was ok.

 

Watch out with the latest nightlies since there are some bugs from new features being implemented.

 

Oh and one more thing I forgot to ask. Why not every small UFO contains elerium ?

 

Vanilla or new UFO designs?

 

Upon landing and clicking ok after briefing it CTDs. I've been using the latest night build, and also moved to the lowest possible openxcom_git_master_2015_05_10_1447

 

Save file to check. Mercs should appear in 1-2 days time mostly when the Merc Leader is researched.

https://www.mediafire...6gu/yyy_(2).sav

 

Is this the mission where you captured the leader?

 

I've restarted again, and this time somewhere mid January on landed UFO I found the mercs there with cleaned UFO and dead alien corpse. I think this should be the first encounter player has with Mercs right? Then on 26th of Jan I detected their transport that went again to the Iceland(?) well the same area I've posted video. Is that the second encounter?

 

Also the first data disc says that we found the mercs on crashed mission, while it was landed mission. If on the 25th is the first merc Skyrangerm then where is the Omega Facility that should be there on first month?

 

Data disc text needs updating

 

Depends on the RNG. The merc mission consists of an initial Medium Scout (with only Sectoid Soldiers) and 3 Transport Planes, and if you shoot/assault them each will add a delay to the following ones, so I've had the Omega Facility mission only in mid February.

[Nookrium]

Where did you get the music, Silencer? I've been thinking about changing mine around to something a little "newer"

[silencer_pl]

@Hobbes, the mission crash looks like it's the Omega Facility, because in the description it says I found them in facility.

 

For the UFOs I think both. On one of the UFOs the exit was vanilla location although I didn't enter it because every alien came out, on the custom where entrance was on the east side there was no power soruce in the middle and report said no elerium and power source. In one of the missions Nook had there was also this landed small scout with no Elerium & power source.

 

@Nook

 

You have to visit OpenXcom some time

https://openxcom.org/downloads-extras/

 

last time I've used UFO: Cydonia's Fall, now this:

https://openxcom.org/2015/05/new-x-com-ost-by-sycraft/

 

 

[Nookrium]

@Nook

 

You have to visit OpenXcom some time

https://openxcom.org/downloads-extras/

 

last time I've used UFO: Cydonia's Fall, now this:

https://openxcom.org/...ost-by-sycraft/

haha, I actually have those downloaded, just haven't listened to all of em yet... guess I have now

[silencer_pl]

Look at all that weapons research

 

A minor spoiler, even though I've researched everyone, I still couldn't produce them, probably after the Omega Facility run, which is currently crashing for me.

 

Depends on the RNG. The merc mission consists of an initial Medium Scout (with only Sectoid Soldiers) and 3 Transport Planes, and if you shoot/assault them each will add a delay to the following ones, so I've had the Omega Facility mission only in mid February.

 

Don't know about the 3 transport planes, but the in my second test, the first mission was in fact in medium scout, but there was no aliens alive - only Alien Corpse (not Sectoid Corpse) and few mercs (soldiers and technician) I guess in this mission there is no leader. That was mid January, two weeks later (25-26 Jan) I've got the first Merc transport and on (7-8 Feb) I've got another one, but this one states in description that it is the facility but it crashes on loading.

 

Judgeing from the story perspective, the first merc encounter should be on the first UFO mission, because it would make sense with the alien corpse description. I've also have a feeling that the merc story goes too quickly.

[Hobbes]

@Hobbes, the mission crash looks like it's the Omega Facility, because in the description it says I found them in facility.

 

You got this briefing right?

"To surprise the mercenaries we will land inside the enemy installation. After clearing the landing zone, initiate the search to capture the scientist and bring it back to the Skyranger. Search buildings for any valuable weapons or data disks before the evacuation. Eliminating all hostiles is not required to succeed on this mission. To abort the mission return XCom operatives to transport vehicle and click on the 'Abort Mission' icon"

 

This is probably related to the latest OXC changes. I will try to fix this when I finish the major update I'm working on for Redux.

 

For the UFOs I think both. On one of the UFOs the exit was vanilla location although I didn't enter it because every alien came out, on the custom where entrance was on the east side there was no power soruce in the middle and report said no elerium and power source. In one of the missions Nook had there was also this landed small scout with no Elerium & power source.

 

This is weird but I'm thinking it may be related to OXC's latest changes since I haven't changed anything about the UFO Power Sources. I'll keep an eye for this, thanks.

[silencer_pl]

Yes, this is the message. I did also moved back with the nightbuild openxcom_git_master_2015_05_10_1447, which is not that far away I think in what you recommended - it's not available anymore so if you have zip of it, can you post a link to it ?

 

AS for the UFO, please check latest Nook video, which he hasn't posted here. There is a medium scout without power source. Although it is crashed version nothing is destroyed, because there was no power source to detonate. I don't know on which NB Nook is playing.

[Hobbes]

Yes, this is the message. I did also moved back with the nightbuild openxcom_git_master_2015_05_10_1447, which is not that far away I think in what you recommended - it's not available anymore so if you have zip of it, can you post a link to it ?

 

Here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18824603/openxcom_git_master_2015_05_07_1716.zip

 

AS for the UFO, please check latest Nook video, which he hasn't posted here. There is a medium scout without power source. Although it is crashed version nothing is destroyed, because there was no power source to detonate. I don't know on which NB Nook is playing.

 

OK, checked Nook's latest video: that's how that UFO version is actually designed (I wasn't the author btw).