|
SeaTard posted:You put the arc thrower on an assault because they are usually at close range already. That is interesting. That is a good reason and I can see how that would apply to most people, but it actually isn't true in my case. I didn't get into this discussion earlier, but for me Close and Personal is among the most worthless abilities in the game because my assaults are never close enough to use it. The only time I seem to use it is if a seeker grabs a unit next to my assault. I would rate it down there with flush. But I think that has everything to do with my personal style. My battle line usually functions like this: Support + MEC on the front line scouting ahead, using their move speed to flee if they see anything too scary. Heavy + 2 Assault about a half a move back, ready to move in and lay down the fire power when I see a good opportunity. Sniper sitting way back on a hill until something needs to be shot from across the battlefield. This setup means my assaults are almost never close enough to move once and then stun, where as the support will usually be within the one move. I guess we can chalk this one up to different play styles.
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 22:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 04:19 |
|
|
Jade Star posted:Finally got off my lazy rear end and recorded a video. Should be back to normal update schedule now. Look below you next time also.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 22:34
|
|
|
My assaults tend to be up front and good candidates for stunners also. Stuff like disabling shot, and carrying more than 1 arc thrower also help with live captures. If there's only one Muton alive that you want to capture, you probably don't need to set it up overwatch to run into.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 22:43
|
|
|
DrOswald posted:Am I missing something that makes assaults good stun bots? They don't do anything to make stunning itself better, but assaults are generally going to take something that buffs their health, or grenades, both of which can be handy when you're chasing aliens to stun them. Also, as they're often close anyway because shotguns are amazing close up, they occasionally get a chance to stun something due purely to proximity and opportunity. The stun gun also does work as an extra weapon in a pinch if you run out of shotgun ammo and need something finished off this round. Their lightning reflexes ability also makes them generally good at closing ground fast. Basically no class is especially good at stunning, but assaults are the class that's most likely to be in a good position to make use of stunning, and don't need to carry any other equipment (like supports will usually take medkits. If you're using training roulette though, you're actually better off just sticking it on whoever isn't carrying anything else, depending on your ability picks you might be better off putting it on your support, because one of the only things that makes assaults better is that they don't carry the medkit normally. If your support gets sprinter and no medkit they're probably prime choice for the stun gun.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 22:46
|
|
|
Bootcha posted:So I gotta ask, with Training Roulette, would would be the best Operative build? Gunslinger is obvious, but what else would benefit a dedicated Operative? I've yet to have an opportunity to do an operative mission but I have had some seemigly ideal candidates. Anything that works with a pistol would be good, rapid fire can be used every turn forever with a pistol, run and gun works with pistols too (assaults seem well suited) and perhaps things like deep pockets? Can you take equipment with you on operative missions? I got gunslinger, rapid fire, run and gun, and battle scanner on one soldier last game, would have loved to try him on a pistol only mission. Edit: Oh also, I tried a new game and changed my panic management procedure, I just go through month 2 with only 2 panicked nations at the end so I satellited them, I now have two continent bonuses and both russia and the USA on my side, so I'm doing pretty great actually. Thanks to everyone who gave advice on that. OwlFancier fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Mar 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 22:51
|
|
|
Bootcha posted:So I gotta ask, with Training Roulette, would would be the best Operative build? Gunslinger is obvious, but what else would benefit a dedicated Operative? Gunslinger, Rapid Fire, Low Profile, Sprinter, Lightning Reflexes, Tactical Sense. I tend to just want the skills that keep them mobile and safe as possible, given their lack of equipment.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 22:58
|
|
|
Bootcha posted:So I gotta ask, with Training Roulette, would would be the best Operative build? Gunslinger is obvious, but what else would benefit a dedicated Operative? The perfect build (for my playstyle) would be Run and Gun, Aggression, Rapid Fire, Gunslinger, Close Combat Specialist, Bring 'Em On and Sprinter. Give them Chitin Plating and a Scope and they will be able to shoot three times a turn every turn with most (if not all) of the shots being huge criticals. They'll also be incredibly mobile with R*G and sprinter and so will basically always be able to flank. Not having to reload makes them really useful even not on covert ops as well! Edit: As is clear from this post, I am much more of an "aggro all of the enemies and kill them all anyway" player than a "Play carefully" player
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 23:02
|
|
|
Raenir K. Artemi posted:The perfect build (for my playstyle) would be Run and Gun, Aggression, Rapid Fire, Gunslinger, Close Combat Specialist, Bring 'Em On and Sprinter. Give them Chitin Plating and a Scope and they will be able to shoot three times a turn every turn with most (if not all) of the shots being huge criticals. They'll also be incredibly mobile with R*G and sprinter and so will basically always be able to flank. Not having to reload makes them really useful even not on covert ops as well! Even just gunslinger and rapid fire makes a soldier actually really good in regular combat. Bonus points if they're an assault and can use their shotgun as a secondary weapon.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 23:19
|
|
|
seaborgium posted:This may sound dumb, but I've had to just have guys hunker down so they won't kill whatever I'm trying to capture. You can't trust the AI, so you may as well make it impossible to kill them otherwise. I did this once and the alien ran up to the only assault that had the free attack on enemies closing to 4 tiles and welp 
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 23:35
|
|
|
If a pistol is all you have, can you suppress with it? I'd guess no, but it bears asking.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 23:44
|
|
|
Raenir K. Artemi posted:The perfect build (for my playstyle) would be Run and Gun, Aggression, Rapid Fire, Gunslinger, Close Combat Specialist, Bring 'Em On and Sprinter. Give them Chitin Plating and a Scope and they will be able to shoot three times a turn every turn with most (if not all) of the shots being huge criticals. They'll also be incredibly mobile with R*G and sprinter and so will basically always be able to flank. Not having to reload makes them really useful even not on covert ops as well! I gotta say, I never ask my operatives to do anything more than sprint from transmission tower to transmission tower...
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2014 23:59
|
|
|
ulmont posted:I gotta say, I never ask my operatives to do anything more than sprint from transmission tower to transmission tower... I get the defend the transmitter mission way more often than the shut down the towers one, so that also affects my opinion.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 00:39
|
|
|
My current game has been the funniest by far. First encounter with Mutons had one get in the face of a stun assault who in turn shot then stunned the fucker.  Fast forward to mid-July, I've just finished off the Alien Base and mere days later get Site Recon. I've had no panic build up since, so don't need the panic reduction. Is it safe to skip Site Recon? Or do I get to Railgun sharks? Not sure I really want to send half a team of rookies/lower ranking troops to farm chryssalids.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 02:08
|
|
|
Raenir K. Artemi posted:I get the defend the transmitter mission way more often than the shut down the towers one, so that also affects my opinion. His comment is still valid for those missions. Having your operative from from the first "disable-their-weapons" tower to the 2nd, 3rd and then 4th is a good way to make the defense missions a joke.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 02:20
|
|
|
Coffeehitler posted:Is it safe to skip Site Recon? no, never
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 02:26
|
|
|
Do you still have Canada? Canada flips out if you skip Site Recon.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 02:29
|
|
|
Canada has 0 - 1 Panic and a satellite. I suppose I could take a fast team, I think I have 4 dudes with Sprinter and could bust out another MEC suit. Or just go team explosions and blow everything up.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 03:01
|
|
|
Raenir K. Artemi posted:I get the defend the transmitter mission way more often than the shut down the towers one, so that also affects my opinion. There is literally never anything I would rather my operative do than shut down every EXALT unit on the map for a turn, offensive mission or defensive mission. In fact, I like the option even better on the defensive mission...
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 03:03
|
|
|
Coffeehitler posted:Canada has 0 - 1 Panic and a satellite. I suppose I could take a fast team, I think I have 4 dudes with Sprinter and could bust out another MEC suit. Or just go team explosions and blow everything up. The new unique missions from EW tend to be pretty cheese-able. Newfoundland can be beaten by knowing what Chryssalids burst out of and where you have to go, Portent's set spawns and ambushes make it easy to dominate, the second part of Progeny's story can be destroyed by a properly-placed Squadsight Sniper, one of the really late-game unique ones is predisposed towards destroying the map... the only one I can't say I know a sufficient way to trump like that is Ashes and Temples (not spoilering the mission name since that doesn't help figure it out at all), and I almost always lose someone there. Cleretic fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Mar 24, 2014 |
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 03:27
|
|
|
Operatives laden with piles of grenades can be fun too. Extra equipment slot from the foundry and the double grenade skill means you can wreck a lot of cover around wherever you're defending/assaulting. Chitin and a Scope is probably the most utility load out for the operative though. Make sure to give them your best pistol!
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 03:46
|
|
|
Peanut3141 posted:His comment is still valid for those missions. Having your operative from from the first "disable-their-weapons" tower to the 2nd, 3rd and then 4th is a good way to make the defense missions a joke. ulmont posted:There is literally never anything I would rather my operative do than shut down every EXALT unit on the map for a turn, offensive mission or defensive mission. In fact, I like the option even better on the defensive mission... I usually just camp my operative next to the transmitter with a support in case of emergencies to keep them from ever getting the chance to capture it and let them get some more exp killing all the dudes that approach it and have never really had much trouble with them that way. I guess I just like killing tons of dudes with a pistol and no armor. V  VCoffeehitler posted:My current game has been the funniest by far. First encounter with Mutons had one get in the face of a stun assault who in turn shot then stunned the fucker. If you've got a lowbie with sprinter, load them up in a Skeleton Suit and just book it to the ship and then back to evac if you don't feel like dealing with the mission. Sprinter+Skeleton Suit can outrun Chryssalids all day. You might lose him if you get unlucky with sharkalids if you do it this way though.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 04:26
|
|
|
Does EXALT appear in random missions, or just the Portent story arc? I'm curious what, exactly, I'll miss if I give Portent the middle finger.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 04:35
|
|
|
FredMSloniker posted:Does EXALT appear in random missions, or just the Portent story arc? I'm curious what, exactly, I'll miss if I give Portent the middle finger. Exalt will be it's own feature. It's hard to describe, but they'll show up kind of like how abduction missions show up time to time. They also show up for the Portent line of story missions.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 04:37
|
|
|
Jade Star posted:Exalt will be it's own feature. It's hard to describe, but they'll show up kind of like how abduction missions show up time to time. Okay, cool. I think I'm going to play the game once on Normal, get through the Portent arc, then just ignore it on future playthroughs because that map is bullshit.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 04:44
|
|
|
I started my own game and messing around with gene mods and mec's, and I have to say, I really wish that the gene mods were just straight-up upgrades to my soldiers instead of turning them into a different class, I don't really like how it makes them run around bare-armed when the rest of my soldiers are in full armor. Mec's, though? I love them, but I find it also a bit of a disappointment that the mech itself isn't a tank. They'd be incredibly powerful if they were of course.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 08:37
|
|
|
Mordaedil posted:I started my own game and messing around with gene mods and mec's, and I have to say, I really wish that the gene mods were just straight-up upgrades to my soldiers instead of turning them into a different class, I don't really like how it makes them run around bare-armed when the rest of my soldiers are in full armor. If you don't like the lack of sleeves, you'll love this mod then!
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 10:11
|
|
|
Last Transmission posted:If you don't like the lack of sleeves, you'll love this mod then! Oh thank god. My current gimmick run was sort of having them be special elite soldier organisation like one of the season of Power Rangers (the one with a A and B squad, where the A squad was evil) and the lack of sleeves on some rangers but not others was ruining my dynamic.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 10:15
|
|
|
If you want tanks, get SHIVs. If you want mechs, get MECs. That's all I can really say on the matter.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 13:21
|
|
|
Green Intern posted:If you want tanks, get SHIVs. If you want mechs, get MECs. That's all I can really say on the matter. Did they do anything in EW to improve SHIVs? I always found them a little lackluster in EU. They have decent firepower but miss a lot and aren't very mobile. Nor are they especially tanky for that matter. In base EU they suffered from most of the vulnerabilities of MECs but in EW, they'd be just plain outclassed by them, I'd have thought?
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 15:25
|
|
|
OwlFancier posted:Did they do anything in EW to improve SHIVs? I always found them a little lackluster in EU. They have decent firepower but miss a lot and aren't very mobile. Nor are they especially tanky for that matter. In base EU they suffered from most of the vulnerabilities of MECs but in EW, they'd be just plain outclassed by them, I'd have thought? They got foundry projects to increase moveent by 3, HP by 3 and also a Sentinel Drone that heals them for 2 HP/round indefinitely.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 15:30
|
|
|
Peanut3141 posted:They got foundry projects to increase moveent by 3, HP by 3 and also a Sentinel Drone that heals them for 2 HP/round indefinitely. Wow, that's... pretty great actually. Might get SHIVs then. I usually ended up getting them for disposability but I never really bothered with them seriously.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 15:32
|
|
|
OwlFancier posted:Wow, that's... pretty great actually. Might get SHIVs then. I usually ended up getting them for disposability but I never really bothered with them seriously. Hover SHIVs are pretty solid. Fully upgraded they are 21 HP, 12 move, 95 aim, 9-11 dmg, 20% crit, 40 defense and the ability to suppress. If you're flying (you should be, 24 fuel when upgraded), you get another 20 defense. This also generally results in the elevated ground bonus of 20 aim if the target is lower. So to sum up, if you're flying above your target, defense of 60, aim of 115. A decent option to have if things go tits up and your other option is fielding a bunch of squaddies.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 15:44
|
|
|
Peanut3141 posted:Hover SHIVs are pretty solid. Fully upgraded they are 21 HP, 12 move, 95 aim, 9-11 dmg, 20% crit, 40 defense and the ability to suppress. Hover SHIVs are great, but I also love Alloy SHIVs for their mobile cover qualities. Moving up 3 SHIVs followed by 3 soldiers is just the inevitability of death coming for the aliens...
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 16:21
|
|
|
ulmont posted:Moving up 3 SHIVs followed by 3
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 17:31
|
|
|
OwlFancier posted:Wow, that's... pretty great actually. Might get SHIVs then. I usually ended up getting them for disposability but I never really bothered with them seriously. The Sentinel Drone also gives SHIVs reaction shots against anything that moves within four tiles of them, same as assaults, but they lose the health regen and reaction shots for that mission after the first critical hit they take. SHIVs are great. Next game I do I'm thinking it's going to be nothing but mecs, shivs, and heavies.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 17:43
|
|
|
Peanut3141 posted:They got foundry projects to increase moveent by 3, HP by 3 and also a Sentinel Drone that heals them for 2 HP/round indefinitely. They also got automatic free shot on enemies moving within x distance of the SHIV (and unless my game is bugged, with no cap on the number of times it can happen). I've had a single SHIV blast a Muton 3 times in one Muton movement. It's still bullshit the SHIV doesn't get the MEC line of heavy weapons though, since they clearly start with the same one.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 17:49
|
|
|
DatonKallandor posted:They also got automatic free shot on enemies moving within x distance of the SHIV (and unless my game is bugged, with no cap on the number of times it can happen). I've had a single SHIV blast a Muton 3 times in one Muton movement. It's still bullshit the SHIV doesn't get the MEC line of heavy weapons though, since they clearly start with the same one. The MEC and SHIV have different miniguns. The MEC does 4-6 damage and cannot suppress, the SHIV does 5-7 and can suppress. Additionally, MEC weapons end up closer to anti-tank guns than heavy machine guns. The dynamic of SHIVs have changed since EW. MECs are now tanks and SHIVs are disposable mid-to-high level infantry. fakeedit: looking at the stats, a SHIV is more accurate, does more damage, and has more base health than a standard (no Second Wave) heavy. Alloy and Hover Shivs have just one less HP than a Heavy Colonel in Titan Armor and have 10 more aim.
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 21:31
|
|
|
A Colonel Heavy effectively has more health than stated though, as any shot taken while in cover is reduced by 2. Also SHIVs can't use explosives so they're automatically inferior to MECs and Heavies. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 21:40
|
|
|
Pvt.Scott posted:Moving up 3 SHIVs followed by 3 soldiers rookies is just the What do you mean? You'll almost certainly bring at least 2 SHIVs back. They're pretty durable. SHIVs only weakness is they have no melee attack. They should be able to do a 5 damage ram. +5 for half cover in front of the target. Sick SHIV ramp attack to the face!
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 21:51
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 04:19 |
|
|
The best thing about Alloy SHIVs is that they count as half cover. Not for your troops, but for the enemy. Every now and then you get to just watch a Thin Man or Muton run to take cover behind it only for the SHIV to turn its gun on them with the free reaction shot. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2014 21:59
|
|
