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I don't use grenades once you're out of the rookies v sectoids/thin men phase, because you can generally hit what you want to and can avoid dying (in most cases) in one turn. And grenades get better the more people on your team can use them, so once you start putting other things on people, they stop being useful. 3 or 5 guaranteed damage vs a very good chance of 8+ damage just isn't worth it, and that's on the only class that doesn't have a more attractive damage option. Why would I ever throw a grenade when I could rapid-fire something? One dead thing is much better than two wounded things, in my opinion, so I'd need to have 2+ Mutons (and nothing tougher than Mutons) in a grenadable area with two soldiers using grenades to make it worthwhile. When I'm going Muton-hunting for my first plasma rifle, though, I'll bring normal grenades just because one stock rocket and one grenade will bring them down to 1 health guaranteed. edit: Shotgun assaults get chitin carapace, snipers and rifle assaults get scopes, supports get a medkit and scope or mindshield if they're psychic, and heavies usually still hold onto a grenade for cover-destroying stuff. Or a scope if I went bulletstorm. Ravenfood fucked around with this message at 19:27 on Jan 20, 2013 |
# ¿ Jan 20, 2013 19:25 |
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# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 22:36 |
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RBA Starblade posted:What do combat stims actually do? I've never bought any. edit: vvvv Wait, really? infinite uses? Holy poo poo, that might actually make them wortwhile. Ravenfood fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Jan 20, 2013 |
# ¿ Jan 20, 2013 19:55 |
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I THINK that wandering alien packs do check against sounds and will investigate. I think that call is basically a "more dudes may or may not be coming.
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# ¿ Jan 24, 2013 17:25 |
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Sashimi posted:Dr. Vahlens would like to have a word with you.
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# ¿ Jan 31, 2013 16:14 |
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Even the basic XCOM ballistics armor has small powered assistive servos in it reducing the need for physical strength to the point where it isn't a major issue. That's how they adapted the full powered armor technology of the Atlas suit so quickly. Alternatively, all XCOMs are latently psychic and use it to improve their physical ability without knowing it. This is also why they panic so easily, the aliens put off a low-grade psychic field that the soldiers acclimatize to. The ones who show up as psychic are just the ones capable of fully utilizing the powers consciously. Or its a game, and its nice to include women in fighting games sometimes.
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# ¿ Feb 18, 2013 05:45 |
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An interesting change to terror missions would be to have aliens keep spawning until either the civilians or XCOM is dead/evacuated. Maybe call them evac missions and have them pop up every so often instead of terror missions. Just a replacement stream that keeps coming forever and slowly ramps UP the difficulty of the aliens, not less. Make it so that if only a few make it out, panic spreads, but higher numbers start giving you rewards after a certain point that increase per civilian. You'd have to balance saving civilians with ever-increasing risks, and it would be one of the few times in normal missions that the vac mechanic ever got used for XCOMs.
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# ¿ Feb 23, 2013 17:20 |
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FairGame posted:3 rookies (well, squaddies given the New Guy research) can't do much of anything in late game impossible beyond "die horribly" Ernie Muppari posted:The only problem there is that that sort of mission sort of suggests that the city's megafucked as soon as XCOM leaves. That's fine as like, a last ditch "can you stop this country from leaving the council by saving at least like, 85% of civilians on the map?" sort of thing, but would be kinda' weird as just a replacement for a generic terror mission.
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# ¿ Feb 24, 2013 18:11 |
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Jibo posted:Considering Normal was made by Firaxis, I'd say it's as official as any other difficulty. Also, I'd say that all the "don't play normal, it will ruin you" talk is kind of silly. It's hard to imagine that +10 aim and a fairly small chance of aliens doing something dumb is going to come into play enough for it to become an invisible crutch.
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# ¿ Feb 26, 2013 23:25 |
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Orgophlax posted:It's the soldier with the most experience, which is a hidden number (unless you turn it on with Toolboks).
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# ¿ Mar 2, 2013 15:55 |
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Orgophlax posted:It doesn't say two shots on the same target, just two shots. The only time my support will fire twice is on 2 separate enemies. I highly doubt it's any different for heavies.
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# ¿ Mar 4, 2013 17:29 |
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Wait, get a UFO, kill some dudes? It won't take too long.
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# ¿ Mar 6, 2013 21:18 |
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Fair enough. Build a poo poo-ton of SHIVs?
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# ¿ Mar 6, 2013 21:26 |
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wilbur.walsh posted:Nope, I had some countries leaving the council immediately after beeing on level 5 panic for the first 3rd of the month if I missed/failed a mission in the country/continent.
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# ¿ Mar 10, 2013 15:06 |
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OptimusWang posted:I haven't even gotten a shot off on the special - I assumed they were like the normal ethereals that can only take one direct shot/turn. The first time I charged straight across and died horribly. The next two times I tried to get as far as I could along the top right before getting noticed...no dice.
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# ¿ Mar 11, 2013 04:49 |
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Well, that's fun. I/I, blew through the first mission no problem. Second abduction mission is the flooded street, and so far, at least one group of sectoids was activated without the little human eyes are on me! cutscene. So, I move from the starting position, see no aliens, overwatch everyone, then move on my second turn. First guy to move gets cut down by overwatch shots from nowhere. Goddamnit. edit: next mission had it too. Is this going to be a thing for the rest of the playthrough? Ravenfood fucked around with this message at 17:28 on Mar 11, 2013 |
# ¿ Mar 11, 2013 17:11 |
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So, are the spawns for the Slingshot missions totally scripted? Because that really sucks.
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# ¿ Mar 11, 2013 18:41 |
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Running in with ghost will activate the aliens. For whatever reason, aliens are activated when they're seen by human eyes, not when they see you. Its weird. OptimusWang posted:My snipers don't have squad sight, my only guy in ghost armor is a sniper (the other sniper is the volunteer wearing psionic armor), they both have the scanners, and assuming they don't get mind-controlled the two assaults can tank for quite awhile. Everyone else is in titan armor, the heavy doesn't have shredder rockets, and only 1 dude (an assault) is packing grenades. Oh, before you rush the room, have your psychics pop Psi Inspiration. If you're having problems taking out the Ethereal, remember that Combat Drug-boosted supports (if you have them) boost will, crit chance, and have a hidden bonus to hit rate. IIRC, you can throw smoke in, wait a turn, and THEN rush into the smoke. I hope. The will boosts might give you a tiny chance to survive all the Mind Controls you've got coming your way, too.
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# ¿ Mar 12, 2013 05:07 |
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areyoucontagious posted:Normal, I think? The next one up from the easiest. I didn't think jumping to impossible or whatever was a solid strategy. I'm tempted to drop to easy, but that's taking the path of least resistance for sure. edit: vvvvv Nah, stay on normal. If you stop dashing, you'll live long enough to learn the rest. Did you do the tutorial? Because the tutorial kind of has terrible, terrible things to tell you, like "dash!". It really isn't a good move at all. Ravenfood fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Mar 12, 2013 |
# ¿ Mar 12, 2013 15:59 |
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Alchenar posted:That's very very difficult. My first terror mission is generally with ballistics and consists of me just accepting the fact that most of the civvies will die and very cautiously setting up long range kill zones.
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# ¿ Mar 13, 2013 21:08 |
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Alchenar posted:And now you find you have trouble capturing all those 3/4 HP aliens because everything one-shots them. I always go capture first. It's a slightly slower start, but I'll actually end up with laser sniper rifles before you do and I'll have armour rolling out faster as well.
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# ¿ Mar 14, 2013 03:56 |
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dud root posted:I just beat the bomb disposal trainyard map with 0 deaths on classic difficulty. Feeling pretty smug right now, considering the first time I did that map on normal (also a bomb disposal) I squad wiped. I still cant believe that literally 6 thinmints air drop in once the bomb is disabled.
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# ¿ Mar 14, 2013 04:47 |
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Azran posted:Which are the weapons/armours I should avoid when I start my Classic game? (Holding onto that till I get the DLC - I want helmets). I guess Titan is pretty useless - since the bonus to defence seems way preferable over health. edit: I would definitely not try to skip to plasma on classic. I did it, but it was painful for a bit. Getting lasers asap is a great strategy.
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# ¿ Mar 30, 2013 16:02 |
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immortal flow posted:Is there a good difficulty mod for something between Normal and Classic? Normal is way too easy and I want to play with 'default' AI, hit% etc., but Classic shits cyberdiscs at me on the second terror mission
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# ¿ Mar 31, 2013 15:42 |
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Second terror mission is the end of the third month, yeah? Did you have plasma tech yet? Everyone should have at least been in skeleton armor and carrying laser weapons at this point, which should two-shot Cryssalids, and you should have a squad-size of 6. Cyberdiscs are mean, definitely, but not unbeatable, though losing a heavy like that can suck. Also, remember that on terror missions your priority is not rescuing civilians. You need to save one (1) to win the mission, others after that are basically bonuses. Don't put your men in danger to save anybody. Keep trying, classic is a great difficulty and you'll get it pretty quick.
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# ¿ Mar 31, 2013 16:18 |
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Orgophlax posted:On classic, enemies get +10 to base on top of the +10 the light plasma pistols give, which is why the early game with sectoids and thin men is so hard. I edited whichever .ini contained that bonus to remove it, effectively making my own "normic" difficulty. It's a pretty good sweet spot for me. immortal flow posted:I only need to save 1? That makes things much easier, I assumed the panic rating would sink me if I let more than half die or something.
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# ¿ Mar 31, 2013 18:51 |
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nnnotime posted:* This is a small thing, but I replace the shotgun on my starting assault soldier with a rifle. I don't believe you want to run-and-gun with shotguns until you get Ghost Armor and the Alloy Cannon shotgun.
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# ¿ Apr 1, 2013 03:02 |
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Yeah, I'd take Gunslinger over DGG. +10% to hit isn't worth being unable to shoot and move without an accuracy penalty at basically rifle-equivalent damange.
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# ¿ Apr 2, 2013 00:15 |
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Dr_Amazing posted:I don't know how you guys are even playing. I want to like this game but I'm constantly losing all my best guys because they're getting injured and just never recovering. Are we really stuck without a patch just because they can't make an x-box one?
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# ¿ Apr 2, 2013 04:41 |
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amanasleep posted:Yes, I don't really understand the fascination with Alloy Cannons. Plasma Rifle Assaults with Aggression, Bring 'Em On, and Killer Instinct do insane damage from any range. With Combat Drugs or Archangel boosted aim, they are like snipers.
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# ¿ Apr 3, 2013 00:34 |
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How frequently does that heavy hit the sectopod, though? Mine generally have poo poo accuracy, whereas that Alloy assault almost always has a 100% hit chance and a much higher native crit chance. You CAN kill a sectopod in one turn with some units (especially double-tap snipers). The assault, like the sniper, will.
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# ¿ Apr 3, 2013 01:40 |
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Orgophlax posted:You can already customize the colors of soldiers by default. The Elite Soldier & Slingshot DLCs add new hair styles which include helmets/head gear.
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# ¿ Apr 10, 2013 19:08 |
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If the damage is enough that you'll kill it with a hit from either the pistol or the rifle, you might as well save the rifle ammo and not have to reload later. Or he's weakening it for a arc capture, I guess.
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# ¿ Apr 15, 2013 21:54 |
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I can check it, but I am reasonably sure that movement IS affected. Something like 1-2 spaces either way, iirc. Will definitely is randomized with random rookie stats.
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# ¿ Apr 23, 2013 01:46 |
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the glow posted:No, not at all. IIRC it's 35% on Impossible for a sectoid to hit you in full cover, and if you hunker down your cover bonus of 40% doubles to 80%, meaning the sectoid's chance to hit is now -5% (though the game fudges this number to 1% so there is always an extremely slim chance you will be hit). You're safe enough while hunkered down that you can use this tactic to draw fire, while if you're simply standing behind full cover you're just asking to die.
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# ¿ Apr 23, 2013 14:23 |
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Antti posted:Oh, poo poo. I was trying to blitz through it because I reasoned the Thin Men spawns were time based.
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# ¿ Apr 29, 2013 15:07 |
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Dr. Video Games 0031 posted:Erm, I still don't see it, I don't see the cover bug in effect in that screenshot. The selected soldier is not flanking that sectoid. Are you saying that if you select the other soldier in that screenshot, it shows the sectoid as not flanked? If so, why didn't you screenshot that?
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# ¿ May 7, 2013 15:06 |
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vulgey posted:Lost a full 6 man team of almost all Colonels to a double Sectopod beatdown. Then proceeded to lose my B team on the next mission. Thought I'd manage to battle through with all the equipment I had but no. Super kitted out Rookies against the Overseer ship didn't work out in my favour. Another two Sectopods and a squad of Elite Mutons made sure of that.
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# ¿ May 13, 2013 13:49 |
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Muscle Tracer posted:Yes. I also started on normal, and savescummed my way to completion the first time after making many, many terrible mistakes. I did not start on Ironman Classic, which is what I'm actually against here. I'm a huge proponent of blind runs, but not the "harder is better" mindset that dominates this thread.
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# ¿ May 14, 2013 15:10 |
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fennesz posted:Hello. I'm terrible at this game.
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# ¿ May 20, 2013 12:20 |
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# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 22:36 |
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Brainamp posted:Um, no they won't. Classic sectoids have 4 hp. Grenades deal 3.
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# ¿ May 27, 2013 13:51 |