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Author Topic: Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?  (Read 10041 times)

Offline Bandobras

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Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?
« on: July 09, 2006, 01:50:21 am »
I don't know what the Fusion Cannon was inteded to be (a primary weapon? stats? technology?) and what is the reason for having yet another sniper weapon type; the Laser Sniper Rifle (the uber sniper weapon slot is already filled with the Tachyon Sniper Rifle). Do you know anything more about these? Do you want them included in one of the imminent releases of UFO:AI?

If nobody cares I will move them to the Trash Can page of the wiki and wait until somebody interested fishes them out.

Offline Bandobras

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Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2006, 11:55:35 am »
If we are at it, I would also trash Flare Grenade (we already have Incendiary Grenade and Flare) and Tachyon Grenade   (tachyon does not explode and hard to fit tachyon accelerator into little grenade --- mine is a different matter, as is a missile with tachyon-beaming warhead).

About Flare Grenade I'm not sure. If the Flare is chemical or electrical and can be picked up and used again as in XCom, surely it shouldn't be called Flare Grenade. If it explodes --- how does it differ from the  Incendiary Grenade? Or perhaps it is a standard magnesium flare, as Centron proposes, that is fired into the air and floats down slowly on a parachute, burned down before it touches the ground? Which option do we like best?

BTW, one important question: is there planned an Incendiary damage type, different to Fire damage type? If not, I suppose the fact that the fire should last several turns, light surroundings and, perhaps, spread, will be handled by a separate weapon flag? But how will we tell that this particular fire particle comes from an Incendiary weapon, while another is just from the old Flamthrower? Unless the Flamthrower fire is also going to last several turns and so all Fire damage becomes Incendiary damage without name-change...

Offline BTAxis

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Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2006, 12:26:02 pm »
The flare grenade was meant as a tool to light up dark areas, but since no areas are that dark, there isn't much use for them (unless that changes and night maps really become night maps). As for how they work, I don't really care, as long as the net effect is that they light up an area around them. Remember, we're not building our game around weapon tecnology, we're building weapon technology around the game. That's why a tachyon missiles and mines DO explode, not just send out radiation (hence the "explosive" damage type). It's not in accordance with tachyon theory, but it doesn't have to be. We'll just make up something like a tachion version of a hydrogen bomb, only in miniature.

As for the original question, it's okay if you move them out, we can always move them back in if necessary. I think there are plenty of weapon alternatives already, anyway.

Offline Bandobras

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Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2006, 12:51:48 pm »
Quote from: "BTAxis"
The flare grenade was meant as a tool to light up dark areas, but since no areas are that dark, there isn't much use for them


Oh... No use at all? Also for the IR goggles, I suppose? So the visual effect of the Incendiary Grenade would also be just an eye candy? Oh, well, at least the aliens will fry if they enter the grid for several turns... :P Frankly, I don't mind if there is no need to throw flares every several steps... OTOH, if aliens see as bad as humans in the dark, then the flares are a nice tactical touch for keeping your troops informed, while keeping them covered by darkness --- just not too often, perhaps on an occasional deep mine map or night in the jungle map (no stars shining)...

Quote
As for how they work, I don't really care, as long as the net effect is that they light up an area around them.


But would you like to be able to pick them up and throw again, or just hault a lot of them in the backpack?

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That's why a tachyon missiles and mines DO explode, not just send out radiation (hence the "explosive" damage type).


Nope. AFAICT, the grenades will have "tachyon" damage and "explosive" skill (not because they explode, but because they have splash damage effects). And mines will have yet another skill and "tachyon" damage again...
 
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It's not in accordance with tachyon theory, but it doesn't have to be. We'll just make up something like a tachion version of a hydrogen bomb, only in miniature.


Sure, we just have to know what we are doing --- what we are trading the believability (today and in 50 years) of our game for. In this case, as you have graciously agreed, there is no need for this explanatory effort.

Offline BTAxis

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Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2006, 01:05:10 pm »
Quote from: "Bandobras"
Oh... No use at all? Also for the IR goggles, I suppose?

Well, I think the IR goggles are meant to see through walls, so they'd still have a use. Also, maybe flares could have an impact on how easily you can spot an alien that stands near it, but I'd still like a more pronounced visual difference.

Quote from: "Bandobras"
But would you like to be able to pick them up and throw again, or just hault a lot of them in the backpack?

I'm indifferent.

Quote from: "Bandobras"
Nope. AFAICT, the grenades will have "tachyon" damage and "explosive" skill (not because they explode, but because they have splash damage effects). And mines will have yet another skill and "tachyon" damage again...

Hm, ok. I just looked at the missile. Tachyon damage is fine to me, as is the explanation of how it works, as long as the game effect remains the same, i.e. area-effect damage. It also needs to have an effect, so I know something happened. Not much fun getting hit by invisible explosions.
 
Quote from: "Bandobras"
Sure, we just have to know what we are doing --- what we are trading the believability (today and in 50 years) of our game for. In this case, as you have graciously agreed, there is no need for this explanatory effort.

Yeah. I think believeability wouldn't be in jeopardy, really, because most people haven't the first idea of what the UFOpedia is talking about, and aren't about to look it up. They'll just accept it as technobabble, the way trekkies do. There are also people like you who recognize nonsense for what it is, and the game might be less fun because of it to them, but those are a minority.

Offline Bandobras

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Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2006, 01:40:40 pm »
A vocal minority, I must add. :D :P

Northen_Wolf

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Fusion Cannon and Laser Sniper Rifle --- who's for them?
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2006, 01:46:54 pm »
erm IR googles see thru walls???? weird.... they should improve aiming and see maybe thru 1 wall only, even then the thing they see can not be indetifyed.... and from ir googles can be hiden behind objetcs.... do not make them too uber radars... somthing simlar to movement sensor in x-com 1