Weapons/equipment suggestions

[Zorlen]

Bolter rifle throws projectiles at very high speed, but the projectiles are very light themselves, otherwise recoil would render the weapon unusable. Any massive-blade-thrower would probably use lower muzzle velocities. Crossbow or harpoon are technically the same kerr-throwing weapons as a disc-thrower with the same limitations, just in more mundane implementation. Unless kerr-discs are ultra-thin and hence ultra-light, thus allowing being shot at bolter velocities. Though I am unsure if monomolecular technology allows film-thin blades.

[sirg]

Yes, but it's quite similar to the bolter rifle

When I'm thinking of a new weapon my 1st concerns would be:

- it has to be fun to have and use, besides typical weapons (pistols, rifles, etc)
- it isn't an upgrade of a basic type of weapon, ie - same rifle but with more firepower
- it's original*
- it has to make the arsenal more diverse and complex
- it isn't unrealistic or stupid

* I think it's very hard to come up with an original idea, as most weapon types have already been imagined in previous entertainment, movies or games, so I'm not saying we should copy stuff, but take what's good and use it

[Zorlen]

Orginal weapons look cool, but soldiers would probably need to accomodate for their effective usage. Bolter, laser and plazma rifles act much more like a conventinal rifle than 10-inch spinning disc thrower. I think it could be an acceptable weapon for aliens to use in their terror missions - it slices unprotected targets into parts, ready to be packed and transported for research.

Meanwhile I added my proposals to Wiki and here's a new one for your constructive criticism :-)

Pyrogel torch (deprecatable by plasma blade)

Originally designed for use by government special agents when the situation required destruction of evidences. Military use was quite limited, including only several operations against drug cartels, when it was used in rapid raids for burning down drug deposits. This device follows pretty simplistic design and represents a flashlight-sized airtight plastic cylinder containing fast-burning binary pyrogel and expulsion charge. It is activated much like a grenade, but after removing the pin it is not thrown, but rather pointed at the target and fired by pressing the lever. Suspended pyrogel is ejected towards target and ignites upon release. Due to the nature of the burning agent, it burns out within a second. The area within direct proximity is exposed to extremely high temperatures, churning or igniting everything that burns. Pyrogel torches were not specifically meant to be used against personnel due to their close range where more convenient close-combat weapons could be used, and excessive damaging capacity, rendering them to be an overkill. However, nothing is too powerful against new alien threat, and with the minor modifications the design was adopted as PHALANX backup one-shot weapon for melee range.

[sirg]

sounds funny

But I want to see something like an imobilising net, or a stun effect weapon that would disable the target for a turn or two

[BTAxis]

The flashbang does that, sort of.

I want that to change slightly, though. I think the flashbang should not take away TUs for the next turn, but instead disable weapons fire and double all movement cost. The result is still a disabled soldier, but at least he won't be a sitting duck, as is the case now.

[SpaceWombat]

Good idea about the flashbang. If it is not to difficult maybe the walking path should be a bit randomized to let the soldier tumble around. 

Will the flashbang or some branch be usable in the grenade thrower?

[BTAxis]

No plans for that.

[eleazar]

I want that to change slightly, though. I think the flashbang should not take away TUs for the next turn, but instead disable weapons fire and double all movement cost. The result is still a disabled soldier, but at least he won't be a sitting duck, as is the case now.

What about putting a strong malus on "accuracy"?  In other words, he could fire a weapon, but would be unlikely to hit anything, unless the alien was very easy to hit.  It could feel less contrived than a simply disabling fire.

[BTAxis]

That's what the flashbang is for, though. A counter to RF.

[Surrealistik]

I prefer the idea of a strong temporary penalty to accuracy rather than having the use of firearms outright disabled. Movement while under the effect of the flashbang should also be partially randomized, with a 1 in X chance the victim staggers off course to one of the adjacent tiles immediately ahead if he has the TUs and ability to do so, where X is = to the number of these tiles he can potentially move into. The field of view of the affected unit should also be totally disabled once the underlying line of sight system is implimented.


Back to the subject of new weaponry, I'd like to see a tactical mortar weapon, at least in singleplayer. In multiplayer such a weapon would evoke balance issues assuming its range were virtually unlimited as it should be, given that most maps feature open starting positions and the first team to play on such maps would always win. Perhaps this issue could be partially negated by some sort of 'deployment' phase which would require a full turn.

As for the specifics, the mortar would be slow to fire and reload, and highly inaccurate, but extremely powerful, featuring terminal damage, a huge splash radius, and virtually unlimited range. It could also be loaded with serveral ammo types, ranging from incendiary, to fragmentation, to plasma and antimatter once the appropriate technologies have been researched. The mortar is large, taking up perhaps a 2x5 space, with each shell occupying 1x2 or even 1x3 tiles. It would essentially be *the* long range indirect artillery weapon of the PHALANX arsenal; one of the few tactical niches that are so far unfilled by it.

[SpaceWombat]

While this mortar would fit into a weak spot of the current arsenal I actually can only think of one map that I would find it useful for (but in this case VERY useful): convoy! 
The civs far away down the road are lost anyway and I would be able to counter the alien range advantage.

For other maps I cannot imagine its usefulness right now. If I do not see anything I will probably hit civs instead of enemies and if it is that inaccurate I do not dare to send a scout into the line of fire of that beast.

My proposals (stolen from UFO: Aftermath):

- Alien rocket launcher with various powerful though versatile ammo types. Lightweight in comparison to the human barrel and smaller rockets. Disadvantage: Very expensive ammo.

- Guns to mount on the power suit (any plans for that?). Gatling gun, grenade thrower and heavy cannon would be nice.

[mad-biker]

Vibro Blades
Glue Guns and Grenades, perhaps render an area unpassable or use a whole heep of time units to get through it.
Recon Drones
More traps, smart mines, sensor to detect enemy movements.

I for one would like to see an open source weapon ad on ability, so everyone can make a add on weapon, similar to total analation. i feel every weapon needs a weakness, more powerfull the gun, the less ammo it has, the more advanced the more prone to failure. everything needs to ballance out.

[Surrealistik]

While this mortar would fit into a weak spot of the current arsenal I actually can only think of one map that I would find it useful for (but in this case VERY useful): convoy! 
The civs far away down the road are lost anyway and I would be able to counter the alien range advantage.

For other maps I cannot imagine its usefulness right now. If I do not see anything I will probably hit civs instead of enemies and if it is that inaccurate I do not dare to send a scout into the line of fire of that beast.

I can easily. Rivertown, the desert map with the crashed ufo and railway, the gas station, the map with the lumber mill, the crashed supply ship maps, the dam, corrupt city, japanese terror site, revelstone (farm map), etc... Basically any relatively open map where the bulk of civvies aren't too close to the alien inital spawn. There are plenty, and likely will be more.

Also, if balanced for multiplayer, it will be indisputably useful there.

[Zorlen]

I think artillery support, if any, could be UGW-mounted. Maybe even a sort of multiple launch rocket system (MLRS).
Though I suspect that next thing to be requested would be an airstrike 

[BTAxis]

I prefer the idea of a strong temporary penalty to accuracy rather than having the use of firearms outright disabled. Movement while under the effect of the flashbang should also be partially randomized, with a 1 in X chance the victim staggers off course to one of the adjacent tiles immediately ahead if he has the TUs and ability to do so, where X is = to the number of these tiles he can potentially move into. The field of view of the affected unit should also be totally disabled once the underlying line of sight system is implimented.

Sorry, offtopic again. The accuracy penalty sounds okay to me. Not sure what you meant with the random movement - this should be in the enemy's turn when flashbanged, using reserved TUs, yes? As I said earlier, I intend to alleviate the frustration of having a soldier sit around doing nothing, so I'd like for a player to at least move the soldier, but at an increased cost. If the soldier moved randomly during the player's turn, that would be worse than what we have now.
I must insist that flashbangs disable weapons fire during the enemy's turn, though. That's what they're FOR.

On topic: A real mortar would never get past Winter, so you should probably forget about that for the stock version of the game, but maybe something like that on an UGV would work. Seriously though, at this point I'd rather focus on filling out the alien arsenal than the human one. We've got more than enough human weapons as it is.