Initial equipment

[HaJo]

when starting a game, I always have to go first and buy more equipment
to outfit my team.
It would be nice to have sufficent items right away for any team
you might be given, without having to go back and forth to purchase
some more stuff.

I think there should be at least two of each weapon in the initial equipment,
plus two ammo for each of them (one loaded, one extra clip).
The rocketlauncher needs some more ammo, say 5 rockets
(1 loaded + 1 in belt + 3 in holster), and 2 grenades and 1 knife
per soldier.

Is armor really intended to be scarce ?
With only 3+5 you can only outfit one team from one base,
and there are several bases to be built + equipped...

[inquisiteur2]

Additionnaly, I think that it would be very very nice to have hotkeys like in Counter-Strike where we can choose a predefined set of equipement for our soldiers instead of equiping all of them manually each time.

For example pressing on F1 would equip a soldier with:
Kevlar Vest
Shotgun
1 Grenade
and a pistol
ammunition

F2 (heavy assault config)
Heavy armor
Flame thrower
Ammunition

etc..

I am asking for that because it is very boring to equipe each time the soldiers, it would be fare better to have 5-6 different hotkeys; un for

1. Snipers
2. Close combat
3. Heavy assault
4. Medium distance combat

Don't if this takes a while to code...

[Bandobras]

I think you can do the hotkeys yoursef and even from within the game (on the game console). Of course saving them to you base/config.cfg would be much more comfortable. For instruction see any net tutorial about q2 console key biding and our wiki about additional ufo cvars and commands.

And don't forget to upload a patch, when you are satisfied, so that newbies can get the goodies right away.

[Bandobras]

At your word, I'm just redoing the market code and scripts. I'm interested in what people buy right now at the game start, so that I know what (not) to put in the initial inventory/initial market. WOuld you mind to share you cunning strategies in that respect?

Thanks!

[HaJo]

I submitted my current settings for the initial equipment
as issue 1534493 on sf.net, see
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1534493&group_id=157793&atid=805245

The idea is to have enough items to outfit (almost) any random team
that might be generated, without having to go back and forth
to buy more equipment.

[Bandobras]

Thanks! Anybody else?

5 rockets for the rocketlaunchers
(1 loaded + 1 in belt + 3 in holster),

I think ammo load time is the same regardless of equipment slot. Can you verify? And the RPG man needs really badly an SMG in his holster, since he is helpless at close range, expecially after shooting his rocket...

[HaJo]

RPG man needs really badly an SMG in his holster, since he is helpless
at close range, expecially after shooting his rocket...

So he should avoid being at close range  
and instead move out of sight behind some cover.

Changing weapons + shooting needs at least 15 TU
(1 drop to floor + 2 move to hand + 12 shoot).

After firing a rocket (3+12 for moving into position + shoot),
that does not leave enough time for anything else,
as I rarely get men with more than 30-31 TU.

So he is best used from the rear, just shooting + reloading.

[Bandobras]

As you wish. But this is not possible in close-quaters maps (rare, right now, but still). And when you start turn after firing a rocket in the last turn, and you spot an alien close and have the option to reload rocket or wield SMG, shoot and still manage to take cover...

What about reload TU cost? Is it  constant or not?

P.S. Oh, sorry, it is not constant, as opposed to XCOM1. so carrying rockets in the holster (what an absurd! ) makes sense. BTW, do you like it that way?

[HaJo]

What about reload TU cost?

Reload rocketlauncher with ammo from belt or holster: 14 TU
Reload from floor:        15 TU
Reload from backpack: 18 TU

[HaJo]

it is not constant, as opposed to XCOM1.
BTW, do you like it that way?

it seems logical: reload-time for weapon + time to move ammo into hand

As defined in weapons_human.ufo :
* rpg ... reload 12

and inventory.ufo :
* inventory belt ... out 1
* inventory right ... in 1

[Bandobras]

OK, thanks for confirmation. Do you like it? I find it nonsensical that it encourages to put 3 rockets into the holser...

[HaJo]

nonsensical ... 3 rockets into the holser

How about 6 grenades in there, or a medikit + 2 grenades ?

Realism in games only goes so far - Treat it just as some kind of container.

[Bandobras]

Realism in games only goes so far.

Yes, sure, I'm not fond of restrictions that enforce realism, so I would not like to enforce that holser holds only one weapon (one line in as script would do that). But I  like if game-rules encourage behaviour close to realism, and having reload time constant (though not realistic itself ) encourages realistic inventory management... Not only that, together with some other tweaks, this should make sidearms really useful and interesting, as opposed to regarding them just as weak brethren of the primary weapons.

[HaJo]

I posted an updated version of the Initial equipment on sf.net, see
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1534493&group_id=157793&atid=805245

[Bandobras]

I've seen it. It's still on my TODO list. Right now, I've added random equipment (can be turned off with an option). In the result the old equipment is reduced even more. Moreover I intend to enable market place only after the first mission and then make only a few things (mostly ammo) available, then more and more each month. Please comment when you try the next xdelta...