Topics

1

Feature Requests / More briefing and equipping before tactical missions

« on: November 30, 2015, 03:51:39 pm »

I have some trouble from not knowing what condition I end up fighting in. I think maybe it would be nice to have a static map of the map where my troops would be dropped. Also selecting/equipping troops after this briefing would enable to bring "mission specific" equipment. Also would give a lot more tactical options for the player and being more realistic.

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Feature Requests / UGV weaponry and tactics

« on: March 09, 2015, 03:29:49 pm »

I was looking at how you are proceeding with this game and was looking at your UGV concept. I wanna say a few things about your concepts. First of all your UGV is focusing around the combat role of some small scale tank. I think there should be at least two types of UGVs. A "tank" UGV wich has heavy armor and is more about outfighting enemy, and a fire support unit with a less armor but fairly higher firepower. I also started to make models for UGVs. Would like to help a bit with them.

My ideas about UGVs and UGV combat:

1.: there should be two categories of UGVs the current ares model wich is highly mobile and has a tall armored hull. So soldiers can hide behind it. There should be the other model of the chimera, wich is a fire support platform. Also there could be lightly armored and armored fliing drone in similar size(like a miniature chopper). Wich could have lightest armor and weaponry but can give a lot of vision.

2.: The UGVs should have a lot better aim and cause of the turrets they don't have to turn, so faster firing/aiming should be possible. The turets should be small, cause there is no need for space for humans. Also most weaponry can be belt fed(there are belt fed guns wich can even change ammor type). Also ammo racks should be under the turret rotating thoghether with the whole turret. Hovering systems also do not need turret they can traverse the whole hull fairly easier, also recoil and movement of a heavy turret would make the hovercraft more unstable.

3.: Ares should have options of mounting multiple types of turrets and weapons. It should be able to equip a 50mm single shot cannon or rocket launcher against other UGVs and fortified positions, also with the ability to fire HE rounds. This turret should have a coaxial MG simple with 4,7 mm ammo. This should be a standard configuration. Alien tanks could only be damaged by explosives and this cannon efffectively. There should be a turret with the 12mm Rotary cannon just against soft targets. Also you could research more weapons like this. e.g.: A laser weapon wich eliminates the need for two separate guns(making the turret smaller, or better armored), or into a combination of a high yield plasma cannon and a rapid firing laser weapon.

4.: Chimera UGV should always have multiple weapon systems. With lighter armor larger turret mount it should mount a more deadlier weaponry also could be a little bit faster. It should have a starting turret with a 12mm rotary cannon for direct fire support and a 25mm belt fed grenade launcher for indirect fire support. There could be a variant with a 70mm mortar with multiple type of rounds( airburst HE for standard, gun launched armor piercing rocket against armor, semi armor piercing He rounds for the ability to attack enemy inside buildings, more advenced rounds could also be rounds wich leaves a mine at impact point. A third turret with a heavy longer range automatic 25mm grenade launcher also should be present(it would able to take 5 or so aimed shots not too far from each other or more but not really accurate shooting.). This platform could act as a light artirelly for the phalanx troops. For the large weapons there should be a 4,7 machine gun as a secondary weapon.

5.: For larger guns UGVs should have to select ammot type before each shot(simple for single shot weapons, dunno how to do for multi shot weapons like 12mm and 25mm GLs). Also GL for the UGVs should have larger effective range.

6.: UGVs should have 360 vision with the ability to detect aliens throgh walls if they are too close. Some aliens also should have thermal cloack so they wouldn't be seen through walls.

If you are interested in my concept I will post my done models too. I'm still working on them and they aren't ready yet.

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Feature Requests / Research about citizen defense

« on: September 06, 2014, 01:25:35 pm »

Mostly the tectical missions are slow paced and they are intended to be. But civilians spawn at bad postions sometimes. There could be research wich is helping with this. So after a few encounters you have a research with what you can make brossures on how to act when aliens attack. So if you researched this there is a high chance of that civilians spawn closer to you and not in alien sight. If you have radar coverage then there is a chance that not 8 but less civilians spawn(not spawned civilians counts as saved ones. Also some missions where are other military personel they should at least try to shoot back.

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Feature Requests / Few things I want to tell

« on: August 19, 2014, 03:27:39 pm »

Few ideas based on what I see in game and what people on forums told me. Maybe It’s just me but these are mostly balance changes, and not meant to make the game any easier! They meant to make the game chalenging in another way.

1.: Make a global experience increase for soldiers(you are fighting a war more and more soldiers get involved with aliens. So you could get a lot of soldiers who had survived combat in what you wasn't involved/you can send away your best soldiers to train better soldeirs). Maybe get better soldiers based on nation happiness?

2.: Make missions fairly harder but more rewarding to complete. Also make soldiers death a lot less decrease in squad power. It would make it seem more like a war.

3.: Rise starting money or make more ways to provide lot of early ability to expand. Also make enemy able to destroy your radar bases and make a lot of onslaughts on your bases. When they start to bring armors(start to really take you seriusly) they should really start to hit bases/installations.

4.: Number of bloodspiders should be increased. There are only a few and they aren't pose any threat at all. Make them gang on you and go all out assault on you. Maybe even at the cost of smaller size and less health. But they should use different AI behavior if possible and close up on you. Maybe rise the number of hovernets too by a miniscule amount.

5.: Make advenced weapons worth the price. Snipers can one shot something for 20 TU-s wich is becoming good later. EM rifles on the other hand let me down a bit. Coilguns also have the same TU problems. Why rising TU with damage? They get out sniped by far lighter weapons… Throughwall capability should be explained a bit.

6.: Too much use of alien weaponry. Yeah this is a UFO game so you should be able to use their weapons against them, but I had to made my whole squad into using plasma rifles a sniper rifle(mostly for training for coilgun), and a single grenade launcher cause that one can't use anything else. I could imagine some weapons what they can use and we can't. Sheevars could some kind of really heavy ballistic weapon with so high recoil(railguns do still recoil) a human can't handle even with the integrated recoil dumpening what make a sheevar be able to use it. But this could lead us to improve our own weaponry into using much stronger orinary ballistic weapons wich use alien ideas but human technology in it. Laser rifles are good idea but these things would be stronger than that still weaker than particle beam weapons, or something like this.

7.: Very limited possibilities at start. Like missions. So you can't get two teams up in the air. I'm halfway through my first year. Third through the game it seems. So I could need to get that squad up or need really good new recruits. Else new squad simply will be useless and waste of money. Also more squads would make the game more warlike.

8.: It's an all out war. Your basic weapon selection not so bad but not so good either. I only got 4 items on the early item list wich is really can be used. Assault rifles, Sniper Rifles(very limited use at start), HMG(only for few missions full auto +little moving can do a lot of hurt still classed assault so will not set my team back with other skills. Still 14 TU-s for 5 bullets isn’t really good with that accuracy. It’s even worth than the full auto of an assault rifle… HMG really needs a boost.), grenade launcher(most realiable thing in the arsenal. Hit a lot, hit hardest, indirect fire option). I could say that grenade launcher should far more unreliable. Could also do hybrid damage(I asked it if the game support it, and If I got it correct it does) so it should do explosive damage in a small radius and normal with %chance on a larger area. So more chance to hurt yourself and also really became area of effect weapon. This could also work with rocket launchers.

9.: Sidearms should be made a little bit stronger TU vise(except plasma pistol and other alien stuff).

10.: Out of base buildings(radar,sam site,ufo silo). These aren't really useful as they numbers are far too low. Maybe rising their number by 1-2/base. Would help a lot with early radar coverage. Wich also would make unlucky early games less happening(sometimes I didn't got any missions in the first month).

11.: Also you meintion mumbai a lot. How a lot of troops wasn’t able to kill a few aliens. After that you meet aliens and you can kill them easily? Seems like this is not really in line with your fluff. Especially considering you get virtually useless soldiers.  It should be really hard to kill those Aliens. Even to the point where sniping them with assault rifles would be nearly pointless. You could need to rely on heavy weapons to kill them. Like sniper rifles/HMG-s for lighter aliens and rocket/grenade launchers for heavier aliens. They are said to be really outgunning and outfighting you in mumbai. After that you simply can fight them on nearly equal footing with just eight useless out of the basic training rookies who can’t even properly grip a gun? Hell know! They couldn’t even scratch an alien. Give those heavy weapons a proper purpose. Make some kind of change to aliens so they really pose a hardcore threat(armored tamans and sheevar also should get infra vision against smoke exploit).

12.: Also why you are the only single one who is doing anything? Especially with this 1 miniature base rookie soldiers minimal money gameplay…  I know original Xcom was something like this. But that was just cause technical limitations. I would like to see the game as a competent one. With a feeling of living world around you not just useless numbers and fluff. Right know nations don’t exist. I explain this: Virtually they give you minimal amount of money, good for nothing soldiers(especially as the game progresses), and do nothing just sit. You still will win a WAR! Against an alien race. It’s just really the kind of WTF stuff? Ok you are the phalanx, the SPECIAL force. Good you do type of asap reaction job. You are ont he front lines and try to get any kind of upper hand. But still there should be other groups who are fighting aliens. Not so well armed and trained. But still they could be there fighting. Sometimes needing your help. Triing to deal with missions you don’t take up(you have a chance of missions succeed without your direct involvement). Buti f they fight they win they don’t give you the craft. But you could by more stuff on market maybe from them. They could also help research this way. If a nation gets a ufo they could have an X% chance of researching that ufo at the speed of only one research facility. Also you could give technology to the nations. This way rising their effectiveness at everything. Maybe with separeta research for mass manufacturing. Like ok you built X number of laser rifles now you have the knowledge to make the crafting process fairly easier, faster and cheaper. It could effect you. But also it could make it so the nations start to pump out laser rifles on large scale. This will also increase their chances of succeeding without your direct actions. Also this could be maybe only an alternate to that phalanx is always ont the front.

I don’t say that this is the way to go. But maybe with a little bit of work(mostly balance). You can really feel like you are warring an enemy race. Cause now it feels like this: You are a hope of humanity. Your job? Stop the aliens! But we really don’t even care! Just use this aircraft these noob soldiers and single interceptor. Here you go! Go and save the whole world! But don’t really ask for a lot of money! The aliens aren’t so great a threat! They are just annoying so get rid of them already! Sorry for the long post and probably bad english, it’s not my mother tounge.

5

Artwork / Questions about models

« on: August 19, 2014, 01:21:07 pm »

I would like to help with a few models. Mostly static ones cause I'm not so good at animation. So I would like to know firstly what you need the most? How much poly's can be used? I think the game should go with 1500 for a car? Or it have to be less? What the engine even supports right now?

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Tactics / Money trouble

« on: August 18, 2014, 07:10:38 pm »

I'm just reached the point in the game when I could need a lot of equipment. Nano armors, laser weapons, dragons. I had two bases. So I tought I could build my second base witch had just two interceptor hangars and minimal reqruired things for operation into a equipment build base. I had 300k at start. I got myself into the job. Built 4 workshops. Running them is ok, but I need to build more bases cause I need radar cover and get somer of their ships even down... Even if only when they try to get my firebird. Also I can't build more alien sites... Wich I also could need... So I ask you how to get more money? I sell all alien things what I don't need. Won every mission. Took apart 10 ufos. Still no luck... -.- There are not enough missions for me to take even if there could be my man can't heal. Newbies sent out wouldn't be really effective(low stats... most of them below 25 acc and weap skill so don't wanna send them against armored enemy...). Will it be better later on with money or it's just get even worth. Cause I see I need more money as game progresses but I get less. I would need a second team but I can't get proper soldiers for that team. Losing a mission is now game over. So what are you guys do to get your economy started? Cause it's starting to get fustrating. I can't afford even to see where those things lands...

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Coding / Few questions at once I don't now if I post it in good topic tough.

« on: August 17, 2014, 05:08:48 pm »

I wanna ask a few questions:
Shooting is CPU or GPU calculated?
Is there actual physics in the game or only gravity?
How grenade launcher hit is calculated(based on it always lands right on target)?
Is it possible to for a weapon to fire multiple shots with just one shooting calculation(same trajectory, same speed, etc)?
If there is. Is there a way to use 1 ammo to fire multiple shots?

Example use for this: Cannons/rockets/grenades/launchers: If it is possible then they can actually have made to be more realistic e.g.: They could have a direct blast wich is explosive damage and "cloud" of shrapnel wich is a chance to hit normal damage. The impact hit weapons also could have an extra impact damage type on them.

I don't if shooting is slow on cpu's or no, or what method you are using. If it is then I have a few ideas wich I don't want to post until I don't know how things works cause they could be pretty stupid...

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Tactics / 2.5 Early game builds+what effect the amount of TU's?

« on: August 15, 2014, 08:52:19 pm »

I have playing 2.5 and I have only one problem. I don't have the money to cover, the whole planet so I only downed 1 scout and attacked a landed scout. After that I met a horde of aliens on the metro station or something like that map. I would need suggestion for early game builds. Assault rifles are ok but dunno how to make a proper build. I'm triing to go with assault rifle+submachine gun combo(my guys can carry them without problem with basic armor) so how to organize it? I have trouble with carriing this weaponry+medkits+smoke and flash grenades. I think maybe the backpack is a bit small... Cause I cant place a rifle+4 grenades+medpack in it... Maybe there could be a dedicated rifle slot for holstering rifles(what should not work for heavy weapons). Or something...