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Messages - Pretend

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1
Discussion / Re: Weapon Ideas?
« on: June 04, 2010, 10:14:15 pm »
I think his suggestions were pretty decent and could be implented to create more realism, plot and mission variation to the game. I think big area where Ufo:AI could improve above the original X-Com and all them clones is to create more atmosphere, create more rpg kind of elements, create character..

So I would indeed like to see missions with different objectives - maybe like scripted voluntary plot missions. Search/heal/escort crashed pilots back to the transporter, help defend a military base with some local militia, search a map where there maybe ain't no aliens, but a group of crazy men etc. And for even more plot missions where you have to choose one of two objectives.. like free soldiers from alien holding cells or retrieve the alien data which they will destroy if you go for the cells. eg. gain 2 veteran soldiers or a free tech.

Maybe it's called realism, but I think it makes the world live and become more personal.

edit: Though, I am in no position to wish for such complexity, because I am not a coder nor a scripter.. but I try to help a little with things I do have talent in. :)

2
Sounds and Music / Re: [Wanted] Bloodspider attack sound
« on: June 04, 2010, 04:02:39 pm »
this means we can chose the license we want? e.g. gpl?

Yes. GNU General Public License is fine.
I just want to see the final 2.3 playing on my computer. :)

3
Sounds and Music / Re: [Wanted] Bloodspider attack sound
« on: June 04, 2010, 12:16:40 pm »
I did some sounds with a microphone.. feel free to use as you like. :)

sample: http://koti.mbnet.fi/pretend/ufoai/spider_samples.mp3
all files in a zip file: http://koti.mbnet.fi/pretend/ufoai/spider_sounds_by_pretend.zip (44k wav)


(spoiler: using steel weights, a banana, mars bar wrapping and a coca cola bottle):D

4
Artwork / Re: Artist required for UFOPaedia images
« on: February 08, 2010, 02:34:32 pm »
UFO activity image is now uploaded in various formats, which ever suits you best. However, there are no layers as my method is to combine them to the background as I go on.. if you want something changed I can edit from some autosave point.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/pretend/ufoai/

The globe picture is off from a picture cd that says the images are free to use for non-commercial use. And, it's hardly visible in the finished image which is heavily edited. My Orbital Ufo Activity image is free to use in any license UFO AI project needs it. (haven't looked into the details of different licenses)

Is my work is good enough, should I look into "The Alien Strategy"?

5
Artwork / Re: Artist required for UFOPaedia images
« on: February 07, 2010, 12:26:31 am »
Ok, I did something for Orbital UFO Activity.

To my web address I uploaded a file used (earth.jpg) in the creation of this and an original .cpt file of the image shown here.
Also added the previous blood spider autopsy image .cpt - is that all you needed? I hope you can use some of this.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/pretend/ufoai/

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Artwork / Re: Artist required for UFOPaedia images
« on: February 06, 2010, 04:37:44 pm »
You mean the .cpt file? I'll upload it.

Where can I get the research report of "orbital ufo activity" so that my artwork for it is accurate. Didn't found it from the ufoai wiki. Maybe someone could post it here please? I can do something a lot nicer than the bloodspider autopsy, which was pretty hard to work with.

7
Artwork / Re: Artist required for UFOPaedia images
« on: February 06, 2010, 12:35:58 pm »
I always use corel photopaint, instead of adobe's photoshop.. do you want the picture in different format?

I could try creating something (better) for those two missing ones too.

8
Artwork / Re: Artist required for UFOPaedia images
« on: February 05, 2010, 10:55:37 pm »
Source images?
For the most part it's the dead bloodspider picture found in http://ufoai.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ufoai/ufoai/trunk/base/pics/techs/bloodspider_dead.png?revision=28103&view=markup then I made the shape of "central core" out of a vacuum cleaner http://www.appliancist.com/panasonic-cyclonic-bagless-vacuum-platinum-aeroblast.jpg. Rest is free hand.

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Artwork / Re: Artist required for UFOPaedia images
« on: February 05, 2010, 10:05:31 pm »
Hi, total newbie to contribute in here, but I worked a bit on a dead bloodspider picture I found in /trunk/base/pics/techs/
I tried to rework it to an autopsy image. Mine is not the greatest piece of art, but better than nuthin.. feel free to use. :)


10
Discussion / Re: Feedback from one more XCOM vet
« on: April 03, 2008, 04:43:43 pm »
Good points from JohnC2008, I would agree on most of them. Especially those which are "easy" to make happen.

btw, what martial art do you teach?
I prefer shotokan karate myself. :)

11
Discussion / Re: Ideas of Psionic concept and other things
« on: March 31, 2008, 08:45:09 pm »
Sophisanmus, true. I didn't remember the brainsuckers until you mentioned it. They were quite a pain in the spacesuit if it got close to you and you were low on time. I'd like to see something similiar implented.

But I still think PSI is just not fun and it's really a cliche. I like physical battles.

12
Discussion / Re: Ideas for new technologies
« on: March 31, 2008, 08:38:16 pm »
I agree that there could be a couple of later stage HUMAN weapons. Projectile guns instead of those typical lasers, plasmas and beams.

As for alien weapons I'd like to see some creative use of different species. As it is now the human figure aliens share the same weapons and I didn't see much difference which one I was fighting against. For starters make the muscle alien even harder to take down, snake alien faster and stealthier and so on. Aliens could be a weapon themself. Like couldn't the snakeguy (sorry can't remember their name now) have a poison spit and snake bite for close range. The big muscle alien could use it's strenght to throw something unique, like an Alien style "facehuggers" at Phalanx, which would take control of your soldier. Exploding alien suicide race would be nasty, as would bigger than one square size super-hard-to-kill alien beasts.

Weapons.. aliens should be scary as hell. Now they are not because the zap weapons aren't that intimidating. Aliens don't have any high-explosive weapons (plasma fluid launcher = grenadelauncher which leaves the ground burning for couple of rounds), they don't have machineguns (very inaccurate super heavy 10-shot autofire for the muscle boys) nor sniper rifles (Long distance low-velocity living projectile, which would bite deeper and deeper in to the skin causing damage each turn until removed). Try to think other weapons than just the basic rifle shape items.

13
Discussion / Re: Ideas of Psionic concept and other things
« on: March 31, 2008, 08:15:04 pm »
My thoughts on everything related to psionic abilities: Gay.
PSI stuff was the only thing I did not like in the original X-Com and for some reason every X-Com style game has always brought in the same idea of psionic aliens. Mind control, panic and mysterious brain damage. Boring.

More interesting would be an alien launcher weapon, which would shoot a lifeform to the ground. That would jump on your soldiers face and take control. It could be removed with a knife or something by a team mate.

14
Tactics / Re: Tip of the Day
« on: March 31, 2008, 07:59:28 pm »
I agree that it was disappointing you couldn't shoot over crouched teammate.

However, realistically thinking.. you would give your teammate permanent ear damage if you'd shoot a loud gun next to his head. :)

15
Discussion / Another X-Com's vet thoughts
« on: March 31, 2008, 06:00:11 am »
First of all a brief introduction. I am 26 year old hardcore gamer from Finland, northern europe. One of the biggest game franchises for me has been the X-Com series and it's spinoffs. I bet I am one of the rare people who have not only completed X-Com, X-Com 2: Terror from the Deep and X-Com 3: Apocalypse but even the infamous X-Com: Interceptor. I have also played around with Altar's trilogy (UFO: Aftermath, Aftershock, Afterlight) which I thought was the closest thing to the original X-Com until I found this freeware project.

I played Alien Invasion to the point when it ended with a <to do> screen, so I guess you haven't quite finished it yet. However, while playing the game for several hours I noticed this and that, which things to improve. Here's a quick list (mostly just simple things):

Geoscape:
- When I had several bases I had problems keeping track on what's happening in which base. Instead of "Research on X finished" the announcements should always include the base name "Research on X finished in New York."
- Dog fight sequence needs some graphics. Even just a static videoclip like in X-Com. Better if you could raise this up to another level with some new idea.
- Maybe this is a thing in development, but I experienced 99,9% of UFOs to be harvesters. Only a couple of supply ships and no others if I remember correct. One fighter which was landed.
- Again maybe in development but the financial balance was really weird. After selling some alien equipment I had a constant 900 million or something ridiculous so that money didn't really play any role during the whole game.
- Then the big one. Imho the inventory and personnel management screens should be reworked. The interface for storage items is not good to use. It doesn't work well with the amount of different items available. And also there should be a page for hired soldiers to rename/equip/compare/hospitalize/transfer/train/cloth them. Now soldier management is spread on multiple pages.

Tactical:
- First of all I'd like to point out that some maps were brilliant, while some were way too dull and unimaginative (is that a word?). Also, about half of the maps were really small in size. And even the "big" maps were average size at best. Is this a design decision or engine limited?
- Civilians are a horrible drag. :) There could be armed police and/or soldiers on some missions helping the player out.
- Camera should focus on the source of a sound during the AI turn like in original X-Com. It's simple but great. As it is, you have no idea where that gun fire is happening if you don't have a direct visual. There could be a "?" icon moving around the map when sound fo movement is heard but no direct visual on the alien/civilian.
- After the red line when you spot an alien for the first time disappears, you have no quick way of knowing does your other soldiers see that same alien during that turn. Maybe those red lines should be toggle on/off or some other notifier if your soldier has a direct visual on alien(s).
- Line of sight in general is a bit of guessing and trying. Would the engine allow lighting the tiles/eg. fog of war (not complete pitch black) to show the soldiers visual range?
- There could be some noticeable effects between full health condition and dead. I didn't notice anything, but a wounded unit should aim poor, move slower etc. Or just collapses to the ground but stays alive (if mission is completed).
- I understand the engine has it's limitations but I missed even some miscellaneous destructive (tables and chairs), exploding (barrels) and flammable (cars) map items.

Equipment ideas:
- Landmines are a must.
- Homing eg. waypoint missile was a great fun in X-Com, but don't overpower it.
- Concussion grenade and crossbow with darts to catch some live aliens would be nice.
- Hi-tech riot shield would give new tactical opportunities. One soldier on the point would have a large shield to give a moving cover for others behind him.
- The landing craft could have a weapon which would fire reaction fire during missions.
- I would like to see later stage projectile weapons too. Lasers and plasmas are for girls.
- Jetpack (but maybe with a very limited energy). Just to get on that roof.

Other ideas:
- One of the biggest positive things to me was the great work on the ufopedia and research proposals and such. Someone has really written interesting and believeable reports there. It's the soul of this game. But make the techtree more interesting, tactical and suprising. Some techonology proposals could just be plain waste of time. And at some point you would have to decide A or B path, but not both.
- You could bring in another faction than just Phalanx and Aliens. Some big country/continent would ally/become servants with the aliens and that would bring human vs human fights too.
- Try to make the soldiers more unique. Maybe not as far as Jagged Alliance series go, but bigger differences to their stats, maybe some voice sets, different skin colors, taller and shorter ones etc etc
- Blood or whatever the aliens bleed. Acid? Anyways, this could leave blood trails to find that hiding alien you wounded already. And not to mention that gore is always good in games. :p


Well that's all I remember now. I'll be around looking if I could I help with something. I have no talent in coding, but I think I could learn the map editor fairly easy. If you need audio effects or music I might able to help. I also have talent in 2D-graphics/editing and plain ol writing.


PS. I have always hated the PSI/psionic skills and weapons which every X-Com style game throws in. Why not just skip that whole cliche and invent something different for the aliens. Maybe they could just cause fear and panic to your unexperienced soldiers if caught pants down. No psionictonydanza needed.



Keep up the excellent work!
-Pretend

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