Messages

1

Feature Requests / Re: Allow to manually land the transport on geoscape

« on: May 28, 2015, 10:51:23 pm »

Risk is never non-zero.

I concur the ability to safely land transports will lessen the utility of advanced fighters. But is this the right device to promote it? For the sake of the argument let's imagine transports already can land. Will it be the right thing to deny that capability as an artificial way to force the player into research? Wouldn't it be deux ex machina?

Thats really the point of suggestions like this one. Lots of hours (yes, it is) gone for little gain.

In this particular case, gain isn't that little. For the first-time players the game mechanic of transports being intercepted by UFO's isn't obvious. When it happens for the first time, it seems grossly unfair. When

an alien interceptor spawns just the dropship.

it seems grossly unfair. Arbitrary bad luck isn't challenging or thrilling. People might just quick playing after the first incident. And the odds of at least one incident happening through the campaign are not little. I myself saved and quit the game - rationalization that this is the way things should work when enemy controls the skies needed time and some effort.

2

Feature Requests / Re: Cured from XVI alines to join PHALANX

« on: May 28, 2015, 10:29:24 pm »

BTAxis, who wrote the tech report you mentioned in the first place, is one of the main story developers for this game. We usually do not "elaborate" his work. Because most articles are based on another one, while others again are based on this one. So changing one ...

Sorry for misunderstanding. "Elaborate" relates to Reply#2 in this thread. I don't suggest to change the BTAxis's report. I humbly proposed a possible way to continue his story.

However, sending a patch might change things.

I understand the importance of contributions for open source projects. I wish it could go this way. But I'm not very good in programming - I can't imagine having written the patch in foreseeable future.

3

Feature Requests / Re: Cured from XVI alines to join PHALANX

« on: May 27, 2015, 11:24:37 pm »

Thanks for the discussion! Story-wise

"The (healed) subject exhibits infantile behaviour -- it has little control over motor functions, struggling to walk, and acts frightened of everything that moves."

can be resolved. For example, elaborating on the Visitor's suggestion:

Surprising things are happening to the cured subjects in our containment. Only a week ago they were no more than children, but now some have fully resumed control of the locomotion functions and exhibit intelligence similar to those of Earth's chimpanzees. It's only a wild speculation, but we suspect they have been genetically modified by XVI to have an accelerated growth cycle. Of course that would mean faster ageing as well - but what a hive mind would care about its perfectly expendable soldiers?

4

Feature Requests / Allow to manually land the transport on geoscape

« on: May 26, 2015, 11:51:09 pm »

Dear developers,

First, thanks a lot for the game! It gave me a lot of good time to remember. // This was enough fun for two thankful posts)

Once upon a time a Gunboat destroyed my Heracles with the best troops and gear. That was sad but logical and somewhat inevitable consequence of enemy's air superiority. After that I bought a Firebird, waited for the Gunboat to disappear and sent it on the mission. It was intercepted too but left a "Firebird-crash" mission. The question is: why not allow the player to manually land transports, leading to the same rescue mission? It's logical thing to do, relives the frustration and the relevant mechanic is already implemented.

5

Feature Requests / Cured from XVI alines to join PHALANX

« on: May 26, 2015, 11:40:15 pm »

Dear developers,

First, thanks a lot for the game! It gave me a lot of good time to remember.

After finishing the campaign a thought struck me. What PHALANX is fighting is a micro organism - the logical response would be a cure and a vaccine. And indeed such thing is already proposed: http://ufoai.org/wiki/Proposals/Behind_the_Facade . But what if we go further - allow the cured aliens to join (after a lengthy recovery) PHALANX in a war of liberation?

That would be consistent with the story. Say, you are a cured Taman. And you learn that you, and your fellow Tamans have been used by some hive mind as cannon fodder. And now you are with the people who are fighting the exactly same fate and might be able to help your brethren. What's the logical thing to do?

That would enhance player experience. Adding aliens would add to the game depth by allowing for even more variety in tactics. Think of Shevaars for close-quarters fighting and a Taman spotter for night-time sniping. Think of  an Ortok being not entirely happy to shoot at other Ortkos - forcing the player to choose between a morale drop and having to stun all the enemy (or own?) Ortoks.

That should be easy to implement. At least, no new artwork is needed.