Messages

31

Design / Re: CURRENT STORYLINE -- SPOILERS!

« on: May 17, 2010, 09:07:28 pm »

Even if they have to have direct blood contact, and haven't evolved their reproduction method in a million years, they certainly understand the technology needed to fire needles filled with the substance, even if it is drawn on each shot from the hand of the host (which doesn't seem likely, as it apparently cannot adapt from the old host to the new one without being re-engineered.  (Though an organism that can bioengineer itself to match a new host should have no problem creating air burst weapons with a weaponized, aerosol version of itself.)

32

Discussion / Prone position?

« on: May 17, 2010, 07:32:52 pm »

Is it a complicated matter to add a prone position in the tactical portions of the game? 

Besides a use in reducing target size and providing a much better firing platform for characters, it could provide an alternative for civilian behavior.

When entering a zone with mixed uninfected humans, aliens and human hive members, and no obvious distinction between them, it would be normal for PHALANX operatives to suspend human rights and treat all non-PHALANX personnel as hostile.

Would it be complicated to create a combat interaction allowing you to spend TUs and put a civilian on the ground, bound and blind-folded and possibly chemically restrained?  The inclusion of hypodermics, bean-bags and other nonlethal responses might provide another layer of planning and tactical consideration to the game.

Humans, both infected and otherwise would be processed and released, or researched and executed, as the case may be.  Perhaps additional research will allow the development of an antidote, or an innoculation, or an exploding cortex bomb that would kill a PHALANX member before the infection can take them over.  Not that you'd want that.

33

Design / Re: CURRENT STORYLINE -- SPOILERS!

« on: May 17, 2010, 07:20:19 pm »

Perhaps the hive is taking a cue from all of its previous encounters with new races.  Whenever it showed up to a new planet and tried to "communicate" (by spreading its nasty alien spores all over the place) the other race did its best to exterminate them, probably wiping millions of the spores, and thousands of the hosts out with whatever weapons they had at hand.  So it comes to Earth and says "Hi" by landing and randomly killing tens of thousands of us.  No big loss for a hive mind.  Probably thought of itself as being terribly diplomatic.

Since wholesale slaughter in no way serves an agenda of collecting host bodies, they must in fact simply be trying to say: "Hello there.  How are you?"

That's the only explanation I can come up for why they'd kill first, and then only attempt to spread themselves later.  Perhaps all the early "attacks" were just casual meetings.  They'd come, they'd kill us, we'd kill them.  All very civilized, you see?

Eventually, when they've "discussed" this proposal with various random members of the human race, they decide to go ahead and begin the peaceful process of assimilation.  If they are a hive mind, they may be incapable of understanding centralized leadership, or of multiple independent leaderships, or cooperation.  They don't strike down the central governments, or bother with stopping or accessing communications. 

When PHALANX sends out attacks against landing parties and airborne ships, perhaps the alien return attack isn't an attempt to root out some threat to them.  Perhaps it's simply a courteous response.  If they thought like humans, we'd clearly lose the conflict.  I can only assume they don't even consider themselves at war.  As a hive mind, they wouldn't see their people as "individuals" so the loss of thousands of their hosts is no real loss at all.

After all, if they thought like humans, they'd find a war to communicate through their worm holes and be able to spread their influence through the galaxy without losing cohesion.

34

Design / Re: Insertion of troops and battslescape exploration

« on: May 17, 2010, 06:32:26 pm »

I think the first round of a dropship insertion should have smoke all around, fired by the dropship to give the soldiers a chance to reach cover.  By the second round, I think the dropship should be leaving, to prevent aliens from entering it and capturing flight crew and navigational data.  In game a small cutscene video in the corner could do for the dropship taking off, and then when the next round starts, it's just not on the map any more. 

If you think about it, the aliens watched the ship come in, and watched the humans get out of it.  It doesn't make much sense that we get the first shot on them.

It would be kind of cool to be able to use a supposedly orbiting dropship for support fire from off the map, depending on the loadout of the ship.

35

Design / Re: Police and military

« on: May 17, 2010, 06:26:59 pm »

If there's been even an unpublicized consideration of the possibility of infection by the aliens, the first consideration upon the landing of an alien craft would be a quarantine.  Not for concern of the lives of the locally affected civilians, but of the populace in general.  So any indigenous military forces would be bent to the task of establishing a perimeter and enforcing a kill-zone around the site.  The aliens aren't engaged in a ground invasion; they aren't going to stray from their landing site.  The kill-zone would be intended to prevent humans from leaving quarantine.

Military forces would notify PHALANX of the presence of an alien ground force, and maintain surveillance on the site through satellite, aerial and ground recon presence.  At the first sign of the aliens attempting to pack up human prisoners or leave the site themselves, the local national military would call in a strike to destroy the site with heavy conventional or nuclear weapons.

PHALANX would come on site, restrain any local human presence with a less-than-lethal response, and kill or capture the alien ground force.  Upon mission completion, any humans or aliens would be returned to a secure processing facility.  Humans would have to be carefully screened for biological or technological contaminants before being released.  Aliens, of course, are taken to Guantanamo for water-boarding.

In the event of a PHALANX mission failure, or of an alien evacuation, the penalty will be the destruction of the area by our own forces, leaving it unlivable.

At least, this would make the most sense to me.

36

Bugs prior to release 2.3 / Re: Cannot load 5 of 6 save games.

« on: May 17, 2010, 02:09:21 pm »

Yeah, I went through it, downloaded and installed it.  Compiled it.  Took two hours... lol. 

First thing I've compiled since high school.

37

Bugs prior to release 2.3 / Re: Cannot load 5 of 6 save games.

« on: May 17, 2010, 02:30:49 am »

29905, the Windows release.

38

Bugs prior to release 2.3 / Re: Cannot load 5 of 6 save games.

« on: May 16, 2010, 09:07:05 pm »

The moment I advance the clock on my one working save-game, my primary base is attacked.  But there's no UFO on the radar; it's just attacked, and any save game I make after this point is corrupt.

39

Bugs prior to release 2.3 / Cannot load 5 of 6 save games.

« on: May 16, 2010, 08:55:26 pm »

I tend to save games in series, so I have checkpoints to go back on in case of corruption or a mistake that's more than just one save ago.

Here's the whole console output, in case it helps.


---- filesystem initialization -----
Adding game dir: ./base
Added packfile ./base/0base.pk3 (8 files)
Added packfile ./base/0maps.pk3 (533 files)
Added packfile ./base/0materials.pk3 (45 files)
Added packfile ./base/0media.pk3 (10 files)
Added packfile ./base/0models.pk3 (1774 files)
Added packfile ./base/0music.pk3 (50 files)
Added packfile ./base/0pics.pk3 (2874 files)
Added packfile ./base/0shaders.pk3 (26 files)
Added packfile ./base/0snd.pk3 (266 files)
Added packfile ./base/0ufos.pk3 (98 files)
Added packfile ./base/0videos.pk3 (1 files)
Adding game dir: C:\Users\Dustin.Loftis\AppData\Roaming\UFOAI/2.3-dev/base
using C:\Users\Dustin.Loftis\AppData\Roaming\UFOAI/2.3-dev/base for writing
executing default.cfg
executing config.cfg

----- network initialization -------
libcurl/7.16.4 zlib/1.2.2 initialized.

------ server initialization -------
added 7 maps to the mapcycle

----- console initialization -------
Console initialized.

------- video initialization -------
SDL version: 1.2.14
I: desktop depth: 32bpp
I: video memory: 0
I: Available resolutions: 1920x1080 1768x992 1680x1050 1600x1200 1600x1024 1600x900 1440x900 1360x768 1280x1024 1280x960 1280x800 1280x768 1280x720 1176x664 1152x864 1024x768 800x600 720x576 720x480 640x480 (20)
I: video driver: windib
I: setting mode 0
I: set swap control to 0
I: 1920x1080 (fullscreen: no)
I: got 8 bits of stencil
I: got 24 bits of depth buffer
I: got double buffer
I: got 8 bits for red
I: got 8 bits for green
I: got 8 bits for blue
I: got 0 bits for alpha
I: got 0 multisample buffers
GL_VENDOR: NVIDIA Corporation
GL_RENDERER: GeForce 7800 GTX/PCI/SSE2
GL_VERSION: 2.1.2
GL_EXTENSIONS: GL_ARB_color_buffer_float GL_ARB_copy_buffer GL_ARB_depth_clamp GL_ARB_depth_texture GL_ARB_draw_buffers GL_ARB_fragment_program GL_ARB_fragment_program_shadow GL_ARB_fragment_shader GL_ARB_framebuffer_object GL_ARB_half_float_pixel GL_ARB_half_float_vertex GL_ARB_imaging GL_ARB_map_buffer_range GL_ARB_multisample GL_ARB_multitexture GL_ARB_occlusion_query GL_ARB_pixel_buffer_object GL_ARB_point_parameters GL_ARB_point_sprite GL_ARB_provoking_vertex GL_ARB_shader_objects GL_ARB_shading_language_100 GL_ARB_shadow GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp GL_ARB_texture_compression GL_ARB_texture_cube_map GL_ARB_texture_env_add GL_ARB_texture_env_combine GL_ARB_texture_env_crossbar GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3 GL_ARB_texture_float GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two GL_ARB_texture_rectangle GL_ARB_transpose_matrix GL_ARB_vertex_array_bgra GL_ARB_vertex_array_object GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object GL_ARB_vertex_program GL_ARB_vertex_shader GL_ARB_window_pos GL_ATI_draw_buffers GL_ATI_texture_float GL_ATI_texture_mirror_once GL_S3_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_env_add GL_EXT_abgr GL_EXT_bgra GL_EXT_blend_color GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate GL_EXT_blend_func_separate GL_EXT_blend_minmax GL_EXT_blend_subtract GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array GL_EXT_Cg_shader GL_EXT_depth_bounds_test GL_EXT_direct_state_access GL_EXT_draw_range_elements GL_EXT_fog_coord GL_EXT_framebuffer_blit GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample GL_EXT_framebuffer_object GL_EXT_gpu_program_parameters GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays GL_EXT_packed_depth_stencil GL_EXT_packed_pixels GL_EXT_pixel_buffer_object GL_EXT_point_parameters GL_EXT_provoking_vertex GL_EXT_rescale_normal GL_EXT_secondary_color GL_EXT_separate_shader_objects GL_EXT_separate_specular_color GL_EXT_shadow_funcs GL_EXT_stencil_two_side GL_EXT_stencil_wrap GL_EXT_texture3D GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_cube_map GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp GL_EXT_texture_env_combine GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3 GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_lod GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias GL_EXT_texture_mirror_clamp GL_EXT_texture_object GL_EXT_texture_sRGB GL_EXT_texture_swizzle GL_EXT_timer_query GL_EXT_vertex_array GL_EXT_vertex_array_bgra GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_KTX_buffer_region GL_NV_blend_square GL_NV_copy_depth_to_color GL_NV_depth_clamp GL_NV_fence GL_NV_float_buffer GL_NV_fog_distance GL_NV_fragment_program GL_NV_fragment_program_option GL_NV_fragment_program2 GL_NV_framebuffer_multisample_coverage GL_NV_half_float GL_NV_light_max_exponent GL_NV_multisample_filter_hint GL_NV_occlusion_query GL_NV_packed_depth_stencil GL_NV_pixel_data_range GL_NV_point_sprite GL_NV_primitive_restart GL_NV_register_combiners GL_NV_register_combiners2 GL_NV_texgen_reflection GL_NV_texture_barrier GL_NV_texture_compression_vtc GL_NV_texture_env_combine4 GL_NV_texture_expand_normal GL_NV_texture_rectangle GL_NV_texture_shader GL_NV_texture_shader2 GL_NV_texture_shader3 GL_NV_vertex_array_range GL_NV_vertex_array_range2 GL_NV_vertex_program GL_NV_vertex_program1_1 GL_NV_vertex_program2 GL_NV_vertex_program2_option GL_NV_vertex_program3 GL_NVX_conditional_render GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap GL_SGIS_texture_lod GL_SGIX_depth_texture GL_SGIX_shadow GL_SUN_slice_accum GL_WIN_swap_hint WGL_EXT_swap_control
using GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two
using GL_ARB_shading_language_100
GLSL Version: 1.20 NVIDIA via Cg compiler
using GL_ARB_framebuffer_object
max draw buffers: 4
max render buffer size: 4096
max color attachments: 8
using GL_ARB_draw_buffers
max supported lights: 8
max texture units: 4
max texture coords: 8
max vertex attributes: 16
max texture size: detected 4096
...but using 2048 as requested
Using low resolution globe textures as requested.
R_LoadProgram: world: Fragment info
-------------
0(102) : error C5041: cannot locate suitable resource to bind parameter "eyedir"

R_LoadProgram: 'warp' loaded.
R_LoadProgram: 'geoscape' loaded.
R_LoadProgram: 'combine2' loaded.
R_LoadProgram: 'convolve3' loaded.
R_LoadProgram: 'atmosphere' loaded.
R_LoadProgram: 'simple_glow' loaded.
SDL_image version 1.2.6
SDL_ttf version 2.0.9 - we need at least 2.0.7

------- sound initialization -------
SDL_mixer version: 1.2.8
... requested audio rate: 44100
... driver: 'dsound'
... audio rate: 44100
... audio channels: 2

------- input initialization -------
0 possible joysticks
no joystick found.

----------- parse scripts ----------
51 script files
47 ui script files
Shared Client/Server Info loaded
...108 items parsed
... 32 damage types parsed
... 79 map definitions parsed
... 29 equipment definitions parsed
... 10 inventory definitions parsed
... 22 team definitions parsed
executing keys.cfg
music change to van_theme (from PsymongN3)
CL_LanguageInit: language settings are stored in configuration: en
SDL_ttf version 2.0.9 - we need at least 2.0.7
...registering 10 fonts
142 static models loaded
====== UFO Initialized ======
=============================
Priority changed to NORMAL
Found 8 processors
Only use one core
Switch grab input off
]delete_ufo
]debug_on
]debug on
Change gametype to 'Campaign mode'

--- save subsystem initialization --
added base subsystem
added research subsystem
added campaign subsystem
added hospital subsystem
added market subsystem
added employee subsystem
added aliencont subsystem
added aircraft subsystem
added installation subsystem
added ufostores subsystem
added production subsystem
added messagesystem subsystem
added stats subsystem
added nations subsystem
added transfer subsystem
added alien base subsystem
added xvirate subsystem
added messageoptions subsystem
Campaign data loaded - size 4466984 bytes
...techs: 201
...buildings: 19
...ranks: 16
...nations: 8
...cities: 457

Loading savegame xml (size 41615)
Loading savegame
...version: 4
...game version: 2.3-dev
...xml Size: 498335, compressed? y
Error: Failure in loading the xml data!
Unknown command "game_timestop" - wasn't sent to server
Shutdown gametype 'Campaign mode'

40

Discussion / Re: About stun rod and bloodspider in ufopedia

« on: May 16, 2010, 05:58:10 am »

Does a scientist really have to hear a story from a grunt to understand what high voltage can do to a circuit board?

41

Discussion / Re: Reaction Fire in 2.3 Build 28632

« on: May 16, 2010, 05:46:44 am »

It doesn't take any longer for a soldier carrying a machine gun to pull the trigger, whether he intends to let it go immediately, or keep it down until he's out.  Setting up reaction is the equivalent of walking slowly with a weapon already sighted.  Whether it's a pistol, a rifle or a SAW, moving the sights a few inches and firing involves the same effort, and certainly should happen before an alien can run fifteen feet, fire, and run fifteen more feet.  It's not like your soldiers would say, "Aw, shucks, I didn't have enough time for all fifty rounds, so I elected not to fire any of them."

42

Discussion / The best of the best of the best. Sir. With honors.

« on: May 16, 2010, 05:15:02 am »

Peace has reigned for so many decades among the various nations of Earth that the average foot soldier has never seen combat, and a general deterioration of skill afflicts soldiers to an all-time low.  Okay. 

We'll assume that there has been no cold war, no rebellion, no organized crime, no terrorism and is in short a human utopia from which no worthwhile tactical or military skill could spring forth.  Great.

Oh, and no sharpshooting, Olympic, target practice, hunting or general handling of firearms which might generally teach an individual which end goes where.  No problem.

Even the best of the best, the elite, soldiers sent by UN member nations as the last best chance of defeating this alien menace, are men and women whose weapons handling skills are characterized by words like "mediocre" and "average."  (Which would imply they rank poorly even in this future of pointless and worthless soldiers.)  Fine.

An elite PHALANX sniper can miss an enemy while firing from a standing, unsupported position from four-hundred yards with a scoped, high-power rifle.  Understandable. 

This same sniper can somehow put this same round through the back of another elite PHALANX soldier, requiring the weapon be pointed THREE FEET in the wrong direction.  Now we're stretching belief.

That this grievously wounded, elite PHALANX soldier, with less discipline than I would expect from a member of a high school marching band, would then fire a grenade at the sniper, just takes this whole situation into the realm of comedy.

Is it possible to have a six-pack attachment we can place in our inventory, to round the experience out?  Perhaps the dropship could be replaced with a still-running 76 pickup truck with big mud tires?

43

Bugs prior to release 2.3 / Repeating sound clip in +farm map.

« on: May 16, 2010, 04:29:51 am »

"Today, after two years of difficult negotiations, all three forces have finally signed the peace contract.  More tonight at eleven."  Static.

This sound effect is in a constant loop, and is not affected by the volume adjustments for sound effects or music.  This is my first post, so I don't know what to post or if there's an easier way: I just posted the loaded items from the console.

I'm running the latest dev build in the Windows forum for today.

Partial DXDiag Output:

 Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.100226-1909)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: OEM
       System Model: OEM
               BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU         920  @ 2.67GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
             Memory: 12288MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 12280MB RAM
          Page File: 7950MB used, 16606MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
   User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
 System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
 Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX
       Manufacturer: NVIDIA
          Chip type: GeForce 7800 GTX
           DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0090&SUBSYS_035010DE&REV_A1
     Display Memory: 2536 MB
   Dedicated Memory: 504 MB
      Shared Memory: 2031 MB
       Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
      Monitor Model: SAMSUNG
         Monitor Id: SAM0503
        Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
        Output Type: DVI
        Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvd3dum
Driver File Version: 8.17.0011.9621 (English)
     Driver Version: 8.17.11.9621
        DDI Version: 9Ex
       Driver Model: WDDM 1.0
  Driver Attributes: Final Retail
   Driver Date/Size: 1/11/2010 23:03:33, 11862120 bytes

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
            Description: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
 Default Sound Playback: Yes
 Default Voice Playback: Yes
            Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0889&SUBSYS_10DE0175&REV_1000
        Manufacturer ID: 1
             Product ID: 100
                   Type: WDM
            Driver Name: RTKVHD64.sys
         Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6029 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
            WHQL Logo'd: n/a
          Date and Size: 1/19/2010 18:42:22, 2242720 bytes