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Topics - Rodmar

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31
Feature Requests / [Battlescape] Default Reservation TUs
« on: September 20, 2015, 07:38:47 pm »
v2.5

Current state:
  • When no TUs are reserved to use the primary weapon, and when the Fire Reservation button is clicked on, the Reservation window pops up with No reservation as a default choice (text in green).
  • When Tus are reserved, the Reservation window pops up with this reserved fire choice pre-selected.
Well, it shows the current selection.

Considering what's the purpose of this Reservation Fire button and window, I wonder if it wouldn't be more convenient to have:

  • When no TUs are reserved, open the window with the least TU reservation fire mode preselected,
  • When TUs are reserved, open the window with No Reservation (0 TUs) pre-selected.
That is, quite the reverse.

As for me, I used this feature before moving. When the moves is ended, I either cancel the reservation to move further, or I cancel it to shoot. In both case, it's obvious that I have to cancel the reserved TUs before the end of the turn, and I have to deselect the reserved fire mode.

32
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / [map] Minor errors
« on: September 11, 2015, 05:20:24 pm »
I don't know which maps are WIP, but I still report these cases as a remainder.

  • The African Village map may be located in present days Venezuela. If not a place-holder for a more south-american themed map, this map's name could be changed to:
    Brushland Village [or] Bushland Village
    because this biome is fully legit in Venezuela, as per:
    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Biome_map_07.svg/langfr-1024px-Biome_map_07.svg.png
  • The Corrupter UFO model seems to still have two versions. The one on the +farm map looks complete while the one on some jungle map (I don't have the map's name, sorry) features an empty cockpit (see first screenshot).
  • All the red tiles roof houses in the +farm map don't have any windows nor doors. It's clearly not some convenience to ease the fight (such as opened windows), because some obvious doors are really missing (see second screenshot).
  • This one is more like a feature request. On one of the Harvest maps, a house model features an unused solid space (that's quite odd). The two last screenshots suggest to change this model a bit. The solid bloc could become a WC/bathroom, and the bathroom could become an office, so that the whole right wing becomes a quasi-independent suite (entrance, bedroom, office, bathroom) for an elder child or to be rent.

33
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / [alien containment] Missing icon and tooltip
« on: September 09, 2015, 06:57:05 pm »
v2.5 AMD64

Context: currently (in v2.5), in the Alien Containment window, we have only two icons and tooltips:
  • a "scalpel&scissor" icon with "Start autopsy" tooltip, and
  • a "grey alien head" icon with "Kill this alien" tooltip (it should be "Kill one alien" indeed).

Description:
When you have researched a species, but you don't have any living specimen of this species among your prisoners, you still get the same icon and tooltip as if you hadn't researched the species yet. You get the other set only when living aliens are present.

Clicking on the button however correctly links to the UFOpaedia research report (whereas it starts the autopsy when it's not been done yet).
Perhaps a "book" or "memo page" icon could replace the "scalpel&scissor" icon once research (autopsy) is done?

The modified screenshot tells it all.

Now, the interface has changed in v2.6. Does this bug still occurs?

Reproducibility: always, for all the species
  • Research a species
  • Don't have any (more) living specimen belonging to this species.


34
v2.5
Impact on gameplay: none, except if a few kilometers added distance means death to the transport during the return from the mission.
Occurrence: often
Reproducibility: unknown

Description:

Sometimes, when a Firebird reached a mission site and action was delayed, and thus the Firebird's stayed in stationary flight for a while, then when you click on the spot to select either the mission site or the transport, and to assign it to the transport or the mission:
  • the game pauses (a normal feature) but the Firebird's route seemingly tells now that it has to fly "some" kilometers more to reach the site (the red line marker).
  • on unpausing however, even on the slowest speed, the Ready window opens immediately (an expected feature) but the Firebird is translated 100 km or more from the mission site.
  • canceling the mission (i.e. further delaying it), or entering the mission give the same outcomes:
    when returning on  the Geoscape, the Firebird is really at this new location, and not at the mission location at all.
  • player gets full control of the Firebird, and the mission can be targeted again if it was canceled.

Does this glitch, or bug, relate to the difficulty the AI sometimes encounters when it tries and compute an interception route (such as going to the antipodes instead of pursuing), or is it related to a kind of "divide by zero" error, because the AI tries and compute a route while the distance is zero? Perhaps the Ready window could prevent such a computation?

35
So I was watching the Let's Play Game by H-Hour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmn6CI1g8Co , and a detail drew my attention. I don't have v2.6 installed on my machine.

Is it normal that at 35:34, Rfl James Yang crouches (19 TUs -> 16 TUs), resulting in:
- standing icon lighted -> dark & foreground -> background
- crouched icon dark -> lighted & background -> foreground

while at 36:00, Rfl Gustavo Henriksen crouches with 12 reserved TUs (15 TUs -> 12 TUs), resulting in:
- standing icon lighted -> dark & staying in the foreground
- crouched icon staying dark & in the background

?

From 1st case, I'd infer that
- the fore/background position shows the soldier's status (standing/crouched);
- the lighted/dark icon shows whether the standing/crouched soldier's status may be changed or not.

If so, in the 2nd case, both icons could well be dark, but the crouched icon should be now on the foreground, and not like on the screenshot.

Or, did I miss something?

36
Feature Requests / Faster weapon swapping from the backpack
« on: September 05, 2015, 06:49:25 pm »
Hello,

This may have been requested already, but what do you think about a more direct mean to take a new weapon from the backpack and to store the old one in the backpack (from the Equipment window). In short to swap between an equipped weapon and a stored weapon.

After all, our soldiers already are able to take a secondary weapon from their backpack without dropping their main weapon!

The difficulty I see is that putting  an item in the backpack (or another storage space) requires that the item's "blueprint" is reserved in it (the green shape). So let it be. Prior to the real swap, a test would remove the new item from the backpack before checking if the "blueprint" is present" (the same test that prevents an item to be manually added to the backpack). In case the test fails, swap would be canceled at no TU cost.

Screenshot 1:
The shortest way to switch weapons takes 14 TUs and 3 clicks:
- drop the main weapon to the ground;
- take the new weapon from the backpack and put it in the main weapon slot (if a two hands weapon, auxiliary weapon slot must be empty too);
- take the old weapon from the ground and put it in the backpack.

Eventually, if the soldier's inventory was not carefully managed, you have to arrange the backpack before taking the weapon on the ground, but this is not to be made in the open!

Screenshot 2:
In one click and drag, and for the same TU cost, both weapons would be swapped. Let's not bother any backpack auto-management algorithm: the open is not the place to pack. If you have to spend a turn or two to make room for a weapon, better hide in cover. And this is a comfort feature.

37
Feature Requests / Smoke on higher difficulty settings
« on: September 05, 2015, 05:08:14 pm »
Hello,

On v2.5, on hard difficulty, I use at least 4 smoke grenades a mission.
I use them until I know where all the aliens are, and until distances, coverage and support are proper and ensured.
It doesn't spoil the game interest.

  • Smoke last quite long, often enough to cancel the initial pressure.
  • It seems that any smoked square offers the same protection degree, whereas one may questions whether (standing up or) being on the last square (at the border) should protect the same. Standing up in the square just next to a non smoked area looks unfair.
  • Finally, there are blatant situations when any intelligent enemy would heavily suspect that smoke cloud on an empty map hides some PHALANX.


Suggestion: on hard and higher difficulty

  • Have some wind on the map! Smoke could last less (1 or 2 turn less).
  • Add a chance for  a "borderline" soldier to be spotted. This chance would be computed at LOS computation time. I guess that currently, he's sighted by the LOS system, and then a test causes it to be removed from the target list:
    (T: target, X: sighter, S: smoke, -: fresh air)
    TX : 100% spotted
    T----------X : 100% spotted
    T--S------X : 0% spotted
    T----------X (T is in smoke) : 0% spotted

    I'd change the last line:
    T----------X (T is in smoke) : 20% (e.g.) spotted

    (see the code below)

     
  • Make any smoked area a threat to the AI:
    • be "cautious" nearby a smoke (as far as the AI may be cautious): crouch, ready for reaction fire in this direction.
    • make some center locations in the cloud (in case LOS prevents to aim at the very center) low priority targets (the nearer, the more priority).
    • aim at the middle of the cloud with AoE or dispersive weapons (grenade, blaster cannon ball, needler, ...) in order to hit either those hiding inside, or those hiding behind.
    This targeting would be cancel if friendly fire is likely to occur.
    Of course, PHALANX could lessen this new threat by staying at the border of the smoke, and they could lure the alien by firing smoke in remote locations, but that's war.


If I'm correct, the current algorithm is (considering that the target would be spotted without the smoke):
Code: [Select]
IF {((target is at smoke location) AND (target is not adjacent)) OR (a square of smoke is blocking the sighter-target LOS)
THEN (remove target from target list)}
Could be altered to the following:
Code: [Select]
IF {((a square of smoke is blocking the sighter-target LOS) OR ((target is at smoke location) AND (target is not adjacent) AND (test to spot is failed)))
THEN (remove target from target list)}
It is assumed that when there's no smoked square between the sighter and the target to block LOS, and the target is in a smoked square, then this smoked square is next to fresh air square in the direction of LOS, and the sighter should be given a chance to keep on spotting his target.

38
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / Shortcuts' names in Options/Controls/Tactical
« on: September 05, 2015, 01:43:16 pm »
v2.5, Options menu -> Controls (hotkeys listing) -> Tactical tab (Battlescape)

`r':
Currently: "Push a window to a window stack"
Suggested: "Radar View"

`j':
Currently: "Push a window to a window stack"
Suggested: "Message Board/Window"

`ESC':
Currently: none?
Suggested: "Close Window or Go to menu"
(i.e. Return to Tactical View from Radar View, close Message Board, and per default, same action as the Menu button.)

`TAB':
Currently: (as guessed from localized language) "Go to next living actor"
Suggested: "Go to next living soldier"
(afaik, living civilians and living visible aliens are not cycled through)

39
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / Odd behavior of laser-only crafts
« on: September 01, 2015, 11:05:10 pm »
v2.5

Before I submit a bug report, I'd like to know if the following behavior was experienced by somebody else.

Description:
It seems that in some conditions (relative speed, relative headings, coordinates on the Geoscape, laser gun only... ?) PHALANX aircraft won't close the UFO enough to fire at it, whereas it should have been a pretty straight case.

Reproducibility:
So far, it occurred only once, and that was with a slow and clumsy UFO: the Supply ship (this IS why a bug is suspected).

I first sent a 3 laser-Stiletto, thinking it was an easy job. As you can see on first screenshot, once it had closed the sluggish UFO, the Stiletto turned and preceded the UFO along its route, at the same speed. Thus, the Stiletto never came at range.
Seeing this, I sent a 1 laser-Firebird from the nearest base, and a 2 laser-Sarrasin from old China.
On second screenshot you can see that the three crafts are now "escorting"  (preceding) the UFO.

Finally, I destroyed the UFO by stopping my crafts and let the UFO pass by them, to attack it from behind. I don't know if the bug was about to reproduce, because being faster, my crafted came in range.
The odd chase had lasted more than 4 in-game hours.

40
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / IVX interface shown too early
« on: September 01, 2015, 10:34:51 pm »
v2.5

1)
At some point in the campaign, the IVX max. possible and current rates are displayed on the Statistics screen, whereas the word "IVX" hasn't even appeared in  the emails so far.

Also, the button to see the IVX appears on the Geoscape.

Don't you think these informations and features could wait until the IVX is known by PHALANX?

See first screenshot.

2)
On my system (AMD64), there seems to be a bug : the Display IVX button disappears (at least once) and re-appears between saves and/or (?) missions.
On second screenshot I had clicked on the button before saving (perhaps before a mission too) yesterday. When the saved game is loaded tonight, no more button, and IVX detection is still in active (2084/10/15 14:48).
After Mission#54 is done, the button re-appears (third screenshot)(2084/10/16 07:16), and I can put off the detector (not shown).

41
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / Mission location: Hanga Roa?
« on: September 01, 2015, 12:15:37 am »
v2.5
Could you please check the data base to explain why I got a Harvest or Terror mission in Hanga Roa, that was located in what is currently the Sonora state in Mexico.

Of course, Hanga Roa is located on Easter Island, but I'm not sure this land is on the Geoscape.

42
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / A first, fast review of ufoai.po
« on: September 01, 2015, 12:05:54 am »
v2.5
ufoai-fr.po (downloaded on this day)

#727 A container harbour.
-> A container harbour
(No other map names get a '.')

#909 The aliens penetrated our base defenses and are inside the compound.
-> The aliens penetrated our outer/surface base defenses and are inside the compound.
(What are these penetrated defenses: SAM, and/or the usual surface security forces? The 12-team you keep in the base is specifically here to defend the base, and it's belong to the inner/indoors base defense.)

#1071 Skills and Abilities
#1130-1137 Attributes and Proficiencies
#1214 Stats

(Although I understand what synonyms are in extended text, in terms of game interface, there should rather be some consistency in the naming.)

#1377 Kill this alien
-> Kill these aliens [or] Kill this species
(it's the button that is in each species' box in the Containment screen. I didn't test, but they are to selectively kill all the prisoners of a given species, aren't they?)

#2452 You can't equip an alien technology
-> You can't equip an alien technology yet
(I'm not sure here, but why alien craft equipment would be listed in the Craft prep screen (a new feature as compared to v2.4), if they aren't meant to equip a PHALANX craft ever?)

43
Bugs in stable version (2.5) / [Graphical glitch] Animated dead bodies
« on: August 31, 2015, 01:17:36 am »
Version: 2.5
System: GNU/linux x86_64
Graphic controller: RV790
Driver: Module ATI Radeon HD-4870 and earlier
-------------------------------------------------------------
On v2.4, I already experienced dead bodies standing up instead of laying down.
On v2.5, it still happens, but this time (perhaps I pay more attention), some display an "animation".
By animation, I mean:
1) the body slowly leans toward the ground from vertical position to horizontal position, when movement stops and the body lays down (as expected).
2) the same as 1), but it resumes a second time without the head, and then, the body reappears laying down with the head attached.
3) the same as 1), but this resumes "indefinitely" (at least 4 times).

Note that in the meanwhile, the model seems to change: the arms go from a "alive" or "holding my weapon" position to a "dead" or "hands up" or "outstretched arms" when the body lays down.

Is this glitch referenced ? Is it worth further descriptions, screenshots, etc?

44
Feature Requests / ECM and Computer both need 1 hourSSS to be mounted
« on: August 27, 2015, 06:20:25 pm »
Hello,

This is not really a feature request, nor a bug report. It's about a textual enhancement.

Simply said, among all the aircraft equipments, two of them have a mounting time equal to 1 hour (other need 2 or more hours).
This result in a message on the Craft screen such as:        "will be mounted in 1 hours".

Suggestion: either
  • add a test or modify the text formatting, and add a new string: "hour" when there's only ONE, or
  • simply raise the mounting time to a greater number: e.g. 1,2 or 1,5 hours if decimal numbers are allowed, else 2 hours.
:)

45
Feature Requests / Kill informations for pilots
« on: August 27, 2015, 06:09:10 pm »
Hello,

In v2.5 pilots now have stats.

Could they have also the same info as the soldiers have, the number of missions and the number of kills, if possible?
By mission, I mean a take-off, because an air or ground patrol, are real missions as well (even if this can be cheated by launching and recalling the crafts for no real purpose (perhaps a 30 min flight threshold, or more?)).

Also, I'm only two month ahead in the campaign, but I guess they may be promoted?

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