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Author Topic: Feedback 2.3  (Read 25105 times)

Offline keybounce

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #30 on: August 05, 2010, 07:55:28 am »
- For the technical side, I still can't get any sound on my Mac, but I barely get a thing of how to recompile the game. Should I really start learning a new profession just to play a game properly?
Mac sound is a known issue. It has to do with how the sound support is linked in. It will get fixed at some point.

My question: Are you PPC mac, i386, or x86_64? Which binary did you download? It sounds like you've got working graphics, and I'm still having problems getting my PPC machine to build working graphics for either PPC or i386.

Offline geever

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #31 on: August 05, 2010, 05:02:27 pm »
Ah, right. I was merely a bit confused due to having seen several references to them in various places. Having a more limited equipment set that works is clearly preferable to cluttering everything up with broken equipment. I suppose smoke / concussion rounds for the GL / RL are absent for the same reasons?

No, there were no smoke-rounds for them (yet?).

Ideally, I'd like my "assault" role troopers (at least) to carry smoke / flashbangs for making long dashes and room clearance easier. Also, although the AI seems to be quite good at finding cover, having them being able to pop smoke to cover an advance / retreat would be even more awesome.

That's not easy, we need to implement the proposed visibility system for such features.

-geever

Offline TallTroll

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #32 on: August 05, 2010, 06:43:49 pm »
>> No, there were no smoke-rounds for them
>> we need to implement the proposed visibility system for such features

Yep, understood. Please, don't think I'm critiscising or anything. I've just been reading around and have seen references to various things, and was vaguely wondering why they didn't appear in 2.3. I do have a notion of how much effort has gone into producing what is there, and considering it's been done by volunteers, it's little short of a miracle that it works as well as it does.

I have very fond memories of the XCOM games, and I've spent many an hour hunting down sectoids (Autocannon, HE rounds - pew pew pew), a similar number on TFTD, and even as far back as Laser Squad (Android Barker was just awesome), and even Rebelstar 2 (which accused me of cheating, because I had that map down *cold*, and knew just how to burn the foliage so the rats ended turn in front of my heavy lasers, where to position my troops to avoid Terminator fire, and how to steal all the eggs before the reinforcements got too into the fight). Happy days...

Offline geever

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #33 on: August 05, 2010, 06:49:12 pm »
Yep, understood. Please, don't think I'm critiscising or anything. I've just been reading around and have seen references to

No problem.

-geever

Offline tomcatmwi

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #34 on: August 05, 2010, 08:57:42 pm »
Now I just got so upset I deleted the entire game. For what fun it used to be when started, the utter disappointment it turned into.

More than often it happens that one or two aliens get hidden behind a piece of rock on certain maps. It is impossible to get closer to the rock because it lies in open terrain, with even a river in the way (seriously, why can't my soldiers cross a two steps wide creek?) In each turn they come out of cover, fire a few rounds with deadly precisity (the usual thing: wielding plasma pistols they hit my soldiers kilometers away, despite they are behind a cover, crouched) and immediately step back behind the rock. There's no chance even to fire at them because they never come out. My soldiers don't fire back with reaction fire regardless I turned it on. Hence it is mission impossible. And it is happening again and again in a row.

Besides of the aliens becoming the best snipers in the world, they seem to have endless TUs compared to my soldiers. They just run across half of the map in a single round, and still have time for multiple well-aimed shots. Their speed is also an unmatched advantage which especially turns out in close quarter combat.

Also the rate of terror missions get unbearable. Every day there are at least two or three landings and half a dozen flying UFOs which I can't handle. All the nations gradually lose their faith in me. This is a serious game balance problem. The game is simply no fun at all after a point.

Offline geever

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #35 on: August 05, 2010, 09:04:29 pm »
Now I just got so upset I deleted the entire game. For what fun it used to be when started, the utter disappointment it turned into.

More than often it happens that one or two aliens get hidden behind a piece of rock on certain maps. It is impossible to get closer to the rock because it lies in open terrain, with even a river in the way (seriously, why can't

So it was little bit harder than you expected and you don't wanna take the challenge. :P
Fine.

-geever

Offline GPS51

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #36 on: August 05, 2010, 09:45:52 pm »
I don't get it. You're playing 2.3? These aliens don't sound like the critters I face off with. I do have hundreds of hours in 2.3 (currently playing 2.4). Often times you can find relatively safe places and sometimes you have to spread out your troops and rush for a house/ rock etc.

Offline Thrashard96

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #37 on: August 05, 2010, 09:49:42 pm »
That is the tactic i use, but ai are kind of lame: instead of walking, they shoot and hit the spot, where is hiding my soldier (one of 3 shots usually hit) to save for rf. They usually use rf, unless i crash their ship (except harvesters)...

Offline H-Hour

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #38 on: August 05, 2010, 10:07:26 pm »
Sounds like you should look into using explosives and flanking tactics.

Offline nagy.m.bear

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #39 on: August 08, 2010, 07:16:50 pm »
Its great that you guys made this game happen. The least I could do is to give some feedback:

- frequency of UFOs, and game difficulty: like previous comments suggested, I also found that there are a lot of UFOs and terror missions. In game time I am in September 2084 now having ignored a lot of them for 3 month reacting on 2-3 a week, and all factions are happy, if not exuberant. I also used auto mission lots of times, but after a while it ends with the mission being lost (which does not include any losses in personnel, or equipment - strange). Oh yeah, how is it decided if I can automission a mission or not??? My first base is on the "corner" of Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. The second is in Alaska, but first I only used it for research. It is a bit strange for me, if I were any of the factions, I would be pissed that UFOs are flying around, and terrorizing people. I play at standard difficulty, but I don't think thats the issue here. And I am not suggesting making the game more difficult. :)

- lights: on some missions at night places are just too dark, I can't see if the house I'm approaching has a door, or which side it is on. I tried turning up brightness, but there was not much improvement. In a terror mission, where there is a casino, the stairs above the enterance were pitch black, but there were lights in the staircases in the back. The 2nd, and 3rd floors were also pitch black. I know that the aliens have no problem with that, but I would have thought that by 2084 this will not be an issue. I am not sure whether the problem is with the maps, or maybe flares would be too difficult to programme, but it is really annoying for me.

- visuals: it seems to me that the game starts to lag (not sure if it is the right word) when I raise the camera to 3rd level or above. There are also some issues with dead civillians, but I guess this is nothing new. Or sould I change the settings somewhere, or download some new drivers?

- saving on tactical missions: I know it is on purpose that one can not save during mission, but one can before. ;) From what I read about difficulty, and mission frequency, I would guess that this will change in future versions. If you guys reconsider things, please add some saving options. It could be related to difficulty, and there could be a limit to saves per mission when the maps become larger. Some people save much, and some don't. I think it should be up to the player (I read somewhere that it would take the fear away,  maybe "0" saves on harder difficulty will keep them from sleeping through nights ;)). Or maybe it is a technical issue? Also I find the save slots on geoscape not enough (I am one of those who saves much :)).

- For those of you who find the game difficult, concentrate on scout UFOs (the slowest smallest ones) in the beginning (recovery is a bit less complicated as aliens start out in the open), sell everything you don't research currently, take cover as much as you can, and crouch for precise shooting. It is also good to keep medkits in your holster instead of your backpack, to save time.

Keep up the good work!

bear.

Offline nagy.m.bear

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #40 on: August 08, 2010, 07:52:07 pm »
Oh I forgot to ask about the laser turrets. I researched and produced them, but can't use them. I can't install them in my SAM. It is in my base nearby, as I am able to sell it, but it does not show in the SAM as "in store". I also rebuilt the SAM, but still I am not able to install it. Any help would be appreciated.

bear.

Offline geever

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #41 on: August 08, 2010, 08:17:04 pm »
Oh yeah, how is it decided if I can automission a mission or not???

Welcome! Story related missions cannot be done automatically.

Or maybe it is a technical issue? Also I find the save slots on geoscape not enough (I am one of those who saves much :)).

Technically it's doable. but it would mean we should develop and maintain a code we don't even want to have. It would need greater efforts that it worths.

Oh I forgot to ask about the laser turrets.

Laser turrets can only be used for in-base Laser Defence facilities, not for external SAM sites.

-geever

Offline jcjordan

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #42 on: August 12, 2010, 01:32:22 am »
Forgive me if these have already been mentioned but soo much to read to catch up on but some things I've noticed in the 2.3 stable version -

1) UFOpedia - no pre or post research desciption for Starchaser, no pre research desc for the Stingray, no info on the bomb item, no stats for the Kerrblade, Plasma blade nor plasma grenade once researched.

2) In my game, it seems like there's way too many UFO missions happening, between 6-10/day so you don't get time to rest any injured soldiers.

3) I've had a few UFO's recently just disappear from radar or suddenly appear on radar near base almost like it lands but no terror mission comes up or it leaves the atmosphere. Not sure if this is WAD to represent the Alien's ability to adapt to my technology lvl or a bug starting to appear

4) I've sometimes have had CTD in battlescape when the weapon fires & seems to go into sound loop. Probably nothing more than just a driver or software conflict on my part rather than an actual bug.

5) Production doesn't seem to go any faster or slower regardless of the # of workers.

6) My battles seem limited to only 4 battlescapes or so - the one w/ the railroad where you start up on the hill, the farm w/ the large open pens, the snowy hamlet happens for Russia regardless of season are the most common ones

7) Ability to patrol an area w/ interceptors/transport or at least change it's direction away from danger. Right now you can stop it or reassign it's homebase but only if there's an available spot for it to go to

8) Healing in the hospital seems to take forever but you can send them on a mission & heal them by using a medkit faster.

9) I've been playing on the easiest level just to get back into the swing of things but play balance even at that level seems to be well in the Aliens favor or the difficulty setting has little to no effect. They can hit me from the far corner using the plasma pistols yet my guys couldn't hit the broadside of a barn the size of Texas w/ the barrel butting up against it not to mention their skills they start with.

I really do enjoy this version & look forward it being completed.

Offline geever

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #43 on: August 12, 2010, 02:07:02 am »
3) I've had a few UFO's recently just disappear from radar or suddenly appear on radar near base almost like it lands but no terror mission comes up or it leaves the atmosphere. Not sure if this is WAD to represent the Alien's ability to adapt to my technology lvl or a bug starting to appear

This bug got fixed since that.

7) Ability to patrol an area w/ interceptors/transport or at least change it's direction away from danger. Right now you can stop it or reassign it's homebase but only if there's an available spot for it to go to

You can start your aircraft from base with the little blue icon on aircraft screen, and then set a destination to it on the geoscape. The interface could be better though, agreed.

-geever

Offline Lew Yard

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Re: Feedback 2.3
« Reply #44 on: August 12, 2010, 03:12:19 am »
Quote
5) Production doesn't seem to go any faster or slower regardless of the # of workers.

The hours-left in a production status is actually man-hours left.  Try doing the same task (such as disassembling a harvester) in a base w/ 20 workers and a base with 30 workers, and running for a while -- the latter's hour number should go down faster.  Last I checked, the code was in-place for strictly linear scaling w/ workers (w/ workshops, of course) with a minor exception that every task takes at least one hour.