2.5-dev play through

[Jon_dArc]

So what are they for then?, I presume they are useful in some kind of situation if not they'd not be there.

You presume incorrectly

No, seriously, I'm pretty sure it's just an artifact of the game being a work in progress and the balance not being right yet—the issue with flechette rounds (and the spray damage type in general) is that armor and most alien types are resistant, and because of the subtractive approach to resistance a lots-of-shots-with-low-damage weapon will take a disproportionate hit from resistance. Against an unarmored Taman they have a significantly greater maximum damage than slugs—the problem is, saboted slugs already deal enough damage to Tamans to kill them in one shot well better than half the time. H-Hour is reviewing the issue, so they should eventually stop being useless.

~J

[maackey]

I recently started up a campaign of the 2.4 version and I was shocked that three point blank shots from the GL flechettes did not take down an unarmored (at least I think it was unarmored) Taman. I remember a time where I killed a heavily armored Ortnok with the same blast 3 squares away.

Anyway, I'd love to be cannon fodder for your campaign, preferably as the GL (the cannon fodder becomes the cannoneer as I've found they get all the kills in my campaign, regardless of how I try and get other troops to rack up some kills. Anything with incendiary ammo is also a plus

[rodo]

I recently started up a campaign of the 2.4 version and I was shocked that three point blank shots from the GL flechettes did not take down an unarmored (at least I think it was unarmored) Taman. I remember a time where I killed a heavily armored Ortnok with the same blast 3 squares away.

Must be the same problem that with the Flechette for the shotgun, I remember having a GL guy crouching near the entrance of one of my Large hangars during a base mission (on 2.4 dev) with RF on 3 shots, an Ortonok entered through the entrance and received the 3 shots directly to the chest... I think it was 4 blocks away, but it stood strong, next thing was a dead GL guy and a me going like 

Then I learned never to use flechettes again, as a matter of fact I don't even buy that ammo for the GL any more, and the Riot Shotgun is a no go as well in my current campaign.

[ShipIt]

Anyway, I'd love to be cannon fodder for your campaign, preferably as the GL (the cannon fodder becomes the cannoneer as I've found they get all the kills in my campaign, regardless of how I try and get other troops to rack up some kills. Anything with incendiary ammo is also a plus

There were a lot of changes made about weapons. The GL has a much higher range now, but the 3-round-burst mode was removed for it. But actually, our GL guys do very well.

You have the choise of your home base. You can go to North America or Phalanx HQ (Asia). Which one would you like?

[Crystan]

Phalanx HQ (Asia).

Why in Asia? Tactical decission?

[ShipIt]

Damn. The UFO landed before Stiletto I could reach it. The interceptor pilot is not amused. Now he is hoovering above the landed UFO to keep it down and cover Firebird I. Alpha Squad, calm and collected, disembarks to take care of the UFO crew.

One alien is crawling in the upper right building. On his way to enter the roof of the left building, Crystan sees another on the open area behind the left building. He is too low on TUs to fire, so he hides to wait for a better chance. All squad members can get at least a piece of cover in the first turn.
 


In his turn, the alien on the left side shot at a civilian and moved into the building afterwards. Crystan can make a clear LoS, but a problem occurs - a window. He cannot shoot twice and get back to cover. So he can only break the window and retreat. Jon_dArc, ordered to cover Crystan on the way to the roof, steps out and fires two consecutive five-round-bursts from the Submachine Gun. The Taman staggers, but does not fall.



Marco Suzuki steps behind him, the Combat Knife ready to end the pain of this alien invader.

On this pic you can see what a smart guy ChemBro is. He knows, of course, the alien will shoot first, breaking the window for him.



It did not for some reason, but the 5-round-burst is enough to break them booth - the window and the alien.

Here Crystan has the right distance, but not a clear LoF. From behind the the car Thierry Zhang kills the alien, Julia Kuzmin softened it up before.



We now have already four UFOs stored. And no credits to build another UFO-Yard.

[ShipIt]

Why in Asia? Tactical decission?

It has radar coverage on four nations. Also, there is not much water. I don´t want to lose UFOs in the sea. I mostly build Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia and a manufacturing-only base next to the first one.

[ChemBro]

On this pic you can see what a smart guy ChemBro is. He knows, of course, the alien will shoot first, breaking the window for him.

I are smart.  Also GL 3 round burst is (was) imba.

[maackey]

yeah, firing three rounds in less time than it takes to quickly snap off two? not to mention the assurance that the target won't be firing back on his next turn...

ShipIt: Either one is fine. (aka I am undergoing choice paralysis atm)

[Jon_dArc]

yeah, firing three rounds in less time than it takes to quickly snap off two?

To be fair, without that ability the pathetically short range and unexceptional damage of the GL would have made it pretty bad. That said, the current approach is significantly better.

~J

[ShipIt]

A terror mission is reported in Vienna. Alpha Squad immediately enters the Firebird and takes off. Half the way a UFO appears and flies towards the dropship. The Firebird pilot, after reading through the instructions, decides to take a more save route. Meanwhile the interceptors are sent to guard the dropship.



The UFO turns from hunter to hunted, and after the interceptors arrived their Sparrowhawk Missiles turn it into a wreck.

A subway station. The GL guys switch to the backup weapons, submachine guns. There are actually two ways down, the main entrance and a smaller staircase, so we part ways and move forward.



In the small staircase Julia Kuzmin and Femke Sivertsen are attacked by a Taman. Julia Kuzmin is wounded (Femke did stop the bleeding with some duct tape from the Medikit later on) but the aliens falls dead due to their reaction fire. At the main stair, after Thierry Zhang failed, Crystan gives another impression of his sniper skills by killing this Taman.



Next turn he drops a Frag Grenade next to the feet of another alien and kills this one, too. Good boy!



This was somebody´s wife, alien scum!



ChemBro tries the same as Crystan here, droping the Incendiary Grenade down to the alien, but it lands too far away and only does some splash damage. Julia Kuzmin shoots from the other side of the railway, but fails and is hit from RF by another alien, hidden behind the train. We just have no chance of direct fire without triggering RF from the aliens. Same goes for Jon_dArc, who is also wounded.



Thierry Zhang finally manages to bring the alien down, Jon getting the last one here. Did I already mention Full-Auto is a nice thing to have for a weapon?



UFO is on the way to the UFO-Yard now.

[ShipIt]

On the way back to the base the Squad is ordered to clear the crashed UFO. Some crew members might have survived. ChemBro, as he is one of the higher ranks in the squad, tries to contradict because of the two wounded team members. But he´s told to shut up and secure the UFO. Phalanx is somewhat short on money, it seems.

Gate map. Looks very interesting. Lots of ups and downs, stairs and holes in the floors make a nice location. General Hammond seems to be absent right now. Jon_dArc and Julia Kuzmin, already wounded, are ordered to secure the landing zone.



Wtf. As soon as the team enters the building it is under fire. An alien standing on a higher floor to the right. Shots are traded back and forth, Allison Zhang finally wins the shootout by hitting the Taman between the eyes with an Aimed Shot. After this the squad retreats to regroup.

Next turn Crystan kills this 'Tin-Man'. The shot is well aimed, the bullet goes through the armour into the chest of the Taman and he is dead even before his body hits the floor.



We go deeper into the building as all of a sudden ... during the aliens turn one of the bastards drops from a higher floor, moves and shoots at Femke Sivertsen, fails and is killed by RF from Crystan. ChemBro is hit, but the alien failes the second shot, thus giving ChemBro the opportunity to raise his weapon and return fire. We still have to wait for the first time he will miss.

Mission complete. As we find out after the mission, Femke Sivertsen was pretty lucky when the alien failed to hit her in the back, because the Combat Armour usually does not hold up against a Plasma Rifle bolt.

Aliens showing up with Alien Body Armour and Plasma Rifle, three members of Alpha Squad injured, we are out of credits and still one week until replacement arrives. Thats gonna end badly.

At least we can buy new Sparrowhawks after selling the crashed UFO to The Greater European Union for an astounding 13595 credits.

[Crystan]

Your play through is more exciting then actually play the game. Its like a daily episode of a tv-show.

[rodo]

You're getting nice maps, I hate this bug on 2.4 version that's making me go round all the same maps over and over again.

Will 2.5 dev run my 2.4 release saves if I install it?

[H-Hour]

Yes, although right at the moment there is a problem that will cause your campaign soldiers to have no heads. (We just merged new soldier models in to the development version.)