X-COM OpenXcom Thread

[lightbane]

I recommend disabling the "last alien hides" option for this mod. Also, don't do monster visions during night, they ALWAYS have better senses than you. As for human enemies, you'll find info that many of them use special gear and/or are superhuman in some way.

If only in X-Files you were allowed to use Molotovs like Piratez, things would become way easier.

 

[orcinator]

I don't think open x-com AI is very good at anything, really, but melee-only is a much harder problem to solve since its about using cover appropriately while getting into range instead of just charging blindly.

I'd take charging blindly over enemies just walking in circles if they are unable to reach anything.

 

[lightbane]

IIRC, one of the last improvements of the OpenXCOM code (Which also applies to both X-Files and Piratez) is that melee enemies charge straight at you, ignoring hazards like fire and smoke. I don't remember if it was affected by difficulty level though.

 

[Eyestabber]

Picked up FMP after reading some of The Brazilian Slaughter posts about it. Pretty awesome. A design philosophy akin to Long War. Just restarted my game because I fell really behind on my 1st playtrough. Here are some tips if you wanna avoid the same pitfalls:

Spoiler

- LIVE ALIENS. Everything seems to unlock from tips from captured aliens, so build that containment facility on day 1 and never stop stunning!
- PROTECT YOUR EXPANSIONS! AI is a lot more likely to go on retaliation, even without the related mod being enabled. When creating a new base you should always go for defenses first, goodies later.
- Rocket Launcher is still godly and those large rockets have an insane mileage
- Use machine guns! Even if early game enemies drop with a single shot, later one you're going to meet some baddies that most def need to be mowed down fast
- Flying sniper and flying rocket launchers are a must
- Read the early game arsenal. There are some gems hiding there, like the minigun

Anyway, going back to it. If anyone is having trouble with the installation, I have a fully functional portable installation. PM me for tips.

 

[Average Manatee]

It's worth noting that in the current design, a proper custom base (hangars and access lift on one side, separated from the rest of the base) is a decent enough defense, but this is likely to change in newer mod iterations as base defense gets reworked to allow aliens to come in from all over through the ventilation, just like EU/EW base defense.

Honestly, the "proper" base structure isn't that helpful. The best strategy is leaving yourself an open hallway across the whole map leading into the hangars at the top of your base (not the bottom, they have doors), then blindfiring a few rockets in there on turn 1. Ideally you cause an instant panic chain. Waiting behind a choke point for enemies to come through becomes suicide if you roll an alien deployment with Psi, unless you super cheese the game by dropping all weapons at the end of turn.

 

[Average Manatee]

Blindfiring could be quite dangerous if you do too much damage to your corridor buildings. Buildings that get disconnected from the access lift get destroyed when the mission is over.

It's really hard to actually do this except intentionally. Usually it happens when an AI shoots a blaster bomb and messes up. Even then IIRC it requires destroying stuff on the 2nd floor for most structures.

In any case aimed shots with rockets are always really accurate, usually 90%+ if kneeling. Their splash doesn't do too much to base structures.

If you use statstrings to note psi-weaklings, just have them drop their weapons and chill out in a corner. I suppose if you activate the "unarmed enemies pick up weapons" feature you might have to stun or smoke grenade them.

Nice cheats.

In any case Open Xcom has AI that knows to spread psi attacks out a bit, so you'll still be risking some panics destroying everyone. Even fairly strong psi people can get impacted by psi attacks when distances are low.

 

[Alienman]

I just turn on the option that psi requires line of sight. Makes the game so much better in my opinion.

 

[ArchAngel]

Picked up FMP after reading some of The Brazilian Slaughter posts about it. Pretty awesome. A design philosophy akin to Long War. Just restarted my game because I fell really behind on my 1st playtrough. Here are some tips if you wanna avoid the same pitfalls:

Spoiler

- LIVE ALIENS. Everything seems to unlock from tips from captured aliens, so build that containment facility on day 1 and never stop stunning!
- PROTECT YOUR EXPANSIONS! AI is a lot more likely to go on retaliation, even without the related mod being enabled. When creating a new base you should always go for defenses first, goodies later.
- Rocket Launcher is still godly and those large rockets have an insane mileage
- Use machine guns! Even if early game enemies drop with a single shot, later one you're going to meet some baddies that most def need to be mowed down fast
- Flying sniper and flying rocket launchers are a must
- Read the early game arsenal. There are some gems hiding there, like the minigun

Anyway, going back to it. If anyone is having trouble with the installation, I have a fully functional portable installation. PM me for tips.

Unless this stuff was changed in this mod aliens don't touch your bases if you don't send fighters from them to intercept their craft. I usually abused this to turn new bases into radar stations/workshops first and only bring down alien craft from my main base that had some anti air defenses.

 

[Average Manatee]

how easy it happens depends on your OXC settings on explosion z-radius

Rockets don't get through ceilings AFAIK. Though I haven't specifically tried direct shots into them. It was more of a vanilla X-Com bug issue where you could accidentally throw grenades through floors.

I suppose it would be a cheat if you hadn't psi-assessed your soldiers at that point.. How soon are you getting retals?

Month 2-4 is pretty normal for superhuman. If it's month 2 I think it's a flat 50/50 chance between floaters/teddie bears and sectoid mindrape gangs/invincible hovercraft. Month 3 is actually easier since you have a chance for snake/chryssalids or mutons/babies instead. Of course the bonus is that you have a chance to capture a sectoid leader/commander and unlock psi yourself by month 3.

If you're at the point where you can psi-test your soldiers, why keep around psi-weak guys anyway? As soon as it unlocks I start purging anyone below 80 psi strength, later 90+ only.

 

[Ivan]

I just started my first playthrough and am plenty excited:

-how the fuck do I ascent UFO elevator shafts, it seems like there's someone above it and I can't use it
-is it impossible to retrieve good armor from fallen comrades, will picking up their bodies work?

 

[Ivan]

Thoughts after a few honest hours of play:

the game does a great job of introducing new enemies and stronger variations of said enemies
it took me a while to figure out that you can target enemies above/below you in elevator shafts
I couldn't find a way to counter the mind control enemies so I abandoned that mission
I've built a solid Interceptor such that I can take out the Larger UFOs, problem is that those maps are so huge it's tedious and boring finding all of the enemies before level completion

Things I learned the hard way:
using my best geared troops as frontliners (use rookies to draw enemy fire)
use flying suit to scout and snipe
Plasma Tanks aren't all that durable....


Curious, if my biggest gripe thus far is the Large UFO missions, am I going to enjoy the endgame? I'm not a fan of the whole "find the last enemy withing this giant complex, have fun!"

 

[Average Manatee]

I couldn't find a way to counter the mind control enemies so I abandoned that mission

Sectoids or Ethereals? Sectoids only have 1-3 mind controllers max on certain high-level missions, you can try and blitz them and cause them to panic/kill them before you get screwed by a bad roll. For Ethereals all of them are psi capable, you're best off just kidnapping one and bugging out immediately.

Plasma Tanks aren't all that durable....

They actually are, it's like a 60% chance for them to take zero damage when hit by a heavy plasma. Trouble is that damage is so random and they are so big that if someone takes 2 autoshots at them they're gonna go down quick. It's a lot better in TFTD where damage is less random and autoshots aren't used by aliens.

Curious, if my biggest gripe thus far is the Large UFO missions, am I going to enjoy the endgame? I'm not a fan of the whole "find the last enemy withing this giant complex, have fun!"

One nice thing about X-Com is that the endgame can consist of one Battleship or one base assault followed by the game finishing mission. You just need to know what to do in the former to unlock the latter. Theoretically every other mission in the game is entirely optional.

Are you using motion scanners? They are really good for assaulting ships. For bases you just have to destroy a specific section and get out to succeed the mission.

 

[Mustawd]

We need a border patrol mod tbh. Where the noble mexicans are trying to invade america to save them from the demon possessed border patrol.

EDIT: Or vice versa. Whatever. A Once Upon a Time in Mexico mod would be cool.

 

[Cael]

Standard base layout is 3 hangars up top, lift in on one side one square below the side hangar, and the rest of the base below the lift. That means the lift is the only access point to the rest of the base, and any aliens that dropped into the hangar is funnelled through the lift. Try to keep general stores and living quarters as near to the lift as possible so that your men are ready to block the lift ASAP.

Best way to take down psi users is to hit the aliens hard and panic them before they panic you. Use a guy to scout and everyone else to shoot what he sees from across the map if necessary. Alien reaction fire is targeted on the scout and as long as he doesn't move, they won't fire on him. Gives everyone else free shots.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

How "ready" X-com Files is now?

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Piratez is a masterpiece.

 

[lightbane]

It's true that X-Files' beginning is repetitive, but it's been improving lately. The last version (0.9) finished the Zombie Arc and introduced Alien Hybrids, new soldiers that are way better than regular X com-personnel, if expensive.

Piratez is better but that's a given, considering it has like 3+ years of development behind.

 

[SausageInYourFace]

What other mods besides Piratez are good? Anyone tried the 40k mod?

 

[Alienman]

Final mod pack is great, and complete.

 

[Endemic]

TFTD superhuman is an exercise in masochism, I always seem to get that first month base attack at the worst possible time. Like when my squad is away: instant game over

 

[Average Manatee]

TFTD superhuman is an exercise in masochism, I always seem to get that first month base attack at the worst possible time. Like when my squad is away: instant game over

That sounds like you have one of the increased difficult options on, like Aggressive Retaliation. First month base attacks can happen but they should be pretty rare. Like 20% of the time or something. Normally shooting down a UFO causes the Aliens to send a single UFO to scout for your base, but with AR on all UFOs are scouting by default and they'll launch base assaults whenever a UFO comes near your base.

With AR off and not shooting things down (it's generally better to catch landed ones anyway) base assaults shouldn't be common at all.

 

[Endemic]

Pretty sure AR is off, it usually happens in ~week 3 after I've had a couple of successful missions. I generally try to shoot everything down so it may be generating a scout that finds my base early. Base attacks in general seem to happen much more often than in UFO Defense.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

That's weird, I rarely get base defense missions in the microprose games.
Though I do recall a mechanic where if the aliens detect your base, they will keep sending an invasion fleet until you beat them, after which they'll forget your base's location. Or something like that, anyway.

 

[Endemic]

Veteran difficulty (the earlier playthrough I did) and below are significantly more forgiving.

Fortunately aquatoids are squishy and I eventually managed to exploit the morale drop from killing the commanders first. Cruise ships sure are going to be fun

That's weird, I rarely get base defense missions in the microprose games.

They're much more likely to happen if you're shooting down a lot of UFOs\USOs. Although if you manage to detect and shoot down the scouts, it delays base attacks considerably (the aliens then send tougher ships until battleships\dreadnaughts are doing the scouting).

Though I do recall a mechanic where if the aliens detect your base, they will keep sending an invasion fleet until you beat them, after which they'll forget your base's location. Or something like that, anyway.

Openxcom fixed that bug, IIRC.

 

[DakaSha V]

Started X-Piratez again. Should be an interesting week