UFOpaedia - User contributions [en]

Rocket Launcher

2020-05-27T19:49:35Z

Ashley Pomeroy:

{{Ref Open | title = Rocket Launcher}}
The rocket launcher is a laser guided system which can fire three different sizes of missile.
{{Ref Close | source = Enemy Unknown Ufopaedia}}

{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/weapon
| weapon =Rocket Launcher
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 10
| grip =Two-Handed
| damagethreshold = TBA
| weaponimage = [[Image:BIGOBS15.GIF|left|64 px]]
| acc_auto =
| acc_snap = 55
| acc_aim = 115
| fcost_auto =
| fcost_snap = 45
| fcost_aim = 75
| saleprice = 3000
| research = None
| acquisition ={{Purchasing|4000}}
}}
{{Infobox module/ammo
| weapon = Rocket Launcher
| ammo = Small Rocket
| weight = 6
| height = 3
| width = 1
| damagethreshold = TBA
| ammoimage = [[Image:BIGOBS16.GIF|left|64 px]]
| damage = 75 High Explosive
| capacity = 1
| saleprice = 480
| research =
| acquisition ={{Purchasing|600}}
}}

{{Infobox module/ammo
| weapon = Rocket Launcher
| ammo = Large Rocket
| weight = 8
| height = 3
| width = 1
| damagethreshold = TBA
| ammoimage = [[Image:BIGOBS17.GIF|left|64 px]]
| damage = 100 High Explosive
| capacity = 1
| saleprice = 720
| research =
| acquisition ={{Purchasing|900}}
}}
{{Infobox module/ammo
| weapon = Rocket Launcher
| ammo = Incendiary Rocket
| weight = 8
| height = 3
| width = 1
| damagethreshold = TBA
| ammoimage = [[Image:BIGOBS18.GIF|left|64 px]]
| damage = 90 Incendiary
| capacity = 1
| saleprice = 960
| research =
| acquisition ={{Purchasing|1200}}
}}
{{Infobox close}}

The Rocket Launcher is slow, heavy, and has limited ammunition. It is also one of the most reliable ways to kill aliens, and it excels at [[Destroying Terrain|destroying alien hiding places]]. What's not to like?

The Rocket Launcher is the most accurate direct-fire weapon in the game with an impressive 115% accuracy modifier for its aimed shot, and can be aimed slightly faster than the Rifle and both cannons. The Rocket Launcher can arm three types of rockets: Two sizes of High Explosive rockets and an Incendiary rocket.

: The '''Small Rocket''' is the lightest of the three rockets. It is relatively strong and good for a weaker rocket user to carry.

: The '''Large Rocket''' does the most damage of the rockets. This makes it one of the most effective of the early game ranged weapons for dealing with strong terror units such as the [[Cyberdisc]]. It remains useful for the entire game.

: The ''Incendiary Rocket'' is the most effective means of quickly covering a large area with flames, but is otherwise not an effective direct damage dealer.

The Rocket Launcher is eventually overshadowed by the ultimate death-dealer, the [[Blaster Launcher]]. But even then the Rocket Launcher holds its own as an inexpensive (and less dangerous) terrain-clearer.

This weapon appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Torpedo Launcher]].

The rocket launcher can only be fired once per round. Although two snap shots would technically use up only 90% of a soldier's TUs, an additional 15 TUs must be spent reloading the weapon between shots. Alternately, this can be achieved by arming dual rocket launchers and firing each one at a -20% accuracy penalty.

The rocket launcher is the most accurate weapon that can be fired in a straight line, surpassing even the [[Heavy Plasma]] or the X-Com standard [[Rifle]].

<div id="Incendiary"></div>'''Note on incendiary rounds:'''
The listed damage using incendiary rounds is misleading. All [[incendiary]] weapons in the game do at most 10 points of damage on a direct hit. The damage values listed in the [[UFOpaedia]] determines how wide an area will be blanketed with flames, not how much damage will be done.

==Ammunition==
There are three rocket types. The launcher may only be loaded with one rocket at a time.

: '''Small rockets''' do decent damage but offer few advantages over the large rocket: they may fail to achieve a single-shot kill and have a far smaller terrain-clearing radius. They are lighter, but most squads can handle full loads of large rockets -- see [[#Weapon weight|weapon weight]], below. Small rockets have a blast radius of 4 tiles (diameter 9), dealing as much as 52 points of damage at the outer edge.

: '''Large rockets''' are the mainstay ammunition for the rocket launcher. A single hit (or even a near miss) from a large rocket is pretty much a guaranteed kill against Sectoids and Floaters, and has a high likelihood of killing Snakemen and Ethereals as well. The blast radius of a large rocket will blow open most of a farmhouse or clear out an orchard and often kill whatever's inside, making most terrain a cinch to sweep and secure. Large rockets have a blast radius of 6 tiles (diameter 13), dealing as much as 60 points of damage at the outer edge.

: '''Incendiary rockets''', like other [[incendiary|incendiaries]], do very little direct damage, though they do have specialized uses. The large fires they set can be used for nighttime illumination, although a large spread of many small fires (such as from an [[Auto-Cannon|AC-IN]]) is more effective. Fire is also good for clearing obstructive flammable terrain (such as jungle), although this takes several turns; a large rocket can be used for instant effect. Incendiary rockets create a fire with a radius of 6 tiles (diameter 13), and do negligible immediate damage everywhere within the blast.

: Perhaps the best use for incendiary rockets is to fire one inside an occupied UFO, then let the aliens slowly cook. Fire will not damage any of the valuable UFO components or equipment laying on the ground (including alien corpses left over from a [[UFO Crash Recovery|crash landing]]). Incendiary rockets are especially effective when combined with exploits involving faulty collision detection in [[Explosions#When_Is_a_Wall_not_a_Wall|diagonal walls]] (such as on a Medium Scout) or [[Exploiting_Collision_Detection#Explosions.2FIncendieries_Through_A_Ceiling|ceilings]].

== Tips ==
Many of these tips can also apply to the [[Small Launcher]] and [[Blaster Launcher]].

===Terrain-clearing===
The ideal terrain for fighting aliens is completely level and open. Without any hiding places, your scouts are guaranteed [[Reaction fire triggers#mutual surprise|mutual surprise]], and the lack of obstacles permits you to safely snipe the aliens from nearly any position (see [[Scouting]] for details).

Urban, farmland, and jungle terrain is full of obstructions that provide aliens cover to duck in and out of while taking potshots at you. Buildings and farmhouses are especially deadly -- you can get shot at from [[line of sight|blind spots]] while approaching or entering the building and if you spot an alien inside, most of your troops will not have a clear line of fire.

Solution: Blow the building up. Blow every building up. Every warehouse, every barn, every shed, every orchard, every thicket. Alien inside? Not for long. Remember to blow up every floor of every building you face -- HE damage is confined to a single vertical level, and aliens can spawn on any floor. Destroying the top floor of a building also destroys roof tiles, making it easier to spot any aliens lurking up there -- roofs are notorious for their blind spots.

Some players prefer to avoid using such destructive tactics during Terror Missions, when civilian lives are at stake. Remember that your soldiers' lives are at stake too, and the longer it takes you to kill the aliens, the fewer civilians will survive anyway.

When destroying buildings, it is better to fire the rocket through a window or open doorway, or to make your own holes, even if you can only target the square immediately inside the building. The [[Explosions#HE_Block|HE block]] property of terrain objects reduces the power of explosive blasts. By detonating a rocket inside the building, the blast will reach more of its internal structure (and any occupants) with undiminished strength. More bang for your buck.

=== Indirect fire ===
It is quite frustrating to fire one of your precious rockets at an alien, miss, and watch it sail harmlessly off the screen. This is less of a problem when the alien is in front of a wall or inside a building -- a rocket that hits a nearby structure will probably kill the alien as well.

Thankfully, most aliens have a nearby structure beside them at all times: the ground. Even when you have a direct shot available, aiming at the ground adjacent to an alien is likelier to produce a hit, and a nearby blast from a large rocket will usually kill Sectoids, Floaters, and most Snakemen. This is also a good way to target aliens that are obscured by nearby obstacles, or to kill a group of aliens with a single shot -- aim in between them.

Firing from an elevated position further improves your chance of a groundstrike, even when using direct fire. It also makes it easier to shoot past ground-level obstacles. A rocketeer in a [[Flying Suit]] is the ultimate in air cavalry.

=== Safety first ===
Although not as dangerous as a stray Blaster Bomb, a badly placed large
rocket can still kill several of your troops, even armoured ones. Avoid threading your shot through nearby obstacles such as trees, a fence, or the legs of your craft; move your shooter into the clear first. Shots that might wing other troopers are especially dangerous. It is for this reason that it is best to have your rocketeers near the front of the craft. Have them level nearby buildings before bringing the rest of your squad out.

Rocket reaction fire can be unpredictable and deadly. All reaction fire is direct-aim snap fire, which is likely to miss, and the game's AI doesn't care if there's a nearby obstacle (or other soldiers) in the way. You are better off facing a rocketeer away from combat, or using up his or her TUs to prevent reaction fire.

Rocketeers are, surprisingly, a viable choice for scouts. You want to position them away from other troops for safety reasons, and if they don't have a target at the beginning of a turn, you might as well use up their TUs to keep them from taking reaction shots.

Damage from HE explosions is confined to a single vertical level. This means it is usually safe to target the upper level of a building even if you are standing right next to it. But be sure you are clear of overhead obstructions first, in particular the wings/engines of your craft.

=== Weapon weight ===
A rocket launcher plus a full load of large rockets is the heaviest weapon system in the entire game. The launcher weighs 10 and four large rockets weigh 8 each, totaling 42. Any soldier who wants to carry this must have at least 42 Strength, or accept the loss of a few TUs to [[Time_Units#Encumbrance|overburden]].

However, due to [[Known_Bugs#Weightless_Loaded_Ammo|a bug]] in X-COM's equipment handling code, the weight of any ammo loaded in a weapon at the beginning of combat is not counted. This means that in effect you get one rocket free, and the total weight of a loaded launcher plus three large rockets is only 34. You are likely to have a couple of soldiers this strong even in your first batch of rookies. Before your first combat, rename your soldiers to note which ones can handle the weight, and give the strong ones the launcher and rockets during the inventory phase of combat.

Even a fairly weak soldier can handle a launcher plus two large rockets (weight 26); this is arguably a better choice than a launcher plus three small rockets (weight 28), which are substantially less powerful.

Strong rocketeers have the option of carrying a sidearm on their belt for when they run out of ammo or need to switch to precision fire. A full load of large rockets plus a [[Laser Pistol]] weighs 41; a [[Plasma Pistol]] is also an option, requiring a strength of only 37. After drawing the pistol, you don't even need to drop the launcher -- just make sure the pistol is selected by opening and closing its fire menu.

Some players like to use ammo bearers to split up the weight of the launcher and its ammo. Given the "free load" bug, you are probably better off bringing an extra full rocketeer into combat. There are still times when it may be good to throw extra rockets to a specific soldier -- in these cases, bear in mind that it costs the same amount of TUs to load ammunition from any location in the inventory screen, including the ground.

=== To aim or not to aim ===
When using the rocket launcher to destroy buildings or when using indirect fire, such as aiming at the ground -- the proverbial "broad side of a barn" -- you can get away with using snap shots. This allows you to move, fire, and reload all in one turn.

When forced to use direct fire, however, such as against an airborne Cyberdisc, it is much better to use aimed shots. If you have the TUs, you should kneel as well.

=== Versus Cyberdiscs ===
A direct hit from a large rocket has a 35% chance of killing a Cyberdisc, making it your best recourse should you encounter these nasties on your first Terror Mission. A large rocket blast can also deactivate the Cyberdisc's Self-Destruct sequence if you want to minimize the damage but a blaster bomb blast deactivates it every time. However, as Cyberdisk missions also contain psionic Sectoids, the results of a mind control can be devastating. The simplest way to counteract this is to drop the launcher at the end of each turn and pick it up again at the beginning. This is a good way of de-fanging all your troops, although it deprives you of [[reaction fire]].

=== Rockets and smoke ===
[[Smoke]], when properly used, is great for keeping aliens from seeing (and firing upon) your troops. Instead of waiting a turn for a [[Smoke Grenade]] to go off, another option is to fire a rocket at the ground, which will generate an instant smoke cloud. This can potentially save the life of a scout facing an alien where the usual options -- attack or retreat -- are not available.

Smoke will only be generated when a terrain object has been damaged -- a blast inside a UFO, for instance, will generate little if any smoke.

The total amount of smoke that can be arranged on the battlefield is quite limited -- about three large rockets or three smoke grenades' worth (unless the game is patched, e.g. by Seb76's UFOExtender). If you make heavy use of rockets, it can take 10 or more turns before any new smoke can be added to the battlefield. Any tiles on fire also eat into the same limited pool of available smoke-or-fire tiles.

=== Object destruction ===
Any object on the ground caught in the blast radius of a rocket is likely to be destroyed. To preserve loot, switch to nonexplosive weapons when attacking aliens that are standing near equipment. Explosions do not affect equipment that is not on the ground, so a blast that obliterates an alien will still leave behind a corpse and all its gear.

==See also==
{{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}
[[Category:Equipment (EU)]]
[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]

Info

2020-05-25T21:53:46Z

Ashley Pomeroy: /* Series Standards */ Technically made by ITC for the ITV network

'''In other languages: [[정보|한국어]].'''

'''X-COM''' is a series of computer games, started by MicroProse in 1994. The first instalment, released as ''UFO: Enemy Unknown'' in Europe and as ''X-COM: UFO Defense''<sup>1</sup> in North America was written by a team led by Julian Gollop. After the success of ''X-COM: UFO Defense'', The Gollop brothers went straight to work on [[Info (Apocalypse)|X-COM: Apocalypse]], which would end up being the third in the series when released in 1997.

MicroProse quickly had an internal team create the sequel ''[[Info (TFTD)|X-COM: Terror From the Deep]]'' in under a year as a quick cash in (hence the amount of uncanny similarities between the first two games). These first two games also show strong similarities to games such as ''Rebelstar'' and ''Laser Squad'' for the ZX Spectrum, including names of organisations such as 'Marsec'. The fourth title, ''[[Info (Interceptor)|X-COM: Interceptor]]'' was an action-based space combat/strategy game, while the fifth (''[[Info (Enforcer)|X-COM: Enforcer]]'') was simply a third person shooter.

All titles were developed for the PC, and some ported to the Sony PlayStation and Amiga. The first three titles were originally developed to run under DOS, though the first two have subsequently been ported to run under Microsoft Windows using DirectX. ''X-COM: UFO Defense'' was the best selling computer game of 1995 and is considered a true classic, and despite its age, still has a large following.

*<sup>1</sup>: According to an early promotional text file put out by Microprose for the North American release, the game was advertised as X-COM: Terran Defense Force. For a full transcript, see [[#Promotional Texts|below]]:

=Series Standards=

The premise for the series is fairly simple and straightforward, with variations among them: armies of hostile aliens have begun invading the Earth, killing and enslaving the human race. The style and theme of the game closely mirror those of the 1960s Gerry Anderson television series ''UFO''.

In each game of the series, the player is put in command of "X-COM": the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit. By defending countries from enemy invasion, the force gains monetary support. Any nation may quit, if X-COM's service is deemed unsatisfactory or the nation's government has been infiltrated by the invaders. Through research of recovered alien artefacts, X-COM is able to develop better and more powerful weapons, armor and vehicles to combat the alien menace and eventually uncover their true nature.

The game takes place within two main views: the Geoscape and the Battlescape, a dichotomy that's the hallmark of the entire series. The Geoscape is where the player waits for enemy alien activity and makes strategic decisions.

While in the Geoscape, the player can view the X-COM bases (located in various locations on Earth), make changes to them, equip X-COM craft, order supplies and personnel, direct research efforts, schedule manufacturing of advanced equipment and sell alien artifacts to raise capital. The Geoscape is continuous and not turn-based.

Gameplay switches to the isometric combat view of the Battlescape whenever X-COM personnel come in contact with alien units. This can result from investigating downed enemy crafts, combatting alien terrorist activities or attacking alien bases discovered during play. Aliens may also be encountered if they manage to attack and infiltrate one of the X-COM bases.

In the Battlescape view, X-COM combatants are pitted against the alien enemies. In addition to personnel, the player may have vehicles such as heavy weapons platforms outfitted with powerful weapons ranging from rockets to plasma beams. The Battlescape mode is turn-based and each combatant has a number of "time units" which can be expended each turn. When all alien forces have been neutralized, the mission is scored based on number of X-COM units killed, civilians saved, aliens killed or captured and the number of alien artefacts obtained.

The X-COM series is known for its difficulty. Third party programs have been developed to modify the game files to make playing the game less frustrating, and to increase replay value. Those third-party programs can also make the game more difficult for highly skilled players. Some of the most popular being [[XcomUtil]], [[UFO Extender]] and [[OpenXcom]].

=Ports=
*Amiga500
*Amiga1200
*Amiga CD32
*DOS 1.2, 1.4 (Zipped Box Art for the U.S. DOS version is [[Media:XCOM_UFO_Defense_DOS_US_Box_Art.zip|here]])
*Windows CE
*Playstation (both PAL and NTSC formats)

=System Requirements=
==Minimum==
*386 processor
*4MB RAM
*Hard drive (10MB free, game alone)
*MS-DOS 5.0 or higher
*VGA Graphics

==Recommended==
*486 or better
*8MB RAM
*Hard drive (15MB free, game + manual)
*SVGA Graphics

==Sound Cards Supported==
*PC Internal speaker
*AdLib compatible cards
*Sound Blaster compatible cards
*Roland LAPC-1

=Working In Windows=

*The Collectors Edition of XCOM works in all versions of Windows natively.

*The DOS version can be finicky in WinXP, as modern processors run the game so fast that the slowest speed in Geoscape is about the speed of "5min", not to mention that projectiles are so fast that following them with eye to determine where it come from is impossible. While it's probably possible to subdue it manually, many people use [http://dosbox.sourceforge.net DOSBox] as a WinXP DOS emulator, with a high degree of success. It does have some minor inconveniences, but they're a lot less than figuring everything out manually! A tutorial for DOSBox can also be found [http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=2502 here].

*''How do you check your game version? I know there are a bunch.''
=DOS X-COM in WinXP=

== DOSBox settings ==

As of August 2012, these settings work fine for the latest [http://www.dosbox.com/ DOSBox] (0.74) in WinXP, for DOS X-COM v. 1.4. This is on a 2 Ghz quadcore Intel CPU with wide-screen display (the display is not warped) and RealTek HD audio built into the motherboard.

Although one can make a separate DOSBox file just for running X-COM, I ([[User:MikeTheRed|MTR]]) just edited the DOSBox configuration file to run X-COM.

As the documentation states (section 13), the configuration file is automatically created the first time you run DOSBox as: "Start/WinLogo Menu"->"All Programs"->DOSBox-0.74->Options. This is a shortcut to the file C:\Documents and Settings\[Your Name]\Local Settings\Application Data\DOSBox\dosbox-0.74.conf (If you copy an old dosbox.conf file into the new DOSBox directory, it will be ignored!)

Here are the only things I changed. I didn't experiment with anything; I just got to something that worked:
[sdl]
fullscreen=true
output=ddraw
[render]
aspect=true
[cpu]
cycles=12000
[mixer]
rate=49716
[sblaster]
oplmenu=compat
oplrate=49716
[autoexec]
mount c D:\Games
c:
cd \X-COM
Go.bat
That last part causes it to be in my X-COM directory (D:\Games\X-COM) when it runs X-COM's GO.BAT. Note that I have the mixer rate matching the opl (synthesizer) rate. Also:
*Run X-COM's sound SETUP.EXE (should be in your X-COM 1.4 directory) and have it match the DOSBox [sblaster] settings: Board= Soundblaster 16, Base=220, IRQ=7, DMA=1, any channels (8 is fine), music board = AdLib/SoundBlaster FM.
*I found it a little tricky to get DOSBox to shut down when exiting X-COM. Editing the last line of X-COM's GO.BAT to say "exit" seems to do the trick.

== Starting DOSBox with RegEdit ==

I ([[User:Amitakartok|amitakartok]]) found a very convenient way to run the game with DosBox: using regedit, I added registry entry
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Run with DosBox\command (the part after *\ doesn't exist at first on XP, you have to add it yourself)
and changed the (Default) key's value to
"C:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.73\dosbox.exe" "%1" //optionally, you can append -exit to the end so that DB closes when X-COM closes
The result is a new command in the right-click context menu that causes DosBox to start up and load the exe/bat I gave out the command on! Only problem with this approach is that DosBox absolutely refuses to load the configuration file and starts X-COM with
cycles=max
which is WAY too much. I find the optimal value to be 20% (I got a 2.8 GHz single-core CPU overclocked to 3 GHz).

=Screenshots=

Taking screencaps (screen captures):
*For the CE version, use F12. It will make a .TGA file in your game directory.
*For DOS 1.4, it's more complex. I ([[User:MikeTheRed|MTR]]) use DosBox (see above). Once I could simply hit PrintScreen when in fullscreen XCOM, then switch out and paste to a graphics app. At some point in time that stopped working (makes for a garbage screencap), so instead I now switch out (Alt-Tab, not Ctrl-Enter), take a PrintScreen (of everything on the WinXP desktop), paste this to a graphics app, and crop the graphic to the XCOM window. (And x2 it, if wanted.) DosBox does have the ability to take a screenshot of the shell by pressing CTRL-F5. The resulting image is in PNG format and is saved in the "capture" folder of the DosBox directory.

=The Makers=

Published in 1994 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprose Microprose] (bought by Atari), developed by Mythos Games, chief designers brothers Nick and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Gollop Julian Gollop].

Mythos preceded X-COM with Laser Squad and have recently produced [http://www.lasersquadnemesis.com/ Laser Squad Nemesis].

Created by:
*Microprose (1994)

Owned by:
*Atari (2004-2007)
*Take-Two Interactive (2007-present)

=Credits=

==Primary Credits (DOS, Windows)==

===Game Design and Programming===
Mythos Games Limited<br>
Julian Gollop<br>
Nick Gollop

===Graphics and Animation===
Julian Gollop<br>
John Reitze<br>
Martin Smillie

===Music===
John Broomhall

===Sound Effects===
Andrew Parton

===Quality Assurance===
Peter Woods<br>
Andrew Luckett<br>
Richard Bakewell<br>
Darren Kirby<br>
Philip McDonnell<br>
Jason Sampson

===Manual Author===
Kristian Ramsay-Jones

===Managing Editor===
Alkis Alkiviades

===Packaging and Manual Design===
John Emory<br>
Joe Morel<br>
Cesar Novoa<br>
Sarah Warburton

===Producer===
Tim Roberts

===Publishers===
Paul Hibbard-Teall<br>
Peter Moreland

==Additional Credits (Amiga)==

<b><u>UFO 500 Conversion by Climax Productions</u></b>

===Programming===
Steve Legg

===Artwork===
Mike Baxter

===Music===
Matt Simmonds

===Producer===
Jason Lihou

<b><u>For MicroProse</u></b>

===Programming/Tech Advice===
Scott Johnston<br>
Bob Koon

===Producer===
Tim Roberts

===Documentation===
Nick Stokes

<b><u>UFO A1200 Conversion</u></b>

===Programming===
Scott Johnston<br>
Bob Koon

===Documentation===
Alkis Alkiviades

<b><u>Amiga CD32 Conversion</u></b>

===Programming===
Scott Johnston<br>
Bob Koon

===Additional Programming===
Tim Cannell<br>
Paul Dunning<br>
Adrian Scotney<br>
Nick Thompson

==Additional Credits (Playstation)==

===Producer===
Stuart Whyte

===Quality Assurance===
Darren Kirby<br>
Craig Lear<br>
Daniel Luton<br>
Justin Manning<br>
Philip McDonnell<br>
Jason Sampson<br>
Klaus Starke<br>
Donald Witcombe

===Programming Conversion===
Graeme Ashton<br>
Bob Koon

===Additional Programming===
Tim Cannell<br>
Paul Dunning<br>
Nick Thompson

===Playstation Design Implementation===
Andrew Williams

===Additional Artwork===
Drew Northcott<br>
Martin Severn

===Original Game Music Composition===
John Broomhall

===Original SFX Design===
Andrew Parton

===Playstation Music Conversion & Additional Music Composition===
Allister Brimble

===Audio Post Production===
Matt Vowles

===Audio Producer===
John Broomhall

===Publisher===
Rob Davies

===Packaging Design===
Sarah Warburton

===Manual Design & Layout===
Sarah Kerr

===Managing Editor===
Alkis Alkiviades

===Manual Writer & Editor===
Rick Haslam

===Brand Manager===
Adrian Turner

===Thanks To===
Sheila Boutin<br>
Valentina Britten<br>
Marc Curtis<br>
Gareth Davies<br>
Steve Hickman<br>
Laurie Sinnett<br>
Scott K. Tsumura<br>
<br>
----

Some of the material in this article was adapted from Wikipedia's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-COM X-COM] page.

=Promotional Texts=

These two texts were promotions for the game that resided on the now defunct Microprose FTP server. They have been included here for historical purposes:

<pre>
STRATEGY RELEASE, X-COM UFO DEFENSE

DEBUTS AT THE CONSUMER ELECTRONIC SHOW

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, Chicago, June 23, 1994-MicroProse
Software, a division of Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. (NASDAQ:
SBYT), will debut its recent release, X-Com UFO Defense.

"This is an addictive strategy game that pits you against
aliens terrorizing the Earth," said Carl Knoch, product
manager. "You must command groups of scientists, engineers
and soldiers as well as develop a strategy to ensure human
survival."

As commander of X-COM, which is a covert organization formed
by the world's governments to investigate and defeat the
alien invasion, you:

o Intercept UFOs as they sweep across the Earth
o Track all alien activity on the Geoscope rotating globe
display
o Plan a strategy for research and manufacture of
captured technologies
o Take charge of tactical operations in the 3-D isometric
Battlescope display
o Investigate UFO crash sites and alien bases
o Monitor the political situation

"To really see the aliens come to life, turn off the lights
because the bold colors and graphics show up even more,"
said Knoch.

Category: Strategy
Era: Future
Format: MS-DOS 5.0 or higher and Windows
Minimum Requirements: IBM PC 386, 486 and most
compatibles, 4MB RAM, VGA graphics and
mouse
Supports: Ad Lib, Covox, Roland and Sound
Blaster sound systems
</pre>

<pre>
MicroProse Presents

X-COM: Terran Defense Force

Shipping the week of May 30, 1994.

MicroProse is planning to release X-COM: Terran Defense Force in
the United States. X-COM: Terran Defense Force is a futuristic
game of strategy and tactical combat in which the player
defends the Earth from alien invasion.

The game involves the player at two different levels:
In-depth strategy as the player controls the operation
of bases that he builds all over the World to cope with
the alien threat and tense "seek and destroy" tactical
play.

Storyline:

It is the year 1999. Sightings of alien craft have
increased dramatically throughout the World. All attempts
at peaceful communications have been met with hostility.
Reports arrive daily of kidnappings, murder, terrorism,
and killings of cattle and domestic animals.

The nations of the world have decided that they must join
forces to combat the alien threat. To this end, a special
defense force named XComm is set up with collective funding
from all countries.

You are the commander of XComm.

Game Features:

- In-depth strategy involving scientific research, weapons
production, resource allocation, and expansion through base
construction.

- Tense tactical gameplay with "Aliens" search-and-destroy
feel.

- Non-linear gameplay for extended play.

- Popular "Manga" look and feel to graphics.

- Numerous mission types: Intercept, Seek-and-destroy,
Base defense, etc.

- Differing terrain according to mission location:
Snowscapes for Arctic locations, Cornfields for the
midwest, Cityscapes, etc.

X-COM: Terran Defense Force, from MicroProse, is expected to
release for IBM-PCs and compatibles in June.

Copyright 1994 by MicroProse Software, SH, Inc.
</pre>

=See Also=
* [http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-x-com-enemy-unknown/ The Making of Enemy Unknown] - An interview with Julian Gollop, one of the game creators on Edge Magazine.
* [[Background]] -- a timeline of events in the X-COM story line and other connections to the "real world"

{{Games Navbar}}
[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]

Talk:Abductor

2020-05-20T21:23:38Z

Ashley Pomeroy:

I know the listed UFOs for an Alien Harvest mission in MISSIONS.DAT, and Abductors aren't in it. I'm removing the mention of Alien Harvest missions pending some evidence that that can actually happen. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] ([[User talk:Magic9mushroom|talk]]) 08:19, 24 March 2016 (UTC)

How come 2 out of 3 of the Hidden UFO navigation devices aren't displayed on the floor plan?
[[User:PocketUFOPlayer?|PocketUFOPlayer?]] ([[User talk:PocketUFOPlayer?|talk]]) 13:43, 6 March 2019 (GMT)

: I've tweaked the image, although it seems to be taking a few days to trickle through UFOPaedia's systems. -[[User:Ashley Pomeroy|Ashley Pomeroy]] ([[User talk:Ashley Pomeroy|talk]]) 21:23, 20 May 2020 (UTC)

File talk:Abductor 1.gif

2020-05-17T11:37:07Z

Ashley Pomeroy:

== This picture lacks two of the "hidden" navigation stations ==
Is there a kit for building these images?

: That always bugged me so I've added them. The shadows probably aren't spot-on but from a distance they don't look too bad. -[[User:Ashley Pomeroy|Ashley Pomeroy]] ([[User talk:Ashley Pomeroy|talk]]) 11:37, 17 May 2020 (UTC)

File:Abductor 1.gif

2020-05-17T11:36:03Z

Ashley Pomeroy: Ashley Pomeroy uploaded a new version of File:Abductor 1.gif

Medium Scout

2011-04-23T14:50:15Z

Ashley Pomeroy: /* Additional Information */

==General Information==
A medium sized scout vessel that poses little threat to earth forces. Normally appears before larger vessels during missions.

This ship appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Escort]].

==Statistics==
<table {{StdCenterTable}}>
<tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}><th align="left">Statistic</th>
<th>Value</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Size</td><td>Small</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Max Speed(km)</td><td>2,400</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Weapon Power</td><td>20</tr>
<tr><td align="left">Weapon Range(km)</td><td>15</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Weapon Range(range units)</td><td>120</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Damage Capacity</td><td>200</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">UFO Downed points</td><td>75</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">UFO Destroyed points</td><td>150</td></tr>
</table><br />

==Additional Information==
This ship isn't a big threat in the air. [[Avalanche]] missiles will put it down, usually. On the ground, however, it can a tricky customer. Your soldiers can only enter through a single door which is usually guarded by the surviving occupants, who are in no mood for pleasantries. The mutual surprise rule means that the first soldier will usually make it through the door, but his very next action will trigger reaction fire - at point-blank range.

Ship carries ONE [[UFO Power Source|power source]], and two [[UFO Navigation|Navigations]].

This is a one-level ship, octagon-shaped, with no interior walls and the power source in the center of the craft.

Several aliens will be inside the ship and a few outside during missions. Sometimes the aliens can hide behind the power source so be sure to check the corners after breaching the doors!

If you're unlucky, and the power source was destroyed during the crash, there'll be a nice big hole in the ship during [[UFO Crash Recovery|recovery]]. The location of the hole varies. Feel free to toss big explosives into the hole as there will be no [[Elerium-115|elerium]] to recover anyway. This might, however, destroy the equipment that was carried by those aliens killed in the crash.

==Notes==
*If there's no other way to enter aside from the hatch, your best bet may be to set up a firing line outside-- the sort used in [[Reaction Training]]-- and wait them out. The aliens will usually start coming out soon after turn 20. Anyone trying to charge through that hatch will probably run into at least 2, usually more, aliens on the inside waiting to shoot anyone who comes through.
*If they REFUSE to come out from an intact UFO, and you have to send in a suicidal sacrificial rookie, arm him with a AC-IN, and Auto-Fire everything inside. If you're lucky, he will kill all aliens inside while leaving the items intact. (If you're really cheap, you can exploit the north, west and diagonal walls and roast them in the shell.)

==Recoverable Components==
<table {{StdCenterTable}}>
<tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}><th align="left">Item</th>
<th>Sell Price</th>
<th>Quantity</th>
<th>Value</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left">UFO Power Source</td><td>$250,000</td><td>1</td><td>$250,000</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">UFO Navigation</td><td>$80,000</td><td>2</td><td>$160,000</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Alien Food</td><td>$5,000</td><td>0</td><td>$0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Alien Surgery</td><td>$38,000</td><td>0</td><td>$0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Alien Entertainment</td><td>$20,000</td><td>0</td><td>$0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Examination Room</td><td>$9,000</td><td>0</td><td>$0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Alien Alloys</td><td>$6,500</td><td>11</td><td>$71,500</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Elerium-115</td><td>$5,000</td><td>50</td><td>$250,000</td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="3">Totals</th><td>$731,500</td></tr>
</table><br />
Also see [[UFO Recovery Values#Medium Scout|UFO Recovery Values]].

==Alien Deployment==

<table width="100%" cellpadding="5"><tr>
<td><table {{StdCenterTable}}>
<caption><b>Sectoids/Floaters</b></caption>
<tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}><th align="left">Rank</th>
<th>Beg./Exp.</th>
<th>Vet./Gen.</th>
<th>Super.</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Soldiers</td><td>2-4</td><td>3-5</td><td>4-6</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Navigators</td><td>1-2</td><td>1-2*</td><td>2-3</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Medics</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Engineers</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Leaders</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Commanders</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Terrorists</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><th>Totals</th><td>3-6</td><td>4-7</td><td>6-9</td></tr>
</table></td>
<td><table {{StdCenterTable}}>
<caption><b>Snakemen</b></caption>
<tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}><th align="left">Rank</th>
<th>Beg./Exp.</th>
<th>Vet./Gen.</th>
<th>Super.</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Soldiers</td><td>2-4</td><td>3-5</td><td>4-6</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Navigators</td><td>1-2</td><td>1-2*</td><td>2-3</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Medics</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Engineers</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Leaders</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Commanders</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Terrorists</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><th>Totals</th><td>3-6</td><td>4-7</td><td>6-9</td></tr>
</table></td>
<td><table {{StdCenterTable}}>
<caption><b>Mutons</b></caption>
<tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}><th align="left">Rank</th>
<th>Beg./Exp.</th>
<th>Vet./Gen.</th>
<th>Super.</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Soldiers</td><td>2-4</td><td>3-5</td><td>4-6</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Navigators</td><td>1-2</td><td>1-2*</td><td>2-3</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Medics</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Engineers</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Leaders</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Commanders</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Terrorists</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><th>Totals</th><td>3-6</td><td>4-7</td><td>6-9</td></tr>
</table></td>
<td><table {{StdCenterTable}}>
<caption><b>Ethereals</b></caption>
<tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}><th align="left">Rank</th>
<th>Beg./Exp.</th>
<th>Vet./Gen.</th>
<th>Super.</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Soldiers</td><td>2-4</td><td>3-5</td><td>4-6</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Navigators</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Medics</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Engineers</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Leaders</td><td>1-2</td><td>1-2*</td><td>2-3</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Commanders</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Terrorists</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><th>Totals</th><td>3-6</td><td>4-7</td><td>6-9</td></tr>
</table></td>
</tr></table>
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Needs testing to determine actual number.

==Floor Plan==
[[Image:MediumScout.gif]]

==Terrain Maps==
<gallery>
Image:UFO_110MAP-L1.JPG|Level 0
Image:UFO_110MAP.JPG|Level 1
</gallery>

==See Also==
{{UFO Navbar}}

[[Category: UFOs (EU)]][[Category: Research (EU)]]

Talk:Small Scout

2011-04-23T14:44:30Z

Ashley Pomeroy:

== Tactics for Hunting Small Scouts ==

I've seen single stingrays down them. I've never hit one with cannons. They always run away before my interceptors close. You'd probably need an elerium powered ship to catch up with them and use cannons. There always seems to be one looking for you base on the first day so it can be a nice way to get that first plasma weapon for research.

:I agree. These critters are hard to catch. Dual Stingrays have a strong risk of destroying them totally, with Cannons you will almost never get close enough in an Interceptor. Single Stingray, plus Cannon just in case, - i.e. the starting Interceptor loadout - is the best way to crash these early in the game. Even then it's difficult as they often just run for it before you can even fire the first Stingray. I agree it's better just to tail them with a Transport and hope they land, but they don't always land. May be when the Interception Window is up they are less likely to land? Do UFO's "know" when they've been targeted? Early in the game, the $340K of Mind Probe these guys are carrying (total worth $400K+) makes it imperative to try to Recover or Assault them, by hook or by crook. I still have not worked out the best way to do it, let alone a reliable way. Maybe tail them with a transport but keep an Interceptor nearby in the air, with Stingray + Cannon, to take them out if they look like leaving?

It should be noted that a Small Scout assault seems deceptively easy. After all there's 1 of Them and 14 of You. What many people may not realize is that the 1 living alien triggers the "alien clairvoyance" (2 or less aliens alive on the map, or more than 20 turns elapsed, and the AI gets to know where all the X-COM troops are.) Some Small Scout aliens have put up impressive fights. And just to clarify, the Cannon is the only reliable method of downing a Small Scout. A lone Stingray works sometimes, as can a Laser Cannon. However, since you get 100 points for destroying the small scout, and only 50 for shooting it down, the former is often a better choice unless you're hurting for cash, since the recovery value of the UFO isn't 50, even on a perfect mission. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 13:14, 24 November 2008 (CST)

:Excellent points there. 14 to 1 is hardly sporting, but as you say the wily scout has an equaliser - good. But are you sure about the reliability of Cannon? On paper, yes, but in practice (I've done a lot of repeat trials), it takes many missed engagements before you even get an Interception Window against a Small Scout, and in most of those cases the Small Scout "goes to warp speed" once its damage level approaches 50%. The problem with the Cannon is that it's damage level is ''too'' fine-grained, unlike the Stingray which can pitch the target over the 50% damage threshold before it has time to react and disengage. So yes the Cannon is reliable in the sense that it will almost never destroy the Small Scout. Only on very rare occasions is the Scout in an aggressive enough mood to close with (rather than flee from) a Cannon-armed craft. But the Cannon's rate of ''downing'' Small Scouts is much lower than the single Stingray, per engagement. So I would definitely maintain the Stingray primary plus Cannon secondary is the best mix for Small Scout hunting. 90%+ of the time, a single Stingray would do as well as the combo. (The S+C combo is also much more practical than either a single Cannon or dual Cannon, when it comes to shooting down any evasive targets other than a Small Scout. The Dual Cannon mix does excel with a non-evading target such as a Battleship of course.) But maybe we should have a contest, a shoot-off?

:Whether <= 50 extra points of Score is worth $400K of cash, a little experience and perhaps some new Research topics, is debatable. My view would be that in the first month of two of the game, the cash (etc) is definitely more useful than the score. Small Scouts largely disappear after that. When they reappear a couple of months later, it's probably not worth the hassle - splash 'em!. I picture a Small Scout running from a Fusion Ball... :) [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:15, 24 November 2008 (CST)

::I'm still a skeptic of the 'alien clairvoyance' claim. There used to be a related claim regarding turn 20, which I can't remember exactly but it had to do with alien behaviour as well that I never bought it. So what's the proof of the 'clairvoyance'? Simple observation? Specific code in the engine? How did you test it? What results can be expected after turn 20? Just some questions :) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 12:02, 26 November 2008 (CST)
:::"Proof" of clairvoyance is in the code: after turn 10, if 1 or 2 aliens only are still alive, all enemy units are made visible to them. After turn 20, they gain visibility regardless of how many are still alive. [[User:Seb76|Seb76]] 16:04, 26 November 2008 (CST)

::: Turn 20 is when the aliens get automatic line-of-sight to all your units, leading to their troops rushing out of the ships and a massive storm of psionics. I'm not quite sure where that came from, so i'll look around. --[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 13:38, 26 November 2008 (CST)

:::: It seems turn 20 is when they decide to exit their ship, and the psionic spam is actually 10-x, where x depends on the psionic defense of the unit on your side with the lowest psionic defense, as tested by zombie --[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 14:02, 26 November 2008 (CST)

::: Seb, are you sure about that? Behavior would seem to indicate that the turn 20 effect happens even with 4 aliens left alive.--[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 18:06, 26 November 2008 (CST)

The problem with the Small Scouts is that not only do they have a higher top speed than an Interceptor, but they also have the highest acceleration in the game. The Small Scout doesn't have a weapon either, so if it encounters resistance, it will try to outrun the threat almost all the time. A Stinger+Cannon combo is probably a preferable loadout on the Interceptor as it may allow you to down the craft while still being useful for other engagements.

In my experience, Small Scouts rarely land so trailing them with a Skyranger is hopeless. And you don't know when the UFO is going to leave so it's better to just engage them straight off when the "scouting" mode begins.

If you do manage to crash the Small Scout in the beginning of the game, it's a great thing. (Not so much for score, but then again the difference is 50 points which is a drop in the bucket for most months). The guaranteed Mind Probe is a good artifact to recover as it provides an influx of cash which could really help out the struggling forces. The mission isn't going to be easy as we recently found out, but it's not hard to kill a single Sectoid, Floater or Snakeman early on either.

All of this hints at just engaging the Small Scouts and crashing them if possible early on. Later, when you have faster craft capable of matching the speed of the Small Scout, you can load a Lightning or a Firestorm with the Cannon(s) and go after the SS to get those Mind Probes easily on a ground mission. However, most people don't even consider equipping a craft with normal Cannons a viable strategy since the intercepting craft is capable of only one function. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 17:50, 24 November 2008 (CST)

: To be honest, downing Small Scouts is a crap shoot and most effective tactic is probably "save and reload" :(. I've watched closely and it looks like their acceleration is actually good enough to turn and outrun a Stingray ''after'' it's been fired at them. So whether it's Cannons or Stingrays you may be reliant on the Small Scout acting a bit suicidal. I still have yet to see one downed by a Cannon though. They do occasionally land and you get down one with a Stingray maybe one-half to one-third of the time.

; Well I think I'm going to tweak the main article to at least reflect a diversity of views on this. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 16:31, 29 November 2008 (CST)

=== Solo Xeno Reco Redux ===

I've been playing around with this again. First of all, the "terms of reference". Doing a recovery on a Small Scout is almost irrelevant at most points in the game, apart from the beginning. In the beginning of the game, it's a big win both in cash and technology terms. At any other point in the game, why bother.

So there's not much point talking about non-starting equipment. Yes, in theory, Laser Cannons are an option. They have the same damage characteristics as Stingrays, with greater firepower (4x rate of fire roughly, half the accuracy, so about twice the firepower). With the greater firepower, and more continuous firing, there's a better chance of crashing the Small Scout in the very limited time window before it runs away. In theory, putting Cannon on an advanced craft that can outrun the scout, is the no-brainer option. But by the time you have advanced aircraft, you could care less about a Small Scout recovery mission.

So our palette is basic: Interceptor or perhaps Skyranger; Cannon, Stingray, Avalanche. An Avalanche missile, with a nominal damage of 100 (minimum 50) will always kill a Small Scout, and so cannot be used to crash it. We need something that has at least a theoretical possibility of doing less than 50 damage. That leaves Stingrays and Cannon. One or two of each, or a mix of both.

I am not convinced that Cannon on an Interceptor are ever effective against a Small Scout. I have done many attempts (hacking the fuel of the Interceptor so it can pursue for longer). I have never seen an Interceptor get more than one Cannon volley off in approaching 100 trials. And the one cannon volley is extremely rare (and can not crash the Small Scout).

This leaves Stingrays. Now do you carry 1 or 2? If you carry 2, what do you do with the other weapon port (assuming you're flying an Interceptor).

Carrying 2 Stingrays might be advantageous, because it doubles your rate of fire and thus your chance to crash the scout. Each Stingray hit (70% hit) has a 43% chance to crash the scout, 57% to destroy it (assuming you're over land, otherwise 100% destruction). So for each Stingray fired, that's a straight 30% to crash, 40% to kill, 30% to miss.

Whether 2 launchers is better than one depends on the internals of how the game process air combat. Are the 2 missile attacks resolved simultaneously, and damage applied from both? In that case, the kill % per volley is, I think, about 73% to kill, 18% to crash, 9% to miss. Clearly from the point of view of getting a Crash Recovery mission against the small scout, this is worse.

On the other hand, what if the missiles are processed sequentially. In other words, if you crash the alien with your first shot, it immediately falls out of the sky, and doesn't get hit (and probably destroyed) by the second missile? In this case, I calculate 39% to crash, 52% to kill, and 9% to miss - per volley. The crash % per volley (39%) is better than the single-launcher case (30%). IF this is how air combat is resolved.

But wait, there's more. With double launchers, you have a higher kill percentage. Does this higher kill percentage potentially deprive you of future opportunities when you might crash the scout? I'm not sure. In a single engagement with an Interceptor vs a Small Scout, you very rarely get the chance to fire missiles twice. (Make sure you are NOT in Cautious attack mode as they will always miss). However, while tailing the same scout, you may get 2 or 3 separate engagements (even if you are not cheating with your fuel). Does the higher kill probability work against you over multiple engagements?

30% to crash and 40% to kill plays 39% to crash and 52% to kill, over multiple engagements. If you have only one crack at the target, it's clear that double missiles is better (assuming dual missile attacks are processed 'sequentially'.)

For two attacks, you get .3 plus .6 x .3 = .18 -> .48 crashes with single missiles. With dual missiles you get .39 + .48 x .39 = .1972 -> .5772 crashes. So that's still better with dual missiles.

For 3 attacks the residual difference is very small. An extra .108 crashes for the single missile and an extra .0899 crashes for the dual missile. So the dual missile is still ahead on crash %, even after 3 volleys. (Maybe I should've used the chance of remaining airborne there, rather than the chance of not being killed. I don't think it matters materially.)

So in conclusion, dual Stingray missiles might be a better scout hunting tactic for Interceptors, depending on how air to air combat resolution works. Unfortunately that is very hard to figure out by experiment. It probably requires decompiling the relevant chunk of code. If dual Stingrays are good for scout hunting, that's good news, since dual Stingrays are not bad for general purpose UFO hunting either.

In the single missile world, there not much to do with the other weapon slot apart from a Cannon. At least when you have an armed enemy who is willing to close with you, the Cannon brings some extra firepower. Once in range, the Cannon adds about another 40% firepower to the Stingray launcher's firepower. It also has the advantage of taking smaller 'nibbles' off the UFO's defences, thus making crashes (rather than kills) much more likely. Generating Crash Recovery missions is the name of the game, so this is not a bad thing.

As a last option, just a thought experiment. IF it turns out to be the case that single Stingrays are best, maybe hunt small scouts with an armed Skyranger? (Can you only do this in X-Com Util? I can't remember). Conceivably, the UFO will slow down to match the speed of the Skyranger (they seem to to that) and with the Skyranger's much greater endurance, you can follow for longer, and get more attacks on the small scout. Plus of course when you do down it, you can immediately launch the recovery mission. Anyway, it's just a thought.

[[User:Spike|Spike]] 18:19, 1 July 2009 (EDT)

: Regarding shooting down a small scout in later stages: For the most part, it's just cannon fodder. Of course, assuming the scenario of getting the psi labs really late into the game, it's probably the safest way to capture an ethereal for research. One ethereal soldier and a mob of unarmed and really bad psi sponges and it'll be a fairly easy alien to tackle.

: It's also one of the few ships where you can guarantee that a mind probe will be present. Granted you should have obtained one early on, but if you're unlucky and never quite got it, then this is a good way to get it. Most won't care about the probe once they get the Psi Amp.

: By the way, dual shots do result in no hits, one hit, or a double hit. I'm pretty sure there's also a random damage roll applied as well, but am not sure if it's the good old 0 - 200% or 50% - 150% or if it has its own range. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 02:31, 2 July 2009 (EDT)

::Further facts on the Cannon: On average, with dual cannon, you need to fire for 13.3 game seconds (6.6 volleys) before you generate enough damage to crash a Small Scout. Even absolute best case - every round hits, for maximum damage - you need to get at least 2 volleys off.

::Good point about grabbing a lone Ethereal NKF. Maybe that should go on the main page.

::My question about dual shots was not so much whether 0, 1 or 2 hits is possible. The question is, in the case of 2 hits, if the first hit is a 'crash' (50-99% damage), but the second hit would increase the damage level to a kill (100%+ damage), what happens? Does the UFO fall out of the sky crashed and avoid the second missile? Or is the crashed UFO hit mid air by the second missile and destroyed? It's actually not impossible to deduce the answer by correctly predicting the expected probabilities, and then doing a large number of trials. But I'm not sure I have the rigour to do the former or the patience to do the latter!

::By the way, my understanding is that the damage function for aircraft weapons is a random 50% - 100% of the UFOPaedia-listed damage. Although I never quite got round to reflecting this in the numbers on my [[Aircraft Firepower Table]]. Cheers, [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:22, 2 July 2009 (EDT)

== Old Discussion ==

By the way I'm tempted to remove the obsolete discussion below as it its conclusions are neatly summarised on the main article - any objections? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:23, 23 November 2008 (CST)

:The archivist in me disagrees, but I'm not the only one here. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 13:14, 24 November 2008 (CST)

:: Heck, the archivist in me agrees with the archivist in you. :) [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:15, 24 November 2008 (CST)

:The article page mentions that the Small Scout will not be placed on the map by XComUtil. Isn't the confusion solved then? Unless there is something else which needs to be worked into the text, the discussion should be removed.--[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 17:50, 24 November 2008 (CST)

== XComUtil Ate My UFO (Old Discussion) ==

Brunpal: In the interception window, if a UFO takes 50% or more of its total hull points in damage, it is shot down, leaving a UFO Crash Site which X-COM can raid for goodies. X-COM gets "UFO Grounded" points for such. UFO crash sites tend to contain damaged UFOs. But since there's really no way to damage the Small Scout, the vessel doesn't spawn on the map. If a UFO takes 100% or more of its HP in damage in an interception, you will get the message "UFO Destroyed!" No crash site is spawned, and X-COM gets double the points it would've gotten for simply crash-landing the vessel. The part at the top refers to this discrepancy between crash landing and destruction. Craft Armaments randomly do between 50% and 100% of their damage to a UFO on a successful hit; the Small Scout has 50 HP. So even on a minimum damage(50), an Avalanche missile will blow a Small Scout into shrapnel. Whereas a Stingray, Cannon, or Laser Cannon can possibly crash the Small Scout, but damages it so badly in the process that there's nothing left for X-COM to salvage; just a lone alien to hunt. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 15:45, 17 September 2008 (PDT)

:Yes I understood all that previously. (Been playing for years.) It was better explained at the top of the page so the note at the bottom was superfluous as it was written. Plus technically it wasn't correct as is:
:*''"If the Small Scout was shot down by an Interceptor, there will be no UFO spawned; the craft is destroyed in the crash landing."''
:1. Reference to Interceptor: Doesn't matter what kind of X-Com craft shoots it down. As written it implies it does matter what craft.
:2. Does matter what kind of weapon (vs craft) is used to shoot it down. Which isn't explained in the note, but is explained on the page.
:3. "Shot down" is a inaccurate term. It implies a crash, vs "destroyed" which doesn't imply a crash.
:4. As written it implied destruction was the only possible result. Highly likely, yes. I was surprised the first time I had one crash on me since I must have blown up dozens upon dozens by that time across many different games and had never had it happen.
:5. While I understood what it was trying to say, the entire small note ended up contradicting the body of the page.
:As my edit summary explained: "the note was better explained at the top of the page" but I still thought it wise to allay a player's concern that they had never been attacked by that kind of UFO. (A thought that crossed my mind the first time I saw it in game.) --[[User:Brunpal|Brunpal]] 10:53, 18 September 2008 (PDT)

::I think I'm unsure what the debate here is now. What I am trying to explain is that if the UFO is shot down by anything("Interceptor" is used across the wiki as a generic term for any X-COM craft that can mount a weapon, though it does correctly refer to the fighter jet) and is NOT destroyed during the interception, the crash site of the UFO will spawn a single alien and no UFO. Is this what you understand me to be saying? [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:28, 24 September 2008 (PDT)

:::The only way that I know of to produce a "small scout" map with no actual small scout on it is to use XComUtil (which stops it appearing for who knows what reason). If you shoot one down but fail to destroy it (dual cannons are a good way to do this), you can send in your ground team and collect the craft. It'll be perfectly intact (because it has no power supply to go boom).

:::Yes, I tested it just this minute with CE. ;) If you have different results, check that your game isn't modded then report back on your version. - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 03:07, 25 September 2008 (PDT)

::I do indeed use XComUtil, with it, the game runs more stably(fewer crashes) and does not completely disrupt my screen resolution if and when it does crash and burn. So that'd be my error; apologies. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 06:50, 25 September 2008 (PDT)

:To answer your question AQ, I did '''not''' understand that you were saying the ''crash site of the UFO will spawn a single alien and no UFO.'' I don't use XComUtil (yet- will after my upgrade) but if a ground mission without a UFO is common behavior in XComUtil, then it's worth mentioning.
:I have never seen a mission where there was an alien but no UFO, though I thought I had at the time. There was no UFO a couple of times on a fully explored map, but after reloading the UFO was just hiding behind a building or something each time I thought it didn't exist. I could only see it by using the top down perspective and setting the view to display exteriors of structures only. This UFO is tiny and easy to miss even when you are looking for it. When it's been shot down, it's even smaller. One time the landing gear was the only thing left. That may have happened to you, maybe not, but something to keep in mind.--[[User:Brunpal|Brunpal]] 08:38, 25 September 2008 (PDT)

== XcomUtil 9.7 (and probably older) ==
Using XcomUtil 9.7 I found that it doesn't remove a Small Scout from the Battlescape as it was said in this article. Maybe, there's any flag for it, but I didn't look for it. And I don't remember if XcomUtil ever asked me about the removal during the install and setup. Maybe, this info must be corrected or tested by someone else. --[[User:Ufo.mesh|ufo.mesh]] 09:13, 30 August 2010 (EDT)

: Are you using the latest release since Bladefirelight took over development of XComutil? It may have been fixed since the article was written. Just going by my own experience, older versions of XComutil did indeed remove the small scouts from the map. No, it never ever asked for this, it just did it. There are actually a number of other fixes and changes that the older versions did without asking the user.

: However, I think the note about XComutil is not necessary for this article and can be removed. It's certainly an XComutil issue, but it's not a part of the game. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 18:31, 30 August 2010 (EDT)

::Yes, I'm using the latest Bladefirelight's build (v.9.7 build 442). And during my translations I came across this note and decided to check it out, because I use XcomUtil to fix some bugs. So, very small UFO exists at Battlescape.--[[User:Ufo.mesh|ufo.mesh]] 01:13, 31 August 2010 (EDT)

The reason that note is on the page is because of the [[#XComUtil_Ate_My_UFO_.28Old_Discussion.29|above discussion block]] - people were getting confused as to why the scout wasn't appearing on maps.

Blade's work began with 9.7, and a lot of it centered around making all XcomUtil features truly "optional". Anything prior to that certainly did remove the scout (for who knows what reason). To memory, I think Blade's version might still do it in certain circumstances (certain game versions with certain map settings), but I'm not sure what those are exactly. - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 22:47, 30 August 2010 (EDT)

: The Small Scout tiles cause an MCD overflow problem in hybrid games (mixing UFO and TFTD terrain). -- [[User:Zaimoni|Zaimoni]] 23:51, 30 August 2010 (CDT)
:: I think can check this later. You maybe mean an option with randomizing UFO's floor plans?--[[User:Ufo.mesh|ufo.mesh]] 01:17, 31 August 2010 (EDT)

::: No; this is playing UFO with TFTD terrain or vice versa. -- [[User:Zaimoni|Zaimoni]] 23:00, 31 August 2010 CDT

: Of all the UFOs available, it has the smallest set of MCD indexes - how could it cause an overflow when the other craft do not? - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 02:44, 31 August 2010 (EDT)

:: I'm slightly fuzzy on that, but that is what the XCOMUtil documentation paraphrases to (it may be a "cumulative tile count" thing). In any case, the removal is completely unnecessary unless attempting a hybrid terrain game, and removing the small scout tile set is enough to prevent the overflow for hybrid terrain games. -- [[User:Zaimoni|Zaimoni]] 23:00, 31 August 2010 CDT

== UFO-1 ==
It's touched on above, but is UFO-1 ''always'' a small scout? It seems to be (every game I start has a small scout at the beginning) but is there a way of proving it? -[[User:Ashley Pomeroy|Ashley Pomeroy]] 10:44, 23 April 2011 (EDT)

Alien Base Terrain

2011-04-21T20:28:05Z

Ashley Pomeroy:

[[image:terrain-ubase.gif|right|Alien Base Command Center]]
The aliens will occasionally set up shop earthside in an underground base. Their operations need to be shut down, and the only way to do that is send troops in and clear it out. Alien bases are normally hidden on the Geoscape. To find them, you need to leave an X-Com craft flying over them for a short period. X-Com undercover agents will occasionally report a base location to you at the beginning of the month, but that shouldn't be relied upon.

Most of the base will be unlit or only partially lit; be prepared to fight in darkness. Expect a maze of corridors, with aliens lying in wait.

Alien bases are always entered through two large entry lift areas with bright green floors. The two lifts will be scattered randomly through the base. Most of your units will start on these areas, though depend on a couple to jump the gun and be waiting for orders in the base below.

The headquarters you attack on the second second stage of the [[Cydonia]] raid has the same layout as alien bases; only the command center is different.

==Common Modules==

See [[Xcom_and_Alien_Bases#Alien_Base]] for a full set of maps.

* Entry Lifts - where your soldiers start.
* Storage Rooms - Hangar-size rooms full of rows of vats, with a security watchtower in the centre. The ceiling is two levels up, the upper level is wide open.
* Storage Lofts - Single-square lift closets leading up to a second-level room chock full of vats. The southeast room will contain two UFO power sources.
* Checkpoint Closets - Four single-square lift closets connected by a U-shaped hallway on the upper level.
* Alien Gardens - Dark rooms with jagged rocks and strange pulsing mushrooms. The ceiling is two levels up -- the lower level is a claustrophobic maze, the upper level is wide open. Burn 'em.
* Alien Entertainment - Flashing walls and floors that you thought went out with disco in the seventies.
* Plasma conduits - explosive red pods.
* Command Centre - the double-walled area where you'll find the Base Commander and some consoles on the second floor. He often gets a Blaster Launcher and bodyguards.
**destroying the contents of this room on the second floor renders the base destroyed for all intents of a base assault.
<br clear="all">

==Battle Notes==
*The southeast room of the storage loft will contain two UFO power sources, and one of these sources will usually contain 50 units of elerium.
*Any large section of alien garden section is a warren. Completely dark and loaded with winding corners and small niches to hide in, they are the some of the most treacherous areas to fight in. However, the upper level is wide open. Use heavy weapons, saturate with explosives and use flying units to attack them.
*The storage rooms will be heavily populated with aliens, and expect one or two snipers in the central tower. The second level is wide open except for the tower, so flying units are helpful here as well.
*If you are trying to capture a commander, be aware that before entering the inner door of the command center, if the commander is not killed or incapacitated before the end of the turn where the door is opened, he may fire his blaster launcher and kill himself and most of the aliens in the command center accidentally.

==See Also==
[[Alien Base Assault]] | [[Cydonia]]
[[Category:Terrain]]

UFOs

2011-04-20T15:43:34Z

Ashley Pomeroy:

The '''UFOs''' seen in the skies of ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]'' are big, blocky, geometric shapes that lack any form of aerodynamics. They are able to fly at breakneck speeds through the power of [[Elerium-115]] and the resiliency of [[Alien Alloys]]. UFOs come in a variety of forms ranging from the tiny [[Small Scout]]s right up to the massive [[Battleship]]s.

UFOs are the aliens' sole method to get to Earth, so in theory, it would be possible to halt the alien advance if [[X-COM]] could maintain absolute air superiority. Earth's forces do not initially have the resources required for such a task, and even if it becomes possible, the aliens have a vast resource supply and will not be set back by a war of attrition. In addition, alien undercover agents will continue to erode Earth's defenses from the inside.

Despite this, commanders should still shoot down as many UFOs as possible. At the very least, it may slow the aliens down temporarily. In the long run, it will actually further antagonise them, causing the aliens to accelerate their agendas. In any case, captured alien technology is essential to our research and finances.

[[USOs]] are the equivalent in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. The third game in the series, ''[[Apocalypse]]'', introduced [[Alien Ships (Apocalypse)|another fleet]].

==UFO Interiors==
The core components of a UFO are [[UFO Navigation]], [[UFO Power Source]], Alien Alloys, and Elerium-115. Some larger UFOs, however, contain other equipment such as [[Alien Surgery]], [[Alien Food]], [[Examination Room]]s, and even [[Alien Entertainment]].

UFO hulls and interiors are composed of Alien Alloys. This provides incredibly light, yet strong, armour - perfect for spacecraft construction. The only field weapons able to punch the outer shell of a UFO are [[Blaster Launcher]]s. The interior of UFOs are also very strong, but made of much thinner alloys that can be destroyed by repeated fire from [[Heavy Plasma]]s, the [[Tank/Laser Cannon]], [[Hovertank/Plasma]] not to mention the Blaster.

Great care should be taken when clearing out a UFO. The interiors of larger UFOs are often deadly mazes, with tight corridors, and sharp corners, and choke points that even a single alien can defend. An inexperienced squad leader will also often face dead ends, or encounter treacherous storage rooms - most of the time these are empty, yet occasionally an alien will hide in them to ambush your soldiers. Two UFOs even have trapdoors - the [[Terror ship|Terror Ship]] and the [[Harvester]], which the aliens frequently use.

Squad leaders should also use explosives wisely. A stray explosion may accidentally damage precious Elerium-115 or set off secondary reactions. The low ceilings also limit the range of [[Grenade]]s. The tight spaces do, however, make [[Proximity Grenade]]s particularly useful, and grenade explosions can go around corners to hit aliens lying in wait.
<br>

==UFO Types==
The UFOs deployed by the aliens range in size and the mission profiles they are most commonly seen on, some are also much more common to certain of the alien races encountered.

===Very Small UFOs===
[[Small Scout]] - Very Small UFO that looks like an Apollo capsule. Primarily used for research.

===Small UFOs===
[[Medium Scout]] - The classic 'flying-saucer' craft. Able to fill a variety of roles.

[[Large Scout]] - Cross-shaped UFO, slightly larger than the Medium Scout. Very versatile.

===Medium UFOs===
[[Abductor]] - Medium-sized UFO used primarily by [[Sectoid]]s and [[Floater]]s for human experimentation.

[[Harvester]] - Medium-sized UFO with food and surgery units. Used to abduct cattle for food. Usually crewed by Floaters.

===Large UFOs===
[[Supply ship|Supply Ship]] - Large-sized UFO for transportation of aliens, food, and other supplies.

[[Terror ship|Terror Ship]] - Large UFO used to unleash assault teams and [[Terror Units]] on residential areas.

===Very Large UFOs===
[[Battleship]] - Very Large UFO used to intimidate Earth's peoples and leaders, and to assault [[X-COM]] bases, along with a variety of other roles.

==Quick Comparision Table==
<table {{StdCenterTable}} class="sortable">
<tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}><th width="120">Craft</th><th width="90">Size</th><th width="110">Max Speed</th><th width="90">Accel.</th><th width="130">Weap. Power</th><th width="140">Weap. Range*</th><th width="130">Damage Cap.</th><th width="100">Crashed Pnt.</th><th width="110">Destroyed Pnt.</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Small Scout</td><td>Very Small</td><td>2,200</td><td>12</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>50</td><td>50</td><td>100</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Medium Scout</td><td>Small</td><td>2,400</td><td>9</td><td>20</td><td>15</td><td>200</td><td>75</td><td>150</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Large Scout</td><td>Small</td><td>2,700</td><td>9</td><td>20</td><td>34</td><td>250</td><td>125</td><td>250</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Abductor</td><td>Medium</td><td>4,000</td><td>8</td><td>40</td><td>22</td><td>500</td><td>250</td><td>500</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Harvester</td><td>Medium</td><td>4,300</td><td>8</td><td>40</td><td>20</td><td>500</td><td>250</td><td>500</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Supply Ship</td><td>Large</td><td>3,200</td><td>6</td><td>60</td><td>36</td><td>2,200</td><td>400</td><td>800</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Terror Ship</td><td>Large</td><td>4,800</td><td>6</td><td>120</td><td>42</td><td>1,200</td><td>500</td><td>1,000</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Battleship</td><td>Very Large</td><td>5,000</td><td>6</td><td>148</td><td>65</td><td>3,200</td><td>700</td><td>1,400</td></tr>
</table>
<nowiki>*</nowiki> The figures given in the in-game [[UFOpaedia]] are a factor of 8 too high, relative to [[Craft Armaments|Craft Armament]] ranges. The range given for the Supply Ship is also incorrect in the in-game UFOpaedia.
<nowiki>*</nowiki> It is impossible to destroy the Supply Ship, Terror Ship and Battleship.

== Weapons vs. UFOs ==

Since rearming your aircraft every time you spot a different UFO takes too long, you must decide on a standard weapon configuration, unless you want to maintain multiple aircraft in different weapon configurations, which would be overly expensive and inefficient. So, in effect, there is only really one way to go:

<b>Before you can fully equip your ships with Plasma Beams:</b>
Use Stingray Missiles against Very Small UFOs, to have some chance of not totally destroying them.
Use dual Avalanche Missiles against Small or Medium enemies.
Use at least 2 interceptors with dual Avalanche Missiles against Terror Ships.
Do not attempt to shoot down Supply Ships or Battleships unless it is unavoidable (e.g. to protect an undefended main base).

<b>Thereafter:</b> Use Plasma Beams on everything, except Battleships. Only a single Plasma Beam is necessary, except against Battleships. Do not engage Battleships until you have several advanced aircraft (or enough Fusion Ball Launchers to fully arm 4 Interceptors). Always engage Battleships with as many aircraft as possible, to split the enemy fire.
Once you have several Firestorms and Avengers, you can start to shoot down Battleships with Plasma Beams... but if your soldiers are strong enough, it's usually more profitable just to let them land undamaged, so you can take more of their loot in ground combat.

With a Plasma Beam you will always have stand off range advantage against anything short of a Battleship, making dual Plasma Beams unnecessary. So there is an argument for mounting one Plasma Beam and (optionally) one Fusion Ball Launcher. The FBL gives extra firepower in a Battleship fight. However it means routine engagements will be much more costly because of the high expense of the Fusion Ball ammo. Fitting one or two FBLs might be advisable if Battleships are expected imminently, e.g. if Retaliation mission patterns have been detected.

== Trivia ==

Comparing the weapon range and damage capacity of UFOs to the range and damage of [[Craft Armaments]], one can discern that:
* Any weapon, even the lowly [[Cannon]], can be used against Small Scouts, since they can't shoot back. If you want to be able to do a Recovery mission against the Small Scout, don't use Avalanches - use Cannon, Laser Cannon or Stingray only. Only the Cannon will guarantee not to totally destroy the Small Scout. Stingray or Laser Cannon have a 57% (20/35) chance to destroy it.
* [[Stingray]]s, with a range of 30km, are completely safe to use against Medium scouts, and can even be used to safely down Abductors and Harvesters. They can also be used to attack Supply Ships, although you need to attack with at least three craft in order to do enough damage to down the UFO. Furthermore, Supply Ships usually travel faster than [[Interceptor]]s and always land, making them better candidates for [[UFO Ground Assault]]s.
* [[Avalanche]]s or [[Plasma Beam]]s should be used against Large Scouts due to that UFO's weapon range of 34km.
* Avalanches can be used against Terror Ships, although at least two craft must be sent since you need to do 600 damage to force it to crash land.
* [[Laser Cannon]]s, with a range of 21km, can be safely used against Medium Scouts and Harvesters. However, Avalanche-armed craft are of use against a larger variety of craft and Plasma Beams, once they become available, are superior in every regard.
* Plasma Beams can safely be used (even by Interceptors) against any UFOs except Battleships.
* It's possible to down a Battleship with only 3 craft using [[Fusion Ball Launcher]]s, if they all survive UFO fire long enough to fire all charges. But if you lose a craft and then are even moderately unlucky with damage dealt, the interception will fail. With only 2 FBL-armed craft you would need a lot of luck - superhuman luck if the craft are Interceptors.
* When attacking a Battleship with Interceptors, Fusion Ball Launchers are safer than Plasma Beams. Attacking with 4 aircraft, on Beginner Level, you would expect to lose one Interceptor if armed with FBLs, versus 2 lost Interceptors armed with Plasma Beams. This is because the FBLs kill the Battleship faster, and with less time spent taking fire but not returning it. The exercise is expensive in terms of ammunition, but cheaper than losing an extra Interceptor and its armament.

== Interceptors Vs. UFOs ==
* The Interceptor must Pray any UFO it's chasing slows down, because even the sluggish Small Scout can outrun it!
* The Firestorm can handily intercept all UFOs except the Harvester, Terror Ship, and Battleship, which must be going lower than top speed for the Firestorm to catch up.
* The Lightning can be outrun by the Harvester, Abductor, Terror Ship, Battleship, and Supply Ship.
* The Avenger can hunt down and attack any UFO in the game easily, due to its massive speed.

==UFO Behavior==
Alien UFOs will behave in different manners depending on what sort of mission they are on; all currently available data is summarized here.

* UFOs will ALWAYS head to their mission locale (as listed in the Hyper-Wave Decoder) at top speed and then initiate one of the following behaviors.
* Most UFOs will slow down continuously as they prepare to land; read the altitude data to try and guess when and where they're going to land so you can do a [[UFO Ground Assault]].
* Certain missions are done by several ships instead of just one; these missions are Alien Base missions, and mid to late Alien Infiltration missions.
* Alien Research missions will slow down significantly and do several slow sweeps as they probe for data; they might also land on the ground for brief periods.
* Alien Harvest and Alien Abduction missions will sweep the area at moderate speed and land at least once, often multiple times, as they locate and abduct cattle and humans.
* Alien Infiltration ships will land in the country they are attempting to infiltrate; early in the mission, expect scouts to show up. Later, they will send Supply Ships, Battleships, and Terror Ships in an attempt to bribe and scare the country's leaders.
* Alien Retaliation probes will scout over a specific area they've been having trouble in a manner similar to an Alien Research mission; if your base is in the area, shoot it down.
* Once an X-COM base is located, the aliens will send a Battleship directly at it at top speed low in the atmosphere.
* Alien Base missions will behave in much the same manner as Alien Research, except it will be a fleet of Supply Ships and Battleships that will land often as they search for a suitable location. One Battleship, two supply ships, and three scouts is common.
* Supply Ships on an Alien Supply mission will be dispatched at exactly 00:30 and will land only once, directly on top of the base. Supply ships on this type of mission will run at full speed their entire time, not even slowing down as they land. They only stay on the ground a short time, so advanced craft are needed to deal with them.
* Alien Terror probes will slowly meander about looking for a city for the Terror Ships to land at. If the probes are shot down, the first Terror Ship will behave much like the probe did and will rarely if ever initiate a terror mission. If the probe is not shot down, the Terror Ship will arrive in the region, slow down, pick a city, and then land. The second Terror Ship will pick a city and then land, regardless.
* If you are successful at preventing lesser UFOs from doing their jobs, the aliens will eventually send Battleships to do the dirty work, hoping you won't be able to attack them. (They will not participate in Alien Research and Alien Terror missions, though.)

==See Also==
{{UFO Navbar}}
[[Category: UFOs (EU)]]