https://temp.ufopaedia.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=TBeholder 2026-05-01T03:24:42Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.43.6 https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Smoke_Grenade&diff=123215 2025-06-15T15:37:15Z

<p>TBeholder: /* During deployment */</p> <hr /> <div>A Smoke grenade provides a portable smoke-screen that you can deploy to hide your troops. It operates the same way as a conventional grenade, but on detonation releases a medium sized dense cloud cover. The cloud will eventually thin and spread out over the course of several turns. <br /> <br /> Smoke is difficult to use effectively in X-COM, although when properly deployed, it can be even more effective than armor. A well-placed smoke screen can help you to see the aliens before they see you and allow you to fire upon them without risk of return fire. It will also limit the number of aliens that can spot your troops at any given moment, allowing you to concentrate your firepower on the aliens nearest to you.<br /> <br /> Conventional explosive (HE) weapons and [[incendiary]] weapons will produce a smoke cloud, but it is believed that only smoke grenades will produce a high-density cloud, which has as much as three times the obscuring power. <br /> <br /> This item appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Dye Grenade]].<br /> <br /> == Stats ==<br /> [[Image:Smoke Grenade Pattern.png|right|200 px|thumb|Smoke Grenade &quot;blast&quot; pattern formed after initial explosion.]]<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:BIGOBS20.GIF|left|64 px]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> *Power: 60 (Smoke)<br /> *Size: 1 high x 1 wide<br /> *Weight: 3<br /> *TUs:<br /> **Transfer from shoulder strap to hand: 3 TU. See [[Inventory TU Table]] <br /> **Priming: 50%<br /> **Throwing: 25% <br /> *[[Buying/Selling/Transferring#Non-Manufacturable_Prices|Cost]]: $150<br /> *Sell Price: $120&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> === During deployment ===<br /> A simple and highly-effective use of smoke grenades is to throw one at the base of your transport's ramp on the first turn of deployment (do not deploy until Turn 2, after the grenade has detonated). This will mask your soldiers' movements as they emerge from the transport, greatly reducing the chance of their being killed by as-yet-unseen aliens. Additionally, aliens have their full [[Time Units]] at the start of combat; on subsequent turns they will usually have walked around a bit, making their reaction fire less deadly.<br /> <br /> If the transport has landed in a high-risk area (facing a building, a UFO door, or several visible aliens), you may wish to drop an additional grenade inside the transport, to reduce the aliens' ability to fire upon your undeployed troops. Throwing it 1-2 tiles down the ramp does much the same, with more smoke outside.<br /> <br /> This tactic may work less smoothly with another way of making bad deployments viable: using tanks as scouts. Since [[Heavy Weapons Platforms]] obstruct the line of throw, grenades cannot be thrown at the tiles under the tank and one or more (depending on the relative positions) steps beyond it. If your tank moved onto the ramp and already provoked reaction fire, your options are: to keep the HWP where it is and throw smoke grenade much further (then the exit may be insufficiently concealed), to detonate one inside (suboptimal and will result in more stun damage early on) or to move HWP further out (risking destruction from more reaction fire). Before the tank moved out, the first pair of soldiers still can target most of the ramp with a smoke grenade, thus committing to this tactic and using up the smoke and TUs before movement mostly avoids such problems. <br /> <br /> In [[OpenXcom]] grenades can be primed during the equipment phase. Giving the first soldiers primed smoke grenades allows somewhat more flexibility that prime-and-throw first round. First you roll out the scouting HWP and look around, then decide. If the deployment area appears low-risk (daylight, no visible threats, no windows or other places where enemies may hide), scouts still have TU to exit, reach cover (at least, undercarriage and area between the lower ramp and HWP), crouch and drop smoke underfoot (see ''Scouting'' part below). If it looks more dangerous, they can throw one on the ramp, another near HWP (see ''Protecting exposed friendlies'' part below), and wait for the next turn.<br /> <br /> The smoke cloud propagates the same way as [[Explosions]]. In the original it’s mostly flat, thus usually one grenade needs to be thrown outside so that the soldiers will be concealed when they exit on the second turn, and the other at the entrance tile to ensure dense 2nd floor cloud, so that the soldiers won’t be shot while in transport on the first turn. In [[OpenXcom]] the explosion model can be changed via [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options/Advanced/Battlescape/Explosion height]]; in non-flat explosion modes both the ramp and exit can be covered with one smoke grenade, another can make the the cloud wider (sideways by throwing grenades a little left and right of the ramp or lengthwise by throwing on and beyond the ramp).<br /> <br /> === During scouting ===<br /> Smoke can also reduce the dangers of advancing across open ground without cover. Keep a cloud between your troops and the aliens, if their positions are known, or throw them in front of your front-line troops and advance inside the smoke cloud. When you spot aliens, utilize standard [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]]: have the scout stop moving, and fire upon the alien(s) using snipers hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> For best results, place the smoke grenade between yourself and the attackers. Placing it on yourself or on the aliens you wish to blind does not work as well because the aliens will have only half as much smoke to look through.<br /> <br /> === Protecting exposed friendlies ===<br /> <br /> If a soldier is moved and ends up stranded in an open field with an alien in full view, the chance this soldier of surviving tend to be very slim. You can alter the odds very slightly by throwing a '''0 turn''' smoke grenade between the soldier and the alien to provide cover. <br /> <br /> Even though the alien be facing and may already be attacking the soldier, as long as the smoke cloud is up by the time the alien move begins, it will affect the alien's ability to target the soldier and may prevent it from attacking. <br /> <br /> Rockets are an instant means to provide similar support, but the cloud generated will not be as dense.<br /> <br /> During terror missions smoke often is the only practical way to protect civilians in more dangerous areas. Considerations are much the same, but the success rate is lower, since NPCs don’t crouch and may run the wrong way.<br /> <br /> === Outside UFOs ===<br /> Multiple aliens will often engage your troops from ''within'' the UFO after one alien has stepped through the door. To prevent this, you can detonate a smoke grenade just outside a UFO door. Any aliens that step out will have to engage your troops one at a time.<br /> <br /> Furthermore, if your troops are a sufficient distance away (10 - 15 squares), any emerging alien will have to travel several paces ''through'' the smoke before they can engage your troops, reducing their TUs and giving your troops a much greater chance of [[Reaction fire formula|firing first]].<br /> <br /> === Inside UFOs ===<br /> The confined spaces inside a UFO reduce the usefulness of smoke. However, smoke may still be of use in limiting aliens' visibility down long corridors, across larger rooms, or placed in front of inner doors (as per &quot;Outside UFOs&quot;, above).<br /> <br /> === During base defense ===<br /> If you have [[Base Layout Strategy|built your base properly]], placing a smoke grenade at the &quot;choke point&quot; (outside the Access Lift) will allow you to use scout/sniper tactics while engaging the invasion force. Have one unit advance through the smoke until an alien is spotted, then have it retreat back out of the alien's visual range and open fire using troops hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> === Night missions ===<br /> Soldiers' [[line of sight|visual range]] at night is only 9 squares, but aliens' night-time visual range is the same day or night: 20 squares. Thus, you might be able to even the odds a bit using well-placed smoke grenades.<br /> <br /> == Map limitations ==<br /> Perhaps the biggest drawback of the use of smoke is the limited availability of smoke &quot;squares&quot; that can be displayed on the map. Only 400 squares of smoke or fire can be displayed on the map at any one time; this is equivalent to about three smoke grenades, or less than that if smoke or fire has been generated by HE or Incendiary rounds. If the UFO has crash-landed, there may be even less smoke available for display.<br /> <br /> It takes 15-20 turns for the cloud from a smoke grenade to clear, during which time you may be unable to create additional clouds in desired locations. The game seems to store &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke -- as smoke from earlier explosions clears, smoke from more recent explosions appears, even if it was not displayed at first.<br /> <br /> It is believed that &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke does not provide any cover, and this has been tested to some extent.<br /> <br /> &lt;i&gt;Smoke spreads around after an explosion. While smoke itself is stored in the savefile [[SMOKREF.DAT]], perhaps information as to where the smoke will go to is stored in [[SMOKBIT.DAT]] - Explaining why &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke seems to &quot;reappear&quot; later on... - BB&lt;/i&gt;<br /> <br /> == Visual range ==<br /> The smoke cloud produced by a smoke grenade provides the best screen within the first turn after detonation. The initial visibility through the cloud is 4-6 squares. Over time the smoke will spread out and cover a larger area, but by then the smoke will have grown thin and units and allies alike will be able to see much farther through the smoke than when it was a tight mass. Smoke has a variable starting effectiveness, which falls off as time passes. A good rule to know is that every turn allows the aliens (and you) to see one tile further per 3 tiles of smoke, until all the smoke particles clear.<br /> <br /> The formula is at [[SMOKREF.DAT]]<br /> <br /> If you take the amount of turns a given tile of smoke is due to last, divide that by three and round the result down, you have the amount of tiles worth of visibility it'll reduce. However, there is no way to tell a cloud's age just by looking at it. Typically each tile produced by a freshly detonated smoke grenade will block from one to four tiles.<br /> <br /> Be warned that the smokescreen produced is not an impenetrable barrier. It will hinder visibility not just for your enemies, but for your allies as well. However, this trait allows the use of [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]] over short distances or in confined spaces: if you spot an alien while wandering through smoke, move back one square out of its visual range again and ''then'' fire at it. It will not return fire. (See [[reaction fire triggers]] for more details.)<br /> <br /> == Hazards ==<br /> Using smoke grenades on the battlefield can cause your own units to take [[Stun]] damage, weakening them and potentially leading to [[unconscious]]ness.<br /> <br /> Unarmoured units will take stun damage whenever they end their turn inside a cloud of smoke. The stun damage to an unarmoured unit is 1-3 points per round. Soldiers in Power Suits or Flying Suits are immune to stun effects from smoke. Even unarmoured troops will have to spend a long time in smoke before they become unconscious, so as long as you remain aware of your soldiers' Stun levels (the narrow white bar within the Health bar), it should not present major problems. <br /> <br /> A more serious hazard emerges from a bug in the way the game handles fire, smoke and [[Incendiary]] effects. Fire and smoke are interdependent in the game. One unintended consequence is that stun damage is done to all friendly units standing in any smoke area, every time an incendiary explosion occurs anywhere on the map. This happens instantaneously, affecting soldiers who are in smoke at the time of detonation. Therefore, be very careful in your use of IC munitions if you wish to move unarmored units through smoke, or hide them in smoke. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately this is another major drawback that prevents smoke from fulfilling its powerful tactical potential. A few turns maneuvering through smoke, followed by an inadvertent burst of Incendiary rounds from an Auto-Cannon, is capable of knocking out half of your force. Of course this becomes less of a problem once all your troops are outfitted with heavy armour and immune to these effects. <br /> <br /> Note - under no circumstances will enemy-controlled units take stun damage from smoke, or from incendiary action while standing in smoke. If aliens are under X-COM mind control, they will take stun damage from smoke, but never when enemy-controlled.<br /> <br /> Note - You can use this bug to your advantage, to save the life of the soldier who first goes through the door of a medium scout. One clever solution given by forum-ites was to have some snipers stationed a bit further away from the UFO. Then one unit bursts into the UFO but is not fired upon due to mutual surprise. You then KO this scout with a stun launcher, then snipe the aliens within the UFO from out of vision range.<br /> However, early game, you don't have access to stun launchers. However, you can have someone toss a smoke grenade, putting the interior of the UFO in smoke, then fire off some AC-IN rounds elsewhere to intentionally KO him.<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * Smoke will extinguish a raging fire. However, a unit on fire cannot be extinguished by smoke.<br /> * Dropping an activated smoke grenade instead of throwing it saves TU, using 50%+2 TU instead of 75+%.<br /> * Smoke does not travel vertically, upwards or downwards.<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> [[Smoke and Fire]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> [[Understanding Grenades]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category: Tactics]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Smoke_Grenade&diff=123183 2025-06-08T17:39:49Z

<p>TBeholder: /* During deployment */</p> <hr /> <div>A Smoke grenade provides a portable smoke-screen that you can deploy to hide your troops. It operates the same way as a conventional grenade, but on detonation releases a medium sized dense cloud cover. The cloud will eventually thin and spread out over the course of several turns. <br /> <br /> Smoke is difficult to use effectively in X-COM, although when properly deployed, it can be even more effective than armor. A well-placed smoke screen can help you to see the aliens before they see you and allow you to fire upon them without risk of return fire. It will also limit the number of aliens that can spot your troops at any given moment, allowing you to concentrate your firepower on the aliens nearest to you.<br /> <br /> Conventional explosive (HE) weapons and [[incendiary]] weapons will produce a smoke cloud, but it is believed that only smoke grenades will produce a high-density cloud, which has as much as three times the obscuring power. <br /> <br /> This item appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Dye Grenade]].<br /> <br /> == Stats ==<br /> [[Image:Smoke Grenade Pattern.png|right|200 px|thumb|Smoke Grenade &quot;blast&quot; pattern formed after initial explosion.]]<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:BIGOBS20.GIF|left|64 px]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> *Power: 60 (Smoke)<br /> *Size: 1 high x 1 wide<br /> *Weight: 3<br /> *TUs:<br /> **Transfer from shoulder strap to hand: 3 TU. See [[Inventory TU Table]] <br /> **Priming: 50%<br /> **Throwing: 25% <br /> *[[Buying/Selling/Transferring#Non-Manufacturable_Prices|Cost]]: $150<br /> *Sell Price: $120&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> === During deployment ===<br /> A simple and highly-effective use of smoke grenades is to throw one at the base of your transport's ramp on the first turn of deployment (do not deploy until Turn 2, after the grenade has detonated). This will mask your soldiers' movements as they emerge from the transport, greatly reducing the chance of their being killed by as-yet-unseen aliens. Additionally, aliens have their full [[Time Units]] at the start of combat; on subsequent turns they will usually have walked around a bit, making their reaction fire less deadly.<br /> <br /> If the transport has landed in a high-risk area (facing a building, a UFO door, or several visible aliens), you may wish to drop an additional grenade inside the transport, to reduce the aliens' ability to fire upon your undeployed troops. Throwing it 1-2 tiles down the ramp does much the same, with more smoke outside.<br /> <br /> This tactic may work less smoothly with another way of making bad deployments viable: using tanks as scouts. Since [[Heavy Weapons Platforms]] obstruct the line of throw, grenades cannot be thrown at the tiles under the tank and one or more (depending on the relative positions) steps beyond it. If your tank moved onto the ramp and already provoked reaction fire, your options are: to keep the HWP where it is and throw smoke grenade much further (then the exit may be insufficiently concealed), to detonate one inside (suboptimal and will result in more stun damage early on) or to move HWP further out (risking destruction from more reaction fire). Before the tank moved out, the first pair of soldiers still can target most of the ramp with a smoke grenade, thus committing to this tactic and using up the smoke and TUs before movement mostly avoids such problems.<br /> <br /> In [[OpenXcom]] grenades can be primed during the equipment phase. Giving the first soldiers primed smoke grenades allows somewhat more flexibility that prime-and-throw first round. First you roll out the scouting HWP and look around, then decide. If the deployment area appears low-risk (daylight, no visible threats, no windows or other places where enemies may hide), scouts still have TU to exit, reach cover (at least, undercarriage and area between the lower ramp and HWP), crouch and drop smoke underfoot (see ''Scouting'' part below). If it looks more dangerous, they can throw one on the ramp, another near HWP (see ''Protecting exposed friendlies'' part below), and wait for the next turn.<br /> <br /> === During scouting ===<br /> Smoke can also reduce the dangers of advancing across open ground without cover. Keep a cloud between your troops and the aliens, if their positions are known, or throw them in front of your front-line troops and advance inside the smoke cloud. When you spot aliens, utilize standard [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]]: have the scout stop moving, and fire upon the alien(s) using snipers hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> For best results, place the smoke grenade between yourself and the attackers. Placing it on yourself or on the aliens you wish to blind does not work as well because the aliens will have only half as much smoke to look through.<br /> <br /> === Protecting exposed friendlies ===<br /> <br /> If a soldier is moved and ends up stranded in an open field with an alien in full view, the chance this soldier of surviving tend to be very slim. You can alter the odds very slightly by throwing a '''0 turn''' smoke grenade between the soldier and the alien to provide cover. <br /> <br /> Even though the alien be facing and may already be attacking the soldier, as long as the smoke cloud is up by the time the alien move begins, it will affect the alien's ability to target the soldier and may prevent it from attacking. <br /> <br /> Rockets are an instant means to provide similar support, but the cloud generated will not be as dense.<br /> <br /> During terror missions smoke often is the only practical way to protect civilians in more dangerous areas. Considerations are much the same, but the success rate is lower, since NPCs don’t crouch and may run the wrong way.<br /> <br /> === Outside UFOs ===<br /> Multiple aliens will often engage your troops from ''within'' the UFO after one alien has stepped through the door. To prevent this, you can detonate a smoke grenade just outside a UFO door. Any aliens that step out will have to engage your troops one at a time.<br /> <br /> Furthermore, if your troops are a sufficient distance away (10 - 15 squares), any emerging alien will have to travel several paces ''through'' the smoke before they can engage your troops, reducing their TUs and giving your troops a much greater chance of [[Reaction fire formula|firing first]].<br /> <br /> === Inside UFOs ===<br /> The confined spaces inside a UFO reduce the usefulness of smoke. However, smoke may still be of use in limiting aliens' visibility down long corridors, across larger rooms, or placed in front of inner doors (as per &quot;Outside UFOs&quot;, above).<br /> <br /> === During base defense ===<br /> If you have [[Base Layout Strategy|built your base properly]], placing a smoke grenade at the &quot;choke point&quot; (outside the Access Lift) will allow you to use scout/sniper tactics while engaging the invasion force. Have one unit advance through the smoke until an alien is spotted, then have it retreat back out of the alien's visual range and open fire using troops hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> === Night missions ===<br /> Soldiers' [[line of sight|visual range]] at night is only 9 squares, but aliens' night-time visual range is the same day or night: 20 squares. Thus, you might be able to even the odds a bit using well-placed smoke grenades.<br /> <br /> == Map limitations ==<br /> Perhaps the biggest drawback of the use of smoke is the limited availability of smoke &quot;squares&quot; that can be displayed on the map. Only 400 squares of smoke or fire can be displayed on the map at any one time; this is equivalent to about three smoke grenades, or less than that if smoke or fire has been generated by HE or Incendiary rounds. If the UFO has crash-landed, there may be even less smoke available for display.<br /> <br /> It takes 15-20 turns for the cloud from a smoke grenade to clear, during which time you may be unable to create additional clouds in desired locations. The game seems to store &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke -- as smoke from earlier explosions clears, smoke from more recent explosions appears, even if it was not displayed at first.<br /> <br /> It is believed that &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke does not provide any cover, and this has been tested to some extent.<br /> <br /> &lt;i&gt;Smoke spreads around after an explosion. While smoke itself is stored in the savefile [[SMOKREF.DAT]], perhaps information as to where the smoke will go to is stored in [[SMOKBIT.DAT]] - Explaining why &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke seems to &quot;reappear&quot; later on... - BB&lt;/i&gt;<br /> <br /> == Visual range ==<br /> The smoke cloud produced by a smoke grenade provides the best screen within the first turn after detonation. The initial visibility through the cloud is 4-6 squares. Over time the smoke will spread out and cover a larger area, but by then the smoke will have grown thin and units and allies alike will be able to see much farther through the smoke than when it was a tight mass. Smoke has a variable starting effectiveness, which falls off as time passes. A good rule to know is that every turn allows the aliens (and you) to see one tile further per 3 tiles of smoke, until all the smoke particles clear.<br /> <br /> The formula is at [[SMOKREF.DAT]]<br /> <br /> If you take the amount of turns a given tile of smoke is due to last, divide that by three and round the result down, you have the amount of tiles worth of visibility it'll reduce. However, there is no way to tell a cloud's age just by looking at it. Typically each tile produced by a freshly detonated smoke grenade will block from one to four tiles.<br /> <br /> Be warned that the smokescreen produced is not an impenetrable barrier. It will hinder visibility not just for your enemies, but for your allies as well. However, this trait allows the use of [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]] over short distances or in confined spaces: if you spot an alien while wandering through smoke, move back one square out of its visual range again and ''then'' fire at it. It will not return fire. (See [[reaction fire triggers]] for more details.)<br /> <br /> == Hazards ==<br /> Using smoke grenades on the battlefield can cause your own units to take [[Stun]] damage, weakening them and potentially leading to [[unconscious]]ness.<br /> <br /> Unarmoured units will take stun damage whenever they end their turn inside a cloud of smoke. The stun damage to an unarmoured unit is 1-3 points per round. Soldiers in Power Suits or Flying Suits are immune to stun effects from smoke. Even unarmoured troops will have to spend a long time in smoke before they become unconscious, so as long as you remain aware of your soldiers' Stun levels (the narrow white bar within the Health bar), it should not present major problems. <br /> <br /> A more serious hazard emerges from a bug in the way the game handles fire, smoke and [[Incendiary]] effects. Fire and smoke are interdependent in the game. One unintended consequence is that stun damage is done to all friendly units standing in any smoke area, every time an incendiary explosion occurs anywhere on the map. This happens instantaneously, affecting soldiers who are in smoke at the time of detonation. Therefore, be very careful in your use of IC munitions if you wish to move unarmored units through smoke, or hide them in smoke. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately this is another major drawback that prevents smoke from fulfilling its powerful tactical potential. A few turns maneuvering through smoke, followed by an inadvertent burst of Incendiary rounds from an Auto-Cannon, is capable of knocking out half of your force. Of course this becomes less of a problem once all your troops are outfitted with heavy armour and immune to these effects. <br /> <br /> Note - under no circumstances will enemy-controlled units take stun damage from smoke, or from incendiary action while standing in smoke. If aliens are under X-COM mind control, they will take stun damage from smoke, but never when enemy-controlled.<br /> <br /> Note - You can use this bug to your advantage, to save the life of the soldier who first goes through the door of a medium scout. One clever solution given by forum-ites was to have some snipers stationed a bit further away from the UFO. Then one unit bursts into the UFO but is not fired upon due to mutual surprise. You then KO this scout with a stun launcher, then snipe the aliens within the UFO from out of vision range.<br /> However, early game, you don't have access to stun launchers. However, you can have someone toss a smoke grenade, putting the interior of the UFO in smoke, then fire off some AC-IN rounds elsewhere to intentionally KO him.<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * Smoke will extinguish a raging fire. However, a unit on fire cannot be extinguished by smoke.<br /> * Dropping an activated smoke grenade instead of throwing it saves TU, using 50%+2 TU instead of 75+%.<br /> * Smoke does not travel vertically, upwards or downwards.<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> [[Smoke and Fire]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> [[Understanding Grenades]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category: Tactics]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Smoke_Grenade&diff=123182 2025-06-08T10:10:16Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Usage notes */</p> <hr /> <div>A Smoke grenade provides a portable smoke-screen that you can deploy to hide your troops. It operates the same way as a conventional grenade, but on detonation releases a medium sized dense cloud cover. The cloud will eventually thin and spread out over the course of several turns. <br /> <br /> Smoke is difficult to use effectively in X-COM, although when properly deployed, it can be even more effective than armor. A well-placed smoke screen can help you to see the aliens before they see you and allow you to fire upon them without risk of return fire. It will also limit the number of aliens that can spot your troops at any given moment, allowing you to concentrate your firepower on the aliens nearest to you.<br /> <br /> Conventional explosive (HE) weapons and [[incendiary]] weapons will produce a smoke cloud, but it is believed that only smoke grenades will produce a high-density cloud, which has as much as three times the obscuring power. <br /> <br /> This item appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Dye Grenade]].<br /> <br /> == Stats ==<br /> [[Image:Smoke Grenade Pattern.png|right|200 px|thumb|Smoke Grenade &quot;blast&quot; pattern formed after initial explosion.]]<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:BIGOBS20.GIF|left|64 px]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> *Power: 60 (Smoke)<br /> *Size: 1 high x 1 wide<br /> *Weight: 3<br /> *TUs:<br /> **Transfer from shoulder strap to hand: 3 TU. See [[Inventory TU Table]] <br /> **Priming: 50%<br /> **Throwing: 25% <br /> *[[Buying/Selling/Transferring#Non-Manufacturable_Prices|Cost]]: $150<br /> *Sell Price: $120&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> === During deployment ===<br /> A simple and highly-effective use of smoke grenades is to throw one at the base of your transport's ramp on the first turn of deployment (do not deploy until Turn 2, after the grenade has detonated). This will mask your soldiers' movements as they emerge from the transport, greatly reducing the chance of their being killed by as-yet-unseen aliens. Additionally, aliens have their full [[Time Units]] at the start of combat; on subsequent turns they will usually have walked around a bit, making their reaction fire less deadly.<br /> <br /> If the transport has landed in a high-risk area (facing a building, a UFO door, or several visible aliens), you may wish to drop an additional grenade inside the transport, to reduce the aliens' ability to fire upon your undeployed troops. Throwing it 1-2 tiles down the ramp does much the same, with more smoke outside.<br /> <br /> In [[OpenXcom]] grenades can be primed during the equipment phase. Giving the first soldiers primed smoke grenades allows somewhat more flexibility that prime-and-throw first round. First you roll out the scouting HWP and look around, then decide. If the deployment area appears low-risk (daylight, no visible threats, no windows or other places where enemies may hide), scouts still have TU to exit, reach cover (at least, undercarriage and area between the lower ramp and HWP), crouch and drop smoke underfoot (see ''Scouting'' part below). If it looks more dangerous, they can throw one on the ramp, another near HWP (see ''Protecting exposed friendlies'' part below), and wait for the next turn.<br /> <br /> === During scouting ===<br /> Smoke can also reduce the dangers of advancing across open ground without cover. Keep a cloud between your troops and the aliens, if their positions are known, or throw them in front of your front-line troops and advance inside the smoke cloud. When you spot aliens, utilize standard [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]]: have the scout stop moving, and fire upon the alien(s) using snipers hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> For best results, place the smoke grenade between yourself and the attackers. Placing it on yourself or on the aliens you wish to blind does not work as well because the aliens will have only half as much smoke to look through.<br /> <br /> === Protecting exposed friendlies ===<br /> <br /> If a soldier is moved and ends up stranded in an open field with an alien in full view, the chance this soldier of surviving tend to be very slim. You can alter the odds very slightly by throwing a '''0 turn''' smoke grenade between the soldier and the alien to provide cover. <br /> <br /> Even though the alien be facing and may already be attacking the soldier, as long as the smoke cloud is up by the time the alien move begins, it will affect the alien's ability to target the soldier and may prevent it from attacking. <br /> <br /> Rockets are an instant means to provide similar support, but the cloud generated will not be as dense.<br /> <br /> During terror missions smoke often is the only practical way to protect civilians in more dangerous areas. Considerations are much the same, but the success rate is lower, since NPCs don’t crouch and may run the wrong way.<br /> <br /> === Outside UFOs ===<br /> Multiple aliens will often engage your troops from ''within'' the UFO after one alien has stepped through the door. To prevent this, you can detonate a smoke grenade just outside a UFO door. Any aliens that step out will have to engage your troops one at a time.<br /> <br /> Furthermore, if your troops are a sufficient distance away (10 - 15 squares), any emerging alien will have to travel several paces ''through'' the smoke before they can engage your troops, reducing their TUs and giving your troops a much greater chance of [[Reaction fire formula|firing first]].<br /> <br /> === Inside UFOs ===<br /> The confined spaces inside a UFO reduce the usefulness of smoke. However, smoke may still be of use in limiting aliens' visibility down long corridors, across larger rooms, or placed in front of inner doors (as per &quot;Outside UFOs&quot;, above).<br /> <br /> === During base defense ===<br /> If you have [[Base Layout Strategy|built your base properly]], placing a smoke grenade at the &quot;choke point&quot; (outside the Access Lift) will allow you to use scout/sniper tactics while engaging the invasion force. Have one unit advance through the smoke until an alien is spotted, then have it retreat back out of the alien's visual range and open fire using troops hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> === Night missions ===<br /> Soldiers' [[line of sight|visual range]] at night is only 9 squares, but aliens' night-time visual range is the same day or night: 20 squares. Thus, you might be able to even the odds a bit using well-placed smoke grenades.<br /> <br /> == Map limitations ==<br /> Perhaps the biggest drawback of the use of smoke is the limited availability of smoke &quot;squares&quot; that can be displayed on the map. Only 400 squares of smoke or fire can be displayed on the map at any one time; this is equivalent to about three smoke grenades, or less than that if smoke or fire has been generated by HE or Incendiary rounds. If the UFO has crash-landed, there may be even less smoke available for display.<br /> <br /> It takes 15-20 turns for the cloud from a smoke grenade to clear, during which time you may be unable to create additional clouds in desired locations. The game seems to store &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke -- as smoke from earlier explosions clears, smoke from more recent explosions appears, even if it was not displayed at first.<br /> <br /> It is believed that &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke does not provide any cover, and this has been tested to some extent.<br /> <br /> &lt;i&gt;Smoke spreads around after an explosion. While smoke itself is stored in the savefile [[SMOKREF.DAT]], perhaps information as to where the smoke will go to is stored in [[SMOKBIT.DAT]] - Explaining why &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke seems to &quot;reappear&quot; later on... - BB&lt;/i&gt;<br /> <br /> == Visual range ==<br /> The smoke cloud produced by a smoke grenade provides the best screen within the first turn after detonation. The initial visibility through the cloud is 4-6 squares. Over time the smoke will spread out and cover a larger area, but by then the smoke will have grown thin and units and allies alike will be able to see much farther through the smoke than when it was a tight mass. Smoke has a variable starting effectiveness, which falls off as time passes. A good rule to know is that every turn allows the aliens (and you) to see one tile further per 3 tiles of smoke, until all the smoke particles clear.<br /> <br /> The formula is at [[SMOKREF.DAT]]<br /> <br /> If you take the amount of turns a given tile of smoke is due to last, divide that by three and round the result down, you have the amount of tiles worth of visibility it'll reduce. However, there is no way to tell a cloud's age just by looking at it. Typically each tile produced by a freshly detonated smoke grenade will block from one to four tiles.<br /> <br /> Be warned that the smokescreen produced is not an impenetrable barrier. It will hinder visibility not just for your enemies, but for your allies as well. However, this trait allows the use of [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]] over short distances or in confined spaces: if you spot an alien while wandering through smoke, move back one square out of its visual range again and ''then'' fire at it. It will not return fire. (See [[reaction fire triggers]] for more details.)<br /> <br /> == Hazards ==<br /> Using smoke grenades on the battlefield can cause your own units to take [[Stun]] damage, weakening them and potentially leading to [[unconscious]]ness.<br /> <br /> Unarmoured units will take stun damage whenever they end their turn inside a cloud of smoke. The stun damage to an unarmoured unit is 1-3 points per round. Soldiers in Power Suits or Flying Suits are immune to stun effects from smoke. Even unarmoured troops will have to spend a long time in smoke before they become unconscious, so as long as you remain aware of your soldiers' Stun levels (the narrow white bar within the Health bar), it should not present major problems. <br /> <br /> A more serious hazard emerges from a bug in the way the game handles fire, smoke and [[Incendiary]] effects. Fire and smoke are interdependent in the game. One unintended consequence is that stun damage is done to all friendly units standing in any smoke area, every time an incendiary explosion occurs anywhere on the map. This happens instantaneously, affecting soldiers who are in smoke at the time of detonation. Therefore, be very careful in your use of IC munitions if you wish to move unarmored units through smoke, or hide them in smoke. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately this is another major drawback that prevents smoke from fulfilling its powerful tactical potential. A few turns maneuvering through smoke, followed by an inadvertent burst of Incendiary rounds from an Auto-Cannon, is capable of knocking out half of your force. Of course this becomes less of a problem once all your troops are outfitted with heavy armour and immune to these effects. <br /> <br /> Note - under no circumstances will enemy-controlled units take stun damage from smoke, or from incendiary action while standing in smoke. If aliens are under X-COM mind control, they will take stun damage from smoke, but never when enemy-controlled.<br /> <br /> Note - You can use this bug to your advantage, to save the life of the soldier who first goes through the door of a medium scout. One clever solution given by forum-ites was to have some snipers stationed a bit further away from the UFO. Then one unit bursts into the UFO but is not fired upon due to mutual surprise. You then KO this scout with a stun launcher, then snipe the aliens within the UFO from out of vision range.<br /> However, early game, you don't have access to stun launchers. However, you can have someone toss a smoke grenade, putting the interior of the UFO in smoke, then fire off some AC-IN rounds elsewhere to intentionally KO him.<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * Smoke will extinguish a raging fire. However, a unit on fire cannot be extinguished by smoke.<br /> * Dropping an activated smoke grenade instead of throwing it saves TU, using 50%+2 TU instead of 75+%.<br /> * Smoke does not travel vertically, upwards or downwards.<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> [[Smoke and Fire]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> [[Understanding Grenades]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category: Tactics]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Smoke_Grenade&diff=123181 2025-06-08T09:47:19Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Usage notes */</p> <hr /> <div>A Smoke grenade provides a portable smoke-screen that you can deploy to hide your troops. It operates the same way as a conventional grenade, but on detonation releases a medium sized dense cloud cover. The cloud will eventually thin and spread out over the course of several turns. <br /> <br /> Smoke is difficult to use effectively in X-COM, although when properly deployed, it can be even more effective than armor. A well-placed smoke screen can help you to see the aliens before they see you and allow you to fire upon them without risk of return fire. It will also limit the number of aliens that can spot your troops at any given moment, allowing you to concentrate your firepower on the aliens nearest to you.<br /> <br /> Conventional explosive (HE) weapons and [[incendiary]] weapons will produce a smoke cloud, but it is believed that only smoke grenades will produce a high-density cloud, which has as much as three times the obscuring power. <br /> <br /> This item appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Dye Grenade]].<br /> <br /> == Stats ==<br /> [[Image:Smoke Grenade Pattern.png|right|200 px|thumb|Smoke Grenade &quot;blast&quot; pattern formed after initial explosion.]]<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:BIGOBS20.GIF|left|64 px]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> *Power: 60 (Smoke)<br /> *Size: 1 high x 1 wide<br /> *Weight: 3<br /> *TUs:<br /> **Transfer from shoulder strap to hand: 3 TU. See [[Inventory TU Table]] <br /> **Priming: 50%<br /> **Throwing: 25% <br /> *[[Buying/Selling/Transferring#Non-Manufacturable_Prices|Cost]]: $150<br /> *Sell Price: $120&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> === During deployment ===<br /> A simple and highly-effective use of smoke grenades is to throw one at the base of your transport's ramp on the first turn of deployment (do not deploy until Turn 2, after the grenade has detonated). This will mask your soldiers' movements as they emerge from the transport, greatly reducing the chance of their being killed by as-yet-unseen aliens. Additionally, aliens have their full [[Time Units]] at the start of combat; on subsequent turns they will usually have walked around a bit, making their reaction fire less deadly.<br /> <br /> If the transport has landed in a high-risk area (facing a building, a UFO door, or several visible aliens), you may wish to drop an additional grenade inside the transport, to reduce the aliens' ability to fire upon your undeployed troops. Throwing it 1-2 tiles down the ramp does much the same, with more smoke outside.<br /> <br /> In [[OpenXCom]] grenades can be primed during the equipment phase, thus you can simply give the first soldiers primed smoke grenades. If the deployment appears less dangerous (scouting HWP does not see threats, or windows etc where enemies may hide), they may proceed to scouting (below) and drop smoke underfoot, otherwise throw down the ramp.<br /> <br /> === During scouting ===<br /> Smoke can also reduce the dangers of advancing across open ground without cover. Keep a cloud between your troops and the aliens, if their positions are known, or throw them in front of your front-line troops and advance inside the smoke cloud. When you spot aliens, utilize standard [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]]: have the scout stop moving, and fire upon the alien(s) using snipers hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> For best results, place the smoke grenade between yourself and the attackers. Placing it on yourself or on the aliens you wish to blind does not work as well because the aliens will have only half as much smoke to look through.<br /> <br /> === Protecting exposed soldiers ===<br /> <br /> If a soldier is moved and ends up stranded in an open field with an alien in full view, the chance this soldier of surviving tend to be very slim. You can alter the odds very slightly by throwing a '''0 turn''' smoke grenade between the soldier and the alien to provide cover. <br /> <br /> Even though the alien be facing and may already be attacking the soldier, as long as the smoke cloud is up by the time the alien move begins, it will affect the alien's ability to target the soldier and may prevent it from attacking. <br /> <br /> Rockets are an instant means to provide similar support, but the cloud generated will not be as dense.<br /> <br /> During terror missions smoke often is the only practical way to protect civilians in more dangerous areas. It works much the same way, except the success rate is lower, since NPCs don’t crouch and may run the wrong way.<br /> <br /> === Outside UFOs ===<br /> Multiple aliens will often engage your troops from ''within'' the UFO after one alien has stepped through the door. To prevent this, you can detonate a smoke grenade just outside a UFO door. Any aliens that step out will have to engage your troops one at a time.<br /> <br /> Furthermore, if your troops are a sufficient distance away (10 - 15 squares), any emerging alien will have to travel several paces ''through'' the smoke before they can engage your troops, reducing their TUs and giving your troops a much greater chance of [[Reaction fire formula|firing first]].<br /> <br /> === Inside UFOs ===<br /> The confined spaces inside a UFO reduce the usefulness of smoke. However, smoke may still be of use in limiting aliens' visibility down long corridors, across larger rooms, or placed in front of inner doors (as per &quot;Outside UFOs&quot;, above).<br /> <br /> === During base defense ===<br /> If you have [[Base Layout Strategy|built your base properly]], placing a smoke grenade at the &quot;choke point&quot; (outside the Access Lift) will allow you to use scout/sniper tactics while engaging the invasion force. Have one unit advance through the smoke until an alien is spotted, then have it retreat back out of the alien's visual range and open fire using troops hidden by the smoke.<br /> <br /> === Night missions ===<br /> Soldiers' [[line of sight|visual range]] at night is only 9 squares, but aliens' night-time visual range is the same day or night: 20 squares. Thus, you might be able to even the odds a bit using well-placed smoke grenades.<br /> <br /> == Map limitations ==<br /> Perhaps the biggest drawback of the use of smoke is the limited availability of smoke &quot;squares&quot; that can be displayed on the map. Only 400 squares of smoke or fire can be displayed on the map at any one time; this is equivalent to about three smoke grenades, or less than that if smoke or fire has been generated by HE or Incendiary rounds. If the UFO has crash-landed, there may be even less smoke available for display.<br /> <br /> It takes 15-20 turns for the cloud from a smoke grenade to clear, during which time you may be unable to create additional clouds in desired locations. The game seems to store &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke -- as smoke from earlier explosions clears, smoke from more recent explosions appears, even if it was not displayed at first.<br /> <br /> It is believed that &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke does not provide any cover, and this has been tested to some extent.<br /> <br /> &lt;i&gt;Smoke spreads around after an explosion. While smoke itself is stored in the savefile [[SMOKREF.DAT]], perhaps information as to where the smoke will go to is stored in [[SMOKBIT.DAT]] - Explaining why &quot;undisplayed&quot; smoke seems to &quot;reappear&quot; later on... - BB&lt;/i&gt;<br /> <br /> == Visual range ==<br /> The smoke cloud produced by a smoke grenade provides the best screen within the first turn after detonation. The initial visibility through the cloud is 4-6 squares. Over time the smoke will spread out and cover a larger area, but by then the smoke will have grown thin and units and allies alike will be able to see much farther through the smoke than when it was a tight mass. Smoke has a variable starting effectiveness, which falls off as time passes. A good rule to know is that every turn allows the aliens (and you) to see one tile further per 3 tiles of smoke, until all the smoke particles clear.<br /> <br /> The formula is at [[SMOKREF.DAT]]<br /> <br /> If you take the amount of turns a given tile of smoke is due to last, divide that by three and round the result down, you have the amount of tiles worth of visibility it'll reduce. However, there is no way to tell a cloud's age just by looking at it. Typically each tile produced by a freshly detonated smoke grenade will block from one to four tiles.<br /> <br /> Be warned that the smokescreen produced is not an impenetrable barrier. It will hinder visibility not just for your enemies, but for your allies as well. However, this trait allows the use of [[Scouting#Scout/Sniper Tactics|scout/sniper tactics]] over short distances or in confined spaces: if you spot an alien while wandering through smoke, move back one square out of its visual range again and ''then'' fire at it. It will not return fire. (See [[reaction fire triggers]] for more details.)<br /> <br /> == Hazards ==<br /> Using smoke grenades on the battlefield can cause your own units to take [[Stun]] damage, weakening them and potentially leading to [[unconscious]]ness.<br /> <br /> Unarmoured units will take stun damage whenever they end their turn inside a cloud of smoke. The stun damage to an unarmoured unit is 1-3 points per round. Soldiers in Power Suits or Flying Suits are immune to stun effects from smoke. Even unarmoured troops will have to spend a long time in smoke before they become unconscious, so as long as you remain aware of your soldiers' Stun levels (the narrow white bar within the Health bar), it should not present major problems. <br /> <br /> A more serious hazard emerges from a bug in the way the game handles fire, smoke and [[Incendiary]] effects. Fire and smoke are interdependent in the game. One unintended consequence is that stun damage is done to all friendly units standing in any smoke area, every time an incendiary explosion occurs anywhere on the map. This happens instantaneously, affecting soldiers who are in smoke at the time of detonation. Therefore, be very careful in your use of IC munitions if you wish to move unarmored units through smoke, or hide them in smoke. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately this is another major drawback that prevents smoke from fulfilling its powerful tactical potential. A few turns maneuvering through smoke, followed by an inadvertent burst of Incendiary rounds from an Auto-Cannon, is capable of knocking out half of your force. Of course this becomes less of a problem once all your troops are outfitted with heavy armour and immune to these effects. <br /> <br /> Note - under no circumstances will enemy-controlled units take stun damage from smoke, or from incendiary action while standing in smoke. If aliens are under X-COM mind control, they will take stun damage from smoke, but never when enemy-controlled.<br /> <br /> Note - You can use this bug to your advantage, to save the life of the soldier who first goes through the door of a medium scout. One clever solution given by forum-ites was to have some snipers stationed a bit further away from the UFO. Then one unit bursts into the UFO but is not fired upon due to mutual surprise. You then KO this scout with a stun launcher, then snipe the aliens within the UFO from out of vision range.<br /> However, early game, you don't have access to stun launchers. However, you can have someone toss a smoke grenade, putting the interior of the UFO in smoke, then fire off some AC-IN rounds elsewhere to intentionally KO him.<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * Smoke will extinguish a raging fire. However, a unit on fire cannot be extinguished by smoke.<br /> * Dropping an activated smoke grenade instead of throwing it saves TU, using 50%+2 TU instead of 75+%.<br /> * Smoke does not travel vertically, upwards or downwards.<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> [[Smoke and Fire]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> [[Understanding Grenades]]&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category: Tactics]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112721 2022-12-17T17:33:53Z

<p>TBeholder: /* OXC and beyond */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == OXC and beyond ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE. See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]] and [[Mods (OpenXcom)]].<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of the engine, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 (EU) or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to ''TFTD'' or ''X-Com Files'', or vice versa.<br /> <br /> * Plain old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds) or simple rebalance. If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Has some nice improvements (such as previews and [[Motion Scanner]] memory), but mostly it’s about modding. <br /> * It’s generally backward compatible with OXC, which is backward compatible with the original, but some things look more like bugs or engine limitations than features. Differences in game mechanics are described [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6459.0.html here].<br /> * [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)|Many features]] are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future. Some highlights of less-arcane modding capabilities:<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Base_Facilities|Base Facilities]]: Facilities destroyed by raids or bombardment turn into default rubble “buildings”, thus the base is not necessarily disconnected. Specific types specify tiles where stored items are spawned in battlescape, subtype for [[Alien Containment]] (with corresponding value on specific aliens — air breathers vs. aquatic, or you could start a [[Silacoid]] farm, but containment for these things cannot be the same as for [[floater]]s), type and amount of ammunition for [[Base Defence]] (even Avalanches cost money and storage space, never mind [[Fusion Ball Defences]]/[[P.W.T. Defences]]), soldier recovery bonuses (build a hospital), etc. Likelihood of taking a hit from bombardment (hangars, defenses and radars can be set to more likely destruction than underground barracks). Base services required to build/provided/blocked: these serve as prerequisites for other elements; e.g. the player would need an advanced surgery facility plus research to install implants, kennels to keep dogs, specialized facilities required for research or manufacture (e.g.: Psi Amp could be made in Workshop as usual, but need a working Psi Lab at the same base), etc. Facilities can have custom rubble and list of facilities that can be built over them (i.e. upgraded to). Simple example: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/improved-living-quarters-large-stores Improved Living Quarters &amp; Large Stores]'' mod adds two facilities that are 2×2 sized, but more space-efficient. Slightly more complex: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/recruitment-office Recruitment Office]'' mod (needs ''Building Mod Pack'', and see the comments) provides a facility that allows to hire pre-screened soldiers (custom Soldier Types with better stats at a greater salary), and after extra research can be upgraded to support psionic screening.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Cost_of_use|Cost of use]] (TU, energy and/or anything else), action menu texts and messages (if any) for all actions with specific items can be customized.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Power_and_Damage_types|Weapons]] can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is customizable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary combination of stats. Accuracy adjustments for kneeling, for one-handed use of two-handed weapons, for shooting without line of sight to the target and for CQC (point blank shots) can be set globally and overridden per weapon.<br /> *** Shotguns. Nightly already allows them, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as a single spread shot rather than independent simultaneous shots, set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> *** [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html Spray targeting mode]: if enabled for a given weapon, in auto fire mode Ctrl+Shift+LMB starts picking numbered waypoints; after the last one, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot.<br /> *** Firing modes can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Compatible_ammo_and_Action_Mapping|Up to 4 ammunition slots]] with their own load/unload costs and compatibility lists, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable for a specific weapon (or template). Example: if you want [[High Explosive]] pack to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting its power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be also accomplished by setting its damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92, or power to 200, but rather than capping blast radius directly, doubled RadiusReduction (damage won’t go abruptly from half to none at the edge of blast area).<br /> *** Not only built-in weapons, like tank turrets, but special weapons that can be used with an empty hand (like punching). Items that spawn units - something like [[Brainsucker Launcher]] or small drone.<br /> ** Melee dodge, also used for shots in [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5431.0.html close quarters combat] mode. Sneaking upon the target allows to penalize dodge or avoid CQC entirety (the attacker just stabs or caps an unaware enemy without much hassle); specific unit types may be immune to sneaking, or not have CQC mode at all. As shots with CQC adjustments can be balanced differently from generic shots, less-agile weapons can be given disadvantages, making pistols/SMG/sawn-off shotguns good at shooting fast enemies point blank, and sniper rifles unsuitable for the same purpose despite otherwise great accuracy. ''X-Com Files'' has accuracy in Close Quarters 133 for most pistols (up to 165 in some cases), 120 for most SMG, 90-120 for shotguns (150 for sawed-off), 100 for most rifles, 45-80 for sniper rifles, and 45-60 for most heavy weapons (28 in one case).<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Things_that_go_BOOM|Grenade functionality is split and customizable]].<br /> *** Fuses are now per-item, rather than either timer dial from the original game (rarely used beyond &quot;0&quot; anyway) or “Instant Grenades” option for all. It’s possible to have timer on High Explosive pack, while normal grenades just go off after the throw or at the end of that turn.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but can be done with flares. Or as an arbitrary switch or action for any other item (with some scripting).<br /> *** Fuses can be allowed to go off while in equipment, if you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that timer on a demolition charge is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not,<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Player_Units_.28Soldiers.29|Soldiers]]: now there are different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc (for example: common soldiers, pilots and ''dogs''). Each with separate parameters such as default armor (pilots have flight suit as default armor, dogs have “armor” with dog stats and cannot wear human armor), required base functionality (dogs need kennels), hiring cost, how many can be hired per month (it’s easier to find a handful of healthy dogs than pilots), salary and promotions (pilots have their own ranks, while dogs don’t use any), score value and multiplier for morale loss when this unit is killed (drones and cameras may have 0), special weapons (dog may get by with bite weapon defined in armor section, but hybrid soldiers could have a built-in psi weapon with statistics different from psiamp just like some aliens have, martial artists an extra punch etc) separate from armor. And a few odd properties like “allowPiloting” and experience gain from dogfights.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Transformation|Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;]], with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes the same transformation not applied earlier), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Bonuses|Soldier Bonuses]], from transformations or commendations/medals.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Crafts|Aircraft]] now have shield stats. May have built-in weapons. Tractor beams can prevent the opponent from running away, or even force crash-landing on its own.<br /> *** May require pilots; pilots’ Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed (specifics are adjustable). Dogfights can give experience bonus to the stats as defined in ruleset. The pilots are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/top-gun Top Gun]'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed, e.g. gun mounts are for cannons, pylons are for missiles. Since &quot;craft weapons&quot; now can alter stats, they may be arbitrary upgrades. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** UFOs.<br /> *** Retaliation missions against X-Com bases may be ''airstrikes'', rather than ground assault. If not shot down, they’ll bombard — may be set to nuke the whole base outright or destroy random facilities (that’s also customizable, but the Access Lift survives except in “entire base” variant).<br /> *** Aliens can launch interceptors when you go for their base. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/alien-hives Alien Hives]'' mod.<br /> *** Alien races may have adjustments to attack/weapon power/evasion/detection range/etc. Or have unusual crew rosters and loadouts. Also, unmanned UFO that fight to 0% rather than 50% and as such never crash land (you still thwart their mission and get score for destruction).<br /> ** Improved [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Sprites_and_Particles|particle system]], now allows separate parameters in air and underwater. For a demonstration see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/oxce-hyper-trajectory Hyper &amp; Trajectory]'' mod - projectile speeds are set very high, bursts cycle quickly, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** [[Script_(OpenXcom)|Allows scripting]], which opens new and wide fields for modding above and beyond those covered in the ruleset capabilities.<br /> *** ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/hatching-chryssalids-and-tentaculats Hatching Chryssalids and Tentaculats]'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> *** Soldier Skills are custom scripted actions used via special menu or generic item action; a list is enabled for soldier type, with set conditions including specific Bonus, specific Items (in hands or equipment), action performed, etc; looks promising, but no released mod uses them yet.<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112720 2022-12-17T01:11:29Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'': toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'': toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> === General - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-N'': Notes screen.<br /> * ''Ctrl-T'': Test screen. Allows to select ad view (in several modes) one of available palettes. Can run tests for some data errors.<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,10372.0.html base preview] in the actual Battlescape — a Base Defense mission with no enemies. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (selected via drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing: to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors. (if ''Override Line of Fire'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to the active soldier that is perpendicular their current facing: have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click anywhere else accessible: makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click when the active unit is a ''tank'': makes its turret point at the clicked tile (which defines sight and weapon direction) without moving the hull (and its armor arcs); costs the same 1 TU per 1/8 turn. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Right click on a hand item slot: Toggles this hand as [[Reaction Fire Weapon Preference|preferred for Reaction Fire]] until toggled again; the preferred hand is marked with yellow dot. This preference is for hand, thus persists whether armed or not, but normal rules of reactions are obeyed: melee weapons and built-in melee weapons are used if in range, but if the item in the hand is not a melee weapon or gun this unit can use, the preference is ignored and the unit will fire the gun in the other hand instead. Toggling is free, no extra TU cost.<br /> ** E.g.: a soldier has [[Small Launcher]] in his right hand and [[Laser Pistol]] in the left, he will fire only pistol if left is preferred, launcher and then (as launcher is out of ammunition) pistol if right is preferred, otherwise as usual. If the soldier holsters or drop the pistol from the preferred hand, uses launcher two-handed, and then re-equips pistol, no need to set the preference again.<br /> ** It helps to avoid unfortunate incidents with splash weapons used at short range (without removing reactions completely like zeroing TU would). This also makes pistols far more practical than before: now that you can ''rely'' on heavy weapon soldiers to actually use their pistols for reaction, it's good to have one ready whenever not using the big gun. 8 TU to holster the pistol or 2 TU to drop it before a shot is better than 15 TU to load an empty weapon and usually preferable to having TU zeroed at the end of every turn.<br /> * ''Alt'' (held): Shows direction arrows for unit facing; can be really non-obvious for blobs, kneeling soldier in [[Power Suit]] or hovertanks with ''Alternate Movement Methods'' enabled (turrets can traverse independently). Also shows the tiles where [[Motion Scanner]]s detected a blip this turn that wasn't one of player units, thus finally removing the greatest inconvenience of this item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': toggles the option mute/unmute unit response sounds (same as oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds [[Options_(OpenXcom)|in options file]]).<br /> * ''Ctrl+Shift+LMB'': When auto fire mode is selected, this activates [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html spray targeting mode]: starts picking numbered waypoints; once maximum number of waypoints are selected or a waypoint is selected with Ctrl+Shift+LMB again, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot. Of course, the actual hit placement is affected by Accuracy as usual. RMB removes a waypoint, like with [[Blaster Launcher]]. (needs a weapon with sprayWaypoints set in ruleset)<br /> * ''Ctrl-E'': Shows pop-up with the list of soldiers who did not earn experience yet.<br /> * ''Ctrl-M'': Shows melee damage (if any) with the currently wielded items (if any) and special built-in weapons (if any).<br /> * ''Ctrl-1…0'' in inventory screen (makes sense in craft equipment or pre-battle) saves the current layout in one of 10 slots. ''1''…''0'' loads it. Thus in addition to the main inventory template (inherited from the original game and used via big buttons and ''C''/''V'') you can create specialized inventory layouts for scouts, grenadiers, etc. It's possible to enable up to 50 layout save slots ('''oxceMaxEquipmentLayoutTemplates''' [[Options_(OpenXcom)|option]]), but any above 10 are accessible only via extended menu (enabled by '''oxceLinks''' option, or &quot;Extended links&quot; under Options - Advanced - Extended).<br /> * ''MMB'' in inventory screen on an item (or paper doll) shows the Ufopaedia entry for this item (or armor).<br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> * ''Ctrl-U'': reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors (You can also set &quot;debugUi: true&quot;).<br /> * ''Alt-F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-1'': Sets funds to 999999999.<br /> * ''Ctrl-2'': all facility construction completed instantly.<br /> * ''Ctrl-3'': +50 scientists and engineers.<br /> * ''Ctrl-4'': +2 every item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-5'': +2 all live aliens.<br /> * ''Ctrl-6'': reset X-Com/alien activity for this month.<br /> * ''Ctrl-7'': every UFO detected and transmissions decoded.<br /> * ''Ctrl-A'': erase all soldier diaries.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'': erase all soldier commendations.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> * ''Ctrl-V'': reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> * ''Ctrl-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> * ''Ctrl-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> * ''Ctrl-W'': warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> * ''F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'' (If the Commendations Mod is being played): wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-B'': Show the briefing window for this mission again.<br /> * ''Ctrl-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; window in event popup (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; in diary window (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Home'': Reset default palettes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-End'': Cycle between &quot;debug vision&quot; (all units are visible, even in unseen areas) and different brightness modes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': mute/unmute unit response sounds<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-J'': stun the unit under cursor. Works with the player's soldiers, but not stun-immune tanks.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-K'': kill the unit under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''F9'': save map as used by AI/pathfinding (if ''traceAI: true'' [[Options_(OpenXcom)|in options file]]).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Options_(OpenXcom)&diff=112719 2022-12-17T00:04:42Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:OpenXcom options screen.gif|right|thumb]]<br /> OpenXcom has a variety of game settings that can be customized through the Options screen in the Main Menu. These options are global and take effect instantly after pressing OK. Most of the options are self-explanatory, but just in case you can get more details on these sections:<br /> <br /> * [[Video Options (OpenXcom)|Video]]<br /> * [[Audio Options (OpenXcom)|Audio]]<br /> * [[Controls (OpenXcom)|Controls]]<br /> * [[Mods (OpenXcom)|Mods]]<br /> <br /> == Options File ==<br /> <br /> For the more advanced among you, OpenXcom stores its options in a ''options.cfg'' YAML file stored in the [[Installing (OpenXcom)#User Folder|User folder]], which can be easily edited with any text editor. You can also pass them as command line arguments in the form &quot;-&lt;option name&gt; &lt;option value&gt;&quot;. These include the options shown in the Options screen as well as other advanced options.<br /> <br /> '''WARNING:''' Invalid values can cause incorrect behaviour or game crashes. Options that accept true/false are marked by &quot;When enabled&quot;, options that accept a range of numbers have this listed in brackets after their description, and options that accept a numeric flag have bullets to describe the functionality of each option.<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> ! Option<br /> ! Description<br /> ! Default<br /> |-<br /> <br /> ! colspan=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #CCCCCC&quot; | General<br /> <br /> |-<br /> | '''autosave'''<br /> | When enabled, the game is autosaved every ten Geoscape days and five Battlescape turns to dedicated slots.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''autosaveFrequency'''<br /> | Autosaves the game every X amount of Battlescape turns.<br /> | 5<br /> |-<br /> | '''captureMouse'''<br /> | When enabled, the mouse cursor is locked to the window.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''changeValueByMouseWheel'''<br /> | The amount to increase/decrease a value when scrolling the mouse wheel over increase/decrease buttons.<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> |'''cursorInBlackBandsInFullscreen'''&lt;br /&gt;<br /> '''cursorInBlackBandsInWindow'''&lt;br /&gt;<br /> '''cursorInBlackBandsInBorderlessWindow'''<br /> | When enabled, the mouse cursor can move into the black bands added by letterboxing.<br /> |<br /> false&lt;br /&gt;<br /> true&lt;br /&gt;<br /> false<br /> |-<br /> | '''debug'''<br /> | When enabled, provides features to make it easier for developers/contributors to debug their work. See [[Hidden Features (OpenXcom)#Debug Mode|Debug Mode]].<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''debugUi'''<br /> | When enabled, shows text borders in UI elements to make it easier for developers/translators to debug their work.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''dragScrollTimeTolerance'''<br /> | Amount of milliseconds the mouse needs to be pressed to trigger a Drag Scroll.<br /> | 300<br /> |-<br /> | '''dragScrollPixelTolerance'''<br /> | Amount of pixels the mouse needs to be moved after pressing to trigger a Drag Scroll.<br /> | 10<br /> |-<br /> | '''FPS'''<br /> | Limits the game to this many [[Wikipedia:Frame rate|frames per second]]. Doesn't apply when [[Wikipedia:Vsync|Vsync]] is used.<br /> | 60<br /> |-<br /> | '''FPSInactive'''<br /> | FPS limit used when the window is not active.<br /> | 30<br /> |-<br /> | '''fpsCounter'''<br /> | When enabled, shows an FPS Counter on the top-left of the screen.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''keyboardMode'''<br /> | Keyboard input mode for typing in text boxes..<br /> * 0 = No keyboard, use the arrow keys to type (arcade style).<br /> * 1 = Use the system keyboard to type.<br /> * 2 = Pops up a virtual keyboard to type (not implemented).<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''key*'''<br /> | (...various options starting with this prefix) Stores the keyboard controls.<br /> |<br /> |-<br /> | '''language'''<br /> | Filename of the language loaded at startup.<br /> | en-US<br /> |-<br /> | '''lazyLoadResources'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''maximizeInfoScreens'''<br /> | When enabled, info screens are always shown at the original resolution instead of using the base resolution setting.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''mousewheelSpeed'''<br /> | Specifies the amount of lines scrolled by the mousewheel.<br /> | 3<br /> |-<br /> | '''newSeedOnLoad'''<br /> | When enabled, uses a new seed for the random number generator instead of the one saved to a save file. The game saves the seed of its random number generator to the save files, so normally a shot's result is the same even if the saved game is reloaded. With a new seed the game re-randomises a shot's chance of success.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''pauseMode'''<br /> | Controls how the game behaves when it loses focus (eg. minimized or alt-tabbed).<br /> * 0,1 = Continue running normally on loss of focus.<br /> * 2 = Slow down the game on loss of focus.<br /> * 3 = Pause completely on loss of focus.<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''playIntro'''<br /> | When enabled, plays the intro cinematic on startup.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''rootWindowedMode'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''saveOrder'''<br /> | Controls the order in which saved games are displayed in the save/load game menus.<br /> * 0 Ascending name order, i.e. A to Z.<br /> * 1 Descending name order, i.e. Z to A.<br /> * 2 Ascending date order, i.e. oldest saves first.<br /> * 3 Descending date order, i.e. newest saves first.<br /> | 3<br /> |-<br /> | '''soldierDiaries'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''touchEnabled'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''verboseLogging'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> <br /> ! colspan=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #CCCCCC&quot; | Display<br /> <br /> |-<br /> | '''allowResize'''<br /> | When enabled and the game is in windowed mode, the game resolution can be dynamically resized by changing the window size.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''asyncBlit'''<br /> | When enabled, the display surface uses asynchronous updates. This will usually slow down blitting on single CPU machines, but may provide a speed increase on SMP systems.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''borderless'''<br /> | When enabled, the game is displayed without a window frame when playing in windowed mode.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''displayWidth'''<br /> '''displayHeight'''<br /> | Display resolution in pixels. The game will scale the base resolution to fit this value, so it should be greater than or equal to '''baseXResolution''' x '''baseYResolution.<br /> | 640<br /> 400<br /> |-<br /> | '''fullscreen'''<br /> | When enabled, the game will run in fullscreen mode as opposed to windowed mode.<br /> '''NOTE''': The display might become distorted or clipped in fullscreen if your device doesn't support the specified resolution.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''keepAspectRatio'''<br /> | When enabled, letterboxes the display to maintain the original aspect ratio.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''nonSquarePixelRatio'''<br /> | When enabled, emulates non-square pixels (as explained [http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Aspect_ratio here]).<br /> | false<br /> |-link<br /> | '''maxFrameSkip'''<br /> | Specifies the maximum amount of frames the game can skip rendering.<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''windowedModePositionX'''<br /> '''windowedModePositionY'''<br /> | When running in windowed mode, forces the game window to start in the specified position in pixels. Use -1 to have the OS decide the window position.<br /> | -1<br /> -1<br /> |-<br /> | '''useHQXFilter'''<br /> | When enabled, applies a rendering filter that smoothes out diagonal edges, making the game look less pixelated. This setting is only compatible with 320x200, 640x400 and 960x600 resolutions, and '''useOpenGL''' must be disabled.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''useScaleFilter'''<br /> | When enabled, passes the game through a software Scale2x filter. This option achieves similar results to '''useHQXFilter''' but with less overhead and slightly less quality. This setting is only compatible with 320x200, 640x400 and 960x600 resolutions, and '''useOpenGL''' must be disabled.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''useXBRZFilter'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''useOpenGL'''<br /> | When enabled, uses [[Wikipedia:OpenGL|OpenGL]] hardware rendering and enables the following OpenGL options:<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''checkOpenGLErrors'''<br /> | When enabled, logs all errors returned by OpenGL.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''useOpenGLShader'''<br /> | Selects which [[Wikipedia:GLSL|GLSL]] rendering filter to apply when the '''useOpenGL''' option is enabled. This option takes a path relative to the OpenXcom Data Folder as an argument. OpenXcom comes packaged with some filters in the ''data\Shaders'' folder which are described earlier in ''Display Filter''.<br /> | Shaders/Openxcom.OpenGL.shader<br /> |-<br /> | '''useOpenGLSmoothing'''<br /> | When enabled, the game will use linear interpolation instead of nearest-neighbour pixel scaling when no shader is specified.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''vSyncForOpenGL'''<br /> | When enabled, puts OpenGL into [[Wikipedia:Vsync|vertical synchronisation]] mode, ensuring the FPS do not exceed your monitor's refresh rate, preventing tearing and excessive hardware demand, but may cause slower animations.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> <br /> ! colspan=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #CCCCCC&quot; | Sound<br /> <br /> |-<br /> | '''audioBitDepth'''<br /> | Bit depth of the output audio. ''Only change this if you know what you're doing!''<br /> | 16<br /> |-<br /> | '''audioChunkSize'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 1024<br /> |-<br /> | '''audioSampleRate'''<br /> | Sample rate (in Hz) of the output audio. ''Only change this if you know what you're doing!''<br /> | 22050<br /> |-<br /> | '''musicAlwaysLoop'''<br /> | Forces every music track to loop, including the Main Menu and Win/Lose tracks.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''musicVolume'''<br /> | Background music volume (0-128).<br /> | 128<br /> |-<br /> | '''preferredMusic'''<br /> | Preferred background music format:<br /> * 0 = Auto - Picks the best available format in the following order:<br /> * 1 = 1.4 Format<br /> * 2 = 1.0 Format<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''preferredSound'''<br /> | Preferred sound FX format.<br /> * 0 = Auto - Picks the best available format in the following order:<br /> * 1 = FLAC<br /> * 2 = OGG<br /> * 3 = MP3<br /> * 4 = MOD<br /> * 5 = WAV<br /> * 6 = Adlib<br /> * 7 = MIDI<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''preferredVideo'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''soundVolume'''<br /> | Sound FX volume (0-128).<br /> | 128<br /> |-<br /> | '''StereoSound'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''uiVolume'''<br /> | User interface volume (0-128).<br /> | 128<br /> |-<br /> <br /> ! colspan=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #CCCCCC&quot; | Geoscape/Basescape<br /> <br /> |-<br /> | '''aggressiveRetaliation'''<br /> | When enabled, aliens on any type of mission may detect your base if they are in very close range.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''allowBuildingQueue'''<br /> | When enabled, unfinished facilities act as links to the access lift when new facilities are placed, thereby allowing facilities to be &quot;queued&quot; waiting for neighboring facilities to finish.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''allowPsiStrengthImprovement'''<br /> | When enabled, soldiers can improve their [[Psi Strength]] through practice and psi training.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''anytimePsiTraining'''<br /> | When enabled, psi training can be performed at any time, instead of waiting for the end of the month.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''canSellLiveAliens'''<br /> | When enabled, captured aliens can be sold for cash in the same fashion as alien corpses. Recommended when '''storageLimitsEnforced''' is enabled.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''canTransferCraftsWhileAirborne'''<br /> | When enabled, crafts can be transferred between bases while they are OUT (as long as they have enough fuel).<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''craftLaunchAlways'''<br /> | When enabled, allow crafts to take off without being READY.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''customInitialBase'''<br /> | When enabled, allows the player to customize the facility placement of the starting base.<br /> |-<br /> | '''dogfightSpeed'''<br /> | The animation speed of dogfights.<br /> | 30<br /> |-<br /> | '''geoScrollSpeed'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 20<br /> |-<br /> | '''geoscapeScale'''<br /> | The base resolution to use for the Geoscape:<br /> * 0 = Original = 320x200 resolution<br /> * 1 = 1.5x Original = 480x300 resolution<br /> * 2 = 2x Original = 640x400 resolution<br /> * 3 = 1/3 Display Resolution<br /> * 4 = 1/2 Display Resolution<br /> * 5 = Full Display Resolution<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''geoClockSpeed'''<br /> | The speed of the Geoscape clock.<br /> | 80<br /> |-<br /> | '''geoDragScrollButton'''<br /> | Controls which mouse button is held down when Drag Scrolling the globe.<br /> * 0 = None<br /> * 1 = Left Mouse Button.<br /> * 2 = Middle Mouse Button.<br /> * 3 = Right Mouse Button.<br /> * 6... = Other Mouse Buttons.<br /> | 2<br /> |-<br /> | '''geoDragScrollInvert'''<br /> | When enabled, Drag Scrolling moves the globe away from your mouse, rather than moving towards it.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''globeAllRadarsOnBaseBuild'''<br /> | When enabled, all radar ranges will be shown when hovering a valid base location while building a new base.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''globeDetail'''<br /> | When enabled, country and city details are shown when zoomed in on the globe.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''globeFlightPaths<br /> | When enabled, shows craft flight paths on the globe.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''globeRadarLines<br /> | When enabled, the radar ranges of player bases on the globe are shown.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''globeScrollSpeed<br /> | The scrolling speed of the globe.<br /> | 20<br /> |-<br /> | '''globeSeasons'''<br /> | When enabled, the day/night cycle takes into account the Earth's [[:Wikipedia:Axial tilt|axial tilt]] for a more realistic projection of the light.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''meetingPoint'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''psiStrengthEval'''<br /> | When enabled, evaluates the psionic strength of all soldiers after the appropriate research has been completed.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''retainCorpses'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''showFundsOnGeoscape'''<br /> | When enabled, shows your available funds above the time/date on the Geoscape sidebar.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''storageLimitsEnforced'''<br /> | When enabled, enforces the limit of live aliens that can be held in each containment facility as well as general stores limits for recovered items.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> <br /> ! colspan=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #CCCCCC&quot; | Battlescape<br /> <br /> |-<br /> | '''allowPsionicCapture'''<br /> | When enabled, mind-controlling all the remaining enemy units results in a victory, and they count as live captures.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''alienBleeding'''<br /> | When enabled, allows the player to inflict [[Fatal Wounds]] on aliens.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battlescapeScale'''<br /> | The base resolution to use for the Battlescape:<br /> * 0 = Original = 320x200 resolution<br /> * 1 = 1.5x Original = 480x300 resolution<br /> * 2 = 2x Original = 640x400 resolution<br /> * 3 = 1/3 Display Resolution<br /> * 4 = 1/2 Display Resolution<br /> * 5 = Full Display Resolution<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleAlienSpeed'''<br /> | Animation speed of alien / civilian units moving on the map.<br /> | 30<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleAutoEnd'''<br /> | When enabled, the turn is automatically ended when all friendly/enemy units are neutralized, therefore ending the mission.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleConfirmFireMode'''<br /> | When enabled, a second click is required on the same tile to confirm fire orders.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleDragScrollButton'''<br /> | Controls which mouse button is held down in Drag Scrolling<br /> * 0 = None<br /> * 1 = Left Mouse Button.<br /> * 2 = Middle Mouse Button.<br /> * 3 = Right Mouse Button.<br /> * 6... = Other Mouse Buttons.<br /> | 2<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleDragScrollInvert'''<br /> | When enabled, Drag Scrolling moves the camera away from your mouse, rather than moving towards it.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleEdgeScroll'''<br /> | Map edge scrolling mode.<br /> * 0 = None<br /> * 1 = Trigger Scroll: Hold down the LMB over the edges of the screen to scroll.<br /> * 2 = Auto Scroll: Hover your mouse over the edges of the screen to scroll.<br /> | 2<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleExplosionHeight'''<br /> | A coefficient that controls how much vertical power explosions have.<br /> * 0 = Explosions are completely flat, as per the original game.<br /> * 1 = -30 damage units per level (this penalty is in addition to the horizontal penalty of -10 damage per tile).<br /> * 2 = -10 damage units per level.<br /> * 3 = -5 damage units per level.<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleFireSpeed'''<br /> | Animation speed of bullets after being fired in pixels per frame. Game setting * 2.<br /> | 6<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleHairBleach'''<br /> | Changes soldier Battlescape sprites to match their inventory look.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleInstantGrenade'''<br /> | When enabled, grenades are &quot;hot&quot;. This means that when primed to 0 turns, they simply explode on impact, instead of waiting for the end of the turn.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleNotifyDeath'''<br /> | When enabled, displays a text notification when a soldier dies.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleNewPreviewPath'''<br /> | When enabled, your first left-click displays the path the selected unit will take, and your second click confirms the move order.<br /> * 0 No preview.<br /> * 1 Display path taken with colored arrows: green - can move and fire; yellow - can move; red - cannot move.<br /> * 2 Display the time units you will have remaining after moving to the destination.<br /> * 3 Display colored arrows and time units remaining.<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleSmoothCamera'''<br /> | When enabled, the battlescape camera will remain centered on projectiles while in flight.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleScrollSpeed'''<br /> | Map scrolling speed.<br /> | 8<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleTooltips'''<br /> | When enabled, hovering the Battlescape buttons displays a tooltip.<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleUFOExtenderAccuracy'''<br /> | When enabled, mimics [[UFOextender#Range_Based_Accuracy|UFO Extender's Range based accuracy]], except using stats taken from the weapon itself rather than global config options.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''battleXcomSpeed'''<br /> | Animation speed of X-COM units moving on the map.<br /> | 30<br /> |-<br /> | '''disableAutoEquip'''<br /> | When enabled, disables auto-equipping of new soldiers before battle.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''fieldPromotions'''<br /> | When enabled, only soldiers that were in the battle can get promoted.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''forceFire'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''includePrimeStateInSavedLayout'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''noAlienPanicMessages'''<br /> | When enabled, doesn't show messages when an alien unit panics or goes berserk.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''skipNextTurnScreen'''<br /> | When enabled, the &quot;Next Turn&quot; screens during battle are advanced automatically after a short delay.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''showMoreStatsInInventoryView'''<br /> | When enabled, the inventory screen displays extra stats in the top-right corner, such as the weight of equipment the soldier is currently wearing/carrying and their maximum weight before TU reduction sets in, their firing accuracy, reactions and psi stats.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''sneakyAI'''<br /> | When enabled, AI avoids exposing themselves to player whenever possible.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''strafe'''<br /> | When enabled, holding CTRL allows soldiers to strafe and run, and allows tanks to rotate their turret independently of the chassis.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''traceAI'''<br /> | Debug feature. When enabled, highlights the paths that enemy units took after their turn.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''weaponSelfDestruction'''<br /> | When enabled, weapons dropped by aliens are destroyed unless they are captured alive (similar to the [[Enemy Unknown (EU2012)|new X-COM]]).<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> <br /> === OXCE Options ===<br /> Options available in OpenXcom Extended engine ([[Info_(OpenXcom)|see Info]]). If you wonder about things like 50 equipment templates, OXCE is made [[Mods (OpenXcom)|for mods]], so options were introduced for better support thereof (in this case more RPG-like megamods, such as ''X-Piratez'' and ''X-Com Files''). See also [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Recommended.2FFixed_User_Options|support of obligatory and recommended options for rulesets]].<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> ! Option<br /> ! Description<br /> ! Default<br /> |-<br /> <br /> ! colspan=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #CCCCCC&quot; | General<br /> <br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceAutoSell'''<br /> | Auto-Sell Manager: In the battle debriefing sell screen, any item types you sold in previous battles will be automatically marked for selling.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceDisableHitLog'''<br /> | Disables Hit Log (diary)<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceDisableProductionDependencyTree'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceDisableStatsForNerds'''<br /> | Disables &quot;Stats for Nerds&quot; details screen in UFopaedia.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceDisableTechTreeViewer'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceEmbeddedOnly'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceEnablePaletteFlickerFix'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceEnableSlackingIndicator'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceFatFingerLinks'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceGeoSlowdownFactor'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 1<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceHighlightNewTopicsHidden'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceInterceptGuiMaintenanceTimeHidden'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 2<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceLinks'''<br /> | Extended links. Enables additional menus/buttons/links for OXCE features.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceListVFSContents'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceManufactureFilterSuppliesOK'''<br /> | Manufacture screen filter (&quot;Supplies OK&quot; / &quot;Supplies missing&quot;)<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceManufactureScrollSpeed'''<br /> | Scroll speed, in the Manufacture screen.<br /> | 10<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceManufactureScrollSpeedWithCtrl'''<br /> | Scroll speed with Ctrl pressed, in the Manufacture screen.<br /> | 1<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceModValidationLevel'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 2<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxcePersonalLayoutIncludingArmor'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxcePlayBriefingMusicDuringEquipment'''<br /> | Briefing music will continue playing during equipment phase until the Battlescape is displayed.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceRawScreenShots'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceRecommendedOptionsWereSet'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceRememberDisabledCraftWeapons'''<br /> | Craft weapons disabled during a dogfight will stay disabled. They will also not be rearmed at the base.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceResearchScrollSpeed'''<br /> | Scroll speed, in the Research screen.<br /> | 10<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceResearchScrollSpeedWithCtrl'''<br /> | Scroll speed with Ctrl pressed, in the Research screen.<br /> | 1<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceStartUpTextMode'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceThrottleMouseMoveEvent'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | 0<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceThumbButtons'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceUfoLandingAlert'''<br /> | UFO landing alert. If enabled, a message will pop up each time a detected UFO lands.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> <br /> ! colspan=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #CCCCCC&quot; | Battlescape and Equipment<br /> <br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceAlternateCraftEquipmentManagement'''<br /> | When enabled, equipment is handled much the same way as in [[Apocalypse]], i.e. [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,10452.msg149914.html#msg149914 whatever is assigned to the soldier remains with the soldier, rather than the transport].<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceAutoNightVisionThreshold'''<br /> | If darker than this threshold, toggle Night Vision on automatically.<br /> | 15<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceNightVisionColor'''<br /> | Night Vision color. Values from 1 to 15.<br /> | 5 (green)<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceDisableAlienInventory'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceDisableInventoryTuCost'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceEnableOffCentreShooting:'''<br /> | Off-center shooting. Soldiers will automatically try to adjust the firing angle slightly in case there is no clear line of fire.<br /> | false<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds'''<br /> | FIXME<br /> | true<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceMaxEquipmentLayoutTemplates'''<br /> | Number of Equipment layout templates available. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,10734.0.html Possible values: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.] Slots 1-10 are [[Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)|accessible via hotkeys]], anything over 10 is only accessible via '''oxceLinks''' menu (appears to the left of &quot;OK&quot; if enabled).<br /> | 20<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceToggleBrightnessType''' &lt;br /&gt;<br /> '''oxceToggleNightVisionType''' &lt;br /&gt;<br /> '''oxceTogglePersonalLightType'''<br /> | Toggles brightness. night vision, personal light [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,10629.msg147476/topicseen.html#msg147476 toggle persistence].<br /> * 0 = not persisted (as until now)<br /> * 1 = persisted for the duration of the battle<br /> * 2 = persisted for the duration of the campaign<br /> | 0 &lt;br /&gt;<br /> 1 &lt;br /&gt;<br /> 1<br /> |-<br /> | '''oxceWoundedDefendBaseIf'''<br /> | Wounded defend. If their health is above the given percentage threshold, wounded soldiers defend the base.<br /> | 100<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112718 2022-12-16T16:55:11Z

<p>TBeholder: /* OXC and beyond */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == OXC and beyond ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE. See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]] and [[Mods (OpenXcom)]].<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of the engine, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 (EU) or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to ''TFTD'' or ''X-Com Files'', or vice versa.<br /> <br /> * Plain old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds) or simple rebalance. If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Has some nice improvements (such as previews and [[Motion Scanner]] memory), but mostly it’s about modding. [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)|Many features]] are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future. Some highlights of less-arcane capabilities:<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Base_Facilities|Base Facilities]]: Facilities destroyed by raids or bombardment turn into default rubble “buildings”, thus the base is not necessarily disconnected. Specific types specify tiles where stored items are spawned in battlescape, subtype for [[Alien Containment]] (with corresponding value on specific aliens — air breathers vs. aquatic, or you could start a [[Silacoid]] farm, but containment for these things cannot be the same as for [[floater]]s), type and amount of ammunition for [[Base Defence]] (even Avalanches cost money and storage space, never mind [[Fusion Ball Defences]]/[[P.W.T. Defences]]), soldier recovery bonuses (build a hospital), etc. Likelihood of taking a hit from bombardment (hangars, defenses and radars can be set to more likely destruction than underground barracks). Base services required to build/provided/blocked: these serve as prerequisites for other elements; e.g. the player would need an advanced surgery facility plus research to install implants, kennels to keep dogs, specialized facilities required for research or manufacture (e.g.: Psi Amp could be made in Workshop as usual, but need a working Psi Lab at the same base), etc. Facilities can have custom rubble and list of facilities that can be built over them (i.e. upgraded to). Simple example: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/improved-living-quarters-large-stores Improved Living Quarters &amp; Large Stores]'' mod adds two facilities that are 2×2 sized, but more space-efficient. Slightly more complex: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/recruitment-office Recruitment Office]'' mod (needs ''Building Mod Pack'', and see the comments) provides a facility that allows to hire pre-screened soldiers (custom Soldier Types with better stats at a greater salary), and after extra research can be upgraded to support psionic screening.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Cost_of_use|Cost of use]] (TU, energy and/or anything else), action menu texts and messages (if any) for all actions with specific items can be customized.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Power_and_Damage_types|Weapons]] can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is customizable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary combination of stats. Accuracy adjustments for kneeling, for one-handed use of two-handed weapons, for shooting without line of sight to the target and for CQC (point blank shots) can be set globally and overridden per weapon.<br /> *** Shotguns. Nightly already allows them, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as a single spread shot rather than independent simultaneous shots, set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> *** [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html Spray targeting mode]: if enabled for a given weapon, in auto fire mode Ctrl+Shift+LMB starts picking numbered waypoints; after the last one, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot.<br /> *** Firing modes can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Compatible_ammo_and_Action_Mapping|Up to 4 ammunition slots]] with their own load/unload costs and compatibility lists, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable for a specific weapon (or template). Example: if you want [[High Explosive]] pack to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting its power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be also accomplished by setting its damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92, or power to 200, but rather than capping blast radius directly, doubled RadiusReduction (damage won’t go abruptly from half to none at the edge of blast area).<br /> *** Not only built-in weapons, like tank turrets, but special weapons that can be used with an empty hand (like punching). Items that spawn units - something like [[Brainsucker Launcher]] or small drone.<br /> ** Melee dodge, also used for shots in [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5431.0.html close quarters combat] mode. Sneaking upon the target allows to penalize dodge or avoid CQC entirety (the attacker just stabs or caps an unaware enemy without much hassle); specific unit types may be immune to sneaking, or not have CQC mode at all. As shots with CQC adjustments can be balanced differently from generic shots, less-agile weapons can be given disadvantages, making pistols/SMG/sawn-off shotguns good at shooting fast enemies point blank, and sniper rifles unsuitable for the same purpose despite otherwise great accuracy. ''X-Com Files'' has accuracy in Close Quarters 133 for most pistols (up to 165 in some cases), 120 for most SMG, 90-120 for shotguns (150 for sawed-off), 100 for most rifles, 45-80 for sniper rifles, and 45-60 for most heavy weapons (28 in one case).<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Things_that_go_BOOM|Grenade functionality is split and customizable]].<br /> *** Fuses are now per-item, rather than either timer dial from the original game (rarely used beyond &quot;0&quot; anyway) or “Instant Grenades” option for all. It’s possible to have timer on High Explosive pack, while normal grenades just go off after the throw or at the end of that turn.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but can be done with flares. Or as an arbitrary switch or action for any other item (with some scripting).<br /> *** Fuses can be allowed to go off while in equipment, if you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that timer on a demolition charge is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not,<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Player_Units_.28Soldiers.29|Soldiers]]: now there are different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc (for example: common soldiers, pilots and ''dogs''). Each with separate parameters such as default armor (pilots have flight suit as default armor, dogs have “armor” with dog stats and cannot wear human armor), required base functionality (dogs need kennels), hiring cost, how many can be hired per month (it’s easier to find a handful of healthy dogs than pilots), salary and promotions (pilots have their own ranks, while dogs don’t use any), score value and multiplier for morale loss when this unit is killed (drones and cameras may have 0), special weapons (dog may get by with bite weapon defined in armor section, but hybrid soldiers could have a built-in psi weapon with statistics different from psiamp just like some aliens have, martial artists an extra punch etc) separate from armor. And a few odd properties like “allowPiloting” and experience gain from dogfights.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Transformation|Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;]], with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes the same transformation not applied earlier), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Bonuses|Soldier Bonuses]], from transformations or commendations/medals.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Crafts|Aircraft]] now have shield stats. May have built-in weapons. Tractor beams can prevent the opponent from running away, or even force crash-landing on its own.<br /> *** May require pilots; pilots’ Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed (specifics are adjustable). Dogfights can give experience bonus to the stats as defined in ruleset. The pilots are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/top-gun Top Gun]'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed, e.g. gun mounts are for cannons, pylons are for missiles. Since &quot;craft weapons&quot; now can alter stats, they may be arbitrary upgrades. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** UFOs.<br /> *** Retaliation missions against X-Com bases may be ''airstrikes'', rather than ground assault. If not shot down, they’ll bombard — may be set to nuke the whole base outright or destroy random facilities (that’s also customizable, but the Access Lift survives except in “entire base” variant).<br /> *** Aliens can launch interceptors when you go for their base. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/alien-hives Alien Hives]'' mod.<br /> *** Alien races may have adjustments to attack/weapon power/evasion/detection range/etc. Or have unusual crew rosters and loadouts. Also, unmanned UFO that fight to 0% rather than 50% and as such never crash land (you still thwart their mission and get score for destruction).<br /> ** Improved [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Sprites_and_Particles|particle system]], now allows separate parameters in air and underwater. For a demonstration see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/oxce-hyper-trajectory Hyper &amp; Trajectory]'' mod - projectile speeds are set very high, bursts cycle quickly, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** [[Script_(OpenXcom)|Allows scripting]], which opens new and wide fields for modding above and beyond those covered in the ruleset capabilities.<br /> *** ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/hatching-chryssalids-and-tentaculats Hatching Chryssalids and Tentaculats]'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> *** Soldier Skills are custom scripted actions used via special menu or generic item action; a list is enabled for soldier type, with set conditions including specific Bonus, specific Items (in hands or equipment), action performed, etc; looks promising, but no released mod uses them yet.<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112716 2022-12-15T11:29:13Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Battlescape - OXCE */</p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'': toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'': toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> === General - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-N'': Notes screen.<br /> * ''Ctrl-T'': Test screen. Allows to select ad view (in several modes) one of available palettes. Can run tests for some data errors.<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,10372.0.html base preview] in the actual Battlescape — a Base Defense mission with no enemies. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (selected via drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing: to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors. (if ''Override Line of Fire'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to the active soldier that is perpendicular their current facing: have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click anywhere else accessible: makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click when the active unit is a ''tank'': makes its turret point at the clicked tile (which defines sight and weapon direction) without moving the hull (and its armor arcs); costs the same 1 TU per 1/8 turn. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Right click on a hand item slot: Toggles this hand as [[Reaction Fire Weapon Preference|preferred for Reaction Fire]] until toggled again; the preferred hand is marked with yellow dot. This preference is for hand, thus persists whether armed or not, but normal rules of reactions are obeyed: melee weapons and built-in melee weapons are used if in range, but if the item in the hand is not a melee weapon or gun this unit can use, the preference is ignored and the unit will fire the gun in the other hand instead. Toggling is free, no extra TU cost.<br /> ** E.g.: a soldier has [[Small Launcher]] in his right hand and [[Laser Pistol]] in the left, he will fire only pistol if left is preferred, launcher and then (as launcher is out of ammunition) pistol if right is preferred, otherwise as usual. If the soldier holsters or drop the pistol from the preferred hand, uses launcher two-handed, and then re-equips pistol, no need to set the preference again.<br /> ** It helps to avoid unfortunate incidents with splash weapons used at short range (without removing reactions completely like zeroing TU would). This also makes pistols far more practical than before: now that you can ''rely'' on heavy weapon soldiers to actually use their pistols for reaction, it's good to have one ready whenever not using the big gun. 8 TU to holster the pistol or 2 TU to drop it before a shot is better than 15 TU to load an empty weapon and usually preferable to having TU zeroed at the end of every turn.<br /> * ''Alt'' (held): Shows direction arrows for unit facing; can be really non-obvious for blobs, kneeling soldier in [[Power Suit]] or hovertanks with ''Alternate Movement Methods'' enabled (turrets can traverse independently). Also shows the tiles where [[Motion Scanner]]s detected a blip this turn that wasn't one of player units, thus finally removing the greatest inconvenience of this item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': toggles the option mute/unmute unit response sounds (same as oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds option in config).<br /> * ''Ctrl+Shift+LMB'': When auto fire mode is selected, this activates [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html spray targeting mode]: starts picking numbered waypoints; once maximum number of waypoints are selected or a waypoint is selected with Ctrl+Shift+LMB again, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot. Of course, the actual hit placement is affected by Accuracy as usual. RMB removes a waypoint, like with [[Blaster Launcher]]. (needs a weapon with sprayWaypoints set in ruleset)<br /> * ''Ctrl-E'': Shows pop-up with the list of soldiers who did not earn experience yet.<br /> * ''Ctrl-M'': Shows melee damage (if any) with the currently wielded items (if any) and special built-in weapons (if any).<br /> * ''Ctrl-1…0'' in inventory screen (makes sense in craft equipment or pre-battle) saves the current layout in one of 10 slots. ''1''…''0'' loads it. Thus in addition to the main inventory template (inherited from the original game and used via big buttons and ''C''/''V'') you can create specialized inventory layouts for scouts, grenadiers, etc.<br /> * ''MMB'' in inventory screen on an item (or paper doll) shows the Ufopaedia entry for this item (or armor).<br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> * ''Ctrl-U'': reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors (You can also set &quot;debugUi: true&quot;).<br /> * ''Alt-F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-1'': Sets funds to 999999999.<br /> * ''Ctrl-2'': all facility construction completed instantly.<br /> * ''Ctrl-3'': +50 scientists and engineers.<br /> * ''Ctrl-4'': +2 every item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-5'': +2 all live aliens.<br /> * ''Ctrl-6'': reset X-Com/alien activity for this month.<br /> * ''Ctrl-7'': every UFO detected and transmissions decoded.<br /> * ''Ctrl-A'': erase all soldier diaries.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'': erase all soldier commendations.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> * ''Ctrl-V'': reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> * ''Ctrl-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> * ''Ctrl-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> * ''Ctrl-W'': warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> * ''F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'' (If the Commendations Mod is being played): wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-B'': Show the briefing window for this mission again.<br /> * ''Ctrl-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; window in event popup (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; in diary window (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Home'': Reset default palettes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-End'': Cycle between &quot;debug vision&quot; (all units are visible, even in unseen areas) and different brightness modes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': mute/unmute unit response sounds<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-J'': stun the unit under cursor. Works with the player's soldiers, but not stun-immune tanks.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-K'': kill the unit under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''F9'': save map as used by AI/pathfinding (if ''traceAI: true'' in config).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112715 2022-12-14T20:54:57Z

<p>TBeholder: /* OXC and beyond */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == OXC and beyond ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE. See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]] and [[Mods (OpenXcom)]].<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of the engine, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 (EU) or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to ''TFTD'' or ''X-Com Files'', or vice versa.<br /> <br /> * Plain old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds) or simple rebalance. If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Has some nice improvements (such as previews and [[Motion Scanner]] memory), but mostly it’s about modding. [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)|Many features]] are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future. Some highlights of less-arcane capabilities:<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Base_Facilities|Base Facilities]]: Facilities destroyed by raids or bombardment turn into default rubble “buildings”, thus the base is not necessarily disconnected. Specific types specify tiles where stored items are spawned in battlescape, subtype for [[Alien Containment]] (with corresponding value on specific aliens — air breathers vs. aquatic, or you could start a [[Silacoid]] farm, but containment for these things cannot be the same as for [[floater]]s), type and amount of ammunition for [[Base Defence]] (even Avalanches cost money and storage space, never mind [[Fusion Ball Defences]]/[[P.W.T. Defences]]), soldier recovery bonuses (build a hospital), etc. Likelihood of taking a hit from bombardment (hangars, defenses and radars can be set to more likely destruction than underground barracks). Base services required to build/provided/blocked: these serve as prerequisites for other elements; e.g. the player would need an advanced surgery facility plus research to install implants, kennels to keep dogs, specialized facilities required for research or manufacture (e.g.: Psi Amp could be made in Workshop as usual, but need a working Psi Lab at the same base), etc. Facilities can have custom rubble and list of facilities that can be built over them (i.e. upgraded to). Simple example: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/improved-living-quarters-large-stores Improved Living Quarters &amp; Large Stores]'' mod adds two facilities that are 2×2 sized, but more space-efficient. Slightly more complex: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/recruitment-office Recruitment Office]'' mod (needs ''Building Mod Pack'', and see the comments) provides a facility that allows to hire pre-screened soldiers (custom Soldier Types with better stats at a greater salary), and after extra research can be upgraded to support psionic screening.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Cost_of_use|Cost of use]] (TU, energy and/or anything else), action menu texts and messages (if any) for all actions with specific items can be customized.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Power_and_Damage_types|Weapons]] can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is customizable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary combination of stats. Accuracy adjustments for kneeling, for one-handed use of two-handed weapons, for shooting without line of sight to the target and for CQC (point blank shots) can be set globally and overridden per weapon.<br /> *** Shotguns. Nightly already allows them, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as a single spread shot rather than independent simultaneous shots, set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> *** [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html Spray targeting mode]: if enabled for a given weapon, in auto fire mode Ctrl+Shift+LMB starts picking numbered waypoints; after the last one, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot.<br /> *** Firing modes can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Compatible_ammo_and_Action_Mapping|Up to 4 ammunition slots]] with their own load/unload costs and compatibility lists, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable for a specific weapon (or template). Example: if you want [[High Explosive]] pack to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting its power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be also accomplished by setting its damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92, or power to 200, but rather than capping blast radius directly, doubled RadiusReduction (damage won’t go abruptly from half to none at the edge of blast area).<br /> *** Not only built-in weapons, like tank turrets, but special weapons that can be used with an empty hand (like punching). Items that spawn units - something like [[Brainsucker Launcher]] or small drone.<br /> ** Melee dodge, also used for shots in [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5431.0.html close quarters combat] mode. Sneaking upon the target allows to penalize dodge or avoid CQC entirety (the attacker just stabs or caps an unaware enemy without much hassle); specific unit types may be immune to sneaking, or not have CQC mode at all. As shots with CQC adjustments can be balanced differently from generic shots, less-agile weapons can be given disadvantages, making pistols/SMG/sawn-off shotguns good at shooting fast enemies point blank, and sniper rifles unsuitable for the same purpose despite otherwise great accuracy. ''X-Com Files'' has accuracy in Close Quarters 133 for most pistols (up to 165 in some cases), 120 for most SMG, 90-120 for shotguns (150 for sawed-off), 100 for most rifles, 45-80 for sniper rifles, and 45-60 for most heavy weapons (28 in one case).<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Things_that_go_BOOM|Grenade functionality is split and customizable]].<br /> *** Fuses are now per-item, rather than either timer dial from the original game (rarely used beyond &quot;0&quot; anyway) or “Instant Grenades” option for all. It’s possible to have timer on High Explosive pack, while normal grenades just go off after the throw or at the end of that turn.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but can be done with flares.<br /> *** Fuses can be allowed to go off while in equipment, if you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that timer on a demolition charge is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not,<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Player_Units_.28Soldiers.29|Soldiers]]: now there are different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc (for example: common soldiers, pilots and ''dogs''). Each with separate parameters such as default armor (pilots have flight suit as default armor, dogs have “armor” with dog stats and cannot wear human armor), required base functionality (dogs need kennels), hiring cost, how many can be hired per month (it’s easier to find a handful of healthy dogs than pilots), salary and promotions (pilots have their own ranks, while dogs don’t use any), score value and multiplier for morale loss when this unit is killed (drones and cameras may have 0), special weapons (dog may get by with bite weapon defined in armor section, but hybrid soldiers could have a built-in psi weapon with statistics different from psiamp just like some aliens have, martial artists an extra punch etc) separate from armor. And a few odd properties like “allowPiloting” and experience gain from dogfights.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Transformation Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;]], with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes the same transformation not applied earlier), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Bonuses|Soldier Bonuses]], from transformations or commendations/medals. Soldier Skills enabled for soldier type, with conditions (including specific Bonus, specific items in hands or in equipment, etc) and allows script hooks.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Crafts|Aircraft]] now have shield stats. May have built-in weapons. Tractor beams can prevent the opponent from running away, or even force crash-landing on its own.<br /> *** May require pilots; pilots’ Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed (specifics are adjustable). Dogfights can give experience bonus to the stats as defined in ruleset. The pilots are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/top-gun Top Gun]'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed, e.g. gun mounts are for cannons, pylons are for missiles. Since &quot;craft weapons&quot; now can alter stats, they may be arbitrary upgrades. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** UFOs.<br /> *** Retaliation missions against X-Com bases may be ''airstrikes'', rather than ground assault. If not shot down, they’ll bombard — may be set to nuke the whole base outright or destroy some facilities (that’s also customizable, but the Access Lift survives unless it’s “entire base” variant).<br /> *** Aliens can launch interceptors when you go for their base. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/alien-hives Alien Hives]'' mod.<br /> *** Alien races may have adjustments to attack/weapon power/evasion/detection range/etc. Or have unusual crew rosters and loadouts. Also, unmanned UFO that fight to 0% rather than 50% and as such never crash land (you still thwart their mission and get score for destruction).<br /> ** Improved [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Sprites_and_Particles|particle system]], now allows separate parameters in air and underwater. For a demonstration see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/oxce-hyper-trajectory Hyper &amp; Trajectory]'' mod - projectile speeds are set very high, bursts cycle quickly, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** [[Script_(OpenXcom)|Allows scripting]], which opens new and wide fields for modding above and beyond those covered in the ruleset capabilities.<br /> *** ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/hatching-chryssalids-and-tentaculats Hatching Chryssalids and Tentaculats]'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

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<p>TBeholder: /* OXC and beyond */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == OXC and beyond ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE. See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]] and [[Mods (OpenXcom)]].<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of the engine, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 (EU) or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to ''TFTD'' or ''X-Com Files'', or vice versa.<br /> <br /> * Plain old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds) or simple rebalance. If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Has some nice improvements (such as previews and [[Motion Scanner]] memory), but mostly it’s about modding. [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)|Many features]] are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future. Some highlights of less-arcane capabilities:<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Base_Facilities|Base Facilities]]: Facilities destroyed by raids or bombardment turn into default rubble “buildings”, thus the base is not necessarily disconnected. Specific types specify tiles where stored items are spawned in battlescape, subtype for [[Alien Containment]] (with corresponding value on specific aliens — air breathers vs. aquatic, or you could start a [[Silacoid]] farm, but containment for these things cannot be the same as for [[floater]]s), type and amount of ammunition for [[Base Defence]] (even Avalanches cost money and storage space, never mind [[Fusion Ball Defences]]/[[P.W.T. Defences]]), soldier recovery bonuses (build a hospital), etc. Likelihood of taking a hit from bombardment (hangars, defenses and radars can be set to more likely destruction than underground barracks). Base services required to build/provided/blocked: these serve as prerequisites for other elements, so that e.g. the player would need an advanced surgery facility (plus research) to install implants, kennels to keep dogs, specialized facilities to research or build some things (e.g.: Psi Amp is made in Workshop as usual, but needs a working Psi Lab at the same base), etc. Facilities can have custom rubble and list of facilities that can be built over them (i.e. upgraded to). Simple example: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/recruitment-office Recruitment Office]'' mod provides a facility that allows to hire pre-screened soldiers (custom Soldier Types with better stats at a greater salary), and after extra research can be upgraded to support psionic screening.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Cost_of_use|Cost of use]] (TU, energy and/or anything else), action menu texts and messages (if any) for all actions with specific items can be customized.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Power_and_Damage_types|Weapons]] can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is customizable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary combination of stats. Accuracy adjustments for kneeling, for one-handed use of two-handed weapons, for shooting without line of sight to the target and for CQC (point blank shots) can be set globally and overridden per weapon.<br /> *** Shotguns. Nightly already allows them, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as a single spread shot rather than independent simultaneous shots, set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> *** [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html Spray targeting mode]: if enabled for a given weapon, in auto fire mode Ctrl+Shift+LMB starts picking numbered waypoints; after the last one, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot.<br /> *** Firing modes can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Compatible_ammo_and_Action_Mapping|Up to 4 ammunition slots]] with their own load/unload costs and compatibility lists, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable for a specific weapon (or template). Example: if you want [[High Explosive]] pack to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting its power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be also accomplished by setting its damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92, or power to 200, but rather than capping blast radius directly, doubled RadiusReduction (damage won’t go abruptly from half to none at the edge of blast area).<br /> *** Not only built-in weapons, like tank turrets, but special weapons that can be used with an empty hand (like punching). Items that spawn units - something like [[Brainsucker Launcher]] or small drone.<br /> ** Melee dodge, also used for shots in [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5431.0.html close quarters combat] mode. Sneaking upon the target allows to penalize dodge or avoid CQC entirety (the attacker just stabs or caps an unaware enemy without much hassle); specific unit types may be immune to sneaking, or not have CQC mode at all. As shots with CQC adjustments can be balanced differently from generic shots, less-agile weapons can be given disadvantages, making pistols/SMG/sawn-off shotguns good at shooting fast enemies point blank, and sniper rifles unsuitable for the same purpose despite otherwise great accuracy. ''X-Com Files'' has accuracy in Close Quarters 133 for most pistols (up to 165 in some cases), 120 for most SMG, 90-120 for shotguns (150 for sawed-off), 100 for most rifles, 45-80 for sniper rifles, and 45-60 for most heavy weapons (20 in one case).<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Things_that_go_BOOM|Grenade functionality is split and customizable]].<br /> *** Fuses are now per-item, rather than either timer dial from the original game (rarely used beyond &quot;0&quot; anyway) or “Instant Grenades” option for all. It’s possible to have timer on High Explosive pack, while normal grenades just go off after the throw or at the end of that turn.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but can be done with flares.<br /> *** Fuses can be allowed to go off while in equipment, if you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that timer on a demolition charge is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not,<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Player_Units_.28Soldiers.29|Soldiers]]: now there are different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc (for example: common soldiers, pilots and ''dogs''). Each with separate parameters such as default armor (pilots have flight suit as default armor, dogs have “armor” with dog stats and cannot wear human armor), required base functionality (dogs need kennels), hiring cost, how many can be hired per month (it’s easier to find a handful of healthy dogs than pilots), salary and promotions (pilots have their own ranks, while dogs don’t use any), score value and multiplier for morale loss when this unit is killed (drones and cameras may have 0), special weapons (dog may get by with bite weapon defined in armor section, but hybrid soldiers could have a built-in psi weapon with statistics different from psiamp just like some aliens have, martial artists an extra punch etc) separate from armor. And a few odd properties like “allowPiloting” and experience gain from dogfights.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Transformation Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;]], with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes the same transformation not applied earlier), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> *** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Bonuses|Soldier Bonuses]], from transformations or commendations/medals. Soldier Skills enabled for soldier type, with conditions (including specific Bonus, specific items in hands or in equipment, etc) and allows script hooks.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Crafts|Aircraft]] now have shield stats. May have built-in weapons. Tractor beams can prevent the opponent from running away, or even force crash-landing on its own.<br /> *** May require pilots; pilots’ Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed (specifics are adjustable). Dogfights can give experience bonus to the stats as defined in ruleset. The pilots are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/top-gun Top Gun]'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed, e.g. gun mounts are for cannons, pylons are for missiles. Since &quot;craft weapons&quot; now can alter stats, they may be arbitrary upgrades. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** UFOs.<br /> *** Retaliation missions against X-Com bases may be ''airstrikes'', rather than ground assault. If not shot down, they’ll bombard — may be set to nuke the whole base outright or destroy some facilities (that’s also customizable, but the Access Lift survives unless it’s “entire base” variant).<br /> *** Aliens can launch interceptors when you go for their base. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/alien-hives Alien Hives]'' mod.<br /> *** Alien races may have adjustments to attack/weapon power/evasion/detection range/etc. Or have unusual crew rosters and loadouts. Also, unmanned UFO that fight to 0% rather than 50% and as such never crash land (you still thwart their mission and get score for destruction).<br /> ** Improved [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Sprites_and_Particles|particle system]], now allows separate parameters in air and underwater. For a demonstration see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/oxce-hyper-trajectory Hyper &amp; Trajectory]'' mod - projectile speeds are set very high, bursts cycle quickly, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** [[Script_(OpenXcom)|Allows scripting]], which opens new and wide fields for modding above and beyond those covered in the ruleset capabilities.<br /> *** ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/hatching-chryssalids-and-tentaculats Hatching Chryssalids and Tentaculats]'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112713 2022-12-14T19:48:39Z

<p>TBeholder: /* OXC and beyond */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == OXC and beyond ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE. See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]] and [[Mods (OpenXcom)]].<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of the engine, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 (EU) or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to ''TFTD'' or ''X-Com Files'', or vice versa.<br /> <br /> * Plain old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds) or simple rebalance. If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Has some nice improvements (such as previews and [[Motion Scanner]] memory), but mostly it’s about modding. [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)|Many features]] are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future. Some highlights of less-arcane capabilities:<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Base_Facilities|Base Facilities]]: Facilities destroyed by raids or bombardment turn into default rubble “buildings”, thus the base is not necessarily disconnected. Specific types specify tiles where stored items are spawned in battlescape, subtype for [[Alien Containment]] (with corresponding value on specific aliens — air breathers vs. aquatic, or you could start a [[Silacoid]] farm, but containment for these things cannot be the same as [[floater]]s), type and amount of ammunition for [[Base Defence]] (even Avalanches cost money and storage space, never mind [[Fusion Ball Defences]]/[[P.W.T. Defences]]), soldier recovery bonuses (build a hospital), etc. Base services required to build/provided/blocked: these serve as prerequisites for other elements, so that e.g. the player would need an advanced surgery facility (plus research) to install implants, kennels to keep dogs, specialized facilities to research or build some things (e.g.: Psi Amp is made in Workshop as usual, but needs a working Psi Lab at the same base), etc. Facilities can have custom rubble and list of facilities that can be built over them (i.e. upgraded to). Simple example: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/recruitment-office Recruitment Office]'' mod provides a facility that allows to hire pre-screened soldiers (custom Soldier Types with better stats at a greater salary), and after extra research can be upgraded to support psionic screening.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Cost_of_use|Cost of use]] (TU, energy and/or anything else), action menu texts and messages (if any) for all actions with specific items can be customized.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Power_and_Damage_types|Weapons]] can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is customizable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary combination of stats.<br /> *** Shotguns. Nightly already allows them, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as a single spread shot rather than independent simultaneous shots, set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> *** [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html Spray targeting mode]: if enabled for a given weapon, in auto fire mode Ctrl+Shift+LMB starts picking numbered waypoints; after the last one, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot.<br /> *** Firing modes can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Compatible_ammo_and_Action_Mapping|Up to 4 ammunition slots]] with their own load/unload costs and compatibility lists, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable for a specific weapon (or template). Example: if you want [[High Explosive]] pack to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting its power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be also accomplished by setting its damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92, or power to 200, but rather than capping blast radius directly, doubled RadiusReduction (damage won’t go abruptly from half to none at the edge of blast area).<br /> *** Not only built-in weapons, like tank turrets, but special weapons that can be used with an empty hand (like punching). Items that spawn units - something like [[Brainsucker Launcher]] or small drone.<br /> ** Melee dodge, also used for shots in [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5431.0.html close quarters combat] mode. Sneaking upon the target allows to penalize dodge or avoid CQC entirety (the attacker just stabs or caps an unaware enemy without much hassle); specific unit types may be immune to sneaking, or not have CQC mode at all. Accuracy adjustments for kneeling, for one-handed use of two-handed weapons, for shooting without line of sight to the target and for CQC (point blank shots) can be set globally and overridden per weapon. As shots with CQC adjustments can be balanced differently from generic shots, less-agile weapons can be given disadvantages, making pistols/SMG/sawn-off shotguns good at shooting fast enemies point blank, and sniper rifles unsuitable for the same purpose despite otherwise great accuracy.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Things_that_go_BOOM|Grenade functionality is split and customizable]].<br /> *** Fuses are now per-item, rather than either timer dial from the original game (rarely used beyond &quot;0&quot; anyway) or “Instant Grenades” option for all. It’s possible to have timer on High Explosive pack, while normal grenades just go off after the throw or at the end of that turn.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but can be done with flares.<br /> *** Fuses can be allowed to go off while in equipment, if you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that timer on a demolition charge is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not,<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Player_Units_.28Soldiers.29|Soldiers]]: now there are different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc (for example: common soldiers, pilots and ''dogs''). Each with separate parameters such as default armor (pilots have flight suit as default armor, dogs have “armor” with dog stats and cannot wear human armor), required base functionality (dogs need kennels), hiring cost, how many can be hired per month (it’s easier to find a handful of healthy dogs than pilots), salary and promotions (pilots have their own ranks, while dogs don’t use any), score value and multiplier for morale loss when this unit is killed (drones and cameras may have 0), special weapons (dog may get by with bite weapon defined in armor section, but hybrid soldiers could have a built-in psi weapon with statistics different from psiamp just like some aliens have, martial artists an extra punch etc) separate from armor. And a few odd properties like “allowPiloting” and experience gain from dogfights.<br /> *** [Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Transformation Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;], with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes the same transformation not applied earlier), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> *** [Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Bonuses|Soldier Bonuses]], from transformations or commendations/medals. Soldier Skills enabled for soldier type, with conditions (including specific Bonus, specific items in hands or in equipment, etc) and allows script hooks.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Crafts|Aircraft]] now have shield stats. May have built-in weapons. Tractor beams can prevent the opponent from running away, or even force crash-landing on its own.<br /> *** May require pilots; their Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed. Dogfights can give experience bonus to the stats as defined in ruleset. The pilots are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/top-gun Top Gun]'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed, e.g. gun mounts are for cannons, pylons are for missiles. Since &quot;craft weapons&quot; now can alter stats, they may be arbitrary upgrades. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** UFOs.<br /> *** Retaliation missions against X-Com bases may be ''airstrikes'', rather than ground assault. If not shot down, they’ll destroy some facilities (that’s also customizable).<br /> *** Aliens can launch interceptors when you go for their base. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/alien-hives Alien Hives]'' mod.<br /> *** Alien races may have adjustments to attack/weapon power/evasion/detection range/etc. Or have unusual crew rosters and loadouts. Also, unmanned UFO that fight to 0% rather than 50% and as such never crash land (you still thwart their mission and get score for destruction).<br /> ** Improved [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Sprites_and_Particles|particle system]], now allows separate parameters in air and underwater. For a demonstration see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/oxce-hyper-trajectory Hyper &amp; Trajectory]'' mod - projectile speeds are set very high, bursts cycle quickly, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** [[Script_(OpenXcom)|Allows scripting]], which opens new and wide fields for modding above and beyond those covered in the ruleset capabilities.<br /> *** ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/hatching-chryssalids-and-tentaculats Hatching Chryssalids and Tentaculats]'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112711 2022-12-14T10:02:42Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Beyond OXC */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == OXC and beyond ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE. See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]] and [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of the engine, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 (EU) or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to ''TFTD'' or ''X-Com Files'', or vice versa.<br /> <br /> * Plain old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds) or simple rebalance. If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Has some nice improvements (such as previews and [[Motion Scanner]] memory), but mostly it’s about modding. [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)|Many features]] are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future. Some highlights of less-arcane capabilities:<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Base_Facilities|Base Facilities]]: specify tiles where stored items are spawned in battlescape, subtype for [[Alien Containment]] (with corresponding value on specific aliens — air breathers vs. aquatic, or you could start a [[Silacoid]] farm, but containment for these things cannot be the same as [[floater]]s), type and amount of ammunition for [[Base Defence]] (even Avalanches cost money and storage space, never mind [[Fusion Ball Defences]]/[[P.W.T. Defences]]), soldier recovery bonuses (build a hospital), etc. Base services needed to build/provided/blocked: these serve as a prerequisite for other elements, so that e.g. the player would need an advanced surgery facility (plus research) to install implants, kennels to keep dogs, special facilities to research or build some things, etc. Facilities can be built over (i.e. upgraded to) specific other facilities. Simple example: ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/recruitment-office Recruitment Office]'' mod allows to build a facility that allows to hire pre-screened soldiers (custom Soldier Types with better stats), and extra research adds psionic screening.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Cost_of_use|Cost of use]] (TU, energy and/or anything else), action menu texts and messages (if any) for all actions with specific items can be customized.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Power_and_Damage_types|Weapons]] can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is customizable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary combination of stats.<br /> *** Shotguns. Nightly already allows them, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as a single spread shot rather than independent simultaneous shots, set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> *** [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html Spray targeting mode]: if enabled for a given weapon, in auto fire mode Ctrl+Shift+LMB starts picking numbered waypoints; after the last one, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot.<br /> *** Firing modes can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Compatible_ammo_and_Action_Mapping|Up to 4 ammunition slots]] with their own load/unload costs and compatibility lists, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable for a specific weapon (or template). Example: if you want [[High Explosive]] pack to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting its power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be also accomplished by setting its damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92, or power to 200, but rather than capping blast radius directly, doubled RadiusReduction (damage won’t go abruptly from half to none at the edge of blast area).<br /> *** Not only built-in weapons, like tank turrets, but special weapons that can be used with an empty hand (like punching). Items that spawn units - something like [[Brainsucker (Apocalypse)|Brainsucker]] or small drone.<br /> ** Melee dodge, also used for shots in [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5431.0.html close quarters combat] mode. Sneaking upon the target allows to penalize dodge or avoid CQC entirety (the attacker just stabs or caps an unaware enemy without much hassle); specific unit types may be immune to sneaking, or not have CQC mode at all. Accuracy adjustments for kneeling, for one-handed use of two-handed weapons, for shooting without line of sight to the target and for CQC (point blank shots) can be set globally and overridden per weapon. Thus it’s possible to make pistols and SMG great at shooting fast enemies point blank and sniper rifles quite unsuitable for the same purpose despite otherwise great accuracy, because a CQC snap shot has different accuracy from a generic snap shot.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Things_that_go_BOOM|Grenade functionality is split and customizable]].<br /> *** Fuses are now per-item, rather than either timer dial from the original game (rarely used beyond &quot;0&quot; anyway) or “Instant Grenades” option for all. It’s possible to have timer on High Explosive pack, while normal grenades just go off after the throw or at the end of that turn.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but can be done with flares.<br /> *** Fuses can be allowed to go off while in equipment, if you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that timer on a demolition charge is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not,<br /> ** Soldiers: now there are different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc (for example: common soldiers, pilots and ''dogs''). Each with separate parameters such as default armor (pilots have flight suit as default armor, dogs have dog stats armor and cannot wear human armor), required base functionality (dogs need kennels), hiring cost, how many can be hired per month (it’s easier to find a handful of healthy dogs than pilots), salary and promotions (pilots have their own ranks, while dogs go without), score value and multiplier for morale loss when this unit is killed (drones and cameras would be 0), special weapons (dog may get by with bite weapon defined in armor, but hybrid soldiers could have a built-in psi weapon with statistics different from psiamp just like some aliens have, martial artists an extra punch etc) separate from armor. And a few odd properties like “allowPiloting” and experience gain from dogfights.<br /> *** [Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Transformation Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;], with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes the same transformation not applied earlier), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> *** [Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Soldier_Bonuses|Soldier Bonuses]], from transformations or commendations/medals. Soldier Skills enabled for soldier type, with conditions (including specific Bonus, specific items in hands or in equipment, etc) and allows script hooks.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Crafts|Aircraft]] now have shield stats. May have built-in weapons. Tractor beams can prevent the opponent from running away, or even force crash-landing on its own.<br /> *** May require pilots; their Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed. Dogfights can give experience bonus to the stats as defined in ruleset. The pilots are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/top-gun Top Gun]'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed, e.g. gun mounts are for cannons, pylons are for missiles. Since &quot;craft weapons&quot; now can alter stats, they may be arbitrary upgrades. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** UFOs.<br /> *** Retaliation missions against X-Com bases may be ''airstrikes'', rather than ground assault. If not shot down, they’ll destroy some facilities (that’s also customizable).<br /> *** Aliens can launch interceptors when you go for their base. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/alien-hives Alien Hives]'' mod.<br /> *** Alien races may have adjustments to attack/weapon power/evasion/detection range/etc. Or have unusual crew rosters and loadouts. Also, unmanned UFO that fight to 0% rather than 50% and as such never crash land (you still thwart their mission and get score for destruction).<br /> ** Improved [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Sprites_and_Particles|particle system]], now allows separate parameters in air and underwater. For a demonstration see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/oxce-hyper-trajectory Hyper &amp; Trajectory]'' mod - projectile speeds are set very high, bursts cycle quickly, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** [[Script_(OpenXcom)|Allows scripting]], which opens new and wide fields for modding above and beyond those covered in the ruleset capabilities.<br /> *** ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/hatching-chryssalids-and-tentaculats Hatching Chryssalids and Tentaculats]'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112710 2022-12-14T05:38:28Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Battlescape - OXCE */</p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'': toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'': toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> === General - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-N'': Notes screen.<br /> * ''Ctrl-T'': Test screen. Allows to select ad view (in several modes) one of available palettes. Can run tests for some data errors.<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,10372.0.html base preview] in the actual Battlescape — a Base Defense mission with no enemies. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (selected via drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing: to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors. (if ''Override Line of Fire'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to the active soldier that is perpendicular their current facing: have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click anywhere else accessible: makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click when the active unit is a ''tank'': makes its turret point at the clicked tile (which defines sight and weapon direction) without moving the hull (and its armor arcs); costs the same 1 TU per 1/8 turn. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Right click on a hand item slot: Toggles this hand as [[Reaction Fire Weapon Preference|preferred for Reaction Fire]] until toggled again; the preferred hand is marked with yellow dot. This preference is for hand, thus persists whether armed or not, but normal rules of reactions are obeyed: melee weapons and built-in melee weapons are used if in range, but if the item in the hand is not a melee weapon or gun this unit can use, the preference is ignored and the unit will fire the gun in the other hand instead. Toggling is free, no extra TU cost.<br /> ** E.g.: a soldier has [[Small Launcher]] in his right hand and [[Laser Pistol]] in the left, he will fire only pistol if left is preferred, launcher and then (as launcher is out of ammunition) pistol if right is preferred, otherwise as usual. If the soldier holsters or drop the pistol from the preferred hand, uses launcher two-handed, and then re-equips pistol, no need to set the preference again.<br /> ** It helps to avoid unfortunate incidents with splash weapons used at short range (without removing reactions completely like zeroing TU would). This also makes pistols far more practical than before: now that you can ''rely'' on heavy weapon soldiers to actually use their pistols for reaction, it's good to have one ready whenever not using the big gun. 8 TU to holster the pistol or 2 TU to drop it before a shot is better than 15 TU to load an empty weapon and usually preferable to having TU zeroed at the end of every turn.<br /> * ''Alt'' (held): Shows direction arrows for unit facing; can be really non-obvious for blobs, kneeling soldier in [[Power Suit]] or hovertanks with ''Alternate Movement Methods'' enabled (turrets can traverse independently). Also shows the tiles where [[Motion Scanner]]s detected a blip this turn that wasn't one of player units, thus finally removing the greatest inconvenience of this item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': toggles the option mute/unmute unit response sounds (same as oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds option in config).<br /> * ''Ctrl+Shift+LMB'': When auto fire mode is selected, this activates [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6423.0.html spray targeting mode]: starts picking numbered waypoints; once maximum number of waypoints are selected or a waypoint is selected with Ctrl+Shift+LMB again, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot. Of course, the actual hit placement is affected by Accuracy as usual. RMB removes a waypoint, like with [[Blaster Launcher]]. (needs a weapon with sprayWaypoints set in ruleset)<br /> * ''Ctrl-E'': Shows pop-up with the list of soldiers who did not earn experience yet.<br /> * ''Ctrl-M'': Shows melee damage (if any) with the currently wielded items (if any) and special built-in weapons (if any).<br /> * ''Ctrl-1…0'' in inventory screen (makes sense in craft equipment or pre-battle) saves the current layout in one of 10 slots. ''1''…''0'' loads it. Thus in addition to the main inventory template (inherited from the original game and used via big buttons and ''C''/''V'') you can create specialized inventory layouts for scouts, grenadiers, etc.<br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> * ''Ctrl-U'': reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors (You can also set &quot;debugUi: true&quot;).<br /> * ''Alt-F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-1'': Sets funds to 999999999.<br /> * ''Ctrl-2'': all facility construction completed instantly.<br /> * ''Ctrl-3'': +50 scientists and engineers.<br /> * ''Ctrl-4'': +2 every item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-5'': +2 all live aliens.<br /> * ''Ctrl-6'': reset X-Com/alien activity for this month.<br /> * ''Ctrl-7'': every UFO detected and transmissions decoded.<br /> * ''Ctrl-A'': erase all soldier diaries.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'': erase all soldier commendations.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> * ''Ctrl-V'': reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> * ''Ctrl-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> * ''Ctrl-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> * ''Ctrl-W'': warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> * ''F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'' (If the Commendations Mod is being played): wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-B'': Show the briefing window for this mission again.<br /> * ''Ctrl-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; window in event popup (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; in diary window (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Home'': Reset default palettes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-End'': Cycle between &quot;debug vision&quot; (all units are visible, even in unseen areas) and different brightness modes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': mute/unmute unit response sounds<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-J'': stun the unit under cursor. Works with the player's soldiers, but not stun-immune tanks.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-K'': kill the unit under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''F9'': save map as used by AI/pathfinding (if ''traceAI: true'' in config).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112709 2022-12-14T04:21:57Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Geoscape - OXCE */</p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'': toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'': toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> === General - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-N'': Notes screen.<br /> * ''Ctrl-T'': Test screen. Allows to select ad view (in several modes) one of available palettes. Can run tests for some data errors.<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,10372.0.html base preview] in the actual Battlescape — a Base Defense mission with no enemies. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (selected via drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing: to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors. (if ''Override Line of Fire'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to the active soldier that is perpendicular their current facing: have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click anywhere else accessible: makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click when the active unit is a ''tank'': makes its turret point at the clicked tile (which defines sight and weapon direction) without moving the hull (and its armor arcs); costs the same 1 TU per 1/8 turn. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Right click on a hand item slot: Toggles this hand as [[Reaction Fire Weapon Preference|preferred for Reaction Fire]] until toggled again; the preferred hand is marked with yellow dot. Otherwise normal rules of reactions are obeyed: melee weapons and built-in melee weapons are used if in range, but if the item in the hand is not a melee weapon or gun this unit can use, the preference is ignored and the unit will fire the gun in the other hand instead. E.g.: a soldier has [[Small Launcher]] in one hand and [[Laser Pistol]] in the other, he will fire only pistol if that hand is preferred, launcher and then (now that launcher is out of ammunition) pistol if the other is preferred, otherwise as usual. Toggling is free, no extra TU cost.<br /> ** It helps to avoid unfortunate incidents with splash weapons used at short range (without removing reactions completely like zeroing TU would). This also makes pistols far more practical than before: now that you can ''rely'' on heavy weapon soldiers to actually use their pistols for reaction, it's good to have one ready whenever not using the big gun. 8 TU to holster the pistol or 2 TU to drop it before a shot is better than 15 TU to load an empty weapon and usually preferable to having TU zeroed every time.<br /> * ''Alt'' (held): Shows direction arrows for unit facing; can be really non-obvious for blobs, kneeling soldier in [[Power Suit]] or hovertanks with ''Alternate Movement Methods'' enabled (turrets can traverse independently). Also shows the tiles where [[Motion Scanner]]s detected a blip this turn that wasn't one of player units, thus finally removing the greatest inconvenience of this item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': toggles the option mute/unmute unit response sounds (same as oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds option in config).<br /> * ''Ctrl + Shift + Left-click'': in auto fire mode activates &quot;spray targeting mode&quot;: starts picking numbered waypoints; once all waypoints are selected, starts firing, but rather than aiming at one spot, the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path. Accuracy affects actual hit placement as usual. (needs sprayWaypoints to be set for the given weapon in ruleset)<br /> * ''Ctrl-E'': Shows pop-up with the list of soldiers who did not earn experience yet.<br /> * ''Ctrl-M'': Shows melee damage (if any) with the currently wielded items (if any) and special built-in weapons (if any).<br /> * ''Ctrl-1…0'' in inventory screen (makes sense in craft equipment or pre-battle) saves the current layout in one of 10 slots. ''1''…''0'' loads it. Thus in addition to the main inventory template (inherited from the original game and used via big buttons and ''C''/''V'') you can create specialized inventory layouts for scouts, grenadiers, etc.<br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> * ''Ctrl-U'': reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors (You can also set &quot;debugUi: true&quot;).<br /> * ''Alt-F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-1'': Sets funds to 999999999.<br /> * ''Ctrl-2'': all facility construction completed instantly.<br /> * ''Ctrl-3'': +50 scientists and engineers.<br /> * ''Ctrl-4'': +2 every item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-5'': +2 all live aliens.<br /> * ''Ctrl-6'': reset X-Com/alien activity for this month.<br /> * ''Ctrl-7'': every UFO detected and transmissions decoded.<br /> * ''Ctrl-A'': erase all soldier diaries.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'': erase all soldier commendations.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> * ''Ctrl-V'': reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> * ''Ctrl-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> * ''Ctrl-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> * ''Ctrl-W'': warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> * ''F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'' (If the Commendations Mod is being played): wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-B'': Show the briefing window for this mission again.<br /> * ''Ctrl-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; window in event popup (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; in diary window (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Home'': Reset default palettes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-End'': Cycle between &quot;debug vision&quot; (all units are visible, even in unseen areas) and different brightness modes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': mute/unmute unit response sounds<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-J'': stun the unit under cursor. Works with the player's soldiers, but not stun-immune tanks.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-K'': kill the unit under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''F9'': save map as used by AI/pathfinding (if ''traceAI: true'' in config).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112692 2022-12-13T22:49:25Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Beyond OXC */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == Beyond OXC ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE. See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]] and [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of the engine, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 (EU) or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to ''TFTD'' or ''X-Com Files'', or vice versa.<br /> <br /> * Plain old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds) or simple rebalance. If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Has some nice improvements (such as previews and [[Motion Scanner]] memory), but mostly it’s about modding. [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)|Many features]] are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future. Some less-arcane highlights:<br /> ** TU costs, action menu texts and messages (if any) for all actions with items can be customized.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Power_and_Damage_types|Weapons]] can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is customizable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary combination of stats.<br /> *** Shotguns. Nightly already allows them, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as a single spread shot rather than independent simultaneous shots, set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> *** Spray targeting mode: if enabled for a given weapon, when auto fire mode is selected, Ctrl + Shift + Left-click starts picking numbered waypoints; once all waypoints are selected, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot. The actual hit placement, of course, is affected by Accuracy as usual.<br /> *** Firing modes can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. Extra ammo slots, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable for a specific weapon (or template). Example: if you want [[High Explosive]] pack to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting its power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be also accomplished by setting its damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92, or power to 200, but rather than capping blast radius directly, doubled RadiusReduction (damage won’t go abruptly from half to none at the edge of blast area).<br /> *** Not only built-in weapons, like tank turrets, but special weapons that can be used with an empty hand (like punching). Items that spawn units - something like [[Brainsucker (Apocalypse)|Brainsucker]] or small drone.<br /> ** [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Things_that_go_BOOM|Grenade functionality is split and customizable]].<br /> *** You can have fuses other than dial from the original game rarely used beyond &quot;0&quot; anyway.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but can be done with flares.<br /> *** Fuses can be allowed to go off while in equipment, if you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that timer on a demolition charge is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not,<br /> ** Soldiers now have different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc.<br /> *** Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;, with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes not having the same transformation applied in past), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> ** Aircraft now have shield stats. May have built-in weapons. May require pilots, their Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed. They are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/top-gun Top Gun]'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed, e.g. gun mounts are for cannons, pylons are for missiles. Since &quot;craft weapons&quot; now can alter stats, they may be arbitrary upgrades. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** UFOs.<br /> *** Retaliation missions against X-Com bases may be ''airstrikes'', rather than ground assault. If not shot down, they’ll destroy some facilities (that’s also customizable)<br /> *** Aliens can launch interceptors when you go for their base. For a demonstration, see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/alien-hives Alien Hives]'' mod.<br /> *** Alien races may have adjustments to attack/weapon power/evasion/detection range/etc. Or have unusual crew rosters and loadouts. Also, unmanned UFO that fight to 0% rather than 50% and as such never crash land (you still thwart their mission and get score for destruction).<br /> ** Improved [[Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom)#Sprites_and_Particles|particle system]], now allows separate parameters in air and underwater. For a demonstration see ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/oxce-hyper-trajectory Hyper &amp; Trajectory]'' mod - projectile speeds are set very high, bursts cycle quickly, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** [[Script_(OpenXcom)|Allows scripting]], which opens new and wide fields for modding above and beyond those covered in the ruleset capabilities.<br /> *** ''[https://openxcom.old.mod.io/hatching-chryssalids-and-tentaculats Hatching Chryssalids and Tentaculats]'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Reaction_Fire_Weapon_Preference&diff=112683 2022-12-13T20:58:36Z

<p>TBeholder: /* OpenXcom */</p> <hr /> <div>If a soldier is carrying a weapon in each hand, one of these will be treated as the ''active weapon'' and will be used by the soldier for all reaction shots. If the active weapon runs out of ammunition, the soldier will switch to the other weapon, provided it contains ammunition as well. <br /> <br /> At mission start, the left-hand weapon is the active weapon by default. Otherwise, whichever weapon the soldier last fired with will be treated as the active weapon. To change which weapon is active, fire with the desired weapon, or open its fire mode menu but cancel the attack.<br /> <br /> Your soldier's sprite will be displayed with whichever weapon is currently active.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> {| align = &quot;center&quot; width = &quot;80%&quot; style =&quot;border: solid 1px black; background: #EEE;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> |'''Tip!''': By setting your active weapon, you will be able to tell your soldier what to fire with the next time the soldier gets an attack of opportunity. For example, if you were to have a [[Small Launcher]] in one hand an a [[Plasma Rifle]] in the other hand, and activating the small launcher will ensure that the soldier fires the small launcher first and then (since the launcher is now empty) switch over to the plasma rifle for all subsequent attacks of opportunity.<br /> |}<br /> <br /> == OpenXcom ==<br /> [[OpenXcom]] Extended (OXCE) allows to manually set or toggle the preferred hand by right-click on the hand item slot. The preferred hand is marked with yellow dot. This preference persists (e.g. if you remove a pistol to use a two-handed item, then equip it again), but matters only if some weapon that can be used for reaction (melee when in reach, gun that is not out of ammunition) is in this hand.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> [[Reactions]]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Customizing_(OpenXcom)&diff=112665 2022-12-12T22:47:09Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>[[OpenXcom]] is designed with customizability in mind, so everything that users might wanna change is available in external files that anyone can edit.<br /> <br /> == Translations ==<br /> <br /> While English is the most popular language, not everyone can understand it, so OpenXcom supports [[Translations (OpenXcom)|Translations]] that allow you to localize the game in any language you need.<br /> <br /> == Soldier Names ==<br /> <br /> If you're the kind that likes your soldiers to have a specific theme to them, or just want to add your own country, you can customize the [[Soldier Names (OpenXcom)|Soldier Names]] used for the new hires.<br /> <br /> == Sprite modding ==<br /> <br /> Sprites are also moddable, robin on the forums has written a recipe how it can be done effectively: [[Modding sprites (OpenXcom)| Modding sprites]]<br /> <br /> == Rulesets / Mods ==<br /> <br /> [[Rulesets (OpenXcom)|Rulesets]] form the basis of mods, they contain the values and parameters for every single element in the game, and can be easily tweaked with a text editor. See [[Ruleset Reference Nightly (OpenXcom)]] for the list of current possibilities. As you can see over there, OXCE is made for greater mod capabilities. However, development is ongoing and ruleset language [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,7196.msg117767.html#msg117767 may change] (does not happen often, but still).<br /> <br /> === Scripting ===<br /> OXCE supports scripts. This allows modders to do much more than change existing parameters of given existing entities in an uniform and fixed way, of course.<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Reaction_Fire_Weapon_Preference&diff=112664 2022-12-12T22:34:23Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>If a soldier is carrying a weapon in each hand, one of these will be treated as the ''active weapon'' and will be used by the soldier for all reaction shots. If the active weapon runs out of ammunition, the soldier will switch to the other weapon, provided it contains ammunition as well. <br /> <br /> At mission start, the left-hand weapon is the active weapon by default. Otherwise, whichever weapon the soldier last fired with will be treated as the active weapon. To change which weapon is active, fire with the desired weapon, or open its fire mode menu but cancel the attack.<br /> <br /> Your soldier's sprite will be displayed with whichever weapon is currently active.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> {| align = &quot;center&quot; width = &quot;80%&quot; style =&quot;border: solid 1px black; background: #EEE;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> |'''Tip!''': By setting your active weapon, you will be able to tell your soldier what to fire with the next time the soldier gets an attack of opportunity. For example, if you were to have a [[Small Launcher]] in one hand an a [[Plasma Rifle]] in the other hand, and activating the small launcher will ensure that the soldier fires the small launcher first and then (since the launcher is now empty) switch over to the plasma rifle for all subsequent attacks of opportunity.<br /> |}<br /> <br /> == OpenXcom ==<br /> [[OpenXcom]] Extended (OXCE) allows to set or toggle the preferred hand with a right-click on the hand item slot. The preferred hand is marked with yellow dot.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> [[Reactions]]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112663 2022-12-12T22:33:32Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Battlescape - OXCE */</p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'': toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'': toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> === General - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-N'': Notes screen.<br /> * ''Ctrl-T'': Test screen. Allows to select ad view (in several modes) one of available palettes. Can run tests for some data errors.<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts a Base Defense mission with no enemies, i.e. allows to preview the base in the actual Battlescape mode. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (in drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing: to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors. (if ''Override Line of Fire'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to the active soldier that is perpendicular their current facing: have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click anywhere else accessible: makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click when the active unit is a ''tank'': makes its turret point at the clicked tile (which defines sight and weapon direction) without moving the hull (and its armor arcs); costs the same 1 TU per 1/8 turn. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Right click on a hand item slot: Toggles this hand as [[Reaction Fire Weapon Preference|preferred for Reaction Fire]] until toggled again; the preferred hand is marked with yellow dot. Otherwise normal rules of reactions are obeyed: melee weapons and built-in melee weapons are used if in range, but if the item in the hand is not a melee weapon or gun this unit can use, the preference is ignored and the unit will fire the gun in the other hand instead. E.g.: a soldier has [[Small Launcher]] in one hand and [[Laser Pistol]] in the other, he will fire only pistol if that hand is preferred, launcher and then (now that launcher is out of ammunition) pistol if the other is preferred, otherwise as usual. Toggling is free, no extra TU cost.<br /> ** It helps to avoid unfortunate incidents with splash weapons used at short range (without removing reactions completely like zeroing TU would). This also makes pistols far more practical than before: now that you can ''rely'' on heavy weapon soldiers to actually use their pistols for reaction, it's good to have one ready whenever not using the big gun. 8 TU to holster the pistol or 2 TU to drop it before a shot is better than 15 TU to load an empty weapon and usually preferable to having TU zeroed every time.<br /> * ''Alt'' (held): Shows direction arrows for unit facing; can be really non-obvious for blobs, kneeling soldier in [[Power Suit]] or hovertanks with ''Alternate Movement Methods'' enabled (turrets can traverse independently). Also shows the tiles where [[Motion Scanner]]s detected a blip this turn that wasn't one of player units, thus finally removing the greatest inconvenience of this item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': toggles the option mute/unmute unit response sounds (same as oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds option in config).<br /> * ''Ctrl + Shift + Left-click'': in auto fire mode activates &quot;spray targeting mode&quot;: starts picking numbered waypoints; once all waypoints are selected, starts firing, but rather than aiming at one spot, the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path. Accuracy affects actual hit placement as usual. (needs sprayWaypoints to be set for the given weapon in ruleset)<br /> * ''Ctrl-E'': Shows pop-up with the list of soldiers who did not earn experience yet.<br /> * ''Ctrl-M'': Shows melee damage (if any) with the currently wielded items (if any) and special built-in weapons (if any).<br /> * ''Ctrl-1…0'' in inventory screen (makes sense in craft equipment or pre-battle) saves the current layout in one of 10 slots. ''1''…''0'' loads it. Thus in addition to the main inventory template (inherited from the original game and used via big buttons and ''C''/''V'') you can create specialized inventory layouts for scouts, grenadiers, etc.<br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> * ''Ctrl-U'': reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors (You can also set &quot;debugUi: true&quot;).<br /> * ''Alt-F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-1'': Sets funds to 999999999.<br /> * ''Ctrl-2'': all facility construction completed instantly.<br /> * ''Ctrl-3'': +50 scientists and engineers.<br /> * ''Ctrl-4'': +2 every item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-5'': +2 all live aliens.<br /> * ''Ctrl-6'': reset X-Com/alien activity for this month.<br /> * ''Ctrl-7'': every UFO detected and transmissions decoded.<br /> * ''Ctrl-A'': erase all soldier diaries.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'': erase all soldier commendations.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> * ''Ctrl-V'': reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> * ''Ctrl-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> * ''Ctrl-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> * ''Ctrl-W'': warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> * ''F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'' (If the Commendations Mod is being played): wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-B'': Show the briefing window for this mission again.<br /> * ''Ctrl-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; window in event popup (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; in diary window (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Home'': Reset default palettes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-End'': Cycle between &quot;debug vision&quot; (all units are visible, even in unseen areas) and different brightness modes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': mute/unmute unit response sounds<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-J'': stun the unit under cursor. Works with the player's soldiers, but not stun-immune tanks.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-K'': kill the unit under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''F9'': save map as used by AI/pathfinding (if ''traceAI: true'' in config).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112662 2022-12-12T21:54:07Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Battlescape - OXCE */</p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'': toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'': toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> === General - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-N'': Notes screen.<br /> * ''Ctrl-T'': Test screen. Allows to select ad view (in several modes) one of available palettes. Can run tests for some data errors.<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts a Base Defense mission with no enemies, i.e. allows to preview the base in the actual Battlescape mode. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (in drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing: to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors. (if ''Override Line of Fire'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to the active soldier that is perpendicular their current facing: have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click anywhere else accessible: makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click when the active unit is a ''tank'': makes its turret point at the clicked tile (which defines sight and weapon direction) without moving the hull (and its armor arcs); costs the same 1 TU per 1/8 turn. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Right click on a hand item slot: Toggles this hand’s item as preferred for [[Reaction Fire]]; the preferred hand is marked with yellow dot. Otherwise normal rules of reactions are obeyed: melee weapons are checked first, built-in melee weapons are used, but otherwise if the item in the hand is not a melee weapon or gun the unit can use, the preference is ignored and the unit will fire the gun in the other hand instead. So if a soldier has [[Small Launcher]] in one hand and [[Laser Pistol]] in the other, he will fire only pistol if that hand is preferred, otherwise launcher then (now that launcher is out of ammunition) pistol. There's no extra TU cost for toggling.<br /> ** It helps to avoid unfortunate incidents with splash weapons used at short range (without removing reactions completely like zeroing TU would). This also makes pistols far more practical than before: now that you can ''rely'' on a soldier with heavy weapon actually using pistol for reaction, it's good to have an one-handed weapon ready whenever not using the big gun.<br /> * ''Alt'' (held): Shows direction arrows for unit facing; can be really non-obvious for blobs, kneeling soldier in [[Power Suit]] or hovertanks with ''Alternate Movement Methods'' enabled (turrets can traverse independently). Also shows the tiles where [[Motion Scanner]]s detected a blip this turn that wasn't one of player units, thus finally removing the greatest inconvenience of this item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': toggles the option mute/unmute unit response sounds (same as oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds option in config).<br /> * ''Ctrl + Shift + Left-click'': in auto fire mode activates &quot;spray targeting mode&quot;: starts picking numbered waypoints; once all waypoints are selected, starts firing, but rather than aiming at one spot, the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path. Accuracy affects actual hit placement as usual. (needs sprayWaypoints to be set for the given weapon in ruleset)<br /> * ''Ctrl-E'': Shows pop-up with the list of soldiers who did not earn experience yet.<br /> * ''Ctrl-M'': Shows melee damage (if any) with the currently wielded items (if any) and special built-in weapons (if any).<br /> * ''Ctrl-1…0'' in inventory screen (makes sense in craft equipment or pre-battle) saves the current layout in one of 10 slots. ''1''…''0'' loads it. Thus in addition to the main inventory template (inherited from the original game and used via big buttons and ''C''/''V'') you can create specialized inventory layouts for scouts, grenadiers, etc.<br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> * ''Ctrl-U'': reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors (You can also set &quot;debugUi: true&quot;).<br /> * ''Alt-F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-1'': Sets funds to 999999999.<br /> * ''Ctrl-2'': all facility construction completed instantly.<br /> * ''Ctrl-3'': +50 scientists and engineers.<br /> * ''Ctrl-4'': +2 every item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-5'': +2 all live aliens.<br /> * ''Ctrl-6'': reset X-Com/alien activity for this month.<br /> * ''Ctrl-7'': every UFO detected and transmissions decoded.<br /> * ''Ctrl-A'': erase all soldier diaries.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'': erase all soldier commendations.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> * ''Ctrl-V'': reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> * ''Ctrl-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> * ''Ctrl-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> * ''Ctrl-W'': warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> * ''F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'' (If the Commendations Mod is being played): wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-B'': Show the briefing window for this mission again.<br /> * ''Ctrl-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; window in event popup (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; in diary window (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Home'': Reset default palettes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-End'': Cycle between &quot;debug vision&quot; (all units are visible, even in unseen areas) and different brightness modes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': mute/unmute unit response sounds<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-J'': stun the unit under cursor. Works with the player's soldiers, but not stun-immune tanks.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-K'': kill the unit under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''F9'': save map as used by AI/pathfinding (if ''traceAI: true'' in config).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Motion_Scanner&diff=112659 2022-12-11T00:37:57Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Xenomorphs.png|thumb|right|320px|&quot;Nine meters. Seven. Six.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;That can't be! That's inside the room!&quot;]]<br /> This sophisticated device uses a variety of detectors and advanced computer algorithms to identify moving enemy units. However, it requires some practice to use effectively.<br /> <br /> This item appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Particle Disturbance Sensor]].<br /> <br /> == Stats ==<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:BIGOBS23.GIF|left|64 px]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> *Size: 1 high x 1 wide<br /> *Weight: 3<br /> *TUs: <br /> **25% per use.<br /> *[[Buying/Selling/Transferring#Manufacturable_Prices|Manufacturing]]: $34,000 for parts, 440 Engineer Hours<br /> *Sell Price: $45,600&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> == Use ==<br /> Click on the motion scanner icon on the tactical display. Select 'Use Scanner' from the menu. The Scanner display shows an arrow in the centre which is the direction the soldier is facing (North is at the top). The flashing blobs show units which have moved recently. The main use is to check for movement of units in an enclosed area - i.e. the UFO or a building or even the outside of the Skyranger before you embark after waiting the first or more turn. <br /> <br /> The orientation is simple. It's the same as the overhead map. Top is North, then clockwise it's East, South and West. The numbers on the rings on the screen represent every tile away from you. It goes up to 8 or 9 rings, so that's a 9 tile radius. Which is coincidentally your visual range at night, so there's absolutely no point in using a motion scanner out in the open. <br /> <br /> Using soldiers as an example, when no movement has occured, you'll get nothing on the screen. <br /> <br /> &lt;div align = &quot;center&quot;&gt; [[Image:Mscannerex1.png]]&lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> After movement, units that have moved will register on the display. Note that the more they have to walk, the larger their blip on the screen. <br /> <br /> &lt;div align = &quot;centeR&quot; &gt; [[Image:Mscannerex2.png]]&lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> That's it really. It's useful if you've got a wall and cannot see what's behind it. Out in the open, it's useless. The further a unit has moved, the larger a blob it will produce. Large units produce bigger blobs with less movement. Sectoids produce smaller blobs then any other unit.<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> *Motion scanners will only pick up units that moved. [[Alien movement patterns#Guards|Enemies lying in ambush]] will be invisible.<br /> *The motion scanner has a very short range, making it useless in open terrain: you will be in a firefight long before anything shows up on the scanner. <br /> * It is most useful during [[UFO Ground Assault|UFO assaults]] and [[UFO Crash Recovery|recoveries]]; park a trooper beside the UFO to see where the aliens are inside. <br /> * The scanners is useful when disembarking from the transport after waiting at least one turn. <br /> *Use the motion scanner at the beginning of your turn, before any friendly units have moved apart from the scanner operator. This will reduce confusing &quot;clutter&quot; on the screen, caused by the movement of friendly units. <br /> *Although the scanner is calibrated radially, in rings, it is also possible to read grid coordinates off the scanner. This helps greatly in exactly pinpointing enemy blips (and eliminating friendly blips). If you project at right angles from the horizontal and vertical red range indicators, to the blip, you can determine that it is e.g. &quot;3 ahead, 5 left&quot;. <br /> *For complicated or critical situations, it may help to sketch the scan result on paper (or graph paper). Once you dismiss the scan screen, you need to expend TUs again in order to see the scan (even if nothing has changed and no one has moved). So if you can't keep the key information in your short term memory, write it down.<br /> *Since you can learn the exact positions of unseen enemies, you can attack their positions with grenades or other explosives, even though you have no line of sight. You will need to listen for the death cry of the alien to know if and when you have killed it. <br /> *Or, you can attack towards their position with direct fire weapons, destroying the intervening cover and hopefully revealing the enemy into line of sight, to permit an aimed attack.<br /> * In multi-story buildings and UFOs, soldiers on the ground level can use the scanner to check the upper levels for movement before moving any soldiers upstairs. <br /> * In base defense, soldiers hiding in the upper levels of modules near the access lift and hangars can be used to watch alien movement into the base. <br /> * If [[Flying Suit]]s are available, a soldier can land on the roof of a building or UFO and use the scanner to watch for movement.<br /> <br /> == OpenXcom ==<br /> In [[OpenXcom]] the &quot;Sneaky AI&quot; option (if enabled) and spotter/sniper AI (if enabled in mod) make all battlefield intelligence you can get even more desirable.<br /> <br /> ''OpenXcom Extended'' finally has the most inconvenient side of Motion Scanner fixed: holding [Alt] key points at the tiles where a Motion Scanner during this turn detected blips that weren't player units (in addition to the earlier functionality: show the facing of all visible units). The feature request thread was named &quot;[https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2391.30.html Motion Scanner without pencil and paper]&quot;; you can see screenshots of the implemented feature on the last page.<br /> <br /> == See also ==<br /> *[[DETBLOB.DAT]]<br /> *[[Data Canister: Motion Scanner]]<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112658 2022-12-11T00:22:12Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'': toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'': toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> === General - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-N'': Notes screen.<br /> * ''Ctrl-T'': Test screen. Allows to select ad view (in several modes) one of available palettes. Can run tests for some data errors.<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts a Base Defense mission with no enemies, i.e. allows to preview the base in the actual Battlescape mode. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (in drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing: to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors. (if ''Override Line of Fire'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to the active soldier that is perpendicular their current facing: have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click anywhere else accessible: makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> * Ctrl-click when the active unit is a ''tank'': makes its turret point at the clicked tile (which defines sight and weapon direction) without moving the hull (and its armor arcs); costs the same 1 TU per 1/8 turn. (if ''Alternate Movement Methods'' option is enabled)<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Alt'' (held): Shows direction arrows for unit facing; can be really non-obvious for blobs, kneeling soldier in [[Power Suit]] or with ''Alternate Movement Methods'' enabled (hovertanks' turrets can traverse independently). Also shows tiles where [[Motion Scanner]]s detected a blip this turn that isn't one of player units, thus finally removing the greatest inconvenience of this feature.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': toggles the option mute/unmute unit response sounds (same as oxceEnableUnitResponseSounds option in config).<br /> * ''Ctrl + Shift + Left-click'': in auto fire mode activates &quot;spray targeting mode&quot;: starts picking numbered waypoints; once all waypoints are selected, starts firing, but rather than aiming at one spot, the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path. Accuracy affects actual hit placement as usual. (needs sprayWaypoints to be set for the given weapon in ruleset)<br /> * ''Ctrl-E'': Shows pop-up with the list of soldiers who did not earn experience yet.<br /> * ''Ctrl-M'': Shows melee damage (if any) with the currently wielded items (if any) and special built-in weapons (if any).<br /> * ''Ctrl-1…0'' in inventory screen (makes sense in craft equipment or pre-battle) saves the current layout in one of 10 slots. ''1''…''0'' loads it. Thus in addition to the main inventory template (inherited from the original game and used via big buttons and ''C''/''V'') you can create specialized inventory layouts for scouts, grenadiers, etc.<br /> <br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> * ''Ctrl-U'': reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors (You can also set &quot;debugUi: true&quot;).<br /> * ''Alt-F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-1'': Sets funds to 999999999.<br /> * ''Ctrl-2'': all facility construction completed instantly.<br /> * ''Ctrl-3'': +50 scientists and engineers.<br /> * ''Ctrl-4'': +2 every item.<br /> * ''Ctrl-5'': +2 all live aliens.<br /> * ''Ctrl-6'': reset X-Com/alien activity for this month.<br /> * ''Ctrl-7'': every UFO detected and transmissions decoded.<br /> * ''Ctrl-A'': erase all soldier diaries.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'': erase all soldier commendations.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape ===<br /> <br /> * ''Ctrl-D'': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> * ''Ctrl-V'': reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> * ''Ctrl-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> * ''Ctrl-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> * ''Ctrl-W'': warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> * ''F8'': cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> * ''Ctrl-C'' (If the Commendations Mod is being played): wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> === Debug on Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> * ''Ctrl-B'': Show the briefing window for this mission again.<br /> * ''Ctrl-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; window in event popup (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-H'': Show &quot;Hit Log&quot; in diary window (depending on other options and events).<br /> * ''Ctrl-Home'': Reset default palettes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-End'': Cycle between &quot;debug vision&quot; (all units are visible, even in unseen areas) and different brightness modes.<br /> * ''Ctrl-X'': mute/unmute unit response sounds<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-J'': stun the unit under cursor. Works with the player's soldiers, but not stun-immune tanks.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Shift-K'': kill the unit under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-J'': stun all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''Ctrl-Alt-K'': kill all live aliens in the mission ''except'' the one under cursor.<br /> * ''F9'': save map as used by AI/pathfinding (if ''traceAI: true'' in config).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Hidden_Features_(OpenXcom)&diff=112656 2022-12-10T19:40:53Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>There are many little interface extras hidden in OpenXcom that aren't really mentioned anywhere ingame. This page is dedicated to them.<br /> <br /> See [[Options (OpenXcom)|Options]] for settings and keyboard shortcuts.<br /> <br /> == General ==<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to scroll lists and right-click the arrow buttons to scroll to the top/bottom.<br /> * Use the mouse cursor and keyboard keys to move the caret on text fields.<br /> * ''ALT-ENTER'' will toggle fullscreen mode.<br /> * ''Ctrl-G'' will toggle mouse cursor lock behaviour (when enabled, the mouse pointer will be unable to exit the window).<br /> <br /> == Geoscape ==<br /> * Right-click on arrows to set a value to minimum/maximum.<br /> * Use the mouse wheel to zoom the globe and right-click to center it on a location.<br /> * Click on a weapon during a dogfight to disable/enable it. ([http://imgur.com/a/Rwhqe Screenshot Album Demonstrating this feature Here])<br /> * Right-click a craft in the interception screen to center on its location.<br /> * Right-click a base facility to bring up the associated management screen.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Soldiers screen to open up their stats page.<br /> * Right-click on a soldier in a craft's Armour screen assigns the last selected Armour to the soldier (if possible).<br /> <br /> === Geoscape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Click on Access Lift does not generate pointless &quot;cannot dismantle your Access Lift&quot; message anymore. Now it starts a Base Defense mission with no enemies, i.e. allows to preview the base in the actual Battlescape mode. This may help to plan defense. More so with &quot;Path Preview: Time Units&quot; toggled on (under Battlescape options), since there's one soldier who walks without spending any TU and Stamina, but will show how much is needed for a given path.<br /> * Right-click on an item in Purchase/Hire screen hides this item (aircraft Cannon and Stingray launcher are the most obvious). They are visible only in Hidden category (in drop list on top) and can be moved back the same way.<br /> <br /> == Battlescape ==<br /> <br /> * Use the mouse wheel to move the camera up/down a level.<br /> * Right-click to leave most screens.<br /> * Click a soldier's rank to bring up their stats.<br /> * Right-click while holding an inventory item to cancel the move.<br /> * Ctrl-click an item in the inventory to have the soldier pick it up or drop it on the ground. Also works in pre-battle for quick equip/unequip.<br /> * Right-click a grenade during pre-battle inventory to prime it.<br /> * Right-click the Zero TUs button to reset a soldier's time units (so they can't reaction fire).<br /> * Right-click while a soldier is moving to abort the move.<br /> * Right-click while a projectile is moving to skip to the projectile hit.<br /> * Use the mouse Previous/Next buttons to switch between soldiers.<br /> * Hold Ctrl while firing to ignore &quot;No Line Of Fire&quot; errors.<br /> * Ctrl-click a location makes a soldier run; Running Units move at 75% Time Unit Cost for 150% Energy cost.<br /> * Ctrl-click a square adjacent to a soldier that is perpendicular their current facing to have them 'sidestep'; costs 5 TU instead of 4 + facing changes.<br /> <br /> === Battlescape - OXCE ===<br /> <br /> * Ctrl + Shift + Left-click in auto fire mode activates &quot;spray targeting mode&quot; (if enabled for the given weapon): starts picking numbered waypoints; once all waypoints are selected, starts firing, but rather than aiming at one spot, the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path (Accuracy affects actual hit placement as usual).<br /> <br /> == Debug mode ==<br /> <br /> ''Debug mode'' is a special feature that makes it easier for developers/contributors to test out game features without needing to play a new game from scratch. After setting &quot;debug: true&quot; in the [[Options (OpenXcom)#Options File|Options File]], you can enable it by pressing ''Ctrl-D'' in-game to access a variety of features:<br /> <br /> '''Geoscape''': Unlocks all research and shows globe country and region borders. Clicking on the globe returns the point coordinates.<br /> This option can be toggled, and toggles between showing country borders, regional borders, and mission zones.<br /> <br /> '''Battlescape''': Whole map is revealed and opening the inventory screen resets TUs. Clicking the map returns the point coordinates. With traceAI enabled in the config, AI behavior is revealed and logged. '''Please note''', in debug mode QuickSave/QuickLoad feature in Battlescape are completely disabled.<br /> <br /> ''Ctrl-V'' will reset visibility on all tiles, useful for observing LOS behaviour.<br /> <br /> ''Ctrl-K'' will kill all live aliens in the mission (nothing will be recovered).<br /> <br /> ''Ctrl-J'' will stun all live aliens in the mission (useful for testing recovery).<br /> <br /> ''Ctrl-W'' will warp the selected unit to the mouse cursor's current position.<br /> <br /> ''F8'' will cycle through various engine processing speeds, useful for debugging animation errors.<br /> <br /> You can also press ''Ctrl-U'' or set &quot;debugUi: true&quot; to reveal the borders of the interface text, to debug translation errors.<br /> <br /> If the Commendations Mod is being played, ''Ctrl-C'' will wipe all earned commendations while retaining statistics, useful for debugging how they're awarded.<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112655 2022-12-10T19:11:30Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Beyond OXC */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == Beyond OXC ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. This involves much less frustration when you understand basics of mod compatibility. Any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, &quot;Nightly&quot; OXC or OXCE. They are backward compatible, in general. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE.<br /> <br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of OXCE, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed; so e.g. if you chose ''UFO: EU'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to TFTD or ''X-Com Files''.<br /> See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]].<br /> <br /> * Old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds). If you want to play vanilla or mostly-vanilla, it's quite good.<br /> <br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Thus it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has the directory structure reworked, mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> <br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Many features are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features are added (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding &quot;language&quot; may change in future.<br /> ** So e.g. Nightly already allows shotguns, but the only new parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE can treat it as one spread shot, rather than independent simultaneous shots, and allows to set relative spread and choose the distribution (evenly or grouping).<br /> ** TU costs of all actions with items are adjustable. Grenade functionality is split and customizable.<br /> *** You can have fuses other than mostly-useless dial from the original game.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenades, but also flares.<br /> *** If you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that a demolition charge timer is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not, give it &quot;isExplodingInHands: true&quot; and it can go off while in equipment.<br /> ** Weapons can have power reduced by range at arbitrary rate. Ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is adjustable. Adjustments to accuracy and damage from arbitrary stats.<br /> *** Spray targeting mode: if it's enabled for a given weapon, when auto fire mode is used, Ctrl + Shift + Left-click starts picking numbered waypoints; once all waypoints are selected, firing starts, but now the unit will move its aim trying to evenly distribute hits along this path, rather than aiming at the same spot. The actual hit placement, of course, is affected by Accuracy as usual.<br /> *** Firing mode strings can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun can be implemented by having &quot;auto fire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed. Extra ammo slots, selected per mode — for underslung grenade launchers, etc.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable, in that a specific weapon can be made to inflict extra damage to armor before each hit is resolved normally, have custom rate of damage to armor, or have relevant resistance lowered or increased against it, etc. Likewise with damage to the items and tiles, wounds, how easily damage causes fire or smoke, and so on. Or make those more erratic. If you want [[High Explosive]] to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting power to 200]] (standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does this, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be accomplished by setting damage rate ''to tiles'' at 0.92 (default 0.5) for the demolition pack, or 200 with radius reduction doubled to 20 rather than capping blast radius itself.<br /> ** Soldiers now have different soldier types that can be assigned different stats, etc.<br /> *** Soldier &quot;transformations&quot;, with very detailed prerequisites (usually includes not having the same transformation applied in past), which can mean anything from taking time for special training giving a few stat bonuses to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot;, &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot; and some fancy implants.<br /> ** Aircraft now have shield stats. May require pilots, their Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed. They are also present on missions, thus can raise stats the usual way. For a demonstration, see ''Top Gun'' mod.<br /> *** Each Craft weapon has type, each slot has set of types allowed. Also, &quot;craft weapons&quot; can alter craft stats, thus became arbitrary upgrades vetted by the specific aircraft slot type. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** Extra visual effects, with sort-of-particle system. For a demonstration see ''Hyper &amp; Trajectory'' mod - speeds of projectiles are set very high, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** Allows scripting (!), which opens new and wide fields for modding.<br /> *** ''Hatching Chryssalids'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files'' include handcuffs, flashbangs (not mere stun damage, scripted support of &quot;dazed&quot; status effect and &quot;flashbang resistance&quot; variable assigned to every critter/armor in the mod) and regenerating personal shields.<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' include things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after certain amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112654 2022-12-10T16:31:59Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Beyond OXC */</p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == Beyond OXC ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. It helps to understand than any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, Nightly or OXCE. They are backward compatible, with some caveats or tinkering. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE.<br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of OXCE, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed - so e.g. if you want ''X-Com Defence'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to TFTD or ''X-Com Files''.<br /> See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]].<br /> * Old '''OXC''': the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds).<br /> * '''OXC Nightly''': as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Specifically, it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has directory structure reworked and mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> * '''OpenXcom Extended''', aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Many features are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding markup dialect may change in future.<br /> ** So e.g. Nightly allows shotguns, but the only parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE treats it as one spread shot, rather than simultaneous shots, and allows to set width and choose distribution of their spread.<br /> ** Grenade functionality is split and customizable. TU costs of all actions with items are adjustable.<br /> *** You can have fuses other than mostly-useless dial from the original game.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenade type items, but also flares.<br /> *** If you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that a demolition charge timer is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not, give it &quot;isExplodingInHands: true&quot; and it can go off while in equipment.<br /> ** For weapons, ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is adjustable.<br /> *** Firing mode strings can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun is just a shotgun with &quot;autofire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed.<br /> *** Damage modes are customizable. A specific weapon can be made to inflict extra damage to armor before hit is resolved normally, have custom rate of damage to armor, or have relevant resistance lowered or increased against it. If you want [[High Explosive]] to breach UFO walls, in OXC this can be done by [[Explosions#Hacking_HE_versus_Walls|setting power to 200]] (that's indeed what standard mod ''[[XcomUtil]] High Explosive Damage'' does, along with limiting blast radius to 10). In OXCE the same can be accomplished by setting damage rate to tiles at 0.92 for the demolition pack, making its original power 110 sufficient. Likewise with, damage to the items, wounds, and so on. Or make those more erratic.<br /> ** Extra visual effects, with sort-of-particle system. For a demonstration see ''Hyper &amp; Trajectory'' mod - speeds of projectiles are set very high, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** Soldier types. And transformations, with prerequisites. Which can mean anything from special training to cyborgization. ''X-Com Files'' has &quot;Martial Arts Training&quot; and &quot;Combat Pilot Training&quot;, and some fancy implants.<br /> ** Aircraft may require pilots; their Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed. For a demonstration see ''Top Gun'' mod.<br /> ** Craft have shield stats. Craft weapons have types, slots for them have sets of types allowed. Also, &quot;craft weapons&quot; can alter craft stats, thus it's just any upgrade, as allowed by the specific aircraft type. ''X-Com Files'' has shield generator, afterburner, maneuver thrusters, extra fuel tanks and radar enhancements.<br /> ** Allows scripting (!), which opens much wider fields for modding.<br /> *** ''Hatching Chryssalids'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' mod adds things like gas masks. And riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after set amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Info_(OpenXcom)&diff=112653 2022-12-10T13:33:02Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>== What is X-COM? ==<br /> <br /> [[Info|Haha you're kidding right?]]<br /> <br /> X-Com is a simulation of an alien invasion of earth. It is composed of two parts.<br /> <br /> In part 1, you are focused on globe-level activities: Tracking UFO actions around the world (possibly shooting them down, or sending troops to the sites of ship landings), keeping governments happy with your actions, getting funding money from various governments, and spending it on soldiers and equipment.<br /> <br /> In part 2, you are in a turn-based, tactical, grid-based combat simulation, with fog-of-war; your goal is generally to defeat (capture or kill) the aliens in that battle. More accurately, you are scored based on a variety of functions (aliens killed, innocent bystanders killed, etc), and your goal is to be positive. It is possible to have to flee but still have positive points (considered a marginal victory -- you might not have stopped the aliens, but you did enough damage that your funding nations will be happy enough).<br /> <br /> Most, but not all, of these battles will involve an alien ship, either intact or damaged.<br /> <br /> The overall gameplay alternates between globe-level, and single-battlefield level, until either your forces are completely wiped out, or you have defeated the enemy invasion.<br /> <br /> == What is OpenXcom? ==<br /> <br /> [[OpenXcom]] is an open-source clone of the original [[X-COM]], licensed under the GPL and written in C++ / SDL. It was originally founded by [[User:SupSuper|SupSuper]] in February 2009, and has since grown into a small development team surrounded by a very supporting community.<br /> <br /> The goal of the project is to bring back the tried and true feel of the original with none of the issues. All the same graphics, sound and gameplay with a brand new codebase written from scratch. This should give it:<br /> <br /> *'''Fixability''': Play the game natively without any need for emulators or fancy hacks, with none of the limitations and bugs that plagued the original. No more 80-item-limit, personnel limits, funding overflows, disconnected facilities, broken proximity grenades, floating soldiers, etc.<br /> <br /> *'''Moddability''': Tweak the game to your heart's content. Sure the original was pretty good, but maybe you just think it could be that bit better. A nicer base layout, better laser weapons, maybe challenge yourself with a custom game mode, or just put in all the crazy stuff you've always wanted! None of it is hardcoded. See [[Mods (OpenXcom)]]<br /> <br /> *'''Flexibility''': Port the game to any platform you like, customize it to your liking, or use it to make your own far-fetched remakes. The code is fully documented and open-source so anyone can take a crack at it.<br /> <br /> == Beyond OXC ==<br /> You probably want to use OpenXcom with mods. It helps to understand than any mod may have one of 3 distinct engines as a requirement: pure OXC, Nightly or OXCE. They are backward compatible, with some caveats or tinkering. For example, ''Hybrid Mod'' (which combines X-COM and TFTD) or ''X-Com Files'' require OXCE.<br /> There are many mods. Fortunately, it’s not a complete mess. Metadata file included in the new path structure (Nightly and OXCE) allows mods to specify the required version of OXCE, if any, and master ruleset - normally xcom1 or xcom2 (TFTD), but sometimes another mod (which may have its own master ruleset in turn). In the mod setup page of Nightly or OXCE a drop-down list chooses the master, and only mods under that master are displayed - so e.g. if you want ''X-Com Defence'', the list is not cluttered with mods relevant only to TFTD or ''X-Com Files''.<br /> See also [[Installing (OpenXcom)]].<br /> * Old OXC: the proper, stable ''release'' version. Updated approximately once per forever. Has few mods beyond improved resources (such as better sprites or sounds).<br /> * &quot;OXC Nightly&quot;: as the name implies, it's a development/modding branch regularly compiled from its official repository. Bug fixes can be applied quickly, the rest seems to seep from OXCE very slowly. Specifically, it’s a more stable branch lagging far behind OXCE. It has directory structure reworked and mod metadata file ('''metadata.yml''') is required.<br /> * OpenXcom Extended, aka OXCE: a cutting edge development branch of OpenXcom ahead of Nightly. Many features are moved from hardcoded to available for modding, some new features (accessible via mods). Since it's a very fresh development version, there's some risk that modding markup dialect may change in future.<br /> ** So e.g. OXC Nightly allows shotguns, but the only parameter is number of pellets in a round of ammunition. OXCE treats it as one spread shot, rather than simultaneous shots, and allows to set width and choose distribution of their spread.<br /> ** Grenade functionality is split and customizable. TU costs of all actions with items are adjustable.<br /> *** You can have fuses other than mostly-useless dial from the original game.<br /> *** Items can be primed and un-primed, if configured this way. Mostly applies to grenade type items, but also flares.<br /> *** If you want to acknowledge the unpleasant fact that a demolition charge timer is ticking whether someone holds it tight or not, give it &quot;isExplodingInHands: true&quot; and it can go off while in equipment.<br /> ** For weapons, ammunition expended per shot in each firing mode is adjustable.<br /> ** Firing mode strings can be customized, too. A double-barreled shotgun is just a shotgun with &quot;autofire&quot; mode set to 2 shots and renamed.<br /> ** Extra visual effects, with a sort-of-particle system. For a demonstration see ''Hyper &amp; Trajectory'' mod - speeds of projectiles are set very high, but while you can't see bullets like in the original X-Com, they leave trails of dots.<br /> ** Introduced pilots for aircraft; their Firing Accuracy affects attacks, Reaction affects defense and Bravery affects approach speed. For a demonstration see ''Top Gun'' mod.<br /> ** Allows scripting (!), which opens much wider fields for modding.<br /> *** For example, ''Hatching Chryssalids'' mod: &quot;Eggs injected by Chryssalids do not kill the soldiers instantly. Eggs can be removed with a Cure&quot; (cure requires some research).<br /> *** ''X-Com Files Arsenal Additions'' mod adds things like gas masks... and riot shields that can be wielded or discarded (and fall apart after set amount of damage).<br /> <br /> == Milestones ==<br /> <br /> The OpenXcom past, present and future development history<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Version !! Release date !! Changes<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.1''' || [http://openxcom.org/2010/10/version-0-1-is-here/ October 17th, 2010] ||<br /> * Engine<br /> * Geoscape<br /> * Basescape<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.2''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/01/version-0-2-is-out/ January 28th, 2011] ||<br /> * Language strings<br /> * Saved games<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terrain generation<br /> ** Basic units<br /> ** Basic pathfinding, fog of war, lighting<br /> |-<br /> |'''0.3''' || [http://openxcom.org/2011/09/holy-crap-its-version-0-3/ September 1st, 2011] ||<br /> * Items<br /> * Purchasing<br /> * Selling<br /> * Transferring<br /> * Ufopaedia<br /> * Options<br /> * Platform-specific Folders<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Item equipping, firing, throwing<br /> ** Environment: fire, smoke, explosions, damage, kills<br /> ** Unit stats<br /> ** AI Phase 1 (patrol, aggro)<br /> |- <br /> |'''0.4''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/08/incoming-version-0-4/ August 14th, 2012] ||<br /> * Research<br /> * Manufacture<br /> * Rulesets<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** Terror sites<br /> ** Debriefing, scores, experience and skill ups<br /> ** Large units and other alien units<br /> ** Special items (medi-kit, motion sensor, proximity grenade, psi-amp, mind probe, blaster launcher, electroflare)<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.45''' || [http://openxcom.org/2012/11/the-handymens-version/ November 5, 2012] ||<br /> *Ufopaedia<br /> *Modular rulesets<br /> *New options<br /> *Man page / command-line help<br /> *Logging<br /> |-<br /> | '''0.9''' || [http://openxcom.org/2013/05/its-finally-here-version-0-9/ May 7, 2013] ||<br /> * Alien Missions<br /> * Scoring<br /> * Graphs<br /> * Victory/Defeat<br /> * Difficulty levels<br /> * Geoscape<br /> ** Live alien capture<br /> ** Psionic training<br /> ** Multiple dogfights<br /> * Battlescape<br /> ** All alien units, items and abilities<br /> ** Alien base, X-Com base and Cydonia missions<br /> ** AI Phase 2 (grenades, blaster launcher, taking cover)<br /> * Intro/Outro<br /> * Control Options<br /> * Advanced Options<br /> * Display Filters<br /> |-<br /> | ''' 1.0 ''' || [http://openxcom.org/2014/06/openxcom-1-0/ June 13, 2014] ||<br /> * Everything vanilla<br /> * Options and extra features<br /> * Mod support<br /> * Save backwards compatibility<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Installing_(OpenXcom)&diff=112652 2022-12-10T13:25:41Z

<p>TBeholder: /* OXC Versions */</p> <hr /> <div>'''OpenXcom requires a vanilla version of the original [[X-COM]] resources.''' This can be any one of:<br /> <br /> * DOS Version 1.4 (you can check if you have the correct version if it contains a &quot;SOUND\GM.CAT&quot; file)<br /> * Windows Version / Collector's Edition<br /> * Steam Version (you can find the game folder in &quot;Steam\steamapps\common\xcom ufo defense\XCOM&quot;)<br /> * Gog Version<br /> <br /> Make sure your copy has the [http://openxcom.org/index.php/downloads-extras/ latest patch]. '''Do not''' use modded versions (eg. [[XcomUtil]]) as they may cause bugs and crashes.<br /> <br /> == OXC Versions ==<br /> First, you should decide what exactly you want to install.<br /> * OpenXcom release.<br /> * &quot;Nightlies&quot;. Development versions - less polished, much more recent, not really nightly, but actually update every few months: [https://openxcom.org/git-builds/ released builds], [https://github.com/OpenXcom/OpenXcom repository].<br /> * OpenXcom Extended, aka OXCE. Cutting edge, extra-modding-friendly development version: [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5258.0.html released builds], [https://github.com/MeridianOXC/OpenXcom repository].<br /> <br /> == Instructions ==<br /> <br /> In the instructions below, we refer to three different folders a lot: the &quot;data&quot; folder, the &quot;user&quot; folder, and the &quot;config&quot; folder. See [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations here] for directory definitions and where they are located on your operating system.<br /> <br /> === All platforms ===<br /> <br /> Copy the original resources (specifically the GEODATA, GEOGRAPH, MAPS, ROUTES, SOUND, TERRAIN, UFOGRAPH, UFOINTRO, and UNITS subfolders) to OpenXcom's [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations Data folder] for version 1.0 or to the UFO folder in the [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations User folder] for the nightly. If using the nightly, you can alternately/additionally copy in Terror From the Deep files to the TFTD folder in your User folder to prepare for when the TFTD OpenXcom ruleset is released. '''Do not''' just drag/copy your whole X-COM folder into the Data folder, it won't work.<br /> <br /> For version 1.0 it should end up like this:<br /> <br /> * data<br /> ** '''GEODATA'''<br /> ** '''GEOGRAPH'''<br /> ** Language<br /> ** '''MAPS'''<br /> ** Resources<br /> ** '''ROUTES'''<br /> ** Ruleset<br /> ** Shaders<br /> ** SoldierName<br /> ** '''SOUND'''<br /> ** '''TERRAIN'''<br /> ** '''UFOGRAPH'''<br /> ** '''UFOINTRO'''<br /> ** '''UNITS'''<br /> <br /> and for the nightly it should look like this:<br /> <br /> * '''UFO'''<br /> ** '''GEODATA'''<br /> ** '''GEOGRAPH'''<br /> ** '''MAPS'''<br /> ** '''ROUTES'''<br /> ** '''SOUND'''<br /> ** '''TERRAIN'''<br /> ** '''UFOGRAPH'''<br /> ** '''UFOINTRO'''<br /> ** '''UNITS'''<br /> <br /> If you do this incorrectly, you'll get an error about &quot;X not found&quot;. For more specific instructions, check your platform below.<br /> <br /> ==== Video tutorial ====<br /> <br /> A video tutorial that covers the installation of milestone version 1.0 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNneKAwvjoU is available here] (courtesy of [http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHymw9FSZqharCpMW-WiiHg Ivan Dogovich]). Though recorded for the Windows platform, check it out if you have doubts about a particular step during the installation.<br /> <br /> This video: &quot;[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1WUpX9n7gY OpenXCOM Nightly Install Tutorial]&quot; explains installing the '''Nightly''' (both with the installer and manually) and installing both simple and total conversion '''mods'''.<br /> <br /> === Windows ===<br /> <br /> The installer will automatically detect Steam installations, patch the game and copy the original data for you, just follow the instructions.<br /> <br /> === Mac OS X ===<br /> <br /> Copy the resources to the application's '''data''' resource (right click the application &gt; Show Package Contents &gt; Contents &gt; Resources &gt; data) for version 1.0 or the UFO and/or TFTD resources for the nightly.<br /> <br /> === Unix-like ===<br /> <br /> OpenXcom requires the following libraries:<br /> <br /> * [http://www.libsdl.org/ SDL] (libsdl1.2)<br /> * [http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_mixer/ SDL_mixer] (libsdl-mixer1.2)<br /> * [http://www.ferzkopp.net/joomla/content/view/19/14/ SDL_gfx] (libsdl-gfx1.2), version 2.0.22 or later<br /> * [http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_image/ SDL_image] (libsdl-image1.2)<br /> * [http://code.google.com/p/yaml-cpp/ yaml-cpp] (libyaml-cpp), version 0.5.1 or later (please note that 0.5.2 has issues, use 0.5.3)<br /> <br /> Check your distribution's package manager or the library website on how to install them.<br /> <br /> Copy game resources to the appropriate [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#linux folder locations].<br /> <br /> === Portable ===<br /> <br /> To make a portable version of OpenXcom, just put all the files in the game folder, with a '''data''' (1.0) or '''UFO''' (nightly) subfolder for the resources and a '''user''' subfolder for your saves and settings (you may need to delete your old User Folder so the game doesn't use it instead).<br /> <br /> == Log file ==<br /> <br /> In case you experience any problems or errors during the initial game loading/startup, these will be shown and logged in ''openxcom.log'' in the [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations User Folder]. Make sure you installed everything correctly as instructed, and if you still experience problems, check the [http://openxcom.org/forum/ forums].<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Installing_(OpenXcom)&diff=112651 2022-12-10T13:24:59Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>'''OpenXcom requires a vanilla version of the original [[X-COM]] resources.''' This can be any one of:<br /> <br /> * DOS Version 1.4 (you can check if you have the correct version if it contains a &quot;SOUND\GM.CAT&quot; file)<br /> * Windows Version / Collector's Edition<br /> * Steam Version (you can find the game folder in &quot;Steam\steamapps\common\xcom ufo defense\XCOM&quot;)<br /> * Gog Version<br /> <br /> Make sure your copy has the [http://openxcom.org/index.php/downloads-extras/ latest patch]. '''Do not''' use modded versions (eg. [[XcomUtil]]) as they may cause bugs and crashes.<br /> <br /> == OXC Versions ==<br /> * OpenXcom release.<br /> * &quot;Nightlies&quot;. Development versions - less polished, much more recent, not really nightly, but actually update every few months: [https://openxcom.org/git-builds/ released builds], [https://github.com/OpenXcom/OpenXcom repository].<br /> * OpenXcom Extended, aka OXCE. Cutting edge, extra-modding-friendly development version: [https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5258.0.html released builds], [https://github.com/MeridianOXC/OpenXcom repository].<br /> <br /> == Instructions ==<br /> <br /> In the instructions below, we refer to three different folders a lot: the &quot;data&quot; folder, the &quot;user&quot; folder, and the &quot;config&quot; folder. See [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations here] for directory definitions and where they are located on your operating system.<br /> <br /> === All platforms ===<br /> <br /> Copy the original resources (specifically the GEODATA, GEOGRAPH, MAPS, ROUTES, SOUND, TERRAIN, UFOGRAPH, UFOINTRO, and UNITS subfolders) to OpenXcom's [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations Data folder] for version 1.0 or to the UFO folder in the [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations User folder] for the nightly. If using the nightly, you can alternately/additionally copy in Terror From the Deep files to the TFTD folder in your User folder to prepare for when the TFTD OpenXcom ruleset is released. '''Do not''' just drag/copy your whole X-COM folder into the Data folder, it won't work.<br /> <br /> For version 1.0 it should end up like this:<br /> <br /> * data<br /> ** '''GEODATA'''<br /> ** '''GEOGRAPH'''<br /> ** Language<br /> ** '''MAPS'''<br /> ** Resources<br /> ** '''ROUTES'''<br /> ** Ruleset<br /> ** Shaders<br /> ** SoldierName<br /> ** '''SOUND'''<br /> ** '''TERRAIN'''<br /> ** '''UFOGRAPH'''<br /> ** '''UFOINTRO'''<br /> ** '''UNITS'''<br /> <br /> and for the nightly it should look like this:<br /> <br /> * '''UFO'''<br /> ** '''GEODATA'''<br /> ** '''GEOGRAPH'''<br /> ** '''MAPS'''<br /> ** '''ROUTES'''<br /> ** '''SOUND'''<br /> ** '''TERRAIN'''<br /> ** '''UFOGRAPH'''<br /> ** '''UFOINTRO'''<br /> ** '''UNITS'''<br /> <br /> If you do this incorrectly, you'll get an error about &quot;X not found&quot;. For more specific instructions, check your platform below.<br /> <br /> ==== Video tutorial ====<br /> <br /> A video tutorial that covers the installation of milestone version 1.0 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNneKAwvjoU is available here] (courtesy of [http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHymw9FSZqharCpMW-WiiHg Ivan Dogovich]). Though recorded for the Windows platform, check it out if you have doubts about a particular step during the installation.<br /> <br /> This video: &quot;[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1WUpX9n7gY OpenXCOM Nightly Install Tutorial]&quot; explains installing the '''Nightly''' (both with the installer and manually) and installing both simple and total conversion '''mods'''.<br /> <br /> === Windows ===<br /> <br /> The installer will automatically detect Steam installations, patch the game and copy the original data for you, just follow the instructions.<br /> <br /> === Mac OS X ===<br /> <br /> Copy the resources to the application's '''data''' resource (right click the application &gt; Show Package Contents &gt; Contents &gt; Resources &gt; data) for version 1.0 or the UFO and/or TFTD resources for the nightly.<br /> <br /> === Unix-like ===<br /> <br /> OpenXcom requires the following libraries:<br /> <br /> * [http://www.libsdl.org/ SDL] (libsdl1.2)<br /> * [http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_mixer/ SDL_mixer] (libsdl-mixer1.2)<br /> * [http://www.ferzkopp.net/joomla/content/view/19/14/ SDL_gfx] (libsdl-gfx1.2), version 2.0.22 or later<br /> * [http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_image/ SDL_image] (libsdl-image1.2)<br /> * [http://code.google.com/p/yaml-cpp/ yaml-cpp] (libyaml-cpp), version 0.5.1 or later (please note that 0.5.2 has issues, use 0.5.3)<br /> <br /> Check your distribution's package manager or the library website on how to install them.<br /> <br /> Copy game resources to the appropriate [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#linux folder locations].<br /> <br /> === Portable ===<br /> <br /> To make a portable version of OpenXcom, just put all the files in the game folder, with a '''data''' (1.0) or '''UFO''' (nightly) subfolder for the resources and a '''user''' subfolder for your saves and settings (you may need to delete your old User Folder so the game doesn't use it instead).<br /> <br /> == Log file ==<br /> <br /> In case you experience any problems or errors during the initial game loading/startup, these will be shown and logged in ''openxcom.log'' in the [https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom#directory-locations User Folder]. Make sure you installed everything correctly as instructed, and if you still experience problems, check the [http://openxcom.org/forum/ forums].<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:OpenXcom]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Base_Layout_Strategy&diff=112650 2022-12-09T14:32:37Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>{{REWRITE NEEDED}}<br /> <br /> Your base will, at some point, be raided by angry aliens looking for revenge for all those UFO's you've taken out. Unlike most places you'll have to fight, you have control over the layout of your base, so design it wisely.<br /> <br /> The key point for base defensibility is to minimize the number of points of entry. Aliens usually come down into your base through hangars and the access lift (although they can emerge on other locations - see the last comment on [[Base_Defence#Bugs]]). If you group your hangars with the access lift, then build only one module connecting to this part of your base, that module becomes a choke point for base defence. A long chain of rooms becomes a long choke point ripe for mining with Proximity Grenades and other dirty tricks. This way, you can line up all your units against one point of entry instead of having to spread them out to cover four or five.<br /> <br /> The access lift is always the first unit built, so it becomes the obvious candidate for this single point of entry. Place it on the grid so you leave enough room to build hangars on one side of the lift, and everything else on the other side. I'd recommend building a General Stores on the lift opposite the hangar. A general stores is needed for any base, and it gets completed quickly. Once the general stores are completed, build all new facilities (except hangars, of course) off of that.<br /> <br /> ==Overhauling the Starter Base==<br /> <br /> At higher difficulty levels, alien retaliation can often come MUCH sooner than you might be ready for-- before you have [[Base Defence Systems|base defences]] built, and before you have powerful weapons to arm your troops with. Considering that the access lift and all hangars serve as entry points for the invaders, the starter base has all the defensive virtues of a screen door:<br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|lift|quarters|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|small_radar|stores|lab|workshop|dirt|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|dirt|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|dirt|dirt|hangar3|hangar4|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> The hangars and lift are distributed as widely as possible through the base, giving the aliens a wealth of breach points and enabling them to assault any defenders from all sides.<br /> <br /> With this in mind, I recommend a partial rebuild of your initial base ASAP. Build two hangars next to the topmost hangar to replace the lower two, and a living quarters down between the two lower existing hangars to replace the one next to the access lift. Place any other new modules on the lower half of the screen, where they will not touch the lift or the new hangars. <br /> <br /> As the new living quarters and hangar are completed, dismantle the old ones. It should now look something like:<br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|lift|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |large_radar|small_radar|stores|lab|workshop|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|quarters|containment|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> Of course, place any other new facilities with a mind to preserving the new choke-point at the grav lift (i.e., nothing adjacent to the top hangars.) This layout isn't as fortified as many new-build bases can be, but it's a good compromise between defendability (one choke-point at the lift), available space, expedience (it converts from the standard layout in minimal time), and, especially, cost. It only costs the price of two hangars and a living quarters ($800,000) to overhaul your base this way-- a cost that can be covered by the proceeds from, say, one small landed UFO. Dismantling the existing modules however accrue base [[maintenance costs]] of $720,000 per month due to the [[Known Bugs#Paying For Dirt|Paying For Dirt bug]].<br /> <br /> ===Variations===<br /> <br /> The previous example was a one chokepoint base that is easy to defend, however it is by no means the only way to build the base. Don't be afraid to try different variations of the base to suit the strategy that you intend use. <br /> <br /> If you want to attack the aliens from two sides, the simple addition of an extra module can modify the one-chokepoint base into a two-chokepoint base. For example:<br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|lift|dirt|small_radar|dirt|=<br /> |large_radar|small_radar|stores|lab|workshop|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|quarters|containment|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> The above base is designed to work like the popular defendable base layout, but also provides a second access point into the hangars. Although this means you have to spread your soldiers out to cover both points, so do the aliens. <br /> <br /> With this example in particular, the small radar module provides an empty hallway. If you like to use rockets, this one access point gives you a clear shot into the hangars. A few well placed rockets can cut down the opposition considerably.<br /> <br /> If you really like to use rockets but can only handle aliens entering the map through one entry point, consider the following variation. <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|lift|dirt|small_radar|dirt|=<br /> |large_radar|small_radar|dirt|lab|workshop|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|containment|quarters|stores|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> It may take a while to re-order the base in this manner from the starting setup, but the end result provides you with a clear firing corridor into the hangars with plenty of cubbyholes to hide in. All of the aliens will have to funnel through the small radar module, which is an open space with no place for the aliens to hide. <br /> <br /> One disadvantage of this base however is that if the workshop suffers too much structural damage, all facilities past the small radar will be destroyed as they'll be disconnected from the access lift. <br /> <br /> No matter what layout you eventually use, remember that the more complicated it is the longer it may take to construct and the more money it will cost. The last example requires moving a module that was already present in the default base. i.e. the general stores.<br /> <br /> == Secondary Base Design ==<br /> <br /> With your second and subsequent bases, you can build it securely right from the beginning. The most secure design uses the Access Lift as a choke point between the hangars and the rest of the base, as pictured above, but puts it to the side, out of the way, and also adds a long corridor between the Access Lift and the rest of the base:<br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |quarters|quarters|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |stores|dirt|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |hyperwave|dirt|stores|mind|workshop|psi|=<br /> |lift|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> The exact facilities built are up to the individual player, although a hyper-wave decoder, stores, and living quarters are generally the most important facilities to build first. Even if you don't plan on stationing any X-Com [[craft]] at the base, you should also build at least one hangar (where aliens will spawn preferentially during a [[Base Defence]] mission) to prevent them from spawning deeper inside the base.<br /> <br /> Be sure not to put the Access Lift on the southern or eastern borders of the map to avoid the [[Known Bugs#Base Disjoint Bug|base disjoint bug]].<br /> <br /> If three hangars are not needed, additional base facilities can be added, as long as they are not placed adjacent to the hangars:<br /> &lt;center&gt;<br /> {|<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |quarters|quarters|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |stores|dirt|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |hyperwave|dirt|stores|mind|workshop|psi|=<br /> |lift|dirt|dirt|dirt|psi|psi|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|psi|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|psi|=}}<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |quarters|quarters|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |stores|dirt|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |hyperwave|dirt|stores|mind|workshop|psi|=<br /> |lift|dirt|quarters|psi|psi|psi|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|psi|psi|psi|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|dirt|psi|psi|psi|=}}<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> The design with only one hangar, however, runs the risk of having aliens spawn in areas other than the hangars and access lift, as one hangar plus one access lift only provide (15 + 8 = 23) alien spawn points, and a [[Battleship]] on Superhuman difficulty can carry between 22 and 28 aliens. Especially troubling is the fact that Terror Units have the lowest alien spawn priority and thus are most likely to show up in your base. This might result in some [[Chryssalid|particularly]] [[Sectopod|nasty]] units spawning behind your lines, quickly turning an otherwise easy Base Defence into a nightmare!<br /> <br /> === Accelerated build ===<br /> <br /> One drawback of the above design is that it takes 52 days before all the facilities in the &quot;choke line&quot; are completed and the base is fully defensible against invasion. The following variant moves the Hyper-Wave Decoder to the right of the access lift, allowing the decoder, one hangar, and stores plus quarters to all be complete within 26 days. <br /> <br /> Moving the hyperwave out of the choke line also makes it less likely to be destroyed by a stray blaster bomb. In the above designs, if the hyperwave gets destroyed, all modules beyond it will be destroyed as well. (Living quarters and stores are immune to destruction.)<br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;<br /> {|<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |quarters|quarters|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |quarters|dirt|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |stores|dirt|stores|mind|workshop|psi|=<br /> |lift|hyperwave|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|=}}<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |quarters|quarters|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |quarters|dirt|quarters|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |stores|dirt|stores|mind|workshop|psi|=<br /> |lift|hyperwave|dirt|dirt|psi|psi|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|psi|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|psi|=}}<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> === Time-Efficient Corridor Build ===<br /> <br /> The following designs are an attempt to greatly speed up build times without sacrificing much (if any) defensibility. The base on the left is an example of how to start a new base if you don't yet have a Hyperwave Decoder. This would get you 2 Hangars, a General Stores, Radar, and Living Quarters by day 26. You can of course skip the Large Radar if you have already researched Hyperwave (in which case you would no doubt place the Hyperwave above your first Stores). <br /> <br /> The base on the right is a complete version of this base. Notice that the General Stores above the Access Lift is the only facility that has been removed if you did not build the Radar, so if you are [[Known Bugs#Paying For Dirt|paying for dirt]], you will not suffer greatly. This build has only 5 wasted spaces, which is less than any other defensible build using 3 Hangars. If you really want the extra corridor space, you can skip the bottom-most Living Quarters. The corridor is, of course, indestructible, as it is done with General Stores. Note that if you expect to be attacked within a short period of time, you may not yet have swapped your choke point from the Access Lift to the General Stores on the left.<br /> <br /> Lastly, the base on the right is an alternative 2 Hangar build.<br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;<br /> {|<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|large_radar|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|lift|stores|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|dirt|=}}<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |stores|stores|stores|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |stores|dirt|quarters|quarters|quarters|workshop|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|quarters|lab|workshop|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|lift|dirt|psi|containment|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|hyperwave|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|mind|=}}<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |stores|stores|stores|quarters|workshop|workshop|=<br /> |stores|dirt|quarters|quarters|quarters|workshop|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|quarters|lab|workshop|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|lift|dirt|psi|containment|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|psi|psi|hyperwave|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|dirt|psi|psi|mind|=}}<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Mods====<br /> <br /> If you have a program to overhaul your starter base, the base on the bottom left is what I recommend. The picture on the right shows a good choice for immediate additions to it. You would of course want to add another Living Quarters if finances permit (don't forget to staff your Laboratory or Workshops).<br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;<br /> {|<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |stores|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|quarters|lab|workshop|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|lift|small_radar|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|dirt|=}}<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> |<br /> {{UBK|=<br /> |stores|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |stores|dirt|dirt|quarters|dirt|lab|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|quarters|lab|workshop|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|lift|small_radar|large_radar|containment|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|dirt|=}}<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> The example above is encoded in [[UFOextender#Initial_Base|UFOExtender.ini]] as follows:<br /> &lt;nowiki&gt;[Initial Base]<br /> Apply=1<br /> row1=Empty Empty Workshop Empty Empty Empty<br /> row2=Empty Empty Laboratory Empty Empty Empty<br /> row3=Empty Empty LivingQuarters SmallRadar HangarTL HangarTR<br /> row4=Empty Empty Empty AccessLift HangarBL HangarBR<br /> row5=Empty Empty HangarTL HangarTR HangarTL HangarTR<br /> row6=Empty GeneralStores HangarBL HangarBR HangarBL HangarBR&lt;/nowiki&gt;<br /> <br /> &quot;Defensive starting base&quot; from [[XcomUtil]]. Included in [[OpenXcom]] as one of standard mods (&quot;.../standard/XcomUtil_Starting_Defensive_Base&quot;):<br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|hangar3|hangar4|=<br /> |lift|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |stores|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |quarters|lab|workshop|small_radar|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|dirt|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> == Corner ambush build ==<br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |quarters|workshop|workshop|quarters|quarters|stores|=<br /> |quarters|psi|workshop|workshop|quarters|stores|=<br /> |hyperwave|psi|stores|mind|dirt|stores|=<br /> |dirt|dirt|workshop|dirt|dirt|stores|=<br /> |hangar1|hangar2|dirt|hangar1|hangar2|stores|=<br /> |hangar3|hangar4|lift|hangar3|hangar4|dirt|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> I decided to put a little variety into my base defences. I like this pattern because i get to ambush the aliens as they turn the corner of the first general stores. Let THEM see how it feels getting whacked at blind corners!<br /> Also, notice how that fights will only occur in or near indestructible modules. Too many exploding cyberdisks convinced me to do this.<br /> <br /> The fact that the corridor is 5 units long is SIGNIFICANT. (the prior designs are actually only 3 modules long, because aliens spawn in the access lift, which has also has doors which block LOS and fired shots) Because alien sight is 20 squares. 5 modules is 45 tiles.This means that I can in fact keep 6 units (3 standing, 3 kneeling) at the north end of the North East corner module. I place scouts/spotters with a motion detectors in the rooms and round the corners of the corridor of general stores. The spotters pop out diagonally for mutual surprise, then hide again. Then the 6 snipers at the end of the corridor shoot down the corridor killing enemies in it. 45 tile distance means that no alien can turn the corner and walk far enough down the corridor to spot and shoot at my snipers in 1 turn.<br /> <br /> == Missile Defence Module Build ==<br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;{{UBK|=<br /> |stores|quarters|workshop|workshop|quarters|quarters|=<br /> |stores|quarters|psi|workshop|workshop|quarters|=<br /> |stores|dirt|psi|stores|mind|hyperwave|=<br /> |stores|dirt|dirt|workshop|dirt|dirt|=<br /> |missile|hangar1|hangar2|dirt|hangar1|hangar2|=<br /> |dirt|hangar3|hangar4|lift|hangar3|hangar4|=}}&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> This build takes advantage of the missile defences unique structure to force aliens to enter from the right, take a big detour, then exit to the north. This will likely severely hamper enemy blaster bomb efforts. However, by the same token, this is very likely to wind up causing your missile defences module to get blown up by blaster bombs, which will disconnect the rest of your base from your elevator, and make you lose most of your base. Be warned.<br /> <br /> ==Floor Plan Comparison==<br /> Here's a comparison of the '''ground floor''' plans for X-COM base modules, in case it helps you design your base. For images, follow the links or see [[Xcom_and_Alien_Bases#XCom_Base|X-COM Base Module Images]]:<br /> <br /> *'''3-wide &quot;central plus sign&quot; corridors:<br /> ** 1-wide doors along NW to SE path: [[Living Quarters]], [[Laboratory]], [[Workshop]]<br /> ** 1-wide doors along SW to NE path: [[Alien Containment]], [[Psionic Laboratory]]<br /> ** 2-wide doors along SW to NE path: [[General Stores]]<br /> <br /> *'''Central room:<br /> ** 1 1-wide door, 2-wide corridors: [[Laser Defences]] (SW door), [[Plasma Defences]] (SE door), [[Fusion Ball Defences]] (NE door) <br /> ** 2 1-wide doors, 2-wide corridors: [[Large Radar System]] (SW &amp; NE doors)<br /> ** 2 1-wide doors, 3-wide corridors: [[Grav Shield]], [[Hyper-wave Decoder]], [[Mind Shield]] (all have SW &amp; SE doors)<br /> <br /> *'''Unique modules:<br /> **Wide open ground floor: [[Small Radar System]]<br /> ** &quot;P&quot; design of [[Missile Defences]] - no ground level doors; can force particular paths<br /> ** [[Hangar]]<br /> ** [[Access Lift]]<br /> <br /> Most modules have a fairly open second story, with the exception of [[Missile Defences]], [[General Stores]], [[Alien Containment]], and the [[Psionic Laboratory]]. Still, half of the rest have a fair amount of clutter that might hide aliens.<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> *Corridors attaching to the right topside of a hangar (on the grid, the east side of the north wall) corner come through a ground-level hangar door. Corridors attaching anywhere else don't get a door. See picture at [[X-Com_Base_Terrain]].<br /> *The ideal case is to have your choke point aligned vertically on the base grid, lined with general stores. The general stores have large, doublewide doors that open out onto the vertical corridor. These doors will give your your troops and tanks cover, and let them pop out to make attacks at will.<br /> *It is also desirable to have a base facility containing a door directly facing the Access Lift (such as the Hyper-wave Decoder). A scout can pop out at the beginning of a turn and spot units coming down the corridor without risk of being shot due to the [[reaction fire triggers#mutual_surprise|&quot;mutual surprise&quot; rule]]. Other units with indirect-fire weapons (grenades and blaster launchers) can then safely attack the spotted alien(s). Direct-fire weapons can also be safely used if a thick-enough [[Smoke Grenade|smoke cover]] is present.<br /> *Troops will spawn primarily in the Living Quarters and General Stores . Tanks will spawn mostly in the General Stores. You might want to cluster these units around your choke-point so your units will be where you need them.<br /> *When constructing a base, be very careful that you avoid the [[Known Bugs#Base Disjoint Bug|Base Disjoint Bug]] where modules along the right and lower edges of the map can get sealed off. Improper placement will often end up forcing you to cut through the very tough walls and dirt blocks with heavy plasmas or tank lasers. However, with proper placement of modules, the sealed off walls can be very advantageous in controlling the flow of aliens. [[XcomUtil]] users cannot take advantage of this as the setup tool for this utility automatically rips out the walls.<br /> *You can (and should) keep the poorly positioned rooms of your starter base up until the battleship is closing in. You can dismantle rooms instantly as long as they are unused. Since maintenance costs are buggy and listed values are always wrong, you are always better off keeping a room even if it is unused... at least up until the point the aliens arrive or you need the room.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> *[[Base Management]]<br /> *[[Base Defence]]<br /> *[[Base Defence Systems]]<br /> *[[X-Com Base Terrain]]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Power_Suit&diff=70509 2016-02-07T09:47:53Z

<p>TBeholder: Infobox</p> <hr /> <div>Once you've researched [[UFO Power Source]], [[Personal Armour]], and [[Elerium-115]], you will have the ability to research the '''Power Suit'''. The power suit is a tremendous upgrade to the personal armour, providing double the protection value of the latter. Because of this increase in protection, it is not uncommon to survive multiple [[Heavy Plasma]] bolts to the chest, though this will often result in a badly wounded (but not dead) soldier.<br /> <br /> In addition to its protection qualities, the power suit's enclosed environment renders the wearer immune not only to fire but also stun damage from standing in smoke.<br /> <br /> This armor is used in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. In ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'', the [[Ion Armor]] is the equivalent.<br /> <br /> ==Statistics==<br /> &lt;center&gt;<br /> &lt;table {{StdCenterTable}} width=&quot;30%&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}&gt;&lt;th&gt;Facing&lt;/th&gt;<br /> &lt;th&gt;Protection&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Front&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;100&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Right&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;80&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Left&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;80&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Rear&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;70&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Under&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;/table&gt;<br /> &lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/manufacture|42000|1000|16|5 Alien Alloy, 5 Elerium }}<br /> Sell Value: $85,000<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;/&gt;<br /> Note: Protects the wearer against all [[incendiary]]/fire damage and the [[stun]] damage caused by [[smoke]] inhalation.<br /> <br /> ==Image==<br /> [[Image:PowerSuit.gif|Power Suit]]<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> *[[Coveralls]]<br /> *[[Personal Armour]]<br /> *[[Flying Suit]]<br /> *[[Damage]]<br /> **[[Damage#Damage_Modifiers|Damage Modifiers]]<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category: Armour]]<br /> [[Category: Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Flying_Suit&diff=70508 2016-02-07T09:47:51Z

<p>TBeholder: Infobox</p> <hr /> <div>Once you have researched the [[Power Suit]] and [[UFO Navigation]] (in either order, of course), you gain the ability to research the '''Flying Suit'''. The Flying Suit is essentially a Power Suit with the added ability to fly. The Flying Suit's protection value is also 10 points stronger per side than the Power Suit, though it requires more cost and materials to produce, but if you have the spare materials and money it's worth it just for the increased protection alone.<br /> <br /> The hover unit allows soldiers to raise or lower their elevation at will. This freedom of mobility opens up a wealth of opportunities that you can take advantage of, such as being able to snipe from any position or to scale buildings or UFOs with ease. On the other hand, as the hover unit is designed to keep the soldier in the air, descending while in a Flying Suit is a slightly slower process. <br /> <br /> This armor is used in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. In ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'', the [[Magnetic Ion Armor]] is the equivalent.<br /> <br /> ==Statistics==<br /> &lt;center&gt;<br /> &lt;table {{StdCenterTable}} width=&quot;30%&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}&gt;&lt;th&gt;Facing&lt;/th&gt;<br /> &lt;th&gt;Protection&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Front&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;110&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Right&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;90&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Left&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;90&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Rear&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;80&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Under&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;70&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;/table&gt;<br /> &lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/manufacture|58000|1400|16|5 Alien Alloy, 16 Elerium }}<br /> Sell Value: $115,000<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;/&gt;<br /> Note: Protects the wearer against all [[Incendiary]]/Fire damage and the [[Stun]] damage caused by [[Smoke]] inhalation.<br /> <br /> ==Image==<br /> [[Image:FlyingSuit.gif|Flying Suit]]<br /> <br /> == Recommendations == <br /> Flying Suits are great for scouts but can still drop like a lead balloon from one lucky plasma shot. Since there is little cover in the air, be sure to land or take cover so as not to be very exposed during the Alien turn. <br /> <br /> Flying Suits are also useful for instantly setting up snipers in high positions anywhere and at any time. For example, you could have them hover over the [[Skyranger]] a few turns after deployment to provide long distance cover fire for your scouts as they expand your zone of control. Unlike scouts, snipers generally stay well behind the front lines, allowing them to stay in their positions for as long as necessary. <br /> <br /> Melee aliens like the [[Chryssalid]] and [[Reaper]] cannot attack a levitating unit. If there are melee units in the field - hover one tile off the ground and you will be completely safe from physical attacks. (Warning: Also be sure you are not adjacent to a solid surface that a melee alien can reach. If that Chryssalid does somehow manage to get onto the roof, it can then attack you. Similarly, a grenade deposited on the roof will blow up any nearby soldier.)<br /> <br /> Similarly, hovering one tile off the ground can protect you from alien grenades. Since the grenade will land on the level underneath you, it will detonate harmlessly. You could attract grenades this way by huddling together in a group while in the air. Some caution should be taken when doing this as it does make your soldiers one big juicy target for the enemy's ranged explosives and projectiles.<br /> <br /> == Notes == <br /> Even while you are hovering, you can still ''kneel'' to take better aim and reduce your profile slightly. Your soldier's sprite will not appear to change to reflect this, however all the bonuses and costs involved in kneeling will still be present. You can tell that you are kneeling by the level of the bobbing yellow arrow indicator above your selected soldier's head. <br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> * [[Coveralls]]<br /> * [[Personal Armour]]<br /> * [[Power Suit]]<br /> * [[Damage]]<br /> ** [[Damage#Damage_Modifiers|Damage Modifiers]]<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category: Armour]]<br /> [[Category: Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Personal_Armour&diff=70507 2016-02-07T09:10:09Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>Once you've researched [[Alien Alloys]], you will be able to research '''Personal Armour''', which is a huge improvement over the standard coveralls.<br /> <br /> Without armor, nearly every hit will be fatal; with personal armour, there's at least a chance of the soldier remaining unscathed, or being hospitalized only for days, rather than weeks or months. It can be researched after a single UFO crash site or landing mission, is inexpensive, fast to produce, and much better than nothing. It is worthwhile to hand out these even if you expect them to be obsolete within a month. <br /> <br /> This armor is used in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. In ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'', the [[Plastic Aqua Armor]] is the equivalent.<br /> <br /> == Statistics ==<br /> &lt;center&gt;<br /> &lt;table {{StdCenterTable}} width=&quot;30%&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;tr {{StdDescTable_Heading}}&gt;&lt;th&gt;Facing&lt;/th&gt;<br /> &lt;th&gt;Protection&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Front&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Right&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;40&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Left&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;40&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Rear&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;30&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Under&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;30&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;<br /> &lt;/table&gt;<br /> &lt;/center&gt;<br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/manufacture|22000|800|12|4 Alien Alloy}}<br /> Sell Value: $54,000<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;/&gt;<br /> Due to a bug when units are spawned, soldiers wearing Personal Armour are treated as though they are wearing Power Armor when damage modifiers are applied -- but a [[Power Suit]] or better is needed against [[stun]] damage from smoke.<br /> <br /> ==Images==<br /> [[Image:PersonalArmour.gif|Personal Armour]]<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> *[[Coveralls]]<br /> *[[Power Suit]]<br /> *[[Flying Suit]]<br /> <br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Armour]]<br /> [[Category:Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Heavy_Plasma&diff=70378 2016-01-27T00:56:27Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>{{EU2012Version}}<br /> The larger cousin of the [[Plasma Rifle]], the '''Heavy Plasma Gun''' is a powerful squad support weapon which is nonetheless light enough to be usable by any soldier. It is the most powerful weapon available to X-Com agents short of the [[Blaster Launcher]], plus it has a fast rate of fire and high accuracy.<br /> <br /> Researching the Heavy Plasma and Heavy Plasma Clip allows you to begin the Plasma Cannon project, which allows manufacture of [[Plasma Beam]]s and [[Hovertank/Plasma|Hovertanks/Plasma]].<br /> <br /> '''Pros:''' Automatic fire. Great accuracy, second only to the [[Plasma Rifle]] (in Auto and Snap modes) and the [[Rocket Launcher]] (in Aimed mode). Incredible power; only [[Sectopod]]s can survive a point-blank burst, and it can [[Destroying Terrain|cut through]] most terrain including some inner bulkheads of UFOs. Guns and clips can be recovered from missions, and become plentiful from April onward.<br /> <br /> '''Cons:''' Requires two hands, although its accuracy one-handed is still better than [[Plasma Pistol|most]] pistols. Requires ammunition; while it has the largest clip size in the game, this can occasionally become a strategic concern in DOS versions of the game due to clips' tendency to [[Known_Bugs#Disappearing_Ammo|disappear]] and the prohibitive Elerium cost of manufacturing clips yourself.<br /> <br /> This weapon appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Sonic Cannon]].<br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/weapon<br /> | weapon =Heavy Plasma<br /> | height = 3<br /> | width = 2<br /> | weight = 8<br /> | damagethreshold = 50<br /> | grip= 2 Handed<br /> | weaponimage = [[Image:BIGOBS30.GIF|left|64 px|Heavy Plasma]]<br /> | acc_auto = 50<br /> | acc_snap = 75<br /> | acc_aim = 110<br /> | fcost_auto = 35<br /> | fcost_snap = 30<br /> | fcost_aim = 60<br /> | saleprice = 171600<br /> | research = Heavy Plasma<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|122000|1000|4|Alien Alloys 1}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> {| align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;{{Infobox style}}&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;2&quot;<br /> {{Infobox module/keyfeatures<br /> | features =<br /> * Plasma Damage <br /> | pros =<br /> * Very High Power <br /> * Very High aimed Accuracy <br /> * High snap Accuracy <br /> * High ammo capacity<br /> * Recoverable<br /> * Common (once it appears)<br /> | cons =<br /> * Elerium for ammo manufacture<br /> }}<br /> |}<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> == Heavy Plasma Clip ==<br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/ammo<br /> | weapon = Heavy Plasma<br /> | ammo = Heavy Plasma Clip<br /> | weight = 3<br /> | height = 1<br /> | width = 1<br /> | damagethreshold = 20<br /> | ammoimage = [[Image:BIGOBS25.GIF|left|64 px|Heavy Plasma Clip]]<br /> | damage = 115 Plasma<br /> | capacity = 35<br /> | saleprice = 9590<br /> | research = Heavy Plasma Clip<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|6000|80|4|3 Elerium}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> <br /> == Recommendations ==<br /> The Heavy Plasma Gun is essentially the ultimate weapon available. It is the most effective assault weapon in the game, and also the most effective sniper rifle. The main caveats on its use are these: a) its clip size, though large, is not infinite like the [[Laser Rifle]]'s, and the supply of clips is limited, so while autofire is perfectly feasible and recommended, gratuitous wastes of ammunition such as attempts to literally level maps may strain your supply line; b) its ability to penetrate the front armour of [[Sectopod]]s is limited, so it is recommended to either flank Sectopods and shoot their weaker back plate, or bring more specialised weapons such as [[Heavy Laser]]s, [[Small Launcher]]s and [[Blaster Launcher]]s; c) the incredible power of Heavy Plasma fire can be a double-edged sword if you face [[Psionics|alien mind control]], so it may be worth bringing a less-superlative weapon such as the Laser Rifle if you expect to face psionic aliens and you have not psi-screened your troops.<br /> <br /> It is also worth noting that due to the weapon's ubiquitous use after the first few months, X-Com will quickly accumulate large stockpiles of Heavy Plasma Guns. The excess guns (though not their precious clips) can and probably should be sold; this avoids the risk of the item table being clogged during a [[Base Defence]], and also provides a significant cash injection.<br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> The following lists how many times a soldier can fire the gun by shot type continuously in any given round, and the remaining percentage of any left over TUs that cannot be spent as a shot.<br /> <br /> * Aimed: 1 Shot, 40% Remaining TUs (enough for 1 Snap shot or 1 Auto burst)<br /> * Snap: 3 Shots, 10% Remaining TUs<br /> * Auto: 2 Bursts (6 Shots), 30% Remaining TUs (enough for 1 Snap shot)<br /> <br /> Note: Soldiers with 51, 54, or 57 maximum TU will be able to fire 3 bursts with 0 TU remaining. While these TU values are unlikely among veteran soldiers, ''rookies'' will quite frequently achieve this criterion, as the range of TU values among recruits is 50-60 inclusive. While you'll probably be arming your entire squad with Heavy Plasma Guns anyway, it's worth noting that this can make some rookies better at providing fire support than their more experienced brethren.<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * Do you desire to wield inhuman power against the invading aliens? This is the weapon for you. It's often able to drop a Muton in a single shot.<br /> * This weapon also comes into its own destroying the internal bulkheads, doors, and floors of UFOs. Want a door somewhere that there isn't one? Bring in a Heavy Plasma and make one.<br /> * Weighs the same as a standard [[Rifle]]. Unless you're weighing them down with tons of gear, any soldier should be able to use this effectively.<br /> * Aliens increasingly prefer this weapon as the game goes on; by September, they will issue it to all troops except a small number wielding [[Small Launcher]]s and [[Blaster Launcher]]s.<br /> * Sells quite well on the market. You'll literally have PILES of them in storage, just waiting to be sold to the highest bidder.<br /> * Note that the Heavy Plasma Gun does take slightly more time to fire than the [[Laser Rifle]]. In particular, the Laser Rifle can potentially fire two Aimed Shots in a single turn, giving a minor advantage when picking off large numbers of weak targets intermingled closely with things you don't want to hit (civilians, your own troops, explosive terrain features). Of course, this is counterbalanced by the even-higher accuracy of Aimed Heavy Plasma fire.<br /> * Bringing reloads to a mission is usually superfluous; 35 shots will see most soldiers through an entire mission, and in the rare event you do run out, you can just loot clips or nearly-full weapons from dead alien fingers. There are better uses of your 80-item limit. In particularly tight cases such as Cydonia, it may even be better to initially arm your troops with [[Laser Rifle]]s (which don't need clips at all) and pick up Heavy Plasma Guns as you go.<br /> *Don't rely overmuch on tanks to soak up Heavy Plasma fire. Tracked tanks tend to fall in 3 hits or so. Hovertanks will usually survive a bit longer, but still risk being destroyed in a single hit.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Plasma_Rifle&diff=70377 2016-01-27T00:31:23Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>{{EU2012Version}}<br /> <br /> The next generation of plasma weapon, the plasma rifle is an effective rapid fire / sniper rifle. <br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/weapon<br /> | weapon =Plasma Rifle<br /> | height = 3<br /> | width = 1<br /> | weight = 5<br /> | damagethreshold = 50<br /> | grip= 2 Handed<br /> | weaponimage = [[Image:BIGOBS31.GIF|left|64 px|Plasma Rifle]]<br /> | acc_auto = 55<br /> | acc_snap = 86<br /> | acc_aim = 100<br /> | fcost_auto = 36<br /> | fcost_snap = 30<br /> | fcost_aim = 60<br /> | saleprice = 126600<br /> | research = Plasma Rifle<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|88000|820|4|Alien Alloys 1}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> The plasma rifle improves considerably on the performance of its predecessor the [[Plasma Pistol]] in terms of damage and accuracy. It offers the best snap and auto fire accuracy of all the weapons. While not the highest, it also has 100% aimed accuracy. <br /> <br /> The aliens have apparently bought the argument that the [[Heavy Plasma]] is better and abandon all other plasma weapons a few months into the invasion. This means that ammunition for the plasma rifle quickly becomes scarce. Once ammunition stockpiles are depleted, [[Elerium]] will need to be spent to produce more ammunition for this weapon. <br /> <br /> Researching the Plasma Rifle and its clip is one of two options available for initiating the [[Plasma Beam]] and consequently [[Hovertank/Plasma]] projects.<br /> <br /> This weapon appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Sonic-Blasta Rifle]].<br /> <br /> {| align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;{{Infobox style}}&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;2&quot;<br /> {{Infobox module/keyfeatures<br /> | features =<br /> * Plasma Damage <br /> * Auto Fire<br /> | pros =<br /> * High power<br /> * Moderate auto accuracy <br /> * High snap and aimed accuracy<br /> * Recoverable<br /> | cons =<br /> * Limited availability<br /> * Elerium for ammo manufacture<br /> }}<br /> |}<br /> <br /> == Plasma Rifle Clip ==<br /> The plasma rifle clip requires [[Elerium-115|Elerium]] for manufacture. Beware - [[Alien Weapon Loadouts|at some point the aliens will stop carrying the Plasma Rifle]], supply of free clips ends and X-Com will have to either abandon the weapon or manufacture ammunition on its own, expending Elerium. <br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/ammo<br /> | weapon = Plasma Rifle<br /> | ammo = Plasma Rifle Clip<br /> | weight = 3<br /> | height = 1<br /> | width = 1<br /> | damagethreshold = 20<br /> | ammoimage = [[Image:BIGOBS41.GIF|left|64 px|Plasma Rifle Clip]]<br /> | damage = 80 Plasma Beam<br /> | capacity = 28<br /> | saleprice = 6290<br /> | research = Plasma Rifle Clip<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|3000|80|4|2 Elerium}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> == Recommendations ==<br /> Although this weapon straddles the middle ground for performance in the plasma weapon family, its increased snapshot accuracy make it a very good rapid-fire rifle for training snipers in actual battle as well as a superior weapon for long-range reaction fire (which only uses snapshots). <br /> <br /> A kneeled snapshot allows the shooter to make use of 98.9% of his or her base accuracy level while enjoying the speed of a snapshot, allowing for more attempts that equals to more accumulated experience and improved accuracy for the next mission. <br /> <br /> A master marksman will eventually be able to consistently make 100% accurate snapshots with the plasma rifle. Once accuracy reaches or goes beyond 116, the sniper no longer needs to kneel. The sniper can even migrate to the Heavy Plasma and achieve the same level of performance by kneeling. <br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> The following lists how many times a soldier can fire the gun by shot type continuously in any given round and the remaining percentage of any left over TUs that cannot be spent as a shot.<br /> <br /> * Aimed: 1 Shot, 40% Remaining TUs (enough for 1 Snap shot or 1 Auto burst)<br /> * Snap: 3 Shots, 10% Remaining TUs<br /> * Auto: 2 Bursts (6 Shots), 28% Remaining TUs<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * When loaded, weighs as much as a loaded standard [[Pistol]]. If a unit for some reason can't move around with a Heavy Plasma, this is an excellent secondary weapon.<br /> * Unless you can achieve 100% accuracy, aimed shot takes too long for too little of an accuracy boost. Snapshot use is recommended, as it will gives you more attempts.<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Plasma_Rifle&diff=70376 2016-01-26T23:13:53Z

<p>TBeholder: /* Stats */</p> <hr /> <div>{{EU2012Version}}<br /> The next generation of plasma weapon, the plasma rifle is an effective rapid fire sniper rifle. <br /> <br /> The plasma rifle improves considerably on the performance of its predecessor the [[Plasma Pistol]] in terms of damage and accuracy. It offers the best snap and auto fire accuracy of all the weapons. While not the highest, it also has 100% aimed accuracy. <br /> <br /> The aliens have apparently bought the argument that the [[Heavy Plasma]] is better and abandon all other plasma weapons a few months into the invasion. This means that ammunition for the plasma rifle quickly becomes scarce. Once ammunition stockpiles are depleted, [[Elerium]] will need to be spent to produce more ammunition for this weapon. <br /> <br /> Researching the Plasma Rifle and its clip is one of two options available for initiating the [[Plasma Beam]] and consequently [[Hovertank/Plasma]] projects.<br /> <br /> This weapon appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Sonic-Blasta Rifle]].<br /> <br /> == Stats ==<br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/weapon<br /> | weapon =Plasma Rifle<br /> | height = 3<br /> | width = 1<br /> | weight = 5<br /> | damagethreshold = 50<br /> | grip= 2 Handed<br /> | weaponimage = [[Image:BIGOBS31.GIF|left|64 px|Plasma Rifle]]<br /> | acc_auto = 55<br /> | acc_snap = 86<br /> | acc_aim = 100<br /> | fcost_auto = 36<br /> | fcost_snap = 30<br /> | fcost_aim = 60<br /> | saleprice = 126600<br /> | research = Plasma Rifle<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|88000|820|4|Alien Alloys 1}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> == Plasma Rifle Clip ==<br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/ammo<br /> | weapon = Plasma Rifle<br /> | ammo = Plasma Rifle Clip<br /> | weight = 3<br /> | height = 1<br /> | width = 1<br /> | damagethreshold = 20<br /> | ammoimage = [[Image:BIGOBS41.GIF|left|64 px|Plasma Rifle Clip]]<br /> | damage = 80 Plasma Beam<br /> | capacity = 28<br /> | saleprice = 6290<br /> | research = Plasma Rifle Clip<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|3000|80|4|2 Elerium}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> == Recommendations ==<br /> Although this weapon straddles the middle ground for performance in the plasma weapon family, its increased snapshot accuracy make it a very good rapid-fire rifle for training snipers in actual battle as well as a superior weapon for long-range reaction fire (which only uses snapshots). <br /> <br /> A kneeled snapshot allows the shooter to make use of 98.9% of his or her base accuracy level while enjoying the speed of a snapshot, allowing for more attempts that equals to more accumulated experience and improved accuracy for the next mission. <br /> <br /> A master marksman will eventually be able to consistently make 100% accurate snapshots with the plasma rifle. Once accuracy reaches or goes beyond 116, the sniper no longer needs to kneel. The sniper can even migrate to the Heavy Plasma and achieve the same level of performance by kneeling. <br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> The following lists how many times a soldier can fire the gun by shot type continuously in any given round and the remaining percentage of any left over TUs that cannot be spent as a shot.<br /> <br /> * Aimed: 1 Shot, 40% Remaining TUs (enough for 1 Snap shot or 1 Auto burst)<br /> * Snap: 3 Shots, 10% Remaining TUs<br /> * Auto: 2 Bursts (6 Shots), 28% Remaining TUs<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * When loaded, weighs as much as a loaded standard [[Pistol]]. If a unit for some reason can't move around with a Heavy Plasma, this is an excellent secondary weapon.<br /> * Unless you can achieve 100% accuracy, aimed shot takes too long for too little of an accuracy boost. Snapshot use is recommended, as it will gives you more attempts.<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Plasma_Pistol&diff=70375 2016-01-26T23:09:44Z

<p>TBeholder: less redundant</p> <hr /> <div>{{EU2012Version}}<br /> ==General information== <br /> {{Ref Open | title = Plasma Pistol}} <br /> Plasma pistols are a lethal alien weapon based on accelerating particles from within a minute anti-gravity field<br /> {{Ref Close | source = X-COM UFO Defense/Enemy Unknown Ufopaedia}}<br /> <br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/weapon<br /> | weapon =Plasma Pistol <br /> | height = 2<br /> | width = 1<br /> | weight = 3<br /> | damagethreshold = 45<br /> | grip= 1 Handed<br /> | weaponimage = [[Image:BIGOBS32.GIF|left|64 px|Plasma Pistol]]<br /> | acc_auto = 50<br /> | acc_snap = 65<br /> | acc_aim = 85<br /> | fcost_auto = 30<br /> | fcost_snap = 30<br /> | fcost_aim = 60<br /> | saleprice = 84000<br /> | research = Plasma Pistol<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|56000|600|3|Alien Alloys 1}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> The Plasma Pistol is the first in the alien's plasma weapon line. It is the most powerful, accurate and lightest pistol-class weapon available. While not as fast as its [[Laser Pistol|laser counterpart]], it has the fastest auto shot in the plasma weapon line. As a pistol it fits on the belt and makes a respectable sidearm for any number of squad roles. <br /> <br /> The Plasma Pistol's biggest drawback is its limited availability as it is soon replaced by the later generation plasma weapons as the primary alien firearm. Scarcity will vary depending on game difficulty. It remains longer on easier levels, but will disappear quickly on harder levels. <br /> <br /> This weapon appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to the [[Sonic Pistol]].<br /> <br /> {| align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;{{Infobox style}}&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;2&quot;<br /> {{Infobox module/keyfeatures<br /> | features =<br /> * Plasma Damage <br /> * Small and One-Handed<br /> | pros =<br /> * Moderate Power <br /> * Moderate Accuracy <br /> * Fast Auto Shot<br /> * Recoverable <br /> | cons =<br /> * Limited availability <br /> * Elerium for ammo manufacture<br /> }}<br /> |}<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Plasma Pistol Clip==<br /> {{Ref Open | title = Plasma Pistol Clip}}<br /> Power source for the small alien plasma pistol. Contains Elerium - the source of all alien power<br /> {{Ref Close | source = X-COM UFO Defense/Enemy Unknown Ufopaedia}}<br /> <br /> <br /> {{Infobox open}}<br /> {{Infobox module/ammo<br /> | weapon = Plasma Pistol<br /> | ammo = Plasma Pistol Clip<br /> | weight = 3<br /> | height = 1<br /> | width = 1<br /> | damagethreshold = 20<br /> | ammoimage = [[Image:BIGOBS34.GIF|left|64 px|Plasma Pistol Clip]]<br /> | damage = 52 Plasma Beam<br /> | capacity = 26<br /> | saleprice = 4440<br /> | research = Plasma Pistol Clip<br /> | acquisition = {{Manufacturing|2000|60|4|1 Elerium}}<br /> }}<br /> {{Infobox close}}<br /> <br /> <br /> The plasma pistol clip is rare and requires [[Elerium-115|Elerium]] for manufacture. Once the aliens will stop carrying the Plasma Pistol as a regular firearm, supply of free clips ends and X-Com will have to either abandon the weapon or manufacture ammunition on its own, expending Elerium.<br /> <br /> It is notable that of the various Elerium based ammunition clips the plasma pistol clip is the most efficient to produce: it provides the best amount of potential damage per unit of Elerium spent. <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> == Recommendations ==<br /> <br /> Like the Laser Pistol, the Plasma Pistol excels mainly with its auto shot attack, as it is one of its primary distinguishing features. <br /> <br /> The Plasma Pistol's single mode attacks are unfortunately easily bested by the [[Plasma Rifle]] and [[Heavy Plasma]] as they are equally as fast but have better damage and accuracy. The plasma pistol's accuracy is still the highest of the three pistols. <br /> <br /> Thanks to its high strength, Plasma Pistols can be used as a primary weapon for scouts and any other role that may require a side arm. The higher accuracy helps new soldiers hit their mark better, and it is a remarkably powerful weapon in the hand of veteran soldiers. It is also a good close range weapon. <br /> <br /> == Usage notes ==<br /> The following lists how many times a soldier can fire the gun by shot type continuously in any given round and the remaining percentage of any left over TUs that cannot be spent as a shot.<br /> <br /> * Aimed: 1 Shot, 40% Remaining TUs (enough for 1 Snap shot or 1 Auto burst)<br /> * Snap: 3 Shots, 10% Remaining TUs<br /> * Auto: 3 Bursts (9 Shots), 10% Remaining TUs<br /> <br /> == Tips ==<br /> * The TUs needed for a Snapshot and the time needed for an Autofire burst are the same; this means that the only time you should NOT spray the enemy with autofire is when accuracy or ammo are a concern. The Plasma Pistol has a reasonably large ammo count.<br /> * This weapon [[Alien Weapon Loadouts|will often disappear by April]]; if you haven't captured one by then, you won't ever get the chance.<br /> * If you don't intend to use the weapon, leave it unresearched so that you can continue to receive the bonus points received for unresearched artefacts.<br /> <br /> == General pistol warning ==<br /> This note covers the regulation [[Pistol]], [[Laser Pistol]] and the [[Plasma Pistol]]. <br /> <br /> Pistol-class weapons are prioritized so that they will always be the last weapons to be selected by your soldiers. <br /> <br /> In addition to that, the Collectors Edition introduces a further anomaly where pistols will be armed:<br /> <br /> #Normally. Or;<br /> #Armed on only one person, with all available slots filled with clips<br /> <br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> {{Equipment (UFO Defense) Navbar}}<br /> [[Category:Equipment (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Research (EU)]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Battlescape_Map_Generation&diff=70101 2016-01-02T20:35:32Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>==Urban Roads==<br /> <br /> I've observed a 45-50% chance of an east/west road appearing, and a 75% chance of a north/south. Both appearing at once occured 20% of the time. Only done 110 trials at the present time however. <br /> <br /> - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 03:55, 10 February 2008 (PST)<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> I'm pretty sure I encountered road-less terror missions before. It's been a while since I ran random terror missions though. BTW: the max number of 20x20 modules which can happen on a Cydonian base map is 8 (including the brain room). In an alien base, it's 4 (including the command center). In both instances, the game has to create 2 green staging rooms so that your soldiers have a place to start. Therefore, the min number of small 10x10 modules (neglecting the 2 green rooms) in the Cydonian base is 2 and in an alien base it's 7. Of course, this assumes the game's map generation engine is purely random. <br /> <br /> - [[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 22:45, 13 February 2008 (PST)<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> Can't remember ever seeing a terror map without a road... Are you certain? <br /> <br /> What I plan to do is create a special logger and run a few thousand samples through it. That'll get the percentages that much more clear.<br /> <br /> I'll be doing the same regarding the odds of any other module turning up in a given space. I suspect the limits as to how many large modules can appear are, as you say, solely based on how many can actually fit; but I'd like to have it nailed down for certain. :)<br /> <br /> - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 23:41, 13 February 2008 (PST)<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> Like I said, I'm not 100% certain on seeing road-less terror missions, but I'm pretty sure. If the map generation engine is completely random, it &lt;b&gt;guarantees&lt;/b&gt; the possibility. Technically, there is a 6.67% (1 of 15) chance of spawining a road in a N/S or E/W configuration and the same chance of a dual roadway. It's possible that because the roads come first in the map area, the game might be more inclined to to include them. Then again, if the game engine spawns a road section somewhere, it might have to re-work the whole map so that the road goes across. In either case, the probabilities of a N/S or E/W road configuration should be identical so perhaps more trials are needed to gain a better understanding. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:42, 14 February 2008 (PST)<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> Finally got around to pulling in the figures.<br /> <br /> *Total number with WE roads on their own: 456 ( 23.59027 %, or 31.46998 % of single road maps)<br /> *Total number with NS roads on their own: 993 ( 51.37093 %, or 68.53002 % of single road maps)<br /> *Total number with WE roads: 940 ( 48.62907 %)<br /> *Total number with NS roads: 1477 ( 76.40973 %)<br /> *Total number with both roads: 484 ( 25.0388 %)<br /> *Total number with no roads: 0 ( 0 %)<br /> *Total number with a single road: 1449 ( 74.9612 %)<br /> *Total trials: 1933 <br /> <br /> - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 22:07, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ----<br /> if (random(100)&gt;50) set NS road<br /> else { set WE road; <br /> if (random(100)&gt;50) set NS road (+crossroad) }<br /> --[[User:Volutar|Volutar]] 08:02, 9 April 2012 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==Map Sizes==<br /> <br /> XcomUtil may generate oddly shaped maps? <br /> <br /> - BB<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> No, but the engine should accept rectangular maps (at least TFTD does, in the case of the ships). BladeFireLight once designed a Battlefield Generator that was supposed to allow you to create your own maps but i never quite figured it out.<br /> <br /> - [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 13:52, 13 February 2008 (PST))<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> So XcomUtil didn't generate those 60x60x2 alien bases?<br /> <br /> UFO does support rectangular maps, and even maps more then four units high. My [http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/?showtopic=598&amp;st=80#entry70168 throwing logger] generates them to spec, but the maps aren't intended for playing on.<br /> <br /> There were also some odd issues where adding extra levels would cause all sorts of rendering artefacts... Can't quite remember how high you had to push things for that to happen.<br /> <br /> - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 17:36, 13 February 2008 (PST)<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> I'm not sure about the 6x6x2 alien bases anymore, might just be my memory playing tricks on me.~<br /> <br /> - [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 12:34, 18 February 2008 (PST)<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> I guess you'll have to trust me on this one, but base assault mission are generated by code starting at 0x0044D030 ; there you can see:<br /> <br /> .text:0044D042 mov eax, 5<br /> .text:0044D047 add esp, 0Ch<br /> .text:0044D04A mov pGeodata.map_xsize_10, ax<br /> .text:0044D050 mov pGeodata.map_ysize_10, ax<br /> .text:0044D056 mov pGeodata.map_zsize, 2<br /> .text:0044D05F mov pGeodata.terrain_type, 4<br /> .text:0044D068 mov pGeodata.craftsToDraw, 0<br /> .text:0044D06F mov word ptr missionDescriptor, 3 ; 3 -&gt; base offense<br /> <br /> which means (if you're not fluent in x86 ;) ) that the alien assaults maps are hard coded to 5x5x2 size.<br /> <br /> Similarly for base defense, you'll find:<br /> .text:0044CD6B mov eax, 2<br /> .text:0044CD70 mov ebx, 6<br /> .text:0044CD75 mov pGeodata.map_zsize, ax<br /> .text:0044CD7B mov word ptr missionDescriptor, ax ; 2 -&gt; base defense<br /> .text:0044CD81 add esp, 0Ch<br /> .text:0044CD84 mov pGeodata.map_xsize_10, bx<br /> .text:0044CD8B mov pGeodata.map_ysize_10, bx<br /> .text:0044CD92 mov pGeodata.terrain_type, 3<br /> .text:0044CD9B mov pGeodata.craftsToDraw, 0<br /> <br /> which translates into 6x6x2 map size. [[User:Seb76|Seb76]] 14:12, 18 February 2008 (PST)<br /> <br /> ==Units VS PSUs==<br /> <br /> Arrow, please discuss here before you edit this stuff... hmm... I'm going to look for an editor, and see what happens if I hack Mutons to have 250 Health and 250 armor in all directions. If my suspicions are correct, the UPS explosion will STILL kill them... anyone know which editor can edit Muton stats and UPS explosion damage? ... I haven't seen any editors which can do that, so far... [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 12:45, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :I admit I was a bit hasty in editing; I'm fairly low on sleep. I would ask you recall to do the same on some other pages. :) IIRC, from Zombie's The UFO power source explosion actually exceeds a Blaster Bomb in power. What I think happens is that the game might respawn some aliens after the explosion in the event they're all killed by the blast, as a failsafe. If no aliens are present, the battle would never begin because the aliens would never pass the &quot;Any units alive?&quot; check before the beginning of Turn 1. And I have seen wounded aliens near Power Source explosions on occasion. So it is possible. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 13:05, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> : I bet the Mutons survive, as I see plenty of merely damaged aliens from power plant explosions (CE Edition). -- [[User:Zaimoni|Zaimoni]], 14:21 17 Mar 2009 (CDT)<br /> <br /> :: ... Ok... I need to either get an editor or bring in Mind-Probes to confirm this... [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 18:22, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Ah, but there's always some aliens OUTSIDE the spaceship, right? Is it hard-coded always, or is it just very very very likely that there will be aliens outside the ship? ... hmmm... but, as I've said... the UPS explosion behaves very strangely. The inconsistant blast pattern, among other things. If you tried to SIMULATE a UPS explosion by editting Heavy Explosives, and set them off right in the center of a Medium Scout, you would get the same blast pattern every single time. A crashed Medium Scout can have anything ranging from the floor ceiling and walls being intact to a hole in the ceiling to near total annihilation with even the outer hull shredded. ... Heck, you can usually recover an intact UFO navigation from a crashed medium scout. Try firing off a Blaster Bomb in the middle of one, and see what happens...<br /> <br /> I definitely agree with your failsafe theory... every combat MUST start with live aliens. But I think that is in ADDITION to any weird behaviour exhibited by the UPS kaboom.<br /> <br /> Just checked... UPS blows with strength 215, but has a random modifier too... they already know that UPS boom is weird vs terrain. Let's see how weird it is vs units...<br /> <br /> : A Medium Scout where no aliens spawn outside is rather likely to start with zero aliens. This is most common on Beginner (have seen twice in ??? missions). Saving the game is impractical as the battle ends before XCOM starts its first turn. -- [[User:Zaimoni|Zaimoni]], 14:12 17 Mar 2009 (CDT)<br /> <br /> :: Eh... really? So you CAN start a mission with zero aliens? Interesting... what version of the game are you playing, BTW?<br /> :: Eh... this gives me a thought for yet another crackpot theory... which is about the spawning of units for the higher difficulty levels... I tend to find quite a number of aliens inside the UFO to be much greater on Superhuman... maybe the &quot;extra&quot; aliens from superhuman were spawned after the UPS explosion?<br /> :: Eh... come to think of it... if it ended so quick, how do you know the map had zero aliens? Maybe it was tactical.exe crashing and made you think the mission succeeded, but it was just the prior mission results?<br /> [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 18:22, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ::: As mentioned above: CE edition (XCOMUtil'd, as the graphics need patching to display at all; however, the only binary executable code patching XCOMUtil does is to remove the Difficulty Bug). The forked tactical.exe did not crash; the start of the turn is displayed properly, I get a brief glimpse of the BattleScape, and then the Mission Over sequence. No reaction time to speak of. -- [[User:Zaimoni|Zaimoni]], 18:10 17 Mar 2009 (CDT)<br /> <br /> :: If the mission results says success and no aliens killed, no aliens captured, that's a pretty good hint the exe didn't crash. Your previous mission presumably had kills. No survivors happens, from time to time. [[User:Knan|Knan]] 19:18, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> : It's not uncommon for a crash to kill all units in TFTD, however in that case you get a message stating that's exactly what happened. I cannot remember it happening in UFO, though I've had aliens non-fatally injured by the UPS explosion. Also seen them knocked out from it, but that could be due to subsequent exposure to smoke (never done a proper check into the matter).<br /> <br /> : Remember that units under alien control never sustain fatal wounds, so you won't notice an alien was &quot;just winged&quot; by the blast unless you mind control/probe it. Less health means a unit will go down to smoke faster, too.<br /> <br /> : XCU does not edit the CE game executable to remove the difficulty bug. That version of the game doesn't have it in the first place. f0dder's loader is what fixes the graphics (that edits the binary executable code, but only the copy you're running in RAM, not the original file).<br /> <br /> : - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 00:29, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> I'm not really sure when aliens are spawned on a map. My assumption is that they are placed there after the map is generated but before the Power Source(s) has/have exploded ''(this is correct - BB)''. Because of the high spawn priorities for aliens inside the Medium Scout, you would think there would be a high probability that the aliens which do spawn would all be killed. This is far more likely to happen on Beginner than on the higher difficulty settings because less aliens will be present and the probability of them spawning inside the craft high. When you get to Superhuman, there are usually a lot more aliens than spawn points inside the craft and this results in more showing up around the landscape. But this type of auto-win mission is still hard to come by. The reason is two-fold. First, just because a spawn point has a priority of 10, it doesn't mean that point will automatically get filled before another one with a priority of 1. It's a weighted probability, so in this example, there would be a 10/11 (90.91%) chance the alien will go in the 10 priority while there is a 1/11 (9.09%) chance it will spawn in the 1 priority. Secondly (and this is the kicker), the landscape plays a huge role in where aliens will get placed. For example, on the farm landscape, there are a few high-priority spawn points within the buildings which dilutes the probability of aliens all going within the craft. In the same manner, a landscape may have a lot of low priority spawn points which lowers the probability too.<br /> <br /> As for how much damage a unit will take from a UFO PS explosion, I don't know. I'm only up to gathering numbers on the amount of recoverables. But it shouldn't be too hard to bash together a testing scenario. I think the one problem I had before was that the damage for the explosion was so high that it forced me to edit soldier armor to compensate (even with 255 health). More armor would skew the results more. I suppose the easiest way would be to edit the blast strength of the PS explosion to a small (but constant) level to avoid the armor problems. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:56, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> : Just to add my experience, I've had the auto-win scenario happen to me with the medium scout a few times before after painstakingly arming my troops to an exact configuration. You tend to remember something like that! I've had it happen in both the dos version (untainted) and CE (XComutil split executable). I suppose it was one of those odd occasions where all aliens just happened to spawn inside the UFO. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 02:02, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :: This is all VERY interesting to me... learnt a lot. Hmmm... Explosions do a minimum of 50% damage to units, right? So, how can a sectoid/floater survive 50% of a 180 damage explosion? ... intruiging... OH YEAH, I remember the TFTD no survivors thing! Those were hilarious... One more thing... am I going senile things, or is it possible for Navigation to be intact when the UPS blows up? ... maybe I am confusing the large scout results? ... hmmm.... [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 03:36, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :::On occasion, the Navigation will survive a power source explosion in a Medium Scout. However, this is not a particularly reliable means of acquiring UFO Navigations. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 05:36, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :: Yeah, that's what I thought... however, doesn't a UPS explode with minimum strength 180? Cause it looks like the Console Navigations only have 40 armor, and they're not actually that far away from the blast, I'm surprised that they can survive at all? Anyhow, heh, I find that I have many more Navigations than Power Sources... but X-com craft either need 1N1P, or 1N,2P.My fleet of Avengers means that my required ratio is close to 2 Power Source to 1 Navigation. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 06:01, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> At least from my tests on the UFO Crash Recovery [[Talk:UFO_Crash_Recovery|Talk Page]] navigations never survive a crash where the power source explodes. How can a Sectoid survive? Well, if it spawns between the chair and the wall, the chair will absorb some of the blast strength. Also, at that distance, the explosion goes to facing armor, not under armor which may be just enough to keep it alive. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 11:16, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :How much HEB does the chair have? It's not listed on the explosions page. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 11:38, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Chairs have 20 HEB. So that means the min damage on the tile beyond that is 40. Sectoids have a max health rating of 30 and front armor of 4. That's still 6 points short of surviving though. Don't really know what's going on there. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 22:30, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> : Any chance the minimum blast strength varies from craft to craft? - [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 23:16, 18 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :: OOH... that's an interesting thought! Yes, I have noticed that the number of survivors does seem to correlate to the destruction level... Hmmm hmmm hmmm... well, maybe someone can perform the happy fun test where they blow up aliens using UPS modules, over and over and over, lol...<br /> :::The explosion power is hard coded and does not change with craft type, damage taken during dogfight or whatever other things like time of the day or planet alignment... [[User:Seb76|Seb76]] 14:19, 19 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> == KABOOM!! ==<br /> <br /> The game does actually feature vertical damage from explosions, and not only for UPS. I guess the reason it's believed otherwise is that the flying armor gives good protection against ground explosions. The UPS explosion being up to 250 in explosive power can destroy roof tiles, as well as a modified blaster bomb would. And I can assure you that UPS explosions use the same routine as standard explosions ;-) [[User:Seb76|Seb76]] 15:11, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> : Other than the fact that UPS does 215 +/- 35 damage to terrain? hmm... Wait, methinks me gets that part... sort of... basically, the initial strength of the explosion is randomly determined, then it henceforth behaves like a normal explosion? ... How much damage is applied to alien units nearby then? Do they get hit for the full damage or something? ... Sigh... I need to wait until my current game reaches the point where I have a full developed Psi Corps. <br /> <br /> : As for vertical damage from explosions, er... SORT OF. Explosions do vertical damage, but only to floor/roof tiles. Units and objects appear to be untouched. Not only flying armor, even Floaters and Ethereals will be completely untouched by an explosion occuring underneath them. I have been wondering about that, actually...<br /> <br /> :[[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 18:22, 17 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Just thought I would point out. You can have all aliens killed during the blast, you get a message that all aliens died and tactical ends. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 13:07, 1 April 2012 (EDT)<br /> <br /> : I vaguely remember &quot;everyone's dead, Dave&quot; missions, too. But does this depend on difficulty level (assuming version/patch that has it working, of course)? I mean, if extra aliens to be deployed for difficulty are added ''after'' UPS goes boom, then of course they always survive on higher settings and are absent on lower. -[[User:TBeholder|TBeholder]] ([[User talk:TBeholder|talk]]) 15:35, 2 January 2016 (EST)</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Artillery/_Firing_Blindly&diff=70097 2016-01-02T01:40:05Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>This strategy is pretty much the complement of [[Scouting]]. In the event that you can't see any enemy aliens... you could go look for them.<br /> <br /> Or... you could just bombard the area, and kill anything that MIGHT be there.<br /> <br /> Just aim at the ground, trees, buildings... blow them all up with impunity. Also, the clouds of smoke you kick up are a good defensive shield. If you manage to kill something, hurray! If you don't... oh well, that's what spare clips are for. Cheaper than your soldiers lives by far. If you fired off a Large Rocket or Auto-Fire AC-HE, and got multiple kills in one salvo, feel jubilant the first few times, then come to realise: this actually happens with alarming frequency.<br /> <br /> A Heavy Rocket costs $900. A full clip of Auto Cannon Heavy Explosive rounds costs $700. A grenade costs $300. These are probably the 3 most effective weapons for area bombardment, other than Blaster Bombs, which I deem to be near priceless. A heavy Rocket also has better terrain destruction capabilities than any explosive other than the High Explosive and the Blaster Bomb.<br /> <br /> Obviously, the Heavy Rocket is the most effective and powerful option. 100 explosive power. Scary. Trouble is, it takes up a lot of space, uses up a lot of TU, is very heavy, and is expensive. However, it blows up a pretty huge area, and does a lot of damage. Also, a Heavy Rocket will almost always One Hit Kill a Cyberdisc.<br /> Sadly, the Heavy Rocket has a high chance of blowing up a lot of loot, because those alien guns can actually withstand explosions from AC-HE, but not these things.<br /> <br /> The AC-HE rounds are very very economical, both in TU and cost. You get 14 shots with 42 power each. Not bad at all. For comparison, the Heavy Cannon is 6 shots with 52 power.<br /> <br /> The grenade costs $300, and has 50 power. It is quite TU consuming to prime and toss a grenade, but they have very useful arcs of fire.<br /> <br /> Later in the game, once your soldiers become very strong, Heavy Explosives 110 power is still unutilised, since Alien Grenades have 90 power and are much lighter and half the inventory space.<br /> <br /> [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 10:09, 21 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :As long as you're using Grenades, you might look into your friend the [[High Explosive]], which is far better for clearing areas; I often use it to level farmhouses, especially when using XComUtil's weapons edits. You should note that if you only use one explosive, the loot will survive, since loot that's not on the ground can't be destroyed by a single explosion(though the alien corpse sometimes can). <br /> <br /> :As the High Explosive is rather bulky, some people might prefer to use the [[Alien Grenade]] instead. It's as light as a regular grenade, and has almost twice the firepower. It also is standard gear for most aliens, and after you get about midway into the game, you'll be hard pressed to get rid of all the alien grenades you're finding.<br /> <br /> :The [[Tank/Rocket Launcher|Rocket Tank]] is another option for this, especially once you get the Avenger, since it's hard to equip 26 soldiers with 80 items. The main disadvantages are the ammo limit(8) and the cost of the tank and ammo. The major advantages are free repair if not killed, excellent ability for suppressive fire, no energy limit(tanks start each turn with full energy), and the fact it doesn't count against the 80-item limit.<br /> <br /> :You might also consider the use of the [[Small Launcher]] as a substitute or replacement for the Rocket Launcher against many aliens. Ammo is easy to find on mid to large UFOs. The Small Launcher has a rather impressive blast radius and stun damage, and will NEVER destroy loot. It's also very accurate. As a bonus, the aliens are only stunned, not killed, which is useful if you're trying to get some informants. Even if you aren't, any unit that's stunned will drop all its gear. The aliens are too stupid to pick up their own weapon, so as long as you're not using it against psionic aliens or small terror units, it still works fine. (Large terror units never wake up from stun.) The major disadvantage here is that you don't know if you stunned anything in the area, since stunned units don't scream, and there's the potential for the aliens to wake up later and make you need to hunt them down at the end of the mission. The fact the Small Launcher can only hold one shot at a time and its moderately sluggish rate of fire also is a limit. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 13:56, 22 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: We really ought to avoid using the main article as a talk forum - but then again some of our best articles started off as chats. We'll get round to it.<br /> <br /> :: High Explosives have 120% more firepower than the standard grenade in exchange for twice the weight and bulk, and five times the price. The key here is that you'll need twice the amount of strength to throw it around reasonably. 40 strength (which brand new rookies can get or start near) is the magic number to aim for as they'll be able toss the high explosive a reasonable distance away. Once it goes even higher, your soldiers will be tossing them around like ordinary grenades back when they were rookies! Perfect for blind shelling. Save your precious alien grenades as a last resort or for training up new recruits. It's almost a tradition to wipe out the top level (and bottom level if you want to be really thorough) of barns with high explosives. <br /> <br /> :: By the way, don't forget the grenade hit attribution bug when using high explosives. Not really a problem when used with blind shelling, but lots of folks tend to prefer dropping it rather than throwing it as it's easier to use this way. Particularly with flying suits. For example, it's easy to hover over a hole (on top of a UFO) and then dropping the High Explosive right down so that it lands exactly where you want it. Mind you, this is a good way to conserve your blaster bombs. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 22:48, 22 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Personally, I think that XComUtil's edit of the Heavy Explosive is very imbalanced. The unmodified Heavy Explosive is quite well balanced in regards to the normal grenade, the modified HE is quite ridiculous. Personally, I think that for 200 power, the HE should have a weight of 10. It's Earth technology, you can BUY it, it doesn't use Elerium or anything... of course you can get a bigger boom, but only through building a bigger bomb!<br /> As for using Stun Bombs for Artillery Purposes... it doesn't really work, except for firing around corners and stuff... It's more like when you are fairly certain that there is an alien camping there and you want to get him.<br /> In the case of my artillery fire tactic, I would say that, on Superhuman difficulty, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, I spam my AC-HE ammo to rather extreme extents (alien reactions and accuracy too high!)... I would say that my hit/miss ratio for blind fire is 1 kill per clip of AC-HE... on average. Some missions I don't hit a single alien with my bombardment attacks... ouch.<br /> My Terror Missions often end up with none, or maybe 1 civilian still alive.... hahahaha.<br /> [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 03:38, 24 February 2009 (CST)<br /> : Sounds like a good compromise. At least it seems easy to do in OpenXCom: Just adding &quot;weight: 10&quot; to XcomUtil_High_Explosive_Damage.rul should do the trick. [[User:Medinoc|Medinoc]] ([[User talk:Medinoc|talk]]) 10:03, 1 January 2016 (EST)<br /> <br /> : Also, this would make HWP Fusion Bomb look EVEN WORSE than it already is (BB's knock-off weaker enough to lack hull-breaching ability, but more expensive to make). =) However, in OpenXCom you could also reduce HE pack's blast radius - which would make it fit the niche as a dedicated demolition charge, rather than an oversized frag grenade or air-to-ground bomb. -[[User:TBeholder|TBeholder]] ([[User talk:TBeholder|talk]]) 20:40, 1 January 2016 (EST)<br /> <br /> This is a great tactic to use when you don't feel your soldiers are confident enough to face the current level of alien threat. In the US Army euphemism this might be called &quot;control by fire&quot; or &quot;preparing the battlefield&quot;. It's an approach used very enthusiastically by the Russians in Afghanistan and Chechenya. It's a nicely game-balanced tactic to use in this game because you reduce risk to friendly forces but pay the price in terms of lost loot, lost prisoners, and civilian casualties - all of which give reduced score. But, on the positive side of the register, you survive and live to fight another day, older and wiser. And, as noted above, the munitions are pretty cheap. You could probably fire off all the rockets and AC-HE your squad could carry into battle and still not expend the cost of replacing a couple of soldiers. In the interests of destroying a bit less loot, it is better to use fewer, bigger warheads rather than many small ones. For this the AC-HE is maybe less than ideal. If clearing a battlefield, maybe it's best to use it one handed, so that the rounds spray around more and don't fall on the same location (destroying loot). Also you will find AC-HE won't penetrate light building cover, where aliens can lurk unharmed and ambush you when you move in. For this reason I prefer rockets, or at least a judicious use of HC-HE / HC-AP to open holes in buildings first. Then by all means, fire AC-HE through the holes. Now, by the time you have Alien Grenades and Blaster Bombs, this tactic is highly unsporting. Though it might be understandable the first time you meet Ethereals. But then, you really don't want your guys running around with a lot of rockets and HE when that happens! [[User:Spike|Spike]] 16:34, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :(This isn't entirely a response to the person immediately above; it's just indented to be easily distinguishable.)<br /> <br /> :Firing blind doesn't necessarily have to be done with explosives. Doing it with [[Laser Rifle]]s is also quite possible. When you find a building, an orchard, or some other cluster of cover, instead of moving your scouts to the entrance, just move them out of the line of fire and target the cover itself with automatic fire from your snipers. You might reveal aliens with the barrage, but! Since the ones doing the firing are your snipers, from outside their own visual range, there won't be any reaction fire. So you can just target the revealed alien with the next couple of bursts. You'll probably also get some blind kills from the sheer volume of fire you're directing at the area; it's entirely possible to blast down a wall with one shot of a burst and kill the alien hiding behind it with the second shot. The advantage of doing it with lasers is, of course, that you don't waste ammunition or destroy loot; the trade-off is that you'll need a lot of snipers to lay down that much fire. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] ([[User talk:Magic9mushroom|talk]]) 18:24, 1 January 2016 (EST)<br /> <br /> [[Category: Tactics]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=The_Mysteries_of_X-COM&diff=70087 2015-12-31T02:04:47Z

<p>TBeholder: /* What is the propose of the &#039;disco balls&#039; found inside some UFOs? */</p> <hr /> <div>Discussion page for some less clear aspects of the series<br /> <br /> ==General issues==<br /> <br /> ==='''How fast can alien craft travel in space?'''===<br /> <br /> Some alien missions (repeated attacks on X-COM bases, for instance) come daily. This seems to imply that alien craft are able to travel the distance from Mars to Earth in a matter of hours.<br /> <br /> : Or maybe, as you suggest in your novels, they have a staging area near Earth, such as the dark side of the Moon. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 15:36, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Really fast. Consider that they don't need to push aside atmosphere, as well as the fact that momentum is conserved in space, so they can achieve very high speeds with gravity slingshots. (Mars DOES have 2 moons, recall.) Also note that they may be operating a bit closer to home(the far side of the moon, perhaps?) it's simply that the command staff are at Cydonia. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Good article in last month's Scientific American pointing out we only rely on gravity slingshots because we still use chemical rockets with pathetic delta-V. Once 2nd and 3rd generation plasma engines come on line (1st gen are in flight now) the gravity slingshot will become an irrelevance. No doubt UFO drives are at least as good as our (future) 3rd gen plasma drives, probably way better since they warp space. <br /> <br /> (Reminds me of the old Guild Navigator joke - I just warped space from Ix, and boy is my mind tired. Oh well, you had to be there)<br /> <br /> [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Also keep in mind that both Phobos and Deimos are tiny. They are basically captured asteroids. Neither would be useful in gravity assist. But yeah, the UFO's shouldn't need any assist anyway.[[User:Mannon|Mannon]] 11:35, 30 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> ::Case in point: http://xkcd.com/681_large/ (Deimos can be escaped with someone on a bike and a plank stacked on a brick, Phobos requires a good pitching arm). --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 16:55, 13 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :Consider that many of the same aliens as UFO/EU are in X-COM Intercepter, having necessarily had to break light speed. Consider that if outside any atmoshphere a battleship could reach 4800 knots(in-game top speed) within two minutes (which is about how long it appears to take in-game) then it is accelerateing at about 18m/s/s or almost 2Gs. In 24 hours it would reach 1,555km/s. At this speed (assuming it turned it's drive off after 24h) it would travel about 134,000,000km each day. The maximum distance between Earth and mars is about 401,000,000km. <br /> :For simplicity, because we have room to work with here, even if a battleship were to accelerate for 24 hours while orbiting mars, and again had to decelerate for 24 hours in orbit after reaching earth, (all while a chrysalid inside balanced two apples on each of it's mandibles) it would still only take 5 days to reach earth when both planets are at opposite orbital positions. It seems that the Ethereals can wipe out your base and not have to miss Ladies Night, assuming the club is also on earth. ''Ethereal Mind-Trick: &quot;You don't want to 'blow dis joint'. You want to come back to the UFO for a little abduction mhmhmhmhhmm.'' [[User:Darkestaxe|Darkestaxe]] 23:38, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> ::On one hand, &quot;near-constant multiple organ failure&quot; problably includes THAT organ. Ouch. On the other, sheer force of will problably works on that for them (lucky them); and with Psionics, you can make any woman belive that &quot;this long&quot; (holds hands a few inches apart) is 1 foot, as well as literally make her forget any other man she's thought about before, as well as Algerbra. Unhooking a bra would, however, still a challenge unto itself. And, since we are given specific dates in-game, there's plenty of programs online that can calculate the distance between planets for any given time, as well as lists of Oppositions (when two plants are at their closest): http://cseligman.com/text/planets/marsoppositions.htm For example, in 1999, the in-game year of the first game, on April 24th, Mars was only 86 million Km away (though Kudos if you can beat the game THAT early into a campaign) --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 16:55, 13 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==='''What happens to the crashed UFO craft and its crew?'''=== <br /> <br /> Downed alien craft disappear after a few days have passed. No explanation is given to this whatsoever, so what really happens to them?<br /> <br /> Possible answers:<br /> * The UFO and its occupants are recovered by other humans.<br /> * The Aliens manage to repair the craft and fly back to space. (unlikely, in the event that the power plant blew up and they have no Elerium)<br /> * The Aliens self-destruct the craft and kill themselves in the process, ensuring their remains will not be recovered by humans. (This is, in fact, the in-game explination. Read the mission briefing. [[User:Darkestaxe|Darkestaxe]] 23:38, 12 April 2013 (EDT))<br /> * The UFO Powerplant eventually suffers a meltdown and explodes, eliminating any vestiges of alien presence.<br /> * The Aliens blow up the UFO and disappear into the countryside.<br /> * Most likely answer, IMHO: The local government/ funding nations give X-COM a limited time window to launch any operation, similiar to what you see in covert ops movies: &quot;Complete the mission within 36 hours, or we initiate Carpet Bombing of the area&quot;. This is very likely considering that each nation actually has jurisdiction, and X-com is operating each military op with permission and cooperation by local authorities. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> *Similiarly, I assume that nations which have signed a pact with the aliens launch a rescue operation and assist their alien friends. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> : In the UFO TV show, it's stated that alien craft and bodies degrade quickly in Earth's atmosphere, disappearing completely in hours or a few days. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 15:36, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :: If that was the case, then one of the gases present in the atmosphere would be very toxic to the aliens. They would be restricted on their activities outside their craft, not to mention they would have to terraform the planet to be able to live here. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: As Zombie said, doesn't Alien Containment support this idea? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Those are excellent suggestions. One of the X-COM books detailed that aliens throw up a force field around crashed UFOs to give them time to repair the craft. This would also explain the limited size of the Battlescape (the area of the force field...the field was thrown up before the crash, thus why the craft wasn't always centered in it) as well as why the Battlescape is devoid of human life(the aliens took care of that up front.) Similarly, large scale bombing works as well, as does the local government going in to clean it up themselves. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::If there's a force field around the craft what is it supposed to repel? The atmosphere? Because humans have no problem entering the field and operating inside it. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::Of course they do! Have you ever noticed how dumb your units can be? That's because the aliens can't live with too much nitrogen, so they turn some of it in their force field to oxygen, and excessive amounts of oxygen make you act weird. After a while, their power source runs out and the nitrogen returns, dissolving them into E-115. (What did you think it was made of?) AT least, that's what seemes logical to me, ad is a combination of many postulates here. 21:36, 18 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> :::::That would require that the aliens' biochemistry and the alien alloys used in the power sources reacted with nitrogen, which is a mostly inert gas on normal temperature and pressure and a . It's kinda of weird that the aliens didn't bothered with fixing that vulnerability with their craft and bodies during millions of years (what happens if the force field malfunctions while capturing cattle? ooops!) but ok. The increase in the amount of oxygen would probably also turn any kind of fire into large explosions throughtout the force field. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 21:24, 19 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> ::The force field was intended to keep humans out so the aliens were undisturbed. The first major hurdle X-COM had was figuring out a way to bypass those fields so they COULD get troops and aircraft inside. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 20:54, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> *I'd guess that the aliens would eventually mount their own rescue missions, especially once they realized that XCOM is farming their ships for resources (they must know we don't have ready access to their alloys and Elerium) and co-opting their technology. In the Firaxis game, when idling in the Situation Room screen, Central's (often amusing) radio chatter implies that there are many more UFO's and reports that don't go into the globe. Additionally: only 16 countries are covered, and there are over 150 countries on earth, plus all the oceans. After all, if we were shooting down every last ship, then the alien collective shouldn't be able to land so many aliens for Terror Missions. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 02:48, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> ===How do the aliens carry their equipment?===<br /> Like human soldiers, aliens can carry weapons and equipment in locations like legs, belt, shoulders and backpack, regardless of the fact that some of their races even lack those anatomical features.<br /> <br /> :Potentially a sticky gel-like area on the limb. Though really, since we were never intended to access alien inventories and the AI does all inventory management internally, this may simply be something that was never considered. Speaking from a slightly different standard, most aliens do not carry excessive amounts of gear; often their equipment would be able to fit in both hands. Also recall that Floaters and Ethereals have capes and robes(which may have inside pockets, or the Floaters could store them in the anti-grav/life support unit or inside surgically created body cavities during the installation, while Ethereals could support their excess gear with telekinesis), Mutons have armor(which may have external straps or adhesive areas), and Snakemen have an armor plate(which could have straps, adhesive, inside pockets, or even a backpack.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :We already know the answer to this one - they cheat! ;) [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Are X-COM transport craft piloted?===<br /> <br /> :Almost certainly, since a remotely-piloted craft could be returned to base when the mission was aborted or failed. It's entirely possible that all X-COM soldiers are qualified pilots of the appropriate craft, since it would make no sense for X-COM to waste space on the plane for a noncombatant, or to have a single-point of failure on the mission like that. (The aliens could screw over the entire op by killing the pilot). It also explains why the craft is lost when the mission fails or is aborted with no one inside(lacking a pilot, the aliens are able to easily destroy it.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: On the other hand, even a tank/hovertank is capable of getting the craft back to base. Perhaps there is an autopilot function. X-com craft are also infamous for choosing strange and bizarre intercept paths, based on latitude lines... almost as if they followed some a few simple lines of code from 1993 programming (bit of 4th wall breakage there...) -[[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :Of course, given the tanks seem to be remotely piloted from an X-COM base, its possible that the tank being in the craft allows the Tank pilot to reroute into the control systems for the dropship and take it over. Limiting this to having the tank inside is a rather good idea. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 12:07, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :I recall that the various cutscenes in the PSX version had a pilot, most notably in the &quot;Mission Failure&quot; scene, where it shows the pilot being killed. --[[User:Mabmoro|Mabmoro]] 16:06, 13 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===What sort of physical process is used to increase human stats over time?===<br /> <br /> The increases in some stats are easy explained by experience gained on missions (firing abiility, reactions, etc.). However, in the cases of physical stats (TUs, stamina, strength) the increase must be augmented by an artificial process, since it isn't easily explainable that humans can significantly increase body mass/speed/endurance just by physical activity/exercise. <br /> <br /> :Lifting weights will increase strength. Running and cardio exercise will increase endurance, and performing the same task multiple times will allow you to perform it faster. I see no reason natural increase doesn't work. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::I assume that it is possible to a human to use those methods to double its physical condition, but that being the case why are X-COM recruits so... undeveloped? Maybe this is a more intriguing aspect. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> What I don't get is that when someone gets blasted that they gain a lot of extra health. For crying out loud, the aliens are throwing around plasma and ridicoulously HUGE explosions. Shouldn't they be suffering from third-degree burns? I would expect them to at least have a major sore spot where they got hit. [[User:Tsunamiatunzen1|Tsunamiatunzen1]] September 24<br /> <br /> :There's been arguments over whether the soldiers in X-COM are the Green Berets or equivalents of their various militaries, just average soldiers that volunteered for the job, or if the Council of Funding Nations is corrupt and is using this as an excuse to foist off their most useless soldiers onto the X-COM project. If the latter, it would easily explain their rather poor early stats. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Maybe the stat increases relate to the troops getting more comfortable performing all operations - lifting, running, combat actions - when the aliens no longer scare the cr*p out of them so much. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: I know what you mean... if this were Jagged Alliance, it'd be like trying to hire Mike and getting Gumpy instead... ouch! ... IMHO, it looks as if the COFN is being funny about this. Clearly, the troops assigned to X-com have had extensive weapons training... each and every one of them can use just about any standard weapon, including Rocket Launchers, incindieries, auto Cannons, etc. However, NONE of them have any combat experience, coming to you as fresh rookies. And their stats look as if they were selected based on a pot luck basis rather than screening among the elite troops... [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :Health isn't gained from getting shot. But as for the &quot;ludicrously low stats&quot; issue, maybe they're being selected on some other basis, or there's a real shortage of volunteers. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] 04:56, 25 September 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :: I think that the X-COM's soldiers have big responsibilities, can't have children. They are sworn in and only then go to the field - if someone can't be trusted to keep a secret, he's getting sacked, given a shitty job (ever wondered who maintained the General Stores?) or worse. - n, 16:47, 16 August 2010 (GMT+2)<br /> <br /> In Hotpoint's [http://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-16092/Hotpoint+XSGCOM+Goa+uld+Defence.htm| XSGCOM: Goa'uld Defense], his explanation is that after a few missions of watching their fellow newbies die, the survivors give in and volunteer for an experimental regimen of performance-enhancing drugs. IRL, steroids and such don't result in instant strength enhancement, they just encourage accelerated development of muscles. [[User:Kalaong|Kalaong]] 03:16, 28 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Heh: http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/901 --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 02:52, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> As much as I've played this series for decades, and know full well how pitiful the starting stats of soldiers are, at least with respect to the game's rules, I really feel I must wonder and ask why we think those starting stats are 'underdeveloped' or 'pot luck'? What, exactly, are we basing this judgement on beyond how poorly they seem to perform in-game against a force that is quite honestly and clearly demonstrated as superior to humans in the first few missions, where only luck and superior numbers appear to manage to secure any wins for the organization and, in turn, humanity? How much can the average X-COM 'Rookie' carry in pounds as gear, and is it considered substantial compared to Army kit, or not? How many direct hits from a rifle can they take normally without dying or keeling over from fatal wounds, and how does this compare to real-world soldiers' survivability? How much time is one turn meant to represent, and how far can the average 'Rookie' run in that time, and how does that compare to how fast a fully-kitted Army soldier can move?<br /> <br /> Has all of this already been figured out elsewhere? Otherwise, I'm starting to question whether we have any real proof that 'Rookies' AREN'T &quot;The best of the best of the best, sir! With honors&quot; beyond just how it 'looks' and 'feels' during gameplay, which is already skewed by the enemy having superior firepower and attributes, or, in the case of replacements, existing troops being pushed far beyond previously-perceived human limits from such extreme combat maneuvers as have resulted in success against, as I said earlier, a far superior force (EDIT: want to clarify on this point that I'm taking the 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' stance on the original question for this section). If the stats extrapolated for OpenXcom are any indication, this is most certainly the case, even with Sectoids, to an extent. While Sectoids will never have anything on humans in the Health department, being as fragile as they are (though some rookies can have less health, apparently, but only a few unlucky ones), they are surprisingly enduring, with tons of stamina, being 20 points higher than the X-COM 'Rookie' maximum upper limit for initial stat generation, and the same for Bravery (though this seems to be the case with all AI controlled entities, except mechanical ones, which have an impervious 110 Bravery). Reactions are also higher than possible with a Rookie, and speed (TUs) is on par with the statistical average for rookies, same with accuracy ratings, and even strength. This is just looking at the grunts, too, not even considering the stat boosts Leaders and Commanders have. As expected, the average X-COM Rookie's stats are almost universally superior to the civilians, representing the average member of humanity. The only exception is Stamina, and I'm starting to think this is to compensate AI units somehow for an AI that may not be able to manage energy levels as well as a human.<br /> <br /> Anyway, just felt someone had to bring this up here. If it really is explained elsewhere, it probably should be clarified here, as well, for consistency, anyway. (EDIT: I just felt it was being taken at face value far too readily in this discussion, and it just didn't seem right to just assume it with no evidence, despite all my experience playing this series, and noticing full well the soldiers' stats feeling constraining at first) --[[User:StormhawkAPS|StormhawkAPS]] 01:08, 4 October 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==Enemy Unknown/UFO Defence issues==<br /> ==='''Why isn't Earth overrun by Snakeman/Chryssalids?'''===<br /> <br /> According to the UFOPaedia, Snakemen's &quot;Reproduction is asexual, with each snakeman carrying up to fifty eggs inside its body at any one time&quot; adding the ominious conclusion: &quot;Left to its own devices this species would be a severe threat to life on earth.&quot;<br /> Moreover, this species is usually accompanied by the Chryssalids, which have a capacity to reproduce themselves very quickly using humans. So, any survivors of crash sites or terror attacks could start reproducing themselves hidden, resulting in large areas being overrun by those aliens later on. <br /> <br /> Possible answers:<br /> * Both races have a self-destruct mechanism incorporated into their psysiology to prevent this. <br /> * The entire area is purged by large scale bombing. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::One thing suggested in fan data was that Snakemen have air tablets in their stomach...which may be different from earth's atmosphere, which would limit their lifespan in earth's atmosphere, also making egg-laying pointless, since the offspring wouldn't be able to breathe or survive. It has also been suggested that Chryssalids have a very rapid metabolism. Though Chryssalids are likely just as, if not more useful, as a threat or a bargaining tool. When attempting to get a nation to capitulate to their demands, the aliens could threaten to employ Chryssalids en masse, or offer to remove a mass infestation in exchange for the government's cooperation. Or even further, it's possible that Chryssalids are under Ethereal control and maintaining the control link at that distance is taxing, thus eliminating mass use of the creatures. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Two words: [[Alien Containment]]. That answers everything except for the UFOPaedia articles for the aliens themselves which contradict it. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:42, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> : For captured aliens, yes. But what survivors of uninvestigated crash sites? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]]<br /> <br /> ::Zombie is commenting that based on the need for an Alien Containment unit, the aliens cannot survive in earth's atmosphere for extended periods, needing special atmospheric blends and/or nutrient pools which earth is unable to provide naturally, thus limiting their operations outside of the craft. (If the aliens won the war, it's likely this would be one of the first things that they would 'correct'.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 20:54, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> <br /> ===What is the propose of the 'disco balls' found inside some UFOs?===<br /> <br /> :Given that they explode, they could be storage reservoirs for coolant for the computers or other systems. They could also be circuit breakers or electrical junction boxes, or even a component of the UFO's particle beam they use to fry X-COM Interception craft. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Here again, two words: [[Alien Entertainment]]. Even though the spheres are not set to Alien Entertainment in the MCD files, they are almost certainly related to the process somehow. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:42, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Maybe they are for having discos? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Presumably [[Alien Entertainment]] is psionic in some way, maybe they're Psi-Emitters or something? -[[User:magic9mushroom|magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> ::'Disco balls' = Alien 'LSD' emitters. Travelling through space to go on almost-suicide missions force aliens to develop POWERFUL relaxing devices to entertain themselves and not go insane :P. --[[User:Nekrocow|Nekrocow]] 20:10, 24 June 2012 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ::: Assuming it's about eyeball-like pod #3, it's absent on base maps, and present only in two UFOs: Battleship (in Alien Entertainment), but Terror Ship on the second deck has one in Alien Entertainment room, but two on the bridge. Those are also the only two ships running ground battles and carrying Terror Units (bases have them, but normally don't expect to use them), so... either remote control psionic relays or something else related to ground combat? -[[User:TBeholder|TBeholder]] ([[User talk:TBeholder|talk]]) 21:04, 30 December 2015 (EST)<br /> <br /> ===Who buys those alien bodies/equipment from X-COM?===<br /> <br /> :Equipment likely goes to the funding nations or the international black market. No rebel group is going to ask too many questions about being offered guns that can [[Heavy Plasma|slice through the hull of an MBT]] or [[Alien Grenade|grenades that can level a building]] or [[Blaster Launcher|man-portable guided missiles]]; it'd just be cash-and-carry. Similarly, scientists would likely be interested in looking at much of this stuff for their own research. This would also explain the lack of market forces; the funding nations could have a set price for each item, or if X-COM is selling them under the table to rebels and rogue scientists, they can set the price and refuse to budge. The money on corpses could also be an &quot;Alien Bounty&quot; paid by the Funding Nations, as a reward for each alien that X-COM can prove they killed. Or it could be bought by other groups...rumor has it that some fast food restaurants have processes that can make ANY meat, no matter the source, look and taste the same, and a Muton would make a LOT of McBurgers. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> From the USO (Kasey Chang): XARQUID SUSHI.<br /> <br /> ===How did the aliens got to Mars?===<br /> <br /> There are no indications that UFOs are capable of faster than light speed. So how did they get to Mars in the first place?<br /> <br /> :The UFOs are mission craft, used for the legwork. The fighters; we never see the carriers. Given the aliens have been proven to be interstellar, they either Clone-A-Crew as needed when coming the long way to keep the UFOs crewed, or its far more likely that the aliens did have or still do have larger &quot;Carrier&quot; ships, which are capable of FTL travel, that were/are further out in the Solar System that store and dispatch UFOs to mission locations. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: One word: TFTD. The entire city of T'leth was put into cryogenic suspended animation? Or look at X-com Interceptor. X-com and the aliens show the ability to enter hyperspace or whatever it is.<br /> ::: T'Leth is another mystery of its own. More to that later on :) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::... there are no indications that the UFOs are INcapable of FTL... I don't think you would want to perform FTL travel within Earth's planetary atmosphere!<br /> ::: There are no indications that they are capable as well. And X-COM scientists don't seem to detect any FTL capabilities in UFOs during their research. And after the war the Elerium stocks dwindled, and it would make sense to perform some sort of interstellar missions to detect and harvest Elerium, however none are mentioned. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::: Unless you count the events of X-com Interceptor? [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 21:15, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::: I am refering to the events between Enemy Unknown and TFTD. There is clearly a big distinction between the alien craft on EU and those of Interceptor. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:38, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::: Enemy Unknown is set in 1999, TFTD in 2040, Interceptor in 2067... looks entirely plausible that they DID begin research into space exploration immediately after the events of Enemy Unknown. These things take time you know. Remember that the universe is a huge place, and Earth had rather limited Elerium Reserves by the end of EU. It takes... what, 30 Elerium just to fly an Avenger halfway across Earth? They could hardly afford to fly around randomly in space HOPING to come across elerium, they had to figure out detections methods, then scan the galaxy sector by sector, possibly partially using non-Elerium based propulsion at times... I can't remember if it's canon or fanfic, but I remember reading that all Elerium on Earth was reserved for space exploration.<br /> As for FTL, Earth does get it for sure sometime between 1999 and 2067. And I'm pretty certain the technology is Elerium based. It's not a huge logic jump to assume that the aliens have access to FTL Elerium based tech.<br /> Though I'm a bit puzzled why all T'leth technology is based on Zrbrite, when the aliens uniformly use Elerium, all the way from Earth to Cydonia to the far reaches of space. -[[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :It takes 12 Elerium to fuel an Avenger, though how much 1 Elerium is is an ongoing debate. As for Elerium, it was reserved for propulsion research when the funding nations divvied up X-COM's resources, and then they blew it all without learning anything more than the original X-COM scientists. And yes, Earth clearly gets FTL after TFTD but before Interceptor. The reason Elerium is not used in TFTD is because Elerium becomes inert and useless upon contact with seawater. Similarly, seawater aggressively corrodes Alien Alloys and eventually completely dissolves them. Zrbite functions similar to Elerium, being gold mixed with alien bio-material. Unfortunately, Zrbite only works when supported by a massive energy grid created by T'leth and becomes inert upon its destruction. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 12:07, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> OK... take the UNIT of elerium out of the equation... let's say that Earth had 5000 units of elerium, so 6 units get's an Avenger halfway around the world, and 12 units is sufficient to reach Mars. Hardly enough fuel reserves for intergalactic travel then.<br /> 2065 On October the 27th, the probe 'Tombstone 1' returns reports to Earth. It's data show that the globular star cluster where it rests, one hundred light-years from Earth, contains many life-supporting planets. Many of the planet's within the probe's scanning range also apparently possess great mineral wealth, including trace veins of elerium-115.<br /> Hmm... So, mankind discovers FTL technology on their own in those 65 years? ah... come to think of it, if they've got non-Elerium based space travel and FTL, and more powerful weapons too, what's the big deal about Elerium in the Frontier? Does mankind even need it anymore?<br /> As for T'leth, it is meant to be over 65 million years old, and CRASHLANDED on Earth due to a solar flare. Was the Ultimate Alien a prophet, thus chose to base T'leth on aqua plastics and Zrbite when T'lth was first constructed? Or did T'leth crash land, followed by frenzied activity where the entire city was replaced part by part, the alien alloys swapped for Aqua Plastics?<br /> ...<br /> Actually, come to think of it, it's obviously a massive plothole due to limited timeframe, no point in discussing too deeply. Sigh... [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:50, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :It's implied that despite the loss of ability to use the alien technology from the First and Second alien wars, simply being able to see and examine their designs catapulted earth's technology forward at least a few decades...which really is entirely reasonable. Much of the technology can be replicated on earth, and the principles and designs can be reapplied.<br /> <br /> :As for the deal with Elerium, its needed to power stronger weapons and is also wonderful for power generation; its efficiency in power generation is what allows Mega Primus to even exist.<br /> <br /> :And was there anywhere that specifically said that T'Leth was made of Aqua Plastics? I don't recall. Yes, the rest of their subs are made of aqua plastics, but I'm wondering if something the size of a medium city might perhaps be made of something a bit more durable. PS: Thanks for signing your post! :D [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 14:17, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> It's not a plothole at all. There is no Elerium on Earth, whereas the aliens can manufacture Zrbite on Earth, since there's gold here. Therefore it's obvious why they used Zrbite. Also, there's the fact that it was an Aquatoid colony mission, intended to produce an &quot;aquatic paradise&quot;, so using Aqua Plastics instead of Alien Alloys is perfectly justified. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> :I think that the use of Aqua Plastics instead of Alien Alloys is perfectly justified by the fact that T'leth crashed million of years ago while the aliens that came to take a shot or two at earth were two million years ahead technologically. So Aqua plastics was some plastic that was used by aliens before they've got the Alloys. You might argue - it's Aqua Plastics, so Aqua =/= Space. Well, Aliens weren't calling them aqua, and there wasn't anything saying that Aqua Plastics is not suitable for Space Travel. --[[User:Domenique|Domenique]] 11:10, 19 May 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ... I think Alien Alloys alone would catapult earth's technology forward a decade, and there's no reason humanity can't use those anymore, just not in water. According to timeline, some space pirates manage to make the decommisioned Avengers run on non-Elerium fuel... a large technological step.<br /> By the time of Interceptor, Elerium weapons aren't that powerful. Good point about power generation though.<br /> I would assume that T'leth SHOULD have been constructed out of Alien Alloys, since it was originially an interplanetary vessel? Generally, everything in EU was made of Alien Alloys, everything in TFTD was made out of Aqua plastics. Both of which seemed plenty durable.<br /> <br /> <br /> ::Have you noticed that the UFOs fly however their mission parameters tell them to? The UFOs pretty much IGNORE interceptions by X-com craft... if their mission tells them to make 3 passes, speed up, slow down, speed up... they will follow that pattern exactly, whether X-com craft are firing on them or not.<br /> <br /> ::Question: How long does it take the Avenger to reach Mars from Earth? [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 19:12, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::No longer than a week, in my opinion. Probably less than 2 days. Since canonically, the design of the Avenger had the Cydonia mission in mind, it would be capable of very high interplanetary speeds. (You could choose to burn 40% of the Elerium in one blast to get to high speed. Or you could burn even more and refuel while it's landed...or it could be a mission with no guaranteed escape for the crew. The lives of the many over those of the few and all that, especially since the war hinges on the mission.) In addition, you can fit a full complement of soldiers on board with no real excess room for supplies, and the longer it takes to get to Mars, the greater the chance the aliens will spot it coming for them and mount a serious defense. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 19:20, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::If you'd burn that much fuel to accelerate the craft then you'd have to use as much again to decelerate it and attain a planetary orbit, otherwise you'll simply overshoot the planet and head towards outer space. This is also another aspect to take into account when thinking about the speed of UFOs. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::: UFO drives are non-Newtonian so those sort of rocket equations don't necessarily apply. I think filling up a car with gas is a closer analogy. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::: Well, they could put a mini mind shield on the Avenger, shoot down a UFO roughly their size, and then fly to Cydonia when the UFO they shot down was supposed to return based on the instructions found by the hyper-wave decoder. Basically taking the place of the UFO. Shouldn't be too hard since the UFO's are pretty common by the time you research Cydonia or Bust. [[User:Tsunamiatunzen1|Tsunamiatunzen1]] 14 February 2010 (MST)<br /> <br /> ::That would leave 20% of the fuel to take off the Avenger and land it. Not really that unreasonable. While they're landed, they could potentially refuel the Avenger, or the mission might have been planned as a 1-way trip from the get-go. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Perhaps Elerium-based drives are a bit like Ramjet engines, where they're actually useless or inefficient ''below'' a certain threshold speed? --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:02, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> ===What happened to Mars and the alien civilization there?===<br /> <br /> According to the Brain, Mars was blooming with life had a alien civilization millions of years ago. However, Mars nowadays is a barren world and the alien civilization seems reduced to the area on Cydonia. <br /> <br /> :That may well have been before Mars lost the majority of its atmosphere due to its weak magnetic field. As the atmosphere dissipated, the aliens left or died off. It's also possible that the aliens, shown in the game over to have little respect for planets other than as sites for slaves and resources, they strip-mined the planet dry(and the rust from the machines created the red coloring), and then seeded Earth so that the slave workforce would grow for future extraction of Earth's resources. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Where are the human-alien hybrids referred to on the UFOPaedia?===<br /> <br /> :For the ones on earth, probably in hiding or in laboratories for research. For the ones the aliens have, potentially improving the Sectoid gene pool or being used as food or menial tasks. Cloning is alot easier than making genetic hybrids and there's nothing that says their first-generation experiments would be suitable for combat. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: They are babies at the time of X-com, and few in number. Their aren't even that many of them by the time of X-com Apocalypse. [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 19:12, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Not to mention the ones in X-COM: Apocalypse are less-than-fit for battle before extensive training. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Why did the aliens only activate T'Leth after they were defeated?===<br /> <br /> On TFTD T'Leth is shown as an entity/city of major power that is capable of conducting a war on its own. But the aliens leave it dormant although they could have used it to speed the process of taking control of Earth. <br /> <br /> :Perhaps the Enemy Unknown aliens are legitimately scared of the TFTD aliens and are unsure how long they could trust them. Evil is not monolithic; the TFTD aliens may be more interested in themselves than the alien empire, so they were kept as an ace-in-the-hole. This is the same reason (canonically) that SKYNET did not originally send the T-1000 to assassinate Sarah Connor; SKYNET was scared of what the T-1000 could do and had only a bare minimum of control over it, so it only used it as an option when it had nothing left to lose. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> T'Leth is in fact so powerful that all it has to do is surface, in order for X-com to be considered to have lost the war.<br /> In fact, looking at the timelines, it takes 40 years for T'leth to wake up from it's slumber... that's one good reason not to use it. By the time it activated, the war would already be over. [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> Because the whole purpose of the Enemy Unknown aliens was to rescue the TFTD aliens from T'leth, and there was no way of seeing whether the T'leth-based invasion in TFTD would even work - from their perspective it's possible that getting T'leth to bootstrap itself could have caused a catastrophe (they don't know whether or how badly it's damaged). Presumably the aliens planned to mount a proper rescue operation after locking down Earth and readying it for the aquatic paradise that was the entire point of the T'leth expedition in the first place. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> T'Leth was a coleny ship sent by the Sectoid/Aquatoid's millions of years earlier. This is why the Aquatoids use electronics to augment there control over other creatures, while there progeny are genetically modified to gain the same control. In TFTD it's implied that the T'Leth had been partialy active for a long time. Thawing out aliens in small groups but never going in full production. UFO aliens may have not intended to start the full awakening cycle until they had a chance to prepare the planet. <br /> OR, given the Ultimate Alien was aquatoid in origin by his looks and there was no other races from the first game involved. And the fact that Sectoid/Aqutoid's are not the top of the food chain with the Ethereal and Brain being more powerful it's possible the brain had decided that the Ultimate Alien was a threat to it's power. It was not until it's death that they tried send the signal. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:19, 22 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===Why did the aliens use limited force during the First Alien War?===<br /> <br /> Imagine Independence Day or War of the Worlds: UFO above the major Earth cities destroying the national leadership and any resistance. Or simply announce to Earth that they are now a part of their empire and resistence is futile. Instead, they go 1 mission each day, allowing humans to capture their craft, research their technology, discover their intentions and mount a successful defense. Don't the aliens watch sci-fi movies to see how it should be done?<br /> <br /> :Perhaps they don't have the standing forces to do so, and are in the process of building up the forces needed to do so. Perhaps they don't want to wipe out the entire power structure too fast; they want to leave some pieces in place for when they rebuild. Perhaps they're too condescending to think that humanity ever really has a chance; they've probably conquered thousands of other planets without anyone ever successfully resisting them. Perhaps they consider the X-COM project to be a rearguard action that, while a valiant effort and a credible threat, is ultimately doomed to failure because they simply cannot win in the end, which is why they undermine it. Indeed, the reason you need to launch the Cydonia mission in order to win is because X-COM simply cannot stop the aliens in a ground war; the aliens have an effectively infinite supply line and standing forces(though nothing says they're all waiting to swamp the earth), and the only way to win is to kill the command staff(which the aliens believe X-COM will not be able to do, lacking both knowledge of where the Brain is and any practical means to get there.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::The most plausible explanation seems to be the one employed in the Worldwar series, by Harry Turtledove, but that does not seem to mesh with what the Brain says about having been on Mars for a while, since then they could watch the Earthlings perpetually. Of course, what it says is probably a bunch of lies. Thinking about what it says for too long also raises the question of why the aliens attacked when they did, of course... [[User:Vizzydix1|Vizzydix1]] 21:52, 18 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> The aliens are completely lacking in weapons of mass destruction. When you get right down to it, their aircraft are very fast, manuevarable and durable, but they have rotten firepower. Even the battleship is unable to bring down an Interceptor in 1 shot.<br /> The terror missions and X-com Base Defences prove that the Aliens are unable to simply launch orbital bombardments... in fact, they appear to have no Air to Land weapons whatsoever...<br /> When you get right down to it, the aliens are pretty stupid. Also, their scientists seem inferior to Earth's. Seems to me that they only had the advantage of Elerium deposits and thus elerium based research.<br /> X-COM was unable to win in an all-out war with the aliens, but remember that X-com is a small little covert group with several dozen soldiers and a handful of aircraft. Can you imagine the result if the aliens had caused a joint war effort by the UN? You would have Lockheed factories converted to Avenger production, several platoons of soldiers outfitted with Flying Suits, Lasers, Heavy Plasma, thousands upon thousands of Laser Tanks...<br /> I would say that keeping the fight to covert action on both sides was actually beneficial to the aliens, really. [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> * Nope, the aliens could just invoke John's Law and blow up the planet with a kamikaze battleship at .9c. Even failing that, the alien battlefleet could come in numbers sufficent to blot out the sun.--[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 14:39, 8 November 2009 (EST)<br /> ** Lest we forget, X-Com is essentially the Spartans to the aliens' Persian Empire. So they'd just fight in the shade (which would be a blessing in desert missions). --[[User:Guido Talbot|Guido Talbot]] 13:58, 16 July 2010 (EDT)<br /> *** Mass producing those technologies on such a large scale would be impractical considering that those said technologies sans Laser Technology rely heavily on Elerium. Thus the Earth forces would be heavily reliant on downed or landed UFO's to resupply their Elerium powered craft making such efforts pointless. <br /> <br /> Aliens first began with smal scouting missions, so maybe all we expirience in X-Com is initial attacks by aliens, maybe the whole base was begining scouting and waiting for the invasion fleet? Aliens problably could be in sense dumber than humans, humans are adaptable and thinking, our technology advances fast, and we are fast and smart enough to stop the invasion before it begins. Aliens problably were not used to it so they thought &quot;oh well, another invasion...&quot;. --[[User:Domenique|Domenique]] 11:10, 19 May 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Mankind, as a whole, is incredibly cunning and full of guile. We are also incredibly aggressive. A trait that the most of the Aliens can barely concieve. Though we are weaker physically, mentally, etc, we are overly developed when it comes to strategem and war. The aliens are, in essence, have come to an inverse of Flatland. Though they are advanced, it is they who are 2D to our 3D approach to fighting. They return to earth, and through extensive research and testing, determine that inferior are strategically to humans. So...they use their advances to what they percieve as the most full advantage, and call for reinforcements over the initial months of the First Alien War. For eons, only the Sectoid make arrivals to earth. When the Brain finally realizes the situation, that mankind has woke up and is dealing with them most directly, it begins to get desperate, it sends reinforcements, but only incrementally. (Its always focused on peak efficiency). The concept of overwhelming force is illogical and some how, disdainful, to it. It prefers nuance, interogation, politics, and assessment. The Brain determine that its more effective to eliminate allies of XCOM than to face it directly. The concept of obliterating anything from orbit is reprehensible. Everything must be examined, especially the dead creatures you leave behind. Over time, it would learn man's tactics and assimilate. In fact, each race called in is an example of the Brain adapting. The Floaters bring forth an extra dimension to combat. The snakemen aggressiveness and accuracy. Mutons a culmination of superior warrior breeding, raw physical power, and determination not unlike the so called human soul. Finally, the Ethereals enter, with capacity to bring overwhelming force. In time, as they do on Mars base, they might begin joint force attacks with Mutons backed by Ethereals, supported by a mix of terror weapons. Fortunately, the First Alien War is ended before they fully develop such cunning. Hence the desperate act of T'Leth. The Brain has learned the power of anger fueled by vengeance and desperation.<br /> --[[User:BlackLibrary|BlackLibrary]] 11:10, 29 May 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :I've always viewed it as primarily a lack of resources. Even if you get a UFO every single day and shoot them all down so that there's no possible chance of any of them being the same UFO that's still only several hundred to perhaps a thousand or few UFO's over the course of several years. And most of those are quite small and not too difficult to take out with regular old interceptors and human armaments. If used all at once it might be enough to achieve air superiority, particularly if the Battleships do all the heavy lifting. But it also might not. It certainly would NOT provide enough soldiers to mount a worldwide ground offensive. The crews on those ships aren't all that big. There's also no reason to assume that all those craft, weapons, soldiers, and more importantly... elerium are all available at the same time. It's quite likely that the aliens are cloning new soldiers, building new weapons and UFO's, and possibly receiving supplies (particularly of elerium) from deep space. Elerium is needed to manufacture a lot of their stuff as well, and we already know it's a limited resource in our solar system. Consider on top of that how much get's used up as fuel every time a UFO visits Earth. If they sent all their UFO's they would use up their reserves of Elerium all at once for a 1 day attack that ultimately would fail. Instead of conquering the Earth wholesale they are trying to influence governments into signing secret pacts with them so that they can control the population of the Earth rather than wipe us out. They do this by using terrorism to intimidate the public and inserting clones to infiltrate governments while holding secret negotiations. A steady stream of UFO missions keeps up the pressure until governments break. Lucky for us they never expected us to bring the fight to the command center on mars. Just imagine if they had built base defenses like we can for our bases. heh Lord would it be aggravating building up a crew of top notch soldiers, constructing an Avenger from scratch, scrapping together all the gear, sending it to Mars, and then watching it get blown to bits before it even lands... O,o Also consider that their UFO's have operated with relative impunity for a very long time. Presumably XCom is the first organization to shoot down a UFO? As for Earth ramping up for a full scale war, it'd be unlikely that we could really produce enough alien technology in any reasonable timescale to actually outfit whole nations armies, especially with limited Elerium. Perhaps the tech that doesn't require Elerium, but then again shifting an entire army from one weapon system to another is not as simple as merely producing all the weapons. It's an extremely long, arcane, and baffling process. Getting just the branches of the US military to switch to laser weapons would probably take at least a decade. I think that limited resources and the intent to control and dominate rather than eliminate the population of the Earth explain it. For that matter they would see the human population it-self as a resource. Hence the use of small scale terrorism rather than attempting to use any weapons of mass destruction. A bunch of aliens walking around shooting people is still pretty damn scary stuff.[[User:Mannon|Mannon]] 13:12, 30 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> I would have thought that the simplest answer here is best. The aliens are manifestly unable to survive outside containment or bases for prolonged periods. Further, their clearest technological advantage over the humans (at least, prior to X-Com research) is mind control. Therefore, their primary method of offence is not to get bogged down in a ground war, but to engage in the overthrow of governments by infiltration, coercion, corruption and bribery, and achieve complaisance by terrorisation of the general populace. It is for this reason that standard combat tactics involving large hierarchies are ineffectual against the aliens (when the government/command can be mind controlled and the theatre can be defined by a mobile alien force). A decentralised, partly cellular, covert approach like X-Com is preferable, but unable to win an outright ground war either (being composed of, at maximum, 250 soldiers). Of course in reality, the irony is that the aliens/bourgeoisie/Fox network have Mind Controlled you, the X-Com commander into wasting your time with retro video games instead of doing anything about their societal control!<br /> --[[User:Oogleshay|Oogleshay]] 16:16, 18 October 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> My theory is that the aliens are deliberately trying to be low-key because they know once the UN can no longer keep the invasion a secret, they will have no reason to pull their punches at defending Earth. The aliens want to make it so that once humanity at large fully realizes what's going on, it's already too late - they're poking the sleeping giant but take care not to awaken it before amputating all limbs to make it unable to defend itself once awake.--[[User:Amitakartok|amitakartok]] 06:33, 14 January 2012 (EST)<br /> <br /> Perhaps the aliens suffer from a lack of proper logistics. If we assume that their purpose was to retrieve the lost colony ship(T'leth) then it wouldn't seem particularly likely that the aliens would have brought along the necessary logistics to support a full scale invasion of Earth. Furthermore it is quite possible that the alien ships you encounter in the first XCOM are actually not dedicated invasion ships but rather re-purposed fighter ships(which would explain the total lack of artillery or bombardment capabilities).<br /> --[[User:Theinsomniac|Theinsomniac]] ([[User talk:Theinsomniac|talk]]) 22:47, 17 February 2014 (EST)<br /> <br /> I disagree with all this. &quot;Mankind is the greatest species.&quot; - hogwash. The aliens are clearly capable of wiping out humanity when they wish, if you read the whole of the lose game screens. The game had to be designed to give humans a chance to fight back. With this caveat: the only reasons the aliens don't start wiping out the population would be to preserve humanity. With the harvesting and abduction missions, clearly they are looking for something in the fauna and flora of Earth. Something that a massive assault would make improbable to find due to the overwhelming loss of life that would occur. The most logical explanation would be that the aliens want to harvest specimens with specific genetics traits, so they would want to be able to sift through as much of the population as possible to find those with the best traits. Before wiping out the rest of the &quot;inferior specimens&quot;. This explanation would also fit to the story that the brain tells at the end of the Cydonia mission (if that story is more than just a desperate attempt to save itself.) [Why the aliens are so incompetent is due to incomplete development of the strategic layer by the designers, especially with the economy.] [[User:Morgan525|Tycho]] ([[User talk:Morgan525|talk]])<br /> <br /> Obviously, in the remake, this is much more easily explained as the Etherial search for Psions making human extermination ''not'' being their goal (but in fact, the ''last'' thing they want, since we're the best shot they got for their apparent true goal: ascendance), but to an limited degree is is reasonable to retroactively apply this motivation to the 1994 Etherials/Cydonian Brain. On a similar vein, where the Gallop Brothers even thinking about T'leth yet during Defense's development? I saw not too long ago, I think on the History Channel, of a 'realistic' take at trying to fight off an invasion/occupation force, also noted to be about harvesting, not about outright killing all humans: with presumed FTL tech, even someting a fraction of lightspeed, and the number and masses of UFOs involved both in the special and in XCOM; it'd be much easier to just strap some engines on some large asteroids and spam them at Earth, which those points prove is possible: a much easier and effective means to exterminate humans, if the goal was xenophobic in nature--- but I digress. Consider.. hmmm, yeh, the US invasion of Iraq or Aphganistan: we COULD of just nuked the hell out either country and called it a day. Presuming a lot, but maybe some of the same reasons America didn't are the same? Intergalatic politics not allowing such WMDs? Excessive collateral damage wasn't their interest? Looking for something specific on an individual basis? That the aliens (may) want slaves, and reasons on that vein, is a big difference they have. Going back to the special, how humanity won is by a mass infitration/kamakaze attack on the barge/battleship-sized UFOs, and making it &quot;not worth&quot; continuing the occupation (in similar nature to people wizing up to Bush's bullshit and losing so many soldiers to cheap-ass IEDs and Soviet-era tech making the Iraq War unpopular)..... again, assuming alien behaviors and mechanics of motivations are anything remotley &quot;human-like&quot;. So, at best, I'd ascribe the 1994 alien's motivation as the same as in the special: conquering for resources. Cortez conquering my ancestors for gold. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] ([[User talk:Xuncu|talk]]) 08:03, 18 February 2014 (EST)<br /> <br /> <br /> My personal theory in regards to this is simple. To get to Mars from where they originated they would have to travel at relativist speeds (at or at least close to the speed of light) this requires a lot of energy and at this speed every microgram counts. (a single microgram of cargo can cost a ton of fuel at FTL speeds).<br /> So the aliens travelling to Mars, instead of bringing a massed invasion fleet bring the bare minimum. Embryos or even genetic samples for each of their species, blueprints for weapons and equipment, basic manufacturing facilities, mining equipment and a transport vessel designed to be cannibalised to set up the initial Cydonia base, with only a ghost crew to start things off.<br /> This explains the year prior to the start of the game (the steady increase in UFO reports, abductions ect.) the aliens need resources, they probably got some from mining the area around Cydonia to build some of their equipment but to grow clones they need a nutrient medium (not to mention the food they need for themselves) which means they have to go to earth and harvest. The initial missions were probably in areas such as the ocean, or jungles, harvesting flora and fauna. But given how little they would be able to harvest this way (they would have trouble finding enough protein not to mention the fact that mutons are said to be obligate carnivores) which meant increased incursions on populated areas (such as farms) add to this the lack of genetic diversity means that they would abduct humans to help provide some means of altering their genetic code to better handle earth diseases and atmosphere. <br /> This can also explain why you only get small UFOs initially, they don't have the resources to build battle ships (until they have mined enough to expand their production facilities and build bigger craft). It also explains why they lack weapons.<br /> TFTD show that the alien's method for “education” is to just implant knowledge. What this means is you have a bunch of aliens with the same hard-wired brain (clones) and with the same knowledge. Limiting their ability to adapt and change (they don't have years of experience to work on, nor have they had to think of the knowledge they have it's just given to them as fact). <br /> Once X-com is formed they now find themselves battling an enemy that not only adapts to use their technology but builds on it (personal armour, power suits, flying suits, fusion ball tanks, ect). The whole alien invasion is doomed from the start. <br /> Given time the aliens could have built up a massive fleet capable of overwhelming earth (which was probably their initial plan) but due to X-com getting involved that plan got knocked back. They can mine Mars and the asteroid belt for minerals to build their weapons, but without raiding earth for the fauna to feed their troops and grow their clones they can not build an army.<br /> The aliens probably observed earth previously. (maybe Roswell was a scouting mission which failed to return) as such they underestimated our detection and interception capabilities (the back-story actually states that X-com is using the best craft available and previous attempts to intercept UFOs failed using conventional earth technology, which probably explains the limited weapon load-outs for x-com craft (they are built on high speed prototypes designed as proof of concept not actual in service craft so they had to jury rig hard points).<br /> This basically means that the aliens were unprepared for earth's level of resistance, before they even had a force capable of fighting. If they had been more careful, built their forces in silence (by farming wild life in the jungles and oceans, instead of going for rich targets like farms to load up on cow parts quickly) they may have been able to launch an invasion before earth even knew what was happening (just imagine if the game started with 20 battleships over every country, mutons march down the streets carrying heavy plasmas and blaster bombs, while snakemen and chrysalids strike major cities, all the while ethreals are mind controlling everyone... try winning that game with just 2 interceptors, a couple of rifles, some heavy weapons and 8 soldiers who can't hit the broad side of a barn from point blank range with a guided rocket --[[User:crwydryny|crwydryny]] 14:50, 30 December 2015 (GMT)<br /> <br /> ==TFTD issues==<br /> ===What was the relationship between the aliens from the 1st and 2nd wars?===<br /> <br /> Quoting from the UFOPaedia regarding Alien Origins: 'Deep in the oceans there lie ancient<br /> sites used by the Aliens to contact their stellar cousins.' This also has some implications regarding the issue of why T'Leth was only activated when the Sectoids were defeated. <br /> <br /> *Gill Men are coopted Terran creatures, Aquatoids are a differently-modified Sectoid breed, Lobstermen are machine soldiers that are manufactured, Tasoths are clone soldiers that are grown.<br /> <br /> Aquatoids are the ancestors of the Sectoids. The colony ship was sent out slowing than light hundreds of millions of years ago. Sectoids are a more genetically advanced race. The rest of UFO aliens were picked up after that point. The Brain and Ethereals probably conquered the Sectoids and don't regard them highly. While the Aquatoids that were thawed over the years created, conquered (Gill Man) or manufactured the rest of the allies over time. I picture the Tasoth as probably something they brought with them and have been working on. Since most of the Aquatoids come from suspended animation they have not tinkered with genes much. Instead modifying and using electronics (MC Chip) to control. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:28, 22 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===What kind of materials were 'synomium' and 'adamantium'?===<br /> <br /> The first one is mentioned on the name of the alien communication devices and the second one appears at the end when T'Leth is destroyed: 'he twisting hugeness of T'leth begins to rupture.<br /> Flames and smoke spew from its gleaming spires and adamantium halls.'<br /> <br /> :Synomium is probably a special material used in the comm. devices, like Stargate's naquadah (universal stuff), naquadria (unstable power source), trinium (hull material) and neutronium (superdense metal). Adamantium is a legendary material in ancient literature that is said to be indestructible, similarly to mithril.--[[User:Amitakartok|amitakartok]] 10:55, 3 November 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Adamantium is said to be one of the strongest elements in many books and films such as X-men. --[[User:St.froppelie|St.froppelie]] 19:45, 23 October 2011 (GMT)<br /> <br /> *See also Wikipedia article on Adamantium: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamantium]<br /> <br /> ===How deep were X-COM bases located on the seas?===<br /> <br /> *Floating bases would be easier to build, repair and supply. However they would have to be tethered to the ocean bed or possess some sort of propulsion to prevent them from drifing with the ocean currents. But it would also allow for easy redeployment of the base. <br /> *Submersible bases could allow for better sonar detection. Same problems regarding ocean currents would apply. In case of hull breaches entire modules would be quickly flooded and any crew present would be crushed by water pressure or drown. Base could be built and then submerged (requires depth control)<br /> *Seabed bases would be the hardest to build and supply. Several other factors could limit their deployment, such as unstable areas (underwater volcanoes, prone to seaquakes, rock avalanches, etc.) and depths.<br /> *Given that the Alien Retaliation missions in TFTD are called &quot;Floating Base Attack&quot;, I'd say floating. Also remember that your starting sonar can't see Very Deep, which rules out seabed bases. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> ** Floating doesn't always happen on the surface. The surface has to deal with large waves ad bobbing up and down, submerged only has the currents it could be stabilized easier. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 11:57, 14 January 2010 (EST)<br /> * I was recently researching how far you have to be down to not be effected by surface conditions. You have to be submerged 1/2 of a waves lenght (measured crest to crest) Best I can find is that the average wave is 150 yards accross. To not be effected by the waves you have to be 75 Yards below. This is way below the depth needed to not be effected by the bends when surfaceing. I figure they are probably right at the limit of what can be safe for quick surfacing and well anchored to avoid getting [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwKXfc_a4Ag tossed in a storm]. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:37, 22 March 2010 (EDT) <br /> **Something else to consider - these 'floating bases' could be large modular submarines/submersibles. If memory serves, submarines basically maintain sea-level pressure regardless of the depth, so that could explain why they'd be able to be 75+ feet below sea level and not suffer the bends when surfacing.<br /> ::(Or, y'know, we could just say &quot;a wizard did it&quot;.) --[[User:Guido Talbot|Guido Talbot]] 14:13, 16 July 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) issues==<br /> ===Motives behind the invasion===<br /> Now, the UberEtherial pretty much spells out the whole point of the invasion, as well as of their use &amp; control of all the other aliens: they ''wanted'' humanity to evolve and become powerful, because they needed a species that was both high in physical prowess, and a powerful psychic warrior. He (presuming gender) freely admits that their bodies suck (and that the other races suck in body and/or mind even more), and the 1st-3rd-1st person pronoun switch in ONE sentence (&quot;We who failed to ascend as ''they'' thought we would&quot;) and &quot;preparation for what lies ahead&quot;, as well as his descriptions of the other alien races in the Temple Ship imply a number of things:<br /> *The other races are enslaved races, perhaps from earlier invasions (possibly starting with Sectoids and Etherials being different castes of the same species?), themselves having been enhanced by their own resistances, before becoming enslaved on the degree of being puppets.<br /> *The whole point of the invasion is enslavement of humans, not extermination, for the perfect warrior-- any Metroid fans can think of the Chozo also becoming masters of Psionics and energy manipulation, at the cost of becoming physically frail and infertile, and entrusting the Power Suit -- and their legacy -- to Samus.<br /> *The alien surgeries (which greatly resemble Sensory Deprivation tanks-- you can even zoom in to see captive humans twitch sporadically) are their version of XCOM's Psi Lab (which ''also'' greatly resemble Sensory Deprivation tanks): they are 'farming' humans for Psi potential, similar to how us, the player, may farm soldiers for our own Psi Squad<br /> *Which then makes XCOM almost as much the ''Etherial's'' project as it is the Council's (hence why they do not invade or attack XCOM HQ or Interceptor bases)<br /> *Someone/thing ''else'' is involved, someone the Etherials are in some way subservient to: notice in the Temple Ship and in the Overseer UFO, the strange, Cathedral-like &quot;Stained Glass Windows&quot;. To me, there appear to be ''two'' figures in each: the much more visible 4-armed Etherial silhouette, and in a transparent, but slightly darker shade of lavender, some other 6-8 limbed creature, with a larger body and a very different head-shape behind the first.<br /> *&quot;What lies ahead&quot; may mean some coming disaster, or merely a challenge and testing from this sequel-hook of &quot;They&quot;<br /> *Additionaly: the description of the Hyperwave device implies contact with an alternate dimension. The organic-metallic (silicon based, perhaps?) form of the Outsiders (as opposed to the rather obvious &quot;manufactured and machined parts grafted onto flesh&quot; Cyborg attachments of both Floater varieties), and their absence (especially from the Temple Ship) after the device's capture, as well as released screenshots of the upcoming FPS XCOM game (mentioning Outsiders AND being placed several decades ago)-- all this suggests alternate timelines as well as alternate dimensions (in quantum physics, these are practically the same thing anyways), as well as some species native to this ''Outside'' dimension that are the ones, this &quot;They&quot;, whom are actually calling the shots.<br /> --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:56, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> *Just to verify the point about the Outsiders, they are called OUTSIDERS, which pretty much means not native, so possibly they are not native to this dimension, also, &quot;What lies ahead&quot; Could possibly be foreshadowing a TFTD remake? And the Outsiders are merely, prototypes of the Ultimate Alien?<br /> [[User:XBrassxDragonX|XBrassxDragonX]] 22:59, 25 May 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> *The UberEthereal is a rebel against &quot;They&quot; he/she/it united a group of Ethereals, and left &quot;They&quot; Then, he/she/it proceeded to search for the Ultimate Race, a race that was as tough as a Muton, and as Psionically Powerful as an Ethereal, these were the Humans. This Ultimate Race would overthrow &quot;They&quot; and thus, complete the Ethereal's legacy, it could also be, that through the use of implants, and sacrificing physical strength for Psionic Power, the Humans could walk the same path as the Ethereals, and be contacted by whatever was left of &quot;They&quot; then, the Humans would help &quot;They&quot; rebuild, and realize the sinister motivations behind &quot;They's&quot; plan, and thus, repeat the story in a never-ending cycle.<br /> <br /> ===How is it possible for Psionic soldiers to exist?===<br /> After capturing a Psi-capable enemy and dissecting it: does XCOM reverse-engineer the implants and insert them into troops (whether they test positive (capable of using them) or not)? Or, is the testing just digging for a Psi signal that ''is already there''? In which case, it's a human-evolved trait, but from where, and why wasn't it found before? Vahlen's reasearch implies similar genetic struture between aliens and humans: do humans and Etherials/Sectoids have a common Psi-capable ancestor, or have the Etherials been interfereing with human evolution for at least 20-30 years (or however old troopers tend to be, with Shaojie Zhang and his advanced age, equally possible to have Psi-Abilites), if no longer? At least in Apocalypse, there's the excuse of Sectoid/Human Hybrids. How do humans use a power just discovered that year, and only a few months of practice, end up with the capacity to potentially mind-control Etherials, each of which who have several thousand years of personal experience with Psi abilites? --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 05:28, 11 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> :It's implied that humans were always latent psionics (it's possible that if we weren't, the Ethereals would never have bothered us at all). The cutscene where your first psionic is found suggests the testee is immersed in some sort of purple gas, which presumably causes some physiological change to make them operant psionics. As for how human psionics get so good so quickly, good question, though bear in mind that psionic humans are implied to be an Ethereal's equal in raw power, but while an Ethereal has to expend psionic power all the time just to stay alive and standing, a human can devote it all to his psionic attacks. This could explain why humans are on an equal footing with Ethereals despite having comparatively little practice. More simply, it could just be that humans are badass compared to aliens; we certainly seem to be able to reverse engineer their technology in record time AND then make improvements to it, suggesting we're frankly just &quot;better&quot; than them. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 09:07, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :Another possibility could be that Elerium exposure maybe one of the factors. While Doctor Vahlen stated that she found a correlation with high will power and psychic ability, gameplay mechanics aside there are cases where a very high willed soldier came back from the Psionic Labs who had displayed no psychic prowess whatsoever. Elerium is used in the alien technologies and it was only after the Alien attack that XCOM was able to 'make' psionic soldiers. Another piece of evidence is that pieces of equipment such as the Psi Armor and the Mind Shield require a large quantity of Elerium in order to manufacture and that it 'enhances' the Psychic abilities of the wearer. While it is true that Elerium is used as a power source for the armor, unlike the hulking Titan armor the Psi armor is essentially a skinsuit/catsuit/muscle suit that has no visible heavy pieces of armor but yet the Elerium requirements for a set of Psi Armor exceed the Elerium requirements for the larger, heavier Titan armor. Logically (again, gameplay mechanics aside) speaking the lighter Ghost armor could perform the same if it used the same amount of Elerium for the Titan armor yet it requires more to function. Combined with the fact that the Psionic Labs and the Gallop Chamber (Both facilities that involve Psionic's) are the only XCOM facilities outside of the Elerium Generator that requires Elerium in their construction means that Elerium maybe linked to the manifestation of Psychic phenomena.<br /> [[User:GMPilot0079|GMPilot0079]] 3:56, 13 May 2013 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Bureau/Enemy Within/My Little Pony Supplemental===<br /> {{Ref Open | title = Yes, really}}<br /> How does a ''Psychic'' attack on an XCOM soldier cause obvious psychological effects (-will, -aim), but damages ''armor'' first?<br /> <br /> So, it's a safe assumption that the &quot;They&quot; spoken up above is probably the likes of [[Ethereal_(Bureau)|Asaru and Shamash]], &quot;True&quot; Etherials, who's physical forms have been discarded in trade of bodies made of pure energy--- much like EU/EW's Outsiders (not the Zudjari-- for clarity's sake, &quot;Outsider&quot; means the UFO-commander type alien in EU, and Bureau's 'Outsiders' shall be specifically called &quot;Zudjari&quot;) are ''also'' described as being of pure energy. So, Bass Dragon was half-right: the Outsiders are not prototypes, they're attempts to ''reverse-engineer'' the Ultimate Life-forms that are the True Etherials. Shamash outright said they exist in multiple realities (either in the &quot;omnipresent&quot; sense (and the &quot;physical&quot; body is just the part that happens to intersect this reality), or that they can shift between alternate realities, XCOM's dimension included), and the Hyperwave Uplink, which seems to be the source for the Outsider's existence, has in-game descriptions that states that it has some kind of access to alternate dimensions, I think confirms this. The fact that Origin could study and emulate Shamash through scientific methods also leads credence that the Outsiders were scientific attempts to manufacture a True Etherial (or analogue thereof), via the Uplink.<br /> <br /> The slave collars on the Bureau's Sectoids. I used to think that Sectoids may have been a low catse, but effectively the same species as Etherials. But, that was more based on the 1994 game's depictions, where the Sectoids were weaklings, but seemed to be &quot;just another member of the alien horde.&quot; With 4-armed Etherials being canon, it's more likley that Etherials share a common ancestor with Slenderman than Sectoids, since evolution doesn't really work that way (ie: all/most (modern) Earth animals with spinal chords (chordate [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chordate] ) follow a &quot;head and 4 limbs and 2 eyes&quot; body configuration). More likely, Sectoids are the &quot;for hire/sale&quot; whipping boy of the universe. Additionally, the slave collars that are suggested to help link them to the Mosaic Network, show how incomplete Origin's manipulation of Shamash was: in the infliltration of the Spire in Arizona, Dr Wier comments that Mosaic &quot;seems to want to help&quot;. But, as the normal Etherials were collectively working together, that is why EU's Sectoids were without collars: the Etherials had no need for them.<br /> <br /> Sectoids on sale, now 50% off, this Rel only, here on Shopduct n' Slave!<br /> <br /> Now, the Meld: it always struck me as odd how ''careless'' the aliens seemed to be, leaving massive resources laying around for XCOM to collect. If XCOM was some kind of MMORPG, I would bet that players who chose the Alien factions would often blow up the Elerium Generators and Navigational Computers if it looked like they were going to lose a base or UFO (Chryssalid Rush, ke ke ke!). That they leave the Meld hanging around seems to me that they ''want'' XCOM to get it, which goes with what I wrote long ago up there about how XCOM could be said to also be the Etherial's project, at least indirectly.<br /> <br /> On the other hand; how does Meld tie in with the purpose of the invasion? Searching for the Ultimate Life Form, &quot;as we sought to uplift them, to prepare them.&quot; In other words: those aren't mere storage canisters, XCOM Bait, or bombs. They're ''dispersal units''. The Etherials' plot was to seed Earth with Meld to enhance physical capacities anyways (Mechtoids, Floater/Heavies), while doing abductions as mass &quot;Farming&quot; for Psi-positive humans (ie; like how the player buys soldiers in bulk, and picks out the ones we want to submit for Psi testing). Failures: we fire them, Zudjari kill them and dump 'em out back, Etherials and The Matrix turn them into flood slurry, and the Wachowski Siblings make a third movie and lose all credibility.<br /> <br /> Which brings me to my third topic, where I talk about a cute talking unicorn that hails from a magical Fantasy kingdom of baby horses.<br /> <br /> In the crossover fanfic [http://www.fimfiction.net/story/100455/stardust XCOM/FiM: Stardust], the Author is (with obvious liberties) attempting to stay accurate to XCOM's technical information (with assistance from this very 'Paedia: he's seen my work here). The major alterations to the plot are that Bradford replaces the player character of the Commander, and instead of Fluttershy reforming Discord, Discord makes a bet with Twilight Sparkle to &quot;Convince me, irrefutably, that friendship is the strongest power in the universe.&quot;<br /> <br /> With Twilight accepting the terms, Discord teleports her to April 02, 2015, to the site of a Terror Mission in Washington DC, within 30 feet of a Chryssalid.<br /> :If you've read this far, I assume I've had your interest. If I now have your attention, and want to read the story without getting spoilers, scroll down to where '''Elerium''' is next written in bold.<br /> <br /> So, obvious question: &quot;What the hell does that have to do with anything?!&quot; Well, the Author is trying to stay accurate to EU and Bureau (he did start writing before much of EW was revealed) while writing his own story, and he addresses several valid points that solve, or at least address several XCOM mysteries. The unique viewpoint of involving cartoon ponies is for flavor, amusement, and contrast to better see them.<br /> <br /> As the story continues; Twilight is captured by XCOM, and almost Interrogated by Dr Vahlen, but manages to escape the containment cell. Hijinks ensue, Dr Shen talks Bradford into allowing him to make contact (referencing the in-game Arc Thrower conversation between the three), and Twilight is now a 'guest' of XCOM, taking residence in &quot;Stardust&quot; Labs. Eventually, she helps in XCOM's research of both alien technology, and her own magic abilities: The magic field she uses in Equestria is also available on Earth, but is stiff from &quot;disuse,&quot; but is discovered to be the same field that the Aliens use for Psionic abilities. It's revealed that Elerium is, or is at least an analogue to &quot;Arcanite&quot;, a material that boosts magic abilities. Ergo: Elerium boosts Psionic abilities. As Twilight assists in both XCOM Research, and indirectly with missions themselves, with her magic, her use of the Field begins to awaken the Psionic/Magic abilities of the humans around her. For example, Commander Bradford has 'time-stopping' precognition; several times, he has seen TPKs, only to snap back into real time shortly before it all goes to hell-- save states, basically.<br /> <br /> Her assistance also points out that the implants found in the aliens, particularly the Sectoid Commanders, also have Elerium circuitry that activates/boosts/projects their Mind Control ability (as well as all aliens to be able to be controlled by the Etherials, who have not yet been revealed in the story, save for a refrence to/by a possible EXALT/Osiris member, and another to William Carter). This also points out that the Etherials are not specifically &quot;Religious&quot; of themselves, as Origin was, but are scientific-minded (the &quot;All Technologies&quot; research credit).<br /> <br /> The mystery of XCOM this addresses is, as Analyst Krut points out in The Bureau: &quot;Why?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Dear Twilight Sparkle,<br /> <br /> '''ELERIUM.'''<br /> <br /> Sincerely,<br /> :Pinkie Pie!&quot;<br /> <br /> The Field that makes the abilities possible has probably always been here, and is perhaps universal, as inherent as magnetism or gravity (or, if you want a ''stupid'' comparison: like the &quot;Chroma&quot; in ''Indigo Prophecy''). And, with Elerium and it's use making Psionics easier for humans, Earth is now a 'factory' for making the most potentially dangerous beings in the universe.<br /> <br /> Evolution, at least on Earth, is more about &quot;Good enough&quot;/&quot;it ''works'', duddn't it?&quot; than any search/aim for &quot;better&quot;, and certainly not &quot;perfect&quot;. If there was no evolutionary push (or capacity) to be able to use the Field (as useful as it would be), such traits would not develop. Interesting examples where real-world animals do use advanced physics are the Pistol Shrimp, who's claw has evolved in such a way that's essentially a [[Sonic_Pistol]] and can make a luminescent spark of plasma that's the same temperature as the surface of the sun, and dolphins that use complex fluid dynamics that humans barely understand to, basically, just pass the time [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMCf7SNUb-Q].<br /> <br /> So, the Field that makes Psionic abilities possible is, in fact, accessible to humans, but as it is not often developed; it's rare, or doesn't manifest strongly. But it ''is'' there, so there is a motivation for the Etherials to come to Earth and do their testing (Incidentally, I don't think there is anything really saying that the Etherials knew that Asaru and Shamash were here).<br /> <br /> Which also addresses &quot;Why now?&quot;<br /> <br /> Because Elerium is now on Earth: in The Bureau, it's established that the Zudjari have been seeding the Earth with Elerium as early as 1957 (the year that Spudnik was launched: the satellite is even seen in the opening sequence of a campaign). If Elerium boosts Field abilities, such as Psionics, then 58 years of low-level global exposure may have triggered/boosted enough to draw the attention of the Etherials (incidentally, background radiation from above-ground nuclear tests peaked in 1963 at about 0.15 mSv per year worldwide, or about 7% of average background dose from all sources. The Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963 prohibited above-ground tests, thus by the year 2000 the worldwide dose from these tests has decreased to only 0.005 mSv per year [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_radiation#Atmospheric_nuclear_testing]-- and in Angela's ending, she gets the US Government to use nukes to erase evidence of the invasion). This may also be why the aliens seem careless with Elerium; not as effective at making enhancements as dispersing Meld, but may help instigate Psi activations.<br /> <br /> Now, I realize: if Psi powers ARE a scientifically understandable energy wave (and not straight-up &quot;Magic&quot;), then it does make sense that armor is damaged ''as well'', and that the suits that include Elerium can block the &quot;piercing/bypassing&quot; damage that I think would be more realistic. And for the armors it doesn't make sense for; they don't give an HP bonus big enough to make the difference.<br /> <br /> Which leads to one more interesting thought: Elerium is not exclusive to the &quot;Etherial Empire&quot;, or whoever controls the Sectoids (as Elerium is not in Apocalypse(?), but Sectoids are): while not naturally native to Earth, there's nothing saying how limited-- or abundant-- Elerium is throughout the universe (Arcanite). Less evidence, and more of a hunch: may Elerium be somewhat... &quot;viral&quot;? That it may at least &quot;try&quot; to spread as it goes, as the Bureau suggests? Like a milder version of Tiberium [http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Tiberium] or Phazon [http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Phazon]?<br /> <br /> Obviously, Origin didn't have the device that had Asaru before the invasion, BUT, Faulk said the device was found ''in an Elerium Mine'' (in Montana). In other words, the Elerium aggregated around Asaru, who was there ''first''. So, there is enough to establish that there is a link between Elerium exposure/presence, and Psionic abilities, as is shown in Stardust.<br /> <br /> In conclusion:<br /> * ???? - Asaru arrives on Earth<br /> * ???? - Sectoids, a clone race, are sold in open intergalactic slave markets to various alien empires across the universe: as clones and near-blank genetic templates, their adaptability, ability to be mass produced, and 'ease of use' (aided by Psionic links to one another) lends to the success of their sale.<br /> * 65,000,000 BCE - The Lovecraftian &quot;Vortex&quot; Empire (refrence: Ecco the Dolphin [http://eccothedolphin.wikia.com/wiki/Vortex_Queen] - would explain why they look like Earth's aquatic animals), hailing from aquatic worlds, crash land a colony ship on Earth, either because, or ''as'' the impact that led to the extinction of the Dinosaurs-- and in the process, pave the way for mammals, and eventually for Humans to rise, whom will spend the rest of Time crossing Space, and even going into other Dimensions, obliterating every alien menace they encounter. Way to go, guys.<br /> ** Due to the exclusion of Elerium and their preference of aquatic habitats, their own research creates Zrbite and Aquaplastics, and they modify their own Sectoid slaves/genome templates into the Aquatoids.<br /> * ????-1957-1962 - Zudjari, as part of their normal conquests' terraform operations, and the search for True Etherials, seeded Earth with Elerium in [[The_Bureau:_XCOM_Declassified|The Bureau]]. Asaru awakens, Shamash is killed, and Origin is deleted in a massive Etherial-fueled Psionic wave.<br /> * 1962-2015 - Background radiation from Elerium is covered up by atmospheric Nuclear Testing, but the effects are still felt worldwide: while skills may not be developed, Psionic potential grows.<br /> * 2015-2016? - The &quot;cast out&quot; Etherials begin their conquest and research of Humans and Earth, led here either by Elerium's energy signature, Psionic energy signatures, or due to the presence of the two True Etherials on a single planet; and event said to be a multiversal rarity. The battles between them and XCOM are a boon to human science and technology. Psionic experimentation, and the dispersal of Meld lead to the enhancement of both the human mind and body. Then the Etherials get blown the fuck up.<br /> ** Black Market interests begin the EXALT organization, a paramilitary group made with the aim of stealing and adapting alien technology and materials to force human evolution. After the raid on their headquarters and the neutralization of their command leadership, remaining members go into hiding, and begin to pass and adapt their ideology down family lines.<br /> * 1997-2002 - Due to the energy signal released by the death of the multidimensional being Shamash: in an alternate timeline/dimension, the Etherial invasion happens earlier: since the Alien Brain is a computer, it's able to organize the invasion that much faster. The Tachyon signal released upon it's destruction lasts only a little while, but as the Tachyon is a (theoretical) FTL particle, it's properties are not restricted to 'normal' space-time.<br /> * 2027 - Reminants of EXALT reorganize into the Cult of Sirus.<br /> * 2041-2046 - As the Aquatoids were able to receive the signal as easily as their Sectoid cousins, they began the resurrection of T'leth: thus, the [[TFTD|Second Alien War]].<br /> * 2084 - The Micronoids, while not as experienced as Etherials at multidimensional travel, also register the death of Shamash, and begin [[Apocalypse|their assault]] on the largest Earth-based population: Mega-Primus. Thanks for that, Carter.<br /> ** Sectoid-Human hybrids were origionally developed by the Etherials in an attempt to add the docile and controllable aspects of the Sectoids to the physically and psionically potent human race, much like the 1957 experiments with Africanized Honey Bees. In fact, ''exactly'' like those experiments: those bees are now known as &quot;Killer Bees&quot;, and the Human-Sectoid mutants are willing to fight for XCOM, in exchange for universal rights.<br /> <br /> Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there: a Grand Unified Theory of XCOM!<br /> {{Ref Close | source = --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 08:53, 24 November 2013 (EST) }}<br /> And yes, I feel there's legitimacy in connecting XCOM to Ecco: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blaX_eMz3Qw Et voilà.]--[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 17:49, 24 November 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category: Fiction]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=The_Mysteries_of_X-COM&diff=70086 2015-12-31T02:04:14Z

<p>TBeholder: /* What is the propose of the &#039;disco balls&#039; found inside some UFOs? */</p> <hr /> <div>Discussion page for some less clear aspects of the series<br /> <br /> ==General issues==<br /> <br /> ==='''How fast can alien craft travel in space?'''===<br /> <br /> Some alien missions (repeated attacks on X-COM bases, for instance) come daily. This seems to imply that alien craft are able to travel the distance from Mars to Earth in a matter of hours.<br /> <br /> : Or maybe, as you suggest in your novels, they have a staging area near Earth, such as the dark side of the Moon. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 15:36, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Really fast. Consider that they don't need to push aside atmosphere, as well as the fact that momentum is conserved in space, so they can achieve very high speeds with gravity slingshots. (Mars DOES have 2 moons, recall.) Also note that they may be operating a bit closer to home(the far side of the moon, perhaps?) it's simply that the command staff are at Cydonia. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Good article in last month's Scientific American pointing out we only rely on gravity slingshots because we still use chemical rockets with pathetic delta-V. Once 2nd and 3rd generation plasma engines come on line (1st gen are in flight now) the gravity slingshot will become an irrelevance. No doubt UFO drives are at least as good as our (future) 3rd gen plasma drives, probably way better since they warp space. <br /> <br /> (Reminds me of the old Guild Navigator joke - I just warped space from Ix, and boy is my mind tired. Oh well, you had to be there)<br /> <br /> [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Also keep in mind that both Phobos and Deimos are tiny. They are basically captured asteroids. Neither would be useful in gravity assist. But yeah, the UFO's shouldn't need any assist anyway.[[User:Mannon|Mannon]] 11:35, 30 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> ::Case in point: http://xkcd.com/681_large/ (Deimos can be escaped with someone on a bike and a plank stacked on a brick, Phobos requires a good pitching arm). --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 16:55, 13 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :Consider that many of the same aliens as UFO/EU are in X-COM Intercepter, having necessarily had to break light speed. Consider that if outside any atmoshphere a battleship could reach 4800 knots(in-game top speed) within two minutes (which is about how long it appears to take in-game) then it is accelerateing at about 18m/s/s or almost 2Gs. In 24 hours it would reach 1,555km/s. At this speed (assuming it turned it's drive off after 24h) it would travel about 134,000,000km each day. The maximum distance between Earth and mars is about 401,000,000km. <br /> :For simplicity, because we have room to work with here, even if a battleship were to accelerate for 24 hours while orbiting mars, and again had to decelerate for 24 hours in orbit after reaching earth, (all while a chrysalid inside balanced two apples on each of it's mandibles) it would still only take 5 days to reach earth when both planets are at opposite orbital positions. It seems that the Ethereals can wipe out your base and not have to miss Ladies Night, assuming the club is also on earth. ''Ethereal Mind-Trick: &quot;You don't want to 'blow dis joint'. You want to come back to the UFO for a little abduction mhmhmhmhhmm.'' [[User:Darkestaxe|Darkestaxe]] 23:38, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> ::On one hand, &quot;near-constant multiple organ failure&quot; problably includes THAT organ. Ouch. On the other, sheer force of will problably works on that for them (lucky them); and with Psionics, you can make any woman belive that &quot;this long&quot; (holds hands a few inches apart) is 1 foot, as well as literally make her forget any other man she's thought about before, as well as Algerbra. Unhooking a bra would, however, still a challenge unto itself. And, since we are given specific dates in-game, there's plenty of programs online that can calculate the distance between planets for any given time, as well as lists of Oppositions (when two plants are at their closest): http://cseligman.com/text/planets/marsoppositions.htm For example, in 1999, the in-game year of the first game, on April 24th, Mars was only 86 million Km away (though Kudos if you can beat the game THAT early into a campaign) --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 16:55, 13 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==='''What happens to the crashed UFO craft and its crew?'''=== <br /> <br /> Downed alien craft disappear after a few days have passed. No explanation is given to this whatsoever, so what really happens to them?<br /> <br /> Possible answers:<br /> * The UFO and its occupants are recovered by other humans.<br /> * The Aliens manage to repair the craft and fly back to space. (unlikely, in the event that the power plant blew up and they have no Elerium)<br /> * The Aliens self-destruct the craft and kill themselves in the process, ensuring their remains will not be recovered by humans. (This is, in fact, the in-game explination. Read the mission briefing. [[User:Darkestaxe|Darkestaxe]] 23:38, 12 April 2013 (EDT))<br /> * The UFO Powerplant eventually suffers a meltdown and explodes, eliminating any vestiges of alien presence.<br /> * The Aliens blow up the UFO and disappear into the countryside.<br /> * Most likely answer, IMHO: The local government/ funding nations give X-COM a limited time window to launch any operation, similiar to what you see in covert ops movies: &quot;Complete the mission within 36 hours, or we initiate Carpet Bombing of the area&quot;. This is very likely considering that each nation actually has jurisdiction, and X-com is operating each military op with permission and cooperation by local authorities. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> *Similiarly, I assume that nations which have signed a pact with the aliens launch a rescue operation and assist their alien friends. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> : In the UFO TV show, it's stated that alien craft and bodies degrade quickly in Earth's atmosphere, disappearing completely in hours or a few days. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 15:36, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :: If that was the case, then one of the gases present in the atmosphere would be very toxic to the aliens. They would be restricted on their activities outside their craft, not to mention they would have to terraform the planet to be able to live here. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: As Zombie said, doesn't Alien Containment support this idea? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Those are excellent suggestions. One of the X-COM books detailed that aliens throw up a force field around crashed UFOs to give them time to repair the craft. This would also explain the limited size of the Battlescape (the area of the force field...the field was thrown up before the crash, thus why the craft wasn't always centered in it) as well as why the Battlescape is devoid of human life(the aliens took care of that up front.) Similarly, large scale bombing works as well, as does the local government going in to clean it up themselves. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::If there's a force field around the craft what is it supposed to repel? The atmosphere? Because humans have no problem entering the field and operating inside it. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::Of course they do! Have you ever noticed how dumb your units can be? That's because the aliens can't live with too much nitrogen, so they turn some of it in their force field to oxygen, and excessive amounts of oxygen make you act weird. After a while, their power source runs out and the nitrogen returns, dissolving them into E-115. (What did you think it was made of?) AT least, that's what seemes logical to me, ad is a combination of many postulates here. 21:36, 18 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> :::::That would require that the aliens' biochemistry and the alien alloys used in the power sources reacted with nitrogen, which is a mostly inert gas on normal temperature and pressure and a . It's kinda of weird that the aliens didn't bothered with fixing that vulnerability with their craft and bodies during millions of years (what happens if the force field malfunctions while capturing cattle? ooops!) but ok. The increase in the amount of oxygen would probably also turn any kind of fire into large explosions throughtout the force field. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 21:24, 19 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> ::The force field was intended to keep humans out so the aliens were undisturbed. The first major hurdle X-COM had was figuring out a way to bypass those fields so they COULD get troops and aircraft inside. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 20:54, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> *I'd guess that the aliens would eventually mount their own rescue missions, especially once they realized that XCOM is farming their ships for resources (they must know we don't have ready access to their alloys and Elerium) and co-opting their technology. In the Firaxis game, when idling in the Situation Room screen, Central's (often amusing) radio chatter implies that there are many more UFO's and reports that don't go into the globe. Additionally: only 16 countries are covered, and there are over 150 countries on earth, plus all the oceans. After all, if we were shooting down every last ship, then the alien collective shouldn't be able to land so many aliens for Terror Missions. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 02:48, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> ===How do the aliens carry their equipment?===<br /> Like human soldiers, aliens can carry weapons and equipment in locations like legs, belt, shoulders and backpack, regardless of the fact that some of their races even lack those anatomical features.<br /> <br /> :Potentially a sticky gel-like area on the limb. Though really, since we were never intended to access alien inventories and the AI does all inventory management internally, this may simply be something that was never considered. Speaking from a slightly different standard, most aliens do not carry excessive amounts of gear; often their equipment would be able to fit in both hands. Also recall that Floaters and Ethereals have capes and robes(which may have inside pockets, or the Floaters could store them in the anti-grav/life support unit or inside surgically created body cavities during the installation, while Ethereals could support their excess gear with telekinesis), Mutons have armor(which may have external straps or adhesive areas), and Snakemen have an armor plate(which could have straps, adhesive, inside pockets, or even a backpack.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :We already know the answer to this one - they cheat! ;) [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Are X-COM transport craft piloted?===<br /> <br /> :Almost certainly, since a remotely-piloted craft could be returned to base when the mission was aborted or failed. It's entirely possible that all X-COM soldiers are qualified pilots of the appropriate craft, since it would make no sense for X-COM to waste space on the plane for a noncombatant, or to have a single-point of failure on the mission like that. (The aliens could screw over the entire op by killing the pilot). It also explains why the craft is lost when the mission fails or is aborted with no one inside(lacking a pilot, the aliens are able to easily destroy it.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: On the other hand, even a tank/hovertank is capable of getting the craft back to base. Perhaps there is an autopilot function. X-com craft are also infamous for choosing strange and bizarre intercept paths, based on latitude lines... almost as if they followed some a few simple lines of code from 1993 programming (bit of 4th wall breakage there...) -[[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :Of course, given the tanks seem to be remotely piloted from an X-COM base, its possible that the tank being in the craft allows the Tank pilot to reroute into the control systems for the dropship and take it over. Limiting this to having the tank inside is a rather good idea. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 12:07, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :I recall that the various cutscenes in the PSX version had a pilot, most notably in the &quot;Mission Failure&quot; scene, where it shows the pilot being killed. --[[User:Mabmoro|Mabmoro]] 16:06, 13 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===What sort of physical process is used to increase human stats over time?===<br /> <br /> The increases in some stats are easy explained by experience gained on missions (firing abiility, reactions, etc.). However, in the cases of physical stats (TUs, stamina, strength) the increase must be augmented by an artificial process, since it isn't easily explainable that humans can significantly increase body mass/speed/endurance just by physical activity/exercise. <br /> <br /> :Lifting weights will increase strength. Running and cardio exercise will increase endurance, and performing the same task multiple times will allow you to perform it faster. I see no reason natural increase doesn't work. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::I assume that it is possible to a human to use those methods to double its physical condition, but that being the case why are X-COM recruits so... undeveloped? Maybe this is a more intriguing aspect. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> What I don't get is that when someone gets blasted that they gain a lot of extra health. For crying out loud, the aliens are throwing around plasma and ridicoulously HUGE explosions. Shouldn't they be suffering from third-degree burns? I would expect them to at least have a major sore spot where they got hit. [[User:Tsunamiatunzen1|Tsunamiatunzen1]] September 24<br /> <br /> :There's been arguments over whether the soldiers in X-COM are the Green Berets or equivalents of their various militaries, just average soldiers that volunteered for the job, or if the Council of Funding Nations is corrupt and is using this as an excuse to foist off their most useless soldiers onto the X-COM project. If the latter, it would easily explain their rather poor early stats. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Maybe the stat increases relate to the troops getting more comfortable performing all operations - lifting, running, combat actions - when the aliens no longer scare the cr*p out of them so much. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: I know what you mean... if this were Jagged Alliance, it'd be like trying to hire Mike and getting Gumpy instead... ouch! ... IMHO, it looks as if the COFN is being funny about this. Clearly, the troops assigned to X-com have had extensive weapons training... each and every one of them can use just about any standard weapon, including Rocket Launchers, incindieries, auto Cannons, etc. However, NONE of them have any combat experience, coming to you as fresh rookies. And their stats look as if they were selected based on a pot luck basis rather than screening among the elite troops... [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :Health isn't gained from getting shot. But as for the &quot;ludicrously low stats&quot; issue, maybe they're being selected on some other basis, or there's a real shortage of volunteers. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] 04:56, 25 September 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :: I think that the X-COM's soldiers have big responsibilities, can't have children. They are sworn in and only then go to the field - if someone can't be trusted to keep a secret, he's getting sacked, given a shitty job (ever wondered who maintained the General Stores?) or worse. - n, 16:47, 16 August 2010 (GMT+2)<br /> <br /> In Hotpoint's [http://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-16092/Hotpoint+XSGCOM+Goa+uld+Defence.htm| XSGCOM: Goa'uld Defense], his explanation is that after a few missions of watching their fellow newbies die, the survivors give in and volunteer for an experimental regimen of performance-enhancing drugs. IRL, steroids and such don't result in instant strength enhancement, they just encourage accelerated development of muscles. [[User:Kalaong|Kalaong]] 03:16, 28 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Heh: http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/901 --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 02:52, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> As much as I've played this series for decades, and know full well how pitiful the starting stats of soldiers are, at least with respect to the game's rules, I really feel I must wonder and ask why we think those starting stats are 'underdeveloped' or 'pot luck'? What, exactly, are we basing this judgement on beyond how poorly they seem to perform in-game against a force that is quite honestly and clearly demonstrated as superior to humans in the first few missions, where only luck and superior numbers appear to manage to secure any wins for the organization and, in turn, humanity? How much can the average X-COM 'Rookie' carry in pounds as gear, and is it considered substantial compared to Army kit, or not? How many direct hits from a rifle can they take normally without dying or keeling over from fatal wounds, and how does this compare to real-world soldiers' survivability? How much time is one turn meant to represent, and how far can the average 'Rookie' run in that time, and how does that compare to how fast a fully-kitted Army soldier can move?<br /> <br /> Has all of this already been figured out elsewhere? Otherwise, I'm starting to question whether we have any real proof that 'Rookies' AREN'T &quot;The best of the best of the best, sir! With honors&quot; beyond just how it 'looks' and 'feels' during gameplay, which is already skewed by the enemy having superior firepower and attributes, or, in the case of replacements, existing troops being pushed far beyond previously-perceived human limits from such extreme combat maneuvers as have resulted in success against, as I said earlier, a far superior force (EDIT: want to clarify on this point that I'm taking the 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' stance on the original question for this section). If the stats extrapolated for OpenXcom are any indication, this is most certainly the case, even with Sectoids, to an extent. While Sectoids will never have anything on humans in the Health department, being as fragile as they are (though some rookies can have less health, apparently, but only a few unlucky ones), they are surprisingly enduring, with tons of stamina, being 20 points higher than the X-COM 'Rookie' maximum upper limit for initial stat generation, and the same for Bravery (though this seems to be the case with all AI controlled entities, except mechanical ones, which have an impervious 110 Bravery). Reactions are also higher than possible with a Rookie, and speed (TUs) is on par with the statistical average for rookies, same with accuracy ratings, and even strength. This is just looking at the grunts, too, not even considering the stat boosts Leaders and Commanders have. As expected, the average X-COM Rookie's stats are almost universally superior to the civilians, representing the average member of humanity. The only exception is Stamina, and I'm starting to think this is to compensate AI units somehow for an AI that may not be able to manage energy levels as well as a human.<br /> <br /> Anyway, just felt someone had to bring this up here. If it really is explained elsewhere, it probably should be clarified here, as well, for consistency, anyway. (EDIT: I just felt it was being taken at face value far too readily in this discussion, and it just didn't seem right to just assume it with no evidence, despite all my experience playing this series, and noticing full well the soldiers' stats feeling constraining at first) --[[User:StormhawkAPS|StormhawkAPS]] 01:08, 4 October 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==Enemy Unknown/UFO Defence issues==<br /> ==='''Why isn't Earth overrun by Snakeman/Chryssalids?'''===<br /> <br /> According to the UFOPaedia, Snakemen's &quot;Reproduction is asexual, with each snakeman carrying up to fifty eggs inside its body at any one time&quot; adding the ominious conclusion: &quot;Left to its own devices this species would be a severe threat to life on earth.&quot;<br /> Moreover, this species is usually accompanied by the Chryssalids, which have a capacity to reproduce themselves very quickly using humans. So, any survivors of crash sites or terror attacks could start reproducing themselves hidden, resulting in large areas being overrun by those aliens later on. <br /> <br /> Possible answers:<br /> * Both races have a self-destruct mechanism incorporated into their psysiology to prevent this. <br /> * The entire area is purged by large scale bombing. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::One thing suggested in fan data was that Snakemen have air tablets in their stomach...which may be different from earth's atmosphere, which would limit their lifespan in earth's atmosphere, also making egg-laying pointless, since the offspring wouldn't be able to breathe or survive. It has also been suggested that Chryssalids have a very rapid metabolism. Though Chryssalids are likely just as, if not more useful, as a threat or a bargaining tool. When attempting to get a nation to capitulate to their demands, the aliens could threaten to employ Chryssalids en masse, or offer to remove a mass infestation in exchange for the government's cooperation. Or even further, it's possible that Chryssalids are under Ethereal control and maintaining the control link at that distance is taxing, thus eliminating mass use of the creatures. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Two words: [[Alien Containment]]. That answers everything except for the UFOPaedia articles for the aliens themselves which contradict it. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:42, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> : For captured aliens, yes. But what survivors of uninvestigated crash sites? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]]<br /> <br /> ::Zombie is commenting that based on the need for an Alien Containment unit, the aliens cannot survive in earth's atmosphere for extended periods, needing special atmospheric blends and/or nutrient pools which earth is unable to provide naturally, thus limiting their operations outside of the craft. (If the aliens won the war, it's likely this would be one of the first things that they would 'correct'.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 20:54, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> <br /> ===What is the propose of the 'disco balls' found inside some UFOs?===<br /> <br /> :Given that they explode, they could be storage reservoirs for coolant for the computers or other systems. They could also be circuit breakers or electrical junction boxes, or even a component of the UFO's particle beam they use to fry X-COM Interception craft. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Here again, two words: [[Alien Entertainment]]. Even though the spheres are not set to Alien Entertainment in the MCD files, they are almost certainly related to the process somehow. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:42, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Maybe they are for having discos? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Presumably [[Alien Entertainment]] is psionic in some way, maybe they're Psi-Emitters or something? -[[User:magic9mushroom|magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> ::'Disco balls' = Alien 'LSD' emitters. Travelling through space to go on almost-suicide missions force aliens to develop POWERFUL relaxing devices to entertain themselves and not go insane :P. --[[User:Nekrocow|Nekrocow]] 20:10, 24 June 2012 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ::: Assuming it's about eyeball-like pod #3, it's absent on base maps, and present only in two UFOs: Battleship (in Alien Entertainment), but Terror Ship on the second deck has one in Alien Entertainment room, but two on the bridge. Those are also the only two ships running ground battles and carrying Terror Units (bases have them, but normally don't expect to use them), so... either remote control psionic relays or something else related to ground combat?<br /> <br /> ===Who buys those alien bodies/equipment from X-COM?===<br /> <br /> :Equipment likely goes to the funding nations or the international black market. No rebel group is going to ask too many questions about being offered guns that can [[Heavy Plasma|slice through the hull of an MBT]] or [[Alien Grenade|grenades that can level a building]] or [[Blaster Launcher|man-portable guided missiles]]; it'd just be cash-and-carry. Similarly, scientists would likely be interested in looking at much of this stuff for their own research. This would also explain the lack of market forces; the funding nations could have a set price for each item, or if X-COM is selling them under the table to rebels and rogue scientists, they can set the price and refuse to budge. The money on corpses could also be an &quot;Alien Bounty&quot; paid by the Funding Nations, as a reward for each alien that X-COM can prove they killed. Or it could be bought by other groups...rumor has it that some fast food restaurants have processes that can make ANY meat, no matter the source, look and taste the same, and a Muton would make a LOT of McBurgers. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> From the USO (Kasey Chang): XARQUID SUSHI.<br /> <br /> ===How did the aliens got to Mars?===<br /> <br /> There are no indications that UFOs are capable of faster than light speed. So how did they get to Mars in the first place?<br /> <br /> :The UFOs are mission craft, used for the legwork. The fighters; we never see the carriers. Given the aliens have been proven to be interstellar, they either Clone-A-Crew as needed when coming the long way to keep the UFOs crewed, or its far more likely that the aliens did have or still do have larger &quot;Carrier&quot; ships, which are capable of FTL travel, that were/are further out in the Solar System that store and dispatch UFOs to mission locations. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: One word: TFTD. The entire city of T'leth was put into cryogenic suspended animation? Or look at X-com Interceptor. X-com and the aliens show the ability to enter hyperspace or whatever it is.<br /> ::: T'Leth is another mystery of its own. More to that later on :) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::... there are no indications that the UFOs are INcapable of FTL... I don't think you would want to perform FTL travel within Earth's planetary atmosphere!<br /> ::: There are no indications that they are capable as well. And X-COM scientists don't seem to detect any FTL capabilities in UFOs during their research. And after the war the Elerium stocks dwindled, and it would make sense to perform some sort of interstellar missions to detect and harvest Elerium, however none are mentioned. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::: Unless you count the events of X-com Interceptor? [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 21:15, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::: I am refering to the events between Enemy Unknown and TFTD. There is clearly a big distinction between the alien craft on EU and those of Interceptor. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:38, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::: Enemy Unknown is set in 1999, TFTD in 2040, Interceptor in 2067... looks entirely plausible that they DID begin research into space exploration immediately after the events of Enemy Unknown. These things take time you know. Remember that the universe is a huge place, and Earth had rather limited Elerium Reserves by the end of EU. It takes... what, 30 Elerium just to fly an Avenger halfway across Earth? They could hardly afford to fly around randomly in space HOPING to come across elerium, they had to figure out detections methods, then scan the galaxy sector by sector, possibly partially using non-Elerium based propulsion at times... I can't remember if it's canon or fanfic, but I remember reading that all Elerium on Earth was reserved for space exploration.<br /> As for FTL, Earth does get it for sure sometime between 1999 and 2067. And I'm pretty certain the technology is Elerium based. It's not a huge logic jump to assume that the aliens have access to FTL Elerium based tech.<br /> Though I'm a bit puzzled why all T'leth technology is based on Zrbrite, when the aliens uniformly use Elerium, all the way from Earth to Cydonia to the far reaches of space. -[[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :It takes 12 Elerium to fuel an Avenger, though how much 1 Elerium is is an ongoing debate. As for Elerium, it was reserved for propulsion research when the funding nations divvied up X-COM's resources, and then they blew it all without learning anything more than the original X-COM scientists. And yes, Earth clearly gets FTL after TFTD but before Interceptor. The reason Elerium is not used in TFTD is because Elerium becomes inert and useless upon contact with seawater. Similarly, seawater aggressively corrodes Alien Alloys and eventually completely dissolves them. Zrbite functions similar to Elerium, being gold mixed with alien bio-material. Unfortunately, Zrbite only works when supported by a massive energy grid created by T'leth and becomes inert upon its destruction. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 12:07, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> OK... take the UNIT of elerium out of the equation... let's say that Earth had 5000 units of elerium, so 6 units get's an Avenger halfway around the world, and 12 units is sufficient to reach Mars. Hardly enough fuel reserves for intergalactic travel then.<br /> 2065 On October the 27th, the probe 'Tombstone 1' returns reports to Earth. It's data show that the globular star cluster where it rests, one hundred light-years from Earth, contains many life-supporting planets. Many of the planet's within the probe's scanning range also apparently possess great mineral wealth, including trace veins of elerium-115.<br /> Hmm... So, mankind discovers FTL technology on their own in those 65 years? ah... come to think of it, if they've got non-Elerium based space travel and FTL, and more powerful weapons too, what's the big deal about Elerium in the Frontier? Does mankind even need it anymore?<br /> As for T'leth, it is meant to be over 65 million years old, and CRASHLANDED on Earth due to a solar flare. Was the Ultimate Alien a prophet, thus chose to base T'leth on aqua plastics and Zrbite when T'lth was first constructed? Or did T'leth crash land, followed by frenzied activity where the entire city was replaced part by part, the alien alloys swapped for Aqua Plastics?<br /> ...<br /> Actually, come to think of it, it's obviously a massive plothole due to limited timeframe, no point in discussing too deeply. Sigh... [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:50, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :It's implied that despite the loss of ability to use the alien technology from the First and Second alien wars, simply being able to see and examine their designs catapulted earth's technology forward at least a few decades...which really is entirely reasonable. Much of the technology can be replicated on earth, and the principles and designs can be reapplied.<br /> <br /> :As for the deal with Elerium, its needed to power stronger weapons and is also wonderful for power generation; its efficiency in power generation is what allows Mega Primus to even exist.<br /> <br /> :And was there anywhere that specifically said that T'Leth was made of Aqua Plastics? I don't recall. Yes, the rest of their subs are made of aqua plastics, but I'm wondering if something the size of a medium city might perhaps be made of something a bit more durable. PS: Thanks for signing your post! :D [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 14:17, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> It's not a plothole at all. There is no Elerium on Earth, whereas the aliens can manufacture Zrbite on Earth, since there's gold here. Therefore it's obvious why they used Zrbite. Also, there's the fact that it was an Aquatoid colony mission, intended to produce an &quot;aquatic paradise&quot;, so using Aqua Plastics instead of Alien Alloys is perfectly justified. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> :I think that the use of Aqua Plastics instead of Alien Alloys is perfectly justified by the fact that T'leth crashed million of years ago while the aliens that came to take a shot or two at earth were two million years ahead technologically. So Aqua plastics was some plastic that was used by aliens before they've got the Alloys. You might argue - it's Aqua Plastics, so Aqua =/= Space. Well, Aliens weren't calling them aqua, and there wasn't anything saying that Aqua Plastics is not suitable for Space Travel. --[[User:Domenique|Domenique]] 11:10, 19 May 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ... I think Alien Alloys alone would catapult earth's technology forward a decade, and there's no reason humanity can't use those anymore, just not in water. According to timeline, some space pirates manage to make the decommisioned Avengers run on non-Elerium fuel... a large technological step.<br /> By the time of Interceptor, Elerium weapons aren't that powerful. Good point about power generation though.<br /> I would assume that T'leth SHOULD have been constructed out of Alien Alloys, since it was originially an interplanetary vessel? Generally, everything in EU was made of Alien Alloys, everything in TFTD was made out of Aqua plastics. Both of which seemed plenty durable.<br /> <br /> <br /> ::Have you noticed that the UFOs fly however their mission parameters tell them to? The UFOs pretty much IGNORE interceptions by X-com craft... if their mission tells them to make 3 passes, speed up, slow down, speed up... they will follow that pattern exactly, whether X-com craft are firing on them or not.<br /> <br /> ::Question: How long does it take the Avenger to reach Mars from Earth? [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 19:12, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::No longer than a week, in my opinion. Probably less than 2 days. Since canonically, the design of the Avenger had the Cydonia mission in mind, it would be capable of very high interplanetary speeds. (You could choose to burn 40% of the Elerium in one blast to get to high speed. Or you could burn even more and refuel while it's landed...or it could be a mission with no guaranteed escape for the crew. The lives of the many over those of the few and all that, especially since the war hinges on the mission.) In addition, you can fit a full complement of soldiers on board with no real excess room for supplies, and the longer it takes to get to Mars, the greater the chance the aliens will spot it coming for them and mount a serious defense. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 19:20, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::If you'd burn that much fuel to accelerate the craft then you'd have to use as much again to decelerate it and attain a planetary orbit, otherwise you'll simply overshoot the planet and head towards outer space. This is also another aspect to take into account when thinking about the speed of UFOs. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::: UFO drives are non-Newtonian so those sort of rocket equations don't necessarily apply. I think filling up a car with gas is a closer analogy. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::: Well, they could put a mini mind shield on the Avenger, shoot down a UFO roughly their size, and then fly to Cydonia when the UFO they shot down was supposed to return based on the instructions found by the hyper-wave decoder. Basically taking the place of the UFO. Shouldn't be too hard since the UFO's are pretty common by the time you research Cydonia or Bust. [[User:Tsunamiatunzen1|Tsunamiatunzen1]] 14 February 2010 (MST)<br /> <br /> ::That would leave 20% of the fuel to take off the Avenger and land it. Not really that unreasonable. While they're landed, they could potentially refuel the Avenger, or the mission might have been planned as a 1-way trip from the get-go. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Perhaps Elerium-based drives are a bit like Ramjet engines, where they're actually useless or inefficient ''below'' a certain threshold speed? --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:02, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> ===What happened to Mars and the alien civilization there?===<br /> <br /> According to the Brain, Mars was blooming with life had a alien civilization millions of years ago. However, Mars nowadays is a barren world and the alien civilization seems reduced to the area on Cydonia. <br /> <br /> :That may well have been before Mars lost the majority of its atmosphere due to its weak magnetic field. As the atmosphere dissipated, the aliens left or died off. It's also possible that the aliens, shown in the game over to have little respect for planets other than as sites for slaves and resources, they strip-mined the planet dry(and the rust from the machines created the red coloring), and then seeded Earth so that the slave workforce would grow for future extraction of Earth's resources. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Where are the human-alien hybrids referred to on the UFOPaedia?===<br /> <br /> :For the ones on earth, probably in hiding or in laboratories for research. For the ones the aliens have, potentially improving the Sectoid gene pool or being used as food or menial tasks. Cloning is alot easier than making genetic hybrids and there's nothing that says their first-generation experiments would be suitable for combat. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: They are babies at the time of X-com, and few in number. Their aren't even that many of them by the time of X-com Apocalypse. [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 19:12, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Not to mention the ones in X-COM: Apocalypse are less-than-fit for battle before extensive training. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Why did the aliens only activate T'Leth after they were defeated?===<br /> <br /> On TFTD T'Leth is shown as an entity/city of major power that is capable of conducting a war on its own. But the aliens leave it dormant although they could have used it to speed the process of taking control of Earth. <br /> <br /> :Perhaps the Enemy Unknown aliens are legitimately scared of the TFTD aliens and are unsure how long they could trust them. Evil is not monolithic; the TFTD aliens may be more interested in themselves than the alien empire, so they were kept as an ace-in-the-hole. This is the same reason (canonically) that SKYNET did not originally send the T-1000 to assassinate Sarah Connor; SKYNET was scared of what the T-1000 could do and had only a bare minimum of control over it, so it only used it as an option when it had nothing left to lose. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> T'Leth is in fact so powerful that all it has to do is surface, in order for X-com to be considered to have lost the war.<br /> In fact, looking at the timelines, it takes 40 years for T'leth to wake up from it's slumber... that's one good reason not to use it. By the time it activated, the war would already be over. [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> Because the whole purpose of the Enemy Unknown aliens was to rescue the TFTD aliens from T'leth, and there was no way of seeing whether the T'leth-based invasion in TFTD would even work - from their perspective it's possible that getting T'leth to bootstrap itself could have caused a catastrophe (they don't know whether or how badly it's damaged). Presumably the aliens planned to mount a proper rescue operation after locking down Earth and readying it for the aquatic paradise that was the entire point of the T'leth expedition in the first place. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> T'Leth was a coleny ship sent by the Sectoid/Aquatoid's millions of years earlier. This is why the Aquatoids use electronics to augment there control over other creatures, while there progeny are genetically modified to gain the same control. In TFTD it's implied that the T'Leth had been partialy active for a long time. Thawing out aliens in small groups but never going in full production. UFO aliens may have not intended to start the full awakening cycle until they had a chance to prepare the planet. <br /> OR, given the Ultimate Alien was aquatoid in origin by his looks and there was no other races from the first game involved. And the fact that Sectoid/Aqutoid's are not the top of the food chain with the Ethereal and Brain being more powerful it's possible the brain had decided that the Ultimate Alien was a threat to it's power. It was not until it's death that they tried send the signal. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:19, 22 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===Why did the aliens use limited force during the First Alien War?===<br /> <br /> Imagine Independence Day or War of the Worlds: UFO above the major Earth cities destroying the national leadership and any resistance. Or simply announce to Earth that they are now a part of their empire and resistence is futile. Instead, they go 1 mission each day, allowing humans to capture their craft, research their technology, discover their intentions and mount a successful defense. Don't the aliens watch sci-fi movies to see how it should be done?<br /> <br /> :Perhaps they don't have the standing forces to do so, and are in the process of building up the forces needed to do so. Perhaps they don't want to wipe out the entire power structure too fast; they want to leave some pieces in place for when they rebuild. Perhaps they're too condescending to think that humanity ever really has a chance; they've probably conquered thousands of other planets without anyone ever successfully resisting them. Perhaps they consider the X-COM project to be a rearguard action that, while a valiant effort and a credible threat, is ultimately doomed to failure because they simply cannot win in the end, which is why they undermine it. Indeed, the reason you need to launch the Cydonia mission in order to win is because X-COM simply cannot stop the aliens in a ground war; the aliens have an effectively infinite supply line and standing forces(though nothing says they're all waiting to swamp the earth), and the only way to win is to kill the command staff(which the aliens believe X-COM will not be able to do, lacking both knowledge of where the Brain is and any practical means to get there.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::The most plausible explanation seems to be the one employed in the Worldwar series, by Harry Turtledove, but that does not seem to mesh with what the Brain says about having been on Mars for a while, since then they could watch the Earthlings perpetually. Of course, what it says is probably a bunch of lies. Thinking about what it says for too long also raises the question of why the aliens attacked when they did, of course... [[User:Vizzydix1|Vizzydix1]] 21:52, 18 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> The aliens are completely lacking in weapons of mass destruction. When you get right down to it, their aircraft are very fast, manuevarable and durable, but they have rotten firepower. Even the battleship is unable to bring down an Interceptor in 1 shot.<br /> The terror missions and X-com Base Defences prove that the Aliens are unable to simply launch orbital bombardments... in fact, they appear to have no Air to Land weapons whatsoever...<br /> When you get right down to it, the aliens are pretty stupid. Also, their scientists seem inferior to Earth's. Seems to me that they only had the advantage of Elerium deposits and thus elerium based research.<br /> X-COM was unable to win in an all-out war with the aliens, but remember that X-com is a small little covert group with several dozen soldiers and a handful of aircraft. Can you imagine the result if the aliens had caused a joint war effort by the UN? You would have Lockheed factories converted to Avenger production, several platoons of soldiers outfitted with Flying Suits, Lasers, Heavy Plasma, thousands upon thousands of Laser Tanks...<br /> I would say that keeping the fight to covert action on both sides was actually beneficial to the aliens, really. [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> * Nope, the aliens could just invoke John's Law and blow up the planet with a kamikaze battleship at .9c. Even failing that, the alien battlefleet could come in numbers sufficent to blot out the sun.--[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 14:39, 8 November 2009 (EST)<br /> ** Lest we forget, X-Com is essentially the Spartans to the aliens' Persian Empire. So they'd just fight in the shade (which would be a blessing in desert missions). --[[User:Guido Talbot|Guido Talbot]] 13:58, 16 July 2010 (EDT)<br /> *** Mass producing those technologies on such a large scale would be impractical considering that those said technologies sans Laser Technology rely heavily on Elerium. Thus the Earth forces would be heavily reliant on downed or landed UFO's to resupply their Elerium powered craft making such efforts pointless. <br /> <br /> Aliens first began with smal scouting missions, so maybe all we expirience in X-Com is initial attacks by aliens, maybe the whole base was begining scouting and waiting for the invasion fleet? Aliens problably could be in sense dumber than humans, humans are adaptable and thinking, our technology advances fast, and we are fast and smart enough to stop the invasion before it begins. Aliens problably were not used to it so they thought &quot;oh well, another invasion...&quot;. --[[User:Domenique|Domenique]] 11:10, 19 May 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Mankind, as a whole, is incredibly cunning and full of guile. We are also incredibly aggressive. A trait that the most of the Aliens can barely concieve. Though we are weaker physically, mentally, etc, we are overly developed when it comes to strategem and war. The aliens are, in essence, have come to an inverse of Flatland. Though they are advanced, it is they who are 2D to our 3D approach to fighting. They return to earth, and through extensive research and testing, determine that inferior are strategically to humans. So...they use their advances to what they percieve as the most full advantage, and call for reinforcements over the initial months of the First Alien War. For eons, only the Sectoid make arrivals to earth. When the Brain finally realizes the situation, that mankind has woke up and is dealing with them most directly, it begins to get desperate, it sends reinforcements, but only incrementally. (Its always focused on peak efficiency). The concept of overwhelming force is illogical and some how, disdainful, to it. It prefers nuance, interogation, politics, and assessment. The Brain determine that its more effective to eliminate allies of XCOM than to face it directly. The concept of obliterating anything from orbit is reprehensible. Everything must be examined, especially the dead creatures you leave behind. Over time, it would learn man's tactics and assimilate. In fact, each race called in is an example of the Brain adapting. The Floaters bring forth an extra dimension to combat. The snakemen aggressiveness and accuracy. Mutons a culmination of superior warrior breeding, raw physical power, and determination not unlike the so called human soul. Finally, the Ethereals enter, with capacity to bring overwhelming force. In time, as they do on Mars base, they might begin joint force attacks with Mutons backed by Ethereals, supported by a mix of terror weapons. Fortunately, the First Alien War is ended before they fully develop such cunning. Hence the desperate act of T'Leth. The Brain has learned the power of anger fueled by vengeance and desperation.<br /> --[[User:BlackLibrary|BlackLibrary]] 11:10, 29 May 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :I've always viewed it as primarily a lack of resources. Even if you get a UFO every single day and shoot them all down so that there's no possible chance of any of them being the same UFO that's still only several hundred to perhaps a thousand or few UFO's over the course of several years. And most of those are quite small and not too difficult to take out with regular old interceptors and human armaments. If used all at once it might be enough to achieve air superiority, particularly if the Battleships do all the heavy lifting. But it also might not. It certainly would NOT provide enough soldiers to mount a worldwide ground offensive. The crews on those ships aren't all that big. There's also no reason to assume that all those craft, weapons, soldiers, and more importantly... elerium are all available at the same time. It's quite likely that the aliens are cloning new soldiers, building new weapons and UFO's, and possibly receiving supplies (particularly of elerium) from deep space. Elerium is needed to manufacture a lot of their stuff as well, and we already know it's a limited resource in our solar system. Consider on top of that how much get's used up as fuel every time a UFO visits Earth. If they sent all their UFO's they would use up their reserves of Elerium all at once for a 1 day attack that ultimately would fail. Instead of conquering the Earth wholesale they are trying to influence governments into signing secret pacts with them so that they can control the population of the Earth rather than wipe us out. They do this by using terrorism to intimidate the public and inserting clones to infiltrate governments while holding secret negotiations. A steady stream of UFO missions keeps up the pressure until governments break. Lucky for us they never expected us to bring the fight to the command center on mars. Just imagine if they had built base defenses like we can for our bases. heh Lord would it be aggravating building up a crew of top notch soldiers, constructing an Avenger from scratch, scrapping together all the gear, sending it to Mars, and then watching it get blown to bits before it even lands... O,o Also consider that their UFO's have operated with relative impunity for a very long time. Presumably XCom is the first organization to shoot down a UFO? As for Earth ramping up for a full scale war, it'd be unlikely that we could really produce enough alien technology in any reasonable timescale to actually outfit whole nations armies, especially with limited Elerium. Perhaps the tech that doesn't require Elerium, but then again shifting an entire army from one weapon system to another is not as simple as merely producing all the weapons. It's an extremely long, arcane, and baffling process. Getting just the branches of the US military to switch to laser weapons would probably take at least a decade. I think that limited resources and the intent to control and dominate rather than eliminate the population of the Earth explain it. For that matter they would see the human population it-self as a resource. Hence the use of small scale terrorism rather than attempting to use any weapons of mass destruction. A bunch of aliens walking around shooting people is still pretty damn scary stuff.[[User:Mannon|Mannon]] 13:12, 30 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> I would have thought that the simplest answer here is best. The aliens are manifestly unable to survive outside containment or bases for prolonged periods. Further, their clearest technological advantage over the humans (at least, prior to X-Com research) is mind control. Therefore, their primary method of offence is not to get bogged down in a ground war, but to engage in the overthrow of governments by infiltration, coercion, corruption and bribery, and achieve complaisance by terrorisation of the general populace. It is for this reason that standard combat tactics involving large hierarchies are ineffectual against the aliens (when the government/command can be mind controlled and the theatre can be defined by a mobile alien force). A decentralised, partly cellular, covert approach like X-Com is preferable, but unable to win an outright ground war either (being composed of, at maximum, 250 soldiers). Of course in reality, the irony is that the aliens/bourgeoisie/Fox network have Mind Controlled you, the X-Com commander into wasting your time with retro video games instead of doing anything about their societal control!<br /> --[[User:Oogleshay|Oogleshay]] 16:16, 18 October 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> My theory is that the aliens are deliberately trying to be low-key because they know once the UN can no longer keep the invasion a secret, they will have no reason to pull their punches at defending Earth. The aliens want to make it so that once humanity at large fully realizes what's going on, it's already too late - they're poking the sleeping giant but take care not to awaken it before amputating all limbs to make it unable to defend itself once awake.--[[User:Amitakartok|amitakartok]] 06:33, 14 January 2012 (EST)<br /> <br /> Perhaps the aliens suffer from a lack of proper logistics. If we assume that their purpose was to retrieve the lost colony ship(T'leth) then it wouldn't seem particularly likely that the aliens would have brought along the necessary logistics to support a full scale invasion of Earth. Furthermore it is quite possible that the alien ships you encounter in the first XCOM are actually not dedicated invasion ships but rather re-purposed fighter ships(which would explain the total lack of artillery or bombardment capabilities).<br /> --[[User:Theinsomniac|Theinsomniac]] ([[User talk:Theinsomniac|talk]]) 22:47, 17 February 2014 (EST)<br /> <br /> I disagree with all this. &quot;Mankind is the greatest species.&quot; - hogwash. The aliens are clearly capable of wiping out humanity when they wish, if you read the whole of the lose game screens. The game had to be designed to give humans a chance to fight back. With this caveat: the only reasons the aliens don't start wiping out the population would be to preserve humanity. With the harvesting and abduction missions, clearly they are looking for something in the fauna and flora of Earth. Something that a massive assault would make improbable to find due to the overwhelming loss of life that would occur. The most logical explanation would be that the aliens want to harvest specimens with specific genetics traits, so they would want to be able to sift through as much of the population as possible to find those with the best traits. Before wiping out the rest of the &quot;inferior specimens&quot;. This explanation would also fit to the story that the brain tells at the end of the Cydonia mission (if that story is more than just a desperate attempt to save itself.) [Why the aliens are so incompetent is due to incomplete development of the strategic layer by the designers, especially with the economy.] [[User:Morgan525|Tycho]] ([[User talk:Morgan525|talk]])<br /> <br /> Obviously, in the remake, this is much more easily explained as the Etherial search for Psions making human extermination ''not'' being their goal (but in fact, the ''last'' thing they want, since we're the best shot they got for their apparent true goal: ascendance), but to an limited degree is is reasonable to retroactively apply this motivation to the 1994 Etherials/Cydonian Brain. On a similar vein, where the Gallop Brothers even thinking about T'leth yet during Defense's development? I saw not too long ago, I think on the History Channel, of a 'realistic' take at trying to fight off an invasion/occupation force, also noted to be about harvesting, not about outright killing all humans: with presumed FTL tech, even someting a fraction of lightspeed, and the number and masses of UFOs involved both in the special and in XCOM; it'd be much easier to just strap some engines on some large asteroids and spam them at Earth, which those points prove is possible: a much easier and effective means to exterminate humans, if the goal was xenophobic in nature--- but I digress. Consider.. hmmm, yeh, the US invasion of Iraq or Aphganistan: we COULD of just nuked the hell out either country and called it a day. Presuming a lot, but maybe some of the same reasons America didn't are the same? Intergalatic politics not allowing such WMDs? Excessive collateral damage wasn't their interest? Looking for something specific on an individual basis? That the aliens (may) want slaves, and reasons on that vein, is a big difference they have. Going back to the special, how humanity won is by a mass infitration/kamakaze attack on the barge/battleship-sized UFOs, and making it &quot;not worth&quot; continuing the occupation (in similar nature to people wizing up to Bush's bullshit and losing so many soldiers to cheap-ass IEDs and Soviet-era tech making the Iraq War unpopular)..... again, assuming alien behaviors and mechanics of motivations are anything remotley &quot;human-like&quot;. So, at best, I'd ascribe the 1994 alien's motivation as the same as in the special: conquering for resources. Cortez conquering my ancestors for gold. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] ([[User talk:Xuncu|talk]]) 08:03, 18 February 2014 (EST)<br /> <br /> <br /> My personal theory in regards to this is simple. To get to Mars from where they originated they would have to travel at relativist speeds (at or at least close to the speed of light) this requires a lot of energy and at this speed every microgram counts. (a single microgram of cargo can cost a ton of fuel at FTL speeds).<br /> So the aliens travelling to Mars, instead of bringing a massed invasion fleet bring the bare minimum. Embryos or even genetic samples for each of their species, blueprints for weapons and equipment, basic manufacturing facilities, mining equipment and a transport vessel designed to be cannibalised to set up the initial Cydonia base, with only a ghost crew to start things off.<br /> This explains the year prior to the start of the game (the steady increase in UFO reports, abductions ect.) the aliens need resources, they probably got some from mining the area around Cydonia to build some of their equipment but to grow clones they need a nutrient medium (not to mention the food they need for themselves) which means they have to go to earth and harvest. The initial missions were probably in areas such as the ocean, or jungles, harvesting flora and fauna. But given how little they would be able to harvest this way (they would have trouble finding enough protein not to mention the fact that mutons are said to be obligate carnivores) which meant increased incursions on populated areas (such as farms) add to this the lack of genetic diversity means that they would abduct humans to help provide some means of altering their genetic code to better handle earth diseases and atmosphere. <br /> This can also explain why you only get small UFOs initially, they don't have the resources to build battle ships (until they have mined enough to expand their production facilities and build bigger craft). It also explains why they lack weapons.<br /> TFTD show that the alien's method for “education” is to just implant knowledge. What this means is you have a bunch of aliens with the same hard-wired brain (clones) and with the same knowledge. Limiting their ability to adapt and change (they don't have years of experience to work on, nor have they had to think of the knowledge they have it's just given to them as fact). <br /> Once X-com is formed they now find themselves battling an enemy that not only adapts to use their technology but builds on it (personal armour, power suits, flying suits, fusion ball tanks, ect). The whole alien invasion is doomed from the start. <br /> Given time the aliens could have built up a massive fleet capable of overwhelming earth (which was probably their initial plan) but due to X-com getting involved that plan got knocked back. They can mine Mars and the asteroid belt for minerals to build their weapons, but without raiding earth for the fauna to feed their troops and grow their clones they can not build an army.<br /> The aliens probably observed earth previously. (maybe Roswell was a scouting mission which failed to return) as such they underestimated our detection and interception capabilities (the back-story actually states that X-com is using the best craft available and previous attempts to intercept UFOs failed using conventional earth technology, which probably explains the limited weapon load-outs for x-com craft (they are built on high speed prototypes designed as proof of concept not actual in service craft so they had to jury rig hard points).<br /> This basically means that the aliens were unprepared for earth's level of resistance, before they even had a force capable of fighting. If they had been more careful, built their forces in silence (by farming wild life in the jungles and oceans, instead of going for rich targets like farms to load up on cow parts quickly) they may have been able to launch an invasion before earth even knew what was happening (just imagine if the game started with 20 battleships over every country, mutons march down the streets carrying heavy plasmas and blaster bombs, while snakemen and chrysalids strike major cities, all the while ethreals are mind controlling everyone... try winning that game with just 2 interceptors, a couple of rifles, some heavy weapons and 8 soldiers who can't hit the broad side of a barn from point blank range with a guided rocket --[[User:crwydryny|crwydryny]] 14:50, 30 December 2015 (GMT)<br /> <br /> ==TFTD issues==<br /> ===What was the relationship between the aliens from the 1st and 2nd wars?===<br /> <br /> Quoting from the UFOPaedia regarding Alien Origins: 'Deep in the oceans there lie ancient<br /> sites used by the Aliens to contact their stellar cousins.' This also has some implications regarding the issue of why T'Leth was only activated when the Sectoids were defeated. <br /> <br /> *Gill Men are coopted Terran creatures, Aquatoids are a differently-modified Sectoid breed, Lobstermen are machine soldiers that are manufactured, Tasoths are clone soldiers that are grown.<br /> <br /> Aquatoids are the ancestors of the Sectoids. The colony ship was sent out slowing than light hundreds of millions of years ago. Sectoids are a more genetically advanced race. The rest of UFO aliens were picked up after that point. The Brain and Ethereals probably conquered the Sectoids and don't regard them highly. While the Aquatoids that were thawed over the years created, conquered (Gill Man) or manufactured the rest of the allies over time. I picture the Tasoth as probably something they brought with them and have been working on. Since most of the Aquatoids come from suspended animation they have not tinkered with genes much. Instead modifying and using electronics (MC Chip) to control. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:28, 22 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===What kind of materials were 'synomium' and 'adamantium'?===<br /> <br /> The first one is mentioned on the name of the alien communication devices and the second one appears at the end when T'Leth is destroyed: 'he twisting hugeness of T'leth begins to rupture.<br /> Flames and smoke spew from its gleaming spires and adamantium halls.'<br /> <br /> :Synomium is probably a special material used in the comm. devices, like Stargate's naquadah (universal stuff), naquadria (unstable power source), trinium (hull material) and neutronium (superdense metal). Adamantium is a legendary material in ancient literature that is said to be indestructible, similarly to mithril.--[[User:Amitakartok|amitakartok]] 10:55, 3 November 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Adamantium is said to be one of the strongest elements in many books and films such as X-men. --[[User:St.froppelie|St.froppelie]] 19:45, 23 October 2011 (GMT)<br /> <br /> *See also Wikipedia article on Adamantium: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamantium]<br /> <br /> ===How deep were X-COM bases located on the seas?===<br /> <br /> *Floating bases would be easier to build, repair and supply. However they would have to be tethered to the ocean bed or possess some sort of propulsion to prevent them from drifing with the ocean currents. But it would also allow for easy redeployment of the base. <br /> *Submersible bases could allow for better sonar detection. Same problems regarding ocean currents would apply. In case of hull breaches entire modules would be quickly flooded and any crew present would be crushed by water pressure or drown. Base could be built and then submerged (requires depth control)<br /> *Seabed bases would be the hardest to build and supply. Several other factors could limit their deployment, such as unstable areas (underwater volcanoes, prone to seaquakes, rock avalanches, etc.) and depths.<br /> *Given that the Alien Retaliation missions in TFTD are called &quot;Floating Base Attack&quot;, I'd say floating. Also remember that your starting sonar can't see Very Deep, which rules out seabed bases. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> ** Floating doesn't always happen on the surface. The surface has to deal with large waves ad bobbing up and down, submerged only has the currents it could be stabilized easier. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 11:57, 14 January 2010 (EST)<br /> * I was recently researching how far you have to be down to not be effected by surface conditions. You have to be submerged 1/2 of a waves lenght (measured crest to crest) Best I can find is that the average wave is 150 yards accross. To not be effected by the waves you have to be 75 Yards below. This is way below the depth needed to not be effected by the bends when surfaceing. I figure they are probably right at the limit of what can be safe for quick surfacing and well anchored to avoid getting [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwKXfc_a4Ag tossed in a storm]. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:37, 22 March 2010 (EDT) <br /> **Something else to consider - these 'floating bases' could be large modular submarines/submersibles. If memory serves, submarines basically maintain sea-level pressure regardless of the depth, so that could explain why they'd be able to be 75+ feet below sea level and not suffer the bends when surfacing.<br /> ::(Or, y'know, we could just say &quot;a wizard did it&quot;.) --[[User:Guido Talbot|Guido Talbot]] 14:13, 16 July 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) issues==<br /> ===Motives behind the invasion===<br /> Now, the UberEtherial pretty much spells out the whole point of the invasion, as well as of their use &amp; control of all the other aliens: they ''wanted'' humanity to evolve and become powerful, because they needed a species that was both high in physical prowess, and a powerful psychic warrior. He (presuming gender) freely admits that their bodies suck (and that the other races suck in body and/or mind even more), and the 1st-3rd-1st person pronoun switch in ONE sentence (&quot;We who failed to ascend as ''they'' thought we would&quot;) and &quot;preparation for what lies ahead&quot;, as well as his descriptions of the other alien races in the Temple Ship imply a number of things:<br /> *The other races are enslaved races, perhaps from earlier invasions (possibly starting with Sectoids and Etherials being different castes of the same species?), themselves having been enhanced by their own resistances, before becoming enslaved on the degree of being puppets.<br /> *The whole point of the invasion is enslavement of humans, not extermination, for the perfect warrior-- any Metroid fans can think of the Chozo also becoming masters of Psionics and energy manipulation, at the cost of becoming physically frail and infertile, and entrusting the Power Suit -- and their legacy -- to Samus.<br /> *The alien surgeries (which greatly resemble Sensory Deprivation tanks-- you can even zoom in to see captive humans twitch sporadically) are their version of XCOM's Psi Lab (which ''also'' greatly resemble Sensory Deprivation tanks): they are 'farming' humans for Psi potential, similar to how us, the player, may farm soldiers for our own Psi Squad<br /> *Which then makes XCOM almost as much the ''Etherial's'' project as it is the Council's (hence why they do not invade or attack XCOM HQ or Interceptor bases)<br /> *Someone/thing ''else'' is involved, someone the Etherials are in some way subservient to: notice in the Temple Ship and in the Overseer UFO, the strange, Cathedral-like &quot;Stained Glass Windows&quot;. To me, there appear to be ''two'' figures in each: the much more visible 4-armed Etherial silhouette, and in a transparent, but slightly darker shade of lavender, some other 6-8 limbed creature, with a larger body and a very different head-shape behind the first.<br /> *&quot;What lies ahead&quot; may mean some coming disaster, or merely a challenge and testing from this sequel-hook of &quot;They&quot;<br /> *Additionaly: the description of the Hyperwave device implies contact with an alternate dimension. The organic-metallic (silicon based, perhaps?) form of the Outsiders (as opposed to the rather obvious &quot;manufactured and machined parts grafted onto flesh&quot; Cyborg attachments of both Floater varieties), and their absence (especially from the Temple Ship) after the device's capture, as well as released screenshots of the upcoming FPS XCOM game (mentioning Outsiders AND being placed several decades ago)-- all this suggests alternate timelines as well as alternate dimensions (in quantum physics, these are practically the same thing anyways), as well as some species native to this ''Outside'' dimension that are the ones, this &quot;They&quot;, whom are actually calling the shots.<br /> --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:56, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> *Just to verify the point about the Outsiders, they are called OUTSIDERS, which pretty much means not native, so possibly they are not native to this dimension, also, &quot;What lies ahead&quot; Could possibly be foreshadowing a TFTD remake? And the Outsiders are merely, prototypes of the Ultimate Alien?<br /> [[User:XBrassxDragonX|XBrassxDragonX]] 22:59, 25 May 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> *The UberEthereal is a rebel against &quot;They&quot; he/she/it united a group of Ethereals, and left &quot;They&quot; Then, he/she/it proceeded to search for the Ultimate Race, a race that was as tough as a Muton, and as Psionically Powerful as an Ethereal, these were the Humans. This Ultimate Race would overthrow &quot;They&quot; and thus, complete the Ethereal's legacy, it could also be, that through the use of implants, and sacrificing physical strength for Psionic Power, the Humans could walk the same path as the Ethereals, and be contacted by whatever was left of &quot;They&quot; then, the Humans would help &quot;They&quot; rebuild, and realize the sinister motivations behind &quot;They's&quot; plan, and thus, repeat the story in a never-ending cycle.<br /> <br /> ===How is it possible for Psionic soldiers to exist?===<br /> After capturing a Psi-capable enemy and dissecting it: does XCOM reverse-engineer the implants and insert them into troops (whether they test positive (capable of using them) or not)? Or, is the testing just digging for a Psi signal that ''is already there''? In which case, it's a human-evolved trait, but from where, and why wasn't it found before? Vahlen's reasearch implies similar genetic struture between aliens and humans: do humans and Etherials/Sectoids have a common Psi-capable ancestor, or have the Etherials been interfereing with human evolution for at least 20-30 years (or however old troopers tend to be, with Shaojie Zhang and his advanced age, equally possible to have Psi-Abilites), if no longer? At least in Apocalypse, there's the excuse of Sectoid/Human Hybrids. How do humans use a power just discovered that year, and only a few months of practice, end up with the capacity to potentially mind-control Etherials, each of which who have several thousand years of personal experience with Psi abilites? --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 05:28, 11 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> :It's implied that humans were always latent psionics (it's possible that if we weren't, the Ethereals would never have bothered us at all). The cutscene where your first psionic is found suggests the testee is immersed in some sort of purple gas, which presumably causes some physiological change to make them operant psionics. As for how human psionics get so good so quickly, good question, though bear in mind that psionic humans are implied to be an Ethereal's equal in raw power, but while an Ethereal has to expend psionic power all the time just to stay alive and standing, a human can devote it all to his psionic attacks. This could explain why humans are on an equal footing with Ethereals despite having comparatively little practice. More simply, it could just be that humans are badass compared to aliens; we certainly seem to be able to reverse engineer their technology in record time AND then make improvements to it, suggesting we're frankly just &quot;better&quot; than them. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 09:07, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :Another possibility could be that Elerium exposure maybe one of the factors. While Doctor Vahlen stated that she found a correlation with high will power and psychic ability, gameplay mechanics aside there are cases where a very high willed soldier came back from the Psionic Labs who had displayed no psychic prowess whatsoever. Elerium is used in the alien technologies and it was only after the Alien attack that XCOM was able to 'make' psionic soldiers. Another piece of evidence is that pieces of equipment such as the Psi Armor and the Mind Shield require a large quantity of Elerium in order to manufacture and that it 'enhances' the Psychic abilities of the wearer. While it is true that Elerium is used as a power source for the armor, unlike the hulking Titan armor the Psi armor is essentially a skinsuit/catsuit/muscle suit that has no visible heavy pieces of armor but yet the Elerium requirements for a set of Psi Armor exceed the Elerium requirements for the larger, heavier Titan armor. Logically (again, gameplay mechanics aside) speaking the lighter Ghost armor could perform the same if it used the same amount of Elerium for the Titan armor yet it requires more to function. Combined with the fact that the Psionic Labs and the Gallop Chamber (Both facilities that involve Psionic's) are the only XCOM facilities outside of the Elerium Generator that requires Elerium in their construction means that Elerium maybe linked to the manifestation of Psychic phenomena.<br /> [[User:GMPilot0079|GMPilot0079]] 3:56, 13 May 2013 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Bureau/Enemy Within/My Little Pony Supplemental===<br /> {{Ref Open | title = Yes, really}}<br /> How does a ''Psychic'' attack on an XCOM soldier cause obvious psychological effects (-will, -aim), but damages ''armor'' first?<br /> <br /> So, it's a safe assumption that the &quot;They&quot; spoken up above is probably the likes of [[Ethereal_(Bureau)|Asaru and Shamash]], &quot;True&quot; Etherials, who's physical forms have been discarded in trade of bodies made of pure energy--- much like EU/EW's Outsiders (not the Zudjari-- for clarity's sake, &quot;Outsider&quot; means the UFO-commander type alien in EU, and Bureau's 'Outsiders' shall be specifically called &quot;Zudjari&quot;) are ''also'' described as being of pure energy. So, Bass Dragon was half-right: the Outsiders are not prototypes, they're attempts to ''reverse-engineer'' the Ultimate Life-forms that are the True Etherials. Shamash outright said they exist in multiple realities (either in the &quot;omnipresent&quot; sense (and the &quot;physical&quot; body is just the part that happens to intersect this reality), or that they can shift between alternate realities, XCOM's dimension included), and the Hyperwave Uplink, which seems to be the source for the Outsider's existence, has in-game descriptions that states that it has some kind of access to alternate dimensions, I think confirms this. The fact that Origin could study and emulate Shamash through scientific methods also leads credence that the Outsiders were scientific attempts to manufacture a True Etherial (or analogue thereof), via the Uplink.<br /> <br /> The slave collars on the Bureau's Sectoids. I used to think that Sectoids may have been a low catse, but effectively the same species as Etherials. But, that was more based on the 1994 game's depictions, where the Sectoids were weaklings, but seemed to be &quot;just another member of the alien horde.&quot; With 4-armed Etherials being canon, it's more likley that Etherials share a common ancestor with Slenderman than Sectoids, since evolution doesn't really work that way (ie: all/most (modern) Earth animals with spinal chords (chordate [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chordate] ) follow a &quot;head and 4 limbs and 2 eyes&quot; body configuration). More likely, Sectoids are the &quot;for hire/sale&quot; whipping boy of the universe. Additionally, the slave collars that are suggested to help link them to the Mosaic Network, show how incomplete Origin's manipulation of Shamash was: in the infliltration of the Spire in Arizona, Dr Wier comments that Mosaic &quot;seems to want to help&quot;. But, as the normal Etherials were collectively working together, that is why EU's Sectoids were without collars: the Etherials had no need for them.<br /> <br /> Sectoids on sale, now 50% off, this Rel only, here on Shopduct n' Slave!<br /> <br /> Now, the Meld: it always struck me as odd how ''careless'' the aliens seemed to be, leaving massive resources laying around for XCOM to collect. If XCOM was some kind of MMORPG, I would bet that players who chose the Alien factions would often blow up the Elerium Generators and Navigational Computers if it looked like they were going to lose a base or UFO (Chryssalid Rush, ke ke ke!). That they leave the Meld hanging around seems to me that they ''want'' XCOM to get it, which goes with what I wrote long ago up there about how XCOM could be said to also be the Etherial's project, at least indirectly.<br /> <br /> On the other hand; how does Meld tie in with the purpose of the invasion? Searching for the Ultimate Life Form, &quot;as we sought to uplift them, to prepare them.&quot; In other words: those aren't mere storage canisters, XCOM Bait, or bombs. They're ''dispersal units''. The Etherials' plot was to seed Earth with Meld to enhance physical capacities anyways (Mechtoids, Floater/Heavies), while doing abductions as mass &quot;Farming&quot; for Psi-positive humans (ie; like how the player buys soldiers in bulk, and picks out the ones we want to submit for Psi testing). Failures: we fire them, Zudjari kill them and dump 'em out back, Etherials and The Matrix turn them into flood slurry, and the Wachowski Siblings make a third movie and lose all credibility.<br /> <br /> Which brings me to my third topic, where I talk about a cute talking unicorn that hails from a magical Fantasy kingdom of baby horses.<br /> <br /> In the crossover fanfic [http://www.fimfiction.net/story/100455/stardust XCOM/FiM: Stardust], the Author is (with obvious liberties) attempting to stay accurate to XCOM's technical information (with assistance from this very 'Paedia: he's seen my work here). The major alterations to the plot are that Bradford replaces the player character of the Commander, and instead of Fluttershy reforming Discord, Discord makes a bet with Twilight Sparkle to &quot;Convince me, irrefutably, that friendship is the strongest power in the universe.&quot;<br /> <br /> With Twilight accepting the terms, Discord teleports her to April 02, 2015, to the site of a Terror Mission in Washington DC, within 30 feet of a Chryssalid.<br /> :If you've read this far, I assume I've had your interest. If I now have your attention, and want to read the story without getting spoilers, scroll down to where '''Elerium''' is next written in bold.<br /> <br /> So, obvious question: &quot;What the hell does that have to do with anything?!&quot; Well, the Author is trying to stay accurate to EU and Bureau (he did start writing before much of EW was revealed) while writing his own story, and he addresses several valid points that solve, or at least address several XCOM mysteries. The unique viewpoint of involving cartoon ponies is for flavor, amusement, and contrast to better see them.<br /> <br /> As the story continues; Twilight is captured by XCOM, and almost Interrogated by Dr Vahlen, but manages to escape the containment cell. Hijinks ensue, Dr Shen talks Bradford into allowing him to make contact (referencing the in-game Arc Thrower conversation between the three), and Twilight is now a 'guest' of XCOM, taking residence in &quot;Stardust&quot; Labs. Eventually, she helps in XCOM's research of both alien technology, and her own magic abilities: The magic field she uses in Equestria is also available on Earth, but is stiff from &quot;disuse,&quot; but is discovered to be the same field that the Aliens use for Psionic abilities. It's revealed that Elerium is, or is at least an analogue to &quot;Arcanite&quot;, a material that boosts magic abilities. Ergo: Elerium boosts Psionic abilities. As Twilight assists in both XCOM Research, and indirectly with missions themselves, with her magic, her use of the Field begins to awaken the Psionic/Magic abilities of the humans around her. For example, Commander Bradford has 'time-stopping' precognition; several times, he has seen TPKs, only to snap back into real time shortly before it all goes to hell-- save states, basically.<br /> <br /> Her assistance also points out that the implants found in the aliens, particularly the Sectoid Commanders, also have Elerium circuitry that activates/boosts/projects their Mind Control ability (as well as all aliens to be able to be controlled by the Etherials, who have not yet been revealed in the story, save for a refrence to/by a possible EXALT/Osiris member, and another to William Carter). This also points out that the Etherials are not specifically &quot;Religious&quot; of themselves, as Origin was, but are scientific-minded (the &quot;All Technologies&quot; research credit).<br /> <br /> The mystery of XCOM this addresses is, as Analyst Krut points out in The Bureau: &quot;Why?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Dear Twilight Sparkle,<br /> <br /> '''ELERIUM.'''<br /> <br /> Sincerely,<br /> :Pinkie Pie!&quot;<br /> <br /> The Field that makes the abilities possible has probably always been here, and is perhaps universal, as inherent as magnetism or gravity (or, if you want a ''stupid'' comparison: like the &quot;Chroma&quot; in ''Indigo Prophecy''). And, with Elerium and it's use making Psionics easier for humans, Earth is now a 'factory' for making the most potentially dangerous beings in the universe.<br /> <br /> Evolution, at least on Earth, is more about &quot;Good enough&quot;/&quot;it ''works'', duddn't it?&quot; than any search/aim for &quot;better&quot;, and certainly not &quot;perfect&quot;. If there was no evolutionary push (or capacity) to be able to use the Field (as useful as it would be), such traits would not develop. Interesting examples where real-world animals do use advanced physics are the Pistol Shrimp, who's claw has evolved in such a way that's essentially a [[Sonic_Pistol]] and can make a luminescent spark of plasma that's the same temperature as the surface of the sun, and dolphins that use complex fluid dynamics that humans barely understand to, basically, just pass the time [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMCf7SNUb-Q].<br /> <br /> So, the Field that makes Psionic abilities possible is, in fact, accessible to humans, but as it is not often developed; it's rare, or doesn't manifest strongly. But it ''is'' there, so there is a motivation for the Etherials to come to Earth and do their testing (Incidentally, I don't think there is anything really saying that the Etherials knew that Asaru and Shamash were here).<br /> <br /> Which also addresses &quot;Why now?&quot;<br /> <br /> Because Elerium is now on Earth: in The Bureau, it's established that the Zudjari have been seeding the Earth with Elerium as early as 1957 (the year that Spudnik was launched: the satellite is even seen in the opening sequence of a campaign). If Elerium boosts Field abilities, such as Psionics, then 58 years of low-level global exposure may have triggered/boosted enough to draw the attention of the Etherials (incidentally, background radiation from above-ground nuclear tests peaked in 1963 at about 0.15 mSv per year worldwide, or about 7% of average background dose from all sources. The Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963 prohibited above-ground tests, thus by the year 2000 the worldwide dose from these tests has decreased to only 0.005 mSv per year [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_radiation#Atmospheric_nuclear_testing]-- and in Angela's ending, she gets the US Government to use nukes to erase evidence of the invasion). This may also be why the aliens seem careless with Elerium; not as effective at making enhancements as dispersing Meld, but may help instigate Psi activations.<br /> <br /> Now, I realize: if Psi powers ARE a scientifically understandable energy wave (and not straight-up &quot;Magic&quot;), then it does make sense that armor is damaged ''as well'', and that the suits that include Elerium can block the &quot;piercing/bypassing&quot; damage that I think would be more realistic. And for the armors it doesn't make sense for; they don't give an HP bonus big enough to make the difference.<br /> <br /> Which leads to one more interesting thought: Elerium is not exclusive to the &quot;Etherial Empire&quot;, or whoever controls the Sectoids (as Elerium is not in Apocalypse(?), but Sectoids are): while not naturally native to Earth, there's nothing saying how limited-- or abundant-- Elerium is throughout the universe (Arcanite). Less evidence, and more of a hunch: may Elerium be somewhat... &quot;viral&quot;? That it may at least &quot;try&quot; to spread as it goes, as the Bureau suggests? Like a milder version of Tiberium [http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Tiberium] or Phazon [http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Phazon]?<br /> <br /> Obviously, Origin didn't have the device that had Asaru before the invasion, BUT, Faulk said the device was found ''in an Elerium Mine'' (in Montana). In other words, the Elerium aggregated around Asaru, who was there ''first''. So, there is enough to establish that there is a link between Elerium exposure/presence, and Psionic abilities, as is shown in Stardust.<br /> <br /> In conclusion:<br /> * ???? - Asaru arrives on Earth<br /> * ???? - Sectoids, a clone race, are sold in open intergalactic slave markets to various alien empires across the universe: as clones and near-blank genetic templates, their adaptability, ability to be mass produced, and 'ease of use' (aided by Psionic links to one another) lends to the success of their sale.<br /> * 65,000,000 BCE - The Lovecraftian &quot;Vortex&quot; Empire (refrence: Ecco the Dolphin [http://eccothedolphin.wikia.com/wiki/Vortex_Queen] - would explain why they look like Earth's aquatic animals), hailing from aquatic worlds, crash land a colony ship on Earth, either because, or ''as'' the impact that led to the extinction of the Dinosaurs-- and in the process, pave the way for mammals, and eventually for Humans to rise, whom will spend the rest of Time crossing Space, and even going into other Dimensions, obliterating every alien menace they encounter. Way to go, guys.<br /> ** Due to the exclusion of Elerium and their preference of aquatic habitats, their own research creates Zrbite and Aquaplastics, and they modify their own Sectoid slaves/genome templates into the Aquatoids.<br /> * ????-1957-1962 - Zudjari, as part of their normal conquests' terraform operations, and the search for True Etherials, seeded Earth with Elerium in [[The_Bureau:_XCOM_Declassified|The Bureau]]. Asaru awakens, Shamash is killed, and Origin is deleted in a massive Etherial-fueled Psionic wave.<br /> * 1962-2015 - Background radiation from Elerium is covered up by atmospheric Nuclear Testing, but the effects are still felt worldwide: while skills may not be developed, Psionic potential grows.<br /> * 2015-2016? - The &quot;cast out&quot; Etherials begin their conquest and research of Humans and Earth, led here either by Elerium's energy signature, Psionic energy signatures, or due to the presence of the two True Etherials on a single planet; and event said to be a multiversal rarity. The battles between them and XCOM are a boon to human science and technology. Psionic experimentation, and the dispersal of Meld lead to the enhancement of both the human mind and body. Then the Etherials get blown the fuck up.<br /> ** Black Market interests begin the EXALT organization, a paramilitary group made with the aim of stealing and adapting alien technology and materials to force human evolution. After the raid on their headquarters and the neutralization of their command leadership, remaining members go into hiding, and begin to pass and adapt their ideology down family lines.<br /> * 1997-2002 - Due to the energy signal released by the death of the multidimensional being Shamash: in an alternate timeline/dimension, the Etherial invasion happens earlier: since the Alien Brain is a computer, it's able to organize the invasion that much faster. The Tachyon signal released upon it's destruction lasts only a little while, but as the Tachyon is a (theoretical) FTL particle, it's properties are not restricted to 'normal' space-time.<br /> * 2027 - Reminants of EXALT reorganize into the Cult of Sirus.<br /> * 2041-2046 - As the Aquatoids were able to receive the signal as easily as their Sectoid cousins, they began the resurrection of T'leth: thus, the [[TFTD|Second Alien War]].<br /> * 2084 - The Micronoids, while not as experienced as Etherials at multidimensional travel, also register the death of Shamash, and begin [[Apocalypse|their assault]] on the largest Earth-based population: Mega-Primus. Thanks for that, Carter.<br /> ** Sectoid-Human hybrids were origionally developed by the Etherials in an attempt to add the docile and controllable aspects of the Sectoids to the physically and psionically potent human race, much like the 1957 experiments with Africanized Honey Bees. In fact, ''exactly'' like those experiments: those bees are now known as &quot;Killer Bees&quot;, and the Human-Sectoid mutants are willing to fight for XCOM, in exchange for universal rights.<br /> <br /> Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there: a Grand Unified Theory of XCOM!<br /> {{Ref Close | source = --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 08:53, 24 November 2013 (EST) }}<br /> And yes, I feel there's legitimacy in connecting XCOM to Ecco: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blaX_eMz3Qw Et voilà.]--[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 17:49, 24 November 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category: Fiction]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=The_Mysteries_of_X-COM&diff=70085 2015-12-31T02:00:25Z

<p>TBeholder: /* What is the propose of the &#039;disco balls&#039; found inside some UFOs? */</p> <hr /> <div>Discussion page for some less clear aspects of the series<br /> <br /> ==General issues==<br /> <br /> ==='''How fast can alien craft travel in space?'''===<br /> <br /> Some alien missions (repeated attacks on X-COM bases, for instance) come daily. This seems to imply that alien craft are able to travel the distance from Mars to Earth in a matter of hours.<br /> <br /> : Or maybe, as you suggest in your novels, they have a staging area near Earth, such as the dark side of the Moon. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 15:36, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Really fast. Consider that they don't need to push aside atmosphere, as well as the fact that momentum is conserved in space, so they can achieve very high speeds with gravity slingshots. (Mars DOES have 2 moons, recall.) Also note that they may be operating a bit closer to home(the far side of the moon, perhaps?) it's simply that the command staff are at Cydonia. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Good article in last month's Scientific American pointing out we only rely on gravity slingshots because we still use chemical rockets with pathetic delta-V. Once 2nd and 3rd generation plasma engines come on line (1st gen are in flight now) the gravity slingshot will become an irrelevance. No doubt UFO drives are at least as good as our (future) 3rd gen plasma drives, probably way better since they warp space. <br /> <br /> (Reminds me of the old Guild Navigator joke - I just warped space from Ix, and boy is my mind tired. Oh well, you had to be there)<br /> <br /> [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Also keep in mind that both Phobos and Deimos are tiny. They are basically captured asteroids. Neither would be useful in gravity assist. But yeah, the UFO's shouldn't need any assist anyway.[[User:Mannon|Mannon]] 11:35, 30 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> ::Case in point: http://xkcd.com/681_large/ (Deimos can be escaped with someone on a bike and a plank stacked on a brick, Phobos requires a good pitching arm). --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 16:55, 13 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :Consider that many of the same aliens as UFO/EU are in X-COM Intercepter, having necessarily had to break light speed. Consider that if outside any atmoshphere a battleship could reach 4800 knots(in-game top speed) within two minutes (which is about how long it appears to take in-game) then it is accelerateing at about 18m/s/s or almost 2Gs. In 24 hours it would reach 1,555km/s. At this speed (assuming it turned it's drive off after 24h) it would travel about 134,000,000km each day. The maximum distance between Earth and mars is about 401,000,000km. <br /> :For simplicity, because we have room to work with here, even if a battleship were to accelerate for 24 hours while orbiting mars, and again had to decelerate for 24 hours in orbit after reaching earth, (all while a chrysalid inside balanced two apples on each of it's mandibles) it would still only take 5 days to reach earth when both planets are at opposite orbital positions. It seems that the Ethereals can wipe out your base and not have to miss Ladies Night, assuming the club is also on earth. ''Ethereal Mind-Trick: &quot;You don't want to 'blow dis joint'. You want to come back to the UFO for a little abduction mhmhmhmhhmm.'' [[User:Darkestaxe|Darkestaxe]] 23:38, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> ::On one hand, &quot;near-constant multiple organ failure&quot; problably includes THAT organ. Ouch. On the other, sheer force of will problably works on that for them (lucky them); and with Psionics, you can make any woman belive that &quot;this long&quot; (holds hands a few inches apart) is 1 foot, as well as literally make her forget any other man she's thought about before, as well as Algerbra. Unhooking a bra would, however, still a challenge unto itself. And, since we are given specific dates in-game, there's plenty of programs online that can calculate the distance between planets for any given time, as well as lists of Oppositions (when two plants are at their closest): http://cseligman.com/text/planets/marsoppositions.htm For example, in 1999, the in-game year of the first game, on April 24th, Mars was only 86 million Km away (though Kudos if you can beat the game THAT early into a campaign) --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 16:55, 13 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==='''What happens to the crashed UFO craft and its crew?'''=== <br /> <br /> Downed alien craft disappear after a few days have passed. No explanation is given to this whatsoever, so what really happens to them?<br /> <br /> Possible answers:<br /> * The UFO and its occupants are recovered by other humans.<br /> * The Aliens manage to repair the craft and fly back to space. (unlikely, in the event that the power plant blew up and they have no Elerium)<br /> * The Aliens self-destruct the craft and kill themselves in the process, ensuring their remains will not be recovered by humans. (This is, in fact, the in-game explination. Read the mission briefing. [[User:Darkestaxe|Darkestaxe]] 23:38, 12 April 2013 (EDT))<br /> * The UFO Powerplant eventually suffers a meltdown and explodes, eliminating any vestiges of alien presence.<br /> * The Aliens blow up the UFO and disappear into the countryside.<br /> * Most likely answer, IMHO: The local government/ funding nations give X-COM a limited time window to launch any operation, similiar to what you see in covert ops movies: &quot;Complete the mission within 36 hours, or we initiate Carpet Bombing of the area&quot;. This is very likely considering that each nation actually has jurisdiction, and X-com is operating each military op with permission and cooperation by local authorities. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> *Similiarly, I assume that nations which have signed a pact with the aliens launch a rescue operation and assist their alien friends. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> : In the UFO TV show, it's stated that alien craft and bodies degrade quickly in Earth's atmosphere, disappearing completely in hours or a few days. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 15:36, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :: If that was the case, then one of the gases present in the atmosphere would be very toxic to the aliens. They would be restricted on their activities outside their craft, not to mention they would have to terraform the planet to be able to live here. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: As Zombie said, doesn't Alien Containment support this idea? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Those are excellent suggestions. One of the X-COM books detailed that aliens throw up a force field around crashed UFOs to give them time to repair the craft. This would also explain the limited size of the Battlescape (the area of the force field...the field was thrown up before the crash, thus why the craft wasn't always centered in it) as well as why the Battlescape is devoid of human life(the aliens took care of that up front.) Similarly, large scale bombing works as well, as does the local government going in to clean it up themselves. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::If there's a force field around the craft what is it supposed to repel? The atmosphere? Because humans have no problem entering the field and operating inside it. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::Of course they do! Have you ever noticed how dumb your units can be? That's because the aliens can't live with too much nitrogen, so they turn some of it in their force field to oxygen, and excessive amounts of oxygen make you act weird. After a while, their power source runs out and the nitrogen returns, dissolving them into E-115. (What did you think it was made of?) AT least, that's what seemes logical to me, ad is a combination of many postulates here. 21:36, 18 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> :::::That would require that the aliens' biochemistry and the alien alloys used in the power sources reacted with nitrogen, which is a mostly inert gas on normal temperature and pressure and a . It's kinda of weird that the aliens didn't bothered with fixing that vulnerability with their craft and bodies during millions of years (what happens if the force field malfunctions while capturing cattle? ooops!) but ok. The increase in the amount of oxygen would probably also turn any kind of fire into large explosions throughtout the force field. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 21:24, 19 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> ::The force field was intended to keep humans out so the aliens were undisturbed. The first major hurdle X-COM had was figuring out a way to bypass those fields so they COULD get troops and aircraft inside. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 20:54, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> *I'd guess that the aliens would eventually mount their own rescue missions, especially once they realized that XCOM is farming their ships for resources (they must know we don't have ready access to their alloys and Elerium) and co-opting their technology. In the Firaxis game, when idling in the Situation Room screen, Central's (often amusing) radio chatter implies that there are many more UFO's and reports that don't go into the globe. Additionally: only 16 countries are covered, and there are over 150 countries on earth, plus all the oceans. After all, if we were shooting down every last ship, then the alien collective shouldn't be able to land so many aliens for Terror Missions. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 02:48, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> ===How do the aliens carry their equipment?===<br /> Like human soldiers, aliens can carry weapons and equipment in locations like legs, belt, shoulders and backpack, regardless of the fact that some of their races even lack those anatomical features.<br /> <br /> :Potentially a sticky gel-like area on the limb. Though really, since we were never intended to access alien inventories and the AI does all inventory management internally, this may simply be something that was never considered. Speaking from a slightly different standard, most aliens do not carry excessive amounts of gear; often their equipment would be able to fit in both hands. Also recall that Floaters and Ethereals have capes and robes(which may have inside pockets, or the Floaters could store them in the anti-grav/life support unit or inside surgically created body cavities during the installation, while Ethereals could support their excess gear with telekinesis), Mutons have armor(which may have external straps or adhesive areas), and Snakemen have an armor plate(which could have straps, adhesive, inside pockets, or even a backpack.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :We already know the answer to this one - they cheat! ;) [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Are X-COM transport craft piloted?===<br /> <br /> :Almost certainly, since a remotely-piloted craft could be returned to base when the mission was aborted or failed. It's entirely possible that all X-COM soldiers are qualified pilots of the appropriate craft, since it would make no sense for X-COM to waste space on the plane for a noncombatant, or to have a single-point of failure on the mission like that. (The aliens could screw over the entire op by killing the pilot). It also explains why the craft is lost when the mission fails or is aborted with no one inside(lacking a pilot, the aliens are able to easily destroy it.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: On the other hand, even a tank/hovertank is capable of getting the craft back to base. Perhaps there is an autopilot function. X-com craft are also infamous for choosing strange and bizarre intercept paths, based on latitude lines... almost as if they followed some a few simple lines of code from 1993 programming (bit of 4th wall breakage there...) -[[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :Of course, given the tanks seem to be remotely piloted from an X-COM base, its possible that the tank being in the craft allows the Tank pilot to reroute into the control systems for the dropship and take it over. Limiting this to having the tank inside is a rather good idea. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 12:07, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :I recall that the various cutscenes in the PSX version had a pilot, most notably in the &quot;Mission Failure&quot; scene, where it shows the pilot being killed. --[[User:Mabmoro|Mabmoro]] 16:06, 13 March 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===What sort of physical process is used to increase human stats over time?===<br /> <br /> The increases in some stats are easy explained by experience gained on missions (firing abiility, reactions, etc.). However, in the cases of physical stats (TUs, stamina, strength) the increase must be augmented by an artificial process, since it isn't easily explainable that humans can significantly increase body mass/speed/endurance just by physical activity/exercise. <br /> <br /> :Lifting weights will increase strength. Running and cardio exercise will increase endurance, and performing the same task multiple times will allow you to perform it faster. I see no reason natural increase doesn't work. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::I assume that it is possible to a human to use those methods to double its physical condition, but that being the case why are X-COM recruits so... undeveloped? Maybe this is a more intriguing aspect. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> What I don't get is that when someone gets blasted that they gain a lot of extra health. For crying out loud, the aliens are throwing around plasma and ridicoulously HUGE explosions. Shouldn't they be suffering from third-degree burns? I would expect them to at least have a major sore spot where they got hit. [[User:Tsunamiatunzen1|Tsunamiatunzen1]] September 24<br /> <br /> :There's been arguments over whether the soldiers in X-COM are the Green Berets or equivalents of their various militaries, just average soldiers that volunteered for the job, or if the Council of Funding Nations is corrupt and is using this as an excuse to foist off their most useless soldiers onto the X-COM project. If the latter, it would easily explain their rather poor early stats. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::Maybe the stat increases relate to the troops getting more comfortable performing all operations - lifting, running, combat actions - when the aliens no longer scare the cr*p out of them so much. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: I know what you mean... if this were Jagged Alliance, it'd be like trying to hire Mike and getting Gumpy instead... ouch! ... IMHO, it looks as if the COFN is being funny about this. Clearly, the troops assigned to X-com have had extensive weapons training... each and every one of them can use just about any standard weapon, including Rocket Launchers, incindieries, auto Cannons, etc. However, NONE of them have any combat experience, coming to you as fresh rookies. And their stats look as if they were selected based on a pot luck basis rather than screening among the elite troops... [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :Health isn't gained from getting shot. But as for the &quot;ludicrously low stats&quot; issue, maybe they're being selected on some other basis, or there's a real shortage of volunteers. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] 04:56, 25 September 2009 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :: I think that the X-COM's soldiers have big responsibilities, can't have children. They are sworn in and only then go to the field - if someone can't be trusted to keep a secret, he's getting sacked, given a shitty job (ever wondered who maintained the General Stores?) or worse. - n, 16:47, 16 August 2010 (GMT+2)<br /> <br /> In Hotpoint's [http://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-16092/Hotpoint+XSGCOM+Goa+uld+Defence.htm| XSGCOM: Goa'uld Defense], his explanation is that after a few missions of watching their fellow newbies die, the survivors give in and volunteer for an experimental regimen of performance-enhancing drugs. IRL, steroids and such don't result in instant strength enhancement, they just encourage accelerated development of muscles. [[User:Kalaong|Kalaong]] 03:16, 28 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Heh: http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/901 --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 02:52, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> As much as I've played this series for decades, and know full well how pitiful the starting stats of soldiers are, at least with respect to the game's rules, I really feel I must wonder and ask why we think those starting stats are 'underdeveloped' or 'pot luck'? What, exactly, are we basing this judgement on beyond how poorly they seem to perform in-game against a force that is quite honestly and clearly demonstrated as superior to humans in the first few missions, where only luck and superior numbers appear to manage to secure any wins for the organization and, in turn, humanity? How much can the average X-COM 'Rookie' carry in pounds as gear, and is it considered substantial compared to Army kit, or not? How many direct hits from a rifle can they take normally without dying or keeling over from fatal wounds, and how does this compare to real-world soldiers' survivability? How much time is one turn meant to represent, and how far can the average 'Rookie' run in that time, and how does that compare to how fast a fully-kitted Army soldier can move?<br /> <br /> Has all of this already been figured out elsewhere? Otherwise, I'm starting to question whether we have any real proof that 'Rookies' AREN'T &quot;The best of the best of the best, sir! With honors&quot; beyond just how it 'looks' and 'feels' during gameplay, which is already skewed by the enemy having superior firepower and attributes, or, in the case of replacements, existing troops being pushed far beyond previously-perceived human limits from such extreme combat maneuvers as have resulted in success against, as I said earlier, a far superior force (EDIT: want to clarify on this point that I'm taking the 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' stance on the original question for this section). If the stats extrapolated for OpenXcom are any indication, this is most certainly the case, even with Sectoids, to an extent. While Sectoids will never have anything on humans in the Health department, being as fragile as they are (though some rookies can have less health, apparently, but only a few unlucky ones), they are surprisingly enduring, with tons of stamina, being 20 points higher than the X-COM 'Rookie' maximum upper limit for initial stat generation, and the same for Bravery (though this seems to be the case with all AI controlled entities, except mechanical ones, which have an impervious 110 Bravery). Reactions are also higher than possible with a Rookie, and speed (TUs) is on par with the statistical average for rookies, same with accuracy ratings, and even strength. This is just looking at the grunts, too, not even considering the stat boosts Leaders and Commanders have. As expected, the average X-COM Rookie's stats are almost universally superior to the civilians, representing the average member of humanity. The only exception is Stamina, and I'm starting to think this is to compensate AI units somehow for an AI that may not be able to manage energy levels as well as a human.<br /> <br /> Anyway, just felt someone had to bring this up here. If it really is explained elsewhere, it probably should be clarified here, as well, for consistency, anyway. (EDIT: I just felt it was being taken at face value far too readily in this discussion, and it just didn't seem right to just assume it with no evidence, despite all my experience playing this series, and noticing full well the soldiers' stats feeling constraining at first) --[[User:StormhawkAPS|StormhawkAPS]] 01:08, 4 October 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==Enemy Unknown/UFO Defence issues==<br /> ==='''Why isn't Earth overrun by Snakeman/Chryssalids?'''===<br /> <br /> According to the UFOPaedia, Snakemen's &quot;Reproduction is asexual, with each snakeman carrying up to fifty eggs inside its body at any one time&quot; adding the ominious conclusion: &quot;Left to its own devices this species would be a severe threat to life on earth.&quot;<br /> Moreover, this species is usually accompanied by the Chryssalids, which have a capacity to reproduce themselves very quickly using humans. So, any survivors of crash sites or terror attacks could start reproducing themselves hidden, resulting in large areas being overrun by those aliens later on. <br /> <br /> Possible answers:<br /> * Both races have a self-destruct mechanism incorporated into their psysiology to prevent this. <br /> * The entire area is purged by large scale bombing. [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:42, 25 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::One thing suggested in fan data was that Snakemen have air tablets in their stomach...which may be different from earth's atmosphere, which would limit their lifespan in earth's atmosphere, also making egg-laying pointless, since the offspring wouldn't be able to breathe or survive. It has also been suggested that Chryssalids have a very rapid metabolism. Though Chryssalids are likely just as, if not more useful, as a threat or a bargaining tool. When attempting to get a nation to capitulate to their demands, the aliens could threaten to employ Chryssalids en masse, or offer to remove a mass infestation in exchange for the government's cooperation. Or even further, it's possible that Chryssalids are under Ethereal control and maintaining the control link at that distance is taxing, thus eliminating mass use of the creatures. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Two words: [[Alien Containment]]. That answers everything except for the UFOPaedia articles for the aliens themselves which contradict it. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:42, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> : For captured aliens, yes. But what survivors of uninvestigated crash sites? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]]<br /> <br /> ::Zombie is commenting that based on the need for an Alien Containment unit, the aliens cannot survive in earth's atmosphere for extended periods, needing special atmospheric blends and/or nutrient pools which earth is unable to provide naturally, thus limiting their operations outside of the craft. (If the aliens won the war, it's likely this would be one of the first things that they would 'correct'.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 20:54, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> <br /> ===What is the propose of the 'disco balls' found inside some UFOs?===<br /> <br /> :Given that they explode, they could be storage reservoirs for coolant for the computers or other systems. They could also be circuit breakers or electrical junction boxes, or even a component of the UFO's particle beam they use to fry X-COM Interception craft. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Here again, two words: [[Alien Entertainment]]. Even though the spheres are not set to Alien Entertainment in the MCD files, they are almost certainly related to the process somehow. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:42, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Maybe they are for having discos? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Presumably [[Alien Entertainment]] is psionic in some way, maybe they're Psi-Emitters or something? -[[User:magic9mushroom|magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> ::'Disco balls' = Alien 'LSD' emitters. Travelling through space to go on almost-suicide missions force aliens to develop POWERFUL relaxing devices to entertain themselves and not go insane :P. --[[User:Nekrocow|Nekrocow]] 20:10, 24 June 2012 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ::: Assuming it's about eyeball-like pod #3, it's absent on base maps, and present only in two UFOs: Battleship (in Alien Entertainment), but Terror Ship [[File:UFO_150MAP-L2.JPG|on the second deck]] one in Alien Entertainment room, but two on the bridge. Those are also the only two ships running ground battles and carrying Terror Units (bases have them, but normally don't expect to use them), so... either remote control psionic relays or something else related to ground combat?<br /> <br /> ===Who buys those alien bodies/equipment from X-COM?===<br /> <br /> :Equipment likely goes to the funding nations or the international black market. No rebel group is going to ask too many questions about being offered guns that can [[Heavy Plasma|slice through the hull of an MBT]] or [[Alien Grenade|grenades that can level a building]] or [[Blaster Launcher|man-portable guided missiles]]; it'd just be cash-and-carry. Similarly, scientists would likely be interested in looking at much of this stuff for their own research. This would also explain the lack of market forces; the funding nations could have a set price for each item, or if X-COM is selling them under the table to rebels and rogue scientists, they can set the price and refuse to budge. The money on corpses could also be an &quot;Alien Bounty&quot; paid by the Funding Nations, as a reward for each alien that X-COM can prove they killed. Or it could be bought by other groups...rumor has it that some fast food restaurants have processes that can make ANY meat, no matter the source, look and taste the same, and a Muton would make a LOT of McBurgers. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 00:19, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> From the USO (Kasey Chang): XARQUID SUSHI.<br /> <br /> ===How did the aliens got to Mars?===<br /> <br /> There are no indications that UFOs are capable of faster than light speed. So how did they get to Mars in the first place?<br /> <br /> :The UFOs are mission craft, used for the legwork. The fighters; we never see the carriers. Given the aliens have been proven to be interstellar, they either Clone-A-Crew as needed when coming the long way to keep the UFOs crewed, or its far more likely that the aliens did have or still do have larger &quot;Carrier&quot; ships, which are capable of FTL travel, that were/are further out in the Solar System that store and dispatch UFOs to mission locations. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: One word: TFTD. The entire city of T'leth was put into cryogenic suspended animation? Or look at X-com Interceptor. X-com and the aliens show the ability to enter hyperspace or whatever it is.<br /> ::: T'Leth is another mystery of its own. More to that later on :) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::... there are no indications that the UFOs are INcapable of FTL... I don't think you would want to perform FTL travel within Earth's planetary atmosphere!<br /> ::: There are no indications that they are capable as well. And X-COM scientists don't seem to detect any FTL capabilities in UFOs during their research. And after the war the Elerium stocks dwindled, and it would make sense to perform some sort of interstellar missions to detect and harvest Elerium, however none are mentioned. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::: Unless you count the events of X-com Interceptor? [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 21:15, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::: I am refering to the events between Enemy Unknown and TFTD. There is clearly a big distinction between the alien craft on EU and those of Interceptor. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:38, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::::: Enemy Unknown is set in 1999, TFTD in 2040, Interceptor in 2067... looks entirely plausible that they DID begin research into space exploration immediately after the events of Enemy Unknown. These things take time you know. Remember that the universe is a huge place, and Earth had rather limited Elerium Reserves by the end of EU. It takes... what, 30 Elerium just to fly an Avenger halfway across Earth? They could hardly afford to fly around randomly in space HOPING to come across elerium, they had to figure out detections methods, then scan the galaxy sector by sector, possibly partially using non-Elerium based propulsion at times... I can't remember if it's canon or fanfic, but I remember reading that all Elerium on Earth was reserved for space exploration.<br /> As for FTL, Earth does get it for sure sometime between 1999 and 2067. And I'm pretty certain the technology is Elerium based. It's not a huge logic jump to assume that the aliens have access to FTL Elerium based tech.<br /> Though I'm a bit puzzled why all T'leth technology is based on Zrbrite, when the aliens uniformly use Elerium, all the way from Earth to Cydonia to the far reaches of space. -[[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> :It takes 12 Elerium to fuel an Avenger, though how much 1 Elerium is is an ongoing debate. As for Elerium, it was reserved for propulsion research when the funding nations divvied up X-COM's resources, and then they blew it all without learning anything more than the original X-COM scientists. And yes, Earth clearly gets FTL after TFTD but before Interceptor. The reason Elerium is not used in TFTD is because Elerium becomes inert and useless upon contact with seawater. Similarly, seawater aggressively corrodes Alien Alloys and eventually completely dissolves them. Zrbite functions similar to Elerium, being gold mixed with alien bio-material. Unfortunately, Zrbite only works when supported by a massive energy grid created by T'leth and becomes inert upon its destruction. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 12:07, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> OK... take the UNIT of elerium out of the equation... let's say that Earth had 5000 units of elerium, so 6 units get's an Avenger halfway around the world, and 12 units is sufficient to reach Mars. Hardly enough fuel reserves for intergalactic travel then.<br /> 2065 On October the 27th, the probe 'Tombstone 1' returns reports to Earth. It's data show that the globular star cluster where it rests, one hundred light-years from Earth, contains many life-supporting planets. Many of the planet's within the probe's scanning range also apparently possess great mineral wealth, including trace veins of elerium-115.<br /> Hmm... So, mankind discovers FTL technology on their own in those 65 years? ah... come to think of it, if they've got non-Elerium based space travel and FTL, and more powerful weapons too, what's the big deal about Elerium in the Frontier? Does mankind even need it anymore?<br /> As for T'leth, it is meant to be over 65 million years old, and CRASHLANDED on Earth due to a solar flare. Was the Ultimate Alien a prophet, thus chose to base T'leth on aqua plastics and Zrbite when T'lth was first constructed? Or did T'leth crash land, followed by frenzied activity where the entire city was replaced part by part, the alien alloys swapped for Aqua Plastics?<br /> ...<br /> Actually, come to think of it, it's obviously a massive plothole due to limited timeframe, no point in discussing too deeply. Sigh... [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 13:50, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :It's implied that despite the loss of ability to use the alien technology from the First and Second alien wars, simply being able to see and examine their designs catapulted earth's technology forward at least a few decades...which really is entirely reasonable. Much of the technology can be replicated on earth, and the principles and designs can be reapplied.<br /> <br /> :As for the deal with Elerium, its needed to power stronger weapons and is also wonderful for power generation; its efficiency in power generation is what allows Mega Primus to even exist.<br /> <br /> :And was there anywhere that specifically said that T'Leth was made of Aqua Plastics? I don't recall. Yes, the rest of their subs are made of aqua plastics, but I'm wondering if something the size of a medium city might perhaps be made of something a bit more durable. PS: Thanks for signing your post! :D [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 14:17, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> It's not a plothole at all. There is no Elerium on Earth, whereas the aliens can manufacture Zrbite on Earth, since there's gold here. Therefore it's obvious why they used Zrbite. Also, there's the fact that it was an Aquatoid colony mission, intended to produce an &quot;aquatic paradise&quot;, so using Aqua Plastics instead of Alien Alloys is perfectly justified. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> :I think that the use of Aqua Plastics instead of Alien Alloys is perfectly justified by the fact that T'leth crashed million of years ago while the aliens that came to take a shot or two at earth were two million years ahead technologically. So Aqua plastics was some plastic that was used by aliens before they've got the Alloys. You might argue - it's Aqua Plastics, so Aqua =/= Space. Well, Aliens weren't calling them aqua, and there wasn't anything saying that Aqua Plastics is not suitable for Space Travel. --[[User:Domenique|Domenique]] 11:10, 19 May 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ... I think Alien Alloys alone would catapult earth's technology forward a decade, and there's no reason humanity can't use those anymore, just not in water. According to timeline, some space pirates manage to make the decommisioned Avengers run on non-Elerium fuel... a large technological step.<br /> By the time of Interceptor, Elerium weapons aren't that powerful. Good point about power generation though.<br /> I would assume that T'leth SHOULD have been constructed out of Alien Alloys, since it was originially an interplanetary vessel? Generally, everything in EU was made of Alien Alloys, everything in TFTD was made out of Aqua plastics. Both of which seemed plenty durable.<br /> <br /> <br /> ::Have you noticed that the UFOs fly however their mission parameters tell them to? The UFOs pretty much IGNORE interceptions by X-com craft... if their mission tells them to make 3 passes, speed up, slow down, speed up... they will follow that pattern exactly, whether X-com craft are firing on them or not.<br /> <br /> ::Question: How long does it take the Avenger to reach Mars from Earth? [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 19:12, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::No longer than a week, in my opinion. Probably less than 2 days. Since canonically, the design of the Avenger had the Cydonia mission in mind, it would be capable of very high interplanetary speeds. (You could choose to burn 40% of the Elerium in one blast to get to high speed. Or you could burn even more and refuel while it's landed...or it could be a mission with no guaranteed escape for the crew. The lives of the many over those of the few and all that, especially since the war hinges on the mission.) In addition, you can fit a full complement of soldiers on board with no real excess room for supplies, and the longer it takes to get to Mars, the greater the chance the aliens will spot it coming for them and mount a serious defense. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 19:20, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> :::If you'd burn that much fuel to accelerate the craft then you'd have to use as much again to decelerate it and attain a planetary orbit, otherwise you'll simply overshoot the planet and head towards outer space. This is also another aspect to take into account when thinking about the speed of UFOs. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 20:32, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::: UFO drives are non-Newtonian so those sort of rocket equations don't necessarily apply. I think filling up a car with gas is a closer analogy. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 13:24, 27 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ::: Well, they could put a mini mind shield on the Avenger, shoot down a UFO roughly their size, and then fly to Cydonia when the UFO they shot down was supposed to return based on the instructions found by the hyper-wave decoder. Basically taking the place of the UFO. Shouldn't be too hard since the UFO's are pretty common by the time you research Cydonia or Bust. [[User:Tsunamiatunzen1|Tsunamiatunzen1]] 14 February 2010 (MST)<br /> <br /> ::That would leave 20% of the fuel to take off the Avenger and land it. Not really that unreasonable. While they're landed, they could potentially refuel the Avenger, or the mission might have been planned as a 1-way trip from the get-go. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> Perhaps Elerium-based drives are a bit like Ramjet engines, where they're actually useless or inefficient ''below'' a certain threshold speed? --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:02, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> ===What happened to Mars and the alien civilization there?===<br /> <br /> According to the Brain, Mars was blooming with life had a alien civilization millions of years ago. However, Mars nowadays is a barren world and the alien civilization seems reduced to the area on Cydonia. <br /> <br /> :That may well have been before Mars lost the majority of its atmosphere due to its weak magnetic field. As the atmosphere dissipated, the aliens left or died off. It's also possible that the aliens, shown in the game over to have little respect for planets other than as sites for slaves and resources, they strip-mined the planet dry(and the rust from the machines created the red coloring), and then seeded Earth so that the slave workforce would grow for future extraction of Earth's resources. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Where are the human-alien hybrids referred to on the UFOPaedia?===<br /> <br /> :For the ones on earth, probably in hiding or in laboratories for research. For the ones the aliens have, potentially improving the Sectoid gene pool or being used as food or menial tasks. Cloning is alot easier than making genetic hybrids and there's nothing that says their first-generation experiments would be suitable for combat. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 18:33, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :: They are babies at the time of X-com, and few in number. Their aren't even that many of them by the time of X-com Apocalypse. [[User:Jasonred]] [[User:Jasonred|Jasonred]] 19:12, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> :Not to mention the ones in X-COM: Apocalypse are less-than-fit for battle before extensive training. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Why did the aliens only activate T'Leth after they were defeated?===<br /> <br /> On TFTD T'Leth is shown as an entity/city of major power that is capable of conducting a war on its own. But the aliens leave it dormant although they could have used it to speed the process of taking control of Earth. <br /> <br /> :Perhaps the Enemy Unknown aliens are legitimately scared of the TFTD aliens and are unsure how long they could trust them. Evil is not monolithic; the TFTD aliens may be more interested in themselves than the alien empire, so they were kept as an ace-in-the-hole. This is the same reason (canonically) that SKYNET did not originally send the T-1000 to assassinate Sarah Connor; SKYNET was scared of what the T-1000 could do and had only a bare minimum of control over it, so it only used it as an option when it had nothing left to lose. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> <br /> T'Leth is in fact so powerful that all it has to do is surface, in order for X-com to be considered to have lost the war.<br /> In fact, looking at the timelines, it takes 40 years for T'leth to wake up from it's slumber... that's one good reason not to use it. By the time it activated, the war would already be over. [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> <br /> Because the whole purpose of the Enemy Unknown aliens was to rescue the TFTD aliens from T'leth, and there was no way of seeing whether the T'leth-based invasion in TFTD would even work - from their perspective it's possible that getting T'leth to bootstrap itself could have caused a catastrophe (they don't know whether or how badly it's damaged). Presumably the aliens planned to mount a proper rescue operation after locking down Earth and readying it for the aquatic paradise that was the entire point of the T'leth expedition in the first place. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> <br /> T'Leth was a coleny ship sent by the Sectoid/Aquatoid's millions of years earlier. This is why the Aquatoids use electronics to augment there control over other creatures, while there progeny are genetically modified to gain the same control. In TFTD it's implied that the T'Leth had been partialy active for a long time. Thawing out aliens in small groups but never going in full production. UFO aliens may have not intended to start the full awakening cycle until they had a chance to prepare the planet. <br /> OR, given the Ultimate Alien was aquatoid in origin by his looks and there was no other races from the first game involved. And the fact that Sectoid/Aqutoid's are not the top of the food chain with the Ethereal and Brain being more powerful it's possible the brain had decided that the Ultimate Alien was a threat to it's power. It was not until it's death that they tried send the signal. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:19, 22 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===Why did the aliens use limited force during the First Alien War?===<br /> <br /> Imagine Independence Day or War of the Worlds: UFO above the major Earth cities destroying the national leadership and any resistance. Or simply announce to Earth that they are now a part of their empire and resistence is futile. Instead, they go 1 mission each day, allowing humans to capture their craft, research their technology, discover their intentions and mount a successful defense. Don't the aliens watch sci-fi movies to see how it should be done?<br /> <br /> :Perhaps they don't have the standing forces to do so, and are in the process of building up the forces needed to do so. Perhaps they don't want to wipe out the entire power structure too fast; they want to leave some pieces in place for when they rebuild. Perhaps they're too condescending to think that humanity ever really has a chance; they've probably conquered thousands of other planets without anyone ever successfully resisting them. Perhaps they consider the X-COM project to be a rearguard action that, while a valiant effort and a credible threat, is ultimately doomed to failure because they simply cannot win in the end, which is why they undermine it. Indeed, the reason you need to launch the Cydonia mission in order to win is because X-COM simply cannot stop the aliens in a ground war; the aliens have an effectively infinite supply line and standing forces(though nothing says they're all waiting to swamp the earth), and the only way to win is to kill the command staff(which the aliens believe X-COM will not be able to do, lacking both knowledge of where the Brain is and any practical means to get there.) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 21:06, 26 February 2009 (CST)<br /> ::The most plausible explanation seems to be the one employed in the Worldwar series, by Harry Turtledove, but that does not seem to mesh with what the Brain says about having been on Mars for a while, since then they could watch the Earthlings perpetually. Of course, what it says is probably a bunch of lies. Thinking about what it says for too long also raises the question of why the aliens attacked when they did, of course... [[User:Vizzydix1|Vizzydix1]] 21:52, 18 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> The aliens are completely lacking in weapons of mass destruction. When you get right down to it, their aircraft are very fast, manuevarable and durable, but they have rotten firepower. Even the battleship is unable to bring down an Interceptor in 1 shot.<br /> The terror missions and X-com Base Defences prove that the Aliens are unable to simply launch orbital bombardments... in fact, they appear to have no Air to Land weapons whatsoever...<br /> When you get right down to it, the aliens are pretty stupid. Also, their scientists seem inferior to Earth's. Seems to me that they only had the advantage of Elerium deposits and thus elerium based research.<br /> X-COM was unable to win in an all-out war with the aliens, but remember that X-com is a small little covert group with several dozen soldiers and a handful of aircraft. Can you imagine the result if the aliens had caused a joint war effort by the UN? You would have Lockheed factories converted to Avenger production, several platoons of soldiers outfitted with Flying Suits, Lasers, Heavy Plasma, thousands upon thousands of Laser Tanks...<br /> I would say that keeping the fight to covert action on both sides was actually beneficial to the aliens, really. [[User:Jasonred]]<br /> * Nope, the aliens could just invoke John's Law and blow up the planet with a kamikaze battleship at .9c. Even failing that, the alien battlefleet could come in numbers sufficent to blot out the sun.--[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 14:39, 8 November 2009 (EST)<br /> ** Lest we forget, X-Com is essentially the Spartans to the aliens' Persian Empire. So they'd just fight in the shade (which would be a blessing in desert missions). --[[User:Guido Talbot|Guido Talbot]] 13:58, 16 July 2010 (EDT)<br /> *** Mass producing those technologies on such a large scale would be impractical considering that those said technologies sans Laser Technology rely heavily on Elerium. Thus the Earth forces would be heavily reliant on downed or landed UFO's to resupply their Elerium powered craft making such efforts pointless. <br /> <br /> Aliens first began with smal scouting missions, so maybe all we expirience in X-Com is initial attacks by aliens, maybe the whole base was begining scouting and waiting for the invasion fleet? Aliens problably could be in sense dumber than humans, humans are adaptable and thinking, our technology advances fast, and we are fast and smart enough to stop the invasion before it begins. Aliens problably were not used to it so they thought &quot;oh well, another invasion...&quot;. --[[User:Domenique|Domenique]] 11:10, 19 May 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Mankind, as a whole, is incredibly cunning and full of guile. We are also incredibly aggressive. A trait that the most of the Aliens can barely concieve. Though we are weaker physically, mentally, etc, we are overly developed when it comes to strategem and war. The aliens are, in essence, have come to an inverse of Flatland. Though they are advanced, it is they who are 2D to our 3D approach to fighting. They return to earth, and through extensive research and testing, determine that inferior are strategically to humans. So...they use their advances to what they percieve as the most full advantage, and call for reinforcements over the initial months of the First Alien War. For eons, only the Sectoid make arrivals to earth. When the Brain finally realizes the situation, that mankind has woke up and is dealing with them most directly, it begins to get desperate, it sends reinforcements, but only incrementally. (Its always focused on peak efficiency). The concept of overwhelming force is illogical and some how, disdainful, to it. It prefers nuance, interogation, politics, and assessment. The Brain determine that its more effective to eliminate allies of XCOM than to face it directly. The concept of obliterating anything from orbit is reprehensible. Everything must be examined, especially the dead creatures you leave behind. Over time, it would learn man's tactics and assimilate. In fact, each race called in is an example of the Brain adapting. The Floaters bring forth an extra dimension to combat. The snakemen aggressiveness and accuracy. Mutons a culmination of superior warrior breeding, raw physical power, and determination not unlike the so called human soul. Finally, the Ethereals enter, with capacity to bring overwhelming force. In time, as they do on Mars base, they might begin joint force attacks with Mutons backed by Ethereals, supported by a mix of terror weapons. Fortunately, the First Alien War is ended before they fully develop such cunning. Hence the desperate act of T'Leth. The Brain has learned the power of anger fueled by vengeance and desperation.<br /> --[[User:BlackLibrary|BlackLibrary]] 11:10, 29 May 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :I've always viewed it as primarily a lack of resources. Even if you get a UFO every single day and shoot them all down so that there's no possible chance of any of them being the same UFO that's still only several hundred to perhaps a thousand or few UFO's over the course of several years. And most of those are quite small and not too difficult to take out with regular old interceptors and human armaments. If used all at once it might be enough to achieve air superiority, particularly if the Battleships do all the heavy lifting. But it also might not. It certainly would NOT provide enough soldiers to mount a worldwide ground offensive. The crews on those ships aren't all that big. There's also no reason to assume that all those craft, weapons, soldiers, and more importantly... elerium are all available at the same time. It's quite likely that the aliens are cloning new soldiers, building new weapons and UFO's, and possibly receiving supplies (particularly of elerium) from deep space. Elerium is needed to manufacture a lot of their stuff as well, and we already know it's a limited resource in our solar system. Consider on top of that how much get's used up as fuel every time a UFO visits Earth. If they sent all their UFO's they would use up their reserves of Elerium all at once for a 1 day attack that ultimately would fail. Instead of conquering the Earth wholesale they are trying to influence governments into signing secret pacts with them so that they can control the population of the Earth rather than wipe us out. They do this by using terrorism to intimidate the public and inserting clones to infiltrate governments while holding secret negotiations. A steady stream of UFO missions keeps up the pressure until governments break. Lucky for us they never expected us to bring the fight to the command center on mars. Just imagine if they had built base defenses like we can for our bases. heh Lord would it be aggravating building up a crew of top notch soldiers, constructing an Avenger from scratch, scrapping together all the gear, sending it to Mars, and then watching it get blown to bits before it even lands... O,o Also consider that their UFO's have operated with relative impunity for a very long time. Presumably XCom is the first organization to shoot down a UFO? As for Earth ramping up for a full scale war, it'd be unlikely that we could really produce enough alien technology in any reasonable timescale to actually outfit whole nations armies, especially with limited Elerium. Perhaps the tech that doesn't require Elerium, but then again shifting an entire army from one weapon system to another is not as simple as merely producing all the weapons. It's an extremely long, arcane, and baffling process. Getting just the branches of the US military to switch to laser weapons would probably take at least a decade. I think that limited resources and the intent to control and dominate rather than eliminate the population of the Earth explain it. For that matter they would see the human population it-self as a resource. Hence the use of small scale terrorism rather than attempting to use any weapons of mass destruction. A bunch of aliens walking around shooting people is still pretty damn scary stuff.[[User:Mannon|Mannon]] 13:12, 30 March 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> I would have thought that the simplest answer here is best. The aliens are manifestly unable to survive outside containment or bases for prolonged periods. Further, their clearest technological advantage over the humans (at least, prior to X-Com research) is mind control. Therefore, their primary method of offence is not to get bogged down in a ground war, but to engage in the overthrow of governments by infiltration, coercion, corruption and bribery, and achieve complaisance by terrorisation of the general populace. It is for this reason that standard combat tactics involving large hierarchies are ineffectual against the aliens (when the government/command can be mind controlled and the theatre can be defined by a mobile alien force). A decentralised, partly cellular, covert approach like X-Com is preferable, but unable to win an outright ground war either (being composed of, at maximum, 250 soldiers). Of course in reality, the irony is that the aliens/bourgeoisie/Fox network have Mind Controlled you, the X-Com commander into wasting your time with retro video games instead of doing anything about their societal control!<br /> --[[User:Oogleshay|Oogleshay]] 16:16, 18 October 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> My theory is that the aliens are deliberately trying to be low-key because they know once the UN can no longer keep the invasion a secret, they will have no reason to pull their punches at defending Earth. The aliens want to make it so that once humanity at large fully realizes what's going on, it's already too late - they're poking the sleeping giant but take care not to awaken it before amputating all limbs to make it unable to defend itself once awake.--[[User:Amitakartok|amitakartok]] 06:33, 14 January 2012 (EST)<br /> <br /> Perhaps the aliens suffer from a lack of proper logistics. If we assume that their purpose was to retrieve the lost colony ship(T'leth) then it wouldn't seem particularly likely that the aliens would have brought along the necessary logistics to support a full scale invasion of Earth. Furthermore it is quite possible that the alien ships you encounter in the first XCOM are actually not dedicated invasion ships but rather re-purposed fighter ships(which would explain the total lack of artillery or bombardment capabilities).<br /> --[[User:Theinsomniac|Theinsomniac]] ([[User talk:Theinsomniac|talk]]) 22:47, 17 February 2014 (EST)<br /> <br /> I disagree with all this. &quot;Mankind is the greatest species.&quot; - hogwash. The aliens are clearly capable of wiping out humanity when they wish, if you read the whole of the lose game screens. The game had to be designed to give humans a chance to fight back. With this caveat: the only reasons the aliens don't start wiping out the population would be to preserve humanity. With the harvesting and abduction missions, clearly they are looking for something in the fauna and flora of Earth. Something that a massive assault would make improbable to find due to the overwhelming loss of life that would occur. The most logical explanation would be that the aliens want to harvest specimens with specific genetics traits, so they would want to be able to sift through as much of the population as possible to find those with the best traits. Before wiping out the rest of the &quot;inferior specimens&quot;. This explanation would also fit to the story that the brain tells at the end of the Cydonia mission (if that story is more than just a desperate attempt to save itself.) [Why the aliens are so incompetent is due to incomplete development of the strategic layer by the designers, especially with the economy.] [[User:Morgan525|Tycho]] ([[User talk:Morgan525|talk]])<br /> <br /> Obviously, in the remake, this is much more easily explained as the Etherial search for Psions making human extermination ''not'' being their goal (but in fact, the ''last'' thing they want, since we're the best shot they got for their apparent true goal: ascendance), but to an limited degree is is reasonable to retroactively apply this motivation to the 1994 Etherials/Cydonian Brain. On a similar vein, where the Gallop Brothers even thinking about T'leth yet during Defense's development? I saw not too long ago, I think on the History Channel, of a 'realistic' take at trying to fight off an invasion/occupation force, also noted to be about harvesting, not about outright killing all humans: with presumed FTL tech, even someting a fraction of lightspeed, and the number and masses of UFOs involved both in the special and in XCOM; it'd be much easier to just strap some engines on some large asteroids and spam them at Earth, which those points prove is possible: a much easier and effective means to exterminate humans, if the goal was xenophobic in nature--- but I digress. Consider.. hmmm, yeh, the US invasion of Iraq or Aphganistan: we COULD of just nuked the hell out either country and called it a day. Presuming a lot, but maybe some of the same reasons America didn't are the same? Intergalatic politics not allowing such WMDs? Excessive collateral damage wasn't their interest? Looking for something specific on an individual basis? That the aliens (may) want slaves, and reasons on that vein, is a big difference they have. Going back to the special, how humanity won is by a mass infitration/kamakaze attack on the barge/battleship-sized UFOs, and making it &quot;not worth&quot; continuing the occupation (in similar nature to people wizing up to Bush's bullshit and losing so many soldiers to cheap-ass IEDs and Soviet-era tech making the Iraq War unpopular)..... again, assuming alien behaviors and mechanics of motivations are anything remotley &quot;human-like&quot;. So, at best, I'd ascribe the 1994 alien's motivation as the same as in the special: conquering for resources. Cortez conquering my ancestors for gold. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] ([[User talk:Xuncu|talk]]) 08:03, 18 February 2014 (EST)<br /> <br /> <br /> My personal theory in regards to this is simple. To get to Mars from where they originated they would have to travel at relativist speeds (at or at least close to the speed of light) this requires a lot of energy and at this speed every microgram counts. (a single microgram of cargo can cost a ton of fuel at FTL speeds).<br /> So the aliens travelling to Mars, instead of bringing a massed invasion fleet bring the bare minimum. Embryos or even genetic samples for each of their species, blueprints for weapons and equipment, basic manufacturing facilities, mining equipment and a transport vessel designed to be cannibalised to set up the initial Cydonia base, with only a ghost crew to start things off.<br /> This explains the year prior to the start of the game (the steady increase in UFO reports, abductions ect.) the aliens need resources, they probably got some from mining the area around Cydonia to build some of their equipment but to grow clones they need a nutrient medium (not to mention the food they need for themselves) which means they have to go to earth and harvest. The initial missions were probably in areas such as the ocean, or jungles, harvesting flora and fauna. But given how little they would be able to harvest this way (they would have trouble finding enough protein not to mention the fact that mutons are said to be obligate carnivores) which meant increased incursions on populated areas (such as farms) add to this the lack of genetic diversity means that they would abduct humans to help provide some means of altering their genetic code to better handle earth diseases and atmosphere. <br /> This can also explain why you only get small UFOs initially, they don't have the resources to build battle ships (until they have mined enough to expand their production facilities and build bigger craft). It also explains why they lack weapons.<br /> TFTD show that the alien's method for “education” is to just implant knowledge. What this means is you have a bunch of aliens with the same hard-wired brain (clones) and with the same knowledge. Limiting their ability to adapt and change (they don't have years of experience to work on, nor have they had to think of the knowledge they have it's just given to them as fact). <br /> Once X-com is formed they now find themselves battling an enemy that not only adapts to use their technology but builds on it (personal armour, power suits, flying suits, fusion ball tanks, ect). The whole alien invasion is doomed from the start. <br /> Given time the aliens could have built up a massive fleet capable of overwhelming earth (which was probably their initial plan) but due to X-com getting involved that plan got knocked back. They can mine Mars and the asteroid belt for minerals to build their weapons, but without raiding earth for the fauna to feed their troops and grow their clones they can not build an army.<br /> The aliens probably observed earth previously. (maybe Roswell was a scouting mission which failed to return) as such they underestimated our detection and interception capabilities (the back-story actually states that X-com is using the best craft available and previous attempts to intercept UFOs failed using conventional earth technology, which probably explains the limited weapon load-outs for x-com craft (they are built on high speed prototypes designed as proof of concept not actual in service craft so they had to jury rig hard points).<br /> This basically means that the aliens were unprepared for earth's level of resistance, before they even had a force capable of fighting. If they had been more careful, built their forces in silence (by farming wild life in the jungles and oceans, instead of going for rich targets like farms to load up on cow parts quickly) they may have been able to launch an invasion before earth even knew what was happening (just imagine if the game started with 20 battleships over every country, mutons march down the streets carrying heavy plasmas and blaster bombs, while snakemen and chrysalids strike major cities, all the while ethreals are mind controlling everyone... try winning that game with just 2 interceptors, a couple of rifles, some heavy weapons and 8 soldiers who can't hit the broad side of a barn from point blank range with a guided rocket --[[User:crwydryny|crwydryny]] 14:50, 30 December 2015 (GMT)<br /> <br /> ==TFTD issues==<br /> ===What was the relationship between the aliens from the 1st and 2nd wars?===<br /> <br /> Quoting from the UFOPaedia regarding Alien Origins: 'Deep in the oceans there lie ancient<br /> sites used by the Aliens to contact their stellar cousins.' This also has some implications regarding the issue of why T'Leth was only activated when the Sectoids were defeated. <br /> <br /> *Gill Men are coopted Terran creatures, Aquatoids are a differently-modified Sectoid breed, Lobstermen are machine soldiers that are manufactured, Tasoths are clone soldiers that are grown.<br /> <br /> Aquatoids are the ancestors of the Sectoids. The colony ship was sent out slowing than light hundreds of millions of years ago. Sectoids are a more genetically advanced race. The rest of UFO aliens were picked up after that point. The Brain and Ethereals probably conquered the Sectoids and don't regard them highly. While the Aquatoids that were thawed over the years created, conquered (Gill Man) or manufactured the rest of the allies over time. I picture the Tasoth as probably something they brought with them and have been working on. Since most of the Aquatoids come from suspended animation they have not tinkered with genes much. Instead modifying and using electronics (MC Chip) to control. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:28, 22 March 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ===What kind of materials were 'synomium' and 'adamantium'?===<br /> <br /> The first one is mentioned on the name of the alien communication devices and the second one appears at the end when T'Leth is destroyed: 'he twisting hugeness of T'leth begins to rupture.<br /> Flames and smoke spew from its gleaming spires and adamantium halls.'<br /> <br /> :Synomium is probably a special material used in the comm. devices, like Stargate's naquadah (universal stuff), naquadria (unstable power source), trinium (hull material) and neutronium (superdense metal). Adamantium is a legendary material in ancient literature that is said to be indestructible, similarly to mithril.--[[User:Amitakartok|amitakartok]] 10:55, 3 November 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Adamantium is said to be one of the strongest elements in many books and films such as X-men. --[[User:St.froppelie|St.froppelie]] 19:45, 23 October 2011 (GMT)<br /> <br /> *See also Wikipedia article on Adamantium: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamantium]<br /> <br /> ===How deep were X-COM bases located on the seas?===<br /> <br /> *Floating bases would be easier to build, repair and supply. However they would have to be tethered to the ocean bed or possess some sort of propulsion to prevent them from drifing with the ocean currents. But it would also allow for easy redeployment of the base. <br /> *Submersible bases could allow for better sonar detection. Same problems regarding ocean currents would apply. In case of hull breaches entire modules would be quickly flooded and any crew present would be crushed by water pressure or drown. Base could be built and then submerged (requires depth control)<br /> *Seabed bases would be the hardest to build and supply. Several other factors could limit their deployment, such as unstable areas (underwater volcanoes, prone to seaquakes, rock avalanches, etc.) and depths.<br /> *Given that the Alien Retaliation missions in TFTD are called &quot;Floating Base Attack&quot;, I'd say floating. Also remember that your starting sonar can't see Very Deep, which rules out seabed bases. [[User:magic9mushroom]]<br /> ** Floating doesn't always happen on the surface. The surface has to deal with large waves ad bobbing up and down, submerged only has the currents it could be stabilized easier. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 11:57, 14 January 2010 (EST)<br /> * I was recently researching how far you have to be down to not be effected by surface conditions. You have to be submerged 1/2 of a waves lenght (measured crest to crest) Best I can find is that the average wave is 150 yards accross. To not be effected by the waves you have to be 75 Yards below. This is way below the depth needed to not be effected by the bends when surfaceing. I figure they are probably right at the limit of what can be safe for quick surfacing and well anchored to avoid getting [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwKXfc_a4Ag tossed in a storm]. --[[User:BladeFireLight|BladeFireLight]] 17:37, 22 March 2010 (EDT) <br /> **Something else to consider - these 'floating bases' could be large modular submarines/submersibles. If memory serves, submarines basically maintain sea-level pressure regardless of the depth, so that could explain why they'd be able to be 75+ feet below sea level and not suffer the bends when surfacing.<br /> ::(Or, y'know, we could just say &quot;a wizard did it&quot;.) --[[User:Guido Talbot|Guido Talbot]] 14:13, 16 July 2010 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) issues==<br /> ===Motives behind the invasion===<br /> Now, the UberEtherial pretty much spells out the whole point of the invasion, as well as of their use &amp; control of all the other aliens: they ''wanted'' humanity to evolve and become powerful, because they needed a species that was both high in physical prowess, and a powerful psychic warrior. He (presuming gender) freely admits that their bodies suck (and that the other races suck in body and/or mind even more), and the 1st-3rd-1st person pronoun switch in ONE sentence (&quot;We who failed to ascend as ''they'' thought we would&quot;) and &quot;preparation for what lies ahead&quot;, as well as his descriptions of the other alien races in the Temple Ship imply a number of things:<br /> *The other races are enslaved races, perhaps from earlier invasions (possibly starting with Sectoids and Etherials being different castes of the same species?), themselves having been enhanced by their own resistances, before becoming enslaved on the degree of being puppets.<br /> *The whole point of the invasion is enslavement of humans, not extermination, for the perfect warrior-- any Metroid fans can think of the Chozo also becoming masters of Psionics and energy manipulation, at the cost of becoming physically frail and infertile, and entrusting the Power Suit -- and their legacy -- to Samus.<br /> *The alien surgeries (which greatly resemble Sensory Deprivation tanks-- you can even zoom in to see captive humans twitch sporadically) are their version of XCOM's Psi Lab (which ''also'' greatly resemble Sensory Deprivation tanks): they are 'farming' humans for Psi potential, similar to how us, the player, may farm soldiers for our own Psi Squad<br /> *Which then makes XCOM almost as much the ''Etherial's'' project as it is the Council's (hence why they do not invade or attack XCOM HQ or Interceptor bases)<br /> *Someone/thing ''else'' is involved, someone the Etherials are in some way subservient to: notice in the Temple Ship and in the Overseer UFO, the strange, Cathedral-like &quot;Stained Glass Windows&quot;. To me, there appear to be ''two'' figures in each: the much more visible 4-armed Etherial silhouette, and in a transparent, but slightly darker shade of lavender, some other 6-8 limbed creature, with a larger body and a very different head-shape behind the first.<br /> *&quot;What lies ahead&quot; may mean some coming disaster, or merely a challenge and testing from this sequel-hook of &quot;They&quot;<br /> *Additionaly: the description of the Hyperwave device implies contact with an alternate dimension. The organic-metallic (silicon based, perhaps?) form of the Outsiders (as opposed to the rather obvious &quot;manufactured and machined parts grafted onto flesh&quot; Cyborg attachments of both Floater varieties), and their absence (especially from the Temple Ship) after the device's capture, as well as released screenshots of the upcoming FPS XCOM game (mentioning Outsiders AND being placed several decades ago)-- all this suggests alternate timelines as well as alternate dimensions (in quantum physics, these are practically the same thing anyways), as well as some species native to this ''Outside'' dimension that are the ones, this &quot;They&quot;, whom are actually calling the shots.<br /> --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:56, 26 January 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> *Just to verify the point about the Outsiders, they are called OUTSIDERS, which pretty much means not native, so possibly they are not native to this dimension, also, &quot;What lies ahead&quot; Could possibly be foreshadowing a TFTD remake? And the Outsiders are merely, prototypes of the Ultimate Alien?<br /> [[User:XBrassxDragonX|XBrassxDragonX]] 22:59, 25 May 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> *The UberEthereal is a rebel against &quot;They&quot; he/she/it united a group of Ethereals, and left &quot;They&quot; Then, he/she/it proceeded to search for the Ultimate Race, a race that was as tough as a Muton, and as Psionically Powerful as an Ethereal, these were the Humans. This Ultimate Race would overthrow &quot;They&quot; and thus, complete the Ethereal's legacy, it could also be, that through the use of implants, and sacrificing physical strength for Psionic Power, the Humans could walk the same path as the Ethereals, and be contacted by whatever was left of &quot;They&quot; then, the Humans would help &quot;They&quot; rebuild, and realize the sinister motivations behind &quot;They's&quot; plan, and thus, repeat the story in a never-ending cycle.<br /> <br /> ===How is it possible for Psionic soldiers to exist?===<br /> After capturing a Psi-capable enemy and dissecting it: does XCOM reverse-engineer the implants and insert them into troops (whether they test positive (capable of using them) or not)? Or, is the testing just digging for a Psi signal that ''is already there''? In which case, it's a human-evolved trait, but from where, and why wasn't it found before? Vahlen's reasearch implies similar genetic struture between aliens and humans: do humans and Etherials/Sectoids have a common Psi-capable ancestor, or have the Etherials been interfereing with human evolution for at least 20-30 years (or however old troopers tend to be, with Shaojie Zhang and his advanced age, equally possible to have Psi-Abilites), if no longer? At least in Apocalypse, there's the excuse of Sectoid/Human Hybrids. How do humans use a power just discovered that year, and only a few months of practice, end up with the capacity to potentially mind-control Etherials, each of which who have several thousand years of personal experience with Psi abilites? --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 05:28, 11 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> :It's implied that humans were always latent psionics (it's possible that if we weren't, the Ethereals would never have bothered us at all). The cutscene where your first psionic is found suggests the testee is immersed in some sort of purple gas, which presumably causes some physiological change to make them operant psionics. As for how human psionics get so good so quickly, good question, though bear in mind that psionic humans are implied to be an Ethereal's equal in raw power, but while an Ethereal has to expend psionic power all the time just to stay alive and standing, a human can devote it all to his psionic attacks. This could explain why humans are on an equal footing with Ethereals despite having comparatively little practice. More simply, it could just be that humans are badass compared to aliens; we certainly seem to be able to reverse engineer their technology in record time AND then make improvements to it, suggesting we're frankly just &quot;better&quot; than them. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 09:07, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :Another possibility could be that Elerium exposure maybe one of the factors. While Doctor Vahlen stated that she found a correlation with high will power and psychic ability, gameplay mechanics aside there are cases where a very high willed soldier came back from the Psionic Labs who had displayed no psychic prowess whatsoever. Elerium is used in the alien technologies and it was only after the Alien attack that XCOM was able to 'make' psionic soldiers. Another piece of evidence is that pieces of equipment such as the Psi Armor and the Mind Shield require a large quantity of Elerium in order to manufacture and that it 'enhances' the Psychic abilities of the wearer. While it is true that Elerium is used as a power source for the armor, unlike the hulking Titan armor the Psi armor is essentially a skinsuit/catsuit/muscle suit that has no visible heavy pieces of armor but yet the Elerium requirements for a set of Psi Armor exceed the Elerium requirements for the larger, heavier Titan armor. Logically (again, gameplay mechanics aside) speaking the lighter Ghost armor could perform the same if it used the same amount of Elerium for the Titan armor yet it requires more to function. Combined with the fact that the Psionic Labs and the Gallop Chamber (Both facilities that involve Psionic's) are the only XCOM facilities outside of the Elerium Generator that requires Elerium in their construction means that Elerium maybe linked to the manifestation of Psychic phenomena.<br /> [[User:GMPilot0079|GMPilot0079]] 3:56, 13 May 2013 (CST)<br /> <br /> ===Bureau/Enemy Within/My Little Pony Supplemental===<br /> {{Ref Open | title = Yes, really}}<br /> How does a ''Psychic'' attack on an XCOM soldier cause obvious psychological effects (-will, -aim), but damages ''armor'' first?<br /> <br /> So, it's a safe assumption that the &quot;They&quot; spoken up above is probably the likes of [[Ethereal_(Bureau)|Asaru and Shamash]], &quot;True&quot; Etherials, who's physical forms have been discarded in trade of bodies made of pure energy--- much like EU/EW's Outsiders (not the Zudjari-- for clarity's sake, &quot;Outsider&quot; means the UFO-commander type alien in EU, and Bureau's 'Outsiders' shall be specifically called &quot;Zudjari&quot;) are ''also'' described as being of pure energy. So, Bass Dragon was half-right: the Outsiders are not prototypes, they're attempts to ''reverse-engineer'' the Ultimate Life-forms that are the True Etherials. Shamash outright said they exist in multiple realities (either in the &quot;omnipresent&quot; sense (and the &quot;physical&quot; body is just the part that happens to intersect this reality), or that they can shift between alternate realities, XCOM's dimension included), and the Hyperwave Uplink, which seems to be the source for the Outsider's existence, has in-game descriptions that states that it has some kind of access to alternate dimensions, I think confirms this. The fact that Origin could study and emulate Shamash through scientific methods also leads credence that the Outsiders were scientific attempts to manufacture a True Etherial (or analogue thereof), via the Uplink.<br /> <br /> The slave collars on the Bureau's Sectoids. I used to think that Sectoids may have been a low catse, but effectively the same species as Etherials. But, that was more based on the 1994 game's depictions, where the Sectoids were weaklings, but seemed to be &quot;just another member of the alien horde.&quot; With 4-armed Etherials being canon, it's more likley that Etherials share a common ancestor with Slenderman than Sectoids, since evolution doesn't really work that way (ie: all/most (modern) Earth animals with spinal chords (chordate [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chordate] ) follow a &quot;head and 4 limbs and 2 eyes&quot; body configuration). More likely, Sectoids are the &quot;for hire/sale&quot; whipping boy of the universe. Additionally, the slave collars that are suggested to help link them to the Mosaic Network, show how incomplete Origin's manipulation of Shamash was: in the infliltration of the Spire in Arizona, Dr Wier comments that Mosaic &quot;seems to want to help&quot;. But, as the normal Etherials were collectively working together, that is why EU's Sectoids were without collars: the Etherials had no need for them.<br /> <br /> Sectoids on sale, now 50% off, this Rel only, here on Shopduct n' Slave!<br /> <br /> Now, the Meld: it always struck me as odd how ''careless'' the aliens seemed to be, leaving massive resources laying around for XCOM to collect. If XCOM was some kind of MMORPG, I would bet that players who chose the Alien factions would often blow up the Elerium Generators and Navigational Computers if it looked like they were going to lose a base or UFO (Chryssalid Rush, ke ke ke!). That they leave the Meld hanging around seems to me that they ''want'' XCOM to get it, which goes with what I wrote long ago up there about how XCOM could be said to also be the Etherial's project, at least indirectly.<br /> <br /> On the other hand; how does Meld tie in with the purpose of the invasion? Searching for the Ultimate Life Form, &quot;as we sought to uplift them, to prepare them.&quot; In other words: those aren't mere storage canisters, XCOM Bait, or bombs. They're ''dispersal units''. The Etherials' plot was to seed Earth with Meld to enhance physical capacities anyways (Mechtoids, Floater/Heavies), while doing abductions as mass &quot;Farming&quot; for Psi-positive humans (ie; like how the player buys soldiers in bulk, and picks out the ones we want to submit for Psi testing). Failures: we fire them, Zudjari kill them and dump 'em out back, Etherials and The Matrix turn them into flood slurry, and the Wachowski Siblings make a third movie and lose all credibility.<br /> <br /> Which brings me to my third topic, where I talk about a cute talking unicorn that hails from a magical Fantasy kingdom of baby horses.<br /> <br /> In the crossover fanfic [http://www.fimfiction.net/story/100455/stardust XCOM/FiM: Stardust], the Author is (with obvious liberties) attempting to stay accurate to XCOM's technical information (with assistance from this very 'Paedia: he's seen my work here). The major alterations to the plot are that Bradford replaces the player character of the Commander, and instead of Fluttershy reforming Discord, Discord makes a bet with Twilight Sparkle to &quot;Convince me, irrefutably, that friendship is the strongest power in the universe.&quot;<br /> <br /> With Twilight accepting the terms, Discord teleports her to April 02, 2015, to the site of a Terror Mission in Washington DC, within 30 feet of a Chryssalid.<br /> :If you've read this far, I assume I've had your interest. If I now have your attention, and want to read the story without getting spoilers, scroll down to where '''Elerium''' is next written in bold.<br /> <br /> So, obvious question: &quot;What the hell does that have to do with anything?!&quot; Well, the Author is trying to stay accurate to EU and Bureau (he did start writing before much of EW was revealed) while writing his own story, and he addresses several valid points that solve, or at least address several XCOM mysteries. The unique viewpoint of involving cartoon ponies is for flavor, amusement, and contrast to better see them.<br /> <br /> As the story continues; Twilight is captured by XCOM, and almost Interrogated by Dr Vahlen, but manages to escape the containment cell. Hijinks ensue, Dr Shen talks Bradford into allowing him to make contact (referencing the in-game Arc Thrower conversation between the three), and Twilight is now a 'guest' of XCOM, taking residence in &quot;Stardust&quot; Labs. Eventually, she helps in XCOM's research of both alien technology, and her own magic abilities: The magic field she uses in Equestria is also available on Earth, but is stiff from &quot;disuse,&quot; but is discovered to be the same field that the Aliens use for Psionic abilities. It's revealed that Elerium is, or is at least an analogue to &quot;Arcanite&quot;, a material that boosts magic abilities. Ergo: Elerium boosts Psionic abilities. As Twilight assists in both XCOM Research, and indirectly with missions themselves, with her magic, her use of the Field begins to awaken the Psionic/Magic abilities of the humans around her. For example, Commander Bradford has 'time-stopping' precognition; several times, he has seen TPKs, only to snap back into real time shortly before it all goes to hell-- save states, basically.<br /> <br /> Her assistance also points out that the implants found in the aliens, particularly the Sectoid Commanders, also have Elerium circuitry that activates/boosts/projects their Mind Control ability (as well as all aliens to be able to be controlled by the Etherials, who have not yet been revealed in the story, save for a refrence to/by a possible EXALT/Osiris member, and another to William Carter). This also points out that the Etherials are not specifically &quot;Religious&quot; of themselves, as Origin was, but are scientific-minded (the &quot;All Technologies&quot; research credit).<br /> <br /> The mystery of XCOM this addresses is, as Analyst Krut points out in The Bureau: &quot;Why?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Dear Twilight Sparkle,<br /> <br /> '''ELERIUM.'''<br /> <br /> Sincerely,<br /> :Pinkie Pie!&quot;<br /> <br /> The Field that makes the abilities possible has probably always been here, and is perhaps universal, as inherent as magnetism or gravity (or, if you want a ''stupid'' comparison: like the &quot;Chroma&quot; in ''Indigo Prophecy''). And, with Elerium and it's use making Psionics easier for humans, Earth is now a 'factory' for making the most potentially dangerous beings in the universe.<br /> <br /> Evolution, at least on Earth, is more about &quot;Good enough&quot;/&quot;it ''works'', duddn't it?&quot; than any search/aim for &quot;better&quot;, and certainly not &quot;perfect&quot;. If there was no evolutionary push (or capacity) to be able to use the Field (as useful as it would be), such traits would not develop. Interesting examples where real-world animals do use advanced physics are the Pistol Shrimp, who's claw has evolved in such a way that's essentially a [[Sonic_Pistol]] and can make a luminescent spark of plasma that's the same temperature as the surface of the sun, and dolphins that use complex fluid dynamics that humans barely understand to, basically, just pass the time [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMCf7SNUb-Q].<br /> <br /> So, the Field that makes Psionic abilities possible is, in fact, accessible to humans, but as it is not often developed; it's rare, or doesn't manifest strongly. But it ''is'' there, so there is a motivation for the Etherials to come to Earth and do their testing (Incidentally, I don't think there is anything really saying that the Etherials knew that Asaru and Shamash were here).<br /> <br /> Which also addresses &quot;Why now?&quot;<br /> <br /> Because Elerium is now on Earth: in The Bureau, it's established that the Zudjari have been seeding the Earth with Elerium as early as 1957 (the year that Spudnik was launched: the satellite is even seen in the opening sequence of a campaign). If Elerium boosts Field abilities, such as Psionics, then 58 years of low-level global exposure may have triggered/boosted enough to draw the attention of the Etherials (incidentally, background radiation from above-ground nuclear tests peaked in 1963 at about 0.15 mSv per year worldwide, or about 7% of average background dose from all sources. The Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963 prohibited above-ground tests, thus by the year 2000 the worldwide dose from these tests has decreased to only 0.005 mSv per year [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_radiation#Atmospheric_nuclear_testing]-- and in Angela's ending, she gets the US Government to use nukes to erase evidence of the invasion). This may also be why the aliens seem careless with Elerium; not as effective at making enhancements as dispersing Meld, but may help instigate Psi activations.<br /> <br /> Now, I realize: if Psi powers ARE a scientifically understandable energy wave (and not straight-up &quot;Magic&quot;), then it does make sense that armor is damaged ''as well'', and that the suits that include Elerium can block the &quot;piercing/bypassing&quot; damage that I think would be more realistic. And for the armors it doesn't make sense for; they don't give an HP bonus big enough to make the difference.<br /> <br /> Which leads to one more interesting thought: Elerium is not exclusive to the &quot;Etherial Empire&quot;, or whoever controls the Sectoids (as Elerium is not in Apocalypse(?), but Sectoids are): while not naturally native to Earth, there's nothing saying how limited-- or abundant-- Elerium is throughout the universe (Arcanite). Less evidence, and more of a hunch: may Elerium be somewhat... &quot;viral&quot;? That it may at least &quot;try&quot; to spread as it goes, as the Bureau suggests? Like a milder version of Tiberium [http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Tiberium] or Phazon [http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Phazon]?<br /> <br /> Obviously, Origin didn't have the device that had Asaru before the invasion, BUT, Faulk said the device was found ''in an Elerium Mine'' (in Montana). In other words, the Elerium aggregated around Asaru, who was there ''first''. So, there is enough to establish that there is a link between Elerium exposure/presence, and Psionic abilities, as is shown in Stardust.<br /> <br /> In conclusion:<br /> * ???? - Asaru arrives on Earth<br /> * ???? - Sectoids, a clone race, are sold in open intergalactic slave markets to various alien empires across the universe: as clones and near-blank genetic templates, their adaptability, ability to be mass produced, and 'ease of use' (aided by Psionic links to one another) lends to the success of their sale.<br /> * 65,000,000 BCE - The Lovecraftian &quot;Vortex&quot; Empire (refrence: Ecco the Dolphin [http://eccothedolphin.wikia.com/wiki/Vortex_Queen] - would explain why they look like Earth's aquatic animals), hailing from aquatic worlds, crash land a colony ship on Earth, either because, or ''as'' the impact that led to the extinction of the Dinosaurs-- and in the process, pave the way for mammals, and eventually for Humans to rise, whom will spend the rest of Time crossing Space, and even going into other Dimensions, obliterating every alien menace they encounter. Way to go, guys.<br /> ** Due to the exclusion of Elerium and their preference of aquatic habitats, their own research creates Zrbite and Aquaplastics, and they modify their own Sectoid slaves/genome templates into the Aquatoids.<br /> * ????-1957-1962 - Zudjari, as part of their normal conquests' terraform operations, and the search for True Etherials, seeded Earth with Elerium in [[The_Bureau:_XCOM_Declassified|The Bureau]]. Asaru awakens, Shamash is killed, and Origin is deleted in a massive Etherial-fueled Psionic wave.<br /> * 1962-2015 - Background radiation from Elerium is covered up by atmospheric Nuclear Testing, but the effects are still felt worldwide: while skills may not be developed, Psionic potential grows.<br /> * 2015-2016? - The &quot;cast out&quot; Etherials begin their conquest and research of Humans and Earth, led here either by Elerium's energy signature, Psionic energy signatures, or due to the presence of the two True Etherials on a single planet; and event said to be a multiversal rarity. The battles between them and XCOM are a boon to human science and technology. Psionic experimentation, and the dispersal of Meld lead to the enhancement of both the human mind and body. Then the Etherials get blown the fuck up.<br /> ** Black Market interests begin the EXALT organization, a paramilitary group made with the aim of stealing and adapting alien technology and materials to force human evolution. After the raid on their headquarters and the neutralization of their command leadership, remaining members go into hiding, and begin to pass and adapt their ideology down family lines.<br /> * 1997-2002 - Due to the energy signal released by the death of the multidimensional being Shamash: in an alternate timeline/dimension, the Etherial invasion happens earlier: since the Alien Brain is a computer, it's able to organize the invasion that much faster. The Tachyon signal released upon it's destruction lasts only a little while, but as the Tachyon is a (theoretical) FTL particle, it's properties are not restricted to 'normal' space-time.<br /> * 2027 - Reminants of EXALT reorganize into the Cult of Sirus.<br /> * 2041-2046 - As the Aquatoids were able to receive the signal as easily as their Sectoid cousins, they began the resurrection of T'leth: thus, the [[TFTD|Second Alien War]].<br /> * 2084 - The Micronoids, while not as experienced as Etherials at multidimensional travel, also register the death of Shamash, and begin [[Apocalypse|their assault]] on the largest Earth-based population: Mega-Primus. Thanks for that, Carter.<br /> ** Sectoid-Human hybrids were origionally developed by the Etherials in an attempt to add the docile and controllable aspects of the Sectoids to the physically and psionically potent human race, much like the 1957 experiments with Africanized Honey Bees. In fact, ''exactly'' like those experiments: those bees are now known as &quot;Killer Bees&quot;, and the Human-Sectoid mutants are willing to fight for XCOM, in exchange for universal rights.<br /> <br /> Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there: a Grand Unified Theory of XCOM!<br /> {{Ref Close | source = --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 08:53, 24 November 2013 (EST) }}<br /> And yes, I feel there's legitimacy in connecting XCOM to Ecco: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blaX_eMz3Qw Et voilà.]--[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 17:49, 24 November 2013 (EST)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category: Fiction]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:MAPS&diff=70031 2015-12-30T14:54:48Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>Errr... need a bit of formatting help... see the page? I want to put on all the separate levels so that they are easily seen to readers. I managed to get the Skyranger showing as thumbnails, but the next heading should be below the thumbs, but isn't... :o( How can I get it to format right, or any other ideas would be appreciated! Cheers ---- [[User:Phoenix|Phoenix]] 18 April 2006 09:59 BST<br /> <br /> -----<br /> <br /> One possible option would be to put a '''&lt;nowiki&gt;&lt;BR clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;&lt;/nowiki&gt;''' after the image, so that all text that follows the image will continue underneath it. <br /> <br /> For more image manipulators, check out [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Magic_words Magic Words]. <br /> <br /> - [[User:NKF|NKF]]<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> Excellent! Cheers NKF! <br /> <br /> - [[User:Phoenix|Phoenix]]<br /> <br /> == Extra/unused .MAP files? ==<br /> <br /> Hi all,<br /> <br /> I've been looking at UFO's .MAP files in quite a bit of depth and I've found a few that don't seem to be used in the game. I've done a cursory examination of them in Hex Workshop and listed some of their attributes below. In a plain steam distribution, the files are:<br /> <br /> ''The below has been heavily edited by myself. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 02:33, 13 August 2014 (EDT)''<br /> <br /> *MAP3.MAP - ''Seems to be a selection of buildings, unknown MCDs''<br /> :32X48X3<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:map3_1.png|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:map3_2.png|Level 2|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:map3_3.png|Level 3|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> *MAP4.MAP - ''Seems to be a larger complex, unknown MCDs''<br /> :32X48X3<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:map4.png|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> ''[[:File:SpareMaps.zip|Here]] are the files I've built to view the above two maps in MapView, which must be independently configured to display them. Neither should be considered playable as they are. Both maps use the &quot;map3&quot; image set. MAP3.MAP has been edited to remove a few rubbish bytes from its header. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 02:33, 13 August 2014 (EDT)''<br /> <br /> *PABDUCT.MAP - ''What appears to be two pyramids linked together, unknown MCDs''<br /> :10X20X4<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PABDUCTMAP-L1.png|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PABDUCTMAP-L2.png|Level 2|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PABDUCTMAP-L3.png|Level 3|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PABDUCTMAP-L4.png|Level 4|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> *PHARVEST.MAP - ''Dome shaped craft, unknown MCDs''<br /> :20X20X4<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PHARVESTMAP-L1.png|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PHARVESTMAP-L2.png|Level 2|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PHARVESTMAP-L3.png|Level 3|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PHARVESTMAP-L4.png|Level 4|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> *PSCOUT.MAP - ''Pyramid shaped craft, unknown MCDs'' persevering<br /> :10X10X4<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PSCOUTMAP-L1.png|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PSCOUTMAP-L2.png|Level 2|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PSCOUTMAP-L3.png|Level 3|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:PSCOUTMAP-L4.png|Level 4|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> ''[[:File:PyramidShipMCDs.rar|Here]] are the files I've built to view the above ships in MapView, which must be independently configured to display them (read further down in the below discussion for details). None should be considered playable as they are, though [http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/topic/9869-openxcom-mods/page__st__40#entry134928 luke83 has been working on rebuilding them for OpenXcom]. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 02:33, 13 August 2014 (EDT)''<br /> <br /> *TEMP.MAP - ''Lowest level of [[MAPS_Terrain#City_Terror_Site|URBAN17]], same MCDs''<br /> :10X10X1<br /> <br /> *TEMP1.MAP - ''VERY simplistic design looks a little like the medium scout, probably just a test like the other TEMP maps, unknown MCDs''<br /> :10X10X1<br /> <br /> *TEMP2.MAP - ''Middle level of [[MAPS_Terrain#City_Terror_Site|URBAN08]], same MCDs''<br /> :20X20X1<br /> <br /> *TEMP3.MAP - ''Same as TEMP2 but without stairs''<br /> :20X20X1<br /> <br /> *NOSHIP.MAP - ''It's empty.'' created by xcomutil, no? ''Whoops, you're right... this map isn't included with the game''<br /> :10X10X2<br /> <br /> *UFO_000.MAP - ''Smaller version of the medium scout, unknown MCDs''<br /> :10X10X2<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:UFO_000MAP-L1.png|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:UFO_000-L2.png|Level 2|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> *UFO_010.MAP - ''A smaller abductor, unknown MCDs''<br /> :20X20X2<br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:UFO_010MAP-L1.png|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:UFO_010-L2.png|Level 2|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> ''[[:File:UFO000_UFO010_Alt_Maps.rar|Here]] are the files I've built to view the above ships in MapView, which must be independently configured to display them. In this instance, the files are edited versions of the original maps built so that they work with the released game's tileset files. In theory they should be nearly playable, though they lack route nodes. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 02:33, 13 August 2014 (EDT)''<br /> <br /> *UFO_1B.MAP - ''[http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/Unused-Small-Scout-t7220.html Smallest scout], MCD is a modified version of UFO1 that's fairly easy to determine - just subtract an index''<br /> :2X2X3<br /> <br /> Anybody know what they are? The first two are especially weird; there's no way they could fit into an X-Com map unless it was the same map every time, like a TFTD ship attack. [[User:Off the Rails|Off the Rails]] 11:02, 8 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> :There's also UFO_010, UFO1A and UFO1B. Obviously, some of these are early UFO designs (for which we haven't been able to determine a correct set of MCD files to use - we'd probably have to build an MCD from scratch if we ever wanted to see them), but some I'm outright unsure about. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 17:25, 8 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> ::Although I'm new here, I've been lurking for a while and, for a month or so, learning to make .MAP data my bitch. I've an idea: assuming the MCD array starts with BLANKS.MCD, we can figure out whether a particular map tile is empty or not (ie if the relevant byte in the file is 00, the tile contains nothing; otherwise it must contain something...) and therefore come up with a basic floorplan for the terrain. I'll have a crack at it and put the results on my user page. [[User:Off the Rails|Off the Rails]] 16:04, 10 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> :::There's an easier way to actually 'see' what the files might contain using Daishiva's MapView. The question is that you don't know which MCD sets are required for each map (except for the UFOs) so it would take a lot of trial and error and mostly likely they are simply garbage (I've checked UFO_000, and it never made any sense, regardless of the MCD combination I tried). [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 16:38, 10 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> ::::Indeed, that's what I meant when I said we may need to build new MCDs; the ones needed to load the old UFO MAPs simply weren't included, best I can make out. I suspect we might be able to do wonders with a bit of tile re-ordering, but if may be we're outright missing some of the graphics we need. Anyway, Rails, I've taken the liberty of adding some additional info to your initial list. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 18:15, 10 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> :::: Its indices are not out of bound and it can be displayed in OpenXCom (if incorrectly), but its 2x2xZ size bugs tools that expect 10*Nx10*NxZ. - [[User:TBeholder|TBeholder]] ([[User talk:TBeholder|talk]]) 09:54, 30 December 2015 (EST) <br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:UFO1BMAP.PNG|Level 1|thumb]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt; <br /> <br /> ::actually UFO1A is the small scout it uses UFO1.MCD, UFO_010 is the medium scout. UFO1B.MAP (2x2x3) and UFO_000.MAP (10x10x2) are the two unknown ufos. - [[User:Daiky|Daiky]]<br /> <br /> :::Whoops, careful with the history buttons... attempting to edit a page while viewing an older version performs a revert to that version. Anyway, yes, my mistake with UFO1A, but you're confusing UFO_010 with UFO_110. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 18:43, 11 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> So it occurred to me late last night that rebuilding the MCDs was too much like hard work... Rebuilding the MAPs to work with existing MCDs would be much faster. I've performed a quick conversion of the PSCOUT map and added pics above. Not sure if the original hull was yellow (it probably would've been alloy-coloured), and I'm uncertain whether those are supposed to be seats in the hall on the lowest level, but other then those two points it should be nearly accurate.<br /> <br /> Different wall tiles were used where the north-walls meet the west-walls, which typically isn't the case with the maps used in the finished game. When these two tiles meet, the game crops the sprites on the fly in order to prevent the overlap effect you get in Daishiva's MapView. I'm thinking this map was designed before the cropping feature was added, and so it would've used pre-cropped sprites. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 19:01, 12 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Is MapView available for download anywhere? I've tried Daishiva's site and it hits me with a 404 every time. [[User:Off the Rails|Off the Rails]] 19:24, 12 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> ::[http://www.strategycore.co.uk/files/index.php?dlid=413 Here]. I've done the Abductor now, images are above. It seems this one uses diagonal joins which have no equal in any of the tilesets I have access to; new sprites would need to be drawn to display the entire thing correctly. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 19:33, 12 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> I'm a bit stuck with the harvester; The hull and so on is obvious enough (the same converter proggie I used on the other two craft was able to deal with that in an instant), but the internals aren't quite so obvious. It seems to have its own unique walls, and a lot more unique sprites then the final version of the craft has.<br /> <br /> After a bit of messing about, it struck me that I'd seen a rotated version of the dissected deer somewhere before, and it'd be perfect for a certain mass of unidentified tiles in the NW area of the craft (the usual deer is near the north end, but there's much more then that in there). Catch is, I can't remember WHERE I'd seen the rotated deer!! For all I know it's a figment of my imagination, or perhaps it was one of Hobbes' tweaks... I thought it might've been up on XCommand, but no... (that sounds like a tile I have for one my modded maps, where I took the cow image, and edited it to make it look like it is hanging from a chain [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 14:02, 13 February 2011 (EST))<br /> <br /> Anyways. I'll need to start my conversion script from scratch for the other craft (which are somewhat dissimilar to the ones I've looked at in terms of tile usage), but I thought I'd upload my work thus far and scribble out a brief tutorial on how to check it in MapView.<br /> <br /> First off, [[:Image:AlphaUFOsConv1.zip|extract this]] straight into your game folder. Now goto your MapView install folder and open &quot;Images.dat&quot; in Notepad or similar; you'll see a whole bunch of MCD sets listed, you need to add this line down the bottom:<br /> <br /> U_PYRA:${ufoImg}<br /> <br /> This is a butchered version of the U_BITS tileset that contains just the pyramid tiles from Cydonia, which I've been using for the craft hulls (they're the only shape that makes sense).<br /> <br /> Now load the program and goto the Edit menu, select Paths. Select the Map Files tab, navigate to UFO's Alien Ships, and left click it once - so it's highlighted blue - then right click it. Use the context menu to add an &quot;existing&quot; map, then select one of the &quot;P&quot; ships (I've added a &quot;2&quot; onto the filenames of my edits, so they won't overwrite the original garbled versions).<br /> <br /> If, after pressing the Open button, the craft doesn't appear on the alien ship list, then just repeat the process. Daishiva's proggy has a few bugs that were never ironed out, unfortunately. When you've got it listed, you can then select it and select MCD files for it to use. You can copy/paste MCD lists from other craft or define them manually.<br /> <br /> *PSCOUT2 uses U_EXT02, U_WALL02 and U_PYRA.<br /> *PABDUCT2 uses U_EXT02, U_WALL02, U_PYRA and U_OPER2.<br /> *PHARVEST2 uses U_EXT02, U_WALL02, U_PYRA and U_DISEC2.<br /> <br /> Presumably the original craft maps used U_EXT01, but we don't have that set, so... - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 20:51, 12 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Completed UFO_000 and UFO_010. These two are much closer to the craft designs we're used to, though there was some weirdness with the hulls that makes me think the externals didn't quite look like these conversions do. With the larger of the two, I'm unsure if the two siderooms should contain vats or not - the ship is certainly an abductor, though those items are indexed above the ranges of all the other abductor items the ship uses... so I just took my best guess. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 07:00, 13 February 2011 (EST)<br /> ::Are there any chances to see them in mapeditor? I mean, appropriate tilesets for these UFOs, like U_EXT01 would be nice.--[[User:Volutar|Volutar]] 02:08, 12 October 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> :::[[:Image:UFO000_UFO010_Alt_Maps.rar|Here]]. Rather then build MCD files for them, though, I just used a &quot;search-and-replace&quot; script to rebuild the MAP files to work with the pre-existing MCD files. You could, for eg, simply switch the medium scout map (UFO_110.MAP) with the converted version of UFO_000.MAP (UFO_0002.MAP), and it would probably work &quot;as is&quot; in-game (except for elerium placement, probably).<br /> <br /> :::The conversion of UFO_010.MAP doesn't match the MCD combinations of any other craft, unfortunately. Could still be implemented in-game, would just require a tiny bit more work to get the game to load the correct MCDs. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 21:41, 12 October 2011 (EDT)<br /> <br /> Giving up on the pyramid ships for now. Think they're about as well done as possible without starting to make outright guesses as to how they were intended to appear. The Harvester is really the only incomplete one anyways. [[:Image:U_PYRA2.zip|Here's the terrain set I came up with]]. Not at all playable, but it gives a pretty good picture as to what the original tileset would've looked like.<br /> <br /> MAP3 turned out to have the map dimensions repeated at the start of the file, offsetting all the tile indexes by three bytes. Moving them back makes the file a bit more clear - it's filled with buildings, same as MAP4. They also obviously use the same terrain set.<br /> <br /> The outside area of of MAP3 contains what appears to be ice pools from the polar terrain. At first I thought they were craters from Mars, but some are too large, and others are of irregular shape - the pools are the only match.<br /> <br /> But arctic terrain doesn't include buildings. The buildings we've got are alien, X-COM's, farm-style, and urban style... But the buildings in MAP3 use staircases ''and'' grav lifts. The lifts suggest alien architecture, but no alien tilesets have stairs... and no terrains with stairs have lifts! The internals are sparsely furnished, but strike me as too irregular to be of alien design.<br /> <br /> [http://web.archive.org/web/20010606165240/www.mythosgames.com/ufoenemyunknow.htm Julian] dropped mention that there had been plans for another alien-hunting group to show up in the game, similar to the Men in Black (keeping in mind that movie came out some years after the game...). At this stage I'm suspecting that these maps were going to be their bases. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 07:10, 20 February 2011 (EST)<br /> <br /> :[[:Image:PyramidShipMCDs.rar|A better set of MCDs for the pyramid ships]]. These ones are more or less playable, or would be if the game were to use them. Load them in the order of: U_EXT01.MCD, U_WALL01.MCD, U_DISEC1.MCD then U_OPER1.MCD. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 07:46, 16 May 2012 (EDT)<br /> <br /> I've added mock-ups of MAP3.MAP and MAP4.MAP. Fairly simple structures. The art may've been much different originally - the only tiles I'm near-certain would've looked as they do here would be the wallpaper ones. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 07:15, 18 May 2012 (EDT)<br /> :Great work. This definitely has to be an additional unused terrain. Both maps are very similar to Laser Squad's set piece maps, so I'm guessing these would be for the missions that got dropped out. I'm guessing that on MAP3 should be either for to locate *something* that can be on either both large structures, with the small sniper towers, or could be to simply clear both buildings. On MAP4 you'd start on the central area and would have to find the cell which contained hostages/prisioners. The layout reminds me of the Rescue From The Mines scenario of Laser Squad. Both maps can also be a two-part mission, like TFTD. Clear the first map then go below to find the prisoners/hostages/doomsday device, etc. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 18:24, 21 June 2012 (EDT)<br /> ::A little more speculation: on MAP4 the doors must be sliding doors. Otherwise the doors of the small corridor close to the central area would open and replace the wall on its opposite side. The white arctic ground should be dirt blocks like those found on alien/XCOM bases. The crates on those 4 rooms are another enigma - it is possible that another part of the mission would be to destroy them. <br /> :: Another question, where do the XCOM craft land - MAP3 around 50x30, so you'd most likely start on the down left or upper right sides - those half lakes that you see on MAP3 you'd have the missing half on a hypothetical MAP1/2. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 10:07, 22 June 2012 (EDT)<br /> <br /> ==Map Combination Example==<br /> I've looked at the example provided and there are quite a few details missing on how the game builds the Battlescape map. I'm going to try to reproduce the list of steps for map array building process. There are 2 options possible:<br /> <br /> 1) Game determines terrain, Dropship and UFO (if it's present)<br /> <br /> 2 a) Game places Dropship and UFO, then fills remaining empty spaces by picking randomly from the maps available for that terrain (with some exceptions on what it can choose) OR b) Game fills empty spaces by choosing randomly then places dropship and UFO. <br /> <br /> 2 b) is what is described on the example (extrapolating that when the game is determining the MCD array it is also building the map) but there are a few issues by using that method (based on my experience with battlefield generation rules on UFO2000):<br /> <br /> Issue #1 - What happens in the case of a 20x20 map that the game decides to place a UFO or dropship occupying just 1 corner of it?<br /> <br /> Answer #1 - the game would have to detect it and substitute the remaining 3/4 with 10x10 maps.<br /> <br /> Answer #2 - the game only places dropships/UFOs on existing 10x10s but since you'll need more (just a dropship occupies 20x10 or 10x20 and a Battleship 30x30) that would make it almost impossible to place larger UFOs on battlefields that contain 20x20 individual maps because there would be no space for them!<br /> <br /> Issue #2 - Every Terror Site map has a road but no UFOs. Following the process above, battlefield is generated (including the road), then the Dropship is placed. Same problem happens here - either the game checks so that the dropship isn't placed on a 20x20 or a road map, which could prevent that it would be placed if there isn't 2 10x10s joined. It would also have to adjust the map blocks around it to make sure that the front part of the Skyranger wasn't isn't a warehouse!<br /> <br /> But with the 2 a) process the above issues don't happen. <br /> <br /> Issue #1 - Game places Dropship and UFO randomly on the Battlescape. Engine then fills the remaining spaces with random 10x10 and 20x20 maps<br /> <br /> Issue #2 - Game places Dropship on Terror Site. Engine then adds the roads and fills the remaining spaces.<br /> <br /> My question is that I've seen Skyrangers placed over buildings and its tiles overlapping them, which is evidence for 2b). I've seen only using XComUtil though - it should have its own specific generation rules. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 11:12, 10 January 2012 (EST)<br /> <br /> :When placing craft on a battlescape, the games dedicate certain terrain modules as &quot;landing zones&quot; - clear areas without structures the craft would conflict with. Usually these are modules 0 and 1, but there are exceptions. I know that Scott's generator doesn't deal with this properly (hence why you only see weird overlaps with XCU), not sure if Blade fixed it or not. But note that the craft location is determined first, and the modules it sits in are only placed there because the craft was first assigned to that position. Everything else gets positioned after.<br /> <br /> :Anyway, the article isn't talking about how the locations of the ''modules'' are determined. It's talking about the actual combination process of the ''tile indexes'' inside these map files, which results in the final array which goes into MAP.DAT when you save the game - the one that keeps track of all the individual tiles in the battlescape, what's been blown up, and so on. It's saying that first the tiles in the terrain modules are added to the map array, then the the craft's tiles get superimposed on top. This is why if a SkyRanger IS incorrectly placed on a house, the Skyranger will take a chunk out of the building - the building won't take a chunk out of the SkyRanger.<br /> <br /> :All the info on where the modules are positioned is currently [[Battlescape_Map_Generation#Map_Statistics|here]]. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 17:52, 10 January 2012 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Figured you might find [[:File:UFOMapLogs.rar|this]] interesting/useful. Makes it fairly easy to spot many module placement patterns at a glance. I can give you the files needed to generate more, if you like. - &lt;span style=&quot;font-size:xx-small&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;[[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] ([[User_talk:Bomb_Bloke|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Bomb_Bloke|Contribs]])&lt;/span&gt; 18:09, 10 January 2012 (EST)<br /> ::Makes sense everything then - maybe this should be on the Battleship Generation page. I've looked at the Maplogs, interesting, thanks. There are also specific maps assigned to be placed under the UFOs, just by looking at Farm, you can see 00, 07, 11, like for Dropships. This will actually be useful later when redesigning those terrains. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 19:11, 10 January 2012 (EST)</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=MAPS&diff=70029 2015-12-30T14:34:07Z

<p>TBeholder: oops, my bad.</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}This folder contains pre-designed Battlescape terrain blocks (.MAP files). These are filled in with tiles from corresponding [[MCD]] files in the [[TERRAIN]] folder, and are combined in a semi-random fashion to create each battlefield your soldiers fight in.<br /> <br /> Aside from a three byte header indicating their height, width and depth (in that order), .MAP files use the same format as [[MAP.DAT]]:<br /> <br /> Each &quot;position&quot; of the map (that is, each tile you can move your mouse cursor over) is stored in order of left to right, top to bottom, top floor to bottom floor, and is represented by four bytes (so the filesize for each map module file will be equal to the map dimensions multiplied together, further multiplied by four). Each of the four bytes maps to a separate index within the associated [[MCD|MCD array]]:<br /> <br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> * The first byte links to the tile that represents the ground (eg, grass, dirt, pavement, etc).<br /> * The second byte links to the tile that represents the west-facing wall (eg, a barn wall, brick wall, fence, etc).<br /> * The third byte links to the tile that represents the north-facing wall (eg, a barn wall, brick wall, fence, etc).<br /> * The fourth byte links to the tile that represents an abstract object (eg, a fridge, a haybale, a tree, a chair, etc).<br /> &lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:Map_Record.png|right]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> If a given offset is set to 0, then no tile of that type exists at that location (for example, not every map position has to have a wall in it). If no &quot;ground tile&quot; is set for a location at ''ground level'', the game will automatically place dirt there (from the second entry of '''BLANKS.MCD''').<br /> <br /> To combine these map modules together to create an actual battlefield, the associated MCD files must also be combined to create on single giant MCD array. Hence, the values within each MAP file need to be &quot;translated&quot; to index into this new array.<br /> <br /> The first MAP files to be merged will always be those that represent the terrain (ie, the desert/urban/forest/etc map modules). These require no index translation and can be dumped directly into the combined map array.<br /> <br /> Any further map modules to be added (eg, your dropship and perhaps the alien's craft) need to have all of their indexes ''that are already higher then 1'' increased by a number equal to the amount of MCD records attached to the previous sets of MAP files.<br /> <br /> The reason for this is that, within the separate MAP files, a value of 2 maps to the index 0 within the associated MCD set (the first tile). This is as opposed to [[MAP.DAT]], where a value of 2 maps directly to index 2 in the collated MCD array (the third tile). Values of 0 ''always'' mean &quot;no tile&quot; (except at ground level, where tile 1 of BLANKS.MCD will be used for to stop mysterious holes appearing in the bottom of the the battlescape), and tile 1 of BLANKS.MCD (burnt earth) is available for use by all tilesets.<br /> <br /> You may have noticed that the first index of the collated MCD array will be 0, but any maps indexes that point there are assumed to be &quot;unused&quot;! This &quot;inaccessible&quot; first MCD record is actually used to render the black area outside of the visible battlescape zone.<br /> <br /> &lt;b&gt;Note:&lt;/b&gt; When opening map files with MS-EDIT, open it in 4-column widths, but remember that the ground tile of the cell will be found at the last byte in the row &lt;b&gt;above&lt;/b&gt;.<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> ==Map Combination Example==<br /> To expand the above out into a full example:<br /> <br /> Say you have a terrain with 100 tiles in its [[MCD]] array, an X-COM craft with 30 tiles, and a UFO with 50. The collated MCD array will always start with the two indexes from BLANKS.MCD, and then will have all the tiles from the other relevant tilesets piled on top of those (for a total of 182 records, in this case).<br /> <br /> All map modules for your terrain would go directly into your combined map array, with their indexes completely unaltered. The highest possible tile index used thus far would be 101 (the hundred-and-''second'' record, remembering that the first index is 0).<br /> <br /> Now you'd add the map indexes for your X-COM craft, completely overwriting any terrain indexes that happen to exist in the same locations, with any non-0 values in the craft MAP file. You would add 100 to all of these new indexes that are already higher then 1, so that they index into the &quot;X-COM craft&quot; area of the collated MCD array. The highest possible tile index at this point would be 131 (the hundred-and-thirty-second record).<br /> <br /> Finally you'd add the map indexes for your alien craft, again overwriting any previously set map indexes at the same locations, with any non-0 values in the craft map file - but this time adding 130 to all alien craft indexes that are already higher then one. You'd now by up to a maximum index of 181, that being your hundred-and-eighty-second record.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Images==<br /> Below are examples of the map modules represented in the MAPS folder. Each level in the .MAP file is shown as indicated.<br /> <br /> ===X-COM Ships===<br /> ====AVENGER.MAP (Avenger)====<br /> The Xcom [[Avenger]] craft<br /> [[Image:AVENGERMAP-L1.JPG|thumb|Level 1|left]][[Image:AVENGERMAP-L2.JPG|thumb|Level 2|left]][[Image:AVENGERMAP.JPG|thumb|Level 3|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====LIGHTNIN.MAP (Lightning)====<br /> The Xcom [[Lightning]] craft<br /> [[Image:LIGHTNINMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:LIGHTNINMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:LIGHTNINMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====PLANE.MAP (Skyranger)====<br /> The Xcom starter carrier - the [[Skyranger]]<br /> [[Image:PLANEMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:PLANEMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:PLANEMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ===UFOs===<br /> ====UFO1A.MAP (Small Scout)====<br /> The [[Small Scout]] used by the aliens<br /> [[Image:UFO1AMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO1AMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO1AMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_110.MAP (Medium Scout)====<br /> The [[Medium Scout]] used by the aliens<br /> [[Image:UFO_110MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_110MAP.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_120.MAP (Large Scout)====<br /> The [[Large Scout]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_120MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_120MAP.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_130.MAP (Harvester)====<br /> The [[Harvester]] UFO mainly crewed by [[Floater|Floaters]], and sometimes [[Snakeman|Snakemen]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_130MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_140.MAP (Abductor)====<br /> The [[Abductor]]. Mostly Floaters use this UFO<br /> [[Image:UFO_140MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_140MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_140MAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_150.MAP (Terror Ship)====<br /> The alien's [[Terror ship|Terror Ship]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_150MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_150MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_150MAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_160.MAP (Battleship)====<br /> The [[Battleship]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_160MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_170.MAP (Supply Ship)====<br /> The alien's [[Supply ship|Supply Ship]]. Used to resupply bases<br /> [[Image:UFO_170MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Terrain===<br /> There are also MAP files for the [[MAPS Terrain|terrain]] in the Battlescape missions.<br /> <br /> ===Unused===<br /> For present, but not used in the game maps see [[Talk:MAPS]]. Some are broken - they refer to [[MCD]]s different from those present in the release.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Terrain]]<br /> [[Category:Game Files]]<br /> [[Category:Game Folders]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Game_Editors&diff=70027 2015-12-30T02:42:52Z

<p>TBeholder: /* User-defined Parsers */</p> <hr /> <div>Here is a list of some 3rd party software that can be used to manipulate UFO:Enemy Unknown. <br /> <br /> = XCOM-specific tools (including TFTD) =<br /> <br /> [[XcomUtil]], originally by Scott Jones and now being updated by BladeFireLight, can perform many useful fixes and changes to both EU and TFTD. It can also create hybrid games that mix the terrain from both games. Most changes are relatively easy using the XcuSetup.bat script. Others are harder and require you to edit text configuration files. The interface is currently being updated to a new, much improved version, making this easier to use and reliable, as well as powerful. It works with Steam distributions and DOSBox.<br /> <br /> [[UFOextender|UFO Extender]] for the Windows Gold (CE) edition of the game, fixes numerous bugs and provides a large number of useful gameplay enhancements. It also includes options to play alternate scenarios and rules for making the game harder (or easier). It works with the Steam distribution, which does include the Windows version. (Developed by [[user:Seb76|Seb76]] and currently being updated by [[user:Morgan525|Tycho]]) <br /> <br /> [[TFTDextender|TFTD Extender]] for the Windows edition of Terror From the Deep. It provides a many of the same enhancements as UFO Extender, while correcting many of the problems and offering new options for gameplay specific to this game. (Developed by Tycho from Seb76's UFOloader) <br /> <br /> [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] has a handy collection of tools on this site, for doing all sorts of customising. The Battlescape Editor is an excellent visual editor for adding, removing and changing units and items on a particular saved game, including changing the stats of weapons and other items. Also includes tools for modding uniforms, graphics/artwork, and other useful goodies.<br /> <br /> [[User:Necuno|UFO Classes]] (by Necuno) lets you manage the selection, deployment and training of soldiers via a concept of ''classes'' and ''levels'', rather than having to micromanage soldiers based on all their specific stats. Works only with EU, not TFTD.<br /> <br /> [http://www.stonepool.com/xcom/ XCOMHack and other tools] by Chris Voss ([[User:Hatfarm|Hatfarm]]). XComHack is a VB program that can edit soldiers, bases, craft, diplomacy and global factors such as money. Pretty much everything that ClarkWehyr can do and easy to use. It is a Visual Basic Forms application and the source code is available to extend. This is probably the easiest to use saved game editor, as it uses a standard GUI familiar to most people. The TFTD version does not have as many features as the UFO version. There are also some more powerful utilities available here to edit &amp; patch the UFO executable - UFO Mod and Patch Maker.<br /> <br /> [http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Image:SuperMen.zip SuperMen] is a simple utility that turns your soldiers to, well, supermen.<br /> <br /> [[User:Volutar#World.dat_editor|World.DAT editor]] (by Volutar) is a tool for viewing and editing of [[WORLD.DAT]] globe data (just visual poly mesh + terrain types).<br /> <br /> [[MCDEdit|MCD editor]] (by Volutar) is a tool for viewing and editing of the terrain tilesets (MCD+PCK).<br /> <br /> == Older tools ==<br /> <br /> [http://mattmullen.net/files/ue.zip UE]<br /> Matt Mullen's UE editor, just for editing bases and money. A very simple DOS character mode &quot;GUI&quot;. This also comes with source code and is written (nicely) in C. Nice.<br /> <br /> [http://www.bladefirelight.com/ SDump] XcomUtil also includes a utility called SDump. This is a hex dumper / patcher that is configured for XCom. Very technical and old skool but very powerful. Use with care and read the manual first. Probably only usable by old skool programmers. For many patches (eg craft, tank, weapon and alien stats) it will be easier just to modify the xcomutil.cfg file. <br /> <br /> [http://www.3clarks.com/ClarkWehyr/files/cwxce152.zip ClarkWehr editor]. This is a soldier and base editor for XCOM and TFTD. Reportedly has some bugs. It has a GUI but it is character-mode DOS type of GUI. Also has command line switches so you can run it in batch mode. Lots of features including a Soldier Exporter (to spreadsheet).<br /> <br /> There's at least one editor that allows you to change the weapons: [http://www.jennana.com/projects/xcomed.php XComEd].<br /> <br /> You can find many X-COM game editors, cheats and mods over at StrategyCore's [http://www.strategycore.co.uk/files/index.php?cid=3 Files Section].<br /> <br /> = Useful Generic File Editors =<br /> <br /> == User-defined Parsers ==<br /> <br /> * [http://wayback.archive.org/web/20010606160433/http://sen.gidkuzbass.ru/ StructLook] - Structured Files Viewer by SEN. Ancient (last v.4.30 shareware/nagware from 1999, runs fine in DOS Box) tool. Very powerful - you can have arbitrarily defined bitfields, offsets relative to the end of a variable-sized table of offsets, etc... Also limited, mainly due to restrictions DOS imposed on all the buffers it needs, and the tiny DOS console.<br /> <br /> * [https://gna.org/projects/dataworkshop/ DataWorkshop] - an attempt to do the same under Java and use XPath query language, too. Lived to 2005 and dropped into hibernation, but it works and it's inherently multi-platform.<br /> <br /> * [http://ff-extractor.sourceforge.net/ ffe] - flat file extractor. Reads and converts contents of a file, including from binary to readable table. Currently beta (0.3.4 - 0.3.5), thus many features you'd like to see in such a tool are absent. Not limited to &quot;one type of fixed sized record&quot; files (like [[MCD]] or [[OBDATA.DAT]]), but works best on them. For example, if you try to read map files with it, you'll have a problem, mainly from differently-sized header, inability to restrict it to where it belongs and troubles with zero (0x00) character. Also, it's a reader, not writer, at best it can tell you offset and hex dump for what you want to poke. On the upside, it can filter records on output, thus can be helpful for analysis.<br /> <br /> * [http://wayback.archive.org/web/20031213063645/http://pw1.netcom.com/~jhartman/ Universal Game Editor] (UGE). It is a hex editor which displays numbers in digits instead of hex codes. It uses templates that can store variables found in the game files, so that they can be easily edited (including variables with 1, 2, or 4 bytes, or text entries). It can be found from a variety of locations using a search engine. The program is only about 400kb and is free to use (abandoned nagware).<br /> <br /> * Another hex editor that some folks use is Hex Workshop by [http://www.bpsoft.com www.BPSoft.com]. Hex Workshop has the nice feature that you can make a 'structure library' with the meaning (field name) of each byte, turning the file into a little database. You will see some of these definitions (.HSLs) in the game file wikis. Hex Workshop is free for 30 days and then costs $50 if you want to keep using it. While it has a number of nice features, it does have some drawbacks. Examples: 1) Its display field can't be more than 64 characters wide (unlike EDIT), so you can't do a &quot;one row equals one record&quot; display for e.g. SOLDIER.DAT (reclength 68) or UNITREF.DAT (reclength 124). Related to this, 2) although it's a &quot;modern&quot; Windows app, you can't e.g. go to some tiny font and see a lot more in your data display window (even though you probably have 1600x1200 screen rez as a L33T gamer).<br /> <br /> * [http://construct.readthedocs.org/en/latest/ Construct] parsing library for Python. It's still programming, but straightforward and clean enough that at this point source text is not far from pure structure descriptions. If you are planning to write an editor, consider the benefits of using this.<br /> <br /> == Disassembling Viewers ==<br /> <br /> * [http://www.hiew.ru/ Hiew] (Hacker's View) by SEN. Even &quot;demo&quot; version is more than powerful enough for DOS software, it just doesn't allow convenient things like macros.<br /> <br /> * [http://hte.sourceforge.net/ HT]...<br /> <br /> * Mikael 'Fluff' Klasson makes [http://mklasson.com/hexit.php HexIt]. Useful for guessing what the game engine is trying to do and deducing game mechanics (or bugs). HexIt is freeware, though there is a suggested donation if you find it useful.<br /> <br /> == Hex Editors ==<br /> There are many. Windows user go [http://www.softpedia.com/downloadTag/binary%20editor here], Linux users [http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/Editors/Hex/ here]. Some of those tried by Ufopaedia users are here:<br /> <br /> * [[MS-Edit]] MS-Edit is a simple text editor that can be used to manipulate binary data. While a very old program dating back to the days of MS-DOS, recent versions of Windows up to XP still come bundled this program. It offers a binary mode that, while very unconventional, can be used to manipulate binary data in files. With knowledge of the game file structures and the nuances of how MS-Edit works, you can go right to the source and exact changes as you see fit in practically any game file.<br /> <br /> * [http://mklasson.com/hexit.php HexIt] by Mikael Klasson is a free and powerful hex editor. Donation suggested if you use it a lot. It also has a decompiler view if you want to try to figure out what the executable is doing.<br /> <br /> * [http://frhed.sourceforge.net/ Frhed] is a free, open source hex editor that works well.<br /> <br /> * HxD : This is a very simple but powerful HexEditing tool. You can get the freeware version here: [http://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd].<br /> <br /> = See Also =<br /> <br /> [[Command Prompt]]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]<br /> [[Category:TFTD]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Game_Editors&diff=69979 2015-12-27T03:29:47Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>Here is a list of some 3rd party software that can be used to manipulate UFO:Enemy Unknown. <br /> <br /> = XCOM-specific tools (including TFTD) =<br /> <br /> [[XcomUtil]], originally by Scott Jones and now being updated by BladeFireLight, can perform many useful fixes and changes to both EU and TFTD. It can also create hybrid games that mix the terrain from both games. Most changes are relatively easy using the XcuSetup.bat script. Others are harder and require you to edit text configuration files. The interface is currently being updated to a new, much improved version, making this easier to use and reliable, as well as powerful. It works with Steam distributions and DOSBox.<br /> <br /> [[UFOextender|UFO Extender]] for the Windows Gold (CE) edition of the game, fixes numerous bugs and provides a large number of useful gameplay enhancements. It also includes options to play alternate scenarios and rules for making the game harder (or easier). It works with the Steam distribution, which does include the Windows version. (Developed by [[user:Seb76|Seb76]] and currently being updated by [[user:Morgan525|Tycho]]) <br /> <br /> [[TFTDextender|TFTD Extender]] for the Windows edition of Terror From the Deep. It provides a many of the same enhancements as UFO Extender, while correcting many of the problems and offering new options for gameplay specific to this game. (Developed by Tycho from Seb76's UFOloader) <br /> <br /> [[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] has a handy collection of tools on this site, for doing all sorts of customising. The Battlescape Editor is an excellent visual editor for adding, removing and changing units and items on a particular saved game, including changing the stats of weapons and other items. Also includes tools for modding uniforms, graphics/artwork, and other useful goodies.<br /> <br /> [[User:Necuno|UFO Classes]] (by Necuno) lets you manage the selection, deployment and training of soldiers via a concept of ''classes'' and ''levels'', rather than having to micromanage soldiers based on all their specific stats. Works only with EU, not TFTD.<br /> <br /> [http://www.stonepool.com/xcom/ XCOMHack and other tools] by Chris Voss ([[User:Hatfarm|Hatfarm]]). XComHack is a VB program that can edit soldiers, bases, craft, diplomacy and global factors such as money. Pretty much everything that ClarkWehyr can do and easy to use. It is a Visual Basic Forms application and the source code is available to extend. This is probably the easiest to use saved game editor, as it uses a standard GUI familiar to most people. The TFTD version does not have as many features as the UFO version. There are also some more powerful utilities available here to edit &amp; patch the UFO executable - UFO Mod and Patch Maker.<br /> <br /> [http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Image:SuperMen.zip SuperMen] is a simple utility that turns your soldiers to, well, supermen.<br /> <br /> [[User:Volutar#World.dat_editor|World.DAT editor]] (by Volutar) is a tool for viewing and editing of [[WORLD.DAT]] globe data (just visual poly mesh + terrain types).<br /> <br /> [[MCDEdit|MCD editor]] (by Volutar) is a tool for viewing and editing of the terrain tilesets (MCD+PCK).<br /> <br /> == Older tools ==<br /> <br /> [http://mattmullen.net/files/ue.zip UE]<br /> Matt Mullen's UE editor, just for editing bases and money. A very simple DOS character mode &quot;GUI&quot;. This also comes with source code and is written (nicely) in C. Nice.<br /> <br /> [http://www.bladefirelight.com/ SDump] XcomUtil also includes a utility called SDump. This is a hex dumper / patcher that is configured for XCom. Very technical and old skool but very powerful. Use with care and read the manual first. Probably only usable by old skool programmers. For many patches (eg craft, tank, weapon and alien stats) it will be easier just to modify the xcomutil.cfg file. <br /> <br /> [http://www.3clarks.com/ClarkWehyr/files/cwxce152.zip ClarkWehr editor]. This is a soldier and base editor for XCOM and TFTD. Reportedly has some bugs. It has a GUI but it is character-mode DOS type of GUI. Also has command line switches so you can run it in batch mode. Lots of features including a Soldier Exporter (to spreadsheet).<br /> <br /> There's at least one editor that allows you to change the weapons: [http://www.jennana.com/projects/xcomed.php XComEd].<br /> <br /> You can find many X-COM game editors, cheats and mods over at StrategyCore's [http://www.strategycore.co.uk/files/index.php?cid=3 Files Section].<br /> <br /> = Useful Generic File Editors =<br /> <br /> == User-defined Parsers ==<br /> <br /> * [http://wayback.archive.org/web/20010606160433/http://sen.gidkuzbass.ru/ StructLook] - Structured Files Viewer by SEN. Ancient (last v.4.30 shareware/nagware from 1999, runs fine in DOS Box) tool. Very powerful - you can have arbitrarily defined bitfields, offsets relative to the end of a variable-sized table of offsets, etc... Also limited, mainly due to restrictions DOS imposed on all the buffers it needs, and the tiny DOS console.<br /> <br /> * [https://gna.org/projects/dataworkshop/ DataWorkshop] - an attempt to do the same under Java and use XPath query language, too. Lived to 2005 and dropped into hibernation, but it works and it's inherently multi-platform.<br /> <br /> * [http://ff-extractor.sourceforge.net/ ffe] - flat file extractor. Reads and converts contents of a file, including from binary to readable table. Currently beta (0.3.4 - 0.3.5), thus many features you'd like to see in such a tool are absent. Not limited to &quot;one type of fixed sized record&quot; files (like [[MCD]] or [[OBDATA.DAT]]), but works best on them. For example, if you try to read map files with it, you'll have a problem, mainly from differently-sized header, inability to restrict it to where it belongs and troubles with zero (0x00) character. Also, it's a reader, not writer, at best it can tell you offset and hex dump for what you want to poke. On the upside, it can filter records on output, thus can be helpful for analysis.<br /> <br /> * [http://wayback.archive.org/web/20031213063645/http://pw1.netcom.com/~jhartman/ Universal Game Editor] (UGE). It is a hex editor which displays numbers in digits instead of hex codes. It uses templates that can store variables found in the game files, so that they can be easily edited (including variables with 1, 2, or 4 bytes, or text entries). It can be found from a variety of locations using a search engine. The program is only about 400kb and is free to use (abandoned nagware).<br /> <br /> * Another hex editor that some folks use is Hex Workshop by [http://www.bpsoft.com www.BPSoft.com]. Hex Workshop has the nice feature that you can make a 'structure library' with the meaning (field name) of each byte, turning the file into a little database. You will see some of these definitions (.HSLs) in the game file wikis. Hex Workshop is free for 30 days and then costs $50 if you want to keep using it. While it has a number of nice features, it does have some drawbacks. Examples: 1) Its display field can't be more than 64 characters wide (unlike EDIT), so you can't do a &quot;one row equals one record&quot; display for e.g. SOLDIER.DAT (reclength 68) or UNITREF.DAT (reclength 124). Related to this, 2) although it's a &quot;modern&quot; Windows app, you can't e.g. go to some tiny font and see a lot more in your data display window (even though you probably have 1600x1200 screen rez as a L33T gamer).<br /> <br /> == Disassembling Viewers ==<br /> <br /> * [http://www.hiew.ru/ Hiew] (Hacker's View) by SEN. Even &quot;demo&quot; version is more than powerful enough for DOS software, it just doesn't allow convenient things like macros.<br /> <br /> * [http://hte.sourceforge.net/ HT]...<br /> <br /> * Mikael 'Fluff' Klasson makes [http://mklasson.com/hexit.php HexIt]. Useful for guessing what the game engine is trying to do and deducing game mechanics (or bugs). HexIt is freeware, though there is a suggested donation if you find it useful.<br /> <br /> == Hex Editors ==<br /> There are many. Windows user go [http://www.softpedia.com/downloadTag/binary%20editor here], Linux users [http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/Editors/Hex/ here]. Some of those tried by Ufopaedia users are here:<br /> <br /> * [[MS-Edit]] MS-Edit is a simple text editor that can be used to manipulate binary data. While a very old program dating back to the days of MS-DOS, recent versions of Windows up to XP still come bundled this program. It offers a binary mode that, while very unconventional, can be used to manipulate binary data in files. With knowledge of the game file structures and the nuances of how MS-Edit works, you can go right to the source and exact changes as you see fit in practically any game file.<br /> <br /> * [http://mklasson.com/hexit.php HexIt] by Mikael Klasson is a free and powerful hex editor. Donation suggested if you use it a lot. It also has a decompiler view if you want to try to figure out what the executable is doing.<br /> <br /> * [http://frhed.sourceforge.net/ Frhed] is a free, open source hex editor that works well.<br /> <br /> * HxD : This is a very simple but powerful HexEditing tool. You can get the freeware version here: [http://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd].<br /> <br /> = See Also =<br /> <br /> [[Command Prompt]]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]<br /> [[Category:TFTD]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=MAPS&diff=69978 2015-12-26T23:41:18Z

<p>TBeholder: oops.</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}This folder contains pre-designed Battlescape terrain blocks (.MAP files). These are filled in with tiles from corresponding [[MCD]] files in the [[TERRAIN]] folder, and are combined in a semi-random fashion to create each battlefield your soldiers fight in.<br /> <br /> Aside from a three byte header indicating their height, width and depth (in that order), .MAP files use the same format as [[MAP.DAT]]:<br /> <br /> Each &quot;position&quot; of the map (that is, each tile you can move your mouse cursor over) is stored in order of left to right, top to bottom, top floor to bottom floor, and is represented by four bytes (so the filesize for each map module file will be equal to the map dimensions multiplied together, further multiplied by four). Each of the four bytes maps to a separate index within the associated [[MCD|MCD array]]:<br /> <br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> * The first byte links to the tile that represents the ground (eg, grass, dirt, pavement, etc).<br /> * The second byte links to the tile that represents the west-facing wall (eg, a barn wall, brick wall, fence, etc).<br /> * The third byte links to the tile that represents the north-facing wall (eg, a barn wall, brick wall, fence, etc).<br /> * The fourth byte links to the tile that represents an abstract object (eg, a fridge, a haybale, a tree, a chair, etc).<br /> &lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:Map_Record.png|right]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> If a given offset is set to 0, then no tile of that type exists at that location (for example, not every map position has to have a wall in it). If no &quot;ground tile&quot; is set for a location at ''ground level'', the game will automatically place dirt there (from the second entry of '''BLANKS.MCD''').<br /> <br /> To combine these map modules together to create an actual battlefield, the associated MCD files must also be combined to create on single giant MCD array. Hence, the values within each MAP file need to be &quot;translated&quot; to index into this new array.<br /> <br /> The first MAP files to be merged will always be those that represent the terrain (ie, the desert/urban/forest/etc map modules). These require no index translation and can be dumped directly into the combined map array.<br /> <br /> Any further map modules to be added (eg, your dropship and perhaps the alien's craft) need to have all of their indexes ''that are already higher then 1'' increased by a number equal to the amount of MCD records attached to the previous sets of MAP files.<br /> <br /> The reason for this is that, within the separate MAP files, a value of 2 maps to the index 0 within the associated MCD set (the first tile). This is as opposed to [[MAP.DAT]], where a value of 2 maps directly to index 2 in the collated MCD array (the third tile). Values of 0 ''always'' mean &quot;no tile&quot; (except at ground level, where tile 1 of BLANKS.MCD will be used for to stop mysterious holes appearing in the bottom of the the battlescape), and tile 1 of BLANKS.MCD (burnt earth) is available for use by all tilesets.<br /> <br /> You may have noticed that the first index of the collated MCD array will be 0, but any maps indexes that point there are assumed to be &quot;unused&quot;! This &quot;inaccessible&quot; first MCD record is actually used to render the black area outside of the visible battlescape zone.<br /> <br /> &lt;b&gt;Note:&lt;/b&gt; When opening map files with MS-EDIT, open it in 4-column widths, but remember that the ground tile of the cell will be found at the last byte in the row &lt;b&gt;above&lt;/b&gt;.<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> ==Map Combination Example==<br /> To expand the above out into a full example:<br /> <br /> Say you have a terrain with 100 tiles in its [[MCD]] array, an X-COM craft with 30 tiles, and a UFO with 50. The collated MCD array will always start with the two indexes from BLANKS.MCD, and then will have all the tiles from the other relevant tilesets piled on top of those (for a total of 182 records, in this case).<br /> <br /> All map modules for your terrain would go directly into your combined map array, with their indexes completely unaltered. The highest possible tile index used thus far would be 101 (the hundred-and-''second'' record, remembering that the first index is 0).<br /> <br /> Now you'd add the map indexes for your X-COM craft, completely overwriting any terrain indexes that happen to exist in the same locations, with any non-0 values in the craft MAP file. You would add 100 to all of these new indexes that are already higher then 1, so that they index into the &quot;X-COM craft&quot; area of the collated MCD array. The highest possible tile index at this point would be 131 (the hundred-and-thirty-second record).<br /> <br /> Finally you'd add the map indexes for your alien craft, again overwriting any previously set map indexes at the same locations, with any non-0 values in the craft map file - but this time adding 130 to all alien craft indexes that are already higher then one. You'd now by up to a maximum index of 181, that being your hundred-and-eighty-second record.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Images==<br /> Below are examples of the map modules represented in the MAPS folder. Each level in the .MAP file is shown as indicated.<br /> <br /> ===X-COM Ships===<br /> ====AVENGER.MAP (Avenger)====<br /> The Xcom [[Avenger]] craft<br /> [[Image:AVENGERMAP-L1.JPG|thumb|Level 1|left]][[Image:AVENGERMAP-L2.JPG|thumb|Level 2|left]][[Image:AVENGERMAP.JPG|thumb|Level 3|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====LIGHTNIN.MAP (Lightning)====<br /> The Xcom [[Lightning]] craft<br /> [[Image:LIGHTNINMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:LIGHTNINMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:LIGHTNINMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====PLANE.MAP (Skyranger)====<br /> The Xcom starter carrier - the [[Skyranger]]<br /> [[Image:PLANEMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:PLANEMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:PLANEMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ===UFOs===<br /> ====UFO1A.MAP (Small Scout)====<br /> The [[Small Scout]] used by the aliens<br /> [[Image:UFO1AMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO1AMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO1AMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO1B.MAP (not used, slightly broken)====<br /> UFO [[UFO1B|2x2x2 tiles without any internal space]], though it has internal view and cannot be broken - even smaller than Small Scout. L0 is landing legs - the same as in UFO1A, only standing in 2x2 square. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> This map does not appear in the game, but can be used with some tweaking, at least in [[OpenXcom]].<br /> [[Image:UFO1BMAP.PNG|Level 1|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_000.MAP (not used, broken)====<br /> UFO with 1 deck, shaped as 7x7 square. Apparently, exit on South side, [[UFO Power Source]] in the center, and two chairs with consoles at the West wall. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> This map does not appear in the game and cannot be readily used (without updating to match [[MCD]]s actually present in the game).<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_010.MAP (not used, broken)====<br /> UFO with 1 deck, shaped as 17x17 square minus 2x2 at corners and 1x1 at the center of each side. Apparently, exit on South side, a few non-sealing walls, 2 [[UFO Power Source]]s near East and West walls. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> This map does not appear in the game and cannot be readily used (without updating to match [[MCD]]s actually present in the game).<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_110.MAP (Medium Scout)====<br /> The [[Medium Scout]] used by the aliens<br /> [[Image:UFO_110MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_110MAP.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_120.MAP (Large Scout)====<br /> The [[Large Scout]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_120MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_120MAP.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_130.MAP (Harvester)====<br /> The [[Harvester]] UFO mainly crewed by [[Floater|Floaters]], and sometimes [[Snakeman|Snakemen]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_130MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_140.MAP (Abductor)====<br /> The [[Abductor]]. Mostly Floaters use this UFO<br /> [[Image:UFO_140MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_140MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_140MAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_150.MAP (Terror Ship)====<br /> The alien's [[Terror ship|Terror Ship]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_150MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_150MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_150MAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_160.MAP (Battleship)====<br /> The [[Battleship]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_160MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_170.MAP (Supply Ship)====<br /> The alien's [[Supply ship|Supply Ship]]. Used to resupply bases<br /> [[Image:UFO_170MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Terrain===<br /> There are also MAP files for the [[MAPS Terrain|terrain]] in the Battlescape missions.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Terrain]]<br /> [[Category:Game Files]]<br /> [[Category:Game Folders]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=MAPS&diff=69960 2015-12-24T23:40:50Z

<p>TBeholder: </p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}This folder contains pre-designed Battlescape terrain blocks (.MAP files). These are filled in with tiles from corresponding [[MCD]] files in the [[TERRAIN]] folder, and are combined in a semi-random fashion to create each battlefield your soldiers fight in.<br /> <br /> Aside from a three byte header indicating their height, width and depth (in that order), .MAP files use the same format as [[MAP.DAT]]:<br /> <br /> Each &quot;position&quot; of the map (that is, each tile you can move your mouse cursor over) is stored in order of left to right, top to bottom, top floor to bottom floor, and is represented by four bytes (so the filesize for each map module file will be equal to the map dimensions multiplied together, further multiplied by four). Each of the four bytes maps to a separate index within the associated [[MCD|MCD array]]:<br /> <br /> &lt;table&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;<br /> * The first byte links to the tile that represents the ground (eg, grass, dirt, pavement, etc).<br /> * The second byte links to the tile that represents the west-facing wall (eg, a barn wall, brick wall, fence, etc).<br /> * The third byte links to the tile that represents the north-facing wall (eg, a barn wall, brick wall, fence, etc).<br /> * The fourth byte links to the tile that represents an abstract object (eg, a fridge, a haybale, a tree, a chair, etc).<br /> &lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;[[Image:Map_Record.png|right]]&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;<br /> <br /> If a given offset is set to 0, then no tile of that type exists at that location (for example, not every map position has to have a wall in it). If no &quot;ground tile&quot; is set for a location at ''ground level'', the game will automatically place dirt there (from the second entry of '''BLANKS.MCD''').<br /> <br /> To combine these map modules together to create an actual battlefield, the associated MCD files must also be combined to create on single giant MCD array. Hence, the values within each MAP file need to be &quot;translated&quot; to index into this new array.<br /> <br /> The first MAP files to be merged will always be those that represent the terrain (ie, the desert/urban/forest/etc map modules). These require no index translation and can be dumped directly into the combined map array.<br /> <br /> Any further map modules to be added (eg, your dropship and perhaps the alien's craft) need to have all of their indexes ''that are already higher then 1'' increased by a number equal to the amount of MCD records attached to the previous sets of MAP files.<br /> <br /> The reason for this is that, within the separate MAP files, a value of 2 maps to the index 0 within the associated MCD set (the first tile). This is as opposed to [[MAP.DAT]], where a value of 2 maps directly to index 2 in the collated MCD array (the third tile). Values of 0 ''always'' mean &quot;no tile&quot; (except at ground level, where tile 1 of BLANKS.MCD will be used for to stop mysterious holes appearing in the bottom of the the battlescape), and tile 1 of BLANKS.MCD (burnt earth) is available for use by all tilesets.<br /> <br /> You may have noticed that the first index of the collated MCD array will be 0, but any maps indexes that point there are assumed to be &quot;unused&quot;! This &quot;inaccessible&quot; first MCD record is actually used to render the black area outside of the visible battlescape zone.<br /> <br /> &lt;b&gt;Note:&lt;/b&gt; When opening map files with MS-EDIT, open it in 4-column widths, but remember that the ground tile of the cell will be found at the last byte in the row &lt;b&gt;above&lt;/b&gt;.<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> ==Map Combination Example==<br /> To expand the above out into a full example:<br /> <br /> Say you have a terrain with 100 tiles in its [[MCD]] array, an X-COM craft with 30 tiles, and a UFO with 50. The collated MCD array will always start with the two indexes from BLANKS.MCD, and then will have all the tiles from the other relevant tilesets piled on top of those (for a total of 182 records, in this case).<br /> <br /> All map modules for your terrain would go directly into your combined map array, with their indexes completely unaltered. The highest possible tile index used thus far would be 101 (the hundred-and-''second'' record, remembering that the first index is 0).<br /> <br /> Now you'd add the map indexes for your X-COM craft, completely overwriting any terrain indexes that happen to exist in the same locations, with any non-0 values in the craft MAP file. You would add 100 to all of these new indexes that are already higher then 1, so that they index into the &quot;X-COM craft&quot; area of the collated MCD array. The highest possible tile index at this point would be 131 (the hundred-and-thirty-second record).<br /> <br /> Finally you'd add the map indexes for your alien craft, again overwriting any previously set map indexes at the same locations, with any non-0 values in the craft map file - but this time adding 130 to all alien craft indexes that are already higher then one. You'd now by up to a maximum index of 181, that being your hundred-and-eighty-second record.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Images==<br /> Below are examples of the map modules represented in the MAPS folder. Each level in the .MAP file is shown as indicated.<br /> <br /> ===X-COM Ships===<br /> ====AVENGER.MAP (Avenger)====<br /> The Xcom [[Avenger]] craft<br /> [[Image:AVENGERMAP-L1.JPG|thumb|Level 1|left]][[Image:AVENGERMAP-L2.JPG|thumb|Level 2|left]][[Image:AVENGERMAP.JPG|thumb|Level 3|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====LIGHTNIN.MAP (Lightning)====<br /> The Xcom [[Lightning]] craft<br /> [[Image:LIGHTNINMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:LIGHTNINMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:LIGHTNINMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====PLANE.MAP (Skyranger)====<br /> The Xcom starter carrier - the [[Skyranger]]<br /> [[Image:PLANEMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:PLANEMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:PLANEMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ===UFOs===<br /> ====UFO1A.MAP (Small Scout)====<br /> The [[Small Scout]] used by the aliens<br /> [[Image:UFO1AMAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO1AMAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO1AMAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO1B.MAP (not used, )====<br /> UFO [[UFO1B|2x2x2 tiles without any internal space]] - even smaller than Small Scout. L0 is landing legs - the same as in UFO1A, only standing in 2x2 square. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> This map does not appear in the game, but can be used with some tweaking, at least in [[OpenXcom]].<br /> [[Image:UFO1BMAP.PNG|Level 1|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_000.MAP (unused)====<br /> UFO with 1 deck, shaped as 7x7 square. Apparently, exit on South side, [[UFO Power Source]] in the center, and two chairs with consoles at the West wall. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> This map does not appear in the game and cannot be readily used (without updating to match [[MCD]]s actually present in the game).<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_010.MAP (unused)====<br /> UFO with 1 deck, shaped as 17x17 square minus 2x2 at corners and 1x1 at the center of each side. Apparently, exit on South side, a few non-sealing walls, 2 [[UFO Power Source]]s near East and West walls. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> This map does not appear in the game and cannot be readily used (without updating to match [[MCD]]s actually present in the game).<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_110.MAP (Medium Scout)====<br /> The [[Medium Scout]] used by the aliens<br /> [[Image:UFO_110MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_110MAP.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_120.MAP (Large Scout)====<br /> The [[Large Scout]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_120MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_120MAP.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_130.MAP (Harvester)====<br /> The [[Harvester]] UFO mainly crewed by [[Floater|Floaters]], and sometimes [[Snakeman|Snakemen]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_130MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_130MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_140.MAP (Abductor)====<br /> The [[Abductor]]. Mostly Floaters use this UFO<br /> [[Image:UFO_140MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_140MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_140MAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_150.MAP (Terror Ship)====<br /> The alien's [[Terror ship|Terror Ship]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_150MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_150MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_150MAP.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]] <br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_160.MAP (Battleship)====<br /> The [[Battleship]]<br /> [[Image:UFO_160MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_160MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ====UFO_170.MAP (Supply Ship)====<br /> The alien's [[Supply ship|Supply Ship]]. Used to resupply bases<br /> [[Image:UFO_170MAP-L1.JPG|Level 1|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP-L2.JPG|Level 2|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP-L3.JPG|Level 3|thumb|left]][[Image:UFO_170MAP.JPG|Level 4|thumb|left]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br clear=&quot;all&quot;&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Terrain===<br /> There are also MAP files for the [[MAPS Terrain|terrain]] in the Battlescape missions.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Terrain]]<br /> [[Category:Game Files]]<br /> [[Category:Game Folders]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=UFO1B&diff=69959 2015-12-24T23:14:00Z

<p>TBeholder: Created page with &quot;== General Information == There&#039;s a map for UFO even smaller than the Small Scout! Only it doesn&#039;t appear in the game. No idea what its use was supposed to be, but it g...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>== General Information == <br /> <br /> There's a map for UFO even smaller than the [[Small Scout]]! Only it doesn't appear in the game.<br /> <br /> No idea what its use was supposed to be, but it goes from &quot;horribly cramped&quot; to &quot;painfully-to-look cramped&quot;. It's one thing to shoot them with incendiary munition, and another to stuff them in folding undercarriage and leave there. Ahem.<br /> <br /> == How to use ==<br /> To use the map UFO1B in OpenXCom you'll need renamed copies of [[Small Scout]] entries in &quot;ufos:&quot; and &quot;alienDeployments:&quot; sections and a custom single-tile data set. The former have to be modified like this:<br /> &lt;code&gt; battlescapeTerrainData:<br /> name: UFO1B<br /> mapDataSets:<br /> - BLANK1<br /> - UFO1<br /> - BLANKS<br /> mapBlocks:<br /> - name: UFO1B<br /> width: 2<br /> length: 2<br /> &lt;/code&gt;<br /> Tile indices have correct relative positions, but are misplaced by 1, and would be drawn incorrectly. To fix this you'll also need a single-tile data set in TERRAIN. I called it BLANK1.MCD, because it's a copy of the first half (62 bytes) of BLANKS.MCD, while BLANK1.PCK and BLANK1.TAB can be simple copies of respective BLANKS files. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> This may cause some obscure bugs, but unlikely - the host terrain already has BLANKS for both normal uses. &lt;br /&gt;<br /> If you know a way to automatically replace tile indices, that would be better, but this works. Unfortunately, it's not so easy with UFO_000 and UFO_010: they apparently use relative positions of the tiles different from release [[MCD]]s (as one can see using [[user:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]]'s numerical tileset) thus the only way to reanimate those maps is actual replacement - or remake.<br /> <br /> == Terrain Maps ==<br /> &lt;gallery&gt;<br /> Image:UFO1BMAP.PNG|Level 1<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> Landing legs are the same as in UFO1A, only stand in 2x2 square. <br /> <br /> == See Also ==<br /> {{UFO Navbar}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Terrain]]<br /> [[Category:Game Files]]<br /> [[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]</div>

TBeholder https://temp.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=File:UFO1BMAP.png&diff=69957 2015-12-24T22:30:53Z

<p>TBeholder: TBeholder moved page File:UFO1BMAP.png to File:UFO1BMAP.PNG</p> <hr /> <div>#REDIRECT [[File:UFO1BMAP.PNG]]</div>

TBeholder