UFOpaedia - User contributions [en]

File:SuperMen.zip

2011-06-28T15:58:10Z

Zarn:

This is a straight forward soldiers stats maximizer cheat for XCOM1. Unlike other stats editors, it does not screw up the Throw Range and Energy stats.
It works with both the old DOS version and the windows version.
Installation: Unzip to the xcom directory.
Usage:
to max out all stats on all save files enter at the command prompt '''SUPERMEN A'''
to max out a single save enter at the command prompt '''SUPERMEN [save file number from 1 to 10]'''

2009-10-10T16:55:51Z

Zarn: /* Overcrowding spawn points */

==Spawn points==
This article is '''under construction''' and the data included is '''not complete'''.

At the very beginning of a battle, [[Alien Life Forms|alien units]] are not scattered randomly throughout the [[Battlescape|map]]. Most aliens are positioned at one of a well defined '''spawn points'''. The easiest example is [[Base Defense|base defense]] missions, because you can locate the spawn points fairly easily, and use that knowledge to your advantage:

[[Image:Hanger spawn spots.gif]]

As you can see all the aliens appear either on the red-marked line, or in one of the small enclosures. A blind shot of [[Blaster Launcher|blaster bomb]] that goes along the the red line goes through a lot of spawn points and is likely to hit an alien.

In addition to the hanger spawn points, there are at least 6 more in the elevator shaft.

==Terror missions spawn points==
During the 1st turn of a [[Terror Mission|terror mission]] knowledge of spawn points will probably earn you some cheap kills, while keeping [[Civilian|civilians]] safe. In most cases (see "overcrowded spawn points" below) all aliens spawn outside buildings, and all civilians inside buildings. That means that blind shots to spawn points, high explosives included, are very likely to take down aliens. Be careful with HE: after the 1st explosion there is no wall left to protect the civilians.

The most obvious candidates for blind shots are the gardens. No civilians around in the 1st turn, and only 3 spawn points to memorize: 2 for large gardens (refer to picture below) and one for a little garden - its exact center.

[[Image:Terror - big garden spawn points.gif]]

The next obvious candidate is the spot between the pumps at the gas station. This is a double win: This spot usually holds a terrorist, so eradicating a tough sectopod or annoying cyberdisk is a nice gain, and then the chain reaction of gas pumps will save civilians from this at the following turns.

[[Image:Gasssp.gif]]

The other spawn points for terror missions are pictured here. "R" marks a rare spawn point.

[[Image:Bigstbsp.gif]]
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[[Image:Bisgstoragesp.gif]]
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[[Image:Smallhsp.jpg]] [[Image:Ssbsp.gif]]
----
[[Image:Sstoresp.gif]] [[Image:Sstrgsp.gif]]

Note that aliens '''never''' spawn on the road or in non built yards.

==Overcrowding spawn points==
If the game engine managed to quench the usual spawn points, it starts using the rare spawn points. How rare? That depends much on your game difficulty setting. The higher the difficulty, the more aliens the game engine has to place around. Most of the rare spawn points are not yet known, but it may be that the game engine uses spawn points designed for civilians, as some of the "rare" spawn points are clearly identical to very frequent civilians initial placement.

One of the worst case scenarios for terror missions is when Snakemen attack and the spawn points are overcrowded. Chryssalids may spawn in all the three stories of the 3-storied building with no obvious pattern. It takes tons of luck to prevent them from turning all the poor occupants, and clearing this wasp nest is bloody hard. It's probably better to demolish the entire building if you managed to get there too late - in the 3rd turn or afterwords.

[[Image:Chryssalids inside, oops.png]]

==Alien Base spawn points==
Note: The big garden 1st level and the Command Center 1st level spawn points are not included yet. Beside that, this section is complete, i.e. there are no spawn points in any alien base component not included below.
[[Image:Absp-bg2.jpg]]
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[[Image:Absp-bsr1.jpg]] [[Image:Absp-bsr2.jpg]]
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[[Image:Absp-cc2.jpg]]
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[[Image:Absp-msr2.jpg]] [[Image:Absp-zm2.jpg]]
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[[Image:Absp-ssr2.jpg]]
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File:Chryssalids inside, oops.png

Zarn: /* Terrain types */

Unless you're planning to be a dirty bastard and use the UFO Redux exploit, why not finish the mission and get mondo points? [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] 08:52, 8 September 2009 (EDT)
:I '''hate''' casualties. It's rare I manage to take the 2nd floor without any.
:I don't know the exploit you mentioned. Sauce plox kthx. [[User:Zarn|Zarn]] 09:03, 8 September 2009 (EDT)

::Can't remember the redux exploit off hand, but I think it means shooting down the UFO once it takes off so that you can attack it again. Anyhow, it's a bit late so I cannot offer any of the points I'd like to make, but the one thing I want to say is: plug the lifts. That way you can control the upper levels at your own pace. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 09:16, 8 September 2009 (EDT)

Lay off the chanspeak please.

It's in [[ExploitsA]].

NKF: Indeed. Plugging the lifts and then double-breaching the second floor works wonders. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] 09:20, 8 September 2009 (EDT)

:It hurts to admit after some 19 years of playing xcom that I never found out that aliens never shoot straight up.
:So - I never thought of plugging the elevators. Either I fought a bloody battle, or I pirated - which is certainly piece of cake comparing to battling your way through the 2nd floor. [[User:Zarn|Zarn]] 13:25, 8 September 2009 (EDT)

Well, plugging the elevators is usually a precursor to sweeping the 2nd floor. It's fairly easy if you remember to look around through every corridor, and if you do it with 8+ soldiers breaching both lifts simultaneously.

It's the 3rd floor that annoys me tbh. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] 21:58, 8 September 2009 (EDT)

: Many ways to tackle the upper floors. What I generally do is wait for a while and hope that some aliens decide to head for the lift. They can't shoot down from their positions, but your plugs can certainly shoot up. That takes care of a few of the ambling hazards you might encounter. You can use this opportunity to have the others scout the map for any stragglers outside the UFO. Wait a sufficient number of turns before venturing upstairs. 20 ~ 40 or more turns are good.

: The easiest (and least sportsman-like) means of clearing out the 2nd and 3rd level is to just use area effect weapons. Go underneath the suspected area where you think there may be aliens, fire a few rockets or stun bombs into the ceiling. Voila. Since you're probably going to be doing the supply ships regularly, this is the quickest way to settle this debate.

: Otherwise, there's always breaching through to the upper levels. Either with a blaster bomb from the exterior, or go inside and use a combination of heavy plasmas and flying suits to make your own access points in the UFO.

: The third level is probably the most hazardous location to attack, but using area effect weapons around corners (particularly near the bends leading towards the bridge) can deal with any potential surprises. A Heavy Plasma is valuable for making a rear entrance into the bridge, which is much safer than trying the front door. I generally do this just to toss a high explosive in. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 01:30, 9 September 2009 (EDT)
:: The upper floor presented no big troubles after I knew mt way around, mainly because in most missions the upper level aliens are very predictable: One goes down to check what is this suspicious noise. Two or three hand in from and in the bridge. Usually they don't wander around. I leave proximity grenade one tile away from the entrance of the other route and bomb with rockets/grenades the west wall.
::Rarely they did something surprising - like an ambush righ behind the elevator door. But usually this was easy.
::In the 2nd gloor they have several zillions places to hide. Damn.
::btw, do people here hate chanspeak? Shame, I really like it for the punchline. [[User:Zarn|Zarn]] 06:48, 9 September 2009 (EDT)

:::Ah, the second level. Definitely more room for ambush but another good place where a bit of patience works wonders. The second level occupants do eventually wander towards the lifts if given time. It's also a good opportunity to station someone in the engine room with a motion scanner and put it to work.

:::Apart from a reference to it in the Lucky Star anime I saw recently, I'm not sure what chanspeak is but if it's anything like txt language used in instant messaging, then yet its use would be discouraged (regardless of our personal opinions). Either way, I'd rather not see everyone getting upset over a trivial matter. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 09:24, 9 September 2009 (EDT)
:::: Don't worry. It's just a quirk. If you wish to know chanspeak get yourself in the murky waters of the various chans. [http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Category:4chan this] is probably a good place to start. Don't blame me if it goes wrong.. listen to the bunny [image:http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/d/d8/4chanbunny.jpg] [[User:Zarn|Zarn]] 16:11, 9 September 2009 (EDT)

Dude, we don't really care about the chans. All I'm asking is that you converse in normal English instead of using stupid spelling errors on purpose. It achieves nothing to do so.

And seriously, the 2nd floor isn't a problem, even on superhuman. Just remember to look around a lot.

And would you PLEASE stop giving suggestions to "flatten the battlefield" when this is absolutely unnecessary and isn't really relevant to the article at all? [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] 21:29, 9 September 2009 (EDT)

: Main reason to flatten the battlefield is to make it easier to clear the map so that you can concentrate on the UFO - it's easy to employ the sniper/scout strategy on them. Alas, the alien base is going to be the one that dictates the terrain you end up fighting in - not counting the ones you shoot down.

: It's not necessarily a bad thing as you do start getting really good at terrain with enough repetition! -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 01:34, 10 September 2009 (EDT)

== Terrain types ==

There is only one type of desert in the game files so it doesn't really matter what it looks like on the globe. You'll always get the same random selection of desert modules in a map. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 00:11, 10 September 2009 (EDT)
:I really have to test this. I noticed 2 very different desert types - nearly flat and another with parallel ravines. There are no in-betweens. I '''think''' I checked and found out that it's the light colored desert and dark colored desert. I'll report back. [[User:Zarn|Zarn]] 09:16, 10 September 2009 (EDT)

2009-09-09T10:48:53Z

Zarn:

Talk:Spawn Points

2009-09-08T21:28:13Z

Zarn:

Talk:Supply Ship Smash and Grab

2009-09-08T17:25:06Z

Zarn:

2009-09-08T12:18:27Z

Zarn: /* Terrain considerations */