User:Spike - Revision history

Spike: /* To Do List */ Armour degradation effects

2011-01-30T14:55:04Z

To Do List: Armour degradation effects

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:55, 30 January 2011
Line 591:		Line 591:
	*Confirm whether there is an Accuracy effect of Attack Mode and/or target size. I thought I saw this with Sonic Oscillator vs a Small USO in Cautious mode. I saw around 10 misses before the first hits, much lower than is predicted by 50% nominal accuracy. Maybe this effect is only for cannon type weapons?		*Confirm whether there is an Accuracy effect of Attack Mode and/or target size. I thought I saw this with Sonic Oscillator vs a Small USO in Cautious mode. I saw around 10 misses before the first hits, much lower than is predicted by 50% nominal accuracy. Maybe this effect is only for cannon type weapons?
	*Test using a single basic transport, but maintaining extra hangar/pen, containment, stores & quarters at multiple bases. This exploits the assumption that Transporting a craft is faster, and longer-range, than Triton/Skyranger speed/range. Should lead to more, and quicker, crash recovery missions. Less suitable for assault missions (vs landed undamaged craft) as those are very time-urgent and generally require a nearby craft.		*Test using a single basic transport, but maintaining extra hangar/pen, containment, stores & quarters at multiple bases. This exploits the assumption that Transporting a craft is faster, and longer-range, than Triton/Skyranger speed/range. Should lead to more, and quicker, crash recovery missions. Less suitable for assault missions (vs landed undamaged craft) as those are very time-urgent and generally require a nearby craft.
			*Revise TU to Kill calculations, including the effect of progressive armour degradation. Complicated.
	*Navigation Utility		*Navigation Utility
	**Interrogate LOC.DAT		**Interrogate LOC.DAT

Spike: /* To Do List */ Great circle nav utility

2010-11-08T22:48:15Z

To Do List: Great circle nav utility

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:48, 8 November 2010
Line 591:		Line 591:
	*Confirm whether there is an Accuracy effect of Attack Mode and/or target size. I thought I saw this with Sonic Oscillator vs a Small USO in Cautious mode. I saw around 10 misses before the first hits, much lower than is predicted by 50% nominal accuracy. Maybe this effect is only for cannon type weapons?		*Confirm whether there is an Accuracy effect of Attack Mode and/or target size. I thought I saw this with Sonic Oscillator vs a Small USO in Cautious mode. I saw around 10 misses before the first hits, much lower than is predicted by 50% nominal accuracy. Maybe this effect is only for cannon type weapons?
	*Test using a single basic transport, but maintaining extra hangar/pen, containment, stores & quarters at multiple bases. This exploits the assumption that Transporting a craft is faster, and longer-range, than Triton/Skyranger speed/range. Should lead to more, and quicker, crash recovery missions. Less suitable for assault missions (vs landed undamaged craft) as those are very time-urgent and generally require a nearby craft.		*Test using a single basic transport, but maintaining extra hangar/pen, containment, stores & quarters at multiple bases. This exploits the assumption that Transporting a craft is faster, and longer-range, than Triton/Skyranger speed/range. Should lead to more, and quicker, crash recovery missions. Less suitable for assault missions (vs landed undamaged craft) as those are very time-urgent and generally require a nearby craft.
			*Navigation Utility
			**Interrogate LOC.DAT
			**Compute Great Circle distances between all bases/craft/alien craft/etc (create table)
			**Calculate where it would be faster to transfer a craft via 1 or more bases first (for given to:from pair)
			**Insert extra waypoints into LOC.DAT to approximate the great circle route (for a given to:from pair).
			**Calculate intercept paths, taking into account target speed and heading (taken from CRAFT.DAT). Insert an intercept waypoint in LOC.DAT and/or CRAFT.DAT.
			**Plot great circle intercept paths and inject multiple waypoints to approximate the great circle.


	=== Older Stuff ===		=== Older Stuff ===

Spike: /* Week 1 */

2010-11-06T17:50:16Z

Week 1

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:50, 6 November 2010
Line 966:		Line 966:
	Luckily an Escort wandered by. I had to use a few save-and-restores to calculate the correct intercept angle for a tail chase with only a tiny speed advantage, but eventually I got the intercept - nearly at the limit of Barracuda range though. The USO was only populated by a half dozen Aquatoids, so I got some more cash and crucially my Zrbite!		Luckily an Escort wandered by. I had to use a few save-and-restores to calculate the correct intercept angle for a tail chase with only a tiny speed advantage, but eventually I got the intercept - nearly at the limit of Barracuda range though. The USO was only populated by a half dozen Aquatoids, so I got some more cash and crucially my Zrbite!

	By 5th May I had one craft armed with a Sonic Oscillator (only one is needed unless fighting a Dreadnought), and by the 6th I had both Barracuda armed with the Sonic Oscillator and a spare one in stores for use on my next Barracuda.		By 5th May I had one craft armed with a single Sonic Oscillator (only one SonO is needed unless fighting a Dreadnought), and by the 6th I had both Barracuda armed with the Sonic Oscillator and a spare one in stores for use on my next Barracuda.

	I'm still short of cash, but I'm happy. Once I get MC Disruptors, probably by the end of this week, research focus will switch back to the armour/sub path. I probably shouldn't have diverted to the MC Disruptor, as that's not my Official Plan, but I couldn't resist. Now I'm a bit worried the USOs are going to out-run and out-dive me, even though I now out-gun most of them. I'll need to resist researching any more tactical weapons - DPLs and melee weapons will have to wait.		I'm still short of cash, but I'm happy. Once I get MC Disruptors, probably by the end of this week, research focus will switch back to the armour/sub path. I probably shouldn't have diverted to the MC Disruptor, as that's not my Official Plan, but I couldn't resist. Now I'm a bit worried the USOs are going to out-run and out-dive me, even though I now out-gun most of them. I'll need to resist researching any more tactical weapons - DPLs and melee weapons will have to wait.

Spike: /* Week 2 */

2010-11-05T21:50:54Z

Week 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:50, 5 November 2010
Line 987:		Line 987:

	Oh well. Next time I will have a sub in position ahead of time. Meanwhile, I can still raid the Alien Colony. Exciting stuff!		Oh well. Next time I will have a sub in position ahead of time. Meanwhile, I can still raid the Alien Colony. Exciting stuff!

			---

			Hmm, sadly not. Skipping ahead I can see that the Supply Cruisers come in at Very Deep. My Barracudas and Tritons cannot follow to that depth. So I will not be able to milk the supply ships until I have improved submarines. Until then my only option is to milk the base itself.

Spike: /* To Do List */ 1 transport tactic

2010-11-04T07:34:34Z

To Do List: 1 transport tactic

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:34, 4 November 2010
Line 585:		Line 585:

	==To Do List==		==To Do List==
			*Continue TFTD game in TFTD Blog
	*Craft Weapon and Infantry Weapon rebalancing analysis for TFTD.		*Craft Weapon and Infantry Weapon rebalancing analysis for TFTD.

	*[[Enemy_Unknown_Extended\|"Standard XCom"]] definitions		*[[Enemy_Unknown_Extended\|"Standard XCom"]] definitions
	*Continue TFTD game in TFTD Blog
	*[[Air_Combat_Mechanics#Effect_of_Attack_Mode_on_UFO_RoF]]		*[[Air_Combat_Mechanics#Effect_of_Attack_Mode_on_UFO_RoF]]
	*Confirm whether there is an Accuracy effect of Attack Mode and/or target size. I thought I saw this with Sonic Oscillator vs a Small USO in Cautious mode. I saw around 10 misses before the first hits, much lower than is predicted by 50% nominal accuracy. Maybe this effect is only for cannon type weapons?		*Confirm whether there is an Accuracy effect of Attack Mode and/or target size. I thought I saw this with Sonic Oscillator vs a Small USO in Cautious mode. I saw around 10 misses before the first hits, much lower than is predicted by 50% nominal accuracy. Maybe this effect is only for cannon type weapons?
			*Test using a single basic transport, but maintaining extra hangar/pen, containment, stores & quarters at multiple bases. This exploits the assumption that Transporting a craft is faster, and longer-range, than Triton/Skyranger speed/range. Should lead to more, and quicker, crash recovery missions. Less suitable for assault missions (vs landed undamaged craft) as those are very time-urgent and generally require a nearby craft.

	=== Older Stuff ===		=== Older Stuff ===

Spike: /* To Do List */ look for accuracy effects

2010-11-04T01:02:01Z

To Do List: look for accuracy effects

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:02, 4 November 2010
Line 590:		Line 590:
	*Continue TFTD game in TFTD Blog		*Continue TFTD game in TFTD Blog
	*[[Air_Combat_Mechanics#Effect_of_Attack_Mode_on_UFO_RoF]]		*[[Air_Combat_Mechanics#Effect_of_Attack_Mode_on_UFO_RoF]]
			*Confirm whether there is an Accuracy effect of Attack Mode and/or target size. I thought I saw this with Sonic Oscillator vs a Small USO in Cautious mode. I saw around 10 misses before the first hits, much lower than is predicted by 50% nominal accuracy. Maybe this effect is only for cannon type weapons?

	=== Older Stuff ===		=== Older Stuff ===

Spike: /* May */ Week 2

2010-11-03T23:09:29Z

May: Week 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:09, 3 November 2010
Line 970:		Line 970:

	I have 50 Technicians now, so if they have nothing to do, producing Particle Disturbance Sensors creates a cash flow of about $63K/day. Of course the 50 Techs cost me about $41K+/day, so in actual profit it's only about $20K/day, $600K/month. Still, it's useful even just as a subsidy on the cost of having Technicians around to occasionally build things (like the Sonic Oscillators and hopefully soon the MC Disruptors).		I have 50 Technicians now, so if they have nothing to do, producing Particle Disturbance Sensors creates a cash flow of about $63K/day. Of course the 50 Techs cost me about $41K+/day, so in actual profit it's only about $20K/day, $600K/month. Still, it's useful even just as a subsidy on the cost of having Technicians around to occasionally build things (like the Sonic Oscillators and hopefully soon the MC Disruptors).

			=== Week 2 ===

			To round out week 1, just the destruction of a VSmall USO. It's just not worth maintaining a whole sub on standby with Ajax or Ajax + Gas Cannon to be able to assault a damaged VSmall USO and get an MC reader. I guess if you get two VSmall missions a month it's worth it, barely. But only if they happen in range of where your weakly-armed Sub happens to be based. And if you have more weak Subs on standby, you need correspondingly more VSmall missions to make it cost effective. If only the rearming cycle for light weapons was quicker.

			MC Disruptor research completed on the 8th. Now I need to build some. I only have 3 strong MC guys identified which is just as well since I only have enough Zrbite to build 3 MC Disruptors. As I'm short of cash, I have to sell my IBA and Mag Navigations to fund the construction. Well it will be a long time before I'm building subs...

			Yes, Research now switches to the armour-sub sequence, starting right at the beginning with a Deep One Corpse that's been on ice for who knows how long. I was tempted to dally into the DPL-PWT sequence to get something more profitable for my Techs to build, as well as that unbeatable DPL firepower on the battlefield. But I'm trying to stick to my principles. All the money and DPLs in the world is useless if the USOs always out-run or out-dive my subs.

			By the end of week 2 I'm working on Aqua Armour. The week is quiet, but on the last day I get a good detection - Aquatoid Fleet Supply Cruiser on a Colony Support mission in South Atlantic / Antarctica. A colony in the South Atlantic! I immediately transfer the whole contents of my Caribbean intercept base - Barracuda, 10 guys, craft and personal weapons - to my (empty) South Atlantic base. This is so I will be able to milk the supply runs more easily. I need to sell my (currently unusable) stock of DPLs and ammo to fund the replacement interceptor - not quite sure where to put that. Also I start work on a new hangar from my South Atlantic base so I can base an assault team there as well.

			I get lucky and the supply cruiser touches down. I park the chasing Barracuda across its previous path, in case it starts to move, and bring in the nearest Triton. Luckily this is my experienced strike team that now includes 3 MC Disruptors. Quite soon the Barracuda detects the alien Colony as well as the supply ship.

			Unfortunately before my Triton arrives (from the Med), the Supply Cruiser takes off again. Despite being in ideal position, my Barracuda cannot intercept it. This despite the Cruiser being only at Shallow depth. I try a head on engagement, I try heading off along the Cruiser's course and letting it overrun me, and I try sitting right on top of it. Multiple times - no good. The 3400 vs 2400 speed advantage is just to great. Even when I see the pixels of both icons pass right through each other, I never get a sub to USO engagement. I guess the intercept is just not possible without superior (current) speed?

			Oh well. Next time I will have a sub in position ahead of time. Meanwhile, I can still raid the Alien Colony. Exciting stuff!

Spike: /* April and May */

2010-10-31T00:14:16Z

April and May

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:14, 31 October 2010
Line 948:		Line 948:

	I might go back and replay the Large USO detection, to see if I can manage to get a strike team to its "predicted" touchdown site, if I launch the Triton toward the touchdown site immediately on detecting the USO - using a little "precognition". After all I do have my top guys working in the M.C. Labs. So it's only cheating a little bit.		I might go back and replay the Large USO detection, to see if I can manage to get a strike team to its "predicted" touchdown site, if I launch the Triton toward the touchdown site immediately on detecting the USO - using a little "precognition". After all I do have my top guys working in the M.C. Labs. So it's only cheating a little bit.

			=== Week 4 ===

			April played out with no missions and almost no activity anywhere on the graphs, just a minor blip in South Atlantic. I guess the aliens had other things on their minds. I completed MC Reader research, mainly to do some tests on what you can target with an MC Reader (Civilians, but not Aquanauts, even mind controlled ones).

			== May ==

			The base costs of my large number of bases balanced out my income, so no cash injection at the start of the month. And I stupidly forgot to dismantle sonars at the bases that have a Transmission Resolver. Doh!

			May kicked off with a Shipping Lane mission, this time a cargo ship. Tasoths and Bio Drones were fairly easy to handle now that my guys are packing Sonics, and I have the first month's results from MC Labs. I took lethal weapons away from my weakest Aquanauts.

			The cargo ship mission gave me money, and a Live Tasoth to study, courtesy of one of the many Thermal Shok Launchers my strike team is now packing. The Lab made quick work of him, unlocking MC Disruptor. However, I'm still out of Zrbite, so I can't build any Sonic Oscillators.

			=== Week 1 ===

			Luckily an Escort wandered by. I had to use a few save-and-restores to calculate the correct intercept angle for a tail chase with only a tiny speed advantage, but eventually I got the intercept - nearly at the limit of Barracuda range though. The USO was only populated by a half dozen Aquatoids, so I got some more cash and crucially my Zrbite!

			By 5th May I had one craft armed with a Sonic Oscillator (only one is needed unless fighting a Dreadnought), and by the 6th I had both Barracuda armed with the Sonic Oscillator and a spare one in stores for use on my next Barracuda.

			I'm still short of cash, but I'm happy. Once I get MC Disruptors, probably by the end of this week, research focus will switch back to the armour/sub path. I probably shouldn't have diverted to the MC Disruptor, as that's not my Official Plan, but I couldn't resist. Now I'm a bit worried the USOs are going to out-run and out-dive me, even though I now out-gun most of them. I'll need to resist researching any more tactical weapons - DPLs and melee weapons will have to wait.

			I have 50 Technicians now, so if they have nothing to do, producing Particle Disturbance Sensors creates a cash flow of about $63K/day. Of course the 50 Techs cost me about $41K+/day, so in actual profit it's only about $20K/day, $600K/month. Still, it's useful even just as a subsidy on the cost of having Technicians around to occasionally build things (like the Sonic Oscillators and hopefully soon the MC Disruptors).

Spike: /* April */ Weeks 1-3

2010-10-11T08:59:18Z

April: Weeks 1-3

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:59, 11 October 2010
Line 936:		Line 936:

	Anyway, I went back, I made an effort with the Shipping Lane mission. Didn't do too badly. It turns out that massed GC-HE fire was useful against Bio-Drones and even for taking out Lobstermen that had been weakened by 1 or 2 Sonic Pulsers. In the end my unarmoured Aquanauts - armed only with Sonic Pulsers, some Thermal Tazers, and GC-HE - took down 3 Bio-Drones and 3 Lobsterman before we ran out of Pulsers and had to retreat to the boat. We lost 4 of our own, mostly rookies. All the civilians died, but we brought a Bio-Drone and a Lobsterman corpse back for analysis, plus enough loot to break even. Not bad, considering the weakness of our weapons. With hindsight, and a maximum load of Sonic Pulsers, and still with some GC-HE and Tazers, we could've done better. For half of the mission most were carrying Gauss Pistols which should've just been left in the boat, with everyone carrying either GC-HE or Tazer & Pulsers. The Particle Disturbance Sensors proved quite valuable in the closed corridors. One big disadvantage of Pulsers is you can only throw them about 7-8 squares in the corridors. Marksmen with GC-HE helped there, but that was were we started losing people and had to pull back.		Anyway, I went back, I made an effort with the Shipping Lane mission. Didn't do too badly. It turns out that massed GC-HE fire was useful against Bio-Drones and even for taking out Lobstermen that had been weakened by 1 or 2 Sonic Pulsers. In the end my unarmoured Aquanauts - armed only with Sonic Pulsers, some Thermal Tazers, and GC-HE - took down 3 Bio-Drones and 3 Lobsterman before we ran out of Pulsers and had to retreat to the boat. We lost 4 of our own, mostly rookies. All the civilians died, but we brought a Bio-Drone and a Lobsterman corpse back for analysis, plus enough loot to break even. Not bad, considering the weakness of our weapons. With hindsight, and a maximum load of Sonic Pulsers, and still with some GC-HE and Tazers, we could've done better. For half of the mission most were carrying Gauss Pistols which should've just been left in the boat, with everyone carrying either GC-HE or Tazer & Pulsers. The Particle Disturbance Sensors proved quite valuable in the closed corridors. One big disadvantage of Pulsers is you can only throw them about 7-8 squares in the corridors. Marksmen with GC-HE helped there, but that was were we started losing people and had to pull back.

			---

			For future reference, GC-AP is probably slightly better against Bio-Drones than GC-HE. The median damage on a direct hit (assuming front armour for the GC-AP) is about the same, but the GC-AP has a higher maximum, so giving a higher average. GC-HE will score some extra damage via HE splash, but of course is more difficult to handle in terms of loot damage and friendly fire (especially for lightly/unarmoured Aquanauts).

			=== Weeks 1-3 ===

			After the April 1 Shipping Lane terror mission I completed the start-of-month activities. Increased to 90 Scientists and added a second Triton / strike team, in the South China Sea. The results can be very bad if you can't respond to a Terror Mission in time because your only Triton is refitting after a mission. Quickly finished the last Sonic clip, making all Battlescape Sonic weapons available and enabling Sonic Oscillator. Then Thermal Shok Launcher, then on to Sonic Oscillator. Money became scarce. Missions were few and far between. In fact the only traffic was a Large, fast moving USO that I couldn't catch (and couldn't reach in time when it landed in the South Atlantic), and a slow moving Survey Ship I destroyed over the North Sea. Perhaps if I had taken the advice to have a lightly armed Barracuda on standby - but the problem is, that would require a whole extra Barracuda, in ''each'' intercept base - too expensive by far. So this 'mission drought' left me not only short of money but short of Zrbite, particularly annoying as Sonic Oscillator technology is about to come online, but you can't build them withouth Zrbite (15 each). Selling my earlier supplies of Zrbite to expand bases now looks very optimistic, if not foolish. You should always plan for mission droughts, they happen regularly.

			22nd April, still no missions, and Sonic Oscillator research is complete. I'm living hand to mouth selling Particle Disturbance Sensors, no money and no Zrbite.

			I might go back and replay the Large USO detection, to see if I can manage to get a strike team to its "predicted" touchdown site, if I launch the Triton toward the touchdown site immediately on detecting the USO - using a little "precognition". After all I do have my top guys working in the M.C. Labs. So it's only cheating a little bit.

Spike: /* April */ Attempting the Shipping Lane mission

2010-10-10T21:51:45Z

April: Attempting the Shipping Lane mission

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:51, 10 October 2010
Line 928:		Line 928:

	Would it have helped if I was bristling with usable Sonic Cannon? I could easily have been, if I'd done things only slightly differently. Maybe it would've given me enough of a fighting chance to... get out there and get massacred!		Would it have helped if I was bristling with usable Sonic Cannon? I could easily have been, if I'd done things only slightly differently. Maybe it would've given me enough of a fighting chance to... get out there and get massacred!

			---

			See, the thing is, I don't really want my guys using Sonic weapons. It's not just the guns that are expensive, it's the operating costs - the ammo. But I might have to give in, or I will have a mutiny on my hands.

			---

			Anyway, I went back, I made an effort with the Shipping Lane mission. Didn't do too badly. It turns out that massed GC-HE fire was useful against Bio-Drones and even for taking out Lobstermen that had been weakened by 1 or 2 Sonic Pulsers. In the end my unarmoured Aquanauts - armed only with Sonic Pulsers, some Thermal Tazers, and GC-HE - took down 3 Bio-Drones and 3 Lobsterman before we ran out of Pulsers and had to retreat to the boat. We lost 4 of our own, mostly rookies. All the civilians died, but we brought a Bio-Drone and a Lobsterman corpse back for analysis, plus enough loot to break even. Not bad, considering the weakness of our weapons. With hindsight, and a maximum load of Sonic Pulsers, and still with some GC-HE and Tazers, we could've done better. For half of the mission most were carrying Gauss Pistols which should've just been left in the boat, with everyone carrying either GC-HE or Tazer & Pulsers. The Particle Disturbance Sensors proved quite valuable in the closed corridors. One big disadvantage of Pulsers is you can only throw them about 7-8 squares in the corridors. Marksmen with GC-HE helped there, but that was were we started losing people and had to pull back.