FlyingHigh10000000

In response to post #8294805. #8295774 is also a reply to the same post. Rejoice, for if you have an issue, it seems you can now block such mods, assuming they're tagged properly. Tagging, it seems, is up to the mod authors and community, so...perhaps avoid referring to someone's work, however you may dislike it, as "annoying," and instead be courteous, and politely request that they tag it as such that users that wish to avoid dongage on the front page can do so. Remember, this is a community, and if you're not working with your fellow members, you probably won't have much fun. ^^

Wow, this is some amazing work, Amineri. Every time I see something new that you've come up with, it's more amazing than the last one.

Yeah, I've been doing some searching today. Every lead I find leads to the same answer, it seems: Without a developer version of UDK for the game in question, the least mind-numbingly painful way to work around the issue would be to somehow trick the game into drawing from a new UPK, because there's no way to just pack a file into a UPK, over one that's already there.

Been away from the X-COM modding scene for a bit, but now I've returned, with a new goal. I'm trying to replace the current interception music with the one from the PS1 port of the original X-COM. This is what I've accomplished so far: 1 - Used UPK Unpacker to unpack "HQSound_InterceptionMusic_SF.upk" 2 - Used a different tool, oggextract, to extract all sound files in "HQSound_InterceptionMusic_SF.upk". There's only one, and it's a 00:25 .ogg of the interception theme. 3 - Took my 4:00+ copy of the PS1 track, in WAV form, and used Audacity to trim it down to 00:25, exporting it as a .ogg, making sure that it has the exact same tags as the original file.(There was a tag in the original .ogg, "ENCODER - UnrealEngine3") So, now I have an unpacked UPK, and a sound file that I'd like to try and replace the original with. I haven't been able to really find anything on the subject, so I'm asking here: How might I go about actually replacing the file in the UPK? I figure that however it goes down, I'll have to use XSHAPE after, so the game doesn't freak out when it sees that its sound file is different. Not sure if the size of the file, which is 455 kb, compared to the original's 311, will cause any problems, either.

The AI does that on Classic; it's not a Warspace Extension thing. It's actually good strategy on their part, because in a majority of the missions, you're technically the aggressor, so the aliens are being defensive. On Terror Missions, you'll probably see that the AI is a lot more aggressive, as they'll be hunting down the civilians as you try to save them.

Try mentioning it here: http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/117-feedback-suggestions-and-questions/ Or PM a moderator. They'll get you in touch with someone that can explain/help resolve the problem.

BOSS sorts your mod load order. If you...don't know what that is, well, you really ought to start looking into it. It sounds like you're running a lot of mods, with no clue as to how most of them even work. Start by looking up BOSS, then load orders and the effect that changing them has on a game. Then look into what every single mod you have changes, and start getting rid of any that you don't absolutely need. Definitely sounds like two or more mods are conflicting, because they change the same thing.

I'm currently using Perk-Up along with Community Uncapper, to give Skyrim that bit of longevity that comes with not having a level cap, and always having something new to learn. I'm running a Berserk-style swordsman, and I'd love to have the option, maybe as an optional perk or short-term power even, to dual-wield weapons that normally require two hands. Not realistic in the slightest, but neither are dragons, or being able to craft sets of armor without any time passing. That said, I'd love to get something like that going on my own, but I have no idea how to go about it. I know Tytanis has/had dual-wielding for two-handed weapons as the final perk in its tree, but considering that I'm using nearly 200 different mods, including the aforementioned perk overhaul, armor additions, weapon additions, etc, it would be a bit much to toss all of those aside for one feature that might be easier to put in than I'm thinking. Any ideas?

Pretty sure it's impossible, until we get a save editor. Sorry, man.

You can also edit your hosts file to block Firaxis's server check, so you don't have to have Steam in offline mode.

People have been working on adding more soldiers, and with the developer console enabled, it's been done, though the interface is veeeery buggy, and you have to use console commands to move your soldiers at the start of the mission.

I have no idea if this will work, but go to XCom-Enemy-Unknown\XComGame\Config Find DefaultContent.ini and these lines: VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier1,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice1.MaleVoice1") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier2,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice2.MaleVoice2") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier3,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice3.MaleVoice3") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier4,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice4.MaleVoice4") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier5,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice5.MaleVoice5") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier6,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice6.MaleVoice6") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier7,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice7.MaleVoice7") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier8,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice8.MaleVoice8") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier9,ArchetypeName="Voice_MaleVoice9.MaleVoice9") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_FemaleSoldier1,ArchetypeName="Voice_FemaleVoice1.FemaleVoice1") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_FemaleSoldier2,ArchetypeName="Voice_FemaleVoice2.FemaleVoice2") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_FemaleSoldier3,ArchetypeName="Voice_FemaleVoice3.FemaleVoice3") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_FemaleSoldier4,ArchetypeName="Voice_FemaleVoice4.FemaleVoice4") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_FemaleSoldier5,ArchetypeName="Voice_FemaleVoice5.FemaleVoice5") VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_FemaleSoldier6,ArchetypeName="Voice_FemaleVoice6.FemaleVoice6") Try adding this right after the last MaleSoldier one, leaving the space between the male and female sets, of course: VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier10,ArchetypeName="Voice_ZhangVoice1.ZhangVoice1") Why it may work: There's a line in XComContent.ini in D:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\XCom-Enemy-Unknown\XComGame\DLC\PCConsole\DLC_Day060\Config +VoicePackageInfo=(VoiceType=eCharVoice_MaleSoldier1_Brash,ArchetypeName="Voice_ZhangVoice1.ZhangVoice1") that points to Zhang's voice being "added" to the database of soldier voices. I'm really not sure if this will add Zhang's voice as a 10th soldier voice, but if it works, or needs just a bit more tweaking to work, this could be the first step to adding new voices.

Not sure if they do it on Normal and below. They definitely suppress sometimes on Classic and Impossible. Aliens seem to prefer taking a shot to suppressing, most of the time, though. As for the iSuppression value, last I heard, that was thought to be how much it lowers the soldier's aim by when they're suppressed by that weapon, so 100 might be a bit overboard. :P

Agh, sorry, I didn't look into it yet. Got sidetracked with applying mods to Skyrim. Kind of burned myself out on XCOM while working on my rebalance mod. x_x

The mechanic I really hate is how overwatch is never triggered if someone ends their move on a square flanking from behind cover, usually around a corner. When that happens, and when I do it to the enemy, it feels really, really cheap, because you'd think a soldier/alien would notice someone suddenly peeking around a corner to take a shot at them. I've lost so many soldiers to it, and there's really no way to avoid it, because if you set an overwatch trap, the enemy will do the corner-flank, and if you try to catch them unprepared, they just use their turn to overwatch from somewhere else. The maps and alien spawns seem designed specifically to give them plenty of chances to abuse that, too. What's worse is that if the alien/soldier were peeking around the corner, and moved /away/ to hide somewhere else, even if the move had them out of sight right away, overwatch triggers, so it completely goes against its own rules, seemingly for the benefit of aliens that like to overwatch when surrounded.

It might be that the Grapple ability is coded to only work with the armor types it originally comes with. I can try to look in the upk files for that, but I give no guarantees, as this is my first time looking into it.

So, I'm going to try the following speed changes: Small Scout - Battleship Large Scout - Supply Barge Abductor - Abductor Supply Barge - Supply Barge Battleship - Battleship Overseer - Overseer This way, ships are much faster, but at the same time, hopefully still able to be shot down sometimes. To balance it out, I'm also lowering the cost of the satellite consumables, that way the player isn't just watching everything speed out of view.

I'd also love to see this. As for abductions, if you look in this thread, Drakous79 has found a way to enable abduction missions on satellite-covered countries. http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/849122-storms-over-former-xcom-members-controlling-abductions/

Why in the world would Firaxis put the speeds in reverse order? Isn't that just making it more complicated without reason, for a programmer? o_O

In regards to a busy Geoscape, I present the following screenshot, as a culmination of the work everyone's put into finding this stuff, testing it, etc. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=112641212 It was glorious. I'd had Gangplank(the third Slingshot mission) sitting there all alone as a request from the Council. A terror attack started, and I couldn't go to it because I didn't have enough troops that weren't injured. Then a UFO went and landed right next to my base. Stuff like this just makes it all worth the trouble.

Ah, that. I kind of wish I could turn off the fact that the camera pans with the mouse. The original had that, and it didn't even need it, but this one does need it, since I've missed important rockets/grenade tosses simply because the camera shifted a bit right as I hit space or clicked, because of the way the camera pans, especially when you're aiming at the edge of your view range.

I do believe XCOM Toolboks has exactly what you're looking for. There's a small bug with disabling the autozoom, but that's addressed in the readme, and it's really not a big deal. http://xcom.nexusmods.com/mods/79/

The following changes are what I feel would be ideal for balancing UFOs. 1 - DO NOT show the scouts that precede abductors, terror ships, etc, but DO show the actual abductors and Battleships as they conduct their missions. One thing I have noticed is that in March and April, Abductors and Battleships don't seem to actually conduct the missions, but rather, Large Scouts do, likely because at that point the player has probably just barely outfitted their fleet with Phoenix Cannons, which simply aren't strong enough to take down anything bigger than a Large Scout. Not sure how possible this is, as it seems like the command to show UFOs on missions is an all-or-nothing deal. Maybe there's a setting to toggle their visibility in XComStrategyGame? 2 - Make Small Scouts escape much faster, to compensate for the fact that two Avalanche missiles will take them down. Default game behavior is way too lenient on the player, and it's nothing like the original, where Very Small UFOs would blink out the moment they saw you, most of the time. The player simple shouldn't be allowed to take down UFOs so easily. Should be pretty simple if we can figure out what the values for each ship mean. 3 - Make Large Scouts escape a little bit faster. Maybe a couple of seconds, at most, because as it is, Large Scouts require two interceptors to take down, usually, because they either get away or nearly shoot down the normal jets. Same as above, in regards to difficulty in getting it working. Battleships, Abductors, Supply Barges, and Overseers seem pretty balanced. the Scouts are the ones that need work, at least with the changes we're working with here. I highly recommend balancing mods to use Impossible, because the number of aliens, and the lack of player-assistance by the game mechanics(On Easy and Normal the AI cheats for you, as people have found out.) feels as close to the original game as I've seen so far. The alien numbers really come into play in Abduction missions, and with the way the patrol system works, if you mess up, you can get surrounded, and fast, making an abort not only smart, but necessary at times, to keep your squad alive for another mission. That, at least to me, is the true spirit of XCOM.

The steps you need to take to make sure you don't get the infinite installation loop: 1: Verify game cache with Steam. 2: Run the game once, without modifying /anything/. Ensure that the "Finalizing installation" message or whatever shows up, and let the game get to the main menu before exiting. 3: Modify your hosts file with the following: # Prevent XCOM Phone Home 127.0.0.1 prod.xcom.firaxis.com 127.0.0.1 65.118.245.165 4: Apply whatever modifications you want, with Modpatcher, Toolboks, etc, or hex edits if you're into advanced modding. Use XSHAPE to fix the upk hashes if you've done hex editing or used Toolboks(more information on that in that mod's readme, it explains decompressing upks for modding and so on, too. Really helpful stuff.) 5: Run the game, and you should be fine.

I think you'd replace it with 0A, which is 10 in hex (base 16). "10" would get you 16 abductions a month. Haha, well that would certainly be a surprise, and not a good one at that. Time for me to look up a conversion chart. Edit: You were right. Looking further at the original post, 0A is mentioned, as Drakous used that in the edit he made to have ten missions. Hopefully the way I did it works, too. If not, back to the drawing board, I suppose. :P