Tycus

I think you just misunderstood, what kind of mod Beaglerush had. What he used is simple default name replacement list (with names of ShacTac squad in it), but it is nothing too special. As for you proposal better ask Amineri, as she have done something like that (ie custom rookie template for Long War), but probably it will require some absurd amount of work, if possible at all. Maybe it is possible to add special soldiers the same way as supersoldiers were added, but game would probably recognize that as cheating.

I though so, but again, I can't seem to find the placement code. That's an interesting observation. Which could suggest, that those maps were in fact re-done for EXALT missions and those objects aren't dynamic. :facepalm: That is exactly what I was trying to say in my last post; perhaps I should have used another word to describe those cheap copies of existing maps (re-done is too strong word to describe map with minimal, almost cosmetic difference from original). Thought so, because that part of code in <XGStrategyAI.DetermineHQAssaultSquad> doesn't make any sense, and I strongly suspect, that if we try to dig deeper and to find actual function, responsible for that - it will lead us to same result, as in case with EXALT reinforcements. Edit: got ninja'd by Panzercracker (I hate, when forum does that). You know, that you can still do scans and have covert operations, even if you have all clues to pinpoint EXALT HQ location, right? There is nothing forcing you to raid (except continued EXALT activity).

Ok then. I should have figured that out myself, but I wrongly assumed that these missions seem to use Terror mission maps (actually using separate re-used maps), also because that is possible to have dynamically placed objects on maps, so these relays are similar to meld canisters, and can be safely removed from maps.

Thanks for clarification (and confirmation). That is not good, but it is not like first hard-coded limitation out there we have to work with. You can remove them off map completely, right? (for CaptupeAndHold type of mission, that is) Besides, it is not like those relays were needed in first place; on I/I I have used them like twice, first time to see, what it does, and second time just for fun, when I almost solo-ed Data Recovery with covert operative (rest of the team were only for free overwatch-on-drop-in kills and for taking care of EXALT already present on the map).

There it is, just above normal XP for soldiers:

I have found similar dead-end as well - trigger of an event, that parses some parameters (likely "our" EXALT guys in question), but from where it takes those parameters... seems like a native function to me, so I would say there is like 70% chance, that it is indeed in some native function (and out of our reach); I just don't understand, what incentive devs have to hard-code something like that. Anyway, this probably means, that I have to find alternative way to make EXALT more of a threat on tactical level (in my mod).

However, I may have seen some sort of type override, that replaces normal EXALT with Elites, so it could be still there, but I can be wrong. Sometimes I feel that either I am running in circles :wallbash:, or code was purposefully obscured by devs to make modding even harder, than it is (maybe I just need a break, or try modding something else in meantime).

I have always seen these petty attempts to undermine XCOM activity as some sort of twisted rivalry, because it looks like they can't catch up to XCOM progress on alien research and then try to use some underhanded tactics just to buy themselves a bit more time or something like that. And I believe we should avoid discussion of plot and lore (at least here), because it can easily lead to off-topic flame war. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyway, back to the topic: yesterday I found some pretty interesting stuff (like functions, that control HQ Base Defense reinforcements; type of aliens, that are deployed on Council missions (ie thinmen, occasional sectoids), even chryssalids for special "site recon" mission), even EXALT pods, that are already present on maps, but haven't found, where EXALT reinforcements (types) are defined; probably I have found, where numbers of those guys are (can't check yet, if that is true); also it looks like placement of drop-ins are hard-coded for each map individually, and I have strong suspicion, that these reinforcement EXALT guys are defined there as well, or even worse, controlled by some function buried in native code (I'll be glad, if somebody proves my suspicion wrong on last statement; btw, can somebody check those CaptureAndHold and DataRecovery maps?).

It is actually well known fact for quite some time (in EU), that Run-n-Gun special move ignores MoveLimited property of a weapon; however, either person, that discovered that failed to mention fact it completely overrides that property by itself, or it is one of EW changes. Either way, good to know.

Agreed on that, yesterday I checked their AI and it is... very lacking, to say the least. First, game has no different behaviors for Elite and normal EXALT units; second - medic only has functions to define heal and how to use smoke (not the most intelligent functions either), heavy has targeting code for suppression+holotargeting, and sort of enabler for use of AoE weaponry for Rocket Launcher (as all use of AoE damaging abilities is defined by general for all AI-controlled units special function), and Sniper has some sort of tweaked scoring for positioning, and operative... has nothing, like at all. That's it, folks. EXALTs cannot do anything, because they are literally programmed to be braindead enemies (or not programmed, to be more precise in this case). A little excursus on how AI works: there is general AI, that handle most things, like positioning, movement, taking basic shots and use of most common abilities (Overwatch, Reload, Hunker Down etc.); then there is predefined behavior, that handle use of unit-specific abilities (like use of Sectoids Mind Merge), which sometimes can completely override general AI (Chryssalids); then special functions, that control use of all psionic abilites, or use of AoE damaging abilities (ie grenades), special Team Attack code (launches itself only when there is >2 active enemies; also got improved in expansion) for dealing with flanking and suppressing units, also there is randomized (within specific limits, that are individual for most alien types) aggression modifier, that affects scoring. So it all works like this: first AI builds list (through iterative process) of all actions alien can do, eliminates invalid options, then scores all valid options, and randomly choses one of those chance-based (ie which action has more score - higher are chances that action will be taken), unless there is condition-specific behavior override (like Team Attack code or some predefined behaviors). Also most aliens have some tweaking for their scoring system to make them behave more intelligently; and on top of all that there is difficulty modifiers to scoring, that are applied to all enemies based on selected difficulty (ie, in EU on Impossible aliens were behaving more defensively). What kind of fixing? As I have seen functions, that are responsible for AI behavior after spawn (there is two different spawn types: drop in and walk in, which can be individually tweaked). This is possible to tweak their scoring to not over-prioritize getting into hack zone (though I would not mind some help on figuring out exact values). Totally agreed. Too bad I am not that familiar with mission scripts to fix it right away. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As for defining waves - haven't found them myself :unsure:. But I like to ask if somebody have seen code, which controls thinmen drops on Council missions? This is only assumption, but it would be logical, that code, which controls thinman drops is the same (or at least nearby) code we are looking for.

If you have read last post in topic (to which I posted link), you would have seen I am quite aware of the problem. If you was trying to hijack original code, that causes overwatch on non-cover unit, then it may be not your fault, as that code is buggy, and launches itself out of sequence (seen today on stream on Mectoid pack activation Mectoid doing overwatch, then getting his free move toward player; that looked so hax :rolleyes:).

It is very nice of you Drakous, you saved me a bit of trouble here (but it looks like I might still need to update code for increased number of abductions). Anyway, thanks for keeping up this mod alive (definitely was a game changer for me here, even before all other awesome discoveries, which were also made in this very thread).

I am not worried about these two legitimate problems, because I have already solved them in my mod (at least for EU) - tactic of activate pod, then kill them before they can do anything was solved by activating aliens fix (made by me and it is buried in sands of time here - http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/830340-turning-on-alien-pods-by-default/?p=8469456; however, I wonder if that solution still works), and this cheesy tactic of leaving soldiers with no cover was denied (in my mod) by reaction fire. However, now I absolutely hate that person, who decided that teleporting activated aliens would be brilliant idea (so I need this "disable teleport movement" fix ASAP; there is just not enough words to express my frustration about this so called mechanic).

You know, that coding AI for that would nigh on impossible, right? Well, I guess we could have more EXALT missions, if they were more proactive on strategy level, but rewards for completing EXALT missions needs to be rebalanced (ie, clue could be a dud, fake or simply reveal information already known). Also I feel, that this attempted raid feature (when you don't know for sure their HQ location) would likely be never used - with such harsh penalty as instant loss of Council member, or massive panic increase, if that country already left XCOM project - anyone would play safe and wait; besides, it is not like EXALT are so pressing threat, that anyone feel even tiny bit inclined to accept risk like that. An idea for covert ops mission: I would like them to fail once in a while, so you have to survive with lone operative for several turns, until extraction team arrives, and saves him/her; you get no reward for completing such mission (besides getting your dude back), Also, this fail chance could be linked to rank of operative you send on covert ops mission - the higher rank, the higher are chances of success, so player will get incentive to send one of his valued veterans instead of just rookie/squaddie.

First, it is not in exe, second you might want to find functions themselves in UE Explorer, and look on them in token view (since hex code most likely changed because of last patch), then make new replacement code based on old one, and you good to go. You might want to check tutorials, thought, if you unfamiliar with modding XCOM http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/Modding_XCOM:EU_2012#Tutorials - it is a bit outdated, but best we have here. Also I might be updating this (as it is one of keystone features in my mod) - so stay tuned.

- and should be just as capable of capturing aliens (and getting their shiny plasma weapons) as XCOM; it is not like all Alien activity on Earth is limited to what XCOM sees, also there is those places, where XCOM did not go (like abduction missions) so EXALT could have at least Light Plasma Rifles in their arsenal. -------------------------------------- As for psionics - it might be a good idea, but most likely I won't be using it, since I want to make psionics and gene-mods mutually exclusive, so it would just not fit well in my mod.

That is obvious, since I already have made rebalance to all classes in game for my mod (now just waiting for updated Extended Perk Tree mod to put back those changes in EW), and MECs will be getting buffed, don't worry; also meld-related research and unlocks will be changed and shifted around research tree. Nice to hear. I hope there is place at least for some (six will be enough for me :wink:).

My original idea was to extract meld only from cybernetic and robotic aliens, not from all, as I want to shift meld to later use in game; imho, Outsider should not leave any body behind, it is logical from story perspective (as he "pulled disappearing act" after all).

Please elaborate, what (and how) you have done, and give details on the result.

What is says? If "no targets within range" - that is quite literal description of the problem, as maximum range for all weapons except sniper rifles is set to match sight radius of soldiers; simply change that value in DGC.ini, and it should work.

Yes, but that is still to many micromanagement for me. :smile: Apparently not for me, because I always get this feeling that game was oversimplified in some areas or maybe I like to give player (and myself) more options/more choices to make (because on Ironman Impossible (the only difficulty I play this game) every tiny thing matter (like positions of your soldiers in pre-mission load-out screen, and I'm not talking about squadleader)

With a bit of afterthought I might agree on this one (capture aliens to get your precious meld early), but I just thought of added benefit of having choice between "get at least some meld" option vs "make those dodge matrices" (and dodge matrices are important in my mod, because of rebalanced UFO interceptions, and you'll burn through those real quick), but I have to give it a try before I can say for sure. You aware that you can order multiple objects in single engineering project at once, right? ------------------------------------------- Also my plan on rebalancing explosives is to allow them to have random damage (like any other weapon in game has) and give them slightly randomized explosion radius (mostly to discourage trick shots).

Yes, this should do the trick. I don't believe that my proposal complicate things too much (have you played original X-COM by any chance?), because it will enrich the game; obviously simply selling stuff is dull, and you don't have to use arcthrower that much (usually it is capture one of each alien type and ditch it for rest of the game); I just want to get some incentive of getting arcthrower earlier on the field and keep it use use mid-game; and finally get some use for those captive aliens (I got few other ideas on how those can be used). This is a sort of "earn your reward" type of gameplay I'm trying to achieve here. Me too, especially early-to-mid game (when it most important). And original Meld collection mechanic clashes with principles of gameplay in my mod horribly.

And I was using alien version (I think). There is definitely something worth investigating here.

I agree with OP on a subject of getting rid of meld, albeit for different reason. Those Meld canisters seem out of place in most missions (who will bring extremely valuable resource, where it can easily get captured; it is not like they require it for immediate use), but I'm ok for getting Meld from bigger UFO ships (Supply Barge has it in its name, after all) or from some missions (like Alien Base Assault). Getting Meld from the bodies of cybernetic and robotic aliens should require more difficult approach - like special meld extraction process, which irreversibly destroys corpse, but amount of meld granted via this process should be some small random amount (like 3-7 points; who knows what kind of damage that body already suffered on the battlefield), but this meld extraction process totally should apply to captured aliens as well (granting full amount of meld, like 10); maybe even different amount for different alien types.