XCOM2 Xcom 2: Aftermath (big mod concept)

[Zizin]

Hello, people. Unfortunately I'm not a modder myself, but I have an idea for a big Xcom2 mod that will change strategic gameplay and offer a sort of unofficial continuation for Xcom2. This is just a concept, some ideas to think about. Maybe someone will find this interesting and use (at least partly) in his Xcom2 mod.


Synopsis

Mod events are happening right after Xcom2 ending. Enemy underwater base is no more, aliens are disoriented having lost their leaders on the Earth - but still there are many of them and they are strong enough. Humans started a full-fledged war with them (with what they had), but it turned out they are not so weak and easy to defeat. After Xcom attack they struck back here and there, many were killed, many resistance cells were destroyed. More than that, they sent ufo to hunt down the Avenger once again, but this time - not to capture, but to destroy, using plasma weapons.

We start (in a random region) with our Avenger shot down and heavily damaged. It can't fly anymore (at least for now). Research compartment was completely destroyed and Tygan died (as well as all scientists). Shen with a few engineers survived. Almost all facilities were damaged and so we have a lot of rooms filled with debris once again.

All our contacts with resistance cells are lost. Our best soldiers with all their hi-end weapons/armors (as well as commander's avatar) died in the final Xcom2 mission, so only some rookies left aboard. Luckily, all research information was saved, so we don't need to do research anymore - however we can't build anything, because all our resources (intel, supplies, elerium, alloys, etc) are depleted - everything was spent on Xcom2 final assault or was destroyed in the crash.

Goals

We don't know what is going right now on the planet. We need to establish contacts with other regions again. After that we find out that there is a portal (gates) in every region through which aliens still keep coming. We need to destroy these gates and use the last one to kill Uber Gatekeeper, who upholds the coming of alien reinforcements.

Strategy

Now there are no more timers. No more doomtrackers. We do what we want whenever we want. However, time is still passing as in vanilla and from time to time certain evens or missions pop up. More than that, we'll need time to move our troops, to send equipment, and (maybe) to reveal things (and/or) produce items (like in Xcom 1995).

As in Xcom2 vanilla, we start in a random region, but our Avenger can't fly as it was shot down by ufo (btw, instead of Gatecrasher we can have some a short "avenger defence mission" for starting mission). The first thing we need to do is to get some resources.

Now, each region (including our starting one) can offer several different missions at once for our choice (maybe will need to add icons on the region map for that). There in the list we'll have some "easy" difficulty, some "medium", some, maybe, "hard" missions, etc. Easy missions can be done with rookies and bad equipped soldiers - but the reward is small as well. Difficult missions require good geared and/or leveled-up soliders, and bring nice reward. Resources are still the same - people (vips/or may be soldiers), intel, supply, etc.. As time passes, new missions of every/several difficulty type(s) appear in the region, so we can select what we do and where we go.

[see pic 1 -- missions.png]

Once we get enough of resources we make contact with another region and build there Resistance Outpost (replaces "Xcom2 comm Tower"). Inside our 1st (starting) region we use Skyranger to fly on the missions, but in another regions we need to capture Advent Transporter first (we all saw it can appear in some missions standing on the ground) - this can be the first mission in every next region, or, alternatively, it is not obligatory, but with the absense of flyer we'll a) need time to move our squad to mission locations by ground transport b) squad can be ambushed on the road c) we can't start missions with obligatory "evac all" ending -- so capturing Advent Transporter will be a priority task in each region. Once we obtain it, it can be used to fly on missions inside this particular region.

[see pic 2 -- transporter.png]

Since our Avenger is not mobile anymore, we don't have an opportunity to fight everywhere with just one Elite Squad (as we did in Xcom2). We will have to send several squads to several regions (by ground transport), so they will act on strategic map somewhat simultaneously (and level up accordingly). Once the outpost is established, some missions accomplished, and before moving the squad to another region, we'll have to place some additional solders as a garrison - because aliens can do retaliation missions in this region (or attack the outpost itself), while we'll have to react immediately. Aliens will attack only our bordering regions, so there's no need to maintain a huge garrison army later on strategic map. However, we'll need several well equipped soldiers in the outposts, as well as maybe be 2-3 active regional squads for missions in different regions. We can move soldier(s) from region to region (to replace fallen ones), but this will take some time.

[see pic 3 -- squads.png]

If we have enough Intel we can reveal the location of the local (regional) Gates. Once the Gates are destroyed, we win this sector (it can be marked as "fully cleared") and it gives no more (or very few and rare) missions to do - so we must move further. However, we don't need to win all 16 regions. The final Gates are hidden in some distant region, and with some luck we can reveal it some time before we reveal all 15 gates (starting location and final Gates location are generated randomly but they must be far enough from each other). In the final mission we'll have to defeat "Uber Gatekeeper" and his minions, so the aliens will no longer come to Earth through portals -)

Equipment

From the very start we can produce anything, if, ofc, we have enough resources. The major shift here is that we have to build each weapon/armor individually like in Xcom1 EU. All equipment we produce in our starting region (where our Avenger is), and then we send it to other regions (where our squads and garrisons are). This takes some time to deliver the stuff. The farther your squad, the longer it takes. We can also move equipment from Outpost to Outpost (takes time - and maybe some money as well). All alien equipment/bodies we captured is stored in local region Resistance Outpost, and must be moved to Avenger if we want to produce something with it. Also it can be sold in local Black Market. Intel/Supplies is common, not a regional resource unlike everything else (but, maybe, Alloys/Elerium can be common as well - otherwise we may get too much mircomanagment, moving resources from here to there and back).

[see pic 4 -- transfer.png]

Black Market

Spending some Intel we can reveal Black Market. There is one in every region. They buy and sell (unlike vanilla) only few things in which they are interested (3-4 items), but this list changes quite often, so we need to check it frequently.

Missions

Apart from vanilla missions, there can be new ones. For example, when you move a squad to a new region (or anywhere by ground transport), there is a chance to trigger Advent Ambush mission. Your squad starts in a bus or truck - blocked by a fallen tree or an advent car or smth... Ouside there are some aliens in Overwatch. If you go out, they'll shoot. If you stay inside, they'll throw grenades on their 1st turn.

Also I mentioned capturing Advent Transport mission. This can be vanilla kind "hack" mission or just "kill everyone" mission - with an advent transport 100% generated somewhere on the map. Don't know, maybe it is even possible to modify that scripted cinematics where this transporter arrives, and not with Advent, but xcom troopers inside (when we'll use it after capturing).

Outpost defence mission can start with some captured advent towers on our side, but unlike "avenger" mission, we don't need to destroy alien device. We just need to survive, while aliens may attack from any direction(s).

Retaliation (terror) mission can introduce "angry civilians" - some of them can use weapons to shoot aliens as well (unless they are not panicking).

Last mission can use the same decorations and similar script to Xcom2 final mission, but without avatars, ofc.

All Xcom2 storyline missions must be cut out or modified (like maybe Gate mission). Facilities missions can give special bonuses - like, for example, new machinery/generator/fuel for 1 Avenger Flight (so we can move it from the starting region to a new one, where it stays for quite some time again until we grab a new (rare) special bonus from another Facility).

Other

All other features like Dark Events, supply drops, pop-up events, Spokesman, continental bonuses, etc - all remains the same or are modified a bit to fit the new storyline (or not to make contradictions with it). All New Storyline events and explanations can be written in a pop-up window with minium or even no voicing and cinematics (just like those Xcom2 "scanning events" with a text and small picture). Same window can appear when we finish/lose the game - instead of Xcom2 vanilla cinematics.

[see pic 5 -- final.png]