XCOM2 Skulljack variables .ini mod. Please?

[Perraine]

Just wondering if any one of the wonderful and talented modders out there, could dig up the variables for the Skulljack and put them into an .ini file?

 

More descriptively - On my latest L/I playthrough, I was running desperately low on Intel, so I spent weeks making Skulljacks for all my soldiers (Including a Capt. and Maj Specialist) So as to use Skullmining to try and get the Intel Caches. Frustratingly on repeated occasions I went through 5 soldiers (including my two Specialist) trying to get the "mine" to work, and all of them failed (after 5 hits, the Advent Officer dies from "missed" damage alone)

 

To be specific, I'd just like to have the number of "charges" increased, so the Skulljack isn't a one use item, and maybe a scaling "hit" percentage, depending on the "Hack" skill of the soldier?

 

And no I'm not after a an infinite "one hit kill" item, because if that's all I wanted I could juts make every weapon hit for 100 damage. I just want the Skulljack to be a bit more useful as an Intel farming tool.

 

 

[BadgerBrownCoat]

I think I'll just pop in and listen in, myself, if you don't mind - curious where I went wrong.

I tried to do something vaguely similar for my X_COMmando mod - where the technician's class-defining secondary weapon isn't a drone no one can see or shoot down, but rather, a "cyberjack" that replaces the protocols (so that in effect ' mining' is still just a hack of their network) - let's put aside the ' isn't this a transmission network' question ...

I had some related shenanigans with trying to mod the default for nanovest 'armor' ( utility item )...

I got a bit frustrated, took an 'other games' break, SO i suspect I've some reading to catch up on.

ps: as far as I know, the skulljack ' to hit' is a melee attack roll base, just the results of jacking in, so to speak, are based on hack. Even if I'm right I wouldn't know how to reclassify it's attack type- but the protocols (drone abilities) might the go-to.

Edited March 10, 2016 by BadgerBrownCoat

[traenol]

Took a dip into ability code and how charges are defined ... and found some irritating facts.

 

Most abilities that do not define their own charges, are defaulted to 1. This is hard coded into X2AbilityCost_Charges with no config defined variables, meaning that to change it, you would need to create your own charge type by extending this class ... and then override X2Ability_ItemGrantedAbilitySet to modify the skulljack AND skullmine abilities to use your new charge type with whatever number of charges you want to assign.

 

This seems to be a disturbing trend in the code for XCOM 2 ... while it is 'mod' friendly, it is NOT modder friendly ... in that there is too much hardcoded that cannot simply be changed via the ini's. A lot of this is simple little things like turn timer lengths, ability charges, item slots, etc, etc, etc ... it is unfortunate ... but it happens when the game was built before mod support was considered, and seems to have been an after thought.

[FussyGit]

I actually found how to increase the skull jack uses. Can't remember which file it was, but the line was for something called a "stasis lance". I upped the uses to 2 to see what would happen and boom! Skull jack had 2 uses (for both modes, using one mode wouldn't drain the other either!)

 

EDIT: looking up which file i edited, i just found out where to edit the hit chance! in the GameCore file, look for [XComGame.X2AbilityToHitCalc_StasisLance].

 

EDIT2: aaand the uses is in the GameData_SoldierSkills, look for [XComGame.X2AbilityCharges_StasisLance]

Edited March 10, 2016 by FussyGit

[Perraine]

I actually found how to increase the skull jack uses. Can't remember which file it was, but the line was for something called a "stasis lance". I upped the uses to 2 to see what would happen and boom! Skull jack had 2 uses (for both modes, using one mode wouldn't drain the other either!)

 

EDIT: looking up which file i edited, i just found out where to edit the hit chance! in the GameCore file, look for [XComGame.X2AbilityToHitCalc_StasisLance].

 

EDIT2: aaand the uses is in the GameData_SoldierSkills, look for [XComGame.X2AbilityCharges_StasisLance]

Well of COURSE it's called a Stasis Lance, why would it be called a Skulljack in the .ini files? Silly me ;) <sigh>

 

Thankyou soooooo much for digging and finding that out! I've played around a bit with the .ini settings, finding various little treasures (my soldiers now carry 3 grenades per mission instead of 1, which on L/I isn't OP at all, it's actually almost necessary, and seems a bit more 'legit' as 1 grenade seemed a bit pathetic. It would be nice if the AWC or GTS had "training" or purchasable upgrade options for things like grenade and rocket carry count, but I guess an .ini tweak will have to do for now.

 

Thanks again :)

[traenol]

I must have missed this line somehow

Template.AbilityCharges = new class'X2AbilityCharges_StasisLance'; 

Obviously because it makes no sense. No consistency with naming ... even their OWN comments say as much

// This one seems to be misnamed, but talks about proving ground being built
Template.AddNarrativeTrigger("X2NarrativeMoments.Strategy.GP_FirstStasisLanceBolted_Shen", NAW_OnAssignment, 'FacilityCompletePopup', 'ProvingGround', ELD_OnStateSubmitted, NPC_Once, '');

They apparently renamed it from stasis lance, but forgot to change the code to reflect the name(Or just didn't bother, find and replace being such a difficult tool to use and all).

[FussyGit]

My working theory is that they initially intened to use a melee item to knock out aliens for interrogations ala EU, but later scrapped it. Either the skulljack came later or was a natural progression from the stasis lance and they used the same code lines.

Edited March 11, 2016 by FussyGit

[Perraine]

Oh lordy lordy! Well, I can say my Intel shortage issues are over, though there does seem to be a mission cap of 1 x Large cache and 1 x Small cache, even so, 60 Intel on a mission that normally gives you SFA (i.e. any mission you "Evac" from such as VIP and Avatar site missions) makes a big difference!

 

Thankyou, thankyou THANYOU!

[BadgerBrownCoat]

My working theory is that they initially intened to use a melee item to knock out aliens for interrogations ala EU, but later scrapped it. Either the skulljack came later or was a natural progression from the stasis lance and they used the same code lines.

WELL so much for my melee attack theory - it's to hit is..stasis lance?

 

Yeah, I would've missed that too - good find, sir - and bound to be handy where I'm headed.

 

Git, I expect your theories are right.

( Traenol, i noticed elsewhere you were using IE for the code, may i ask why not notepad++ or such? I had to tell my comp to quit trying tyo use monodevelop, LOL)... Hey, they were late getting this out, you can't expect them to clean up all that too XD

 

@ Perraine - I wouldn't mind if you'

d be kind enough to share your grenade findings, we had a bit of a fight with it ove rthe launcg grenades/ heavy ordnance numbers previously ( I'm currently play-testinga work around, grenadiers starting with hvy ord- in effect two grenades in the grenade-only slot ). ( This is for a grenadier and autocannon are two separate classes mod )..

Oh, and glad your intel problems are solved!

Edited March 11, 2016 by BadgerBrownCoat

[traenol]

 

( Traenol, i noticed elsewhere you were using IE for the code, may i ask why not notepad++ or such? I had to tell my comp to quit trying tyo use monodevelop, LOL)... Hey, they were late getting this out, you can't expect them to clean up all that too XD

Actually, I have a few methods I use, depending on where I am in my day. UncodeX when I am trying to follow the code flow, exported html from UncodeX for when I am not at home, but have time to browse through it, and a mod buddy default mod with the source files for fast searching to find where things are used across all files.

 

And I occasionally use UE explorer for other purposes(its not as good, but can be useful in its own ways).