In Progress Open X-Com Genius Level Test (Ironman) - August, Mission 25

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

I'm not gonna add any mods for my first proper walkthru, tho there are some mods already published. Bigger terror sites and 'randomized' UFO interiors among other things and a big compilation one by WarBoy1982 which unfortunately hasn't been updated in a while. (not compatible with latest) I'm using the 0.9 nightly build from a couple weeks ago

I am going to be using a few optional settings which Open X-Com has added:




-aggressive retaliation (because difficulty is fun)
-live alien sales (will annoy the l1berals, why not)
-death notifications (because we want to see Codexers die, at least virtually)
-force aircraft launch - means you can intercept even if low on fuel... at the risk of interceptor crashing on the way back. Options are always good
-custom initial base
-inventory stats (shows strength/accuracy of soldiers, useful for equiping)
-sneaky AI (they try to hide)
-explosions are 3-dimensional (I'm planning on using a lot of rockets to flatten buildings)



Hesitated about 'ranged accuracy modifier' because I tried this on my last game and it made humans ridiculously bad. Would choose on lower difficulty levels... tho if enough people want can always switch back to ranged difficulty later

Anyway first things:

-initial base location. I am thinking Australia, wherever Cleve currently lives tho it is probably not an optimal location for UFO interception
-player names. First eight volunteers will go on first mission

Also, if a terror site is at night there will be a night mission, no cheats. I am trying to convince Open X-Com developers to enforce night missions in the default game they haven't agreed yet




Current Roster

Edward R Murrow : 9
Hobbit: 2
sser : 4
Imperator: 2
Captain WhiskeyWolf : 5
Average Manatee Mk II: 3
Sergeant Cleveland Mark Blakemore: 1
Sergeant Unkillable cat: 2
ZeroCredibility: 3
Johannes: 2
Brazilian Slaughter Mk II


Unknown/MIA?
Overboard?

RIP:
ERYFKRAD
Average Manatee
Brazilian Slaughter : 2 (RIP, shot in the back guarding the wrong by last alien)
Random
Jester
SmartCheetah
Kashmeer Slippers
ERYFKRAD Mk II
Azira
hostergaard
JoKa

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

As a special bonus first eight players get to pick their stats

If you want allocate 375 points to the following within the min/max values:

Stat Min-MaxValues
Time Units 50-60
Stamina/Energy 40-70
Health 25-40
Bravery 10-60
Reactions 30-60
Firing Accuracy 40-70
Throwing Accuracy 50-80
Strength 20-40

Involves editing save game so will only do this first time

edit Strength 35+ is recommended if you want to carry any more than a rifle and couple grenades

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Ohey, sign me up. Will post stats once I'm home. Or later. Also

 

[Average Manatee]

I was thinking of doing an X-Com game when Open X-Com was finished. There was still a number of annoying issues last time I tried it. Did they fix the bug with soldiers having extra encumbrance for no reason? Makes heavy weapons hard to use. Also visual ranges seemed borked, but it was hard to tell.

Sign me up. All I ask is for a high accuracy rating and a loaded Rocket Launcher.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

It's time to DIE.

Stat
Time Units 50
Stamina/Energy 40
Health 30
Bravery 50
Reactions 55
Firing Accuracy 65
Throwing Accuracy 50
Strength 35

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

I was thinking of doing an X-Com game when Open X-Com was finished. There was still a number of annoying issues last time I tried it. Did they fix the bug with soldiers having extra encumbrance for no reason? Makes heavy weapons hard to use. Also visual ranges seemed borked, but it was hard to tell.

Sign me up. All I ask is for a high accuracy rating and a loaded Rocket Launcher.

I know about both of these issues, apparently both are from the original game

The worst issue was reaction fire which does not work at all for humans in the 0.9 'stable' release. I've played 6 months in on another game and the only bug I found is with grenades priming themselves automatically when you equip them

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Time to enter the meatgrinder.

Stat
Time Units 50
Stamina/Energy 40
Health 30
Bravery 40
Reactions 55
Firing Accuracy 50
Throwing Accuracy 70
Strength 40

Edit: Whoops, forgot Bravery needs to be a multiple of 10

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

Genius rather than SuperHuman, Sheek? Thought you were better than that. Are you going to wimp out on the Codex? All Codexers play on Superhuman, its the real X-COM experience.


Here goes the Brazilian Slaughter! CHARGE FOR BRAZIL! CHARGE FOR EARTH! CHARGE FOR HUMANITY AND INCLINE!

I recommend putting me as one of the grenadiers, through I could be a mean guy in Stun-Rod Duty (I tend to assign the worst soldiers there, to kill them off gain greater glory), so it might be better to guard the monocled elite for other duties.

Time Units: 60
Stamina/Energy: 50
Health: 40
Bravery: 30
Reactions: 40
Firing Accuracy: 60
Throwing Accuracy: 65
Strength: 30

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

I thought Genius is more likely not to fail in the first month if there is a night mission

So 3 more left. Also any choice of base?

In normal gameplay I pick Sicily (cover Europe + Russia + Egypt) then Borneo (East Asia + Australia) and Cuba (North + South America)

 

[Average Manatee]

I generally go Russia (Covering Europe and lots of Asia when the big radars come online), then radar base (Just a hanger, radar and storage) in US started sometime in month 2, then in months 3/4 I'm usually rolling in cash and put up bases in SE Asia/SA/Africa/Australia. A lot of it depends on when I get the alien radar tech of course.


Open X-Com's feature to see radar limits when placing bases is incredibly cool for optimizing coverage of landmass.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Put me in close, stun rods, shotguns and such.

Stat Min-MaxValues
Time Units 50
Stamina/Energy 60
Health 40
Bravery 50
Reactions 50
Firing Accuracy 50
Throwing Accuracy 50
Strength 40

 

[sser]

I'd like to make a formal request to be the squad quarterback/throw-man, thrower of all flares, grenades and miscellaneous sports equipment.

Stat Min-MaxValues
Time Units 55
Stamina/Energy 40
Health 30
Bravery 60
Reactions 30
Firing Accuracy 40
Throwing Accuracy 80
Strength 40

My first base is always in Istanbul and the next typically in the U.S. or Mexico.

 

[JoKa]

Sign me up! I'd like to be another short-range/recon-guy, if possible. i expect to (bravely) die in the first mission.

Stat Min-MaxValues
Time Units 50
Stamina/Energy 55
Health 25
Bravery 60
Reactions 55
Firing Accuracy 40
Throwing Accuracy 50
Strength 40

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

No one wants to cold-snipe? Somebody gotta spot-snipe the xeno.
Looks like I (60) or someone else will have to pick up the slack until we get the 65 accuracy snipe-gods.

Sheek, accuracy decreasing from distance is a counter to old spot-sniper tactics.

 

[SmartCheetah]

Count me in, lad! I can spot-snipe if you want, don't really care. Would be awesome If I survive few missions, to actually die a glorius and majestic death.

About the base - Most of the time I was picking Central Africa. Aliens might be scared of AIDS, ye? And I love cheetahs, so it had to be Africa!

 

[Random]

I can't count so I don't know if I'm too late to be on the first mission, but regardless you can put me as a backup rookie just in case.

Stat Min-MaxValues
Time Units 55
Stamina/Energy 45
Health 30
Bravery 40
Reactions 60
Firing Accuracy 60
Throwing Accuracy 50
Strength 35

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Wow... fun first mission. Started off pretty bad and some casualties but some great shooting saved the day

TASKFORCE 'MHD' UPDATE #001, Jan '99

I ended up choosing Borneo, because Australia covers just Australia and New Zealand. I'm just in range of Korea, Japan, India and everything but the east coast of Austra-Kwa

I chose 'initial base placement' option so I get to place my buildings. Here's what I built.

Plan is to fill up the 6 remaining SE squares w whatever else, hopefully it's defensible

The squad (ordered 4 more guys)

ERYFKRAD... strong and slow

Stun rod as requested and basic gear

Average Manatee, not choosing to customize means you kept the initial stats which are higher than anyone else's

Large rocket loaded initially. Not enough strength to take anything else

WhiskeyWolf... I guess you're a sniper

Edward R Murrow, 'grenadier'. Not good at anything else... can you reaction-throw grenades?

Actually I gave you an auto-cannon, which was lucky

The Brazilian Slaughter, from the jungles of Amazonia, fast and healthy

sser. A pistol (not gonna hit anything anyway) and a load of stuff to chuck

JoKa, suicidally brave

And myself (to make up the numbers)

Research
Ordered 20 more eggheads and started on laser technology. Super fast breakthrough on day 3, hopefully might mean laser rifles in the first terror mission

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

BATTLESCAPE

On 9 Jan our radars intercept our first UFO, hovering over Australia. Maybe they're looking for Cleve's bunker... we won't let them get to him. Interceptor-01 is launched without delay

We lose it but it wasn't moving fast and quickly find it again (not sure I'll record these in future). Shot down (I forgot to switch cannon for avalanche, will do) our first 8 heroes + tank are sent into battle



Turn 1

Yes I bought a tank for recon. Immediately a melonhead is spotted with its back turned, ERYFKRAD is sent to deal with it



Shot twice in the back of the head, the melonhead turns and shoots back!

MISS! (tank takes it) MISS! (hits the wheel behind you)... HIT!

ERYFKRAD is our first casualty

Manatee is up next, our best hope with the rocket launcher. No reaction fire. A large rocket hits a cactus and completely obliterates it. Melonhead looks confused

Tank sent to protect Manatee and Edward R Murrow sprays the melon with the autocannon fire. First blood

Aliens:



Looks like there are a fuckload of them. Tank takes 4 more shots, one hits Manatee, casualty #2. Four aliens are looking at Eddy and it's not looking great


Turn 2

This video didn't come out great. The whole game started lagging like crazy and I had to restart fraps 3 times splicing them together



Edward R Murrow bags his 2nd and 3rd in one move with the autocannon

WhiskeyWolf shoots and hits twice at long range and Brazilian steals the kill

2 melonheads still in the open to attack back. Tank gets one of them (trying to let humans get kills) and JoKa the 3rd (2/2 on auto-fire... cool)

Aliens:



Nothing...

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Turn 3

While tank explores cautiously move toward the UFO



Aliens:



Tank takes his 5th hit from another alien hiding in the sand


Turn 4



WhiskeyWolf attempts to avenge tank, again hitting but failing to kill

Edward R Murrow shoots wildly into the sand around the alien trying to frighten him

JoKa gives melonhead his 2nd and 3rd slugs to no effect

TBS finally takes him down with 2 more (...that's 5 rifle hits for a sectoid)

Aliens:





6 for 2 is not bad at all. Surprised how accurate these rookies were.


Scoreboard so far

Edward R Murrow : 3
The Brazilian Slaughter : 2
JoKa : 1
WhiskeyWolf : 0 (2 assists)


Casualties

ERYFKRAD
Average Manatee


In compensation WhiskeyWolf gets the promotion. Now to replenish ammo and squad

 

[sser]

With 10 Bravery, I feel as though our squad lucked out in not getting fragged by our weakminded resident rocketlawnchair after ERYFKRAD bit the dust.

 

[Average Manatee]

So much for my better than average stats.

Some tips:

- Take it easy the first round. Aliens always have full TUs which means they have much higher reaction scores. Could have just hidden the tank behind the UFO and moved the troops up to the front of the skyranger so they could come out firing with full TUs on turn 2.

- Heavy/Auto cannons with HE should be the default loadout, everything else is too weak (as we saw with those rifle shots). Weak soldiers can go with pistol+grenade, utilizing the pistol only when you don't want to damage loot.

- Rocket launcher soldiers should be used as snipers who are kept well away from combat. With my accuracy stat a crouched aimed shot rocket launcher would have reached something like 95% accuracy. And remember to crouch in general before firing if possible, you'll get a 15% accuracy bonus.

- You might try changing the display filter if things are lagging. All OpenGL filters seem to lag for me.

Not too bad at all for a first mission. Feel free to use my clones for future missions.

 

[Imperator]

sign me up. I want kill some xeno.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Boy, that was fast.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Sign me up if you need more cannon fodder. Make me a sniper if you can, or someone that will take on the aliens from far away. And preferably while their back is turned. And while they are asleep.

 

[Azira]

Kill me. I have no preference for stats or weaponry, as I know I'll get killed by friendly fire within 2 missions.