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

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Updated roster: (ordered by most to least senior) # are kills

ZeroCredibility is one of the oldest but spends most of his time in hospital

Promotions are funny as usual...


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? - can't see him but didn't note him as dying

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

 

[Azira]

Clone me as needed, I'm always ready to die once again for the greater glory.

 

[Jester]

Clone vats for me.
Jester

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I ain't giving up till I stab them xenos to death. And not even then. :fistofxenopurge:

 

[SmartCheetah]

Damn. I had to die at one point. Clone me as well if you'll need to. You can always use Ivar™ naming, in this case "SmarterCheetah" :D

 

[Average Manatee]

Snakemen and Mutons start appearing in the fourth month, right?

The team has been very lucky with all the Floater fights; psionic-capable Sectoids showing up would have been a complete nightmare.

Theoretically Snakemen can appear in the first month, though thankfully they can't start terror missions until the 4th.

See: http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Alien_Appearance_Ratios

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Yeah... two more missions recorded, both are Floaters. And another month passes without a terror mission

That is quite lucky. Floaters and a few sectoids along with the Reapers on the one terror mission so far is all I've had to face

Anyway I hope there is a terror mission or UFO base or larger UFO crash soon to spice things up

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Mission 8: desert



Kashmeer Slippers Mk II died

His killer was a really tough Floater. I think he took 5 laser shots at least. Another one took one and went unconscious got up next turn and took four more


Mission 9: NIGHT mission, jungle



Unkillable Cat turned out to be a pretty good sniper tho was supposed to be recon

Brazilian Mk II is a lot luckier than the first model

About reaction fire/mutual surprise Average Manatee, even 90 degrees doesn't help JoKa (very end of video)

Captured an alien but turned out to be a Floater soldier. I'd already got one who'd been knocked out on an earlier mission

Is there any point in interrogating soldiers? They give Alien Origins and that's all, right?



End of MONTH 3:

UKwanistan has sided with the Aliens...



Research coming along nicely:

Also got the Mind Probe. Plan to do Power Suit, then better craft and plasma weapons

 

[Average Manatee]

About reaction fire/mutual surprise Average Manatee, even 90 degrees doesn't help JoKa (very end of video)

The reaction check is % of TUs remaining * reaction score vs. same on the enemy. If the Alien's reaction score and TUs are better than yours, you still can't react to them. Avoiding mutual surprise just ensures that you have the chance at the reaction check in the first place. Joko could have taken a shot had his reaction score been better or had he more TUs left, but if he had stood in front of the alien it would be impossible to react before the alien shot no matter his stats.

Due to enhanced enemy stats on harder difficulties (50-75 reaction base + 24% on superhuman, 18% on genius) you pretty much have to end your turn with 90%+ TUs remaining to ensure you win reaction consistently, and even then you need pretty good reaction yourself. The "save TUs for snap shot" etc buttons are a joke unless you have mad high reaction stats, the only instance in which you could reaction fire with such a low amount of TUs remaining is if the enemy had so few TUs that they couldn't attack you anyway.

Captured an alien but turned out to be a Floater soldier. I'd already got one who'd been knocked out on an earlier mission

Is there any point in interrogating soldiers? They give Alien Origins and that's all, right?

That's all they give.

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Thanks will take that into account

So are you saying it's like a D&D initiative check? d100 * Reaction_stat > d100 * Alien_reaction = TRUE to be able to shoot?

 

[Overboard]

Unknown/MIA?
Overboard? - can't see him but didn't note him as dying

Yeah I was wondering what happened...maybe make a clone?

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Maybe you went overboard... the Skyranger. Oops

Sure

 

[Average Manatee]

Thanks will take that into account

So are you saying it's like a D&D initiative check? d100 * Reaction_stat > d100 * Alien_reaction = TRUE to be able to shoot?

It's % of remaining TUs multiplied by reaction stat, if you score higher than the alien then you can react until you use up enough TUs that your score is no longer higher than the alien. There's no random chance factor, other than the fact that the % of remaining TUs the alien has can vary wildly depending on how many TUs they've wasted out of your sight range.

e.g., if the floater has 60 reactions and steps out of the UFO with 50% of its TUs remaining, and your soldier has 100% of their TUs left and a reaction score greater than 30, your soldier can take a shot. Or if your soldier has 66% of their TUs left and a reaction score greater than 45, you can take a shot. And if you had a reaction score of 100, you'd be able to react if you had anything more than 30% of your TUs left. If the floater turns and fires and you survive, its remaining TU % is now much lower and you have another opportunity to beat their reaction * their current TU %.

TL;DR you'll always react *eventually* if you survive the enemy shooting at you long enough to drain their TUs, but if you want to ensure you are first on the draw you'll need to have a decent reaction score and all your TUs available. And avoid mutual surprise for the alien, which means they always get the first shot without a reaction check. Conversely, mutual surprise helps you on your turn by ensuring you can always take one action before the enemy can react no matter your reaction score, whether that is to make an auto fire shot or stepping one square out of the alien's view.

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Turns out reaction fire is not random at all

http://ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Reaction_Fire#Reaction_Level

Wow that is pretty interesting. Knowing the mechanics really changes how you play the game and I must have been playing this for... I think since 1996 or 97

edit: was writing while you were posting


That really makes keeping people on full TUs worthwhile. I assumed there was some kind of skill check which was why there was never a guarantee of getting a reaction (even on full TU). I never looked into it to quantify what the difference would be

TL;DR you'll always react *eventually* if you survive the enemy shooting at you long enough to drain their TUs, but if you want to ensure you are first on the draw you'll need to have a decent reaction score and all your TUs available. And avoid mutual surprise for the alien, which means they always get the first shot without a reaction check. Conversely, mutual surprise helps you on your turn by ensuring you can always take one action before the enemy can react no matter your reaction score, whether that is to make an auto fire shot or stepping one square out of the alien's view.

Except they get an advantage from the weird physics of light (line of sight) in this game

Have been reading about that. The reason you get shot so often going around a corner is that aliens can see around 'some' corners (depends on compass direction), and see you before you see them so there is no mutual surprise to help

Sectoid Reaction Fire
Sectoids are short. This noxiously changes their line of sight/line of fire.

• The Skyranger walls to the sides of the exit ramp do not block Sectoid reaction fire from the side. Other aliens evidently cannot infer the agent's presence from the visibility of their feet.
• Farm terrain? Regrettably, sectoids see your agents through fences far more easily than your agents see sectoids. Should the triggering agent survive the initial reaction fire through a still-intact fence, he should crouch immediately to get a visual on the sectoid.

Lolz

 

[Random]

Damn, at least I went down for a good cause. Feel free to clone me as much as you want, using the same base stats each time. I made sure I had good reactions.

 

[Average Manatee]

Except they get an advantage from the weird physics of light (line of sight) in this game

Have been reading about that. The reason you get shot so often going around a corner is that aliens can see around 'some' corners (depends on compass direction), and see you before you see them so there is no mutual surprise to help

There's definitely weird stuff. I wouldn't say the aliens get an advantage though. The same things can work against them. For the most part you just roll with it and remember to send the rookies or a tank around corners. Rookies are cheap and tanks can take the shots.

 

[Jester]

Maybe you went overboard... the Skyranger. Oops

Sure

Overboard: Hey Sarge what this button does? - Asked Over while pressing it.
CO: Wait... what? Its opening cargo ramp! Holly crap, hold tight ladies its gonna shake our asses so hard that hula dancers will be envious of our proficiency.

Few seconds later.

Skyranger pilot: Decompression in cargo, the hell is going on? Xenos attacking us?
Skyranger co pilot: Look like some doors malfunction. Give me sec will close them from here, try to tame this girl meantime.
Skyranger pilot: Was able to tame your wife yesterday, this shouldn't be to hard.
Skyranger co pilot: Still cant believe that you lived after telling her how her roast taste.
Skyranger pilot: Yep, should get medal for it and you for eating it for 10 years during your marriage.

After door had closed.
CO: Overboard get your ass here, that was most retarded stuff you did. Your pulling my leg soldier?
Jester: Emm boss he cant hear you.
CO: What?
Jester: He got out the plane. Was talking something about being late, mby he thought that he will avoid rush hours in base if he will outrun us.
CO: Jet plane... on foot?
Jester: Yeah i know. Guy should chill and relax, from all this rushing he forgotten parachute.
CO: Wait what? Fuck i expect i will have to fill in some paper work on this one.
Jester: Look at the bright side boss. Support team will have to clean Mr. Splash mess not us.
CO: Thats something.
Jester: Oh thats remind me.... MAN OVERBOARD.
Jester snicker
CO: You are an ass, Jester.
Jester: Why thank you commander, although i don't know what i did to earn this prise.
CO: Jester pipe down or i will court martial you.
Jester: Sir, yes Sir.
....
Jester: I hope Over will send us some freebies from his vacation.
CO: Jester! Pipe down or i will make you do so.

 

[hostergaard]

I died? Oh well, still got to rain hellfire down everywhere and blow shit up before I died. To bad I did not manage to kill anything.

You know about my standing order to clone whenever I die (whit respect to the queue mind you)? Prime me up for another round!

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

MISSION 10: KILL EVEER-RY-THIIING!
Terror site, Melbourne Australia, night time

Experimenting with new weapon types/tactics. Also you can see got our first power armor

Highlights

-Brazilian Slaughter Mk II kicking ass. Or really lucky. 4 floaters at mid-long range in one mission with a laser pistol
-Machine guns are weak
-smoke negatively affects your aim? when shooting through or shooting from a smoke-filled square? or is it my imagination?
-Azira killed a civilian
-...and another. What an asshole
-Johannes got a direct hit on Random Mk II with a rocket which was supposed to be aimed
-Zero Credibility the most senior recon guy got shot, was doing quite well but scouting is dangerous



Sorry about vid quality, trying to find a way to make them smaller. Skip ahead first 1.5 mins is inventory sorting

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

MISSION 12: Terror in Paris

Highlights
-half the squad power armored
-you CAN be shot in your Skyranger despite waiting the first turn and smoke grenade. I just switched to this tactic since everyone insists that's what you should do, I think this is a message I was right (RIP Jester Mk II, survived one mission)
-Azira knocked out and captured a Floater medic. Who climbed out of his backpack without him noticing almost at the end of the mission. sser stunned him again
-hostergaard very lucky (right next to a Reaper and floater who decided to focus on a civ instead)
-Kashmeer Slippers eaten by Reaper (couldn't do anything to stop that)
-Johannes is an not to be trusted with heavy weapons. Twice shot rocket into squad
-Edward R Murrow blows up a civilian at the same time as a Reaper
-Average Manatee kills 2

 

[Hobbit Lord of Mordor_]

Base #3, the UK has already joined the aliens and France reduced it's commitment so I had to cover Europe

Anyway looks like things are going pretty well I'm surprised so far

 

[Gozma]

-you CAN be shot in your Skyranger despite waiting the first turn and smoke grenade. I just switched to this tactic since everyone insists that's what you should do, I think this is a message I was right (RIP Jester Mk II, survived one mission)

Wow haha, that is terrible. I read this and I figured you had misplaced the smoke, but that was unavoidable. The alien had to literally wander at random from his starting tile in an adjacent terrain square into the Skyranger... I have never had that happen despite playing an absurd number of games. I still say smoke and wait is the correct play though.

 

[Azira]

-Azira killed a civilian
-...and another. What an asshole

 

[Jester]

Died to something that happens 1 in 1000000 games, hell i am the chosen one.
Reclone Jester anytime when he will die, if there is a room.

 

[Desmodus Rotundus]

If it's not too much of a bother could you perhaps post the stats of those new weapons?

What's with those extra soft non lethal rockets btw, 2 went off right in the middle/just besides a group of agents and none had even a scratch on them