Disappearing Triscenes

[Sherlock]

It appears that Triscenes may be present in UNITREF.DAT but not in the mission. As the result, you may not spot this creature in your campaign at all. Does anybody know what may be the reason? Is it a game bug? An example: https://www.ufopaedia...e=File:Nstm.zip, explanations inside.

 

For more details, see https://www.ufopaedia...nown_Bugs_(TFTD)#Disappearing_Triscenes

[NoXTheRoXStaR]

I've experienced this occurrence once before on a cruise ship mission. I looked high and low for the Triscene, lower deck, mid deck, upper deck. You name it, I looked. However, I wasn’t taking into consideration that the alien took up four spaces. I wish I had taken a screenshot of it. The Tricene was actually stuck in an upper deck bathroom (?) I had to retrace my steps several times but I found the bastard and blew his ass away with an explosive charge.

Hope that helps.

[Bomb Bloke]

Sherlock's talking about when an alien is present in the game data files, but isn't present in the actual map. You don't even need to kill it in order to win; the game just doesn't register it's there.

 

My bet is that this is happening 'cause the game runs out of valid spawn nodes to place them on. Some nodes don't allow large units, and Triscenes spawn after most other aliens, so...

[NoXTheRoXStaR]

What He said ^^

[Tsathoggua]

Been fighting the current campaign, on difficulty setting 3 for a game time of over 2 years now. Not one has shown itself, nor has the xarquid.

 

A good way to get the ufopaedia entries, is to get everything else, living and autopsy, then keeping two medics in reserve, research those after leaving no other options for the critter to spill when its interrogation is finished. IIRC in the original first game, its the ONLY way to get the cyberdisc and sectopod 'alive'.

[silencer_pl]

Triscenes are late game rare monsters - they come with mixed crew of I think Aquatoid and Tasoth terror mission and I think only on island/port attack. Xarquids I know for sure company gilman in the Dreadnought. Not sure they are on any other USO.

[Tsathoggua]

To give an idea how rare they an xarquid are, I've seen perhaps 3-4 x the garquid and a handful more triscsenes since \tftd first came out, and bar a year or two i'vve been playing since then. \triscene are RARE, xarquid though, they are almost nonexistent, but dangerous when they do appear due to their damn fast, accurate sonic beam, like a big bulky bio drone. And they have a nasty habit of being smart and sneaky as hell made flesh, and they like to hide out and snipe with that damn cannon of theirs. First time I ever saw the tricene though I admit it shit me up a little, seeing those two craft PWT cannons mounted on it,, thankfully its only smart enough to use sonics and play the role of tank/meat shield. Albeit a meat shield with decent reactions and a big cannon, Not as dangerous as the xarquid though, if they were more

common, they would be a bloody nightmare instead of sought after hunting trophy for the Triton's walls. Especially on something like a base assault or

artefact site, which I think is the only time I've ever seen xarquid, in a base. Only EVER seen a couple of them though but they can put up a pretty good fight unless you have DPLs, which of course can be sent in from afar and dropped right up the arse end of the thing, if the bug is getting too arsey to stun. Getting close enough

with stun rods/vibroblades is a certifiable nightmare. PTSD all round for the squad I bet.

[Kir'jaeden]

To give an idea how rare they an xarquid are, I've seen perhaps 3-4 x the garquid and a handful more triscsenes since \tftd first came out, and bar a year or two i'vve been playing since then. \triscene are RARE, xarquid though, they are almost nonexistent, but dangerous when they do appear due to their damn fast, accurate sonic beam, like a big bulky bio drone. And they have a nasty habit of being smart and sneaky as hell made flesh, and they like to hide out and snipe with that damn cannon of theirs. First time I ever saw the tricene though I admit it shit me up a little, seeing those two craft PWT cannons mounted on it,, thankfully its only smart enough to use sonics and play the role of tank/meat shield. Albeit a meat shield with decent reactions and a big cannon, Not as dangerous as the xarquid though, if they were more

common, they would be a bloody nightmare instead of sought after hunting trophy for the Triton's walls. Especially on something like a base assault or

artefact site, which I think is the only time I've ever seen xarquid, in a base. Only EVER seen a couple of them though but they can put up a pretty good fight unless you have DPLs, which of course can be sent in from afar and dropped right up the arse end of the thing, if the bug is getting too arsey to stun. Getting close enough

with stun rods/vibroblades is a certifiable nightmare. PTSD all round for the squad I bet.

 

Consider the TFTD CE savegame. Lower decks of cruise liner, mixed crew. There are both a triscene and a xarquid. This is an excellent mission to test your bright startegies.

There are no Xarquids on alien bases. Hovever, TFTD Extender upgrades Hallucinoids corresponding their UFOpaedeia description, arming them with long range paralyzing blast. One well targeted shot into your transport - and half of your squad is laid down!

game_6.rar

[Tsathoggua]

DEFINITELY have seen a xarquid on a base. Or it might have been an artifact site, but one or the other. I took note of it, because I've only EVER seen a handful, literally, I could count them with the fingers of one hand, maybe one or two more, since TFTD first came out, Bought the game as soon as I first found a copy of a playable demo somewhere as a kid, where your armed with gauss weapons and a coelacanth, the type armed with the big gas cannon bolt thrower, no alien tech, tactical only mission facing tasoth, Gauss weapons on the demo, oddly, had the same infinite ammo as the laser weapons in enemy unknown.

has such couldn't have installed it from the CD.

 

Not that I particularly give a damn about paying for software, as a rule I try my hardest to avoid ever doing so, if I CAN download what software I require, I do.

Not well off to begin with financially, and all my spare money, thats earmarked for the lab.

 

 

 

Whats this TFTD extender? I'd like to de-nerf the hallucinoids, as they stand (or, rather, as they float, like living loogies) they are pathetic, and more of an irritation and waste of ammo than anything elses. A lot of the time they don't seem even to bother attacking in melee and just sit there sucking bullets. And irritatingly enough they seem to be quite resistant against at least the vibroblade; I have just restarted the game for a few reasons, was getting some really weird bugs.

 

Like my primary triton being armed with 1/0 weapons, the 'weapon' being 'medic' shown as a purple rank badge with commander's chains. with an ammunition capacity of two, but without any rounds for it Wish I could have found a way to load the thing, it actually showed up if I sent that triton out to engage a USO in flight, but without any 'medic shells' I obviously couldn't start firing medic-commanders out of the triton's ghostly torpedo tube. (that kind of puts a whole new meaning on the idiom 'to get fired' from your job, does it not?

 

I know militaries need to enforce discipline, but surely, thats a little bit harsh, even for a trooper being sacked. Launched out of a torpedo tube headfirst, smack bang into a USO full of perdition only knows what kind of vicious alien aberrations, or simply, squished against the hull, potentially splattered, twisted, stretched, crushed, snapped in half or several of the above due to the gravity field modulation employed by the alien craft engines. Or possibly just irradiated by the ion beam accelerators, like that russian guy who accidentally got hit straight through the head by the beam from a particle accelerator (it happened, guy survived, IIRC it was a cyclotron, although it may have been a synchrotron, guy accidentally had his head in the way of the path of the beamline and it was turned on while maintainance was meant to be happening. d

[NKF]

The medic cannon's a glitch. Not entirely sure of what causes it, but it seems to be one that pops up now and then. If I remember correctly, it takes the D.U.P. Head as ammo.

 

The launcher. Not the ammo.

 

I don't know if the performance is the same between glitches, but I've seen this thing destroy a Dreadnaught and left no wreckage. Then at other times it does nothing.

 

 

Whats this TFTD extender? I'd like to de-nerf the hallucinoids, as they stand (or, rather, as they float, like living loogies) they are pathetic, and more of an irritation and waste of ammo than anything elses. A lot of the time they don't seem even to bother attacking in melee and just sit there sucking bullets. And irritatingly enough they seem to be quite resistant against at least the vibroblade; I have just restarted the game for a few reasons, was getting some really weird bugs.

 

Oh - they're bullet sponges all right. Don't underestimate them though, if they do get close they'll rip your aquanauts apart if they are not wearing Ion Armor or better. Even in Ion Armor, they may manage to get a good damage roll when attacking from the left or right sides where armour is weak on Ion Armor. At range they're not much of a threat though, and that's good.

 

The Vibroblade not working well against Hallucinoids is normal. Hallucinoids have moderate armour which soaks up most of the damage that the Vibroblade can produce. The Thermic or Heavy Thermic lance on the other hand have enough damage that they can deal more penetrating damage per attack.

 

On a side note, if you're looking for Xarquids, shoot down alien subs crewed by Gillmen. Go for the larger subs that carry terror units like the Battleship and Dreadnaught. You can find some in T'Leth. Also, Xarquids can be found out of the water later on during Mixed Crew terror missions.

 

- NKF

[Kir'jaeden]

DEFINITELY have seen a xarquid on a base. Or it might have been an artifact site, but one or the other. I took note of it, because I've only EVER seen a handful, literally, I could count them with the fingers of one hand, maybe one or two more, since TFTD first came out,

Xarquids in base-like environment? You could see them only on 2nd and 3rd levels of T'leth. T'leth is not a regular base. T'leth is the Source.

Whats this TFTD extender? I'd like to de-nerf the hallucinoids, as they stand (or, rather, as they float, like living loogies) they are pathetic, and more of an irritation and waste of ammo than anything elses. A lot of the time they don't seem even to bother attacking in melee and just sit there sucking bullets. And irritatingly enough they seem to be quite resistant against at least the vibroblade; I have just restarted the game for a few reasons, was getting some really weird bugs.

 

Topic "Modding" would help you.

[Tsathoggua]

Thanks for the info on the 'medic cannon'

You mean...it fires D.U tipped torpedo TUBES, as opposed to their torpedoes?

Damn thats nuts. Firing an entire torpedo launcher at the enemy. Does it have to be a torpedo launcher loaded with DU-tipped torpedoes? or is it just loaded with DUP head launchers without torpedo launchers. Or third option, torpedo launcher loaded with or without rounds, but doing more damage one way or the other? So its a known glitch? I found no references to it on the UFOpaedia site online where other glitches were discussed.

(don't mind my use of the slightly different acronyms here and there, I am infinitely more used to chemist's acronyms and slang/in-house terminology than military although I do take a fair interest in military tech generally speaking.

 

Thankfully I made sure to keep at least one save of the glitched game, because I want to see if that medic cannon can be fired. So, its possible that in some circumstances it is capable of being fired?

 

And the base environment, must have been a glitch or oddity then because I've never made it to T'leth. I CAN'T have seen them there because ,my troops have never BEEN there. Ever. I have been playing since the first playable demo first came out, and I still have been locked in a bloody, vicious, messy war of attrition against the bugs. The base like environment WAS a base, OR an artifact site. One or the other, not T'leth.

 

 

As for the pathetic hallucinoids and armored vs vibroblades, well lobstermen are armored to the eyeteeth, and tough as rusty nail chewing gum, but 8 or 9 times in ten just a single vibroblade strike is enough to put them down for good. Damn cheap way of taking the things out too, especially comes in handy when going commander hunting, Nailing the three lobbies in there with the vibroblade after some crazy fruitcake charges down the hole, stab, stab, stab after destroying the synomium device first, to avoid any nonfatal stunnings resulting in the body being blown to hell when the synomium device takes whats coming that way in the form of a disruptor pulse round, sonic pulser or gas cannon HE shell (I don't use the GC armor piercing rounds other than those that you get given for free at the beginning of the game, once those armor-piercing gas cannon rounds are spent, I don't buy more, only mainly phosphorus rounds, and some HE shells. I like to use the HE bolts especially down in artifact sites, where there is often a heavy infestation of DPL-armed aquaturds that love to pop their heads out and send a DP round wherever you least want it, trying to use MC to designate targets, the sneaky little svinyas. The tasoth they frequently are to be found working alongside, do it too, but only the leaders are MC capable, whereas a lot of aquaturds can be at least capable of probing a target and finding a place to open a can of high explosive worms. The gas cannon rounds are cheap, can carry plenty of them, do respectable damage and you bet that any anorexic sectoid gone moldy that pops it's fat little head out of a door or window, or hides close to something destructible is going to have that head popped permanently with a large caliber HE or willy pete-tipped gas cannon slug *grins evilly*

 

Not too shabby against tasoth either, although it usually takes two shells to ensure a kill. Not bad, considering I've seen the (albeit not all too common) odd tasoth

actually survive direct hits from DPL rounds (speaking collectively, I do not mean to imply I've seen a tasoth take TWO disruptor pulse rounds and yet live, I mean that I've had missions in which several DIFFERENT tasoth each took a DPL round, and a direct hit at that and survived to take a second, which in each and every single case that my men have ever gone on to launch a second round, the result was tasoth-flavored slushpuppy. Not, mind you that if you found such a critter you could actually EAT it, deep sea creatures are very unlikely to ever be edible, of any species whatsoever, because to survive the pressures found at such depths and whats more to avoid freezing to death/freezing solid the creatures found in the oceanic depths have to come up with strategies to avoid those fates, and the typical way of doing it is to saturate their tissues and possibly bodily fluids like their blood and in the case of invertebrates presumably, haemolymph, with ammonia and di/trimethylamine. So I am told, giant squid for example absolutely stinks like rotting cat piss, courtesy of all the NH3, (CH3)2NH and (CH3)3N.

Not, unsurprisingly enough, that I've ever had the occasion to be close enough to a giant or colossal squid to try sniffing one of either species, much less make calamari out of them, or for that matter even seen one. Would love to some day, but I don't think it very likely. Although I've a pretty damn good idea what they smell like, I use triethylamine more than tri/dimethylamine as either a catalytic base in things like the knoevanagel/Henry condensation, or if using acyl halides as acylating agents, as they release plenty HCl gas [or other hydrogen halide, I just happen to use more acyl chlorides than bromides, can't think of ever having anything to do with an iodide, or even remember if acyl iodides are stable for that matter, so I just think of the di/trialkylamine bases as hydrogen chloride-suckers to trap the waste as its formed and in so doing, avoid burning substrates, foulling up acid-sensitive projects etc.

 

And those amines smell AWFUL, especially trimethylamine, think a mixture of cat piss soaked into litter thats had the chance to stand around in warm weather for a fair while, and really old and putrid rotten fish. Something tells me that no aquanaut would want to hold a lobsterman dinner, not more than once anyway,

 

*pictures new seamen getting hazed by being offered a big plate of lobsterman claws*

 

'mmm...thanks, you even cooked me my first kill personally, Commander,.....' ''no worries, you earned it, after all you did just charge that lobbie with only a magna-blast grenade and a harpoon rifle, run out of ammo and managed to ram your dart pistol right in its mouth after jumping on its back and putting a dart straight up through the roof of its mouth into its brain, you earned that, and your promotion straight to ensign, never mind able seaman'

 

*newly promoted ensign takes bite, gags, coughs, and spews his insides all over the base walls and floor*

 

 

(curiosity...presumably thats pronounced something like 'telex', if going with r'yeh'ian linguistic pronunciation? that sounds more like a phone or internet service provider than the grisly lair of a Great Old One. that said 'relex' sounds like a term for either genitalia or possibly the order of a chain-smoking, croaky masseuse, as in 'lie down now and r'yleh' <tagged onto the end of post because of my stupid psychotic laptop mousepad and keyboard, its in remark to xarquids and t'leth. Lol I actually just typed that as r'yleh. Oops. The game designers were obviously as big a set of lovecraft fans as I am

[NKF]

As for the pathetic hallucinoids and armored vs vibroblades, well lobstermen are armored to the eyeteeth, and tough as rusty nail chewing gum, but 8 or 9 times in ten just a single vibroblade strike is enough to put them down for good.

 

The main trick that make Lobstermen so tough is their damage resistance. They only take 30% damage from Explosives, 30% from Gauss, 50% from Sonic, etc. Drills on the other hand deal 200% damage. So yeah, drills are anathema for Lobstermen. Hallucinoids on the other hand only take 60% from drills.

 

Also, if you grab an M.C. Reader and probe a Lobsterman, you'll see their general all-round armour will be in the 20+ range. Tissue paper compared to plastic aqua armor and will not put up a lot of resistance to a Vibroblade.

 

- NKF

[Tsathoggua]

In my advanced older game that I kept for the weird 'medic cannon' triton loadout bug now I hear it can possibly be loaded and fired, and to make a good weapon at that, if a pricey one, I have been having to fight without psykers. Dealt with enough of them, but they were tasoth and aquaturd not human and definitely, definitely, absolutely not friendly, and 'dealt with' doesn't mean 'comprehensive dental plan' either. At least, not unless its the kind of dental work that comes from a GC round in the face

 

I'd noticed hallucinoid damage resistance to drills, at least to the vibroblade, how do the thermic lance and heavy lance stack up in terms of damage done per strike? not that is, it really matters, the only thing hallucinoids are good for, is getting in the way of weapons fire intended for other aliens.

er

Just started the newer game I've got going, month II just beginning. Too early to have any MC anything whatsoever, not sure my men have even encountered MC. Seen a few aquatoids and gill men (squad leaders have MC capability don't they? or do they, If so its not very powerful seemingly), but they have generally been too busy being blown to smithereens/toasted by gas cannon rounds and grenades to be taking a break and concentrate their mental powers. And by the time they have spotted an x-com soldier, their mental powers have thus far been concentrated on the floor, buildings, USO interiors and any of their companions close by.

 

The older one, research tree bug I think, pretty advanced in the game, enough to have captured some lobsterman commanders, and made them spill the beans (amongst other things), but no psionics bar the MC lab, not been able to research the MC disruptor or reader,

 

The newer one, I've just not had the chance to do any probing. Although, really, I always thought it was the aliens who had a probe-fetish=D

 

 

Getting paid back for the hammering I've been giving the aquatoid, gill men etc so far in the new one. Month II, Lobster man shipping lane terror mission and with nothing but a coelacanth/gas cannon, gauss rifles and a pistol or two, a gas cannon and 6 guys have thermal tazers. Plastic aqua armor all around though, but otherwise, the ordure is firmly lodged in the air redistribution system. Hades. Handbasket. 'Nuff said.

 

Got some pulse grenades, those are the ONLY sonic weapon usable so far, dyes for coverage to exit the LZ, protect civvies until I can get someone close enough to zap them one (its for your own good, sir, but I've got to tazer you....) and for sneaking up on lobstermen and ESPECIALLY bio-drones.

 

So far the only reason nobody HAS ended up wearing their lungs as a belt, is because of sheer dumb bastards luck, after three very close calls, not counting more than a few near misses. Two aquanauts got clawed by lobstermen, wearing aqua plastic armor, both of them required the cuntish crustacean to run a considerable distance, one of them taking a cannon round from a tank in the process from reaction fire, both getting close to inflict only a single blow, neither of which penetrated or even damaged the armor. The third, was a shocking survival. Doubletap from a biodrone, and not its 0% accuracy close quarters attack either, but two direct hits from the sonic weapon they pack! in aqua armor of all things. Two shots, one right after the other, provoked by gauss rifle hits, both the same guy, who shot, got shot, returned the favor and got paid back in kind, before the drones ran dry of TU, and were hit with a pulse grenade each, and then nailed with shot after shot after shot of gauss rifle and gas cannon, plus tank gas cannon fire, the aquanaut-portable version being loaded with HE rounds.

 

Nobody dead yet, other than a few civilians stupid enough to run out of the smoke coverage provided by the dye grenades thrown at their feet, and not only run straight towards the lobsterman sniper meters away from them on the side of the second upper level deck that they couldn't have not seen, but actually leg it in front of both the line of fire, and the hail of gauss rounds, WP, and explosives, as well as GC/AP bolts from the coelacanth. If they really are so brainless, I wonder why I bother.

 

Not sure how I'm going to pull this mission off with zero casualty rate amongst x-com personnel, because its taking between a clip and nearly half that again to put each lobsterman down, scavenging as many pulse grenades as I can find, and forgoing the usual tactic of blowing KO aliens up straight away, instead, taking high value targets only, and piling bodies up in heaps before blowing them to hell with the gas cannon, or burning them all at once.

 

Questions: in the case of dual type weapons like sonic pulsers what kind of damage gets inflicted? is it HE or sonic? And how to lobstermen fare against incendiary ammo?

[NKF]

Questions: in the case of dual type weapons like sonic pulsers what kind of damage gets inflicted? is it HE or sonic? And how to lobstermen fare against incendiary ammo?

 

Despite their name, Sonic Pulsers are straight up High Explosives. TFTD's Ufopedia lists them as HE damage. Seems confusing, but I've convinced myself that the Sonic in Sonic Pulser refers to the application of the sonic weapon technology to create the explosion. The real reason is the game engine is only set up to use a fairly limited set of effect types for grenades, mainly high explosive or smoke.

 

Lobstermen only take 30% from fire. However, fire damage calculation is generally weird in both UFO and TFTD, see: https://www.ufopaedia....php/Incendiary

 

- NKF

[sp1ke]

I added the 'Medic Cannon' to TFTD Known Bugs on ufopaedia.org, so thanks for that.

 

As for Xarquids - I've beaten a pack of them with just Gas Cannons and regular armour, but my God was that a painful process.

[Tsathoggua]

A PACK of xarquid? jesus wept....damn. I hardly ever even see one or two. Ever.

 

By regular armor, you mean aqua plastic armor or diving suits (unarmored for all intents and purposes)?

Any casualties? or did you manage to take down the xarquids without any fatalities? Not surprised that was traumatic at best, every time I've crossed swords with

xarquid they have proven something devilish sneaky, crafty little bleeders, that love to hang back and snipe from long distance, deadly accurate with that powerful beam weapon they possess, and/or be given to flanking maneuvers, trying to come up behind the troops and shoot them in the back.

[sp1ke]

Xarquids hiding in all 4 corners of the map, about 6 of them. I had literally no armour, not even aqua plastic. I was down on researching armour back then. I understood it was required to win the game, because subs, but I resented being forced into that so I was kind of sulking.

 

Yes, lots of casualties, about half my squad I think. But I use big squads. Because meat is cheaper than tanks, and shows up faster, and if it doesn't die, it learns.

[Tsathoggua]

Christ, to see that many xarquid during an entire campaign would be a damn rare thing, but on one mission?

 

Thats like winning the lottery, only in reverse...you spend your money (on troops, equipment and transport), your numbers come up and you win your liver in a doggy bag.

Although sounds like you got what you deserved for throwing a wobbler haha.

 

Karma is a bitch. Sulk and you got paid back with interest for your petulance hehehehe:D The big nasty mutated ammonites that usually barely make any appearance

whatsoever during a campaign then show up in a swarm. I am really surprised you had to face so many of them though. Murphy (of eponymous law fame) must aeallve been really pissed off that day and decided to visit it all down upon your head personally:P

[sp1ke]

You know what I got out of that mission? Massive enjoyment. It was one of the hardest, most brutal, but also most enjoyable missions I've played. :-)

[Tsathoggua]

I bet. Xarquid make for great high-stakes trophy hunting. FAR more dangerous than the land based triscene imo.`` Triscene are just big stupid tanks more or less, tough but they aren't going to win any prizes for being the sharpest tool in the box. Xarquid have the advantage of being aquatic, more mobile, and damn sneaky at times.