Ion Armor Problem (Tech Tree 3)

[zalien]

Hello,

 

After a long break I've decided to start a new play through using TFTD exender. My setup is as follows:

 

TFTD Collector's Edition + TFTD Extender.

In the ini file I've set Tech Tree to 3.

 

Unfortunately, I've been unable to gain access to ION Armor. I have researched the following:

 

Ion-Beam Accelerators

Magnetic Navigation

Aqua Plastics (I have the Plastic Armor)

 

Since Tech Tree is set to 3 the ini file says I don't need Live Deep One so I'm unsure what is going on.

 

I would greatly appreciate any help on this.

 

Cheers.

[Tycho]

From the TFTDextender home page https://www.ufopaedia...TDextender#Mods :

• Start With Alternate Tech Tree: choose the level of change to apply to the research tree when you start a NEW game. (the higher the number the more changes are applied.)
  
  • =1: The need for a live Deep One to research Ion Armor is removed.
    
  • =2: The vibroblade can be researched when found but a calcinite autopsy is required for thermic lance.
    
  • =3: The prerequisites for armors have been reordered or changed. Aqua plastics can be researched when found. The prerequisite for Ion Armor is not a live Deep One but more logical. (Hint:all armors' prerequisites follow the same idea.)
    

At tech level 3, you don't need a live deep one but you do need to research something else. If all armors' prerequisites follow the same theme, you'll need something similiar to get the next level of armor. Ask yourself, what did I have to research in order to get Plastic Aqua Armor besides Aqua Plastics?

If you can tell me what you've already researched, I can tell if you there is a bug or you haven't found the right prequisite.

[zalien]

Many thanks for your response Tycho!

 

You are right, I found a new item to research which unlocked it!

 

Thanks for everything you have done for the community!!!!

[PeachGirl]

I am having the same problem, so I figured I'd just BUMP this topic instead of creating a new one.

 

I am also using Tech Tree 3. And It seems I have reached a standstill in terms of research. No new research has become available. I already have Plastic Aqua Armor, of course, as well as Ion-Beam Accelerators (and Magnetic Navigation, for what it's worth). I'm presuming IB Accelerators are needed. So I was thinking: if a Deep One (corpse) was needed alongside Aqua Plastics to get Plastic Aqua Armor, then what terrorist (corpse?) is needed alongside IB Accelerators to get Ion Armor? Maybe a Bio-Drone? (Considering the fact that Bio-Drones are "powered by an ION engine" as per UFOpedia.)

 

However, the Bio-Drone corpse I got has served no purpose. I also have gotten (both dead and alive) specimens of Aquatoids, Gil Men, Tasoths, Deep Ones and Calcinites. Then I just have Xarquid and Bio-Drone corpses.

 

(As an aside: I have stunned Xarquids several times but they never counted as live alien captures. I've even stood over their bodies (both dead and alive), but they never show on the inventory screen. Is this a bug?)

 

Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

I need to get Ion Armor.

 

PS: Tycho, are you still around?

[silencer_pl]

What about lobsterman you haven't mention him. About Xarquid - they are capturable but since they are 2x2 unit, you can't get them in inventory screen.

 

P.S. I don't even have a clue if it is lobsterman because I haven't played with this setting.

[PeachGirl]

I don't think Lobsterman would be the requirement here. I have not yet encountered any Lobstermen, Tentaculat or Hallucinoids. (This is my first play ever, BTW.)

 

If all armors' prerequisites follow the same theme, you'll need something similiar to get the next level of armor. Ask yourself, what did I have to research in order to get Plastic Aqua Armor besides Aqua Plastics?

 

Also, about Xarquids: being 2x2 units, it makes sense they wouldn't appear in the inventory screen. As for capturing them alive: I am 100% sure I've stunned plenty of them (because they didn't make any dying sound) and even reloaded several times just to make sure. And no, they are not capturable. They count as corpses. It must be a bug in my game.

[silencer_pl]

Lobsters are the toughest of the enemies. Not counting tricene (sp?) because it's so uber rare. And what is Ion Armour - very tough nut to crack. But that is my guess. Since to get aqua plastic armour you would need deep one corpse. So that would mean tougher armour need another corpse. I find it silly to need something else other than previous armour + zrbite + ion accelerator to get better armour.

 

 

[PeachGirl]

I have not encountered Lobstermen or Triscenes yet (I've just come out of my first Artefact Site and have an Alien Colony right up next, so I might meet them there now). However, it wouldn't make too much sense if Lobstermen were required for Ion Armor. Who would be left for Magnetic Ion Armor then?

 

Needless to say, I'm still stuck, research-wise. Ion Armor is what I'd need to open up the highter-tier research avenues (Disrupror Pulse Launcher and M.C.-Lab aisde).

 

I'd appreciate any help!

[silencer_pl]

No one. Magnetic Ion armour is just Ion armour with floating device.

[PeachGirl]

[spoilerS BELOW]

 

Well, after getting both a dead and a live Lobsterman from that last Alien Colony, I do have to say... you were spot-on right about it! I just didn't expect Ion Armor to be so "hard" to get. I mean, you can get Plastic Aqua Armor relatively early in the game by obtaining just a Deep One corpse. I therefore thought the next tier armor would be derived from some of the mid-game aliens, particularly a terrorist alien (to follow in the same line as Plastic Aqua Armor).

 

The prerequisites for armors have been reordered or changed. Aqua plastics can be researched when found. The prerequisite for Ion Armor is not a live Deep One but more logical. (Hint:all armors' prerequisites follow the same idea.)

 

Retrospectively, Lobsterman does indeed seem to make more logical sense now (down to the yellow color of it and all!). Although It'd be perhaps nicer if Magnetic-Ion Armor was a little harder to get afterwards, since by the time you get a Lobsterman you will have already gotten Magnetic Navigation a long time ago.

[silencer_pl]

Tasoths are also yellow Calcinites also would be a choice. Walking suit of armour and all. But yeah my first pick was lobsters because of the resistances and are easier to encounter. Although my TFTD Extender AAR proved that lobsters were very rare for me.

[Zombie]

Calcinites are a "walking suit of armor"? Well, you got the "suit" part right, but it's a diving suit. Yes, Calcinites have armor, but it's not crazy high either, the Triscene and Xarquid have much higher stats.

 

- Zombie

[PeachGirl]

Yeah, the "virtually indestructible shell" and "carefully designed fighting creature of incredible strength and practically invulnerable to missile fire" UFOpedia entries pretty much gave it away, but I wouldn't have known since this is my first time playing TFTD and I hadn't encountered Lobstermen before.

 

PS: Off-topic, other than never been able to capture a live Xarquid (being 100% sure they'd been rendered unconscious rather than killed), I have also never been able to resucitate an unconscious unit with Med-Kit. I may be doing something wrong here but, standing over the unit's body, I expend the 10 charges of stimulant every single time to no avail. I do check to see if the unit is standing right next to me conscious after every use, but this never occurs, so I keep trying until my Med-Kit is empty of any charges. Any ideas what may be wrong?

 

PPS: Also, for those interested, OpenTFTD playtest stream!

https://openxcom.org/...laytest-stream/

[Zombie]

PS: Off-topic, other than never been able to capture a live Xarquid (being 100% sure they'd been rendered unconscious rather than killed), I have also never been able to resucitate an unconscious unit with Med-Kit. I may be doing something wrong here but, standing over the unit's body, I expend the 10 charges of stimulant every single time to no avail. I do check to see if the unit is standing right next to me conscious after every use, but this never occurs, so I keep trying until my Med-Kit is empty of any charges. Any ideas what may be wrong?

 

You are doing it right, the problem is that Stim shots only alleviate 4 pts of stun per use. It really doesn't matter what your soldier's standing health is as stun is saved as a separate variable from it and can go up to the cap (255). That's the worst case scenario, in which case it would take 63 stim injections - or over 6 Medi-Kit's worth to revive the soldier.

 

- Zombie

[silencer_pl]

Calcinites are a "walking suit of armor"? Well, you got the "suit" part right, but it's a diving suit. Yes, Calcinites have armor, but it's not crazy high either, the Triscene and Xarquid have much higher stats.

 

- Zombie

 

Well I actually said that as a joke.