Changing Difficulty

[Fox]

So I was playing through a game in X-COM CE for windows, but now that I got DOSBOX working I have been playing the DOS version. I simply moved my saved game from CE to DOS and everything transferred. I was really happy.

 

But, I just played for a month, and definitely noticed that the difficulty is WICKED easy now. I was playing on veteran, but now the aliens are just idiots. I first noticed it when I was checking out a landed abducter. Came around a corner with one of my guys, and there was a sectoid, right in front of him (complete with heavy plasma, I found out later). So he had just enough TUs to make a snapshot, and I decided to do it. HIT! But sectoid is still alive!

 

So naturally I say to myself, "Well that was dumb. This guy is going to die." I had nothing else I could do that turn. Everyone else was too far away to lend a hand. And I didn't have any blaster bombs left to use. I was stuck.

 

So I clicked on End Turn, and wouldn't you know it? The sectoid walks around the guy, looks around. And then stops. My turn starts, I shoot and kill it. Wouldn't have happened in my CE game.

 

And mission after mission I realize the aliens are way too easy. Is there anyway I can change the difficulty midgame back to veteran? It just isn't fun to me when the aliens don't retaliate with full force... this is just a turkey shoot for me.

[Zombie]

No, I don't think changing difficulty levels partway through a game is possible. And even if you could, the changes wouldn't take hold till you start a new game. Wouldn't that be easier? (I mean, starting over)?

 

- Zombie

[NKF]

There are no in-game methods of doing this, but you can change the difficulty mid-Geoscape with XComutil (or a hex editor - if you know where to fiddle), but if the game's difficulty bug hasn't been fixed, it'll just revert back to beginner after the next mission.

 

 

- NKF

[Fox]

Bah this sucks. Looks like I'll have to just keep playing it through on CE then. So does that mean no matter how I play the DOS version I'll always have to play it on Beginner?

[Azure]

Well, fixing the difficulty bug is the primary reason many people use XcomUtil (its the primary reason that XcomUtil was created in the first place...the other stuff was added later). The problem for many folks is that XcomUtil makes other changes to the game, some of which it does NOT ask you about. Specifically, it changes:

 

1> Your Crafts so that the Interceptor and Firestorm can carry troops and equipment (this is the part most people don't like...If you haven't tried it, give it a whirl and see what you think...I find I rather like the new tactical challenges), and also changes the crew capacity and positioning of the crew in other crafts (This is rather clever, actually...the default setup has all your soldiers facing out the ramp, XcomUtil changes this so they are facing in all directions, looking out the windows (yes! the Skyranger has windows in the sides and front, most people just don't realize it because their troops alway face out the back...), which gives you a MUCH better view of the landing zone BEFORE you start moving out),

 

2> it changes the stats for the craft laser cannon (longer range, less damage), and

 

3> it changes some of the maps to enable the ship changes and to eliminate the base disjoint bug (this removes the walls at the end of hallways in your base, leaving bare dirt showing...its ugly, but it allows you to 'tunnel' between disjointed base modules even if you don't have/don't wanna use Blaster Bombs to do it).

 

If all you want is to remove the difficulty bug, just make a backup of your /MAPS folder, then edit the XcuSetup.bat file BEFORE running XcuSetup (the setup program for XcomUtil) and find the line "xcomutil ufoexe shp:cfg map:cfg wrt XcuSetup" then change it so it reads "xcomutil ufoexe wrt XcuSetup". Run XcuSetup and answer [N]o to all the questions it asks. Then copy your backup of /MAPS over the current /MAPS folder, and you should be done...Just remember to start the game with the "RunXcom" command so that XcomUtil can keep your difficulty settings right.

 

There is a thread about this over on xcomufo.com that goes into more detail...check it out.

 

Azure