Base Commander's Handbook

[Jman4117]

About the finding walls cheat..... I er......"found" an older version of UFO so I could hear the old sounds. Turns out when I got into the battlescape I couldn't see any walls in the black areas. Odd, huh?

[EclipseDog]

Speaking of really unusual bug exploits... you ever tried the phantom radar trick on your psi labs as a test trick?

 

I've tried it with two different loads of the game, my own store-bought from ages ago, and the XP-compliant version (which had been modified so many times I can't even figure out which version of the game it originally was even!) I DLed from a site that due to its questionable content is better off left unsaid... besides if someone is truly desperate enough they'll find it or others like it on their own... and I really don't want to encourage software piracy by mentioning links hither and yon even if I do use them myself. Now that may appear to be hypocritical but there is nothing I can do about that. It's not exactly true since I only dl compliant version for old games that no longer run for me rather than leech games like most who use those type of sites, but it's a dark enough shade of grey to make me not fight it as much.

 

Anyway, in one version the psi labs continued to work somehow whereas in the other it didn't. I'm not sure why that happens since I don't recally there ever being mention of a bug fix for that.

[Jman4117]

I didn't link it. I was just telling what happened when I "unpatched" my version 1.2.

[Stewart]

With regards to using engineers for profit see this thread @ XcomUFO.

 

As for the disjoint base bug:

1 ) If you want to ensure nothing is isolated place a Hangar in the SE corner, and avoid "dirt" in the second last column to the right and second last row to the bottom.

 

2 ) Explot it by placing your row of Hangars either along the bottom or right-hand side for two reason.

i ) as you persue the remaining aliens left in the hangars there is only /one/ doorway to go through to the next hanger. No sneak behinds but if the aliens is camped and waiting he migh plug you before you can rotate to spot him. It also creates "closets" out of the double door entrance way.

ii ) rather than have 5 "dirt" facilites to create a choke-point you only need 4, giving you a "bonus" facility. Someone else can make the diagram, I'm too lazy right now.

 

Personally I don't play disjoint bases. As for base defense please see this thread (also at XcomUFO) just scroll down 'till you see the drawing that looks like a blue-print. Hense my avatar.

 

As for base building, placement, use, and management strategies see this thread.

[NKF]

You have to register to read the xcomufo.com forums now? Oh well, no biggie.

 

Something's odd. The connection just stalls when I try to post anything, but I can read existing threads with no trouble. Woe is me and all that. I suppose it's a good thing. I couldn't possibly catch up with the existing discussions (what with my 3 page replies).

 

Anyway, back to the topic:

 

For engineering for profit and all that, I was thinking more along the lines of a large time/profit comparison table with columns for 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 engineer working space. I'm sure I've seen something like this somewhere before. It would make a rather handy reference (you know, like all those experience charts at the back of the manuals of a lot of D&D CRPGs).

 

Just as a brief aside: I doubt these forums allow tables ... I wish they could. Not that it would be used much, but there are a lot of occasions where information can be better presented in tabular form. Hmm, I wonder, what ever happened to that idea of having small base icons as smilies so that we can construct mini-base layouts for discussion purposes? Never mind.

 

 

Regarding base disjoint:

 

I still have that old diagram I put together to show which base modules are affected.

 

Notice the white boxes between the modules. Those are the doorways. As you can see, (or if you can't (i.e. image has gone) or haven't seen the diagram) the eastern-most base modules do not have access to the north and south modules. The southern-most base modules do not have east and west access. This means the module in the south east is completely sealed off from the rest of the base: Except if one quarter of a hangar resides in that location. Other modules you can safely build in the isolated area are the radars, since aliens do not spawn in these facilities (that sounded a bit odd...).

 

How can this be exploited? Well, you can't really exploit it much, really. All it really is an added partition between two base modules - which you might be able to use to control the flow of alien movement. So if you have a small square 4x4 base, with the grav-lift on the eastern-most or southern-most edges, the corridor will be in the shape of a C or an inverted U. This forces the aliens to turn around a corner, where you can probably catch them off guard.

 

How can the disjoint bug be avoided?

 

When building a module along the east edge, make sure there's a module to its relative west that connects it to the rest of the base. The same goes for when you build on the south edge - make sure there's a base module to the north of it. (i.e. never build a thin line of 1 * 1d6 or 1d6 * 1 modules along the east/south edges)

 

If you really just don't care and want the easy way out - install XComutil. It rips out the affected walls so you need never worry about the disjoint bug ever again. Makes base planning less of a hassle at the expense of having earth sticking out of the walls .

 

- NKF

[EclipseDog]

TKF - there is a way to get a table-ish layout here without needing to redirect audiences to an outside link using a little trickery.

 

Create the table in a seperate webpage, then once the table is complete take a screen snapshot of that page. Then point to that image here using the image button. Voila instant table right here in the text display posts area.

 

Don't you just love thinking outside the box?

[Stewart]

NKF Sorry about the access problem at XcomUFO. It's a free account anyway, and the people there are many of the people here, anyway. If you can log in you should be able to post. PM me at XcomUFO with your forum ID and I'll check if your account is okay.

 

As for tables:

 

<table>

<tr><td>It</td><td>can</td></tr>

<tr><td>be</td><td>done</td></tr>

</table>

 

 

[TABLE]

[TR][TD]It[/TD][TD]can[/TD][/TR]

[TR][TD]be[/TD][TD]done[/TD][/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

If an admin sets the allow HTML tag or maybe the allow IBF code in the admin panel.

 

Using XcomUtil to clear the disjoint base bug creates anouther advantage. The doorways leading to "beyond" the limits of the base are open and not walls. So if the bugs send the silver frisbies down the hall there is no back wall for them to detonate against; they get lost in the ether (or something).

[NKF]

I can log in, and read the messages, but whenever I 'send' a message or hit 'message preview', the whole thing just stops. The browser reports that its waiting for a reply from xcomufo.com, but nothing ever happens. If I can't do this with a normal message, I probably won't be able to use the PM system either. (note, I did activate the account when I got the e-mail, so that's not the problem)

 

A similar thing happened to me before this forum switched over, actually. It's probably my browser. I'll try my cruddy old copy of Netscape 4.x and see if that helps.

 

I was just going to bring some enlightenment to the thread regarding the Y-Axis bug thingy.

 

edit: Oh. Netscape worked. Oh the irony.

 

- NKF

 

 

P.S Eclipsedog: I would've done something like that, but I don't have any webspace I can remotely link to at the moment. Tough.

[Stewart]

Yeah okay sometimes internet connexion can get wonky. I've got Netscape and the browser of Sauron (IE ). Occasionally, the connexion gets stupid for me at XcomUFO and indeed here as well. Micah has been workin' overtime to solve the problem.

 

At any rate (back to topic). I'll let someone else build that manufacturing table. If you want to include my /essay/ on "When to Stock-up on Engineers" please be my guest. It may not have a lot of stats in it but what it says is, I think, quite valuable.

 

NKF here's a question for you. When an invading UFO invades. If it takes hits but still gets through is there at least a chance that the invading crew will be reduced in number? Or is the point of base defense all-or-nothing (they all get through or they don't)?

[cyrus]

If there was some fixed size font here, it would be possible to write simple text tables, like in good ol' times.

 

By the way, it seems I've found one more topic for this thread. This is:

 

Base maintenance costs regarding the modules - are they the same as stated in UFOPaedia.

 

In fact they aren't. It seems that they differ from base to base. For example, the general stores. UFOPaedia states, that the monthly maintenance cost for this modules is 5 thousand $, but the real costs may vary and be ten or even fifteen thousands. Other modules may cost less than stated. I presume, that this costs are connected to the location of the base and to the initial cost of the base, but I don't figured out yet in which proportion.

[Stewart]

I've noticed that the default base has funny maintenence numbers but that subsequent bases are normal.

[NKF]

Stewart: My conclusion is that there's no difference whatsoever. If they get through, the whole army is as fresh as anything. And since they don't stop attacking if they don't get through - the defenses are only a means of delaying the inevitable.

 

But, as usual, don't take my word for it.

 

To find out, I suggest you run a test with xcomutil. Make a savegame just before a battleship enters your base with the defenses. Go through the usual motions and save the battlescape in a new save slot. Back at the command prompt, check the savegame to see the number of aliens in the attack. I think it was simply a matter of typing in 'xcomutil game_n', and it'll display a summary of the units in combat.

 

Repeat this a few times from the geoscape save and see how many aliens are generated. It probably won't be a constant number, but that doesn't matter. You might also want to keep track of how many times your defenses hit for each test.

 

When that test is done, repeat the same test, but this time remove the defenses. As usual, repeat a few times.

 

Finally, compare what you've found.

 

However, I do find some of the defense modules useful for base layout purposes. Like the missile defense module has a partition in one of the walls, forcing units to go around it to get to the other side.

 

Cyrus: Perhaps we can run tests by building a new base and putting only one module in and see what happens after a month of operation? Just a thought. Not forgetting to keep note of the initial upkeep cost of the lift itself.

 

- NKF

[Stewart]

This time I believe you

 

That's why in my "Recless" game style. The only base defense I build is one missile defense for choke point and a mind shield oh and of course the 5 "dirt" facilities.

[EclipseDog]

Just curious but when you say "delaying the inevitable" do you mean that the aliens just keep incrementing their assault force size until it gets in or do you mean they keep hitting you over and over again until they get lucky..?

 

Reason I ask is I'm testing a new strategy... five fusion ball launcher defenses combined with a grav shield. 6k defense rating x2 should knock out just about anything in the sky one would think... but if the alien assault fleet just kept getting bigger I guess they would get in sooner or later unless there was a max limitation available that was at a level below the point your defenses stopped being impenetrable.

[Stewart]

He means they will keep trying. Inevitable is they will inevitably invade as you will dismantly facilites (or wait for the low statistical probability, see next paragraph) just to get them out of your hair.

 

Using 5 Fusion and 1 grav I have NEVER been invaded in at least 1 kilo-attempt. Statistically it IS possible but hasn't happened to me yet.

[NKF]

Let me explain how the alien retaliation fleets work, and you'll see why I say that the base defences are a means of delaying the inevitable. Keep in mind, this does not include the mind shield.

 

Each retaliation fleet is treated as a single 'group'. Each group can be of any species (naturally). You can have multiple groups searching out for the same base at the same time (you'll see why I had to explain this later).

 

First, they send out their scouts to locate your base. We'll just skip all the obvious bits and say that they've found your base and a retaliation battleship is en route to your base.

 

Now, if your base is impregnable and has insanely high defense ratings and a grav shield -- anything that'll guarantee that the battleship is blown to smithereens way before your number of possible shots run out -- the battleship will, of course, be destroyed.

 

But this will not stop the stubborn alien 'group' assigned to retaliate against you. They'll just send another battleship. Then another. Then another. Then another.

 

Now, I realise that this is probably a good thing, score-wise, but you are forced to watch the attack happen, and this tends to be very slow if you have a huge battery of missile pods. It's not so bad, but it is still very tedious even with the fusion guns. The fact is, you'll have to watch this all the time, as the attackers will just keep throwing other hapless battleships at you time and time again.

 

However, the moment a battleship breaks through the defenses and inserts its troops, the funny thing is, no matter how the outcome of the battle, the group of aliens will simply forget the location of your base and will stop sending battleships. That's it.

 

Now, I know you may have had the experience where a battleship gets through once, you defended your base and received yet another battleship with the same species crew hours after the first one. In this case, you had several groups of the same species searching for your base at the same time.

 

If the game would only work the defense guns passively (like the mind shield) and just let you deal with the aliens if they get inserted. It wouldn't be so bad then would it?

 

There is one thing to be said in favour of the base defense guns. If you are unprepared for the attack, they can give you some extra time to prepare. When you're ready, just remove the grav-shield or a few of the defenses to lower the defense rating and let the battleship through. But if you get attacked frequently, well, it's probably better to just be prepared at all times and install a revolving door.

 

 

- NKF

 

Edit: For those wondering how ol' uncle NKF found this out: No strange voodoo here. No sir. Just observation. Lots and lots of observation.

[Stewart]

Second that. That kilo-attempt was JUST fusion and a grav that's by no means the only. I could've sworn though that you could get two attempts, thanks for clearing that up. Do you get the points for battleships shot down by your base?

 

Scary thought; what if you had to build/buy the ammo for missile/Fusion Defense!!!!

[EclipseDog]

Err... personally I'd rather take the nice scores from annihilating their fleets on a constant basis and simply leave the room to make a sandwich, read a bit, listen to the radio, go through my email, go to the bathroom, (or any of the other things I tend to put off for hours while I'm avidly glued to my XCom game anyway, heh) while they are being slaughterred in the sky.

[NKF]

I don't know, not if you're being attacked by multiple groups, which means getting attacked once every few game days (or heaven forbid - every 12 hours! That's just too much).

 

If you've got the dos version and run it under windows, minimise the window (alt+enter) and the base defenses (and interceptor attack runs) will be instantly completed. It seems to speed the frames up for some reason. I'd only do this temporarily, as normal gameplay tends to be very choppy because of the crazy framerate while minimised in a window. Also beware that doing this too much could cause the system (particularly older P133 systems) to get a bit wonky.

 

---

 

Determining Bed Rest Times

 

The average number of days that a soldier gets to stay in bed will be the amount of health the soldier lost. Then, the game gives or takes a random number of days up to 50% of the lost hit points.

 

 

Days in Bed = HP lost +/-50%

 

Hmm, in C/C++, I'd probably set the bed rest time like this:

 

bed_rest = (lost_hp / 2) + ( rand()%(lost_hp + 1));

 

Fractions rounded down to the nearest integer.

 

So, a soldier that lost 10 points of health will stay in bed between 5 and 15 days. Or a soldier that lost 24 health would be in bed between 12 to 36 days. A soldier with a paper cut of 1 health would stay in bed for 0 to 1 days.

 

A souped up and entirely illegal soldier with 255 health that's lost 100 health, will stay in bed between 50 and 150 days. See? As a certain figure on the fantastically adequate Hamster Republic would say "Cheater's never prosper. They only win".

 

Phew, caught myself in time there. Almost posted the encumberance formula again.

 

- NKF

[NKF]

I try not to bump topics too much, but:

 

*nudge*

 

To make it worthwhile, I have a tidbit of knowledge, recently acquired, regarding TFTD's Gauss Coelacanth. I know it's more suited to TFTD, but I'm including it nontheless as it's a geoscape matter.

 

It uses craft gauss cannon ammo. Bit of a surprise, really, since nothing uses the $10k gauss cannon ammo listed under the 'solid harpoon bolt' category in the build menu.

 

But that's not it.

 

The interesting bit is, if you load it onto a troop-transport (click the right arrow), it subtracts 50 gauss ammo from stores. Right, this is normal. But what's NOT normal is when you remove the gauss/SWS from the transport (click the left arrow), the 50 gauss cannon shells are not put back. So, if you keep putting the gauss/SWS on and off, you'll eventually use up all your shells.

 

So, do not do this. Why is this happening? Well, I'm guessing that whomever edited the original code to give the gauss tank ammo, never put in instructions to return the ammo afterwards (Seeing as it was originally a laser tank, it didn't have to return anything).

 

Don't worry about the other tanks. They should be all right. (at least, I hope so)

 

- NKF