Synonium Device

[Kir'jaeden]

Breaching really is cheating, it messes up the aliens routes and they don't react to it properly, they become dumb. Breaching is too easy.

https://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/topic/11351-hard-times/

Breaching is not a cheating.

Mass save/load. That is a cheating. Save/ load is for wussies, that is what I think.

Seriously though, winning the game with Mag Ion Armour and DPLs isn't very challenging. The aliens can't use their own DPLs and flying abilities very well, and they totally can't cope when humans get those abilities. And those armour levels. They don't change tactics. They don't start using drills, which is what we would do.

TFTDExtender corrects such issues in some extent. On the other hand, If the aliens would show some cooperation then the colony assault would become impossible. I tried to swap sides in XComUtil. Aliens have enough firepower to mix both squad and transport with seabed in their first turn.

[sp1ke]

Hey, I didn't say that save-scumming ISN'T cheating. It certainly is! :-D

 

For my mind it's not totally cheating if you go right back to the beginning, turn 1. Well, not super cheating. Not when you are starting up the game again after a long break. But yeah it is basically a kind of cheating.

 

Then again as I am playing a totally unpatched game, without TFTExtender, I feel like I'm entitled to cheat a little bit to compensate me for putting up with all the unpatched bugs and inconveniences! For a quick game I could not be arsed to remind myself how to extract the executables from Steam and plug in TFTDExtender. I couldn't even be bothered to fire up my old laptop that has that setup already configured. I think laziness is my primary quality as a TFTD-er :-)

[magic9mushroom]

For me even Geoscape save-scumming is cheating. One of the best things about X-Com is that you can lose a mission and keep going.

[Tsathoggua]

Its a good enough idea to save regularly though, in order to avoid anything going tits up thats not due to your own deliberate actions. Software screwups are legion, as are tech tree issues, some of them bad enough to permanently screw your ability to progress, and if your using a laptop like I do thats got a mousepad with a totally psychotic bent (seen it click things or move the cursor with no hand touching the laptop itself) this thing has gremlins and weather they get used or not, if I don't keep SOME track all hell tends to break loose on a less than half hourly (realtime) basis. Half hourly would be a hugely conservative estimate pulled out of a hat if I'm quite honest.

 

Its the quality of the series that makes it playable really. Might be more so on a computer uninhabited by mental case gremlins, but I don't have one of those:P

Thing was a bastard right out of the box. took months to get it to the point of usability, thinking of telling the pricks that built it to give me a replacement, minus the HDs. And possibly one of those. Spent nearly 1.5k (GBP) on this, new and they either gave me an iffy one, or were completely incompetely. Both probably given some of the OS issues with the useless and almost irrecoverable in-house test software they left on it. Had to nuke the thing from a linux computer before I could do anything at all with it, even access the bloody bios. But enough of my computer woes. Does keep meaning I have to reload when the mousepad ends up sending a soldier somewhere while I'm trying to scroll. Thats got to be my number one pet peeve. Or close to it. That and the same resulting in things like accidental sonic pulsers being dropped or worse, DPLs going off prematurely although much less often given the waypoint system, Its happened though, DPL round right into the triton, with the firer being close enough to end up mixed with the mud and detritus of the ocean bottom, along with the entire crew and part of the transport. Oops....

Torpedoes are another frequent offender, although not usually such a worry once the squad has decent armor. Can make a real mess of unarmored or aqua-armor wearing troops though.

[sp1ke]

I also have had mousepads that were under Molecular Control of the enemy and I agree that's one entirely justifiable situation for a save and restore, if your guy goes off in the wrong direction or uses all his TUs due to a mouse click error and then some squidface pops a grenade inside your boat.

 

But also, yes, it is amazing that you can have a catastrophe and soldier on past it and still win. That's another thing that makes TFTD a great game.

[Tsathoggua]

Yeah its bloody infuriating. Especially when you hadn't saved close enough and your four man heavy weapons support team (E.g DPL specialist, carrying additional rounds and grenades only, plus a sonic pistol in the other hand, and a pair of clips maybe, plus heavily loaded out guy playing the role of sniper, carrying maximum number of DPL reloads and a sonic cannon or rifle, dye grenades and sonic pulsers, third medium support trooper carrying gas cannon/IC loadout/sonic or gauss pistol, and if possible a shock launcher, and a light rapid response trooper/medic packing a tazer, a vibroblade and a sonic pistol/rifle or gauss pistol/sonic rifle filling the role of gunner) comes under heavy attack from a pack of tasoth and flanked on two sides (or more!) by tentaculat then has the mouse pad MC-ed, goes mental and sends the driller running off right into a big pack of lizard-thugs and torn to pieces. Or uses all their TU up in stupidity the moment a medic is vital to stabilize the soldier a tasoth just blasted in the head, and scrape their face up into a bottle.

 

Because lets face it, that moment when your whole fireteam is putting all their faith in and depending upon that driller/medic/close quarters support trooper IS going to be the moment the bugs MC your computer. TFTD's bugs are Murphy's* beat filth *(Same .Murphy of eponymous law fame, close brother of a Mr.Sod.