https://www.ufopaedia.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Markho&feedformat=atomUFOpaedia - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T08:50:01ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.35.4https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Initial_Deployment&diff=34282Talk:Initial Deployment2011-12-19T11:26:39Z<p>Markho: </p>
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<div>I'm somehow missing a very important tip: Wait one turn before deployment.<br />
What you do is have your first two soldiers kneel and face to the side, so they can see and reaction shoot any aliens coming into view during their turns. Of course, if an alien is visible from the beginning, it has to be killed right away.<br />
<br />
Advantages if one waits one turn:<br />
# the aliens will all have moved, and will not have their full TU's left for reaction shots<br />
# the motion scanner can pick up signals from aliens nearby<br />
<br />
Disadvantage:<br />
# of course, the troops sitting in the open skyranger are an ideal target if spotted by the aliens.<br />
<br />
Because of this disadvantage, one must carefully consider the part of the map where the skyranger has landed. If there is a high chance of interception, then the deployment should be immediately performed. [[User:Markho|Markho]] 08:19, 14 December 2011 (EST)<br />
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: One solution to that is to drop a smoke grenade inside just by the exit of the Skyranger. This will prevent you from seeing what's outside by the ramp, but then again if you have a smoke grenade at the bottom of the ramp anyway, you generally want those deploying to find any threats you find outside. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 13:45, 16 December 2011 (EST)<br />
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::Thanks NKF; I also discovered that ,wait one turn' is already implemented into the deployment strategy. The advantages of this are just not really detailed, but that isn't so important. [[User:Markho|Markho]] 06:26, 19 December 2011 (EST)</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Initial_Deployment&diff=34272Talk:Initial Deployment2011-12-14T13:19:34Z<p>Markho: Wait one turn before starting deployment</p>
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<div>I'm somehow missing a very important tip: Wait one turn before deployment.<br />
What you do is have your first two soldiers kneel and face to the side, so they can see and reaction shoot any aliens coming into view during their turns. Of course, if an alien is visible from the beginning, it has to be killed right away.<br />
<br />
Advantages if one waits one turn:<br />
# the aliens will all have moved, and will not have their full TU's left for reaction shots<br />
# the motion scanner can pick up signals from aliens nearby<br />
<br />
Disadvantage:<br />
# of course, the troops sitting in the open skyranger are an ideal target if spotted by the aliens.<br />
<br />
Because of this disadvantage, one must carefully consider the part of the map where the skyranger has landed. If there is a high chance of interception, then the deployment should be immediately performed. [[User:Markho|Markho]] 08:19, 14 December 2011 (EST)</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization&diff=34270Starting Your Shadowy Paramilitary Organization2011-12-12T11:34:00Z<p>Markho: Clarified terror ufo attack procedure (with ref. to bugs:last shot always misses)</p>
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<div>[[Image:moneymen.png|right|Hello neighbor!]]<br />
<br />
''' <i style="font-family:cursive;">A Handy Cut-Out Guide</i> '''<br /><br />
Fighting back the alien hordes is a demanding and stressful job. Many new Commanders feel overwhelmed by the task, and lose sight of the many tasks vital to the smooth operation of a covert agency of the secret world government. With this in mind, your paymasters have prepared this brochure to help you get a handle on the day-to-day operations of your clandestine private war.<br />
<br />
'''<i style="font-family:cursive;">Happy hunting!</i>'''<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">Day One: Hit the Ground Running</i>==<br />
<br />
# '''Start on the low difficulty level.''' If this is your first time managing a secret agency, please be realistic about your expectations. While many commanders may think themselves superhumans from day one, in reality it takes a great deal of experience to defend the earth. Save the hard work for later forays.<br />
# '''Place Your Base.''' The thing to keep in mind when placing your first base is that you want to protect the countries that are supplying your funding. Worrying about the fate of sub-Saharan Africa is a noble thing, but Sub-Saharan Africa is not going to pay your bills, at least not until someone strikes oil there. With this in mind, you want to place your first base to protect as much of your funding as possible. So, you're looking to put your base where its sensors can cover as much of your sponsorship as possible. The USA is usually your single largest contributor, while Europe contains a large collection of sponsors as well.<br />
#'''Become Acquainted with your facilities.''' Upon receiving control of your secret underground headquarters (be sure to store the deed in a safe place!), you should [[Starting_Assets|take a tour]] of the facilities and get a feel for your new lair. Note the possible points of entry – particularly the hangars and the access lift – which have been scattered to every corner of the base, allowing an invader to enter from every side and kill your security forces without the hassle of defensive choke-points or bottlenecks. This is what happens when you contract to the lowest bidder.<br />
#*Want to tighten up security some? Look into [[Base Layout Strategy|Overhauling The Starter Base]].<br />
#*In addition, you will almost certainly require other facilities. A large radar system is always useful, as is alien containment for housing anything you bring back from the crash site that's still breathing.<br />
#'''Get your staff working.''' You have a sparkling-new research facility and a crew of scientists, freshly recruited from some supervillain's doomsday project. Get them working immediately, and keep them working! Research facilities are too important to lie idle. As soon as you have new designs to produce, keep your engineers busy as well. If you don't need equipment of your own, have them manufacture items for sale on the international black market.<br />
#*Remember, scientists and engineers are lazy and indolent. Without constant direction on what to research and manufacture, they will sit idle, running up the bandwidth bill and playing idiotic video games.<br />
#*For research, laser weapons aren't a bad place to start. All reports indicate that the aliens have heavy firepower at their disposal, and it might be useful to even the odds some. In addition, there is always a high demand for armaments, especially if you don't ask questions about the buyers. Manufacture these high-tech wonders for your own use and for sale!<br />
#**Stop reading newspapers. I'm sure those reports about the rebels being scorched with some new weapon are unfounded. The Generalissimo is too benevolent a dictator to use lasers on his own people.<br />
#'''Review your troops.''' All prospective X-COM soldiers undergo rigorous [[Stats|physical and psychological examinations]]. Get a handle on their strengths and weaknesses. You might recruit a few more if their weaknesses are too numerous. <br />
#*the turnover rate among agency security squads tends to be... high. Keep some reinforcements on hand.<br />
#*Bravery is a key stat here. Be very suspicious of anyone who scored under 30 on the psych test.<br />
#*Also note the physical strength of your troops. Mark out those who will be strong enough to carry heavy weapons (strength 35+), and those who will have trouble with the standard kit (lower than 30).<br />
#*As time goes on, you'll be able to be more selective in your troop reviews. As you become more familiar with the recruitment process, and you have experienced troops to lead the rookies, adjust your recruiting practices to taste. Some Commanders prefer to use marginal troops as human shields; others carefully select and train each trooper they have.<br />
#'''Organize Your Arsenal.''' As an anonymous leader of a conspiratorial organization, a great variety of military hardware is available to you. Many quartermasters will try to buy one of everything for their armory, but the smart commander will standardize his weapons layout for easy logistical management. <br />
#*Early in the game, experimentation with various weapons is a good thing, but before long you should settle on a standard set of personal firearms and heavy weapons. <br />
#*Of course, there is something to be said for having a couple of non-standard weapons lying around for those odd contingencies.<br />
#*You should also give thought to how much non-weapon equipment your troops need. There is limited room on a troop transport, and not everyone has to carry everything.<br />
#*We let Boris pick out your new arsenal. Bless his heart, he's thorough when it comes to armor-piercing rounds, but you might want to look into alternatives. That man would buy armor-piercing smoke grenades if they were available. Particularly, you might want some stun rods if you want to drag aliens back alive for questioning.<br />
#*Boris also forgets that not everyone has IR vision implants. You might want some electro-flares to light up the battlefield at night.<br />
#*Remember to keep sufficient ammunition on hand for your weapons. This is especially important for HWP's, whose failsafes will not even permit them to deploy without a full consignment of ammunition.<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">Your First Month: Bodybag Bonanza</i>==<br />
<br />
Running a private war against an alien horde is expensive both in money and men. Expect your medbay and morgue to be well used. Fortunately, the nice men in the expensive suits can provide you with an endless line of new recruits, provided you've got the cash. However, you'll see your startup money quickly used up. Here's how to keep a handle on your rapidly-spreading responsibilities.<br />
#'''Keep enough troops in your Skyranger.''' What with all the injuries and fatalities, it's easy to lose track of your roster until your troop transport has landed and, whoops, there's only three troops in it! Keep a sufficient number of troops on hand to replace your casualties, and make sure you assign them to transport as the current troops are injured or lost. It can be a good habit to get into to go to the Equip Craft screen for your Skyranger every time you are about to send it out.<br />
#'''Keep your arsenal supplied.''' There's few things more frustrating than carrying a weapon into battle that you don't have enough clips for. Don't let it happen to you!<br />
#'''Sell alien artifacts.''' It's not certain who would pay $20,000 for a bullet-ridden alien corpse, and you're probably happier not knowing. However, it is an indispensable way to supplement your income.<br />
#*A UFO that lands of its own accord will yield significantly more useful artifacts than one which has crash-landed after air combat. When possible, try having your Skyranger shadow an alien craft and wait for it to land. Of course, it is always preferable to shoot it down rather than let it escape - Once grounded in this way, it'll be quite some time before it can take off again, so you can wait until daylight before sending in your ground forces.<br />
#*The science division would like you to keep at least one example of each type of item for research purposes.<br />
#** You can sell all examples of unneeded items after they've been researched, though.<br />
#* Keeping around a large selection of research specimens may require more general stores capacity.<br />
#*We suggest you don't sell elerium. ''Strongly'' suggest.<br />
#'''Keep your R&D department busy.''' If they don't have work assigned to them, your scientists will just sit around and collect salaries. You remember salaries, right? Their pay will be drawn out of the common fund at the beginning of each month.<br />
#'''Keep your engineers occupied.''' As always, if you don't need anything in particular, have them produce items to sell.<br />
#*Be careful what you produce for the market. Not all alien technology sells profitably, particularly those which require exotic materials to build. When in doubt, stick with tried-and-true Terran designs for selling.<br />
#'''Expand your research and manufacturing departments.''' Through the wonders of modern management, the number of tasks you can accomplish increases linearly with the number of personnel on hand-- no worries of overhead, scalability or management levels here!<br />
#*Recruit more scientists to get research projects completed more quickly. Alien technology in particular will require extra knowledge to master. Many important projects will take an average of 400-500 man days to complete, and quite a few key ones will take twice as much effort, so your initial team of 10 will be vastly inadequate in keeping up without assistance.<br />
#*Hire more engineers. Once you have new technology to manufacture for sale, the engineering staff can more than pay for itself, and in fact can become a major source of revenue.<br />
#'''Always respond to alien terror missions.''' When the aliens invade a major city, you can't afford to ignore it. The bad press generated by neglecting such an event is too big a penalty to your international standing and, more importantly, your funding. Even if you have to retreat once you get there, you can't afford not to go.<br />
#*To make things a little easier: Equip both Interceptors with Avalanche missiles, and use both to intercept and shoot down the terror ship (if you can detect it). Use ,cautious attack' to avoid return fire. However, switch to ,aggressive' JUST BEFORE the third (and final) set of missiles is fired, and switch to ,disengage' directly after that. If you don't, these last missiles will not hit their target. Refer to [[Known Bugs#Interceptions: Last Shot Always Misses | Interceptions: Last Shot Always Misses]].<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">The Battlescape: Once More Into The Breach</i>==<br />
Before you know it, the time will come to send your Skyranger out on a mission, laden with troops and implements of destruction. While battlefield tactics can and do fill a book (See: the [[Field Manual]]), we'll focus on a few handy tips for the new commander.<br />
#'''Disperse from the LZ quickly, and stay dispersed.''' having units concentrated in the landing zone invites concentrated fire from the aliens.<br />
#*Any tight concentration of troops is an open target for an alien explosive device.<br />
#*Of course, troops can only exit the transport so quickly. It's better to have a tight formation of troops within the cover of your Skyranger than mulling about just outside the exit ramp.<br />
#*Seek cover as quickly as possible. The ramp and landing gear of the transport can provide cover for one or two units at a time.<br />
#'''Stay coordinated.''' It's the natural tendency of a rookie soldier to strike out on his own. However, the wise commander keeps his squad's movements coordinated for mutual support.<br />
#'''Clear The Terrain.''' Upon arrival at a landing site, you can expect several of the aliens to be dug into whatever cover they can find. Don't be afraid to use heavy firepower to remove their cover from them. Those farmhouses are probably insured, anyway.<br />
#*The exception here is on terror missions. While urban renewal is a valid tactic, you must be careful about killing civilians.<br />
#*Again, Boris's Armor-piercing weapon selection isn't ideal here. You may want to invest in more high-explosive and incendiary ammunition than he provided. The [[Tank/Rocket Launcher]] is especially useful for ground-clearing.<br />
#*When entering any building or structure, make a new door rather than charging into the existing one. Entering through a a newly-made hole in a wall makes it difficult for the enemy to ambush you.<br />
#*The one problem with this tactic is the UFO itself. More research will be required before we find a way to punch through the internal bulkheads, much less the external heat shielding, of alien craft. Until then, the only way to enter a UFO is through the existing hatches, where the enemy will be expecting us. Casualties can be expected on any close quarters battle/breaching mission of this sort.<br />
#'''Light Up.''' If only there was some sort of night... vision... device available to the military. There isn't, though, so on any night mission you'll have to illuminate the battlefield with more primitive means. Electro-flares are cheap, and can be picked up and tossed again. For more dramatic results, use incendiary ammunition to light large areas of the map ablaze.<br />
#*Alien forces, if not actually capable of seeing at night, are very adept at night-fighting techniques.<br />
#'''Specialize: Scouts and snipers.''' Instead of having one troop scouting, then stopping to shoot the first thing he sees, have your scout spot targets for shooters further behind the lines. This keeps your shooters safe, while leaving your scouts enough time to find cover.<br />
#*Make use each troop's strengths. If you have a soldier with good reactions, use him for a scout. A unit with good firing accuracy should be a sniper. Troops with high strength should carry heavy weapons.<br />
#*[[Heavy Weapons Platforms|HWPs]] have high mobility but mediocre firing accuracy. They make for good scouts, but poor snipers.<br />
#'''A friendly reminder from Boris:''' Please remember not to use high explosive or incendiary rounds in close quarters, you could put someone's eyes out. This is the reason for preferring the armor-piercing weapons.<br />
#'''Adapt.''' As you gain battle experience, you can and should adjust your battle tactics to suit your style.<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">Looking Ahead: Settling In For the Long War</i>==<br />
<br />
Congratulations! You've made it to February. As winter turns into spring, you'll discover new methods of fighting, new technology to help you win, and a new moral flexibility within yourself. As you optimize your agency for the long job ahead of you, here are some things to consider:<br />
<br />
#'''Expand.''' When you have an extra couple million at your disposal, it's time to begin looking at building new bases. However wisely you placed your first base, there are still many sponsors outside of its surveillance bubble. Europe and North America are your two major funding centers, but Southeast Asia shouldn't be ignored either. After that, you'll want to analyze your funding report and consider how best to serve your paymasters.<br />
#*Not every base needs to be the command HQ. Keeping all those engineers, assault squads and scientists in one base gets claustrophobic. Specialization is both a good idea and a good way to save money. You probably won't need assault squads everywhere, but radar surveillance and, to a lesser degree, interception are always useful. If your research or manufacturing arms grow too large, you could farm those out as well.<br />
#*Farming out large personnel sections, like R&D or Manufacturing, to separate bases allows them to expand to a larger size over the long term.<br />
#*Whatever its specialization, though, you still need to defend it. ''Any'' base is vulnerable to retaliation by the aliens. Make sure it's got a living quarters, some general stores, and a garrison of troops and heavy weapons platforms on hand to protect it.<br />
#*Remember to design each base to make it easy to defend. Look into [[Base Defense#Base Layout Strategy|Base Layout Strategy]]<br />
#'''Be aware of what you depend on.''' If you equip your troops with Superior Alien Military&trade; weapons, make sure that you have a sufficient stock of ammunition and exotic material to keep them supplied. If your stocks are running low, keep a few lasers on hand as fall-backs. These wonders of Terran technology require no ammunition, and are handy to use in those lean times.<br />
#'''Keep an eye on your finances.''' It's easy to run into the red while beating back the alien menace. However, if you go too far into debt for too long, your paymasters may run out of patience with you.<br />
#*Keep in mind that personnel salaries, base upkeep costs and craft leasing fees are due at the beginning of every month, at the same time as your sponsors pay you.<br />
#*If these costs are greater than your sponsors' payments, you should keep the difference (or more) on hand at the end of the month to cover the remainder of the bills.<br />
<br />
As you gain experience running your clandestine war, you will certainly have more questions and need more information. Please look through our handy [[Main Page|Knowledge Base]] and [[Field Manual]] as required.<br />
<br />
'''<i style="font-family:cursive;">Good Luck!</i>'''<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
[[Glossary]] |<br />
[[Research]] |<br />
[[Equipment]] <br /><br />
[[Tricks, Tips and Hints]]<br /><br />
[[Warlord's Foolproof Plan]] -- Another starter guide. Much more detail, with some spoilers.<br /><br />
[[Overviews of Aliens]]<br /><br />
[[:Category:Field Manual]]</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization&diff=34269Talk:Starting Your Shadowy Paramilitary Organization2011-12-12T11:26:15Z<p>Markho: </p>
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<div>Regarding base placement, one other good point of consideration (apart from money) is to place it in land mass that contains a generous amount of terrain that you're comfortable fighting in. Some players love to fight in desert or arctic terrain on account of it mostly being barren wastelands. Some may find it more tactically sound to fight in farmland, well, you're not going to get any short supply of these. If you want a base that gets a wide variety of terrrain types, the US has quite a lot of terrain types, and you only need to go south a bit to get jungle terrain. Europe unfortunately has lots of farmland. Africa has lots of desert. The far eastern end of Russia, or the coast of Japan is mostly forest. The polar caps are all polar terrain. Great for those that like to use flying suits and weapons that make really big bangs - preferably a long way away. <br />
<br />
As for experimenting with the weapons, one point I'd like to add is to get to know the tactical strengths and weaknesses of the starting weapons, and to not be afraid of hanging on to some of them even after you've come up with a general weapon set. It's always good to have options available to you. You may not use autocannons much after getting the heavy plasma, but a single autocannon on standby can come in handy simply for its HE and incendiary shells. <br />
<br />
Ah, but don't mind me. I've got this "must cover all play styles" approach to whenever I make any attempt at writing starters guide... which really does hold me back at times. <br />
<br />
- [[User:NKF|NKF]]<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
You're right about the terrain issue-- I usually start in Europe, and consequently have come to hate farm buildings with a passion. (Where do you place if you want to fight in mountains? TibetCom? I didn't even know the mountain terrain existed until I had been playing for two years.) I don't know anyone that doesn't keep one or two pet weapons about for contingency or just because they don't want to live in a world without autocannon. I should tone down the talk of standardization-- it overstates the case somewhat.<br />
<br />
However, I want to keep this thing brief and somewhat open-ended, and I don't want to spoil all the surprises. There are more detailed starter guides out there-- Warlock's comes to mind-- but I don't want to leave something open to player intitiative, instead of being an exhaustive checklist. That's why I'm ''not'' going to put my "Get an Alien Navigator As Soon As Possible" routine in, or all the other things I do on Day 1. I'm trying to keep a middle ground between getting the new player started, and micromanaging his gameplay.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 08:10, 13 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
:Mountains are limited to the China/India border area (and some of that is arctic rather than mountains) and western South America, with a few small patches in Europe (the Switzerland, Scotland and Norway have small amounts). So unless you deliberately try it is very rare to see it, I agree. The entire US is basically flat, it seems. -- [[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:25, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
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----<br />
<br />
The battle tips are going to be tough. I want to keep it very open-ended, but still useful. Gotta let a commander make his own mistakes.<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 00:13, 14 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Note I updated to say that the US is usually your biggest sponsor, it happens in the current game I am in (still first month) that Japan are contributing more than the US, although I have a feeling that will change fairly rapidly.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:19, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
:: Hawaii base? :P --[[User:Kyevan|Kyevan]] 16:13, 17 August 2007 (PDT)<br />
<br />
== Meaning of "QCB" ==<br />
<br />
Just looking over the article and didn't know what QCB stands for. Maybe someone could fill me in. Otherwise that acronym should be removed to prevent confusion. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 23:20, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:According to [[http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Human_shield/|this]], it means "Close Quarters Battle", which would be a quite accurate definition of any fight inside of a UFO(with the possible exceptions of shot down Supply and Terror Ships). I'll edit it shortly. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 23:41, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
==Total Party Kill==<br />
<br />
This, I'm sure, happens to every new commander at some point. You march into a terror mission, kill off the first wave of enemies, and then as you begin your sweep a few remaining aliens take you by surprise and wipe out your troops. There goes 3/4ths of a million in men and equipment. Any recommendations for rebuilding a devastated army? Or should I just reload my last save? --[[User:Aegeus|Aegeus]] 21:59, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:Welcome to UFOpaedia! As for your question, if you lost too much, restoring from save may not be a bad choice. If you have the money, though, you may want to at least try and rebuild. Order new soldiers, weapons, and aircraft. You may be able to get a new squad up and running in 5 days if you have enough cash and storage to order it all immediately. While you have the chance, you may want to change the weapon loadout a bit. If you lost pistols, and weren't using them, don't get them back. Or if you like Heavy Cannons, take this as an opportunity to upgrade. :) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 22:24, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
Yes, Welcome Aegeus! I have definitely had my butt kicked on terror missions, badly. But to get ''totally'' wiped out, you may be bunching up your soldiers too tightly, and maybe also not clearing areas thoroughly enough as you move. Or you may not be reserving enough reaction fire to defend against counter-attacks? Another recommended tactic is to leave 1-2 senior officers in or near the Transport - this helps with morale. You could also try laying down some smoke to cover your flanks as you sweep the map. (If you run out of smoke, try [[User:Seb76|Seb76]]'s great UFO Extender which fixes that problem. On the other hand, if you lost the mission because of Psionic attacks, consider it a bonus that you got rid of Psi-weak soldiers, and protect any survivors, as they are likely to be Psi-strong. <br />
<br />
In general it's best to keep moving forward rather than going back to saves. If you do go back to a save, make sure to fight the mission again, and this time try a different strategy. Throughout this game there seems to be a cycle of gaining confidence dealing with the enemy, which can turn to over-confidence when they suddenly step up a gear. If you can make it back with half or even a couple of your soldiers than you've done much better, and you will be earning your success the hard way. <br />
<br />
Before you throw away your Pistols altogether, you might want to check out [[User:NKF|NKF]]'s views on this weapon - he thinks it's under-rated and actually one of the best. It certainly has its strong points, especially against the weaker aliens such as Floaters and Sectoids. Not so much against their terror units however! I am definitely warming to the Heavy Cannon - it's replacing the Auto-Cannon in my affections as in many ways the best weapon in the early game. <br />
<br />
Anyway, welcome, and enjoy! [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:28, 6 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: My thoughts on the [[Pistol]]... it's not the best, but it's jolly good all the same. Excels mainly at snapshots and reaction fire and good in cases of your troops falling to mind control. <br />
<br />
: This game lets you recover from some bad losses. You can keep playing as long as you've got the money, haven't lost your last base on the map (build another - quick!) and you haven't done several consecutive bad months in a row. So it's mainly up to how much money you've got left. If you don't have much, reload and try again. <br />
<br />
: If you do choose to rebuild, buy a Skyranger and some troops. There are many ways you can arm your new squad - it's all up to how you want to play. A good rule to stick by is to bring something along that will defeat the strongest enemy you're going to go up against (Cyberdiscs and Chryssalids in the early game, Sectopod in the late game). A Rocket Launcher or some High Explosive packs tend to fill these roles quite well. If you're on a tight budget, a rather boring but fairly cost effective setup is to just build some laser rifles (or laser pistols) while you're waiting for your new ship and crew to arrive. They are effective against pretty much anything you'll be facing except the Sectopods. Go on a few easy missions with them, and start making your dream team with the money recovered from sold loot.<br />
<br />
: For future missions, keep a [[Rear Commander]] in the Skyranger in the event the squad gets wiped out. You'll at least be able to recover the Skyranger and whatever was in it. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 00:55, 7 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: Hey Aegus,<br />
: I started this article a couple years ago. A total party kill is worth mentioning for a new player-- I've had it happen myself. This isn't my article any more, of course, but I would say that the article should try to stay on general terms. The rest of the site has most subjects laid out in exhaustive detail, so this page should be something of an overview, with a couple of fine details that are the most common stumbling blocks for new players. You want to help him along but stay shy of giving him a walk-through. I'd say that TPK should be mentioned here, but only in general terms. It's a serious enough event, though, that it probably merits its own page if it doesn't have one already. [[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 17:57, 20 July 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Terror mission preparation ==<br />
<br />
For beginners, the first terror mission is the hardest, since you meet cyberdiscs which are hard to kill, and a sectoid leader with PSI abilities. If the terror ufo can be shot down, the recovery mission is much easier. Therefore, I would advise to equip the interceptors both with Avalanche missiles. If the terror ufo is intercepted with both of them, it usually crashes after 5 shots (that's why both interceptors are needed). [[User:Markho|Markho]] 06:15, 16 November 2011 (EST)<br />
: Hobbes, I never had a terror ship shoot down the interceptor if at avalanche range. You have experienced this (maybe at higher difficulty level)? I assumed until now that you'd be safe with avalanches... [[User:Markho|Markho]] 08:14, 9 December 2011 (EST)<br />
:: The weapon range of the Avalanche is 60km while the Terror Ship's beam is 42km. The problem is that the relative distance between both craft needs to stay at 60 or below during the flight of the missiles, otherwise the Avalanches will lose the lock and automatically miss. If you use Cautious/Standard attack then the Interceptor will place itself at the maximum distance for the Avalanches but after you launch the missiles the Terror Ship can simply speed up and easily break the missiles lock by increasing the distance between itself and the Interceptor. So, you need to use Aggressive Attack to prevent the UFO from dodging your missiles by closing in the distance so that the missiles remain locked even if the UFO tries to escape. And you'll have to stay in range until the missiles hit... so you have a window of a few seconds where your Interceptor can be in range of the Terror Ship's own weapon... which can destroy the interceptor with 1 single hit.<br />
::I only play on the hardest setting and from time to time I go after a Terror Ship but it usually requires a lot of coordination not to get 1 interceptor shot down. You need to know when to switch from Aggressive to Stand Off mode at the last second before the Avalanche hits the UFO to prevent any damage/losses. It's fun but it's also risky - but at least it isn't like on TFTD where the weapon range of the DUP torpedos is the same as the weapon range of the Terror Ship equivalent (Battleship). :) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 10:32, 9 December 2011 (EST)<br />
::: Ah, o.k. You're right; this should be mentioned here. I'll reference this to the UFO interception part. [[User:Markho|Markho]] 06:26, 12 December 2011 (EST)</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization&diff=34264Talk:Starting Your Shadowy Paramilitary Organization2011-12-09T13:14:03Z<p>Markho: </p>
<hr />
<div>Regarding base placement, one other good point of consideration (apart from money) is to place it in land mass that contains a generous amount of terrain that you're comfortable fighting in. Some players love to fight in desert or arctic terrain on account of it mostly being barren wastelands. Some may find it more tactically sound to fight in farmland, well, you're not going to get any short supply of these. If you want a base that gets a wide variety of terrrain types, the US has quite a lot of terrain types, and you only need to go south a bit to get jungle terrain. Europe unfortunately has lots of farmland. Africa has lots of desert. The far eastern end of Russia, or the coast of Japan is mostly forest. The polar caps are all polar terrain. Great for those that like to use flying suits and weapons that make really big bangs - preferably a long way away. <br />
<br />
As for experimenting with the weapons, one point I'd like to add is to get to know the tactical strengths and weaknesses of the starting weapons, and to not be afraid of hanging on to some of them even after you've come up with a general weapon set. It's always good to have options available to you. You may not use autocannons much after getting the heavy plasma, but a single autocannon on standby can come in handy simply for its HE and incendiary shells. <br />
<br />
Ah, but don't mind me. I've got this "must cover all play styles" approach to whenever I make any attempt at writing starters guide... which really does hold me back at times. <br />
<br />
- [[User:NKF|NKF]]<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
You're right about the terrain issue-- I usually start in Europe, and consequently have come to hate farm buildings with a passion. (Where do you place if you want to fight in mountains? TibetCom? I didn't even know the mountain terrain existed until I had been playing for two years.) I don't know anyone that doesn't keep one or two pet weapons about for contingency or just because they don't want to live in a world without autocannon. I should tone down the talk of standardization-- it overstates the case somewhat.<br />
<br />
However, I want to keep this thing brief and somewhat open-ended, and I don't want to spoil all the surprises. There are more detailed starter guides out there-- Warlock's comes to mind-- but I don't want to leave something open to player intitiative, instead of being an exhaustive checklist. That's why I'm ''not'' going to put my "Get an Alien Navigator As Soon As Possible" routine in, or all the other things I do on Day 1. I'm trying to keep a middle ground between getting the new player started, and micromanaging his gameplay.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 08:10, 13 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
:Mountains are limited to the China/India border area (and some of that is arctic rather than mountains) and western South America, with a few small patches in Europe (the Switzerland, Scotland and Norway have small amounts). So unless you deliberately try it is very rare to see it, I agree. The entire US is basically flat, it seems. -- [[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:25, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
The battle tips are going to be tough. I want to keep it very open-ended, but still useful. Gotta let a commander make his own mistakes.<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 00:13, 14 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Note I updated to say that the US is usually your biggest sponsor, it happens in the current game I am in (still first month) that Japan are contributing more than the US, although I have a feeling that will change fairly rapidly.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:19, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
:: Hawaii base? :P --[[User:Kyevan|Kyevan]] 16:13, 17 August 2007 (PDT)<br />
<br />
== Meaning of "QCB" ==<br />
<br />
Just looking over the article and didn't know what QCB stands for. Maybe someone could fill me in. Otherwise that acronym should be removed to prevent confusion. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 23:20, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:According to [[http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Human_shield/|this]], it means "Close Quarters Battle", which would be a quite accurate definition of any fight inside of a UFO(with the possible exceptions of shot down Supply and Terror Ships). I'll edit it shortly. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 23:41, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
==Total Party Kill==<br />
<br />
This, I'm sure, happens to every new commander at some point. You march into a terror mission, kill off the first wave of enemies, and then as you begin your sweep a few remaining aliens take you by surprise and wipe out your troops. There goes 3/4ths of a million in men and equipment. Any recommendations for rebuilding a devastated army? Or should I just reload my last save? --[[User:Aegeus|Aegeus]] 21:59, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:Welcome to UFOpaedia! As for your question, if you lost too much, restoring from save may not be a bad choice. If you have the money, though, you may want to at least try and rebuild. Order new soldiers, weapons, and aircraft. You may be able to get a new squad up and running in 5 days if you have enough cash and storage to order it all immediately. While you have the chance, you may want to change the weapon loadout a bit. If you lost pistols, and weren't using them, don't get them back. Or if you like Heavy Cannons, take this as an opportunity to upgrade. :) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 22:24, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
Yes, Welcome Aegeus! I have definitely had my butt kicked on terror missions, badly. But to get ''totally'' wiped out, you may be bunching up your soldiers too tightly, and maybe also not clearing areas thoroughly enough as you move. Or you may not be reserving enough reaction fire to defend against counter-attacks? Another recommended tactic is to leave 1-2 senior officers in or near the Transport - this helps with morale. You could also try laying down some smoke to cover your flanks as you sweep the map. (If you run out of smoke, try [[User:Seb76|Seb76]]'s great UFO Extender which fixes that problem. On the other hand, if you lost the mission because of Psionic attacks, consider it a bonus that you got rid of Psi-weak soldiers, and protect any survivors, as they are likely to be Psi-strong. <br />
<br />
In general it's best to keep moving forward rather than going back to saves. If you do go back to a save, make sure to fight the mission again, and this time try a different strategy. Throughout this game there seems to be a cycle of gaining confidence dealing with the enemy, which can turn to over-confidence when they suddenly step up a gear. If you can make it back with half or even a couple of your soldiers than you've done much better, and you will be earning your success the hard way. <br />
<br />
Before you throw away your Pistols altogether, you might want to check out [[User:NKF|NKF]]'s views on this weapon - he thinks it's under-rated and actually one of the best. It certainly has its strong points, especially against the weaker aliens such as Floaters and Sectoids. Not so much against their terror units however! I am definitely warming to the Heavy Cannon - it's replacing the Auto-Cannon in my affections as in many ways the best weapon in the early game. <br />
<br />
Anyway, welcome, and enjoy! [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:28, 6 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: My thoughts on the [[Pistol]]... it's not the best, but it's jolly good all the same. Excels mainly at snapshots and reaction fire and good in cases of your troops falling to mind control. <br />
<br />
: This game lets you recover from some bad losses. You can keep playing as long as you've got the money, haven't lost your last base on the map (build another - quick!) and you haven't done several consecutive bad months in a row. So it's mainly up to how much money you've got left. If you don't have much, reload and try again. <br />
<br />
: If you do choose to rebuild, buy a Skyranger and some troops. There are many ways you can arm your new squad - it's all up to how you want to play. A good rule to stick by is to bring something along that will defeat the strongest enemy you're going to go up against (Cyberdiscs and Chryssalids in the early game, Sectopod in the late game). A Rocket Launcher or some High Explosive packs tend to fill these roles quite well. If you're on a tight budget, a rather boring but fairly cost effective setup is to just build some laser rifles (or laser pistols) while you're waiting for your new ship and crew to arrive. They are effective against pretty much anything you'll be facing except the Sectopods. Go on a few easy missions with them, and start making your dream team with the money recovered from sold loot.<br />
<br />
: For future missions, keep a [[Rear Commander]] in the Skyranger in the event the squad gets wiped out. You'll at least be able to recover the Skyranger and whatever was in it. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 00:55, 7 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: Hey Aegus,<br />
: I started this article a couple years ago. A total party kill is worth mentioning for a new player-- I've had it happen myself. This isn't my article any more, of course, but I would say that the article should try to stay on general terms. The rest of the site has most subjects laid out in exhaustive detail, so this page should be something of an overview, with a couple of fine details that are the most common stumbling blocks for new players. You want to help him along but stay shy of giving him a walk-through. I'd say that TPK should be mentioned here, but only in general terms. It's a serious enough event, though, that it probably merits its own page if it doesn't have one already. [[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 17:57, 20 July 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Terror mission preparation ==<br />
<br />
For beginners, the first terror mission is the hardest, since you meet cyberdiscs which are hard to kill, and a sectoid leader with PSI abilities. If the terror ufo can be shot down, the recovery mission is much easier. Therefore, I would advise to equip the interceptors both with Avalanche missiles. If the terror ufo is intercepted with both of them, it usually crashes after 5 shots (that's why both interceptors are needed). [[User:Markho|Markho]] 06:15, 16 November 2011 (EST)<br />
: Hobbes, I never had a terror ship shoot down the interceptor if at avalanche range. You have experienced this (maybe at higher difficulty level)? I assumed until now that you'd be safe with avalanches... [[User:Markho|Markho]] 08:14, 9 December 2011 (EST)</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization&diff=34263Talk:Starting Your Shadowy Paramilitary Organization2011-12-09T13:13:40Z<p>Markho: Question to Hobbes - terror ship - avalanches</p>
<hr />
<div>Regarding base placement, one other good point of consideration (apart from money) is to place it in land mass that contains a generous amount of terrain that you're comfortable fighting in. Some players love to fight in desert or arctic terrain on account of it mostly being barren wastelands. Some may find it more tactically sound to fight in farmland, well, you're not going to get any short supply of these. If you want a base that gets a wide variety of terrrain types, the US has quite a lot of terrain types, and you only need to go south a bit to get jungle terrain. Europe unfortunately has lots of farmland. Africa has lots of desert. The far eastern end of Russia, or the coast of Japan is mostly forest. The polar caps are all polar terrain. Great for those that like to use flying suits and weapons that make really big bangs - preferably a long way away. <br />
<br />
As for experimenting with the weapons, one point I'd like to add is to get to know the tactical strengths and weaknesses of the starting weapons, and to not be afraid of hanging on to some of them even after you've come up with a general weapon set. It's always good to have options available to you. You may not use autocannons much after getting the heavy plasma, but a single autocannon on standby can come in handy simply for its HE and incendiary shells. <br />
<br />
Ah, but don't mind me. I've got this "must cover all play styles" approach to whenever I make any attempt at writing starters guide... which really does hold me back at times. <br />
<br />
- [[User:NKF|NKF]]<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
You're right about the terrain issue-- I usually start in Europe, and consequently have come to hate farm buildings with a passion. (Where do you place if you want to fight in mountains? TibetCom? I didn't even know the mountain terrain existed until I had been playing for two years.) I don't know anyone that doesn't keep one or two pet weapons about for contingency or just because they don't want to live in a world without autocannon. I should tone down the talk of standardization-- it overstates the case somewhat.<br />
<br />
However, I want to keep this thing brief and somewhat open-ended, and I don't want to spoil all the surprises. There are more detailed starter guides out there-- Warlock's comes to mind-- but I don't want to leave something open to player intitiative, instead of being an exhaustive checklist. That's why I'm ''not'' going to put my "Get an Alien Navigator As Soon As Possible" routine in, or all the other things I do on Day 1. I'm trying to keep a middle ground between getting the new player started, and micromanaging his gameplay.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 08:10, 13 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
:Mountains are limited to the China/India border area (and some of that is arctic rather than mountains) and western South America, with a few small patches in Europe (the Switzerland, Scotland and Norway have small amounts). So unless you deliberately try it is very rare to see it, I agree. The entire US is basically flat, it seems. -- [[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:25, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
The battle tips are going to be tough. I want to keep it very open-ended, but still useful. Gotta let a commander make his own mistakes.<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 00:13, 14 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Note I updated to say that the US is usually your biggest sponsor, it happens in the current game I am in (still first month) that Japan are contributing more than the US, although I have a feeling that will change fairly rapidly.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:19, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
:: Hawaii base? :P --[[User:Kyevan|Kyevan]] 16:13, 17 August 2007 (PDT)<br />
<br />
== Meaning of "QCB" ==<br />
<br />
Just looking over the article and didn't know what QCB stands for. Maybe someone could fill me in. Otherwise that acronym should be removed to prevent confusion. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 23:20, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:According to [[http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Human_shield/|this]], it means "Close Quarters Battle", which would be a quite accurate definition of any fight inside of a UFO(with the possible exceptions of shot down Supply and Terror Ships). I'll edit it shortly. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 23:41, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
==Total Party Kill==<br />
<br />
This, I'm sure, happens to every new commander at some point. You march into a terror mission, kill off the first wave of enemies, and then as you begin your sweep a few remaining aliens take you by surprise and wipe out your troops. There goes 3/4ths of a million in men and equipment. Any recommendations for rebuilding a devastated army? Or should I just reload my last save? --[[User:Aegeus|Aegeus]] 21:59, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:Welcome to UFOpaedia! As for your question, if you lost too much, restoring from save may not be a bad choice. If you have the money, though, you may want to at least try and rebuild. Order new soldiers, weapons, and aircraft. You may be able to get a new squad up and running in 5 days if you have enough cash and storage to order it all immediately. While you have the chance, you may want to change the weapon loadout a bit. If you lost pistols, and weren't using them, don't get them back. Or if you like Heavy Cannons, take this as an opportunity to upgrade. :) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 22:24, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
Yes, Welcome Aegeus! I have definitely had my butt kicked on terror missions, badly. But to get ''totally'' wiped out, you may be bunching up your soldiers too tightly, and maybe also not clearing areas thoroughly enough as you move. Or you may not be reserving enough reaction fire to defend against counter-attacks? Another recommended tactic is to leave 1-2 senior officers in or near the Transport - this helps with morale. You could also try laying down some smoke to cover your flanks as you sweep the map. (If you run out of smoke, try [[User:Seb76|Seb76]]'s great UFO Extender which fixes that problem. On the other hand, if you lost the mission because of Psionic attacks, consider it a bonus that you got rid of Psi-weak soldiers, and protect any survivors, as they are likely to be Psi-strong. <br />
<br />
In general it's best to keep moving forward rather than going back to saves. If you do go back to a save, make sure to fight the mission again, and this time try a different strategy. Throughout this game there seems to be a cycle of gaining confidence dealing with the enemy, which can turn to over-confidence when they suddenly step up a gear. If you can make it back with half or even a couple of your soldiers than you've done much better, and you will be earning your success the hard way. <br />
<br />
Before you throw away your Pistols altogether, you might want to check out [[User:NKF|NKF]]'s views on this weapon - he thinks it's under-rated and actually one of the best. It certainly has its strong points, especially against the weaker aliens such as Floaters and Sectoids. Not so much against their terror units however! I am definitely warming to the Heavy Cannon - it's replacing the Auto-Cannon in my affections as in many ways the best weapon in the early game. <br />
<br />
Anyway, welcome, and enjoy! [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:28, 6 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: My thoughts on the [[Pistol]]... it's not the best, but it's jolly good all the same. Excels mainly at snapshots and reaction fire and good in cases of your troops falling to mind control. <br />
<br />
: This game lets you recover from some bad losses. You can keep playing as long as you've got the money, haven't lost your last base on the map (build another - quick!) and you haven't done several consecutive bad months in a row. So it's mainly up to how much money you've got left. If you don't have much, reload and try again. <br />
<br />
: If you do choose to rebuild, buy a Skyranger and some troops. There are many ways you can arm your new squad - it's all up to how you want to play. A good rule to stick by is to bring something along that will defeat the strongest enemy you're going to go up against (Cyberdiscs and Chryssalids in the early game, Sectopod in the late game). A Rocket Launcher or some High Explosive packs tend to fill these roles quite well. If you're on a tight budget, a rather boring but fairly cost effective setup is to just build some laser rifles (or laser pistols) while you're waiting for your new ship and crew to arrive. They are effective against pretty much anything you'll be facing except the Sectopods. Go on a few easy missions with them, and start making your dream team with the money recovered from sold loot.<br />
<br />
: For future missions, keep a [[Rear Commander]] in the Skyranger in the event the squad gets wiped out. You'll at least be able to recover the Skyranger and whatever was in it. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 00:55, 7 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: Hey Aegus,<br />
: I started this article a couple years ago. A total party kill is worth mentioning for a new player-- I've had it happen myself. This isn't my article any more, of course, but I would say that the article should try to stay on general terms. The rest of the site has most subjects laid out in exhaustive detail, so this page should be something of an overview, with a couple of fine details that are the most common stumbling blocks for new players. You want to help him along but stay shy of giving him a walk-through. I'd say that TPK should be mentioned here, but only in general terms. It's a serious enough event, though, that it probably merits its own page if it doesn't have one already. [[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 17:57, 20 July 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Terror mission preparation ==<br />
<br />
For beginners, the first terror mission is the hardest, since you meet cyberdiscs which are hard to kill, and a sectoid leader with PSI abilities. If the terror ufo can be shot down, the recovery mission is much easier. Therefore, I would advise to equip the interceptors both with Avalanche missiles. If the terror ufo is intercepted with both of them, it usually crashes after 5 shots (that's why both interceptors are needed). [[User:Markho|Markho]] 06:15, 16 November 2011 (EST)<br />
: Hobbes, I never had a terror ship shoot down the interceptor if at avalanche range. You have experienced this (maybe at higher difficulty level)? I assumed until now that you'd be safe with avalanches...</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization&diff=34259Starting Your Shadowy Paramilitary Organization2011-12-07T08:35:22Z<p>Markho: Added a means to shoot down terror ships in the beginning stage</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:moneymen.png|right|Hello neighbor!]]<br />
<br />
''' <i style="font-family:cursive;">A Handy Cut-Out Guide</i> '''<br /><br />
Fighting back the alien hordes is a demanding and stressful job. Many new Commanders feel overwhelmed by the task, and lose sight of the many tasks vital to the smooth operation of a covert agency of the secret world government. With this in mind, your paymasters have prepared this brochure to help you get a handle on the day-to-day operations of your clandestine private war.<br />
<br />
'''<i style="font-family:cursive;">Happy hunting!</i>'''<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">Day One: Hit the Ground Running</i>==<br />
<br />
# '''Start on the low difficulty level.''' If this is your first time managing a secret agency, please be realistic about your expectations. While many commanders may think themselves superhumans from day one, in reality it takes a great deal of experience to defend the earth. Save the hard work for later forays.<br />
# '''Place Your Base.''' The thing to keep in mind when placing your first base is that you want to protect the countries that are supplying your funding. Worrying about the fate of sub-Saharan Africa is a noble thing, but Sub-Saharan Africa is not going to pay your bills, at least not until someone strikes oil there. With this in mind, you want to place your first base to protect as much of your funding as possible. So, you're looking to put your base where its sensors can cover as much of your sponsorship as possible. The USA is usually your single largest contributor, while Europe contains a large collection of sponsors as well.<br />
#'''Become Acquainted with your facilities.''' Upon receiving control of your secret underground headquarters (be sure to store the deed in a safe place!), you should [[Starting_Assets|take a tour]] of the facilities and get a feel for your new lair. Note the possible points of entry – particularly the hangars and the access lift – which have been scattered to every corner of the base, allowing an invader to enter from every side and kill your security forces without the hassle of defensive choke-points or bottlenecks. This is what happens when you contract to the lowest bidder.<br />
#*Want to tighten up security some? Look into [[Base Layout Strategy|Overhauling The Starter Base]].<br />
#*In addition, you will almost certainly require other facilities. A large radar system is always useful, as is alien containment for housing anything you bring back from the crash site that's still breathing.<br />
#'''Get your staff working.''' You have a sparkling-new research facility and a crew of scientists, freshly recruited from some supervillian's doomsday project. Get them working immediately, and keep them working! Research facilities are too important to lie idle. As soon as you have new designs to produce, keep your engineers busy as well. If you don't need equipment of your own, have them manufacture items for sale on the international black market.<br />
#*Remember, scientists and engineers are lazy and indolent. Without constant direction on what to research and manufacture, they will sit idle, running up the bandwidth bill and playing idiotic video games.<br />
#*For research, laser weapons aren't a bad place to start. All reports indicate that the aliens have heavy firepower at their disposal, and it might be useful to even the odds some. In addition, there is always a high demand for armaments, especially if you don't ask questions about the buyers. Manufacture these high-tech wonders for your own use and for sale!<br />
#**Stop reading newspapers. I'm sure those reports about the rebels being scorched with some new weapon are unfounded. The Generalissimo is too benevolent a dictator to use lasers on his own people.<br />
#'''Review your troops.''' All prospective X-COM soldiers undergo rigorous [[Stats|physical and psychological examinations]]. Get a handle on their strengths and weaknesses. You might recruit a few more if their weaknesses are too numerous. <br />
#*the turnover rate among agency security squads tends to be... high. Keep some reinforcements on hand.<br />
#*Bravery is a key stat here. Be very suspicious of anyone who scored under 30 on the psych test.<br />
#*Also note the physical strength of your troops. Mark out those who will be strong enough to carry heavy weapons (strength 35+), and those who will have trouble with the standard kit (lower than 30).<br />
#*As time goes on, you'll be able to be more selective in your troop reviews. As you become more familiar with the recruitment process, and you have experienced troops to lead the rookies, adjust your recruiting practices to taste. Some Commanders prefer to use marginal troops as human shields; others carefully select and train each trooper they have.<br />
#'''Organize Your Arsenal.''' As an anonymous leader of a conspiratorial organization, a great variety of military hardware is available to you. Many quartermasters will try to buy one of everything for their armory, but the smart commander will standardize his weapons layout for easy logistical management. <br />
#*Early in the game, experimentation with various weapons is a good thing, but before long you should settle on a standard set of personal firearms and heavy weapons. <br />
#*Of course, there is something to be said for having a couple of non-standard weapons lying around for those odd contingencies.<br />
#*You should also give thought to how much non-weapon equipment your troops need. There is limited room on a troop transport, and not everyone has to carry everything.<br />
#*We let Boris pick out your new arsenal. Bless his heart, he's thorough when it comes to armor-piercing rounds, but you might want to look into alternatives. That man would buy armor-piercing smoke grenades if they were available. Particularly, you might want some stun rods if you want to drag aliens back alive for questioning.<br />
#*Boris also forgets that not everyone has IR vision implants. You might want some electro-flares to light up the battlefield at night.<br />
#*Remember to keep sufficient ammunition on hand for your weapons. This is especially important for HWP's, whose failsafes will not even permit them to deploy without a full consignment of ammunition.<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">Your First Month: Bodybag Bonanza</i>==<br />
<br />
Running a private war against an alien horde is expensive both in money and men. Expect your medbay and morgue to be well used. Fortunately, the nice men in the expensive suits can provide you with an endless line of new recruits, provided you've got the cash. However, you'll see your startup money quickly used up. Here's how to keep a handle on your rapidly-spreading responsibilities.<br />
#'''Keep enough troops in your Skyranger.''' What with all the injuries and fatalities, it's easy to lose track of your roster until your troop transport has landed and, whoops, there's only three troops in it! Keep a sufficient number of troops on hand to replace your casualties, and make sure you assign them to transport as the current troops are injured or lost. It can be a good habit to get into to go to the Equip Craft screen for your Skyranger every time you are about to send it out.<br />
#'''Keep your arsenal supplied.''' There's few things more frustrating than carrying a weapon into battle that you don't have enough clips for. Don't let it happen to you!<br />
#'''Sell alien artifacts.''' It's not certain who would pay $20,000 for a bullet-ridden alien corpse, and you're probably happier not knowing. However, it is an indispensable way to supplement your income.<br />
#*A UFO that lands of its own accord will yield significantly more useful artifacts than one which has crash-landed after air combat. When possible, try having your Skyranger shadow an alien craft and wait for it to land. Of course, it is always preferable to shoot it down rather than let it escape - Once grounded in this way, it'll be quite some time before it can take off again, so you can wait until daylight before sending in your ground forces.<br />
#*The science division would like you to keep at least one example of each type of item for research purposes.<br />
#** You can sell all examples of unneeded items after they've been researched, though.<br />
#* Keeping around a large selection of research specimens may require more general stores capacity.<br />
#*We suggest you don't sell elerium. ''Strongly'' suggest.<br />
#'''Keep your R&D department busy.''' If they don't have work assigned to them, your scientists will just sit around and collect salaries. You remember salaries, right? Their pay will be drawn out of the common fund at the beginning of each month.<br />
#'''Keep your engineers occupied.''' As always, if you don't need anything in particular, have them produce items to sell.<br />
#*Be careful what you produce for the market. Not all alien technology sells profitably, particularly those which require exotic materials to build. When in doubt, stick with tried-and-true Terran designs for selling.<br />
#'''Expand your research and manufacturing departments.''' Through the wonders of modern management, the number of tasks you can accomplish increases linearly with the number of personnel on hand-- no worries of overhead, scalability or management levels here!<br />
#*Recruit more scientists to get research projects completed more quickly. Alien technology in particular will require extra knowledge to master. Many important projects will take an average of 400-500 man days to complete, and quite a few key ones will take twice as much effort, so your initial team of 10 will be vastly inadequate in keeping up without assistance.<br />
#*Hire more engineers. Once you have new technology to manufacture for sale, the engineering staff can more than pay for itself, and in fact can become a major source of revenue.<br />
#'''Always respond to alien terror missions.''' When the aliens invade a major city, you can't afford to ignore it. The bad press generated by neglecting such an event is too big a penalty to your international standing and, more importantly, your funding. Even if you have to retreat once you get there, you can't afford not to go.<br />
#*To make things a little easier: Equip both Interceptors with Avalanche missiles, and use both to intercept and shoot down the terror ship (if you can detect it).<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">The Battlescape: Once More Into The Breach</i>==<br />
Before you know it, the time will come to send your Skyranger out on a mission, laden with troops and implements of destruction. While battlefield tactics can and do fill a book (See: the [[Field Manual]]), we'll focus on a few handy tips for the new commander.<br />
#'''Disperse from the LZ quickly, and stay dispersed.''' having units concentrated in the landing zone invites concentrated fire from the aliens.<br />
#*Any tight concentration of troops is an open target for an alien explosive device.<br />
#*Of course, troops can only exit the transport so quickly. It's better to have a tight formation of troops within the cover of your Skyranger than mulling about just outside the exit ramp.<br />
#*Seek cover as quickly as possible. The ramp and landing gear of the transport can provide cover for one or two units at a time.<br />
#'''Stay coordinated.''' It's the natural tendency of a rookie soldier to strike out on his own. However, the wise commander keeps his squad's movements coordinated for mutual support.<br />
#'''Clear The Terrain.''' Upon arrival at a landing site, you can expect several of the aliens to be dug into whatever cover they can find. Don't be afraid to use heavy firepower to remove their cover from them. Those farmhouses are probably insured, anyway.<br />
#*The exception here is on terror missions. While urban renewal is a valid tactic, you must be careful about killing civilians.<br />
#*Again, Boris's Armor-piercing weapon selection isn't ideal here. You may want to invest in more high-explosive and incendiary ammunition than he provided. The [[Tank/Rocket Launcher]] is especially useful for ground-clearing.<br />
#*When entering any building or structure, make a new door rather than charging into the existing one. Entering through a a newly-made hole in a wall makes it difficult for the enemy to ambush you.<br />
#*The one problem with this tactic is the UFO itself. More research will be required before we find a way to punch through the internal bulkheads, much less the external heat shielding, of alien craft. Until then, the only way to enter a UFO is through the existing hatches, where the enemy will be expecting us. Casualties can be expected on any close quarters battle/breaching mission of this sort.<br />
#'''Light Up.''' If only there was some sort of night... vision... device available to the military. There isn't, though, so on any night mission you'll have to illuminate the battlefield with more primitive means. Electro-flares are cheap, and can be picked up and tossed again. For more dramatic results, use incendiary ammunition to light large areas of the map ablaze.<br />
#*Alien forces, if not actually capable of seeing at night, are very adept at night-fighting techniques.<br />
#'''Specialize: Scouts and snipers.''' Instead of having one troop scouting, then stopping to shoot the first thing he sees, have your scout spot targets for shooters further behind the lines. This keeps your shooters safe, while leaving your scouts enough time to find cover.<br />
#*Make use each troop's strengths. If you have a soldier with good reactions, use him for a scout. A unit with good firing accuracy should be a sniper. Troops with high strength should carry heavy weapons.<br />
#*[[Heavy Weapons Platforms|HWPs]] have high mobility but mediocre firing accuracy. They make for good scouts, but poor snipers.<br />
#'''A friendly reminder from Boris:''' Please remember not to use high explosive or incendiary rounds in close quarters, you could put someone's eyes out. This is the reason for preferring the armor-piercing weapons.<br />
#'''Adapt.''' As you gain battle experience, you can and should adjust your battle tactics to suit your style.<br />
<br />
==<i style="font-family:cursive;">Looking Ahead: Settling In For the Long War</i>==<br />
<br />
Congratulations! You've made it to February. As winter turns into spring, you'll discover new methods of fighting, new technology to help you win, and a new moral flexibility within yourself. As you optimize your agency for the long job ahead of you, here are some things to consider:<br />
<br />
#'''Expand.''' When you have an extra couple million at your disposal, it's time to begin looking at building new bases. However wisely you placed your first base, there are still many sponsors outside of its surveillance bubble. Europe and North America are your two major funding centers, but Southeast Asia shouldn't be ignored either. After that, you'll want to analyze your funding report and consider how best to serve your paymasters.<br />
#*Not every base needs to be the command HQ. Keeping all those engineers, assault squads and scientists in one base gets claustrophobic. Specialization is both a good idea and a good way to save money. You probably won't need assault squads everywhere, but radar surveillance and, to a lesser degree, interception are always useful. If your research or manufacturing arms grow too large, you could farm those out as well.<br />
#*Farming out large personnel sections, like R&D or Manufacturing, to separate bases allows them to expand to a larger size over the long term.<br />
#*Whatever its specialization, though, you still need to defend it. ''Any'' base is vulnerable to retaliation by the aliens. Make sure it's got a living quarters, some general stores, and a garrison of troops and heavy weapons platforms on hand to protect it.<br />
#*Remember to design each base to make it easy to defend. Look into [[Base Defense#Base Layout Strategy|Base Layout Strategy]]<br />
#'''Be aware of what you depend on.''' If you equip your troops with Superior Alien Military&trade; weapons, make sure that you have a sufficient stock of ammunition and exotic material to keep them supplied. If your stocks are running low, keep a few lasers on hand as fall-backs. These wonders of Terran technology require no ammunition, and are handy to use in those lean times.<br />
#'''Keep an eye on your finances.''' It's easy to run into the red while beating back the alien menace. However, if you go too far into debt for too long, your paymasters may run out of patience with you.<br />
#*Keep in mind that personnel salaries, base upkeep costs and craft leasing fees are due at the beginning of every month, at the same time as your sponsors pay you.<br />
#*If these costs are greater than your sponsors' payments, you should keep the difference (or more) on hand at the end of the month to cover the remainder of the bills.<br />
<br />
As you gain experience running your clandestine war, you will certainly have more questions and need more information. Please look through our handy [[Main Page|Knowledge Base]] and [[Field Manual]] as required.<br />
<br />
'''<i style="font-family:cursive;">Good Luck!</i>'''<br />
<br />
== See Also ==<br />
[[Glossary]] |<br />
[[Research]] |<br />
[[Equipment]] <br /><br />
[[Tricks, Tips and Hints]]<br /><br />
[[Warlord's Foolproof Plan]] -- Another starter guide. Much more detail, with some spoilers.<br /><br />
[[Overviews of Aliens]]<br /><br />
[[:Category:Field Manual]]</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization&diff=34240Talk:Starting Your Shadowy Paramilitary Organization2011-11-16T11:15:05Z<p>Markho: /* Terror mission preparation */</p>
<hr />
<div>Regarding base placement, one other good point of consideration (apart from money) is to place it in land mass that contains a generous amount of terrain that you're comfortable fighting in. Some players love to fight in desert or arctic terrain on account of it mostly being barren wastelands. Some may find it more tactically sound to fight in farmland, well, you're not going to get any short supply of these. If you want a base that gets a wide variety of terrrain types, the US has quite a lot of terrain types, and you only need to go south a bit to get jungle terrain. Europe unfortunately has lots of farmland. Africa has lots of desert. The far eastern end of Russia, or the coast of Japan is mostly forest. The polar caps are all polar terrain. Great for those that like to use flying suits and weapons that make really big bangs - preferably a long way away. <br />
<br />
As for experimenting with the weapons, one point I'd like to add is to get to know the tactical strengths and weaknesses of the starting weapons, and to not be afraid of hanging on to some of them even after you've come up with a general weapon set. It's always good to have options available to you. You may not use autocannons much after getting the heavy plasma, but a single autocannon on standby can come in handy simply for its HE and incendiary shells. <br />
<br />
Ah, but don't mind me. I've got this "must cover all play styles" approach to whenever I make any attempt at writing starters guide... which really does hold me back at times. <br />
<br />
- [[User:NKF|NKF]]<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
You're right about the terrain issue-- I usually start in Europe, and consequently have come to hate farm buildings with a passion. (Where do you place if you want to fight in mountains? TibetCom? I didn't even know the mountain terrain existed until I had been playing for two years.) I don't know anyone that doesn't keep one or two pet weapons about for contingency or just because they don't want to live in a world without autocannon. I should tone down the talk of standardization-- it overstates the case somewhat.<br />
<br />
However, I want to keep this thing brief and somewhat open-ended, and I don't want to spoil all the surprises. There are more detailed starter guides out there-- Warlock's comes to mind-- but I don't want to leave something open to player intitiative, instead of being an exhaustive checklist. That's why I'm ''not'' going to put my "Get an Alien Navigator As Soon As Possible" routine in, or all the other things I do on Day 1. I'm trying to keep a middle ground between getting the new player started, and micromanaging his gameplay.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 08:10, 13 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
:Mountains are limited to the China/India border area (and some of that is arctic rather than mountains) and western South America, with a few small patches in Europe (the Switzerland, Scotland and Norway have small amounts). So unless you deliberately try it is very rare to see it, I agree. The entire US is basically flat, it seems. -- [[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:25, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
The battle tips are going to be tough. I want to keep it very open-ended, but still useful. Gotta let a commander make his own mistakes.<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 00:13, 14 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Note I updated to say that the US is usually your biggest sponsor, it happens in the current game I am in (still first month) that Japan are contributing more than the US, although I have a feeling that will change fairly rapidly.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:19, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
:: Hawaii base? :P --[[User:Kyevan|Kyevan]] 16:13, 17 August 2007 (PDT)<br />
<br />
== Meaning of "QCB" ==<br />
<br />
Just looking over the article and didn't know what QCB stands for. Maybe someone could fill me in. Otherwise that acronym should be removed to prevent confusion. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 23:20, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:According to [[http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Human_shield/|this]], it means "Close Quarters Battle", which would be a quite accurate definition of any fight inside of a UFO(with the possible exceptions of shot down Supply and Terror Ships). I'll edit it shortly. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 23:41, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
==Total Party Kill==<br />
<br />
This, I'm sure, happens to every new commander at some point. You march into a terror mission, kill off the first wave of enemies, and then as you begin your sweep a few remaining aliens take you by surprise and wipe out your troops. There goes 3/4ths of a million in men and equipment. Any recommendations for rebuilding a devastated army? Or should I just reload my last save? --[[User:Aegeus|Aegeus]] 21:59, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:Welcome to UFOpaedia! As for your question, if you lost too much, restoring from save may not be a bad choice. If you have the money, though, you may want to at least try and rebuild. Order new soldiers, weapons, and aircraft. You may be able to get a new squad up and running in 5 days if you have enough cash and storage to order it all immediately. While you have the chance, you may want to change the weapon loadout a bit. If you lost pistols, and weren't using them, don't get them back. Or if you like Heavy Cannons, take this as an opportunity to upgrade. :) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 22:24, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
Yes, Welcome Aegeus! I have definitely had my butt kicked on terror missions, badly. But to get ''totally'' wiped out, you may be bunching up your soldiers too tightly, and maybe also not clearing areas thoroughly enough as you move. Or you may not be reserving enough reaction fire to defend against counter-attacks? Another recommended tactic is to leave 1-2 senior officers in or near the Transport - this helps with morale. You could also try laying down some smoke to cover your flanks as you sweep the map. (If you run out of smoke, try [[User:Seb76|Seb76]]'s great UFO Extender which fixes that problem. On the other hand, if you lost the mission because of Psionic attacks, consider it a bonus that you got rid of Psi-weak soldiers, and protect any survivors, as they are likely to be Psi-strong. <br />
<br />
In general it's best to keep moving forward rather than going back to saves. If you do go back to a save, make sure to fight the mission again, and this time try a different strategy. Throughout this game there seems to be a cycle of gaining confidence dealing with the enemy, which can turn to over-confidence when they suddenly step up a gear. If you can make it back with half or even a couple of your soldiers than you've done much better, and you will be earning your success the hard way. <br />
<br />
Before you throw away your Pistols altogether, you might want to check out [[User:NKF|NKF]]'s views on this weapon - he thinks it's under-rated and actually one of the best. It certainly has its strong points, especially against the weaker aliens such as Floaters and Sectoids. Not so much against their terror units however! I am definitely warming to the Heavy Cannon - it's replacing the Auto-Cannon in my affections as in many ways the best weapon in the early game. <br />
<br />
Anyway, welcome, and enjoy! [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:28, 6 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: My thoughts on the [[Pistol]]... it's not the best, but it's jolly good all the same. Excels mainly at snapshots and reaction fire and good in cases of your troops falling to mind control. <br />
<br />
: This game lets you recover from some bad losses. You can keep playing as long as you've got the money, haven't lost your last base on the map (build another - quick!) and you haven't done several consecutive bad months in a row. So it's mainly up to how much money you've got left. If you don't have much, reload and try again. <br />
<br />
: If you do choose to rebuild, buy a Skyranger and some troops. There are many ways you can arm your new squad - it's all up to how you want to play. A good rule to stick by is to bring something along that will defeat the strongest enemy you're going to go up against (Cyberdiscs and Chryssalids in the early game, Sectopod in the late game). A Rocket Launcher or some High Explosive packs tend to fill these roles quite well. If you're on a tight budget, a rather boring but fairly cost effective setup is to just build some laser rifles (or laser pistols) while you're waiting for your new ship and crew to arrive. They are effective against pretty much anything you'll be facing except the Sectopods. Go on a few easy missions with them, and start making your dream team with the money recovered from sold loot.<br />
<br />
: For future missions, keep a [[Rear Commander]] in the Skyranger in the event the squad gets wiped out. You'll at least be able to recover the Skyranger and whatever was in it. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 00:55, 7 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: Hey Aegus,<br />
: I started this article a couple years ago. A total party kill is worth mentioning for a new player-- I've had it happen myself. This isn't my article any more, of course, but I would say that the article should try to stay on general terms. The rest of the site has most subjects laid out in exhaustive detail, so this page should be something of an overview, with a couple of fine details that are the most common stumbling blocks for new players. You want to help him along but stay shy of giving him a walk-through. I'd say that TPK should be mentioned here, but only in general terms. It's a serious enough event, though, that it probably merits its own page if it doesn't have one already. [[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 17:57, 20 July 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Terror mission preparation ==<br />
<br />
For beginners, the first terror mission is the hardest, since you meet cyberdiscs which are hard to kill, and a sectoid leader with PSI abilities. If the terror ufo can be shot down, the recovery mission is much easier. Therefore, I would advise to equip the interceptors both with Avalanche missiles. If the terror ufo is intercepted with both of them, it usually crashes after 5 shots (that's why both interceptors are needed). [[User:Markho|Markho]] 06:15, 16 November 2011 (EST)</div>Markhohttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization&diff=34239Talk:Starting Your Shadowy Paramilitary Organization2011-11-16T11:14:35Z<p>Markho: /* Terror mission preparation */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>Regarding base placement, one other good point of consideration (apart from money) is to place it in land mass that contains a generous amount of terrain that you're comfortable fighting in. Some players love to fight in desert or arctic terrain on account of it mostly being barren wastelands. Some may find it more tactically sound to fight in farmland, well, you're not going to get any short supply of these. If you want a base that gets a wide variety of terrrain types, the US has quite a lot of terrain types, and you only need to go south a bit to get jungle terrain. Europe unfortunately has lots of farmland. Africa has lots of desert. The far eastern end of Russia, or the coast of Japan is mostly forest. The polar caps are all polar terrain. Great for those that like to use flying suits and weapons that make really big bangs - preferably a long way away. <br />
<br />
As for experimenting with the weapons, one point I'd like to add is to get to know the tactical strengths and weaknesses of the starting weapons, and to not be afraid of hanging on to some of them even after you've come up with a general weapon set. It's always good to have options available to you. You may not use autocannons much after getting the heavy plasma, but a single autocannon on standby can come in handy simply for its HE and incendiary shells. <br />
<br />
Ah, but don't mind me. I've got this "must cover all play styles" approach to whenever I make any attempt at writing starters guide... which really does hold me back at times. <br />
<br />
- [[User:NKF|NKF]]<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
You're right about the terrain issue-- I usually start in Europe, and consequently have come to hate farm buildings with a passion. (Where do you place if you want to fight in mountains? TibetCom? I didn't even know the mountain terrain existed until I had been playing for two years.) I don't know anyone that doesn't keep one or two pet weapons about for contingency or just because they don't want to live in a world without autocannon. I should tone down the talk of standardization-- it overstates the case somewhat.<br />
<br />
However, I want to keep this thing brief and somewhat open-ended, and I don't want to spoil all the surprises. There are more detailed starter guides out there-- Warlock's comes to mind-- but I don't want to leave something open to player intitiative, instead of being an exhaustive checklist. That's why I'm ''not'' going to put my "Get an Alien Navigator As Soon As Possible" routine in, or all the other things I do on Day 1. I'm trying to keep a middle ground between getting the new player started, and micromanaging his gameplay.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 08:10, 13 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
:Mountains are limited to the China/India border area (and some of that is arctic rather than mountains) and western South America, with a few small patches in Europe (the Switzerland, Scotland and Norway have small amounts). So unless you deliberately try it is very rare to see it, I agree. The entire US is basically flat, it seems. -- [[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:25, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
The battle tips are going to be tough. I want to keep it very open-ended, but still useful. Gotta let a commander make his own mistakes.<br />
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 00:13, 14 December 2005 (PST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Note I updated to say that the US is usually your biggest sponsor, it happens in the current game I am in (still first month) that Japan are contributing more than the US, although I have a feeling that will change fairly rapidly.<br />
<br />
--[[User:Sfnhltb|Sfnhltb]] 07:19, 28 February 2007 (PST)<br />
:: Hawaii base? :P --[[User:Kyevan|Kyevan]] 16:13, 17 August 2007 (PDT)<br />
<br />
== Meaning of "QCB" ==<br />
<br />
Just looking over the article and didn't know what QCB stands for. Maybe someone could fill me in. Otherwise that acronym should be removed to prevent confusion. --[[User:Zombie|Zombie]] 23:20, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:According to [[http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Human_shield/|this]], it means "Close Quarters Battle", which would be a quite accurate definition of any fight inside of a UFO(with the possible exceptions of shot down Supply and Terror Ships). I'll edit it shortly. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 23:41, 4 November 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
==Total Party Kill==<br />
<br />
This, I'm sure, happens to every new commander at some point. You march into a terror mission, kill off the first wave of enemies, and then as you begin your sweep a few remaining aliens take you by surprise and wipe out your troops. There goes 3/4ths of a million in men and equipment. Any recommendations for rebuilding a devastated army? Or should I just reload my last save? --[[User:Aegeus|Aegeus]] 21:59, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
:Welcome to UFOpaedia! As for your question, if you lost too much, restoring from save may not be a bad choice. If you have the money, though, you may want to at least try and rebuild. Order new soldiers, weapons, and aircraft. You may be able to get a new squad up and running in 5 days if you have enough cash and storage to order it all immediately. While you have the chance, you may want to change the weapon loadout a bit. If you lost pistols, and weren't using them, don't get them back. Or if you like Heavy Cannons, take this as an opportunity to upgrade. :) [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 22:24, 5 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
Yes, Welcome Aegeus! I have definitely had my butt kicked on terror missions, badly. But to get ''totally'' wiped out, you may be bunching up your soldiers too tightly, and maybe also not clearing areas thoroughly enough as you move. Or you may not be reserving enough reaction fire to defend against counter-attacks? Another recommended tactic is to leave 1-2 senior officers in or near the Transport - this helps with morale. You could also try laying down some smoke to cover your flanks as you sweep the map. (If you run out of smoke, try [[User:Seb76|Seb76]]'s great UFO Extender which fixes that problem. On the other hand, if you lost the mission because of Psionic attacks, consider it a bonus that you got rid of Psi-weak soldiers, and protect any survivors, as they are likely to be Psi-strong. <br />
<br />
In general it's best to keep moving forward rather than going back to saves. If you do go back to a save, make sure to fight the mission again, and this time try a different strategy. Throughout this game there seems to be a cycle of gaining confidence dealing with the enemy, which can turn to over-confidence when they suddenly step up a gear. If you can make it back with half or even a couple of your soldiers than you've done much better, and you will be earning your success the hard way. <br />
<br />
Before you throw away your Pistols altogether, you might want to check out [[User:NKF|NKF]]'s views on this weapon - he thinks it's under-rated and actually one of the best. It certainly has its strong points, especially against the weaker aliens such as Floaters and Sectoids. Not so much against their terror units however! I am definitely warming to the Heavy Cannon - it's replacing the Auto-Cannon in my affections as in many ways the best weapon in the early game. <br />
<br />
Anyway, welcome, and enjoy! [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:28, 6 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: My thoughts on the [[Pistol]]... it's not the best, but it's jolly good all the same. Excels mainly at snapshots and reaction fire and good in cases of your troops falling to mind control. <br />
<br />
: This game lets you recover from some bad losses. You can keep playing as long as you've got the money, haven't lost your last base on the map (build another - quick!) and you haven't done several consecutive bad months in a row. So it's mainly up to how much money you've got left. If you don't have much, reload and try again. <br />
<br />
: If you do choose to rebuild, buy a Skyranger and some troops. There are many ways you can arm your new squad - it's all up to how you want to play. A good rule to stick by is to bring something along that will defeat the strongest enemy you're going to go up against (Cyberdiscs and Chryssalids in the early game, Sectopod in the late game). A Rocket Launcher or some High Explosive packs tend to fill these roles quite well. If you're on a tight budget, a rather boring but fairly cost effective setup is to just build some laser rifles (or laser pistols) while you're waiting for your new ship and crew to arrive. They are effective against pretty much anything you'll be facing except the Sectopods. Go on a few easy missions with them, and start making your dream team with the money recovered from sold loot.<br />
<br />
: For future missions, keep a [[Rear Commander]] in the Skyranger in the event the squad gets wiped out. You'll at least be able to recover the Skyranger and whatever was in it. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 00:55, 7 December 2008 (CST)<br />
<br />
: Hey Aegus,<br />
: I started this article a couple years ago. A total party kill is worth mentioning for a new player-- I've had it happen myself. This isn't my article any more, of course, but I would say that the article should try to stay on general terms. The rest of the site has most subjects laid out in exhaustive detail, so this page should be something of an overview, with a couple of fine details that are the most common stumbling blocks for new players. You want to help him along but stay shy of giving him a walk-through. I'd say that TPK should be mentioned here, but only in general terms. It's a serious enough event, though, that it probably merits its own page if it doesn't have one already. [[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 17:57, 20 July 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Terror mission preparation ==<br />
<br />
For beginners, the first terror mission is the hardest, since you meet cyberdiscs which are hard to kill, and a sectoid leader with PSI abilities. If the terror ufo can be shot down, the recovery mission is much easier. Therefore, I would advise to equip the interceptors both with Avalanche missiles. If the terror ufo is intercepted with both of them, it usually crashes after 5 shots (that's why both interceptors are needed).</div>Markho