Difference between revisions of "Alien movement patterns"
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''[ [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]]: This is debatable - When the AI is moving an alien it can happen that the next waypoint is already occupied by another alien unit and thus it will freeze on its location without moving. In those cases what will happen is that the alien will wait until the path is clear before moving.''] | ''[ [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]]: This is debatable - When the AI is moving an alien it can happen that the next waypoint is already occupied by another alien unit and thus it will freeze on its location without moving. In those cases what will happen is that the alien will wait until the path is clear before moving.''] | ||
| − | + | ===Large Scout=== | |
| + | The [[Large Scout]] sometimes has a nasty one, depending on the exact location where the alien spawns in the bridge. Stepping through the right-hand doorway when approaching the bridge (relative to the screen, this is the upper passage) will usually get you killed instantly. | ||
| − | + | The best way to deal with this guard is by setting up an ambush outside the left-hand door. Moving into the corridor outside that door will dislodge the guard, who will then come to you. By the next turn it should be in the room just beyond -- exhausted and unable to fight back. | |
| + | On Superhuman settings, Sectoid guards have enough TUs to step through the door once dislodged -- you should be prepared to gun them down with reaction fire. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Thankfully, movement within the Small Scout's antechamber will not dislodge the guard -- only movement into the left and right subchambers will. You can safely move your troops up against the wall opposite the UFO outer door, then arrange them facing the doors on the next turn. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Abductor=== | ||
Other UFOs may require bigger weaponry to deal with these 'guards'. The [[Abductor]] for example has a guard that always waits in the centre of the bridge. It's untested, but it may be possible to get this guard to face in a different direction by placing a soldier as close as possible to it and ending the turn. On the next turn, have a soldier barge through the door. Again, this is untested, so use it at your own risk. More practical solutions to this include cutting a hole through the rear or floor of the room with a [[Heavy Plasma]], deploying a smoke grenade in front of the door, stepping through and launching a rocket or a grenade, or even just standing underneath the alien and firing a high explosive weapon directly at the ceiling. | Other UFOs may require bigger weaponry to deal with these 'guards'. The [[Abductor]] for example has a guard that always waits in the centre of the bridge. It's untested, but it may be possible to get this guard to face in a different direction by placing a soldier as close as possible to it and ending the turn. On the next turn, have a soldier barge through the door. Again, this is untested, so use it at your own risk. More practical solutions to this include cutting a hole through the rear or floor of the room with a [[Heavy Plasma]], deploying a smoke grenade in front of the door, stepping through and launching a rocket or a grenade, or even just standing underneath the alien and firing a high explosive weapon directly at the ceiling. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Terror Ship=== | ||
| + | The [[Terror Ship]] has a pair of open-floor hiding places just above the corridors connecting the outer pods to the main body of the craft. Any armed alien stuck up there will have plenty of TUs available to gun your troops down as they walk underneath. | ||
| + | |||
| + | It is usually safe to approach these hiding spots by hugging the north wall of the corridor until you step just inside the main saucer, then pivoting north to see what's hiding up there. The alien will not return fire when you are in this position, most likely due to the [[Tactical_Exploits#Elevator_Shielding|elevator shielding]] bug. | ||
== Dislodging Guards == | == Dislodging Guards == | ||
Revision as of 01:30, 13 January 2011
Closely linked to Spawn Points are the alien movement patterns (aka routes). Although the maps are randomly generated, each module (especially ones with doorways) have patrol points defined. Aliens on patrol will follow a route through these points until they spot the enemy (you). Then the aggression formula takes over.
Guards
There's a safe method to dealing with almost every UFO. Due to odd positioning, some ship have alien 'guards' that do not move from their spot until you 'trigger' them somehow, either by walking through a door or standing at certain locations in the UFO. In general, they'll head in the general direction of the nearest soldier to them.
[ Hobbes: This is debatable - When the AI is moving an alien it can happen that the next waypoint is already occupied by another alien unit and thus it will freeze on its location without moving. In those cases what will happen is that the alien will wait until the path is clear before moving.]
Large Scout
The Large Scout sometimes has a nasty one, depending on the exact location where the alien spawns in the bridge. Stepping through the right-hand doorway when approaching the bridge (relative to the screen, this is the upper passage) will usually get you killed instantly.
The best way to deal with this guard is by setting up an ambush outside the left-hand door. Moving into the corridor outside that door will dislodge the guard, who will then come to you. By the next turn it should be in the room just beyond -- exhausted and unable to fight back.
On Superhuman settings, Sectoid guards have enough TUs to step through the door once dislodged -- you should be prepared to gun them down with reaction fire.
Thankfully, movement within the Small Scout's antechamber will not dislodge the guard -- only movement into the left and right subchambers will. You can safely move your troops up against the wall opposite the UFO outer door, then arrange them facing the doors on the next turn.
Abductor
Other UFOs may require bigger weaponry to deal with these 'guards'. The Abductor for example has a guard that always waits in the centre of the bridge. It's untested, but it may be possible to get this guard to face in a different direction by placing a soldier as close as possible to it and ending the turn. On the next turn, have a soldier barge through the door. Again, this is untested, so use it at your own risk. More practical solutions to this include cutting a hole through the rear or floor of the room with a Heavy Plasma, deploying a smoke grenade in front of the door, stepping through and launching a rocket or a grenade, or even just standing underneath the alien and firing a high explosive weapon directly at the ceiling.
Terror Ship
The Terror Ship has a pair of open-floor hiding places just above the corridors connecting the outer pods to the main body of the craft. Any armed alien stuck up there will have plenty of TUs available to gun your troops down as they walk underneath.
It is usually safe to approach these hiding spots by hugging the north wall of the corridor until you step just inside the main saucer, then pivoting north to see what's hiding up there. The alien will not return fire when you are in this position, most likely due to the elevator shielding bug.
Dislodging Guards
Recent testing has suggested that aliens which remain fixed in place are stuck in "aggression mode" against one X-COM unit. As long as that unit does not move, the alien will not move either. To flush aliens out of fixed positions, try moving all your units, one at a time, and keep an ambush posted outside the UFO in case the alien emerges.
Floaters and the Koan of Stairs
How did those Floaters get up those stairs in the first place? They certainly don't know how to go down them.
Eventually, the hapless floater will have the AI try to route it from the top of a staircase to the bottom of the same staircase. Unfortunately, not having legs, the art of walking down stairs escapes the floater. With a few precautions to abuse line-of-fire bugs, this makes the stuck Floater easy prey for even a lone X-COM agent.