Tech Levels (Apocalypse)
Also known as Score Levels
Technology Levels
Score
- Total Score influences X-Com's funding from the Government, checked after each week.
- Tactical Missions score influences what the aliens carry on the battlescape, checked after each mission.
- UFO Craft Shot Down score influences what devices the UFOs will use, checked at the start of a new day.
however, X-Com's score does not determine:
- Aliens: UFO type, mission style, schedule, or craft quantity that appear in Mega-Primus.
- Alien life-forms or quantity present on the battlescape (check Infiltration Force for each craft).
- Alien technology given to organisations or quantity of Building Security that are present.
Progress: Aliens
The tables below show progression points required for each item to appear, for the five difficulty levels.
Tech Level | Novice | Easy | Medium | Hard | Superhuman | Weapon (clips) | Grenade type (number) | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% Brainsucker Launcher (1,1,1,1,2,2,2,3,3,3) |
100% None | 100% None |
2 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 70% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 30% Brainsucker Launcher (2,3,4) |
30% Smoke Grenade (1,1,2) 70% None |
100% None |
3 | 2,200 | 2,200 | 2,200 | 2,200 | 2,200 | 80% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 20% Brainsucker Launcher (2,3) |
30% Boomeroid (1,1,2) 30% Smoke Grenade (1,1,2) 40% None |
100% None |
4 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 50% Devastator Cannon (n/a) 40% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 10% Brainsucker Launcher (4) |
50% Boomeroid (1,1,1,1,2) 30% Smoke Grenade (1,1,2) 20% None |
100% None |
5 | 7,000 | 6,900 | 6,800 | 6,700 | 6,600 | 60% Devastator Cannon (n/a) 30% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 10% Brainsucker Launcher (4) |
30% Vortex Mine (1,1,2) 50% Boomeroid (1,1,2,3,3) 20% Smoke Grenade (1,2) |
70% Personal Disruptor Shield 30% None |
6 | 12,000 | 11,500 | 11,000 | 10,500 | 10,000 | 20% Entropy Launcher (3,5) 70% Devastator Cannon (n/a) 10% Brainsucker Launcher (4) |
40% Vortex Mine (1,1,2,3) 40% Boomeroid (1,2,2,3) 20% Smoke Grenade (2,3) |
30% Personal Cloaking Field 40% Personal Disruptor Shield 30% PCF + PDS |
7 | 22,000 | 21,000 | 20,000 | 19,000 | 18,000 | 20% Dimension Missile Launcher (3,4) 20% Entropy Launcher (3,5) 50% Devastator Cannon (n/a) 10% Brainsucker Launcher (4) |
40% Vortex Mine (1,2,3,4) 50% Boomeroid (1,2,2,3,4) 10% Smoke Grenade (3) |
30% Personal Cloaking Field 30% Personal Disruptor Shield 40% PCF + PDS |
8 | 42,000 | 39,000 | 36,000 | 33,000 | 28,000 | 20% Dimension Missile Launcher (4,5) 30% Entropy Launcher (3,4,5) 40% Devastator Cannon (n/a) 10% Brainsucker Launcher (4) |
50% Vortex Mine (1,2,3,3,4) 50% Boomeroid (2,2,3,3,4) |
30% PCF + Personal Teleporter 40% PDS + Personal Teleporter 30% PCF + PDS |
Item | Novice | Easy | Medium | Hard | Superhuman |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Small Disruption Shield | 2,000 | 1,750 | 1,500 | 1,250 | 1,000 |
Large Disruption Shield | 4,000 | 3,500 | 3,000 | 2,500 | 2,000 |
Cloaking Field | 8,000 | 7,000 | 6,000 | 5,000 | 4,000 |
Teleporter | 16,000 | 14,000 | 12,000 | 10,000 | 8,000 |
Progress: Humans
All Organizations will upgrade their "Tech Level" by +1 at the beginning of each week, however, any 100% infiltrated organisation is granted an immediate +3 over their current level. The maximum level is +12.
Organizations' Starting Tech Levels
- Level 1: Energen, Evonet, Extropians, Grav Ball League, Lifetree, Nutrivend, Sanctuary Clinic, Synthemesh, Technocrats
- Level 2: Cult of Sirius, General Metro, Nanotech, Sensovision, Superdynamics, Transtellar
- Level 3: Cyberweb, Government, Megapol, Mutant Alliance, S.E.L.F.
- Level 4: Diablo, Marsec, Osiron, Psyke, Solmine
Tech Level | Weapon (clips) | Grenade type (number) | Other |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 40% Lawpistol (2,2,3,4) 30% M4000 Machine Gun (2,3,4) 20% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 10% Auto Cannon (3AP) |
20% AP Grenade (1,2) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 70% None |
100% None |
2 | 20% Lawpistol (3) 30% M4000 Machine Gun (3,3,4) 20% Laser Sniper Gun (2,3) 10% Auto Cannon (3AP) 10% Plasma Gun (2) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) |
20% AP Grenade (2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 10% Stun Grenade (1)1 60% None |
100% None |
3 | 10% Lawpistol (3) 30% M4000 Machine Gun (3) 20% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 20% Auto Cannon (3AP,2HE) 10% Plasma Gun (2) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) |
10% Proximity Mine (1) 30% AP Grenade (1,2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 50% None |
100% None |
4 | 20% M4000 Machine Gun (3) 20% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 20% Auto Cannon (3AP,2HE) 20% Plasma Gun (2) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) 10% MiniLauncher (3HE) |
10% Proximity Mine (1) 30% AP Grenade (2,2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 50% None |
100% None |
5 | 10% M4000 Machine Gun (4) 20% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 20% Auto Cannon (3AP,3HE) 30% Plasma Gun (02,2,2) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) 10% MiniLauncher (3HE) |
10% Proximity Mine (1) 40% AP Grenade (1,2,2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 40% None |
100% None |
6 | 20% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 20% Auto Cannon (3AP,3HE) 20% Plasma Gun (2,3) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) 10% MiniLauncher (3HE) 20% Disruptor Gun (n/a) |
20% Proximity Mine (1,2) 40% AP Grenade (1,2,2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 30% None |
100% None |
7 | 10% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 20% Auto Cannon (3AP,3HE) 20% Plasma Gun (2,3) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) 10% MiniLauncher (3HE) 30% Disruptor Gun (n/a) |
10% Boomeroid (1) 10% Proximity Mine (1) 40% AP Grenade (2,2,2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 30% None |
100% None |
8 | 10% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 10% Auto Cannon (3AP) 20% Plasma Gun (2,3) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) 10% MiniLauncher (3HE) 30% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 10% Devastator Cannon (n/a) |
20% Boomeroid (1) 10% Proximity Mine (2) 30% AP Grenade (2,2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 30% None |
100% None |
9 | 10% Laser Sniper Gun (2) 10% Auto Cannon (3AP) 20% Plasma Gun (2,3) 10% Heavy Launcher (4HE) 40% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 10% Devastator Cannon (n/a) |
10% Vortex Mine (1) 20% Boomeroid (1) 10% Proximity Mine (2) 30% AP Grenade (2,3,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 20% None |
20% Personal Disruptor Shield 80% None |
10 | 10% Auto Cannon (3AP) 20% Plasma Gun (2,3) 10% Heavy Launcher (4HE) 40% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 20% Devastator Cannon (n/a) |
20% Vortex Mine (1) 20% Boomeroid (1) 20% Proximity Mine (1,2) 10% AP Grenade (3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 20% None |
10% Personal Cloaking Field 20% Personal Disruptor Shield 70% None |
11 | 20% Plasma Gun (2,3) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) 40% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 30% Devastator Cannon (n/a) |
30% Vortex Mine (1) 20% Boomeroid (1) 10% Proximity Mine (2) 20% AP Grenade (2,3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 10% None |
10% PDS + PCF 10% Personal Cloaking Field 30% Personal Disruptor Shield 50% None |
12 | 10% Plasma Gun (3) 10% Heavy Launcher (3HE) 40% Disruptor Gun (n/a) 40% Devastator Cannon (n/a) |
40% Vortex Mine (1) 20% Boomeroid (1) 10% Proximity Mine (2) 10% AP Grenade (3) 10% Smoke Grenade (1) 10% None |
20% PDS + PCF 20% Personal Cloaking Field 40% Personal Disruptor Shield 20% None |
1 Stun Grenades are used exclusively by enemies at Tech Level 2. This is probably a design oversight.
2 This is likely a mistake. Note that the enemy may still pick up another weapon during the mission.
Un-Progress
It is possible to reduce/reverse the (Total) Tactical Missions score by destroying/leaving behind equipment brought to a battlescape mission to force the current technology level of the aliens to be also reduced. Purposely limit the tactical score by:
- Escape a UFO crash recovery battlescape after finding new technology, abandoning alien corpses or recoverable craft devices.
- Escape from a cleanup of alien infestation (kill as many aliens (including eggs and chrysalids) as possible but prevent successful completion of the mission).
- Escape from a raid with only what is absolutely needed, ammo does not contribute to score.
- Start a raid with hostiles and only use agents that you were going to sack (reactions too low) and get them all killed (bonus if you equipped them with obsolete unload weapons or excess junk). Bonus for executing them yourself. (-10 points in casualty rating for getting a rookie killed, and an additional -10 in combat rating for killing your own rookie)
- One interesting tactic is, in the early game, if you see an anthropod firing at you with a brainsucker launcher, throw an explosive at the corpse, blowing up the brainsucker launcher, the corpse, and any remaining brainsucker pods. ... this is interesting because, this is often actually a very useful move. Brainsucker pods and launchers give a lot of score while being worth peanuts in resale value, but you are also preventing any more brainsuckers from spawning and hitting you when you aren't prepared for them.
If score limiting is used, technology used by building security (level +1 each week) will surpass the alien's level. X-Com may then rely on 'others' to provide an endless stream of exotic equipment.