Under The Hood

Information in this section cracks open the bonnet and attempts to explain the how and why questions on a variety of aspects of the inner workings of the games, such as formulas and other odds and ends like reproduceable game bugs or useful 'glitches'. (Note this does not include technical bugs)

As we don't have the source code, quite a lot of the information here is derived the traditional way, with paper, pen and lots of free time.

General

• How the grenade timer works
• Where do area-effect weapons harm you?
• Damage calculations
• Calculating recovery time for injured soldiers
• Calculating accuracy
• How Reactions work
• Motion scanner blip sizes
• Psionics
  • How a psionic attack works
• Throwing distances
• Item weights and how they correlate with Strength
• Why Strength does NOT improve with more weight.
• Weapon comparison tables
• Fire. Just how does it work?
• Unit spawn priorities

Useful Glitches, Workarounds or Just Plain Odd Stuff

• Free Ammo for tanks on base defence missions
• Phantom Radar - How to get rid of the radar, but keep its abilities
• Straight lines and the equator - getting a little more range from your ships
• Stacking bug (UFO only)
  • Activating Melee Attacks
• The Medikit heal-through-wall trick
• Throwing items through the ceiling trick
• Consequences of firing explosives at the ceiling
• Hitting multiple targets with incendiary effects
• The oddeties of data corruption
  • How to??
  • Transformers
  • Unknown Status
  • Control Alien Ships
• The oddeties of mind control
  • Why civilians go rogue
  • Large units
  • Gaining permanent control of a Chryssalid/Tentaculat
• On spawn locations in base defence missions and how to make the ultimate base.

Not so useful Glitches

• Glitches with the Gauss SWS (TFTD only)
• Exponential transfer costs
• Vertical waypoint bug (Collectors Edition only)
• Proximity mine bug (Collectors Edition, mainly)
• Disappearing ammo bug