User:EsTeR

I'm back for a little bit more.

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Apoc'D

The number [1]Xcom: Apocalypse editor.

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The following notes below may not be correct anymore if Apoc'D has newer versions since the text below describing bugs may not be relevant anymore.

Apoc'd Notes

• Area effect types of damage should have a size of one tenth (but only whole numbers - no decimals!). (no more than 250 damage)
• Useful range is stated on weapon ingame, overshoot (projectile lifetime) range is not. Should be x3 useful range to make it realistic. Can be up to x10 if it is guided.
• Range in editor should be divided by 16 to get cell distances ingame.
• Accuracy is reversed. A value of 95 in editor = 5% accuracy ingame.
• Turn Rate values don't seem to matter with projectile speed. A 96 turn rate is roughly as round as a launch tube. (need more testing).
• Lower the value for Tail Size to under 10 for all weapons. Helps with game engine speed irrelevant of CPU power.
• Speed above 65 (100 max) for craft guns means most, if not all, will hit a Fast Attack.
• Proximity Trigger: 0 = normal grenade, 1 = normal prox mine, 2 = boomeroid type action.
• Values less than 5 (never 0) for Fire Delay MUST have very short tail sizes. Game becomes very slow when engine is struggling to draw.
• If changing ammo quanitites of clips inside of AGENT EQUIPMENT 2, you must also change weapon clip size (weird! but both must be done)
• Non player craft can up to four useable weapons (anymore and the extras don't get used). Graphic corruption if player craft.
• Set cargo module capacity to 500 - doesn't matter for player but at least you won't have ridiculous swarms of airtrans if buying bulk.
• Destroyed UFOs?? Set "Remaining HP before downed" to 50% of constitution.

ALMOST CHEATING

• make all weapons commonly used by aliens (including the "ingrown" weapons) set to weight of 100.
• set stamina and TU of Popper to 25 each. Set explosive damage to 250, radius to 25. Shoot it with AP when its still in the UFO corridor surrounded by aliens. (muhahhahaha)

Bugs

• divide by zero crash of game if any item (was stun grapples for me) is set to damage higer than 250 (actually the safe limit is 254). Stun grapple had damage of 5000 which DID work well (hostile was knocked out almost permanently), but the game became unstable once damage was not calculated somehow. (the hostile would crouch them stun damage was not applied).
• divide by zero crash when aliens decide to throw a smoke grenade which has been swapped to alien-gas damage instead of the usual smoke effect.
• MINOR Bug: sometimes the map would not end automatically after all hostiles were neutralised if using a mega-stun grapple. It typically happens when all hostiles are plainly visible at the very start of combat and get stunned in a very short time period (using long range mod on stun grapples). The way to 'win' was to guess if all were stunned, then get one soldier to exit. After a slight delay the message should come up. If it doesn't - hunt down the hiding coward.
• MINOR Bug: weapons (including recharging weapons) and clips should not have more than 100 ammo. The game will wrap the numbers to negative if its slightly more that this (havn't tested what the limit is - 100 ammo works well)

Nice Weapons (try them)

Rohypnol

Weapon: Stun Grapple

• • speed = 75
  • power = 250
  • accur = 5
  • delay = 5
  • tail = 5
  • range = 1600
  • lifetime = 3200

also change ammo charge quantity to 95 and weight to 1.

Weapon of the Apocalyspe

Weapon: Autocannon IN clip (the clip, not the weapon):

• • speed = 75
  • power = 250
  • accur = 5
  • tail = 1
  • delay = 1
  • range = 2400
  • lifetime = 4800
  • damage type = explosive (No:4)
  • explosion size = 25 (MUST be one-tenth of damage (and no decimal numbers) if its an explosion animation)

also change ammo quantity to 95 for clip AND the gun, and weights both to 1.

• • • TRY this weapon using realtime and AUTO-SHOT. (careful with that building damage LOL)

COMMON EDITS:

• you can give the five grenades (AG,Frag,Hi-X,Stun,IN) proximity timers (set 1=normal, or 2=boomeroid). AP-grenades are now useful mid game. (remember - right-click to set "detonate on contact" when thrown).

GAME TOO EASY??

• Inside AGENT EQUIPMENT 2, set Spitter's Vomit Funnel: Primary Ammo Effect = 27

ZOMG!!1! ALIENS!

A side effect from editing using the Midnight Editor.

How

Change ownership of UFOs from ALIENS to XCOM when they first appear (just wait for all to warp in) so that when the game is reloaded, you'll have normal control of those UFOs within the cityscape. Move the UFOs to an area using MOVE TO LOCATION button anywhere within the boundaries of the map. When the craft stops at its destination it will do the "dropping aliens into building" animation as it normally does. (also see below: AVOID STATIONARY UFOS)

WARNING: do not access the craft-equip screen when you have vehicles under your control that normally is impossible to acquire = GAME CRASH!

What Happens

The animation replays over and over again if the UFO is stationary. Each time the animation completes, it places a full squad of aliens inside the building irrelevant if the UFO is over its intended AI-controlled destination, or not. EACH animation = FULL squad.

Big Deal?

You want a superhuman game? Now you can have it. The real BIG deal is the ease at which the aliens will travel around the cityscape. When you start a tactical battle (by clicking the "check for aliens inside building" button) you'll get the usual compliment of aliens (of a heavily infested building) BUT you'll engage only 36 aliens that can carry weapons (anthropod or skeletoid). The rest of those two types will immediately move to a nearby building once you complete the current tactical battle.

If you happen to start off with 90 skeletoids inside a building, the game will only use 36 for you to fight, the rest automatically move on and take a portion of the alien eggs and multiworms with them.

This can have the effect of swarming over the whole city... and if you don't deal with it = alien controlled city.

Avoid Stationary UFOs

The game will start the animation as soon as the UFO is stationary. To keep the craft moving, give it a "move to location" command that will take it out to the very extreme of the actual city map (scroll to very edge then click here somewhere) There is a invisible border which craft cannot move past. If any craft have an order to move past this border, then they will just fly back and forth against the invisible barrier - and never keep still!

Why Xcom Controlled UFOs?

Now an assault ship IS an assault ship. Bombing the building externally, then land an invasion force. Agressive aliens meant to be feared, and not some flying birthday cake!

The REAL How to

When a UFO squad has all spawned in, save the game and use then use the editor to change ownership of those UFOs to Xcom. Reload the edited savegame then control the UFOs as you normally would (if a UFO ship icon is pictured in the "show hostile vehicles tab", just right click on it to deselect it. It will be back in "Xcom craft" tab.)

If you attack a building and the UFO ownership is Xcom, then Xcom is attacking, not aliens. To make an attack work, move the craft far away from your target building, then make them attack it. BEFORE any missiles or guns are fired, save your game and change ownership of the UFOs back to ALIEN. (NOTE: if the now alien-owned UFOs are still in your vehicles tab, left click on a normal vehicle and then the invalid vehicles should disappear). Enjoy the show.

REMEMBER: don't access the craft inventory button if you have invalid ship types under you control = game crash.

Naming Soldiers

WARNING: High levels of anal retentiveness detected. Proceed at you own risk.

Name Structure

These are the naming conventions I use for EU and TFTD. I ignore everything except these listed. To me, the most important attribute is BRAVERY before knowing Psionics. After I know what the Psi Strength is, Bravery is then ignored as a filter for crap agents.

Statistics BEFORE Psi

• Bravery (BRV)

SAX = 10 or 20 (bad)
BRV = +50 (good or better)

• Reactions (FT)

FT- = 30 to 39 (bad)
FT = 50 to 59 (good)
FT+ = 60 to 69 (very good)
FT* = +70 (excellent)

• Accuracy (SNP)

SNP- = 40 to 49 (bad)
SNP2B= 57 to 59
SNP = 60 to 69 (good)
SNP+ = 70 to 79 (very good)
SNP* = +80 (excellent)

• Strength (STR)

VWK = 20 to 24 (very bad)
WK = 25 to 29 (bad)
STR = 40 to 49 (good)
STR+ = 50 to 59 (very good)
STR* = +60 (excellent)

• Nothing Outstanding (GRNT)

GRNT = average soldier (no negatives or positives)

Specials

• Super Soldiers (HERO)

HERO2B= BRV and SNP2B
HERO = BRV and SNP
HERO+ = BRV and SNP+
HERO* = BRV and SNP*

Examples

If a stat is unremarkable, then it is not included within the name of the soldier:

SAX:FT:VWK = bravery is bad, reactions is good, accuracy is average, strength is very bad.
BRV:SNP- = bravery is good, reactions is average, accuracy is bad, strength is average.
GRNT = bravery is average, reactions is average, accuracy is average, strength is average.
HERO2B:FT*:STR+ = bravey is good, reaction is excellent, accuracy is ALMOST good, strength is very good.
SNP+ = bravery is average, reaction is average, accuracy is very good, strength is average.

The worst: SAX:FT-:SNP-:VWK = bravery is bad, reactions is bad, accuracy is bad, strength is very bad.

The best default: HERO+:FT+:STR = bravery is good, reactions is verygood, accuracy is very good, strength is good.

The best trained: (and better) HERO*:FT*:STR* = bravery is good, reactions is excellent, accuracy is excellent, strength is excellent.

The longest name possible (read notes below) ###:###:#####:####

NOTES

• I do not sack the SAX guys unless I have quite a few. Since SAXs are a liability when a mission goes bad, I use them to open doors (although UFO-Loader enables TFTD style door opening) and be a magnet for alien reaction fire. They also have a use as human shields for more worthy agents, that is, they stand first in line when charging between buildings, corridors etc. Another use is scouting when the tank is slag including being at the front of the three man team. If a SAX gets injured and I have to disrupt the flow or put others at risk, then chicken-lover goes without (considering every guy gets a gun+clip and spare, a medikit, 2x mixed grenades, and maybe a stunrod each) leaving them to die is rare although they will get the sack back at base (if more than three days in sickbay). They do not get any armour - even if I've overstocked the Flying Suits.
• The range: BRV,FT,SNP,STR are in order so the more volatile statistics are at the end (easy to edit each name in turn).
• I check the SOLDIERS button after each battle to adjust the stats. Although many people think its overkill to be so thorough or tedious, I find it better to tailor the squad to the mission. It would be silly to take really good soldiers to a Sectoid terror mission whereas a Floater large scout is good training for the better soldiers.
• I do not care for rank. If the commander is a putz, then he'd better get ready to suck it down. (No, not me... the soldier I hired.)

• The name space is limited to a total 14 large or 21 small characters. Since one name can possbily go over the limit ( ###:###:SNP2B:### ) it isn't such a problem. See below for a more concise naming method.

Statistics AFTER Psi

The naming order stays the same except for two differences: The allocation of Psi Strength as a number and a contraction of the abbreiviations. The symbols still remain if needed.

Examples

• BRV becomes B
• SAX becomes X
• FT becomes F
• SNP becomes A
• STR becomes S
• GRNT stays the same
• HERO stays the same

AND the new entry which goes at the start of every name. Psionic Strength (abbrivated as P)

Examples

• Psionic Strength (P)

P### = a number which is only ever above 75.

If the Psionic Strength of the agent is less than 75 then I don't bother naming them. I just delete the name and then they get (once I have removed any armour) the immediate sack. I do not care if they are my best soldier(s).

ADVANCED USE

• It may be of some help to keep one agent with Psi Strength of 50 to 75 when on a mission so that the aliens waste their TU on trying to panic/mind control this weaker soldier. Obviously, using this pawn in such a way means you only give them the duty of being an ammo carrier or the 'stun rod/thermal tazer guy'. Its foolish to give them a weapon or armour of any sort. Although you may reconsider the armour option if you have an overstock.
• Only got a few P75 (and above) soldiers? You could filter out less than P60 instead of using P75 as the cutoff point. The better agents should be your main assault force and the average (P60 to P74) could be used strickly as base defenders.
• See below for more.

= Best Locations for Bases

Best Start Location

• If you set your bases down in the better spots, you really only need seven.
• yadda yadda not finished.

Funding Countries First

• yadda yadda not finished.

Psi Filter Base

• Your eighth base should be your Psi Filter base. Its a base somewhere surrounded by water (Greetings from Hawaii!) which does not involve any cities. No city nearby = no overflights by alien craft for terror missions (no overflights mean aliens don't find the base by accident).
• The base has: 5xliving, 1xstores, 12xpsi-lab. (10 guys for defense purposes). Optionally you can plonk down a radar of some sort, and a Mind Shield. If you are swimming in cash: 5xFusion Balls and 1xGrav Shield. Do NOT shoot down any craft over or near this base unless you want them to find it. Customise it to your own design.
• Five Living Quarters but only 12 labs? Yes! The Psi Strength is known only at the end of the month. Be sure to have a new batch of 120 solders ready to go into training (one Psi-lab holds 10 agents). Your only chance to replace agents within Psi-Labs is at the end of the month. If you transfer an agent, they loose their Psi training for that month. That is, it takes a WHOLE month to know what an agent's Psi Strength is - No interuptions.

NOTE Think of a Psi-Lab needing 20 agents: 10 in training, 10 in waiting. Know about Transfer Limits?

• The purpose of a Psi Filter base is to accept a high volume of new recruits for the only purpose of finding out what is their Psi Strength. The bad ones get the sack, the good one go to your intercept base(s).

Note: To maximise space, it may not be possible to build this base with a defensive layout. If this is the case, then coupled with many rookies and limited spawning for Aliens, the game may behave stupid if the there not enought spawn spots avaiable. Avoid letting the Aliens have a reason to try and detect this base.