XCOM: Enemy Unknown aka the one where Haphazard dies repeatedly

[xenin]

I like the early OTS, assuming we still have enough money to actually purchase some laser weapons when they're unlocked.

[Sareln]

I find the data at UFOpaedia to be pretty reliable, when it's there.

Research is done on a daily basis. You generate points based on # of scientists and modifiers from adjacent labs. Techs cost fixed amounts of points, reduced via research credits. No research overflow (ouch! weird design choice IMO).

# of engineers give a discount in manufacturing only and saturates at about 40%. The discount from workshops only operates on buildings/foundry projects. That said, paying $60/sat. versus $100/sat is pretty damn big in the early game, which is why I think people are really bullish on early engineers over scientists.

Laser Rifles will cost us about ~$24 each plus materials ( ~12 alloys), Pistols will be about half that ($12, 7 alloys). Numbers are pretty approximate since it depends how big our engineering discount is at that point.

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For those who don't mind looking at what is effectively code:

\steamapps\common\XCom-Enemy-Unknown\XComGame\Config\DefaultGameCore.ini

contains the numerical values for everything important for planning, namely the base costs of all equipment, facilities, and foundry projects, and the base research time of all techs.

[haphazard1]

Sounds like an excellent mission, dazed! (Can't see the pictures here at work, so will comment more later when I can see the details.)

Power for the OTS was why I was thinking of building a generator. But they only take 5 days, so we should be able to start the OTS, start a generator, and still have the power online before the next thing we need to build. Or did the workshop take all our available power? That would delay OTS. I always try to keep at least 5-6 power ahead of my current needs.

Yeah, the non-randomness of maps and spawn points is a big negative for the new game. Some people complain that the original game's maps weren't really ever any different since they were built out of segments, but they must have played a different game than I did. Some things were always similar, but the combinations of features offered enough variety that you never knew where the enemy would be. I find myself missing the occasional "aliens right off the skyranger ramp" fight, although with the new game's cover system that would be instant death so I can see why it was not included.

[Ug the Barbarian]

Ok just a quick post to say I've foolishly avoided sleep to play my turnset. Will post properly in the morning but just a quick taster - 'panic is not a good thing'

[haphazard1]

'panic is not a good thing'

Uh oh.

It was probably my avatar. That green hair was a mistake, too many artificial dyes seeping through the skull into the brain.

[Sareln]

'panic is not a good thing'

Uh oh.

It was probably my avatar. That green hair was a mistake, too many artificial dyes seeping through the skull into the brain.

Doooooooooom

[dazedroyalty]

I hope this mission came before I was recovered in sick bay. My avatar is no panzie to avoid battles, but if he survives due to still being in sick bay that's not his fault!

[haphazard1]

I hope this mission came before I was recovered in sick bay. My avatar is no panzie to avoid battles, but if he survives due to still being in sick bay that's not his fault!

Excuses, excuses!

[uberfish]

It's probably Sareln's fault.

[Ug the Barbarian]

Mission 4 - The Pressures of Command

OK following earlier requests/general agreement :
- Shredder Rocket promotion taken for Uberfish
- Manufacture medikit and additional scope
- Construction of OTS begins in top left corner of base



We start scanning for activity with the following events due



Times moves on 8 days and both Workshop and OTS complete.
Start a Power Generator in the top right corner so we can progress straight to a second Satellite Uplink at start of new month (along with 3? more Satellite builds) because we're now out of power.
As that puts us out of cash, I sell off 1 Alien Nav computer and 4 Sectoid corpses to fund Squad Size 1 upgrade. We're unlikely to need the Nav computer for research for at least a month and have plenty of chances to get more.

We start scanning again and after three days get the dreaded Council Mission


At least its one that should help our research times


As I'm now expecting Thinmen to appear, I change the squad loadout
Haphazard gets a Medikit in his support role to go with his Assault Rifle
Ug (as sniper) and Uberfish (as Bullet Swarm Heavy) get scopes
Sareln gets a frag grenade to go with his Assault Rifle
DazedRoyalty also gets a frag grenade but keeps a shotgun for the close & personal approach

We launch & find out the mission specifics - its the Anna Singh extraction by the fountain



Probably time for a quick note about this map. Basically you have to advance to the far end to find the target. The centre with the fountain is higher ground but moving there exposes you to enemy spawn points on both sides and can get you killed in the cross fire.