A new look at a fair RB?

[Yokes]

About this fast paced combat issue touched here:

@MichaelIgnotus

@VOLAND

@MichaelIgnotus

Take XCOM as the obvious benchmark - on most missions, you would have a couple of turns at the beginning where nothing much happened as you were getting yourself into position and reacting to the noises off-screen. And it was great!

Yes, for the first 5, 10, 20 missions. After that the dread is doing the exact same thing over and over again, knowing that if you do things in a certain way, or according to some routine it’s going to be OK, but you still have to go through all the motions just the same.

That’s true of all these types of game. Let’s face it: all we’re really doing is moving little piece across a map over and over again.

I also have opinion that combats should take more time in terms of number of turns. But to not overextend battles there should be:

• option to quicken AI turns (by making common animation faster, and also disabling action camera for enemies)
• change deployment algorithm to spawn less number but more evolved enemies (or just stronger units if evolution is not so advanced for weaker units).

So there should be at least 3 turns to position units and then 3 or 4 turns to deal with the enemy. That is some estimation not a rule. There could be of course cases where you start your fight in first turn if you spot an enemy in the open and your sniper has line of sight.

That would require decreasing few factors:

• Speed of soldiers but also aliens. That is why there would be few turns required to get into fighting positions.
• There should be overall decrease in damage output per turn. Currently you can deal over 1000 damage with single soldier in one turn. That should not be possible. Maybe except shotgun to the face fired 2 times in a turn - but you remember about speed decrease? It wouldn’t be so easy to execute. Lesser number of enemies would balance that lower damage output.

What more if tests would indicate that single battles take more time there should be decrease in number of combats spawned on geoscape to not make this game so tedious like Long War did with FiraXCOM.

Those 2 points (lower speed and damage output) would resolve alpha-strike issue.

[walan]

@Yokes

That would require decreasing few factors:

• Speed of soldiers but also aliens. That is why there would be few turns required to get into fighting positions.
• There should be overall decrease in damage output per turn. Currently you can deal over 1000 damage with single soldier in one turn. That should not be possible. Maybe except shotgun to the face fired 2 times in a turn - but you remember about speed decrease? It wouldn’t be so easy to execute. Lesser number of enemies would balance that lower damage output.

In theory, that sounds good because …

1. super high risk arises to run directly in front of the opponent’s nose (currently the best and most unfair method)
2. AP and WP recovery (infinitely overpowered loop) is greatly reduced because no kills are possible as quickly.

But one thing is missing: If you reduce the mobility without the accuracy, the snipers will be the new kings.

@Yokes

if tests would indicate that single battles take more time there should be decrease in number of combats spawned on geoscape to not make this game so tedious like Long War did with FiraXCOM

I would even cut the current state of the game by 1/4. This is due to rather similar missions (kill all enemys).

[Magor]

Snipers must be kings at long range. Bring forest/city/inside_building maps into game.
Also, with decreasing mobility I’ll increase accuracy. Only laser sniper has it at rate that must have sniper. About AR or heavy weapons even don’t want to talk.

[VOLAND]

@Yokes

So there should be at least 3 turns to position units

That, IMO, is way too much. Cut it to 1 turn and you are not missing anything. As a rule. There should be a few special missions, or even a mission type with some suspenseful discovery, but it has to be used sparingly.

Yes to speed, accuracy and damage decrease by nerfing buffs.

If then you have engagements that last a little more, I don’t have a problem with that. But 3 turns to get into position, not for me

@walan

I would even cut the current state of the game by 1/4. This is due to rather similar missions (kill all enemys).

I agree, the late game outstays its welcome.

[MichaelIgnotus]

@VOLAND

@walan

I would even cut the current state of the game by 1/4. This is due to rather similar missions (kill all enemys).

I agree, the late game outstays its welcome.

+1 to that. I even wrote a post about it: So, the game currently outstays its welcome [SPOILERS REDACTED]

Simple fix to that would be to reduce all endgame research times by 1 or 2 days.

[walan]

@VOLAND

@Yokes

So there should be at least 3 turns to position units

That, IMO, is way too much. Cut it to 1 turn and you are not missing anything.

That would be great also …
If you currently decide the whole match in the first turn.