I am sure it has been said, but it may be lost in all of the discussions back and forth in the various related threads.
A sliding scale of ‘nerfing’ based on the player’s difficulty selection. For nerfs to PP, the largest nerfs go to the hardest level and scale down as they reach the easiest level. The opposite would apply to the enemy nerfs, the lower nerfs apply to the hardest difficulty and the higher slide down to the easiest. Of course this would be unbalanced if one looks at the way game currently is. But if the devs can smooth out the balance one more time and then throw in the sliding scale, perhaps the power players and the casual players can enjoy the game more. I am pretty sure that is what Snapshot thought they were doing with the DDA, but too many aspects were already unbalanced.
Of course, Snapshot, really (and I mean really) needs to give the player the option to change difficulty on the fly. Not necessarily in mid-mission, but at least when in geoscape mode.
Yes, I can confirm. And I don’t think that it is limited to the player and I’m almost sure it can also happen with worms, which by definition shouldn’t be able to score “a direct hit” as they can’t be on the same tile as their victims.
@BriteShadowWolf all nerfs would be welcomed be me (all non-nerfs I won’t comment) with some exceptions:
I think it is too much. It should be possible to use skill many times during whole combat (limit per turn is ok for me - of course I prefer to put limit with AP cost, but it is not always possible, i.e. with mind abilities). If such skill is overpowered then limit it with other conditions (for example how much ammo cost and weight - so multiple reloads after RB won’t be possible).
I would change action points cost, but that would need rewriting how action points work. So I suppose that melee damage can be ok, except that 10% bonus is quite small for top skill.
What if player will use this skill after movement?
I would go other way. Leave that 3 slots intact, but improve usefullness of vehicles (your reload on mission, overall armor, additional inventory with equipment for soldiers, 3 different addons from different research - healing for soldiers onboard, fire extinguishers to surrouding tiles, acid neutralizer targeting specific soldiers etc.)
Maybe it is a good try. Without too many changes maybe it would work.
We don’t know that, but from lore perspective they don’t need to be so deadly.
I missed this in the mass of the post (which is why I told you it was too long - only really dedicated followers like Yokes will read it fully to the end )
I would actually reduce it to 1 slot, or even 0 and allow 1 vehicle to be slung under each transport. This is effectively how I play it by utilising Sheepy’s ‘Unlimted Deployment’ mod. This allows 2 transports to bring 2 vehicles + up to 9 Squaddies to a fight; which - when coupled with my usual 1 Skill use/turn limit - evens up the odds and makes for a really interesting fight.
Also, if you do that, you don’t have to buff vehicles (though I do like Yokes’s suggestions). They work really well as they are.
On that note, I think people severely underestimate vehicles, especially in the early game. Sure the Scarab may only have 4 shots, but that turns it into a roving Chiron on our side. It’s also roving cover that protects you not only from Chiron artillery but also Siren MC. It’s a bullet sponge, which can be squeezed out on a regular basis if you have a Tech riding shotgun, and its a great mobile deployment platform for your Heavy and other troops - combine it with Rally and you can literally drive your Heavy right up to any enemy, pop him out the back and Gatling Gun the sucker at point blank range: add another Rally and the Heavy pops back into the vehicle and is untouchable. Armadillos are self-propelled Gatling Guns, and the Aspida’s Healing function is invaluable at higher levels. I find vehicles really useful at all levels - but they’re not worth 3 Squad slots. So if you don’t have Unlimited Deployment, then taking up 0 or 1 slot reflects their current value.
making them cost 0 to deploy would indeed solve the opportunity cost problem. personally I am leaning towards the 1-2 slots area.
I have tried all the vehicle types at least once, (I did however not use every variant of mutog) and I really want to employ their traits (generally tough, and a swath of immunities)…but they simply take up too much space in the squad for what they bring. (if they cost 3 to deploy…but 1 to carry in a craft…that would already make them much more attractive for me. 1 to carry and deploy, I would frequently use them)
I also really hope they allow me to buy “magazines” for my vehicle so I can reload them in combat, at the moment its weird that I have to buy grenades and rockets…but the vehicle can get them for free. but somehow the vehicle, that should have ample space for extra munitions is completely unable to reload. same with regards to medkits, I don’t want to be forced to employ technicians if I want to use vehicles a lot.
relative to balance though “buffing vehicles” is a relatively low priority.
I would agree with that. Reduce their transport & deployment cost, so that they become worth using without having to resort to mods, and you can leave them as they are for now.
I’m follower of this solution. So ground vehicle should have dedicated slot under air vehicle and should not limit dropship’s capacity for soldiers. But in such case I would lower aircraft speed by some factor (maybe 25%) and definitely would change one other thing related to aircrafts (but that won’t be part of main game I suppose, so will only be applied in my balancing mod - if I will get to it after releasing official mod support).
EDIT: 25% slower speed means also 25% lower range before refueling (so their area of operation will be only 56% of original one). Thus dropships with ground vehicles would be slower main forces, while dropships without them would be faster responce teams.
And beside above mentioned modifier in my mod, there will be also another one quite significant making changes to capturing aliens.
Just a thought; why not have a research project of ‘Manticor upgrade’ available from the begining which allows you to then build either a vehical coupling unit to allow for this underslug vehical slot or an extended crew module allowing for, say, another two to four troops at a reduced range and speed in the way you suggest. Maybe later upgrade projects can enhance range, speed etc. It does occur to me that this may come with the ‘Festering skies’ dlc.
Without too many changes maybe it would work.
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