King Tubby
Member
Death From Above on a Ranger is insane. Just eliminated an entire pod putting my concealed ranger on a hill above them. Since firing the shotgun only takes one action it's basically Serial at will.
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XCOM 2 |OT| Be Aggressive! Be Be Aggressive!
- Thread starter Sober
- Start date
I dont think thats a bug, I mean they can see your gremlin hovering around. What shouldn't break concealment is when you loot the safes with the things.Concealment from hacking a tower doesn't work at all, does it? Spotted both times I used it.
Dear Firaxis,
Can you please fix these bugs?
Love, RandomSeed
Thank you for contacting us, RandomSeed, and thanks for buying our game. Which bug would you like us to fix for you today?
With the way that wounding works in this game, I hardly ever load out with medkits or gremlin heals. Combat/haywire are more useful. Combat's even useful early game just for 2dmg+take an enemy out of overwatch. Healing seems kind of useless. It's basically insurance if you let one of your soldiers get hit more than once.
RandomSeed
Member
I'm not talking about sending my Gremlin in and they spot that, I'm talking about getting the hacking ability of concealment, then just moving around afterwards and having enemies spot the soldier from that 17 (?) tile distance, rather than the shorter viewing distance.
And I sure wish the camera worked during overwatch in this game. Just had a bladestorm ranger near where enemy reinforcements were dropping in, and three of them just ran past her to cover. Eh, screen froze, then some damage showed up on each of them, so it was less exciting than it could have been.
Oh, that never happened to me.
CertifiedFP
Member
Well, I'm at odds right now with whether or not to go forward with
with my second Psi Op not yet fully-specced for what comes after, or waiting for them to finish their last few bits of training and risk fighting a UFO.
hitting the ADVENT Network Tower
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
wut double post
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
Fighting a UFO is so god damn epic that having it right before the final mission should feel like the canon ending trifecta if there ever was one.
You only really need one psi ops for that. UFO missions will more likely than not get a few of your guys injured, which will then make you take more time in getting to that mission. Overall, it's not a big deal.
CertifiedFP
Member
Hmm... Opinions on the Workshop room?
On one hand, it definitely increased my Engineers' flexibility in the early game when I was trying to get an Engineering corps running, but on the other hand the investment in it delayed my path to making a Psionics division, leading to me having only one completely trained Psi Op by the time the
is available my other one not quite there yet.
To the people who I've seen post screenshots of entering the final mission with a full six man team of fully trained Psi's, how do you guys do it? Do you guys put it off for months until your team is ready or something?
(Also, I'm in September, so I'm not entirely sure if I'm on the schedule the developers balanced the game around, or if I blitzed through the story missions like a bat out of hell since I've not suffered an A-Team loss at all this campaign, merely potential A-Team candidates.)
On one hand, it definitely increased my Engineers' flexibility in the early game when I was trying to get an Engineering corps running, but on the other hand the investment in it delayed my path to making a Psionics division, leading to me having only one completely trained Psi Op by the time the
Network Tower
To the people who I've seen post screenshots of entering the final mission with a full six man team of fully trained Psi's, how do you guys do it? Do you guys put it off for months until your team is ready or something?
(Also, I'm in September, so I'm not entirely sure if I'm on the schedule the developers balanced the game around, or if I blitzed through the story missions like a bat out of hell since I've not suffered an A-Team loss at all this campaign, merely potential A-Team candidates.)
There's a cheevo for beating the game on Commander by July 1st, so...
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
I'm trying to do that now. I usually build workshops in general, but for this run, it's a big fat nope.
Kaffeemann
Banned
Was any kind of free DLC announced?
Because "DLC0" keeps appearing in the update history.
Because "DLC0" keeps appearing in the update history.
Mobius and pet octopus
Member
I think people under-estimate death from above. It really compliments the sniper equipped with a grappling hook fit armor. Since grappling hook doesn't take an action, you can easily take advantage of it + death from above to get your sniper into position, get a kill (or more with serial), and still have an action to reload or get out of the vulnerable positioning.
It also compliments the aim ability (+20 aim to first shot after hunkering down), although I choose steady hands because it has +10 crit for only 10 less aim and impacts every shot that turn.
And just in general, being able to reload after a shot significantly reduces the downside of the sniper rifle because you are highly likely to score a kill before running out of ammo.
The other ability at that point just doesn't compliment a long range sniper. I've tried it out and there just aren't enough uses for it. It's the ability that lets you fire your pistol without ending the turn.
My end game sniper was capable of 1 shotting a sectopod with dead eye and bluescreen rounds iirc. If not 1 shot, it set it up to be taken down by almost any of my other soldiers.
It also compliments the aim ability (+20 aim to first shot after hunkering down), although I choose steady hands because it has +10 crit for only 10 less aim and impacts every shot that turn.
And just in general, being able to reload after a shot significantly reduces the downside of the sniper rifle because you are highly likely to score a kill before running out of ammo.
The other ability at that point just doesn't compliment a long range sniper. I've tried it out and there just aren't enough uses for it. It's the ability that lets you fire your pistol without ending the turn.
My end game sniper was capable of 1 shotting a sectopod with dead eye and bluescreen rounds iirc. If not 1 shot, it set it up to be taken down by almost any of my other soldiers.
Wraith Sniper and Scout are amazing because of their free mobility gains and height changes. DfA gives you a mobility option after a shot/Serial, which is great since it means you don't waste a turn just repositioning.
Specialist is the class I find to be actually useless but take one along for the Haywire and Capacitor Discharge. Two grenadiers, one sniper, one scout, and one Psi-Op and you're golden, last slot is whatever.
I guess the best way to build a Spec would be the offensive spec, and then use them largely as infinite Overwatch/Guardian defense turrets with super-aim and crit. Use the Overwatch Protocol (Threat Assessment?) on a forward scout with dodge PCS, and just farm/shoot everything for days. That's like 60+ dodge stat on your Wraith+PCS+Overwatch Protocol (Threat Assessment?) Scout unit, and then Specialist has (ammo limited) infinite Overwatch. You'll need an superior expanded clip, though.
Of course, I may have understood how Threat Assessment works, and it may only trigger once?
Specialist is the class I find to be actually useless but take one along for the Haywire and Capacitor Discharge. Two grenadiers, one sniper, one scout, and one Psi-Op and you're golden, last slot is whatever.
I guess the best way to build a Spec would be the offensive spec, and then use them largely as infinite Overwatch/Guardian defense turrets with super-aim and crit. Use the Overwatch Protocol (Threat Assessment?) on a forward scout with dodge PCS, and just farm/shoot everything for days. That's like 60+ dodge stat on your Wraith+PCS+Overwatch Protocol (Threat Assessment?) Scout unit, and then Specialist has (ammo limited) infinite Overwatch. You'll need an superior expanded clip, though.
Of course, I may have understood how Threat Assessment works, and it may only trigger once?
After finishing my Veteran campaign I figured I'd throw some mods on and try commander.
I went through the first mission flawless and then lost my entire squad to 2 sectoids, 1 officer, 3 troopers and 3 troopers reinforcements.
I managed to kill 1 enemy because every shot I took missed, even 85%+ ones.
Only got a single grenade kill.
Geez.
I went through the first mission flawless and then lost my entire squad to 2 sectoids, 1 officer, 3 troopers and 3 troopers reinforcements.
I managed to kill 1 enemy because every shot I took missed, even 85%+ ones.
Only got a single grenade kill.
Geez.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
I'm ignoring snipers completely in my "Exquisite Timing" (beat the game before July) run so that I can save money by not building sniper rifles. Shotguns are cheap, so I'm doing 3 rangers, 2 grenadiers, 1 specialist. The extra damage output by rangers make them very useful in the early game.
In my other normal run, I experimented with 2 specialists with stacked aim so that they could trigger Guardian as much as possible. My overwatch traps were very deadly
In my other normal run, I experimented with 2 specialists with stacked aim so that they could trigger Guardian as much as possible. My overwatch traps were very deadly
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
Really wish you could have specialists learn psi abilities. How broken would that be?
Mobius and pet octopus
Member
I love specialists. I've gotten into the habit of taking two. One for each tree, although not strict.
Threat assement doesn't give infinite shots. It gives one shot. But that shot also stacks with regular overwatch. If you threat assement your specialist with guardian, and then put that guardian on overwatch, you have two guaranteed shots. If they hit then you get a 50% chance at another shot. And I am fairly positive that after you use that guardian shot, you still have an overwatch shot even if that doesn't trigger another guardian shot.
I pick threat assessment on every specialist build. The covering fire one just isn't worth it imo. I had a pull today where between both my specialists, I got 6 overwatch shots and cleared an entire pod with only using 1 threat assessment with both on overwatch. This is all before I got the overwatch bonus from the GTS too.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Capacitor discharge was good but the single use made me scared to use it when I needed it most on the final mission.
Otherwise specialists felt very weak except for the occasional combat hack which was nice. They had good abilities but by the time you unlocked all the meaty stuff, most other classes just seemed better. Psi especially got beastly fast as soon as you start training them up.
Otherwise specialists felt very weak except for the occasional combat hack which was nice. They had good abilities but by the time you unlocked all the meaty stuff, most other classes just seemed better. Psi especially got beastly fast as soon as you start training them up.
Specialist was the only class I made sure to bring on 100% of my missions during my first run through the game. Just saved the day so many times by hacking a Mec, and abilities like Combat Protocol or Capacitor Discharge are good for some guaranteed damage when you need it. Overall just felt like a versatile class that could do something useful nearly every round.
Some of the bonuses you get from hacking those towers are really amazing too. Like getting control of a random enemy, or squad gaining concealment again.
Only think there should be more ways to increase the hacking stat and that it overall should be a bit more reliable. Failing a 90% hacking chance that leads to the enemy being alerted really, really sucks.
I really enjoy the balance between classes. I guess people think Psi soliders are OP but they just took so long for me to start getting and then you need to train them for ages, with no promotions gained from bringing on missions. Made them boring for me.
Ranger is my favorite class. On the final mission, my ranger "Valkyrie" took out 7 enemies on the same turn using Reaper.
Mobius and pet octopus
Member
I've only had really 1 high % hack fail that I was really sad about. And that was like an 85% chance to locate an alien facility, which would have been really helpful at the time since when you get that you don't have to contact the zone it's in to attack it. It would have also been my first facility (after the blacksite) and would have let me focus on tech/psiops rather than rushing the nearest facility (and building com stations/power relays to make that happen).
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
I've actually come to realize that the hacking penalty "alert a pod to your location" is actually a reward in disguise. It just basically means I go on overwatch, and invite a free overwatch trap in one or two turns ayy lmao.
Ahh poop. But still that many OW shots is nice to have.
That said, I just don't like their passive playstyle. All other units/classes are aggressive but Specialists feel reactionary rather than active in their base design (and I find the medical protocol line to be totally useless).
Hacking is far too unreliable on Commander IronMan, and I can't even imagine how bad it would be on Legend. I don't want to risk powering up a MEC or every unit on the map, or ordering a troop back-up deployment (well... actually, sometimes I will do this intentionally if lets me farm them for free kills exp).
Really the problem for me felt like the penalties for failing were so harsh. Like the skulljack, you have a 70% chance to hit at all, and then you need to pass the hacking and if you fail you get feedback damage.
Yes, but its a free kill against ANY trooper. The risk/reward is there for sure with that skill.
Instagibbng a 10+ health/armor ADVENT soldier is nothing small.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Yeah, I agree. It's a pretty reasonable trade off for a full distance One hit KO. I just wish the feedback effect wouldn't still make me take damage even if I try to hack during that same mission.
King Tubby
Member
If you miss the 70% chance you get to take another action, even if it's on a dash move.
Actually, because the game is extended in Legendary my top specialist is better than ever, because I've hit so many Enemy Protocols that I barely saw in other playthroughs.
Well those are the pains, but that's basically what my first play through specialist was all about. If he's not hacking, he's instagibbing the most annoying unit he can (usually armored Shield ADVENT, to clear the armor for Sniper/Scout/Grenadier) and usually succeeding or, even if he fails to hit, getting a free action out of dash.
Its a very good ability, but you also need to take along something like an EMP or Smoke Grenade to cover you in case you miss.
Do you mean just farming the reinforcement fails on hacking? Ya, I can see that as being viable for Legendary. I'll tackle that after I finish Commander IronMan (without bugged AI).
King Tubby
Member
No, I mean the reward that gives you a permanent 20 point boost to the hack skill. I would only get that like once or twice in an entire Commander playthrough, but in my current Legendary run I've gotten it 3 times on my best Specialist and I don't even have power armor or plasma rifles yet. It's fantastic, she can hack anything.
Oh, I've gotten that like four times on my current Commander IronMan. You get it, I think, almost every time its a "pick up the item" type mission. I've been doing my research in prep for the Legendary run on which guerilla missions are best (given that you are countering a worthwhile Dark Event).
I've found that:
- Defend the *thing* - Easy, the *thing* regenerates health and has a ton of it/armor. It will take many turns for the enemy to kill it, and they will completely ignore it once engaged (also tells you where they are). Use this if you have weak troops or need a easy mission.
- Get item - The item will always have a very good "reward" for the hack. +20 Hack, Intel, Supply. Missions are harder, though, because enemies are camping the item, and the enemy distribution seems to always be dense.
- VIP Rescue - Get your engineers, ignore doctors.
- VIP Abduction - Intel/Supply, I hate these missions.
True, it just rarely felt like the smartest move to make for me. Instead of a 70% insta-kill chance (with risk of feedback damage), you can usually use some combination of 90-100% hit-chances to take down that trooper instead, and just use the skulljack to improve you specialist's hacking stat so he can get a 70+% chance to hack a MEC which is more reliable and has no risk of feedback damage, or use the gremlin to deal guaranteed damage.
Really? I don't remember that. If so, that's good.
Jesus christ sometimes I wonder, what is even the point. I love this game but almost nothing works in it.
BoosterDuck
Banned
huh
TC McQueen
Member
There's a bunch of paid DLC you can get for free if you ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition and/or preordered, but that's it.
It could be that, or a patch/mod.
vpance
Member
Wouldn't be surprised if that's a bug.
RandomSeed
Member
It's better to launch a gas bomb or incendiary at them before you take off, so they die a slow death.
Don't fuck with XCOM.
yep,there is a mod that fixes it if you don't want to change the ini file yourself.
captainpat
Member
Man, that would have been really helpfully 2 missions ago.
A viper cost me a sniper because I had to evac everyone and couldn't get him on unbounded.
User 85168
Banned
Just finished my first campaign. Kept it honest, only reloading on bugs. After playing through Long War, this game played a bit too much like vanilla Enemy Within. You want to disable/kill (counting Stasis and Mimic Beacon) every alien on activation, since there is no real mechanism to take hits effectively. As you can probably tell from my shot percentages, I took advantage of grenadiers. They're ability to destroy cover is just too good to not take two of them on every mission. The aliens and X-Com both are a bit too capable, where it really isn't acceptable to let the aliens have their turn. I look forward to different mods and balance changes when people make them!
As for the metagame, on this difficulty it was a bit too easy. I grinded out missions for months and didn't end up building any workshop or labs.
I think I had plasma weapons coming online by the time I finished the first Advent Blacksite.
Shake Appeal
Member
Oh. My. God.
That final mission is
That is the most clutch thing I have seen in hundreds of hours of every iteration of X-COM and XCOM combined.
I'm speechless.
That final mission is
a boring stroll in a rehashed alien musuem (I did land a six-kill Serial, so that was fun), followed by an absolutely insane difficulty wall I was not anticipating. I had two people bleeding out (and only one medkit) after not losing anyone for dozens of hours and missions. I haven't backed up my Ironman Commander game in over a week. And then...
I have this one Grenadier whose nickname is "D.H." because, well, she's my designated hitter. When it looked like I was going to be swarmed by multiple Codex/Andromedon/Faceless, she executed back-to-back Avatars with back to back shots on back to back turns.
I have this one Grenadier whose nickname is "D.H." because, well, she's my designated hitter. When it looked like I was going to be swarmed by multiple Codex/Andromedon/Faceless, she executed back-to-back Avatars with back to back shots on back to back turns.
That is the most clutch thing I have seen in hundreds of hours of every iteration of X-COM and XCOM combined.
I'm speechless.
What a legend
At least you see an icon above enemies when you place the cursor on a tile you want to move to so you know beforehand if you're about to hit. I don't know if EU had this but I remember that it was also a bit of luck to get line of sight after movement.
Better add her to the character pool.
Shake Appeal
Member
She has a stock and an Advanced Repeater. Which I think makes the odds of what she did exactly 1%.
There should be an achievement for that