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[Zangi]

You can try shooting at something else then shooting at the guy again?  On the other hand... it is possible to stun em even when they have +3 health...  I managed to stun a full health 5 hp outsider....  33% chance.   It was a... "Hmmm... lets try this..." moment.

[Urist McSpike]

Uh, I don't think reloading to change the outcome works, Does X-com even use random generated seeds?

Yeah, that's what was confusing me, and why I kept trying it.  You'd think, well I would, that it'd "roll the dice" when you actually shoot - which it can't be doing.  Stats was a long time ago, and I've forgotten how to figure it, but 51% each time on 10 attempts is.. well, a quick search shows a 1 in 512 chance of flipping a coin & getting the same side over 10 attempts.  So yeah, I'm not sure how the game is doing it.

Another irritation that I left out - targetting over z-levels.  Sheesh.  The Grappling Hook is amazing fun (Skeleton/Ghost armor), but sometimes it's a pain to get the right square targeted...

[Kagus]

I really wish there was a way to recover a country once it has reached 'full panic' state and pulled out. Maybe a special mission to help re-establish control or shipping extra equipment out to the country, etc.

Well in the first game, once a country pulled out they signed a pact with the aliens or something like that, so short of assassinating the head of the country (which would be awesome), I don't see how you could get them to join XCOM again.

Shooting down "Alien Infiltration" UFOs helped at least prevent the signing of any treaties, but yeah...  Once they're out, they're out.

I feel I should mention UFO: Extraterrestrials because, despite being a blatant X-COM clone (not that there's anything wrong with that), they had a slightly different method of handling the various regions.

Rather than the old system of a region reaching its breaking point and signing a treaty with the invaders (no refunds), as soon as the aliens constructed a base in an area that region would be locked down and "occupied", effectively removing it from the council and cutting all support.  It would remain that way until you destroyed the base and thus relieved the occupation.

While the X-COM version made for a slightly more panicked juggling game as you tried to keep a few different nations from finally going off the deep end and permanently cutting you off, bases are constructed far more often and it's not like you're going to get very far without funding in most cases anyways.  Just worth noting.

[Silent_Thunder]

Yea more then likely it uses a random seed that is saved with your game, purely to prevent savescumming individual shot's I'd wager. Civ IV used the same system IIRC.

On another note, Chryssalids, goddamn Chryssalids. I don't remember the zombies turning into them quite so quickly. My best man, a veteran of 18 missions, became a zombie, beat 2 rookies to death, then became one and killed my 2 other best men.

[sluissa]

Any thoughts on laser rifles vs armor as a priority?

Well, I did armor as a priority last time and it backfired. The mutons ripped my experienced troopers to shreds because we just couldn't damage them fast enough. The extra HP from armor helped, but not enough. So I think weapons are more important than armor. Once I got Laser weapons I had rookies taking out Mutons, and you'll find that the combination of Laser weapons + Carapace Armor is awesome. I'm going weapons first for my next run, so we'll see how that goes.

I suppose I was assuming, slightly that earth based weaponry would be suitable most of the way through the game, just like the original.  Rifles used to be able to take down anything, at least with enough patience, up to a sectopod. And even then, if you were careful, you could use high explosives. Maybe I just need to be able to take things down faster...

[GlyphGryph]

You'd think, well I would, that it'd "roll the dice" when you actually shoot - which it can't be doing.

'

It does roll the dice when you actually shoot. But since the "dice roll conditions" or the randomize algorithm are exactly the same, then the outcome is going to be exactly the same. If you roll a dice under the same conditions 1000 times, you will get the same result every time - simple fact of the universe.

Of course, that's nearly impossible in real life - but in computers, it's the default state, so most have a simple solution: "I'll start with a number grabbed from somewhere (the system time, maybe), and then each time I roll I'll tweak the conditions following this algorithm."

But if you start at the same spot, each roll will execute the same algorithm, tweak the next roll in exactly the same way, and you end up with the exact same result - computer "dice rolling", like physical dice rolling, is actually 100% deterministic.

[timferius]

You'd think, well I would, that it'd "roll the dice" when you actually shoot - which it can't be doing.

'

It does roll the dice when you actually shoot. But since the "dice roll conditions" or the randomize algorithm are exactly the same, then the outcome is going to be exactly the same. If you roll a dice under the same conditions 1000 times, you will get the same result every time - simple fact of the universe.

Of course, that's nearly impossible in real life - but in computers, it's the default state, so most have a simple solution: "I'll start with a number grabbed from somewhere (the system time, maybe), and then each time I roll I'll tweak the conditions following this algorithm."

But if you start at the same spot, each roll will execute the same algorithm, tweak the next roll in exactly the same way, and you end up with the exact same result - computer "dice rolling", like physical dice rolling, is actually 100% deterministic.

I try not to think about this too much. It hurts. "Randomly predetermined" should by an oxymoron, but it's not. Buh.

[Sowelu]

Chryssalid terror missions are fun, because you can completely ignore cover...and because one sniper with doubletap can take out two of those suckers each turn.

Cyberdisks do not last long vs. assaults with rapid fire, or even one heavy with HEAT and rapid fire.

Also note that grappling next to a civvie will not save them.  :|

[Zangi]

Civies can be great unintended meatshields...

I've also made the mistake of putting one of my guys on top of a dead squaddie that was mauled by a chryssalid.  Not my finest moment.

[Neonivek]

Civies can be great unintended meatshields...

I've also made the mistake of putting one of my guys on top of a dead squaddie that was mauled by a chryssalid.  Not my finest moment.

Yeah losing 1 or 2 civies to kill the rest of the aliens isn't that heatbreaking of a sacrifice.

You don't want to lose too many to Chryssalids though... because DANG

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Zombies hurt more then a rocket launcher to the face!

[Fikes]

I've also made the mistake of putting one of my guys on top of a dead squaddie that was mauled by a chryssalid.  Not my finest moment.

[umiman]

Chryssalid terror missions are fun, because you can completely ignore cover...

I used to do this until a Cyberdisk landed next to everyone while they were out of cover.

That was a very painful moment.

[Neonivek]

Chryssalid terror missions are fun, because you can completely ignore cover...

I used to do this until a Cyberdisk landed next to everyone while they were out of cover.

That was a very painful moment.

Ohh dear holy... PLEASE tell me they cannot Spawn and shoot!

[Parsely]

I wish I could just grab one of those Firaxis fellows by his crappy human beard and smash his face into this thread, over and over again.

[forsaken1111]

Chryssalid terror missions are fun, because you can completely ignore cover...

I used to do this until a Cyberdisk landed next to everyone while they were out of cover.

That was a very painful moment.

Ohh dear holy... PLEASE tell me they cannot Spawn and shoot!

Well... they don't shoot. They just eat your face.