I might've just found out why the deployable motion tracker is so OP

[Xeonzs]

Because you aren't supposed to be able to spam them all over the map and next to the APC to draw in for easy kills.

According to the codex it should cost 1 tool to place deployable sensors.

This honestly makes a lot of sense to me in a balancing perspective.

[Starfisher]

My codex assistant does not state such cost at the Deployable Motion Tracker.

But the Recon's Battle Scanner skill, which is usable from the map, do cost 1 tool.

[Xeonzs]

Originally posted by Starfisher:

My codex assistant does not state such cost at the Deployable Motion Tracker.

But the Recon's Battle Scanner skill, which is usable from the map, do cost 1 tool.

I'd suggest you check again ;)
https://imgur.com/a/b1puzCJ

[Wishwise]

That almost makes me wonder whether they initially had them require tools but then removed that requirement before release, and forgot to update that section of the codex. It's odd that it lists the tools cost under the 'resources' entry, but not under the 'deployable motion tracker' entry.

[Xeonzs]

Originally posted by Wishwise:

That almost makes me wonder whether they initially had them require tools but then removed that requirement before release, and forgot to update that section of the codex. It's odd that it lists the tools cost under the 'resources' entry, but not under the 'deployable motion tracker' entry.

Also possible yea, I just found another section of the codex that conflicts with it self, regarding xp, on one part of the codex (marine wounds) it says all xp gained by that marine over their lifetime is spread over the remaining marines on pickup, but under the death section it just says "a small amount of xp".

Consdering how powerful the deployable sensors are though (as they trivialize literally everything, patrol whereabouts, where is onslaught coming from, overloading to attract entire map to APC, etc) it actually makes sense to me that they would cost tools, seems like good balancing, just like sentries are limited even though they also cost ammo to refill or tools to upgrade.

The welded door part is also wrong, it says xenos only attack welded doors during the detected phase, but more often than not have I heard them break doors just because their patrol route told them to go in there (like the ammo room on the atmospheric generator map),.

The egg one is also wrong, it says just manually shooting the eggs before they release the facehugger prevents them from detecting you, but as soon as you shoot all eggs in the room instantly wake up and release the facehugger.

sorry for my sarcastic response @Witty, seems the codex is full of ♥♥♥♥.

[Saurdaukar]

lol maybe the codex was written by disgruntled minimum wage weyland-yutani workers in an effort to spread misinformation.

[Starfisher]

Originally posted by Xeonzs:

Originally posted by Starfisher:

My codex assistant does not state such cost at the Deployable Motion Tracker.

But the Recon's Battle Scanner skill, which is usable from the map, do cost 1 tool.

I'd suggest you check again ;)
https://imgur.com/a/b1puzCJ

i am talking about the Deployable Motion Tracker label. That does not mention any cost.

True, your find mentions tool cost, but the Motion Tracker also grouped with the other skills in the skill panel - which all cost only skill points. (The recon Battle Scanner isn't displayed here). Of course, it could still be a bug, but I don't think so. I would rather think that the Tool codex info is old or wrong.

[RobOda]

TBH, for 'balance' it should probably cost 1 tool.

But I think for fun factor/ease of use, it being free (1 cmd point as the tutorial suggests) is probably better, otherwise you'll be forever walking into aliens and never quite getting anywhere.

[BLESS THIS RAVAGED BODY]

Tools already are pretty scarce and are imo the most important resource in the game.

maybe 1-2 cap / deployment?

[Xeonzs]

Originally posted by RobOda:

TBH, for 'balance' it should probably cost 1 tool.

But I think for fun factor/ease of use, it being free (1 cmd point as the tutorial suggests) is probably better, otherwise you'll be forever walking into aliens and never quite getting anywhere.

I agree, they are fun to use and I enjoy setting them up for radar all over the map on every level, but from a balance reason I wouldn't min if they had stuck to a tool.

Originally posted by BLESS THIS RAVAGED BODY:

Tools already are pretty scarce and are imo the most important resource in the game.

maybe 1-2 cap / deployment?

Agreed, usually you only use meds once heavily wounded or if someone is really going overboard on stress before you can find a save haven, but reprimand usually controls that.
Whereas tools are needed for so many things.

But if you then consider that people right now are just placing liek 5 next to their APC so that whenever there's an issue or they don't have their silenced sniper with them they just trigger one of those, it trivializes the whole game.

I'd indeed say the tool requirement should come back or only 1-2 active per deployment indeed.

[Cat]

Removing the lure function of the motion tracker would also be a way to balance it as then it only works as an early warning system and not a "draw everything on the map to the APC" godsend. I disagree it should cost tools though, you can maybe go and limit it however in how many can be placed at once. But making it cost tools, especially later on when you need a lot more of them in general will just make it so nobody is going to use them.

[Jhea]

just make it an option to increase difficulty if need be and you really want it.

motion trackers are fine as they are.

[B.I.E.R. Fab555]

I dont know how far you are in the game but i realised that not killing aliens with motion tracker apc trick makes it abit easier later on. I sometimes move the apc in positions where it kills as little as possible, since every alien that get kiled respawns and bee lines to a certain area. Makes it hard to progress in some areas with alien sprinting down the corridors constantly to reach their patrol area. when apc stops killing aliens chill out more and the patrols get more predictable and easy to avoid.

[Xeonzs]

Originally posted by B.I.E.R. Fab555:

I dont know how far you are in the game but i realised that not killing aliens with motion tracker apc trick makes it abit easier later on. I sometimes move the apc in positions where it kills as little as possible, since every alien that get kiled respawns and bee lines to a certain area. Makes it hard to progress in some areas with alien sprinting down the corridors constantly to reach their patrol area. when apc stops killing aliens chill out more and the patrols get more predictable and easy to avoid.

I'm at the last mission, I would've been done but I crashed, so I'm taking a break lol, I also don't play like that, 90% of the time, but a few times I did just to get a lot of stuff out of the way, when I then hear people saying they just bulk up a few around the APC, that just ruins the game imho.

and increasing the difficulty does nothing against that, amount of spawns is determined by planet infestation, the only thing difficulty affects is detection rate, health, speed and aggression level increase, nothing of this affects enemies being lured to APC, because even on nightmare the APC plasma cannons shred absolutely everything.

[Xeonzs]

Originally posted by B.I.E.R. Fab555:

I dont know how far you are in the game but i realised that not killing aliens with motion tracker apc trick makes it abit easier later on. I sometimes move the apc in positions where it kills as little as possible, since every alien that get kiled respawns and bee lines to a certain area. Makes it hard to progress in some areas with alien sprinting down the corridors constantly to reach their patrol area. when apc stops killing aliens chill out more and the patrols get more predictable and easy to avoid.

I'm at the last mission, I would've been done but I crashed, so I'm taking a break lol, I also don't play like that, 90% of the time, but a few times I did just to get a lot of stuff out of the way, when I then hear people saying they just bulk up a few around the APC, that just ruins the game imho.

and increasing the difficulty does nothing against that, amount of spawns is determined by planet infestation, the only thing difficulty affects is detection rate, health, speed and aggression level increase, nothing of this affects enemies being lured to APC, because even on nightmare the APC plasma cannons shred absolutely everything.

Like think of it this way, you got a motion tracker on your squad so you're always aware of enemies within 30m of you (circle is 60m according to codex), and then the APC also gives free vision and area of control, having even more coverage AND the ability to draw away all enemies, with no extra cost seems a bit overkill.

From an immersion perspective after the level that breaks your tracker I found the game much more immersive and was just happy to have close proximity radar again.
Like what's the point of having a scout motion detector on sublevel skill if you already got permanent near vision and can leave 24/7 radar everywhere you go?

Nerfing the mobile motion trackers would in essence be a direct buff to scout and technician since you'd be more like to pick the drone upgrade to scout the level / areas and more likely to buy scout sublevel movement scan.

Originally posted by Sunricer:

Removing the lure function of the motion tracker would also be a way to balance it as then it only works as an early warning system and not a "draw everything on the map to the APC" godsend. I disagree it should cost tools though, you can maybe go and limit it however in how many can be placed at once. But making it cost tools, especially later on when you need a lot more of them in general will just make it so nobody is going to use them.

I will probably agree on the tools being TOO limiting, I had the idea of if we're gonna limit them then maybe do it like turrets, since they're both kinda deployables, but I don't think anyone wants to go back for their motion trackers either.

An alternative that I personally like is the idea that the APC has a motion sensor built in and the drone of technician as well and just completely removing motion sensors other than those, that way the drone isn't just useful for vision/active scouting but also leaving behind on rearguard and then later calling it back.

[atletikus]

This makes little sense given you don't really get xp for kills other than alien bosses. In a roundabout way, it can be exploited to trigger massive onslaughts which I believe nets a tiny bit of xp. But this is again limited by other resources like ammo (and stress and possible health) - as well as real-life time with little promise of even such a meager reward.

Had the motion tracker mechanic relied on tools, the most valuable resource, then its usefulness would be so extremely situational that it would've added needless complexity to the game and would be better off scrapped entirely. It's a good mechanic but balanced well around the use of command points.