Which second wave options do you recommend?

[himmatsj]

I have played twice. One Normal and one Classic, both non-Ironman. Anyway, I want to know...what are the best Second Wave options to select? I hear there's one called Training Roulette (interesting), and the two I was interested before in were Not Created Equal and the one where your stats increase randomly.

[Stoob]

Training Roulette is fun. Having a sniper with Heat Ammo and 2 shots per overwatch is pretty brutal.

[nightworg]

himmatsj eredeti hozzászólása:

I have played twice. One Normal and one Classic, both non-Ironman. Anyway, I want to know...what are the best Second Wave options to select? I hear there's one called Training Roulette (interesting), and the two I was interested before in were Not Created Equal and the one where your stats increase randomly.

I will say if you haven't try Classic Ironman you should give it a try. A lot more intense game as you are stuck with your decision. And there is an achivement for it.

Also recommend trying out Marathon. It is a lot tougher in early game. You have to build labs to keep up. Something you don't have to do in the normal game. And planning the base build is key as everything take twice as long and cost double amount of money.

I like to play with those listed options on top of Marathon.

New Economy: Randomized council member funding.
Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, stats increase randomly.
The Greater Good: Psionics can only be learned from interrogating a psionic alien.
Results Driven: A country offers less funding as its panic level increases.
High Stakes: Random rewards for stopping alien abductions.
More Than Human: The psionic gift is extremely rare.

I would like myself to play with those also but have not unluck them yet.

War Weariness: Council funding goes down over time.
E-115: Elerium degrades over time.
Total Loss: Lose all soldier gear upon death.

[Druid]

I personally reccomend Mind hates Matter, I always felt that gene modding and psionics is rather overkill, putting this on means that gene modded soldiers cannot be psi soldiers and vice versa. it's an awesome change because it forces the player to make a more diverse and specialized squad. and not throw their 10 best on the table for implants without forethought.

[Tamiore]

Actually, I prefer NOT to have "Not Created Equaly" on (I/I with 15 other seconds wave options on) — since this little options just works flat in your favour. You just cherry-pick the skilled soldiers and dismiss the rest.

Hidden Potential and Training Roulette, on the other hand, are both great options that enrich gameplay without shifting the balance in your favour.

[himmatsj]

st88 eredeti hozzászólása:

Actually, I prefer NOT to have "Not Created Equaly" on (I/I with 15 other seconds wave options on) — since this little options just works flat in your favour. You just cherry-pick the skilled soldiers and dismiss the rest.

Hidden Potential and Training Roulette, on the other hand, are both great options that enrich gameplay without shifting the balance in your favour.

Wow you one tough man!

[Tamiore]

himmatsj eredeti hozzászólása:

st88 eredeti hozzászólása:

Actually, I prefer NOT to have "Not Created Equaly" on (I/I with 15 other seconds wave options on) — since this little options just works flat in your favour. You just cherry-pick the skilled soldiers and dismiss the rest.

Hidden Potential and Training Roulette, on the other hand, are both great options that enrich gameplay without shifting the balance in your favour.

Wow you one tough man!

Well, I don't have Damage Roulette ON.
Nor Marathon, Diminishing Return, War Weariness. Nor Save Scum.
So, yea, still not "there".
On the other hand, I don't use any cloaking (neither mimetic, nor 'nades or ghost ability) on my runs. :D

By the way, I'd say that red fog + itchy tentacle are also a great combo if you want more challenging battlescape. Really makes battlescanners and MEC's shine.

[WarLust]

st88 eredeti hozzászólása:

Actually, I prefer NOT to have "Not Created Equaly" on (I/I with 15 other seconds wave options on) — since this little options just works flat in your favour. You just cherry-pick the skilled soldiers and dismiss the rest.

Hidden Potential and Training Roulette, on the other hand, are both great options that enrich gameplay without shifting the balance in your favour.

All that means is that your soldiers will all be vanilla 65 aim/40 will, BUT will get randomly increased stats from HP, which can, in your own words, "works flat in your favour (sic)." You can still get some pretty high aim soldiers with just HP, whereas if I have NCE and HP, I could get a 55 aim/25 will heavy that will not get a higher aim than 69 at Colonel. Of course you can cherry pick, but that costs money and is a gamble. I go for skills first with TR.

[Tamiore]

BLSSDMF eredeti hozzászólása:

st88 eredeti hozzászólása:

Actually, I prefer NOT to have "Not Created Equaly" on (I/I with 15 other seconds wave options on) — since this little options just works flat in your favour. You just cherry-pick the skilled soldiers and dismiss the rest.

Hidden Potential and Training Roulette, on the other hand, are both great options that enrich gameplay without shifting the balance in your favour.

All that means is that your soldiers will all be vanilla 65 aim/40 will, BUT will get randomly increased stats from HP, which can, in your own words, "works flat in your favour (sic)." You can still get some pretty high aim soldiers with just HP, whereas if I have NCE and HP, I could get a 55 aim/25 will heavy that will not get a higher aim than 69 at Colonel. Of course you can cherry pick, but that costs money and is a gamble. I go for skills first with TR.

The difference between NCE and TR/HP is:

NCE allows you to cherry pick the skilled for just 15 creds/soldier, from day one. And you can restart a few times to get better soldiers right in your initial pool. It's not even a gamble, really — you know exactly how good a soldier is before you spend anything on top of the initial 15 creds.

TR/HP, on the other hand, only gives you information as you actually level up your soldiers and, thus, effectively allows you to cherry-pick only if you are willling to have an under-leveled team.

[WarLust]

I fail to see the wisdom in this. No one I know buys 1 or 2 soldiers from day 1 and the chances one of those will be a 80 aim recruit are pretty slim. The way most people do it is later in the game, say around June/July when they are pulling in $750-1k+ and buy in lots of 10 or 20. And some of those 80 aim soldiers are going to be heavy, who will get 0-2 aim every level - not that great. Have you ever played with a starting group of 55 aim soldiers? It's quite the challenge.

Yeah, people that restart over and over just to get a good team are not playing true to the game.

[sakolnliza]

True, in impossible, you don't have the starting funds to have the luxary of cherry picking. Heck i barely can find a way to maintain a 10-12 person army first couple months. Selling stuff to pick up 1-2 replacements as i go. And 80% of the time, they get the PEDRO name cause thier stats are doo doo.

Another thing is keeping the 80 alive when you're lucky to start out with one. Cause for me, he's mostly doing the shooting and if he misses, oh the dread of getting shot back without behing hunker or LOS. I sometimes pull my redshirt card out early as i dash em out (or if has a nad left, blue walk them out and toss) in the open, hoping they shoot at it rather than my 80 hehe.

For the ones that restart over and over til they get a barracks full of 75-80, yeah that's kinda over doing it for sure.

The most important thing is as everyone knows, the game is reverse hard curve (however you say it). And more than likely, you will only get 1-2 if that "uber" 75-80 troopies at the get go. So it is challenging yet kinda fun playing with all lowbies.

So basically, sure you can cherry pick, but that is down the road cause of funds. And by that time you have the game somewhat under control anywho. To say the option is a downright cheat is not really looking at the big picture. You still need skill (and luck) to do well in i/i early. I can't give my 8 year nephew a full squad of 100 aim troopies and expect him to win. Aim is good but not the #1 reason for victory. Helps for sure but Positioning>aim IMO.

Anywho, all i know is you can have a shooting skill of 1 and be able to still toss a grenade:) Thanks goodness!!!

EDIT: And what's up with the yeck will the uber aimers get. Depressing. It's like bringing Chuch Norris to a back alley fight, and he gets frightened by the dumpster cat and haul butt out of there. Leaving you all alone to face the baddies:(

last edit hehe. And there's a misconception that people that play with SW options "need" them to win. On the contrary. The ones using SW (can't back it up by stats but pretty sure this is true) are the ones that already beat the game without. And play with some various combinations of SW options in an attempt to make the game funner and last longer before the light bulb goes out.

Have fun:)

[Tamiore]

sakolnliza eredeti hozzászólása:

So basically, sure you can cherry pick, but that is down the road cause of funds. And by that time you have the game somewhat under control anywho. To say the option is a downright cheat is not really looking at the big picture. You still need skill (and luck) to do well in i/i early. I can't give my 8 year nephew a full squad of 100 aim troopies and expect him to win. Aim is good but not the #1 reason for victory. Helps for sure but Positioning>aim IMO.

Well, from my experience NCE just results in that most of my active soldiers have some extra AIM on average on top of base 65. It's not game-breaking, it's not fool-proof, but on an average run it's nothing but an advandage for XCOM team — for no noticeable drawback.
But it sure is not "a cheat". It's just an options that helps you get the job done a bit more easily.

[sakolnliza]

"But it sure is not "a cheat". It's just an options that helps you get the job done a bit more easily."

Fair enough:)

BTW, kudos on your gameplay with the other SW options. I'm usually not shy but when it comes to certain options, i'm timid. For example i'm so tempted to try the one where the aliens can possibly shoot on activation. Sounds scary tho:)

[WarLust]

sakolnliza eredeti hozzászólása:

For example i'm so tempted to try the one where the aliens can possibly shoot on activation. Sounds scary tho:)

Only works on the aliens that don't use cover and immediately go on OW when you activate them, i.e., mectoids, cyberdisks, and sectopods, so you should be ok until later in the game. Don't forget to bring your Chitin and Ghost, but hey, your dashing should work out pretty good :)

20+20+20=60 defense. Throw a dense smoke grenade in the area Pedro will be running and he will be just fine (100 defense) :)

[Tamiore]

BLSSDMF eredeti hozzászólása:

sakolnliza eredeti hozzászólása:

For example i'm so tempted to try the one where the aliens can possibly shoot on activation. Sounds scary tho:)

Only works on the aliens that don't use cover and immediately go on OW when you activate them, i.e., mectoids, cyberdisks, and sectopods, so you should be ok until later in the game. Don't forget to bring your Chitin and Ghost, but hey, your dashing should work out pretty good :)

20+20+20=60 defense. Throw a dense smoke grenade in the area Pedro will be running and he will be just fine (100 defense) :)

Normal floaters can use that option as well. So it's not exactly "late game".
Oh, and it's a NORMAL attack for them, so no OW penatly, lighting reflexes will not trigger, and the aliens can and WILL crit on this attack.
Hell, I've seen a fresh mectoid just walk into a room (on patrol) and 1-shot-crit someone hugging the door.

The only way to deal with this I know of (aside from cloaking abuse) is to only scout with healthy MEC's (and not to hug blind corners with you normal troops).
But that second wave options is quite good, actually — it forces you to act as if all aliens spawns where already pre-triggered.