Are pcs supposed to be this rare?

[wckowalski]

I'm doing a campaign on normal difficulty, WotC, no mods. I haven't failed any missions and I think I've only missed 2-3 timed loot drops. However, I'm now in September and so far I've only looted one PCS (superior will). Is this normal?

[Eyal]

Sounds reasonable actually. Normal difficulty has less enemies and thus less chance to get loot, and PCS aren't all that common, especially early in the game. Save up some intel and get them from the black market.

[SamBC]

Also, you can get them from resistance ops.

[wckowalski]

Yeah, I know about the guaranteed ways to get them, but intel is scarce and covert actions are a limited resource. It just seems strange that you can get them randomly but it's that exceedingly rare.

[Nullifer]

I've got more than I know what to do with. Resistance Ops, and black market. you'll have pleanty

[red255]

If you get the resistance op for VULTURE, since this is WOTC drops go up.

you get one drop per map (unless you change the ini) and if the chosen come in and summon units, they drop one second drop.

crystallids for whatever reason don't drop anything.

PCS sometimes seem rare, I generally go to the black market and sell the ones I have or equip them and more come. its very rare to find useful PCS.

I usually buy my stuff from the black market. sometimes stuff drops sure, but its usually not superior. and its not reliably that useful.

[Synavix]

I usually get most of my (good) ones from the black market as well. Finding ways to increase your intel and limit the amount you spend can be super helpful in the long-run. Getting skullining reasonably early on can get you lots of intel if you try to skulljack at least one advent per mission, and also try to only make contact with regions you need early on unless the region gives a really good bonus. Otherwise waiting to finish up most regions until the mid-late game is fine. Also, as tempting as it is to reveal all the hidden Dark Events, it's usually better to wait until you get a guerilla op to see which ones you have available and what rewards they all give. Then if you're not sure which you want to counter you can back out and reveal it at that time, instead of having done it right away.

[talemore]

Originally posted by Eyal:

Sounds reasonable actually. Normal difficulty has less enemies and thus less chance to get loot, and PCS aren't all that common, especially early in the game. Save up some intel and get them from the black market.

Doesn't matter how many enemies you have on missions. It's the amount of missions and not amount of enemies who counts.

[red255]

yeah as i mentioned theres a line in the ini, max of 1 loot drop per map, unless you change it.

[Eyal]

Heh, I have over 500 hours played and have never noticed that's the way it is :)

[JaegerBane]

I thinks it’s one loot drop from the starting enemies. When chosen or dark events spawn in reinforcements, I’ve seen at least once these guys drop another loot cache on top of the one per map.

To be fair, I wouldn’t rely on drops to grab pcs. It’s too random and the type of PCS has way too much effect on value (speed and aim are godly, dodge is ok and will/hp ones are eh)