Alien Hunters is kind of terrible.

[Inkidu]

There's a difference between challenge and absolutely broken, and I think being able to take just about any action after any of your squad does anything qualifies as broken. Here's a good litmus test for that kind of thing. If you and your friend are playing chess and every time he captures oen of your pieces, let him chain his moves over and over again and see how fair it is.

And this is worse because if you do ANYTHING the alien lord gets some kind of move. I get wanting to make them tough, but they're already very hard to take down and they flee. Giving them the one-man power to wipe a squad was little saddistic.

[Turbobounce]

I have to agree with you on ruler reactions being absolutely broken, while I have heard people wait to do the story mission it comes with until they are ready, I just find it incredibly broken and not worth the trouble, even with all the extra gear.

[Eggy]

This DLC was created as an addition to the base game in order to add extra content.
It was designed to be more of a challenge as otherwise, well whats the point.
Noone forced you to buy, download, install or even play with it enabled.
You are given a specific set of tools to deal with the hunters.
Just like the chosen, the alien hunters are face roll easy once you have played enough.

I eagerly await when the alien overloads turn up in real life and post there plans on social media, ensuring the masses they will not be using there superior weapons, tactics or skills to just make it fair.

[Turbobounce]

Ehhh, maybe I was harsh there, it's just that I've lost a few good soldiers to them, not to mention a whole squad, maybe I'll play it again when I git gud.

[Gin-chan]

Its really just for people looking for more challenge. its honestly not that bad imo. Didnt really prepare too hard for the bosses and only the Berserker Queen and Archon King poses a genuine threat. Never lost a soldier to the Serpent one though lol.

[Inkidu]

Originally posted by Eggy:

This DLC was created as an addition to the base game in order to add extra content.
It was designed to be more of a challenge as otherwise, well whats the point.
Noone forced you to buy, download, install or even play with it enabled.
You are given a specific set of tools to deal with the hunters.
Just like the chosen, the alien hunters are face roll easy once you have played enough.

I eagerly await when the alien overloads turn up in real life and post there plans on social media, ensuring the masses they will not be using there superior weapons, tactics or skills to just make it fair.

Oh, no Mr. Noone did not force me to do anything, neither did anyone force me to do all those things you mentioned, however, you know, I did kind of want to give it a run through as I had bought the XCOM Collection. You know that bundle that's the base game all the cosmetic DLC (minus one for some unknowable reason), War of the Chosen, Shen's Last Gift, and Alien Hunters. I mean you're right no one forced me to do anyhting. No one cajoled or strong-armed me or anything.

However, it would seem really silly bordering on obtuse for me to want to buy all these things to a strategy game I've played, especially when it's on sale. And you know it's not like these Alien Lords are entirely late-game content, they throw it at you pretty darn quick.

Plus it's like no one tells you up front that they're going to sit there and take an action for every action you take, and one more thing: You can't stop me from leveling criticism at a game I bought, paid for, downloaded, installed, and played. Nor does you pointing out any of this make me a bad player or my point invalid.

Oh, I'm sorry, I just thought I'd make that clear since we were taking turns pointing out the blatheringly obvious. In other news: Water is wet, the sky is blue, and don't eat the yellow snow... it's not lemonade flavored.

(Also, that's a lot of reasources to spend on specilized tools, so I think the first-time player can be forgiven for passing them over, especially since it's not made really clear what they're used for from their item description.

[Messsucher]

I like Alien Hunters mechanics. You have six units, so it is not at all bad if comp move his unit after you move your unit. What would had been bad would had been if comp moved his unit, and then you move 6 times your units. How is that fair? 6 vs 1?

Now the Alien Hunters give a bit pressure, you have to make your best move.

[Eggy]

...snip

You missed the point I was trying to make. I see I could of made it clearer.

We could argue all day about it being enabled by default without any warnings, and also about how the rulers are introduced. The devs did make a few mistakes here. It sounds like you managed to play with the settings that will introduce the leaders at random. There is generaly a warning on the base they are at and you can make a tactical chose as to continue or not.

its extra content aimed at people who have allready completed the game. Its designed to make the game harder. the oposite is just more of the same , or even easier content which would not have been as attractive to long time players. this is why WOTC went eve a step further and stepped it up another notch.

Even as a first time player if you completed the game on your first attempt and it was stupidly easy you would be on here compaining you got ripped off.

[General Malaise]

It's beyond terrible.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Inkidu:

If you and your friend are playing chess and every time he captures oen of your pieces, let him chain his moves over and over again and see how fair it is.

Bad example, seeing as the way the rulers work is exactly how turn order in chess works: after 1 action by a player the other takes an action.

[SeriousCCIE]

huh the only real problem I had was my first encounter with the third alien ruler. I was just about to leave the map with a passified enemy VIP over my shoulder and the evac point was next to a gas station.

I was just about to make a clean break--well. I got broke alright, but it wasn't clean. That "devestate" ability, couple with a gas station and a turn after any of mine... let's say I didn't get to interrogate the still-alive prisoner for the intel as I had expected.

[Aranador]

If only it were possible to learn their rules, and turn them to your advantage, and beat them relatively easilly once you know what you're doing.

[atheega]

I avoid them till i have a Reaper with expanded magazin and repeater, which usually kills them quickly with banish. Mindshields should save you men from stun have i read recently

[Inkidu]

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

Originally posted by Inkidu:

If you and your friend are playing chess and every time he captures oen of your pieces, let him chain his moves over and over again and see how fair it is.

Bad example, seeing as the way the rulers work is exactly how turn order in chess works: after 1 action by a player the other takes an action.

Not a great example, but I deliberately picked something outlandish to compare magnitudes of the sudden rules change as opposed to the actual games.

A more acurate example would probably be that your opponent can move his king any number of spaces in any signle direction like a queen and you're still limited to the one tile in any single direction rule.

Originally posted by Aranador:

If only it were possible to learn their rules, and turn them to your advantage, and beat them relatively easilly once you know what you're doing.

If you can turn that kind of advantage aginst someone more power to you., or the AI is stupid. Every time I've tried it just gets too much of an advantage. My only hope has been to damage it to get it off the map because the second it goes for the portal every action will get it to flee to the portal. It's just not an outthinkable situation. The thing getss too many options. Sure it can't spam its powers but that Viper King will choke one of your guys to death if it's wrapping them especially if you're trying to get a good shot at it. Reposition, strangel, shoot, strangle, reposition next guy, strangeled to death.

Regardless I don't think I'll be playing with it enable in the future. Also I don't know how I got them to appear on the map. I pretty much picked the option that was supposed to be best for War of the Chosen.

[Messsucher]

You miss the very best armor, if you don't enable Alien Hunters.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Inkidu:

It's just not an outthinkable situation.

Yes it is. Use scouting to find them before engaging them then prepare your squad for it.

The thing getss too many options. Sure it can't spam its powers but that Viper King will choke one of your guys to death if it's wrapping them especially if you're trying to get a good shot at it. Reposition, strangel, shoot, strangle, reposition next guy, strangeled to death.

Then don't reposition (with movement, anyway. Grapple is a free action so it doesn't trigger a reaction, and melee attacks can be used to close the distance and attack with a single action). Blow up its cover and shoot it. Use free actions like axe throw and lightning hands to free the person being strangled without giving him a turn. Use the Frost Grenade or Viper Armor (once you kill the Viper King, anyway) to freeze them and buy time. Use poison, fire, or acid to deal damage each time they take an action. Use a high level Reaper's Banish to exterminate them instantly (or at least deal enough to make them flee).
There are MANY options available.

Also I don't know how I got them to appear on the map. I pretty much picked the option that was supposed to be best for War of the Chosen.

The Integrate DLC option will make the rulers appear at alien facilities rather than enabling the Viper's Nest mission or allowing them to appear without warning in normal missions.