How to slow down the Avatar Project

[Bill Garthright]

OK, I seem to be missing something. I keep getting warnings about stopping the Avatar Project, but... how? It's almost completed, and I've had no options to do anything about it.

Combat has gone well, so far, but I seem to be on the cusp of losing the game. Maybe I didn't choose the right research at first? I really don't know what I'm supposed to be doing, I guess.

PS. Also, how do I build radio towers - or whatever I'm supposed to build to increase my capacity for contacting new resistance groups? I'm a bit confused by that.

I've been told that it will be more expensive without... something. But at the same time, I don't even have the option of contacting anyone south of Mexico - and I started in the Eastern USA.

What actually determines this?

I guess I'm really struggling to understand everything except just the shooty parts. :)

[KRON]

You have to build Resistance Comms in the Avenger to increase your contacts capacity. Also, completing story objectives reduces Avatar progress, as well as destroying advent facilities.

[red255]

OK. so are you playing BASE game or War of the chosen?

OK so yeah as mentioned two early research, Resistance comms and uh resistance radio.

Resistance comms allows you to build resistance comms which increases contact slots, resistance Radio allows you build radio towers which reduce the intel cost of contacting new regions.

IN the base game I typically build 2 resistance comms and slot 2 engineers in the second comms slot. +1 from the map to reach 16, if I dont get that 3 engineers does it

in War of the chosen I build a resistance comm and a resistance ring and get my additional contacts from covert operations.

To reduce the avatar progress you attack facilities or do main quest objectives.

[Bill Garthright]

Thanks. I'm playing War of the Chosen. But I haven't had the opportunity to attack any avatar facilities. That option has never come up.

Right now, the Avatar Project is just two steps away from being complete. And that's AFTER I completed a resistance mission to prevent them from getting those two steps instantly. In other words, the Avatar Project would already be completed, except for that.

And I have had NO options to attack any facilities or slow down the project in any way. That's what I've wanted to do from the beginning, but there have been zero missions like that.

I haven't been playing very long, and the Avatar Project has just RACED ahead. I really don't know what else I could have done.

Note that I do have the resistance ring, but I haven't seen anything about resistance comms or radio towers. Maybe I missed something?

Admittedly, engineers have been super-scarce, so it's been hard to build much. (I think I had the option of getting an engineer in a mission, but I couldn't do that without letting the Avatar Project be completed. So I passed on that.)

[mosspit]

Have you tried looking at the Black Market? Sometimes, they will have Facility Leads and Engineers up for grabs in exchange for Intel. The Black Market refreshes its inventory after every Supply Drop.

Also try to get the Proving Ground fast if you have yet to do so. It gives you the opportunity to research the skull jack and fulfill a Golden Path objective, which will lower Avatar Project progress.

If possible, try to take on Covert Missions to "Hunt the Chosen" if you have nothing noteworthy to do. Reason being those missions will build affinity with the respective faction and that in turn can open up more Covert Mission options. Doing so you increase the probability of getting Covert Missions with "Reduce Avatar Progress" or "Facility Lead" as rewards.

[Bill Garthright]

OK, thanks. There wasn't anything I wanted in the Black Market, but I guess I didn't check back later on. And yes, I did build the Proving Ground, so I just now got the skull jack. But as I say, the Avatar Project is almost completed already.

I've done several of the "Hunt the Chosen" missions, but again there have been no options to reduce the progress of the Avatar Project. And really, that has happened so FAST that I'm not sure what else I should have done.

I built the Guerrilla Tactics School first, which let me train rookies and gave me a five-person combat squad. Then I built the Resistance Ring. I couldn't build anything else after that until I built a Power Relay. But I got the Proving Ground as soon as I had the power. And THAT let me get a skull jack.

But that's it. That's all I've had time for. And as I say, the Avatar Project is already almost complete. Maybe I should have done these in a different order? It still feels like I've barely begun the game, but that I've already lost.

I don't know. Maybe I'll start over and see what happens in a new game. I'm still struggling to understand what I could have done differently. Maybe I was supposed to build the Proving Ground FIRST?

[mk11]

It is normal for the Avatar Project to run away for a bit.

There are two story missions that you can do to reduce it, the Blacksite and skulljacking an officer. As soon as you have researched Resistance Comms you can make contact with the location with the Blacksite and then launch that mission when needed.

After that you need to balance making contact with locations that give you continent bonuses or high income with getting access to locations with Avatar project sites.

[EmpressMelanie]

Originally posted by Bill Garthright:

Thanks. I'm playing War of the Chosen. But I haven't had the opportunity to attack any avatar facilities. That option has never come up.

Right now, the Avatar Project is just two steps away from being complete. And that's AFTER I completed a resistance mission to prevent them from getting those two steps instantly. In other words, the Avatar Project would already be completed, except for that.

And I have had NO options to attack any facilities or slow down the project in any way. That's what I've wanted to do from the beginning, but there have been zero missions like that.

I haven't been playing very long, and the Avatar Project has just RACED ahead. I really don't know what else I could have done.

Note that I do have the resistance ring, but I haven't seen anything about resistance comms or radio towers. Maybe I missed something?

Admittedly, engineers have been super-scarce, so it's been hard to build much. (I think I had the option of getting an engineer in a mission, but I couldn't do that without letting the Avatar Project be completed. So I passed on that.)

Sounds like you never expanded at all. After a mission or two the option to research resistance comms should come up and central will tell you about it. You have to research this then you can make contact with various places around the world. The facilities that advance the avatar project are built every 2-8 weeks depending on your difficulty and every one on the map will advance the project 1 point every 21 days until you destroy it.

You can't attack a facility until you have made contact with the region. Because of that making contact with as many regions as possible is much of your early game. You have to get ahead of that counter and taking out the facilities are the only way to do that. If the mistake is you didn't expand for whatever reason then unfortunetly its game over for that playthrough. Start again and expand like mad, hunt those facilities down.

[megansweden]

Also, the facility missions will not pop up like Guerrilla Ops or Council missions, once you've unlocked access to a facility, you can attack it whenever you choose. Same with the Blacksite mission - the game doesn't tell you when to do it, you can do it anytime once you've unlocked the region. They are difficult missions, but they are also untimed so don't need to rush through them, which for me always makes them quite easy.

If you have no facilities unlocked, for your next Covert op look for one that will give you a Facility Lead, or one that will Reduce Avatar Project Progress. The Facility Lead will allow you to unlock a facility in a region you can't contact, by researching it (requires a few days and 50 intel). Reduce Avatar Project Progress covert ops always remove 2 pips.

Also, it's not immediately game over when the progress meter is full, you get a "doom clock" that gives you a few weeks to attack a facility, skulljack an advent captain, do a covert op, or attack the Blacksite. How long the clock is will vary depending on your difficulty level.

[Bill Garthright]

OK, thanks again. I don't remember ever getting the option to research resistance comms, but maybe I did. There were so many other things to research, after all. :)

And my few options haven't been very diverse, mostly just getting supplies or intelligence. Yeah, I might try starting again. Thanks for all the suggestions!

[Bill Garthright]

FYI, I did start a new game and this one is going MUCH better. For one thing, I figured out that I could attack an Avatar facility by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the page. (I'd been trying to click on the map, like we do for everything else, and that did nothing.)

That was the main issue which kept me from stopping the Avatar Project, but I'm also trying to be laser-focused on what the game wants me to do. Ordinarily, I'm not a big fan of such a linear progression, but in this game, that's required, it seems.

At any rate, thanks for the help. I'm having no problems now. And I'm having fun. :)

[mosspit]

That's great, and sounds like you are getting a hang of the game. XCOM2 is one of the best TB strategy games out there. XCOM3 is a big question mark so all we have is this game.

Just a few things related to facilities. In order to unlock facilities, you need to either unlock the regions where the facilities are in by connecting them using intel, or research facility leads (which also require some intel). Only then, can you access the facilities icon at the bottom of the geoscape. The facilities that are still locked are indicated by a lock icon.

[Astrolode]

I just want to thank the OP for asking these questions because this thread has answered them for me too!

I still feel like I'm early game but the Avatar pips are already two thirds done. I've unlocked 5 man squads which is helping, and fighting off the Chosen hasn't been too bad so far. But I haven't really expanded beyond the first 3 regions yet because of lack of engineers and building time, so that will be my focus now.

Also tried attacking the blacksite way too early and lost an entire team of my best soldiers, so now having to build up new ones! This game is so hard....

[mosspit]

@Astrolode

The Avatar Project progress filling up fast is normal. You just need to get used to it. In fact, it is very typical for the progress to fill up completely and trigger the countdown timer in most of my games. The trick is you can complete the Blacksite or Skulljack an Officer to reduce the Avatar Progress during the countdown.

Early game, you can try to manage the Avatar Progress by doing the following:

• Open up the region with the Blacksite first. Not only does it gives you the opportunity to take own the Blacksite once the countdown begins, it also allows you to expand to another region without unlocking a new Chosen. You can usually take on the Blacksite comfortably once you have Magnetic/Gauss weapons, and Predator Armour.
  
• Build a Proving Grounds fast. Typically you should build it before your Avenger Power maxes out and necessitate you building a Power Relay. Doing so you can unlock the Skulljack research and use it on an Officer at an opportune time.
  
• As mentioned about, prioritise Covert Ops that reduce Avatar Progress, or gives out a Facility Lead. Try to contact the Resistance Factions, and take on "Hunt the Chosen" ops to increase the probability of getting such Covert Ops.

[Cuddle_Rat]

I have nothing new to say that hasn't already been expertly said. All I can do is say, Good luck commander!

[Astrolode]

Thanks, good advice, I've been struggling to understand which missions were important, especially given that so many things pop up when passing time!

I may have made a mistake not getting the Ring yet, but I'm excavating another slot so hoping I have time to get on top of it. I started with GTS and proving grounds, so I already have the skulljack, though not been able to use it yet!

Any advice for skulljack? Do I need to get close to an officer? Clear out other enemies first or strike quick?