XCOM 2
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Allies Unknown Redux² – LWOTC Compatible
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Dec 15, 2024 @ 11:08am
Aug 1 @ 7:48am
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Allies Unknown Redux² – LWOTC Compatible

Description
If you've never tried Allies Unknown before and want to get into it this post lists off most of the related mods you might need. Naturally you'll want to grab Allies Unknown Redux and its pre-requisites as well.
What started out a simple port of [WOTC] Rustys Recruits Redux for Allies Unknown turned into a much bigger project. Since then, I've tinkered with the Allies Unknown code, all to bring it up to par with present-day mods; by utilizing Highlander Hooks that simply didn't exist seven years ago when RealityMachina first wrote the mod, it was possible to streamline AU Redux's implementation, now that some things can be achieved in a more straightforward, less resource-intensive way. Due to the several bugfixes present in it, I would advise you to subscribe to this even if you don't intend to play with LWOTC.

Features:
  • Bugfixes: All of the bugfixes for Allies Unknown Redux as well as for the older Species Modules can be found here!
  • Freely Customizable Aliens: Now I've patched RM's old modules to have access to the full-length of cosmetics you might have downloaded; this also grants them access to UCR's features. This is disabled by default, unless you have UCR installed as well, just to ensure no weirdness due to lack of invisible parts.
  • New Second Wave Options: when starting a new campaign you can enable new custom options, such as starting with an alien recruit on Gatecrasher or disabling the custom faction. Be sure to check them out.
  • Custom Target Icons for every species: If you're using Rusty's Massive Target Icons mod, this mod now adds target icons for each species module currently released. This can be disabled through MCM, if you hate my art design.
  • Rustys Recruits Redux Functionality: now it's possible to see your recruits' stats on the recruit screen, as well as plenty of other changes to how the game handles recruits. If you're not familiar, all is explained more in-depth in Rusty's Mod's page.
  • Custom Character Pool Selection for Non-Human Recruits I've taken the liberty of expanding Rustys Recruits Redux's functionality to include a config flag for the Character Pool selection mode exclusive to the alien recruits generated by this mod. Now you can ensure your aliens are always from the pool, while keeping your regular soldiers random. By default this is set to Pool Only, but you can change it in the configs or override it with MCM.
  • Fully LWOTC Compatible: I believe the original Allies Unknown was compatible with LW2 and now, all these years later, AU Redux is finally compatible with LWOTC. Your alien soldiers should get the full LWOTC stat generation treatment and all other "buff's" compared to the base game soldiers, like the extra utility slots. The Vipers species module is likely not compatible with LWOTC, use it at your own peril. The full list of changes made when LWOTC is active can be found here.
  • Various Code Optimization: seven years have passed since AU Redux was released and, boy, it shows. I've done plenty of small tweaks to AU's code to make it more optimized, such as disabling 4 UISLs, bringing this mod's net UISLs to -2. In general, it should be slightly less resource-intensive than the original AU Redux.
  • Console Commands: although most of them were created to make debugging my species modules easier, there are a couple that are useful to your average player (like the fix for Character Pool Aliens not showing up in campaigns). The full documentation can be found in this mod's ReadMe.txt file, easily accessible as a tab in AML.


Non-Intrusive Mod Config Menu Integration
This mod uses MCM to enable easily changing up some of its configuration. However, if the MCM side is left untouched, the mod will fetch all its values straight from the config files instead. This way, if you prefer handling your config work yourself and/or hate having to re-set your MCM settings after regerating the config, you can safely ignore it.

Hey! I read what Rustys Recruits Redux does and I hated it
Good news! With Rusty's permission I managed to disentangle this mod entirely from Rustys Recruits Redux, meaning that mod is in no way required for this to function. Through MCM, by checking a box you can override the Rusty's Recruits Redux implementation in its entirety. The MCM override also disables the custom character pool selection mode.

I installed this mod but now my Non-Human Recruits List is empty!
If installed mid-campaign this mod does port the existing recruits in the original Recruits List to the new List. However, that only happens after a tactical mission or at the end of the month (Game Month, not literal in-game-time month). In other words, they'll show up soon enough. If you happen to need your Recruits List filled now for whatever reason there's a console command that may help you.

Compatibility
This mod overrides the availability of the ambush risk template (CovertActionRisk_Ambush) and, if you have LWOTC enabled, the rookie reward template (Reward_Rookie). I don't know of any mod that edits those, so it should be compatible with most things.

Credits
Most of the code was originally from either [WOTC] Rustys Recruits Redux or Allies Unknown Redux, all I did was mash them together and scribble with a sharpie over it.
Special thanks to Rusty (and his Full ShadowReport mod) for helping me set up the MCM integration properly and to Tedster for answering all my questions about what I needed to change to make it LWOTC compatible, seeing as I've never played it before. Honorable mention to Reshi for her code to add custom Second Wave Options.

My other Allies Unknown Mods
If you feel like some of RealityMachina's old species modules miss the mark in terms of balance, check out my Rebalance attempt!

Check out my One Million Colours Plugin for AU Species.

And my Plugin for the Vipers

Ever wished to reroll the awful callsign your alien got? This can probably help you.

Help! My Twi'Leks have dragon legs and wookiee arms--I've got you.

Popular Discussions View All (4)
5
Feb 3 @ 11:26am
How to have your Character Pool aliens showing up in your campaigns
Styrium
0
1
Jul 24 @ 9:30am
PINNED: Allies Unknown Master-Post - list of related mods
Styrium
0
Jan 12 @ 5:36am
PINNED: LWOTC Compatibility Changes
Styrium
100 Comments
Ironmonk Jul 24 @ 1:42pm 
Well, I'm not playing Xcom right now (not that motivated either), so I'm in no rush... but if you ever get some free time and interest, you can try to contact me later.

I didn't test this with a existing species to see if it work, but there is a entry that could be added to a class that might do just that:
AcceptedCharacterTemplates="YautjaSoldier"

If this works, then a new class can be tied to a specific character template, while the same character template can work with any other classes available.

So just to clarify, its a species that would be like any other AU species + a exclusive class that can only be accessed by this species.
Styrium  [author] Jul 24 @ 1:21pm 
Yeah, I'll add the HK Droids, did not even know they were a thing
More Resistance Order Pages is a prerequisite, so no point in adding it.
I could add the Random Soldier Info Mod bridge, I didn't consider it at first cause it's unlikely that I'll be expanding its functionality to all the species.

That does sound like a cool project! I'm currently working on too many stuff at the same time as is so I think I'll have to pass it for now, mostly cause I'm not as interested in classed aliens. I don't know exactly how you'd implement a class to only be available to them but it does sound like it would work nicely.
Ironmonk Jul 24 @ 11:03am 
Btw, I was planning to make a AU for the Yautja (Predator), but gave up because the mod tools doesn't work on linux.

But I ended up making a Class with extra squaddie abilities to simulate the species+class... The idea was to allow the Yautja species to train in any regular class while also have a exclusive class that would make them closer to what is seen in the movies (essentially a Reaper+Skirmisher mix).

I spent many hours tinkering with it, and I think it could be a nice addition to the AU family.

If you are interested, maybe we could talk to see if a collab is possible.
Ironmonk Jul 24 @ 10:33am 
you missed:
- Allies Unknown Redux: Buildable HK Droids

might add these as well:
- More Resistance Order pages
- Random Soldier Info / Allies Unknown Bridge Mod
Styrium  [author] Jul 24 @ 9:33am 
There you go , this should have them all
aceboy_21 Jul 23 @ 10:59am 
@Styrium Thank you.
Styrium  [author] Jul 23 @ 5:03am 
If you click on the allies unknown tag on steam you'll see pretty much all of them (save for the Geth and the Hybrids iirc) but I can compile a list, sure.
aceboy_21 Jul 22 @ 7:05pm 
I second that motion.
Ironmonk Jul 22 @ 6:21pm 
perhaps a list saved in a new discussion thread with all compatible/working races available on steam (divided either by author or theme) would be helpful for some folk...
Styrium  [author] Jul 22 @ 5:40pm 
what isn't working? you need to have species modules installed, by itself this mod does nothing.