Update #29

Big update this week! First, as always, some bugfixes and a couple of minor changes. And then, a few things from MadSkunky re BetterClasses: Exertion is replaced by Killer Instinct, Hunker Down has completely different functionality, and a couple more things you can read about below.

New and long asked for (demanded?) feature: buttons to switch helmet visibility on/off, unequip all, and loadouts!!!

The buttons for killer instinct, unequip all and saving/loading loadout come from the website https://game-icons.net/. We have been taking icons from them for a while (like for all the Delirium perks) but forgot to credit them previously (sorry about that!). It’s an awesome website where you can not only download great icons, but modify them as needed.

Finally, if, like me, you missed enemies "flinching", you can now turn back on animations during shooting sequences in the mod config. (If you hate the chance of not killing a target you expect to kill with a burst, don't turn it on).

-Bugfixes
+Tutorial story hints introducing Alistair and Olena showing up at end of Tut1 instead of Tut3.
+Loading a save after a base got infested causing the base getting infested instead of starting attack on base.
+Wrong text on NJ icon tooltip after reaching aligned status.
+Vanilla text on exotic material tooltips.


-Changes
+On I AM ETERMES difficulty Cyclops no longer gains the I AM ETERMES DR ability.
+Pure now have a self-repair tactic instead of Experimental Drugs (which didn’t work for them).
+Arthron Myrmidons renamed Skirmishers to differentiate from Myrmidons.
+Mounted Item Proficiency deleted from the list of the random proficiency perks
+Armor Break: Mutual exclusive to Quick Aim, Gunslinger, Aimed Burst and Rage Burst
+Hunker Down: The next attack (in the following turn) cost -1 AP
+Killer Instinct (New skill replacing Exertion): "At the beginning of your turn, if there is an enemy within 5 tiles your next attack costs -2 AP"

New skill: The new skill is only applied to newly created characters. While the whole update should be save game stable it means that all your existing characters and all recruits that were spawned before the new version will have the old Exertion skill. Only recruits on havens and the PX roster that get refreshed after a while will have the new Killer Instinct skill.

-Further implementation
+New UI functionality on Edit soldiers screen:
Helmet toggle on/off
Unequip all
Save loadout
Load loadout
Please note that for the moment loading a loadout does not automatically reload newly equipped weapons (otherwise sometimes the guns were not loaded while the ammo for them disappeared) and it changes inventory visibility so that all items in storage are visible regardless of current filters. This effect disappears as soon as any changes are made in the screen.
+Option to set characters to continue animating during shooting; this will make them "flinch" when they are hit, adding a chance that subsequent projectiles in a burst will miss their target.

Update #28

As always, bugfixes: two of them from Vanilla and one of them is the most famously vexing "Hoplite spawned inside terrain, so now I can't kill it".

Also a few changes: the most important is that now an infestation will occur if you don't research the Node before a certain date.

And finally, the new story mission (defend the Cyclops) is done. Use all the powers of the Ancients that you have come to loath to your advantage to stop the Pandoran onslaught!


-Bugfixes
+Hoplites spawning inside terrain where they can’t be killed (infamous Vanilla bug) [they will now die off after a while].
+In base defense missions, mist spawning too high up.
+Bionic and Mutation labs permitting augmentations even when powered down (Vanilla bug).
+Intelligence reports inaccurately describing the various types of Acherons.
+Cyclops Tremor Stomp doing damage before animation was completed.
+Cyclops Molecular Targeting not working correctly sometimes.
+Project Osiris revivals sometimes getting Cronenberged (appearing with different class, level, and generally mixed up). (No, it wasn’t a feature).
+Inaccurate Base Defense hint (from Vanilla).
+Biochemist giving acid grenades +25% buff instead of 5%.
+Cure spray description missing that it removes Acid.

-Changes
+Added visual effect to Powered-Up ancients.
+On I AM ETERMES Cyclops DR starts at 100% and can’t go below 50%.
+Forced haven infestation if the player doesn’t research Node before a certain time (chosen at random within a range).
+Cyclops Tremor Stomp also deals 1 WP damage.
+Worm-launching Chirons are now immune to the type of damage the worm does.

-Further implementation
+Wield the power of the Ancients in defending the Cyclops mission!
+Dr. Helena Lewandowski's portrait changes as Delirium progresses.

Update #27

This week we got a bunch of bugfixes, some of them rather important because there were missions failing when they shouldn’t, and nasty softlocks. Sorry about that, but it’s all in the past now (and, of course, will never happen again…)

New stuff! Continuing with making Cyclops better (still pending reworking that story mission so you can enjoy wielding the Power of the Ancients), and we have added two features requested/suggested by our fans: you can now choose to start from any Phoenix base, and Alistair and Olena portraits will change as Delirium spreads.

-Bugfixes
+In base defense objective tiles not appearing after mission restart.
+Hoplites not getting fire immunity.
+Softlocks and other issues with enemy priests attempting to scream at vehicles like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.
+Failing base defense mission despite killing all enemies.
+Ancient abilities showing as before Ancient Automata research when loading directly a tactical save.
+Umbra and Umbra puddle targetable for Parapsychosis.
+Jamming Field working on Spitter Heads.


-Changes
+Adjusted Cyclops Damage Resistance so that it scales with number of hoplites killed vs total hoplites at start of mission; previously each hoplite killed reduced DR by 10%, now it’s proportional to the total number of hoplites (so it is reduced by much less and only goes to 0% when all hoplites are destroyed).
+Added self-restore ability to Cyclops; it will restore any limbs that are broken after one turn (limbs will have 50% of their max HP) (costs 5 WP).
+Changed Cyclops Stomp to TREMOR STOMP: Disorients and deals 60 damage to all organic targets within 12 tiles.
+Cyclops beam now costs 1AP to use, but limited to one use per turn.

-Further implementation
+You can now choose your starting base in the Mod Config, and if playing on Rookie or with Easy Geoscape setting, your starting base will not be in the Americas. If you play on I AM ETERMES you will start in Australia or in Antarctica.
+Alistair and Olena portraits change as Delirium progresses.

You can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland

Update #26

This week continues mainly with bugfixes, some of them that have been around for a very long time and were not noticed before, like with Revenant Resistances. Changes and further implementation concerns mainly Ancient Automata; I'm working towards improving Cyclops, also for the story mission (which I intend to make more interesting later on), but for now this is a WIP, so please bear with us as we produce hints/texts for the new abilities, and finish implementing them.

-Bugfixes
+Recruiting to an infested base was possible.
+Multiple instances of same objective in Base Defense missions.
+Base Defense mission requiring kill all enemies (including creepy crawlers).
+Die Hard activating always.
+Hoplites sometimes repairing body parts that they shouldn’t have (it’s the Living Crystal, or the Orichalcum shield, not both, chum!).
+Calculation for choice of Revenant resistance counted shock weapons as paralysis weapons and shock weapons as high damage weapons.
+Base defense mission clock resetting and massively bugging out if no troops present at the base when the timer expires.
+Revenant Resistance appearing as Bionic Augmentation when loading a tactical save from the title screen.
+Kill all enemies mission failing if last enemy is turned wild using parapsychosis.
+In base defense missions, destroyed consoles remaining operational and error messages appearing.
+In base defense missions, power generators not taking damage from activating consoles.
+With Stronger Pandorans enabled, Scylla gaining multiple instances of Apex DR

-Changes
+Hoplites and Cyclops now considered “smart” for purposes of D-Coy.
+Hoplites get fire immunity.

-Further implementation
+New Cyclops shooting ability, cross the beam streams; if there are any Hoplites that have a functioning head that have LoS on the target the Cyclops is shooting at, they will also shoot at.
+New Hoplite ability, Molecular Targeting; the first time during the turn that a hoplite damages a target vulnerable to EMP or to virophage, sets all Cyclops and Hoplite beam weapons to do some EMP or virophage damage during the turn.
+Cyclops Stomp replaced with a Psychic Scream variant (2 AP 0 WP cost, 4 psychic damage). This is WIP and the final ability will be different, but we want to start looking at how the AI behaves with it.
+More pictures for loading screens.

Hotfix 1 to Update #25

-Bugfixes
+Softlock on Umbra kill.
+Scylla with heavy legs unduly invading characters’ personal space.
+An omitted dot that was sorely missed by its two siblings.

-Changes
+Turned off Umbra being walk-through, as was causing clipping problems and in some cases softlocks (Umbra continue to not stop bullets, however)

Update #25

In addition to the usual bugfixes and minor changes, this week we got the revised base defense missions, adjusted based on the feedback we have been receiving over the past couple of weeks. Please continue to share your experiences with these missions!

Other major changes: Umbra and Decoys will not stop bullets anymore! That’s right, you can shoot right through that Umbra to hit that pesky Siren behind it. (another miracle possible thanks to Dimitar "Codemite" Evtimov :) ); all medium sized monsters will now walk over small critters and things, sometimes smashing them in the process.

-Bugfixes
+Umbra not targetable.
+Recruit interface showing what base would come under attack.
+Units could be deployed/recruited to base under attack.
+Parapsychosis actual range 14 instead of 12.
+AI controlled characters with paralyzing or virus weapons shooting at turrets and spider drones.
+Error messages related to AI target culling (looked like random error messages during enemy move).
+Vanilla infested base mission if base becomes infested after attack.
+Jamming field causing fumbles when it shouldn’t (also malfunctions to Kaos Weapons).

-Changes
+It's no longer possible to demolish a facility if doing so would cut off other facilities from the hangar; this is to prevent "bad" maps from being created for base defense, where player units are trapped after spawning.
+All medium size monsters (Chirons, Acherons and Cyclops) can now walk over small critters and things (like drones and worms). In addition, Cyclops and Chirons with heavier legs will squish them as they walk over them.
+Cyclops, as well as Chirons and Scyllas with heavier legs, are now immune to fire.
+Umbra and Decoys don’t stop bullets anymore. Make sure you don’t have anybody you care about behind them!
+Scorpion shred removed, instead projectile made unstoppable: it will just keep going, smashing everything in its way, hitting multiple limbs of the same target, and other targets behind it.
+New loading tips
+Reverted True Grit to 10% DR and Paranoid PER to +4.
+Project Osiris chances slightly reduced.
+Soldiers at a base successfully attacked by Pandorans will escape to nearest base.

-Further implementation
+Base defense missions have been adjusted using the feedback received so far. Please let us know what you think!

you can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland

Hotfix 2 to Update #24

-Bugfixes
+Softlock on Spawnery getting destroyed in tactical

Hotfix 1 to Update #24

-Bugfixes
+Softlock on an object getting destroyed in tactical
+Error message on start if subbed to BetterEnemies

Update #24

This week we focused on bugfixing and improving enemy AI, among other things addressing the use of ‘decoys' by the player to trick the AI. It’s a valid strategy, but it can also be a bit meta and immersion breaking. The main changes in this regard are that: the decoy ability will produce the same, good, appealing, tasty decoy regardless of the character who casts it, but ‘smarter’ enemies attacking from a close distance will see through the ruse after the first attack, and Scylla will ignore small enemies (and traverse over them or trample them, depending on leg type) and ranged enemies will typically ignore them too.

Also, if you have ‘Make Pandorans Stronger’ option enabled (and you are not subbed to BetterEnemies; otherwise TFTV detects BetterEnemies and tries to avoid messing with it), all Scyllas get a 25% damage resistance perk.

There are also a lot of other changes, like TBTV Call Reinforcements now being limited to one call (after that the Arthron/Crab can be Touched by the Void again)!

Let us know in #feedback what your experience is like, and how you feel about Pandoran AI, and which of their behavriours you find immersion breaking.

This week I will be focusing on adjusting the new base defense missions, so if you have any feedback on that make sure to share it as well!

-Bugfixes
+Softlock when killing wild Arthron or Triton that are set to cast Umbra
+Visible deployment zones on all maps
+Log revealing impending attack on Phoenix bases
+The 2 early Scyllas always skipped instead of one of them being picked as the first
+Cyclops skipping turns (Vanilla bug)
+Psychic Scream was able to target metallic substance actors (the AI used it on drones, turrets, vehicles ...)
+Wild faction actors were valid targets for Parapsychosis (it was possible to use it on them and AP/WP were reduced with no effect)
+Mind Crush, Induce Panic and Mind Control did get AP reduction with Sabotage (as attack skills they shouldn't)
+Softlock when actor with neural feedback dazes a friendly

Changes
+Scyllas will now ignore all small critters and things (worms, spider drones, turrets), walk over them and if they have heavy legs destroy them in the process
+AI controlled characters will ignore small critters and things more often (making them less useful as decoys)
+Infiltrator decoy now spawns as a special D-Coy character with no armor, making it a more attractive target; it doesn’t die, but disappears when HP reduced to 0 or a “smart” opponent attacks it from a short distance
+New substance for Umbra. Have fun testing what damage types work vs obviously-imagined-not-real oil monsters! (before the egg throwing begins, killing the host with fire should still prevent the Umbra from spawning)
+Added back option to turn off show faces in personnel screen in the config (look at the bottom of the screen)
+Cyclops stomp now doesn’t affect friendlies
+Call Reinforcements TBTV calls reinforcements now only once
+If you are playing with Make Pandorans Stronger (unsub/turn off BetterEnemies if you do), Scyllas now have 25% DR vs all types of damage.
+Background: True Grit Damage Resistance 10% -> 20%
+Background: Paranoid Perception +4 -> +8
+Excluded Sirens from Parapsychosis

you can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland