XCOM 2
[WOTC] Iridar's SPARK Arsenal 3.2
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Iridar  [developer] Jul 2, 2020 @ 8:21am
FULL LIST OF NEW FEATURES
Throughout this page, SPARK and MEC Trooper are interchangeable. I.e. this mod's changes to SPARKs also affect MEC Troopers.

Incinerators

Incinerators are new SPARK primary weapons, they are basically bigger versions of Immolators from the Mitzruti's Immolator + Chemthrower Abilities mod. They deal slightly more damage and have bigger fire cones, and can be used for Overwatch.

Incinerators are compatible with Canisters from the mentioned Mitzruti's mod. Canisters can be carried in the Auxiliary Weapon slot.

Incinerators use the appearance of Claus' SPARK Flamethrowers, but they do not have the Fire Beam and Fire Bomb firemodes, just the standard cone attack and Overwatch. And no, Fire Beam and Fire Bomb will not work with Incinerators.

You can still use SPARK Flamethrowers mod alongside SPARK Arsenal, if you prefer.

Incinerators are available from the campaign start and are upgraded alongside regular SPARK Rifles.

When playing with Mechatronic Warfare, they are upgraded alongside regular XCOM soldier cannons.

Heavy Cannons

New Primary Weapons for SPARKs and MEC Troopers. They are multi-purpose artillery cannons. They are bulky, long-range weapons, so they grant Squadsight, take 2 actions to fire and suffer aim penalties up close. Heavy Cannons have to be reloaded after each shot. They cannot equip Extended Magazines nor Auto Loaders, and do not benefit from any skills or items that increase clip size.

The regular firemode for the cannons is a direct shot that can punch through cover, suffering damage penalties instead of aim penalties.

Heavy Cannons are available from the campaign start and are upgraded alongside regular SPARK Autocannons.

When playing with Mechatronic Warfare, they are upgraded alongside regular XCOM soldier cannons.

Special Heavy Cannon Shells

As soon as you acquire your first SPARK or MEC, you can perform the Experimental Heavy Cannon Shells proving grounds project, which will grant you infinite supply of HEAT, HE and Shrapnel Shells. They can be carried in the Auxiliary Weapon slot, providing an additional firemode to Heavy Cannons.

HEAT Shells - deal the same damage as standard firemode, but they cannot punch through cover. At Squadsight ranges, they suffer Crit Chance penalties. Carrying Sabot Rounds removes this penalty.

Heat Shells also gain 3/4/5 Armor Pierce, and they explode on contact, dealing minor damage to enemies right next to the target.

HE Shells - area-targeted explosives, have very long range and an arched trajectory.

Shrapnel Shells - cone-targeted blast with a guaranteed hit. Blocked by cover.

Later you can perform Improved Heavy Cannon Shells proving grounds project. It is available as soon as you get Experimental Shells, but it requires quite a few Scientists and Engineers, so normally you will not be able to complete it until later into the campaign.

This project upgrades your experimental shells:

HEAT -> HEDP - deal more damage to adjacent targets.
HE -> HESH - deal extra damage to targets at the center of the blast radius.
Shrapnel -> Flechette - gain 5 Pierce against organic enemies.

Munitions Mount

New Secondary Weapons for SPARKs and MEC Troopers. When equipped, Munitions Mount grants an Ammo Slot and special heavy cannon shells of all three types.

Munitions Mount can be built in Engineering one at a time once you complete the Experimental Heavy Cannon Shells proving grounds project.

Advanced Munitions Mount grants improved heavy cannon shells, and can be built in Engineering one at a time once you complete the Improved Heavy Cannon Shells proving grounds project. Completing the project will also automatically upgrade your regular Munitions Mounts into Advanced ones.

Ordnance Launchers

New Secondary Weapons for SPARKs and MEC Troopers, capable of launching Grenades and Rockets. Add 2 Grenade-only slots when equipped. Also, if an Ordnance Launcher is equipped, the SPARK becomes able to equip grenades into Auxiliary Weapon slot. Rockets cam always be carried in the Auxiliary Weapon slot, and can be Given by the SPARK to other soldiers.

Similarly to Grenade Launchers, Ordnance Launchers provide a boost to grenades' range and radius. Additionally, beam Ordnance Launcher uses Blaster Launcher targeting to deliver grenades, much like the Beam Grenade Launcher.

Ordnance Launchers are available from the start of the campaign for free in infinite quantities, upgraded automatically with SPARK armor.

When playing with Mechatronic Warfare, they are upgraded alongside regular XCOM soldier armor.

Kinetic Strike Module

New Secondary Weapon for SPARKs and MEC Troopers, grants Kinetic Strike ability that works similarly to Enemy Within - target an adjacent tile, and everything on it gets pulverized. Its damage scales with SPARK Armor, same as for the Strike ability. Having a KSM equipped also passively boosts damage of other melee abilities, such as the mentioned Strike.

Kinetic Strike ability has unique kill/death animations for some enemies. I made it possible for third party mods to supply their own unique animations through config. If you're a modder and are interested in adding some, please read this.

There is only one tier of KSM, it can be built in Engineering one at a time after ADVENT MEC autopsy.

At this moment there are custom kill/death animations only for:
  • Advent Trooper
  • Advent Shieldbearer
  • Berserker
  • Chryssalid

More custom animations to come later.

Auxiliary Weapon Slot

New Inventory Slot for SPARKs and MEC Troopers. Can be used to carry:
  • Heavy Weapon (requires Proving Grounds project) - uses Arm Cannon visuals.
  • Special Heavy Cannon Shells - grant additional firemodes when Heavy Cannon is equipped.
  • Restorative Mist and E.M. Pulse - described below.
  • Rockets - can always be carried in the aux slot so that SPARKs can Give them to other soldiers.
  • Grenades - can be carried in the aux slot if an Ordnance Launcher is equipped.
  • Hacker's Laptop from the System Infiltration mod.
  • Canisters from the Immolator + Chemthrower Abilities mod by Mitzruti.
  • SPARK Launchers from the SPARK Launchers Redux - by RealityMachina

HEAVY WEAPON CHANGES

SPARK Arsenal removes the regular Heavy Weapon slot from SPARKs, but they can still equip them in the BIT Heavy Weapon slot that appears when you equip a BIT.

This mod also adds a Mechanized Arm Transformation Gears proving grounds project. Once it is completed, SPARKs become able to carry Heavy Weapons in the Auxiliary Weapon slot, and fire them from their left arm, transforming it into a weapon.

Arm Cannon animations will also be used to fire Heavy Weapons in a regular Heavy Weapon slot, if SPARKs get one from somewhere.

Arm Cannon visuals activate automatically, you don't need to equip any additional items for them to work.

NEW HEAVY WEAPONS

Heavy Strike Module

New Heavy Weapon, can be used only by regular soldiers, but not SPARKs or MEC Troopers. Works almost identically to the Kinetic Strike Module - grants a Heavy Strike ability that targets an adjacent tile and deals heavy melee damage to anything standing on that tile and destroys most cover objects.

Integrated as a regular Heavy Weapon that can be acquired through the Experimental Heavy Weapon and Powered Heavy Weapon proving grounds projects. Heavy Strike Module deals 11 damage, Powered Strike Module deals 14.

Cannot be equipped in the BIT Heavy Weapon slot.

Kiruka Autogun

New Heavy Weapon, can be used by SPARKs, MEC Troopers and regular soldiers. Works like a generic automatic weapon with infinite ammo, meant to be a backup weapon, a "heavy sidearm" of sorts. Can be very handy while carrying a Heavy Cannon. Capable of Headshotting the Lost and benefits from special ammo. Can be used for Overwatch.

Benefits from Quickdraw, Salvo and Marauder abilities, as well as Rainmaker, which adds +2 damage and makes Autogun attacks hit in a 3x3 tile square around the target.

Integrated as a regular Heavy Weapon that can be acquired through the Experimental Heavy Weapon and Powered Heavy Weapon proving grounds projects. Regular Autogun deals 3-4 damage, Powered Autogun (Autopulser) deals 4-5.

Restorative Mist

New Heavy Weapon, can be used by SPARKs, MEC Troopers and regular soldiers. Heals +4 HP for organic units around the unit, including the unit itself and any enemies around it, if they are organic.

If equipped on a BIT, Restorative Mist can be released remotely in a smaller area some distance away from the unit. Unlike Medical Protocol, the BITs tier has no effect on how much Resto Mist heals for.

Similarly to Medkit, Resto Mist removes negative status effects such as burning from affected units.

Can be built in Engineering one at a time, much like a Medkit. Upgraded by Battlefield Medicine proving grounds project to heal for +6 HP. 1 Charge per mission.

By default, requires that you build at least one EXO Suit in Proving Grounds before you can purchase these.

E.M. Pulse

New Heavy Weapon, can be used by SPARKs, MEC Troopers and regular soldiers. When activated, affects all units around the unit by:
- Dealing moderate electrical damage to robotic and robotic-like units and causing them to shutdown. They also become easier to Hack.
- Disables weapons, forcing a reload before it can be used.
- Removes Shieldbearers' Energy Shields for all units around the unit.

The unit using the EM Pulse is not affected by its own pulse, but other allied units caught in the radius will be affected, so use with caution.

When equipped on a BIT, E.M. Pulse can be deployed remotely in a smaller target area some distance away from the unit. Deals less damage when used by the BIT.

Can be built in Engineering one at a time after you complete Bluescreen Protocol proving grounds project. 2 Charges per mission, 5 turn cooldown.

By default, requires that you build at least one EXO Suit in Proving Grounds before you can purchase these.

BALLISTIC SHIELDS

The Ballistic Shields mod already adds SPARK-sized ballistic shields. SPARK Arsenal can also enable SPARKs and MEC Troopers to carry soldier-sized Ballistic Shields, automatically enlarging their models. To do so, simply uncomment relevant "allowed weapons" lines in SPARK Arsenal's XComClassData.ini.

NEW EXPERIMENTAL AMMO

Sabot Rounds

New Experimental Ammo, it is meant for precision and long range shooting. It completely negates Squadsight penalties to Aim and Crit, and bypasses 100% of the enemy natural Defense.

By "natural" I mean their character stats. Bonuses to Defense granted by abilities still fully apply.

NEW WEAPON UPGRADES

Experimental Magazine

New Weapon Upgrade. Acquired in all the same ways as regular upgrades. When attached to a weapon, grants an Ammo Slot to the soldier, if they don't already have one. Mutually exclusive with Extended Magazine upgrades.

Drops as loot and from scanning Points of Interest with the same chance as other weapon upgrades, technically slightly reducing your chance of getting them. Counts as an Advanced and Superior weapon upgrade.

Experimental Ammo equipped in that slot works just as it would work in any other slot. So if you attach Experimental Magazine to a pistol, equipped ammo *will* affect shots from your primary weapon, and vice versa. I might change that, based on feedback.

DOES NOT work in Highlander versions below 1.21 and there's nothing I can do about it, so don't ask.

Speed Loader

New Weapon Upgrade. Acquired in all the same ways as regular upgrades. When the soldier dashes, they will automatically reload their weapon with the Speed Loader attached.

To activate the Speed Loader reload, the soldier must spend 2+ action points with a single movement ability activation. Spending two action points in two separate moves does not count.
Last edited by Iridar; Nov 5, 2024 @ 8:52pm
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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
Iridar  [developer] Jul 13, 2020 @ 4:01pm 
SPARK CONCEALMENT CHANGES

SPARK Arsenal increases detection radius of SPARKs and MEC Troopers by 50%.They still start missions concealed along with the rest of the squad, but it's much harder for them to keep the concealment as they move around the map. It's big clanky hulking robot, so it is to be expected.

Having a BIT or a GREMLIN equipped will grant Active Camo ability to the SPARK, reducing their detection radius by 50%, so it once again becomes similar to regular soldiers.

BIT AND GREMLIN CHANGES

SPARKs, MEC Troopers, as well as Specialists and other similar soldier classes can now equip both BITs and GREMLINs. BITs can be used for all the regular Protocol duties, although they are weaker in that role. They are also less effective in remote hacking. They heal for less with Medical Protocol, deal less damage with Combat Protocol, and their scanning area is smaller with Scanning Protocol.

GREMLINs can be used with SPARK Repair, healing more HP than a BIT would.

BITs can be used for Aid Protocol, granting a smaller defense bonus. For the duration of the Aid Protocol, the BIT will transfer control over their equipped Heavy Weapon to the soldier targeted by the Aid Protocol. Yes, you can now send Heavy Weapons to allied soldiers.

For the purposes of abilities that affect Heavy Weapons, such as Salvo and Rainmaker, the game will look at abilities on the unit to which the BIT is currently attached to.

Intrusion Protocol and Arsenal squaddie abilities are removed from the SPARKs' ability tree. A dummy Arsenal ability is added to the BIT to explain the new mechanics.

If a SPARK or MEC Trooper equips a BIT or a GREMLIN, new abilities will be added to them:
- Active Camo (explained above)
- Remote Hacking
- Entrench Protocol - if the SPARK uses Aid Protocol on themselves, it will last indefinitely, as long as the SPARK doesn't move. Aid Protocol will not begin its cooldown until the SPARK moves.

Entrench Protocol is meant to provide a static defense boost in situations where a SPARK gets stuck in a prolonged engagement where they can keep engaging enemies every turn without having to move. It should pair well with Squadsight-capable Heavy Cannon.

A dummy Protocol Suite ability is added to SPARKs' ability tree to explain this mechanic.

SPARK Arsenal also fixes the bug that prevents the BIT's bonus to Hacking from showing up in the Armory.

HACKING CHANGES

SPARK Arsenal enables SPARKs and MEC Troopers to hack interactive objects without a BIT or a GREMLIN equipped, just like regular soldiers can. They also gain +30 Hack at Squaddie.

They can also use System Infiltration ability, both with and without a BIT / GREMLIN.
Last edited by Iridar; Oct 23, 2020 @ 5:43am
Iridar  [developer] Jul 13, 2020 @ 4:01pm 
HEAVY WEAPON KNOCKBACK

Shredder Gun, Shredstorm Cannon and Plasma Blaster heavy weapons do not knockback enemies when they kill them. This makes them look kinda weak. This mod patches up these abilities so that they have some proper knockback.

The list of affected abilities is configurable. By default, all three variations of these heavy weapons are affected: regular soldier, SPARK BIT and SPARK Arm Cannon.

Comparison video
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