XCOM 2 Catch-All

Chimalli wrote:
Maq wrote:

Just a note I don't think dropbox links are persistent so every time I upload a new version there may be a new URL. Not sure, haven't tested. At any rate that would mean changing the OP link every time.

The git repository will stay consistent, of course, which is half the reason for using it. I'd recommend adding that to the OP as well: https://github.com/markbrereton/gwj-...

This is the latest link that I know of.

Thanks!

master0 wrote:

Banished worked for me but it tended to be very buggy in it's animation. Sometimes it would look like it fired only once and skip the rest of the attacks. Got worse with the upgrade. Still it was still so stupidly powerful with a gun with an extended clip though. It could basically wipe out any single unit.

same experience here. i just used it this morning on a sectopod. took one shot and told me i missed but the sectopod had it's armor shredded and was at half health.

master0 wrote:

Couple that with a world bonus that removes a groups first action when ambushed. It was slaughter. I loved it.

That is my favorite thing in the DLC. I love that I can push a little more aggressively, knowing that if I trigger a distant reveal, it'll just cause a bunch of movement and maybe 1 enemy shot on my turn.

Mr Crinkle wrote:
master0 wrote:

Couple that with a world bonus that removes a groups first action when ambushed. It was slaughter. I loved it.

That is my favorite thing in the DLC. I love that I can push a little more aggressively, knowing that if I trigger a distant reveal, it'll just cause a bunch of movement and maybe 1 enemy shot on my turn.

Yeah the new bonuses and sit reps are amazing. I got one one sit rep where I had complete map vision. Such a huge advantage. I avoided the mission where I was limited to three troops like the plague though. Also have a bonus troop every now and then was nice.

Is there a complete listing of all the new things (every sit rep, ability, etc) in the expansion everywhere. Now that it's over I don't mind looking at it. Most certain I didn't see everything yet.

I just finished one mission to pick up supply boxes with The Lost on the level, and the first appearance of the Warlock. Took me 2 hours with only two reloads because I did something stupid. More than once, soldier bond lvl 2 saved me. It was intense and so much fun!

Urdnot Grunt for WOTC is live!

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Ouch, I just lost 3 out of 4 soldiers on my first blacksite mission. Damn assassin crashed my party and laid down some hurt. I probably could have done a graceful extraction if I didn’t have to worry about her / it.

Is there anything that we can do to make assassins less likely to show up?

Uncle Wrex for WOTC!

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robc wrote:

Is there anything that we can do to make assassins less likely to show up?

I guess the covert missions to hunt them down are your best shot... I haven't seen any others so far.

Liara T'Soni for WOTC.

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Thanks for all of the amazing work Kexx. You are really pumping them out tonight.

Man, I'm really indulging in a bad strategy game habit of mine with WOTC. Whenever something doesn't go my way I become dissatisfied and wind up restarting from the beginning. I'm not even talking about big stuff like squad wipes. I'm talking about less than perfect facility placement or missing out on a supply drop. Totally minor things.

Need to suck it up and power through. Or go all out save scum.

I got a Resistance Order which makes picking up supply drops instant. Saves me a good 3 days which I can then use on other things like Intel. Always burning through so much intel!

BlackSabre wrote:

I got a Resistance Order which makes picking up supply drops instant. Saves me a good 3 days which I can then use on other things like Intel.

I also love this one.

My favourite thing so far is that there are so many good choices. Lots of times I'll try something and then something random will come up that I just can't say no to!

Well, purchased over the weekend and I'm solidly into my campaign now. I think I've messed up a little though now, and I'm trying to work out if there is actually enough room in the Avenger to build every facility. I'm guessing not, that seems a bit odd to me but there we go.

All in all it feels fairly smooth so far, althought I think it's still meshing a little at the edges. I'm playing with the Alien Ruler / Shens last gift DLC "integrated" which seems to a chore now researching and building the weapons and the SPARKS, but I guess I can see why they've done that. I could really do without my templars being either targetted for immediate extermination, or captured by a chosen (that's really annoying) but maybe that's just this playthrough.

the most significant readjustment I'm making is not playing it according to Long War 2 rules or soldier classes. Far too many close runs at the moment.

I think my game is on a downward spiral, but I'm hanging in for now. I don't have the rank soldier needed to do the 3rd phase of the "discover where the first assassin is" covert action. I had some high ranking deaths and I just can't get that needed promotion.

My avatar project meter was getting kinda full (3 empty squares) so I assaulted on of their sites. I was worried because it said it was difficult and I didn't want to lose more guys. Luckily the stealthy faction unit was able to slip right in, plant the bomb and then we just called in the evac and got out. Not a single shot fired.

I just need to level up on of my 2 top guys so I can eliminate that assassin (and the one after that). I didn't have nearly this much trouble in vanilla XCOM 2!

robc wrote:

I think my game is on a downward spiral, but I'm hanging in for now. I don't have the rank soldier needed to do the 3rd phase of the "discover where the first assassin is" covert action. I had some high ranking deaths and I just can't get that needed promotion.

My avatar project meter was getting kinda full (3 empty squares) so I assaulted on of their sites. I was worried because it said it was difficult and I didn't want to lose more guys. Luckily the stealthy faction unit was able to slip right in, plant the bomb and then we just called in the evac and got out. Not a single shot fired.

I just need to level up on of my 2 top guys so I can eliminate that assassin (and the one after that). I didn't have nearly this much trouble in vanilla XCOM 2!

Look for covert missions that offer promotions. I used that to get my first guy to the level to counter the chosen.

You know, you're supposed to get opportunities to rescue captured team members, but I haven't gotten a single one since the scripted Mox rescue. I actually got more opportunities to retrieve team members in the base game. Probably just the RNG at work, but it's annoying.

master0 wrote:
robc wrote:

I think my game is on a downward spiral, but I'm hanging in for now. I don't have the rank soldier needed to do the 3rd phase of the "discover where the first assassin is" covert action. I had some high ranking deaths and I just can't get that needed promotion.

My avatar project meter was getting kinda full (3 empty squares) so I assaulted on of their sites. I was worried because it said it was difficult and I didn't want to lose more guys. Luckily the stealthy faction unit was able to slip right in, plant the bomb and then we just called in the evac and got out. Not a single shot fired.

I just need to level up on of my 2 top guys so I can eliminate that assassin (and the one after that). I didn't have nearly this much trouble in vanilla XCOM 2!

Look for covert missions that offer promotions. I used that to get my first guy to the level to counter the chosen.

I wasted that one on someone else. I hope it repeats!

kazooka wrote:

You know, you're supposed to get opportunities to rescue captured team members, but I haven't gotten a single one since the scripted Mox rescue. I actually got more opportunities to retrieve team members in the base game. Probably just the RNG at work, but it's annoying.

Have you had any captured soldiers? I thought they were opportunities to save your soldiers who were captured on a mission, but I could be wrong.

robc wrote:
master0 wrote:

Look for covert missions that offer promotions. I used that to get my first guy to the level to counter the chosen.

I wasted that one on someone else. I hope it repeats!

That covert mission bonus does repeat, I can confirm. I'm in November of my campaign and have seen it many times.

robc wrote:
kazooka wrote:

You know, you're supposed to get opportunities to rescue captured team members, but I haven't gotten a single one since the scripted Mox rescue. I actually got more opportunities to retrieve team members in the base game. Probably just the RNG at work, but it's annoying.

Have you had any captured soldiers? I thought they were opportunities to save your soldiers who were captured on a mission, but I could be wrong.

They should show up as covert action options some time after your soldier gets captured. Mox got captured twice in my campaign, and the second time I want to say it took around two months for the rescue mission to show up.

Yeah, you actually have to get team mates captured before you can rescue them

This happens either through the covert operations or (i think?) if the Chosen get high enough ranked they can stun then capture your teammates in a mission instead of just sucking information from their brains (but I'm not entirely sure about that...I got that impression from some of the in-game text but it's not something I've seen first hand)

Yes, I've had several team members captured. The Warlock is especially obnoxious about that.

I don't know how you would possibly face the the chosen on the harder difficulties. Just on normal mode they're proving to be pretty challenging and their levels are just sheer endurance. That said, finally got through all of them and am now in the back half of the game. I missed the Alien Hunters DLC. THOSE jerks are proving to be more difficult than the chosen. At least the chosen give me a second to pick someone up that's downed before attacking again.

Also, question but is the chosen random? I got Assassin first and had way more difficulty with that one than the hunter or warlock. Maybe I jumped a tech threshold but I really didn't have a lot of issue with the other two once I figured out their patterns.

Their skills and weaknesses are slightly randomised, but as far as i can tell you always encounter the three of them in the same order throughout a game.

Not if you turn Lost and Abandoned off. I started with the warlock in my current game which proved challenging when he dropped in on my first retaliation mission... Dropped him in that and the next encounter after he disrupted a perfectly planned ambush, but he certainly takes a toll on your team when you're still in conventional weapons o_O

i found the assassin by far the hardest. The other two were relatively easy. The issue for me was that the assassin runs out of hiding, kills someone, and runs back into hiding. couldn't take overwatch shots etc. it seemed to be 2 things you need to beat him, first having the armor/health to be able to survive the 10-12 dmg sword attack, or second, dumb luck that the assassin started the attack far enough away that they couldn't escape afterwards.

I started a new campaign in WoTC last weekend. In the set mission where I have to get The Reapers to meet with The Skimishers an Assassin shows up. Standard weapons and a squad of rookies. That didn't end well.

Have I been unlucky with the RNG or does this always happen?

that part's pre-set I think. The Assassin always attacks in the third part of the mission.