XCOM 2 Catch-All

Reaper81 wrote:

Built right in. No mission to unlock the content. Weapons are researched and then built through the proving ground. Rulers are nerfed and are assigned to a random facility.

Also, SPARK weapons can get weapon mods... which is really nice.

Huh. I had gotten used to putting off the triggering mission.

So the rulers don't follow you from mission to mission anymore?

DevilDancer wrote:

So the rulers don't follow you from mission to mission anymore?

Once you meet them, they seem to turn up now and again until killed.

MikeSands wrote:
DevilDancer wrote:

So the rulers don't follow you from mission to mission anymore?

Once you meet them, they seem to turn up now and again until killed.

There is a slider in Options that determines how often they can show up. I believe it's on the low side initially.

The Sparks are worth a lot in WotC. Since they never get tired, you can just bring the same one along for fire-power every mission. So long as they don't get damaged. Once you get Repair, you can just Repair any damage they still have. You can always bring damaged Sparks as an option for a mission.

Since you can being the same Spark along every mission, you can level one very fast once you get it constructed. +Aim mods on a Spark plus the inherent armor shredding makes it a very useful trooper.

I am assuming you cannot earn or spend the new training points on Sparks? How much can you mod a Spark anyway, just one mod per weapon?

I've got a mod which changes the default level up screen to the one that you get from the training centre. This also has the added benefit of allowing you to assign extra training points to Sparks. They dont get any random traits, but you can at least double up and get all of their abilities if you wish to spend your points that way.

In my last campaign, they had 2 weapon mods.

Well damn that was fun. The end battle was much easier than I remembered it being in vanilla on release (on normal). That's OK though, I didn't mind feeling like a badass.

End battle...

Spoiler:

For poetic justice I had my avatar kill their final one.

Their avatars were pretty aggressive approaching my squad's positions, sometimes ahead of the troops he spawned with - which made beating him easier.

No regrets buying this game, it was pretty awesome.

I think I must be empty inside because I couldn't care less about making the posters. People really seem to get into them based on everything I've read / listened to. I started editing one and stopped within seconds.

Mike Sands wrote:

So the rulers don't follow you from mission to mission anymore?

Once activated they will turn up on missions as per normal. This cost me against the Archon King as he turned up on the forge mission. I didn't think they could spawn on 'golden path' missions?

Two other slightly random observations:

Weapon mods - I've had 3 scopes drop the entire game. Not offered one in the black market either.

Sectopods - I'm pretty done this campaign. Researched everything, killed all the chosen, just got the psi-gate left to do. I've not had one sectopod corpse drop for research (I've taken out 3 the entire game I think) I thought you always got the one from the forge mission? Is this a bug? Or is the RNG just working against me?

I got the new Avenger defense mission last night. I just sent out a covert operation to find the Assassin's base when the month ended she decided that was her operation and less than a day later I was attacked. It was easy, I had my Reaper scout ahead and spot while a sharpshooter held back and hit the targets. I had a good start when my top Ranger spotted a muton and because of "Fear of Mutons" ran up to the group and shotgunned three in the head for critical damage (talon rounds baby) and took 12 off the Berserker.

I get back to the Avenger and my alphas and betas (and some thetas) are all tired and head for some bed rest when I get another mission immediately to kill some general to counter a dark event. I need to bring some squaddies and rookies on this one. It initially goes well, kill the general and two pods. I encounter a third pod and - the Viper Queen (King?) who proceeds the squad wipe. I was lucky that a squaddie was able to limp around and drive it off to finish the mission.

Just got back and less than a day later the Skirmishers are giving me ANOTHER mission, and this time I only have rookies....

IMAGE(https://www.dropbox.com/s/fpvcwlwc3fmb6ev/Poster_120.png?raw=1)

Randomized Posterize doesn't always give you great shots, but it does occasionally inspire you to see something and then you can use the tools to come up with a nice pic. Like this faux-90s "future XCOM game" teaser picture.

Bfgp wrote:

I am assuming you cannot earn or spend the new training points on Sparks? How much can you mod a Spark anyway, just one mod per weapon?

I have two mods at plasma weapons. I went for scopes and expanded mags.

Same here. Two slots at Plasma. I equipped the Bulwark Spark with Aim and Expanded Mag. I figured the Aim mod would have rendered Adaptive Aim largely pointless, so I chose Bulwark instead. With the other Spark with Adaptive Aim, I put Superior Stock and Superior Autoloader. Superior Stock means it can fire off three auto damage attacks on Overdrive, with an even probability of more damage. Autoloader is worth more than Expanded Mags here, IMO, because the free reload + 3 base ammo means 12 ammo before reloading even costs me an action, and I don't often fire that many shots in an entire mission with a Spark. The same Spark also is specced with Strike, so that cuts down on firing actions even more.

wow.... I just started over with the new DLC, not having finished the vanilla, and this is a whole new game... Up way too late last night...

I'm not sure I mentioned it here, but I've had a couple pc locking hard crashes in my ironman playthrough. One deleted my save, so be careful out there.

I was lucky in that I had played the night before on my laptop and I was able to salvage the ironman save from that computer. I still lost a couple missions worth of progress, and about 3 weeks worth of overworld time and research. I had my first run-in with the Warlock too, and it was a great mission that I'm sad doesn't count now.

It feels like I'm stuck playing an alternate timeline. So odd.

Sorbicol wrote:

Weapon mods - I've had 3 scopes drop the entire game. Not offered one in the black market either.

For comparison - I'm only 3 missions into WotC. I have 3 scopes already.

I haven't had much trouble with weapon mods, but I am barely finding any elerium cores. I am running across maybe one a month (probably less). My Proving Grounds is effectively idle, and I am unable to build all those cool new ammos, grenades, sparks, etc. This makes me sad.

Also, despite being dozens of hours into the the game, I still haven't run across any covert actions that allow me to recruit new faction characters.

EriktheRed wrote:

I haven't had much trouble with weapon mods, but I am barely finding any elerium cores. I am running across maybe one a month (probably less). My Proving Grounds is effectively idle, and I am unable to build all those cool new ammos, grenades, sparks, etc. This makes me sad.

Also, despite being dozens of hours into the the game, I still haven't run across any covert actions that allow me to recruit new faction characters.

There's a covert action to get cores. Get alien supplies or something. And yeah getting new people is rare. I only ever had the option to get more reapers.

early in the game i was short on elerium too, i had to wait to build exo suits, etc. around the time i beat the 2nd chosen i was ok, by the end i was swimming in it.

kinda similar to weapon mods, i basically had nothing the first half of the game, i think i took out the second chosen with 3 total mods. by the end of the game i couldn't take a step without tripping over them.

Perhaps already answered, but has the GWJ character pool been updated since WotC came out? I'm always looking for more custom soldiers with fun bios to find!

sortimat wrote:

early in the game i was short on elerium too, i had to wait to build exo suits, etc. around the time i beat the 2nd chosen i was ok, by the end i was swimming in it.

This has been my experience too. I got a couple of cores and burned through them early, then spent too much time idle, and then they just started falling into my lap. I wonder if it's just how my game played out, or if there might be a balance issue that needs some cleaning up.

Yeah, every playthrough is different for those RNG factors. I got my first scope in a mission that I ended up losing in my save game debacle. It was advanced too. I also lost the research priority that gave me and extra upgrade slot in my heavy weapons. Very sad. I'm sure I'll get nice things in the alternate timeline as well.

Are the Advanced Stocks a new thing? Coz base 3 damage on misses is fricking awesome

Now I gotta work out who is gonna equip it. I had a covert mission where you have to mark supply crates using tour troops vs the AI (which cheats because it can mark crates without using xenos); that mission was a serious loot pinanta in terms of materials and mods.

Since I was a bad boy and reloaded several times in my win of War of the Chosen, I decided to start a new ironman game at the 3rd difficulty lvel. I'm using the GWJ and Quarter to Three character pools. I'm not sure how long I'll stick with it, but I decided to write up my first mission. Public service announcement - don't expect good writing!

Gate Crasher

Squad
Rookie Mark 'Maquis' Breretan
Rookie Kat 'Hypatia' Massacre
Rookie Lissa Menau
Rookie Jeff Green

We entered under cover, which gave us time to take a look around before setting the explosives to destroy the stage. Three Advent guards are keeping watch at the front of the stage. The cowardly Advent commander was staying back behind the screen. He probably thought he would be out of sight, but we found him.

IMAGE(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/861733332257096503/EEF5BAD6294A06EE39AC25C131AAA4C72831EBE4/)

Jeff was in the best position to take a shot, the rest go to overwatch. Jeff fires (72%) and introduces himself with a hot slug right in the commander's back. There's just too much gear to take him out in one shot with the weapons we hobbled together. The short bark of orders are the commander's last words as Maquis follows up with a fatal shot. In the chaos that followed, 2 Advent troopers were felled by Hypatia and Menau. Back at HQ we already started celebrating victory of our first mission since my return.

Advent must have perceived Green as the defacto leader - I'm not sure if it was because he fired the first shot, or maybe Jeff was throwing out insults. I think I heard him yell something about their Momma being in early access, or she has the legs of Johnny Wilson. In any case he drew some fire, the first one missing - but the 2nd landing a near fatal blow. Things got serious real fast.

IMAGE(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/861733332257096695/AF21F276513EF3E98F9B372CAE3646DD48C56F57/)

Menau targets the closest remaining Advent soldier with a grenade. Hypatia finishes the job. Jeff, seeing a hole where his armor used to be starts fearing for his life and throws his grenade, hoping to take out a soldier in one shot - but once again superior Advent equipment keeps him alive, but without any cover. Maquois moves closer to get a better shot and to draw fire away from his injured friend, because there's going to be at least one soldier left. Maquois takes down one more soldier.

When Jeff hit the ground and the life drained from his eyes we all couldn't believe it. The last enemy didn't get drawn to Maquois as he had hoped. Maquois went rabid and and rushed in for a point blank shot. He wanted to make sure he took the last enemy down, not wanting to see Hypatia or Menau come to the same conclusion. After wiping the enemy's spray from the muzzle of his gun, Maquois calming picked the scope off of the ground, set the explosives and walked away.

closing images - trying to save some space so people don't need to scroll so much

Spoiler:

IMAGE(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/861733332257096907/906F8DF9C3E006799A898F339CED99795ACCFBED/)

IMAGE(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/861733332257097069/7777EBEB3AB663CD116B77BB6EC9F98A483E4237/)

IMAGE(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/861733332257097207/C9D34BFEC7F32C3DB760D7BC240AD0235C839E59/)

We'll miss you Jeff...
IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/8rVgX2T.jpg)

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/Us2OyaJ.png)

Oh one thing which bugged me last night was the snake people grappling at impossible LOS through building windows etc. I don't know how you work through Ironman on these kinds of situations. Also, I saw the Lost blithely ignore Advent and beeline for me.

Bfgp wrote:

Oh one thing which bugged me last night was the snake people grappling at impossible LOS through building windows etc. I don't know how you work through Ironman on these kinds of situations. Also, I saw the Lost blithely ignore Advent and beeline for me.

I've had too many instances of the conceal ability not working to risk Ironman at the moment - it only seems to be an issue when you reconceal someone with the ability - if people are concealed at the start of a mission then it works fine (as does the Reaper's shadow ability and Phantom) - It can really sting on those supply raids where you have to tag crates.........

Sorbicol wrote:
Bfgp wrote:

Oh one thing which bugged me last night was the snake people grappling at impossible LOS through building windows etc. I don't know how you work through Ironman on these kinds of situations. Also, I saw the Lost blithely ignore Advent and beeline for me.

I've had too many instances of the conceal ability not working to risk Ironman at the moment - it only seems to be an issue when you reconceal someone with the ability - if people are concealed at the start of a mission then it works fine (as does the Reaper's shadow ability and Phantom) - It can really sting on those supply raids where you have to tag crates.........

I noticed that last night, but I thought perhaps the break concealment rule for the supply raids are deliberate so that you can't cheese the mission by using Reapers and Rangers to ghost their way around the map.

Bfgp wrote:

Also, I saw the Lost blithely ignore Advent and beeline for me.

it seems like when they're triggered the RNG decides who they're going to go for. i've seen lost run by 3-4 advent guys and come at me. i think someone stated previously that the ratio was 75% come at xcom, 25% at advent.

Apologies, as I'm sure this has been answered, if starting a new WoTC campaign do you recommend any of the original DLc for someone with little experience with vanilla Xcom 2?

Thank you,

Chad

chooka1 wrote:

Apologies, as I'm sure this has been answered, if starting a new WoTC campaign do you recommend any of the original DLc for someone with little experience with vanilla Xcom 2?

Thank you,

Chad

Shen's Last Gift only adds the Mechs into WoTC I think (no story missions), so no harm there.

Alien Hunters adds extra alien rulers/bosses, and some weapons/armor, but again removes any of the story missions. The alien rulers use a different mechanic than everything else in the game (they get a turn after each solider's turn) and will show up in multiple missions like the chosen. I'd say say as long as your not trying ironman go for it. If you do you'll see a message like "a powerful alien protects this facility" if they're going to pop up for the first time. Note: there are 3 rulers, but it doesn't seem like they'll all show up. I only had 1 in my first playthrough, which seems to be consistent with what others have said.

The others (anarchy, resistance) only add cosmetic things

Actually, Shen's last gift actually adds a story mission.

As for the Rulers, they each guard a Blacksite. Once you've discovered them, if they get away (like they typically always do) they'll pop up again in random missions ahead.