Questions about GTS upgrades.

[josna238]

Vulture: How does it work? what exactly does it mean "more often". I never saw more than one item for loot without vulture. Or does it also increase the chance of getting a loot?

Tactical Infiltrations: How does it work? In the example of having a rookies squad (4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 soldiers) we will have (4, 5, 6.25, 7.5, 9 and 14 days). How much these times will be with Tactical infiltrations?

Thanks in advance for answers.

[hewhoispale]

Vulture: How does it work? what exactly does it mean "more often". I never saw more than one item for loot without vulture. Or does it also increase the chance of getting a loot?...

I'm pretty sure vulture is just a nerfed version of the vanilla upgrade. In LW2 it gives all loot drops a fair chance to give a second item instead of guaranteeing it.

[LordYanaek]

XComLW_InfiltrationSettings.ini tells us this.

Code: Select all

;SquadSize factor, explicit for each possible squad size
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[0]=0.5f  ; shouldn't be possible, but included for completeness
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[1]=0.6f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[2]=0.65f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[3]=0.7f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[4]=0.8f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[5]=1.0f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[6]=1.25f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[7]=1.5f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[8]=1.8f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[9]=2.8f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[10]=4.0f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[11]=5.2f
+SquadSizeInfiltrationFactor[12]=6.4f

;GTS Projects that subtract from Squad Size InfiltrationFactor
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[0]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[1]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[2]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[3]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[4]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[5]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[6]=0.15
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[7]=0.2
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[8]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[9]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[10]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[11]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration1Modifier[12]=0.0

+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[0]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[1]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[2]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[3]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[4]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[5]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[6]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[7]=0.0
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[8]=0.25
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[9]=0.5
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[10]=0.5
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[11]=0.5
+GTSInfiltration2Modifier[12]=0.5

So if i understand this correctly a 6 soldiers squad multiplies base infiltration time by 1.25 without the GTS upgrade and by 1.1 with the upgrade. An 8 guys squad multiplies by 1.8 without the (second) upgrade and 1.55 with the upgrade. 10 men is *4 without upgrade and *3.5 with the upgrade.
Base infiltration is 4-6 days depending on difficulty. From you example it looks like your base is 5 days so veteran. Thus you would have

Code: Select all

Squadsize     Without GTS     GTS 1 only      Both GTS
1             3               3               3
2             3.25            3.25            3.25
3             3.5             3.5             3.5
4             4               4               4
5             5               5               5
6             6.25            5.5             5.5
7             7.5             6.5             6.5
8             9               9               7.75
9             14              14              11.5
10            20              20              17.5
11            26              26              23.5
12            32              32              29.5

[josna238]

Thanks a lot. It means to me that squadsize it is no more a must-rush as was in vanilla.

And for vulture I am still in doubt, if the chances of getting aditional items were a important % it could worth the money in early game, but if the impact is similar as the wet work impact I just buy a tower...

[Tuhalu]

Here are the loot tables for vulture (from XComGameCore.ini):

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+LootTables = ( TableName = "MutonM3_VultureLoot",		Loots[0]=(Chance=80,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="MutonM3_TimedLoot",RollGroup=1),		Loots[1]=(Chance=80,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="GenericLateAlienLoot_LW",RollGroup=2) )
+LootTables = ( TableName = "LWDroneM1_VultureLoot",	Loots[0]=(Chance=80,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="LWDroneM1_TimedLoot",RollGroup=1),		Loots[1]=(Chance=50,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="EarlyAdventVultureLoot",RollGroup=2) )
+LootTables = ( TableName = "LWDroneM2_VultureLoot",	Loots[0]=(Chance=80,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="LWDroneM2_TimedLoot",RollGroup=1),		Loots[1]=(Chance=75,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="EarlyAdventVultureLoot",RollGroup=2) )

; Rather than rewrite a bunch of individual Advent tables, we'll just make the vultures fail to come up with anything sometimes
+LootTables = ( TableName = "EarlyAdventVultureLoot",	\\
				Loots[0]=(Chance=25,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="EarlyADVENTWeaponUpgrades",RollGroup=1), \\
				Loots[1]=(Chance=25,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="PCSDropsEarly",RollGroup=1) \\
				)
+LootTables = ( TableName = "MidAdventVultureLoot", \\
				Loots[0]=(Chance=40,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="MidADVENTWeaponUpgrades",RollGroup=1),	\\
				Loots[1]=(Chance=40,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="PCSDropsMid",RollGroup=1) \\
				)
+LootTables = ( TableName = "LateAdventVultureLoot", \\
				Loots[0]=(Chance=40,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="LateADVENTWeaponUpgrades",RollGroup=1),	\\
				Loots[1]=(Chance=40,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="PCSDropsLate",RollGroup=1) \\
				)

+LootTables = (TableName = "GenericEarlyAlienVultureLoot_LW", \\
						Loots[0]=(Chance=50,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="GenericEarlyAlienLoot_LW",RollGroup=1), \\
						Loots[1]=(Chance=50,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="GenericEarlyAlienLoot_LW",RollGroup=2) \\
						)
+LootTables = (TableName = "GenericMidAlienVultureLoot_LW", \\
						Loots[0]=(Chance=50,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="GenericMidAlienLoot_LW",RollGroup=1), \\
						Loots[1]=(Chance=50,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="GenericEarlyAlienLoot_LW",RollGroup=2) \\
						)
+LootTables = (TableName = "GenericLateAlienVultureLoot_LW", \\
						Loots[0]=(Chance=50,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="GenericLateAlienLoot_LW",RollGroup=1), \\
						Loots[1]=(Chance=50,MinCount=1,MaxCount=1,TableRef="GenericMidAlienLoot_LW",RollGroup=2) \\
						)

I'm not sure how the algorithm for loot drops works though. I know from experience that you get a lot more Elerium Cores with Vulture, which drives your late game research pretty hard. It's a good early investment (right after the GTS, Officer Training and AWC purchases).

[chrisb]

Vulture is a pretty important pick. But it doesn't really need to be rushed. It's your primary source of Elerium Cores. In the early game your likely just blowing things up anyway, so Vulture feels kind of wasted. Better to spend what little resources you have on better weapons/armor. I'm typically trying to get it in June, definitely by end of June.

[LordYanaek]

About Vulture i can only speak of in-game experience but i had a lot of 2 loot drops and sometimes 3 loot and at the end of the game enough Elerium Cores to render a number of those for raw elerium in order to build plasma weapons. Of course my campaign dragged for quite some time ending in February second year but i think i could have sold some cores early to repay for vulture cost and still have more than enough so it probably pays off for itself after a few missions unless you are careless with non needle grenadiers.

[josna238]

Wait a moment... Explosives always destroy loots? What I try to do is to use explosives to remove health/cover and then finish aliens with firearms/abilities. I thought that what matters is only the last hit.

Maybe is because i give up my first campaign on early/mid so maybe in late aliens drop more. And I have picked up tons of loots, but without vulture I never, never, never got more than 1 item per loot.

[chrisb]

Wait a moment... Explosives always destroy loots? What I try to do is to use explosives to remove health/cover and then finish aliens with firearms/abilities. I thought that what matters is only the last hit.

Maybe is because i give up my first campaign on early/mid so maybe in late aliens drop more. And I have picked up tons of loots, but without vulture I never, never, never got more than 1 item per loot.

No your right. Explosives only destroy loot if they get the killing blow. Hitting them to lower health is fine.

You only get 1 loot item without vulture. That's what vulture adds, the ability for a second loot item to drop. And if I'm not mistaken, some aliens have higher chances for Vulture loot than others? I'll have to check the ini on that.

Looks like vulture drop chance is 50%, sometimes higher for specific aliens.