Technical's Rocket-Scatter..

[Zyxpsilon]

Specially in early game (it seems).. the odds of having a rationally precise Gauntlet Rocket Hit is sooooooo low it just makes that Class main feature completely useless, IMHO.

The scattering effect is much TOO large.. so, i have yet to see a rocket hit within a minimum of 1/3 tiles from the intended location (as shown by the predicted aiming "yellow bubble"). That probability ratio is beyond my logic & honestly, pre-deterministic gameplay factors;
1) It's a full-blown Class -- prove it!
2) The trick here is that we might as well USE Grenadiers & their specialized armors instead, right?
3) The Flamethrower range of attack (or coverage) is very limited also. Strike Two on the Gauntlet device.

Got my Modder editing gear on and found the related INI code section in the XComLW_SoldierSkills file, i think...

Code: Select all

[LW_Overhaul.X2Ability_LW_TechnicalAbilitySet]

FLAMETHROWER_CHARGES=2
FLAMETHROWER_BURNING_BASE_DAMAGE=2
FLAMETHROWER_BURNING_DAMAGE_SPREAD=1
FLAMETHROWER_DIRECT_APPLY_CHANCE=60
FLAMETHROWER_HIGH_PRESSURE_CHARGES=2
; these are measured in unreal units, so 96.0 / tile
INCINERATOR_CONEEND_DIAMETER_MODIFIER=96
INCINERATOR_CONELENGTH_MODIFIER=192
ROUST_CONEEND_DIAMETER_MODIFER=-48	
ROUST_CONELENGTH_MODIFIER=576		
ROUST_DIRECT_APPLY_CHANCE=20
ROUST_DAMAGE_PENALTY=0.80f			; 20% of normal
ROUST_CHARGES=1
ROUST_HIGH_PRESSURE_CHARGES=1
BURNOUT_RADIUS=1.5
FIRESTORM_NUM_CHARGES=1
FIRESTORM_RADIUS_METERS=8
FIRESTORM_DAMAGE_BONUS=0.5f			; 50% more than normal
FIRESTORM_HIGH_PRESSURE_CHARGES=0
SHOCK_AND_AWE_BONUS_CHARGES=1
JAVELIN_ROCKETS_BONUS_RANGE_TILES=6
BUNKER_BUSTER_DAMAGE_VALUE=(Damage=4, Spread=1, PlusOne=50, Crit=2, Pierce=0, Shred=0, Tag="", DamageType="Explosion")
BUNKER_BUSTER_RADIUS_METERS=8.0
BUNKER_BUSTER_ENV_DAMAGE=250
FIRE_AND_STEEL_DAMAGE_BONUS=1
CONCUSSION_ROCKET_RADIUS_TILES=4
CONCUSSION_ROCKET_TARGET_WILL_MALUS_STUN=0
CONCUSSION_ROCKET_TARGET_WILL_MALUS_DISORIENT=40

CONCUSSION_ROCKET_DAMAGE_VALUE=(Damage=1, Spread=0, PlusOne=0, Crit=0, Pierce=0, Shred=0, Tag="", DamageType="Explosion")
CONCUSSION_ROCKET_ENV_DAMAGE=1

MOVEMENT_SCATTER_AIM_MODIFIER=-30
MOVEMENT_SCATTER_TILE_MODIFIER=2
NUM_AIM_SCATTER_ROLLS=4
+SCATTER_REDUCTION_ABILITIES[0]="FireInTheHole"
+SCATTER_REDUCTION_MODIFIERS[0]=-2

QUICKBURN_COOLDOWN=5
+QUICKBURN_ABILITIES='LWFlamethrower'
+QUICKBURN_ABILITIES='Roust'
+QUICKBURN_ABILITIES='Firestorm'

;aim modifier for scatter, based on range
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[0]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[1]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[2]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[3]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[4]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[5]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[6]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[7]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[8]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[9]=0
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[10]=-3
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[11]=-6
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[12]=-9
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[13]=-12
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[14]=-15
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[15]=-18
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[16]=-21
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[17]=-24
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[18]=-27
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[19]=-30
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[20]=-33
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[21]=-36
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[22]=-39
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[23]=-42
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[24]=-45
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[25]=-48
+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE[26]=-50

How do i "Reduce" the actual Scatter values to a much more reasonable range? The real problem is that "+ROCKET_RANGE_PROFILE" array and what it does exactly.
And, yes i (now) know about the Javelin edge help.

Anyone?

[Arcalane]

Shameless self-promotion, but here's a post I did that breaks down the scatter mechanics: http://www.pavonisinteractive.com/phpBB ... 846#p28846

[Zyxpsilon]

Thorough details.. thanks.

What's most interesting for me is this;

So functionally the minimum is always zero; the maximum always ranges from 2 to 6. If your Tech has really low aim, they have a very high chance of a full six-tile scatter, but if their aim is really good then they might manage that magical zero.

Then -- that means.. i'd have to find a way to **ALWAYS** return a maximum gap that stands @0-3 rather than the absolutely silly highest of 4-6.
Hear me out.

The only rational time i feel the need to use *A* single rocket in any given battlefield conditions is when some Pods are tightly grouped together... offering me some relatively optimal impacts & damage outputs.

So, hypothesis..
1) 7-10 aliens are presently standing within the "Yellow Bubble". Luck or not.
2) TBS gives me a rare opportunity to strike hard at whatever Mission outcome i want to gain, asap.
3) Shoots.. ONLY two are hit (at times, even NONE!) and the rest of that sudden threat (by really-very-weirdly bad luck) deploys away or near enough to the stranded idiot Technical Boy. The Max-6 roll shows up it's ugly head -- again.
4) These boys will eventually get better Aim stats -- true. Yet by --that-- time in a campaign.. he can just as easily be replaced by a cool Sharpshooter with Plasma Pistol & a nearly 85-95% odds with Face-Off that hits all 7-10 above .. at least once each!!!

One wristed Rocket attempt wasted is too much almost every friggin time we use it.
Can i just strip the Gauntlets off their arms? And replace them with a bunch of worthy flash-bangs that fall where they should or must?

See ?

Thus...
-------------
MOVEMENT_SCATTER_AIM_MODIFIER=0
MOVEMENT_SCATTER_TILE_MODIFIER=0
NUM_AIM_SCATTER_ROLLS=1
-------------
Shall become my temporary solution .. to test away. I never want to waste another Rocket, ever again.

Thanks for your help -- stay tuned and look ahead sharply.

[JLtheking]

Wow Zyxpsilon! Nice to see you delving into balance modding! So can we expect a balance overhaul from you some time soon?

[The Boz]

Modding Fire In The Hole to -5 (from -2) rolls works.
Maybe I could mod the base rolls, so a pyrotechnical isn't as gimped as a rocketechnical... not sure about the implications, because I don't know how useful pyro is post 1.1.

Something like 3 base rolls, -20 movement penalty, +2 rolls for range, -3 for FITH?

[Arcalane]

What I would probably do is;

• Reduce range penalties to 2 per square beyond 9 (down from 3/square).
• Reduce base rolls to 2.
• No change to roll count for moving.
• Reduce aim penalty for moving to -20.
• Reduce FITH to -1 but see if it's possible to tie an additional rocket aiming bonus or range penalty reduction to the perk.

That way you get a range of 1-3 which is still enough to throw a wrench in your plans with a low-rank Tech, and still keeps just a tiny bit of randomness even for your veterans (like missing that 95% shot ) -- but doesn't throw so much of a wrench in your plans that grenadiers are the superior option every time.

[Zyxpsilon]

So far so good with my new tricky single Rocket values.

Now onto the "Flamethrower" limited ranges -- for proximity & effective length restrictions. Between.. inflicting Fire damages and the fact that the Technical-Boy would likely be VERY exposed to anything within LOS.. compounding the various Perks coincidental advantages.. or, the decisions we should (or must) take at times -- i'll certainly take relatively good precision over potentially disastrous results of a Gauntlet use.

And NO, i wouldn't release a Mod of these tricky attempts at wrecking the LW2 formal gameplay system(s).. i'm only doing it for my own local pleasure as i don't want to ruin (for others) the authentic "Balance" experience created by JL & Gang.. that's how much i respect what they did.

FUN for me.. is equal to complex choices or/and slightly altered conditions. None of which are guaranteed to please most players.

[Zyxpsilon]

What I would probably do is; ...

OK.. How's that translate in some exact INI code terms??