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AlphaStrike mod for XCOM:EU
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If you are tired of long stalemate shootings and being afraid of trying to flank the aliens because you might trigger more hidden enemies into the firefight, this mod might be for you! You will have the initiative, and you will kick ass!

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What is AlphaStrike mod?
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AlphaStrike mod changes SightRadius for every alien from 27 to 18 squares (-33%). That means that you will, typically, be able to detect the aliens before they notice you, and plan accordingly.

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How do I install it?
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• Unzip the AlphaStrikeMod file anywhere in your computer.
• Run the AlphaStrike.bat file.
• If you are using Steam in Online mode, you will need to prevent Steam from reverting the changes. To do so add the following three lines at the end of your "Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" file:
  

# Prevent XCOM Phone Home
127.0.0.1 prod.xcom.firaxis.com
127.0.0.1 65.118.245.165

[you may need to run Notepad with Administrator privileges to save the file]

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So, how does the game play with the mod?
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Just run the game and you will see. Without the mod, whenever you find an alien for the first time you see a cutscene and the alien runs for cover before you are able to fire at it. With the mod, the cutscene only starts when you get too close or you hit it with a weapon, until then the alien will stand still or patrol around during his turn.

Please be aware that your soldiers cannot see through walls or other obstacles, so in some cases, specially when fighting indoors, if you find the alien for the first time when you are already too close the cutscene will begin immediately as usual.

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Any tips to get the most of this mod?
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Of course. First of all, as this mod makes the combat easier I suggest playing in Classic or even Impossible difficulty (if you dare).

Then you need to exploit the tactical advantage of finding the enemy before it sees you. Don't shoot at the earliest oportunity, wait until you have your men deployed and ready to fight.

Ordering your men to Overwatch all the time can be detrimental, because sometimes a group of aliens will patrol withing your sight during their turn, and you will waste your tactical advantage by firing a single shot. Don't be trigger happy. If you are exploring open areas go ahead and make double moves with your men, it will be faster and you will not get in trouble.

Instead, set some of your men to Overwatch once you've the aliens and they are in good firing positions. Then, when you fire at the aliens with another soldier and the cutscene kicks in, the other ones will also fire before the aliens reach cover. That's what I call an "Alpha Strike", and it's amazing to behold! :) You might waste some shots firing at the same alien, though.

Flank, flank, flank. If there are other enemies around, they will not instantly detect you, so engage from the sides, use the terrain to your advantage.

You will love using explosives in tight groups of enemies. :) Grenades are tricky because you might get too close when trying to throw them, but rockets are awesome.

Once you get the Ghost Armor you will be able to set up the perfect ambushes...

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Any problems with the mod?
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Well, you will find that the AI is not very bright. For instance, if you shoot a plasma rifle at an alien and you miss, burning the whole place around the alien, it will not seem to notice. Sometimes you will see groups of aliens happily patrolling around very close to other aliens that are fighting for their lifes. Those kind of things. Ocasionally you will be chasing some aliens that haven't noticed you and then, in their turn, bam, they teleport away, the cheaters. Still, the game is challenging and enjoyable.

From time to time I've found a graphical glitch when I killed an alien right after the cutscene with reaction fire: the alien body keeps standing there, even though it's dead! Not a big a deal anyhow.

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What's in the extra folder?
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I've included some options for you:

• CarefulStrike.bat : SightRadius changed from 27 to 23 (-15%). If you think -33% is not fair you can use this one. You need to explore carefully in order to avoid triggering the cutscenes.
• GhostStrike.bat : SightRadius changed from 27 to 13 (-50%). A more extreme variant of AlphaStrike, you will be able to get a bit closer and throw grenades at the packs of aliens.
• MidnightStrike.bat : SightRadius changed from 27 to 18... for the humans! Back in the good old days, when you took the first step out of the Skyranger a plasma round came from the darkness and killed you. And you liked it! :) It doesn't get that tough with this mod, but sometimes the aliens will withdraw and shoot at you from afar, and you will have to pursue them agressively instead of camping with your snipers.
• Uninstall.bat : To revert all the changes.
  

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This looks great, I'll try it!
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Thank you, have fun!

AlphaStrike mod for XCOM. v1.0. Enrique Martín Martínez. May 2013.