XCOM How To Master Guide

*Note - Most of these had long lines of code or hex, so I've uploaded an archive with the instructions for everything.

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How to Remove Start-Up Movies
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Instructions

Step 1 - Find My Documents/My Games/XCom - Enemy Unknown/XComGameConfig/XComEngine.ini
Step 2 - Open XComGame.ini with Notepad++
Step 3 - Ctrl+F "StartUpMovies"
Step 4 - Add a "#" in front of each "StartUpMovies" entry

Credit to the Nexus Wiki for making this information available!

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How to Add Custom Names, Nicknames, & Ranks
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Custom Names Instructions

Step 1 - Find XCOM Install/XComGameConfig/DefaultNameList.ini
Step 2 - Open DefaultNameList.ini with Notepad++
Step 3 - Edit or add names


Custom Nicknames Instructions

Step 1 - Find XCOM Install/XComGame/Localizations/INT/XComGame.int
Step 2 - Open XComGame.int with Notepad++
Step 3 - Ctrl+F "[XGCharacterGenerator]" or "nicknames"


Custom Ranks Instructions

Step 1 - Find XCOM Install/XComGame/Localizations/INT/XComGame.int
Step 2 - Open XComGame.int with Notepad++
Step 3 - Ctrl+F "[XGTacticalGameCoreNativeBase]" or "ranknames"


*Note - My Documents/My Games/XCOM-Enemy Unknown/XComGame/Localization/INT
might also need to be edited.
OmegaArcher's Revamped XCOM Nicknames recommended.
Son_of_Orion's Expanded Name List recommended.

Credits to NexusWiki, OmegaArcher, and Son_of_Orion for making this information available!

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How to Add Additional Heads
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Description

Adds additional heads to the character customization menu.

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How to Modify Gameplay
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Arc Thrower in Pistol Slot

Places the Arc Thrower in the Pistol slot instead of the item slot.

Classic Normal

Classic unshackled AI with Normal difficulty alien stats.

Disable Panicked Friendly Fire Instructions

Keeps XCOM soldiers from firing at one another when panicking.

Step 1 - Find XCOM Install/XComGame/Config/DefaultGameCore.ini
Step 2 - Open DefaultGameCore.ini with Notepad++
Step 3 - Ctrl+F "shoot_when"
Step 4 - Change SHOOT_WHEN_PANICKED=5 to SHOOT_WHEN_PANICKED=2

Credit to the Nexus Wiki for making this information available!

Laser Weapon Tier Buff

Increased Aim (+10) and unlimited ammo for Laser tier Weapons.

Less Environmental Damage

Reduces the amount of damage each weapon tier (Standard, Laser, Plasmsa) does to the environment.

Manageable Panic Levels

Makes changes to continental panic to make it more manageable.

Step 1 - Find XCOM InstallXComGameConfigDefaultGameCore.ini
Step 2 - Open DefaultGameCore.ini with Notepad++
Step 3 - Ctrl+F ";panic"
Step 4 - Remove lines 511, 518, and 530-531
Step 5 - Replace with these lines:

(Line 511 DO NOT COPY THIS PART)

PANIC_TERROR_CONTINENT=1

(Line 518 DO NOT COPY THIS PART)

PANIC_SAT_ADDED_CONTINENT=-1

(Lines 530-531 DO NOT COPY THIS PART)

PANIC_ABDUCTION_THWARTED_CONTINENT=-1
PANIC_ABDUCTION_THWARTED_COUNTRY=-2

Credit to the Nexus Wiki for providing me with the information to make this happen!

No Unlimited Pistol Ammo

Removes unlimited ammo from all pistols in the game.

Satellites in 15 Days

Satellites take 15 days to complete.

Step 1 - Find XCOM InstallXComGameConfigDefaultGameCore.ini
Step 2 - Open DefaultGameCore.ini with Notepad++
Step 3 - Ctrl+F "; items"
Step 4 - Find line 630
Step 5 - Change "iTime=20" to "iTime=15"

Credit to the Nexus Wiki for providing me with the information to make this happen!

Scientist & Engineer Standardization

Changes Abduction Mission rewards and Laser Weapon costs to be in intervals of 5.

Step 1 - Find XCOM InstallXComGameConfigDefaultGameCore.ini
Step 2 - Open DefaultGameCore.ini with Notepad++
Step 3 - Ctrl+F "; strategy"
Step 4 - Remove lines 376-377
Step 5 - Replace with these lines:

ABDUCTION_REWARD_SCI=5
ABDUCTION_REWARD_ENG=5

Step 6 - Ctrl+F "; items"
Step 7 - Find lines 608-611
Step 8 - Replace "iEng=12" with "iEng=15"

Credit to the Nexus Wiki for providing me with the information to make this happen!

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How to Fix Increasing Load Times
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Description

Creates a script file that'll remove excess lines that tell the game to load DLC assets repeatedly.

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How to Start Making Hex Edits & Enable INI Loading
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Instructions

Step 1 - Download HxD (hex-editor tool) here.
Step 2 - Install HxD
Step 3 - Open the XComGame.exe (with HxD) found in XCOM Install/Binaries/Win32

Enable INI Loading

Force the game to load the DefaultGameCore.ini config file.

Step 1 - Open the XComGame.exe (with HxD) found in XCOM Install/Binaries/Win32
Step 2 - Click the "Search" tab on the menu bar and then click "GO to..."
Step 3 - In the "Offset" box type in "157D93A", make sure "Hex" and "Offset relative to Begin" are selected.
Step 4 - On the right hand side you should see some text, change "..........X.C." to "..........C.C." and save.


*Note - The offset included here is for EXE version 1.0.0.28586; patch 4, Changelist 356266.
For more information follow the links below.
Nexus Wiki: Enabling INI Loading
Nexus Wiki: Offset Location Values
Forcing Game to Load From DefaultGameCore.ini thread.

Credit to Amineri for finding this!

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How to Apply R&D Tactical Bug Hunt Fixes
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Bugfix - Combat Drugs Tooltip Corrected

Corrects the Combat Drugs tooltip so that it mentions the +20 Aim effect it gives while in the smoke cloud.

Bugfix - No Squad Sight Pistol Overwatch

Fixes a bug that allows snipers with Squadsight on Overwatch with a pistol to fire at aliens outside of pistol range.

Bugfix Hex Edit - Reduced Alien Patrol TP Range

Amineri discovered the aliens had a patrolling teleport range of 45 per turn and reduced it to 20.

Step 1 - Open the XComGame.exe (with HxD) found in XCOM InstallBinariesWin32
Step 2 - Click the "Search" tab in HxD menu bar and click the "Find" function and set the "Datatype" to "hex-values".
Step 3 - Search for "0F 01 7a 2F 00 00 1E 00 00 34 42" (Without quotations), the lines should appear highlighted.
Step 4 - Copy this line "0F 01 7a 2F 00 00 1E 00 00 A0 41" (Without Quotations).
Step 5 - Right-Click and use the Paste Insert function on the highlighted lines from Step 3.


*Note - The hex values included here are for XComGame.UPK; patch 4, Changelist 356266.
For more information on on these bugfixes follow the link below.
R&D Tacical Bug Hunt thread

Credit to Amineri for finding this!
Credit to johnnylump for starting the search for these bugfixes in the XCOM Mod Talk Nexus forums!

Bugfix Hex Edit- Alien Hunker Down

Amineri discovered a coding error in the alien AI that prevents them from using Hunker Down.

Bugfix Hex Edit- Overwatched Aliens Not Limited

Amineri discovered a coding error in the alien AI that limited their actions while in range of Overwatch.

Bugfix Hex Edit- Revive Extra Move

Amineri discovered a coding error which kept revived soldiers from gaining an extra move.

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Credits
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NexusWiki (Multiple basic INI and Hex edits and information)
Dubious (For posting great articles on the NexusWiki and in the XCOM Mod Talk Nexus forum)
johnnylump (Creating the R&D Tactical Bug Hunt thread in the XCOM Mod Talk Nexus forum)
Amineri (Posting multiple bugfixes across the XCOM Mod Talk Nexus forum)
Bertilsson (Creating the CleanUpXComEngineIni.vbs script)
OmegaArcher (Learned how to edit/add nicknames from his Revamped XCOM Nicknames mod)
Son_of_Orion (Learned how to edit/add names from his Expanded Name List mod)
Oddball_E8 & NexusThorne (Learned how to add heads from their Additional Heads mod)