Okay, I'm just chiming in to add an opinion here. I recently wanted to do another XCOM1 Long War play-through, and decided to run this mod and I'm rather regretting it. I don't think its for me. It feels like it has all the usual XCOM frustrations (percent to hit shenanigans, bad reinforcement mechanics, etc), along with the increased difficulty of Long War - but dialed even higher, in a way that isn't fun.
My biggest frustration right now is that everything just has SO much armor. It makes the other problems less of a random frustration and more... kind of game breaking. Enemies are consistently showing up with 3+ points of damage resistance, even without factoring in cover. Early game, Mutons often completely shrug off shots from primary weapons. Even with upgraded beam weapons, I am plinking away for 1-2 damage per hit against 15 HP enemies. I just had a berzerker charge my Assault who pegged him with a point blank Scatter Beam Shotgun hit...for zero damage. There are two Mechtoids on this level who are just walking through my guys because they each have around 30 hit points, and at 1-2 damage per shot I just can't kill the damn things. The last mission was a random downed small UFO and had FOUR cyberdiscs. Because of the pod-calling mechanics it is extremely easy to get overwhelmed with mobs that you just can't kill fast enough.
This problem is compounded by everything seemingly having dialed up accuracy and damage. On multiple occasions I've had soldiers one shot killed while sitting in cover and dense smoke, or hit by suppressed targets. Even early game, non-crits are hitting for 10+ and a random lucky shot can be instant death even in heavy armor and an HP vest. Given how long it takes to kill things, there just isn't any way to avoid a few rounds of exchanging fire which makes every encounter a roll of the dice on someone dying.
The current mission I am on is a Terror mission, and at like turn 2 I see a Cyberdisc, two 30 HP Mechtoids, several Mutons, and several Sectoids that are all converging on my spawn location. I'm restarting the mission again but I'm quickly hitting the point of "f*#@ this".
Okay, those are valid concerns. Yes, armored enemies do take a while to get through, but that's only because non-armored enemies have much less HP (personally, I'd rather not fight against 6 HP Sectoids). So overall, I think missions take less time in ERaT compared with LW1.
Shotguns are naturally bad against high DR, unless you have the Heavy Capacitor item. Since you're going with beam weapons, it wouldn't hurt to try bringing one or two Arc-Beam Rifles, since they both disable mechtoids and deal 6 dmg with 4 DR pen to all mechanical enemies. If you went ballistic, there's always HEAT Ammo. As for Mutons, acid works wonders on them, because it makes them suppress and waste their turn. With high level snipers, you can even one-shot them with crits.
I'm not sure what you mean by everything having higher aim and damage. You can see from the Google sheet that lots of enemies have lowered aim and damage. Mechtoids get higher damage but worse aim, and with Drones it's the other way around.
Anyway, ERaT isn't actually harder than LW1, it just requires different strategies, and maybe some knowledge of how to use the new items and perks introduced. The chain activation mechanic can produce difficulty spikes at times, so that's something to keep in mind. As for soldiers dying, there's really no way to prevent an unlucky crit from killing a guy, and that's no different in LW1. The challenge lies in whether you can win a campaign despite a few deaths. And of course, you can always lower the difficulty. Which is why I advise new players not to play on Impossible.
Oh, I wasn't expecting a reply this late in the mods lifecycle. I appreciate that. I actually came back to post a follow up clarification. I can see what the mod is going for and I like a lot of what is here. I think the heart of the problem for me is that some of the items that are supposed to offer balance and counters aren't working. I had posted in the bug reports that trying to equip the Ammo items outright crashes my game. I have no idea why. I built the HEAT ammo, Acid ammo, etc, but any time I try to equip them on a soldier I get a crash to desktop.
I had a similar problem with the heavy capacitor. It seemed like a direct counter to the DR mechanics, and it definitely is - when it works. However, on about 75% of the missions it just vanishes and doesn't do anything. I thought at first maybe I had just forgot to equip it, so I started making absolutely sure I had it. I even did some save / load testing to confirm that I had definitely equipped it, but when the mission loaded my beam shotgun was still completely blocked by DR.
Something is wonky somewhere and I'm not sure what or why. It doesn't seem consistent and I haven't been able to pin it down. I almost hard-quit the game yesterday because I hit an impossible exalt mission. It was a tiny corridor map and any blue move I took pulled around 8 of them. For whatever reason, they had obnoxious accuracy, consistently in the 90% to hit, despite cover. They literally leveled my entire four person squad in like two turns. I restarted the mission a few times, and it seemed to go back to normal, with around 40% hit rates and I rolled the mission.
Granted, I'm not saying all those problems are entirely specific to this mod. XCOM in general is famous for its "realistic" probabilities, and LW has always had issues with large numbers and small maps. It just sort of compounds. Because the items don't work, I can't counter effectively, which makes each encounter take much longer, which increases the risk of extra pod calls, which further raises the odds of a lucky shot killing one of my guys. My primary strategy has been taking around ten flashbangs to lock things down while I chip away.
I will try to play around with cloud saves, maybe test on another PC when I get a chance. I appreciate the follow up!
Can you remind me what your discord username is? I don't think anyone else has reported that bug before, and I'd like to get to the bottom it, since that's a pretty major issue if you're encountering it regularly. I also haven't heard of the exalt bug. Send me a save file next time it happens and I'll try to replicate it.
I try to avoid multiple pods with the CMPAS plus Motion Trackers for good measure. Flashbangs are effective, but sometimes a rocket is the surefire way of dealing of overwhelming odds.
Hi, really love the mod! Been enjoying it a lot so far. Just wanted to let you know I'm experiencing a weird bug where the perk 'Unlimited Power' keeps removing itself from one of my soldiers, so I have to click on it to level him up again, but each time his aim goes up by 4. He currently has 104 aim... I'm not sure if this is caused by this mod, but I thought it might be related so I'd let you know.
Hi, looks like a great mod! I really like the realistic HP part of your creation, it didn't make any sense for such a vast gap between 8HP normal muton vs 20HP elite muton, it's those nuances one can hardly tolerate sometimes. Also, I learn there was something I always dreamt about and didn't even know about it - "equippable" perks that make sense and come built-in with a weapon and more pocket slots, the only thing stopping you from making an absolute gem of a mod is more sophisticated modding skills.
But I have a question. It is really refreshing to finally see hobbits have a natural amount of HP, but how well does it address Long War's mid-lategame challenge? With an example of a sectoid on highest difficulty, it's 15HP in Long War 1.1 or LWR vs 5HP in ERaT even on top alien research level. I really like this realism, but I wonder how fun and challenging can mid-late game become as a result? There are other ways to combat this difference, such as off-the-bat psi attacks that I saw on YouTube, but I'm not sure if it's not going to become too easy at some point. LWR have a graph with difficulty curves, and I'd love to see something similar in your mod, especially comparing to LW 1.0 which you adhere to.
Hi, that's a great question. From what I've seen, late game ERaT is about the same as LW 1.0, if not slightly more difficult. Sectoids are easier to kill, but they are also more capable of psionic attacks, leaving your troops weakened against other enemy types. I also think it's gratifying that early game enemies will eventually pose less of a threat to your troops. It makes you feel like your combat strength has actually improved. There are lots of other challenging late-game enemies, with a mix of increased DR, damage, mobility, or accuracy, depending on the species. Of course, I do always welcome feedback, and make balance changes as needed.
Hi there! Is UI Mod Manager also incorporated into this like it is with standalone Minimods? I can't see the option for it in the main menu, so I'm wondering if it's not included or if something is weird. Thanks!
To be entirely honest, I wasn't sure yet, but I like having settings menus to play with.
However, I do also want to ask--how does one remove the included mods with PatcherGUI/LW Mod Manager?
Finally, and most pressingly, I can't seem to get the mod to work. I've followed the instructions in the Readme, first copy/pasting the mod files into xcomgame then installing it using LW Mod Manager. However, when I start it up, it's already in the final shell menu without me having to click anything, the rookies in the first mission don't have suppression or run and gun, items appear to be as in the baseline LW (with the exception that everyone has an HE rather than AP grenade), and when I try to promote soldiers, they can't access abilities beyond their basic class abilities--anything after Specialist is just a blank box (I do have Training Roulette enabled).
I originally had Better Blueshirts, Patrick Carlock+Customize Unique Soldiers, Virtual Reality Training (Second Wave version), and DR Chipping for Long War. However, I tried uninstalling all of those and returning the game to base Long War using the LWMM, then installing only ERAT and the ERAT Mod Pack in LWMM.
This did work, but now I'm wondering which one of these could be causing compatibility issues. Do you have any idea? Could one of those other mods be incorporated in this one without my having realized?
Also, the difficulty options listed in the main menu are 01_NRM, 02_CLS, etc. or something to that effect. Is that normal or is it a sign of a bugged installation?
If you open up the Mod Pack, you can locate and delete any mods you don't want. Individual mods begin with the line UPK_FILE=... or OBJECT=... and they end with 53. Just delete that whole chunk of code. Lines that begin with // are descriptions and aren't read by the game
I installed all four of those mods, and I was still able to complete a mission and see the soldiers' skill "trees" after leveling up. Maybe try again on your end with some or all extra mods enabled, and see if there's a difference.
The difficulty options are supposed to look like that. I initially only numbered them 1 through 4, then I added hints so people can compare them to LW e.g. NRM for Normal, CLS for Classic. But since people always bring this up, I think I'll just go back to the original titles lol
To get this working with VR training: Download Long War Mod Manager version of this mod along with Long War mod manager and VR training mod. Apply Long war mod manager steps. Then e.g. apply squadron unleashed. Some other combinations seems to not work.
Yup, VR training is compatible. I didn't include it because I didn't think players needed as large of a roster of soldiers as in LW 1.0. If enough people want it to be included, then it could be part of a future update
Thank you for this mod its awesome. I like this much more than LW. 11/ 10 my favorite X-COM experience.
I was "kind" or "daring" enough to include a list of changes I made to make it more balanced and realistic. Its based on my playthrough with VR training and Squadron Unleashed. Please consider reading this and consider thinking about incorporating this into mod.
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; UFO hunting UFO_INTERCEPTION_PCT=12from 4 This variable modifies chance of interception without satelitte coverage. Doubled with foundry project. Reason balance: was too low. Reason realism: Air Combat Patrol. ; Satellite hunting UFO_FIND_STEALTH_SAT=0.15 from 0.30 UFO_FIND_SAT=0.60 UFO_SECOND_PASS_FIND_STEALTH_SAT=0.20 from 0.50 UFO_SECOND_PASS_FIND_SAT=0.90 Reason balance: What was the point of Stealth satelitte tech? Reason realism: in my recent game UFO came to destroy my satelitte before it was deployed. srsly?
ALIENS Note that increase of alien damage coresponds to minor increase of DR and boost on some XCOM stuff. iType=eItem_CyberdiscGrenade Damage increased by 1. iType=eItem_CyberdiscWeapon Damage increased by 1. -- Cyberdisc main weapon. Reason balance: I found Cyberdiscs always weaker than Mechtoids or massed Mutons and almost never a problem. Raised Environmental damage for iType=eItem_HeavyPlasma_Muton , iType=eItem_HeavyPlasma_Floater iType=eItem_PlasmaLightRifle_Muton, iType=eItem_SectoidPlasmaPistol, iType=eItem_PlasmaLightRifle_ThinMan by +50% on average. Reason balance: Massed thin mans can destroy cover faster. Can screw overwatch creep and is fun when cover is blown. Reason realism: Plasma is bad. Note that iType=eItem_HeavyPlasma_Muton environmental damage was NOT increased. Increase also corresponds to respective Damage values. iType=eItem_SectoidPlasmaPistol Damage increased by 1. iType=eItem_PlasmaLightRifle_ThinMan iCritical=20 raised to 20 from 5. Reason balance: Massing DR on regular soldiers and a good game where XCOM is not behind can cause Sectoids and Thin Mans to be seriously IGNORABLE in most encounters. Their damage was lackluster once Carapace, Aegis armor kick in. This also makes early game harder that is desirable. iType=eItem_ZombieFist Damage reduced by 2. Zombie base HP was increased by 5. Reason realism: self explanatory.
ITEMS Walker Servos Move +4 From +2 Price: Cash: 1400 from 80 Reason balance: was a waste of item slot. Now it competes with Combat Stim. Reason realism: Now is an expensive leg addon to power armor. Flashbang Radius of effect was reduced by 40%. To 216 from 360. Reason balance: Flashbang was too good staying too good even in late game. Reason realism: Seeing berserkers being useless from a single flashbang in late game is kinda funny. Couldnt they become equiped with some special protective sunglasses? Needle Grenade Damage increased to 6 from 5. Reason balance: Does not destroy cover. +1 damage and small radius increase compared to HE was very poor reason to take this item over HE,Chem,Flashbang or Plating, ... On top of that, Grenades deal very little damage to DR based enemies such as mutons, cyberdiscs, mechtoids. Later in campaign when player faces DR based enemies he usually does not use HE or Needle grenades anymore and prefers Rocketeers, Archers, Chems. Also damage is reduced with radius from center. And most enemies have some DR later in game so practical result damage is still 0-2. Alloy Carbide Plating Weight 2 from 1 Adds DR 0.5. Cash Cost increased to 1800. Reason balance: Soldiers can attain same DR as MECS while having cover and some have tanking perks.
SHIVs Their cash cost is doubled. Rebuild SHIV project Cash cost were doubled. Cost Cash 3000 from 1500 Reason balance: SHIVS were too cheap and too good. Try basic SHIVs as damage sponge when needed or use them as disposable scouts or flankers. Also This price is reduced from workshops. Alloy Hover SHIVs Cash Prices +50% Rebuild Cash Prices + 50%. Alloy SHIV 6000 from 4000 .... Hover SHIV 14250 from 9500
MECS Light MECS Movement + 3. (MEC 3, MEC 6) Medium MECS Movement + 2. (MEC 2, MEC 7) Heavy Superheavy MECS DR + 0.5 (MEC 4, MEC 5) Reason balance: soldiers can have same DR as MECS and can be faster. Whas was the point of MECS relative to their costs and investments? I guess that Free flamethrower , free grenade - proximity mine with Archer and thats it. Regular soldiers can take cover. Also MECS primary weapons have usually less ammo than SHIVS or soldiers. Reason realism: Larger legs are usually faster than smaller legs.
GENE MODS Generally a little cheaper while eye geneMods are more costly. BoneMarrow reduces wound recovery time by 70%. Reduced post mission fatigue for most Gene Mods. Cash x10. Costs rebalanced. Posted entire table below. GENEMOD_BONEMARROW_RECOVERY_BONUS=0.30ffrom 0.66f; Modifier to time spent recovering from wounds with Bone Marrow Genemod SET TO 30% from 66% Reason balance: I found that i use eye gene mods for free aim and sometimes bioelectric skin while I think that many other GeneMods were a waste of Meld. +2 regen perk was mostly useless since most late soldiers in Erat got 6-8 hp at max. ; Gene Mod Configuration ;Perk-DNC$CostRequiredTechMeldDaysinTank +Fatigue ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=4,iCash=300,iElerium=53,iAlloys=14,iTime=10,iEng=8) ; ePerk_GeneMod_SecondHeart53=Muton Elite Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=20,iCash=200,iElerium=47,iAlloys=16,iTime=6,iEng=8) ; ePerk_GeneMod_Adrenal47=Muton Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=28,iCash=200,iElerium=57,iAlloys=14,iTime=10,iEng=0) ; ePerk_GeneMod_BrainDamping57=Mechtoid Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=155,iCash=150,iElerium=51,iAlloys=8,iTime=4,iEng=6) ; ePerk_Medal_DefenderB (Smart Macrophages) 51=Berserker Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=30,iCash=100,iElerium=44,iAlloys=11,iTime=5,iEng=5) ; ePerk_GeneMod_Pupils44=Sectoid Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=38,iCash=100,iElerium=45,iAlloys=11,iTime=5,iEng=6) ; ePerk_GeneMod_DepthPerception45=Floater Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=42,iCash=250,iElerium=58,iAlloys=20,iTime=6,iEng=7) ; ePerk_GeneMod_BioelectricSkin58=Seeker Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=148,iCash=200,iElerium=52,iAlloys=8,iTime=5,iEng=2) ; ePerk_GeneMod_IronSkin52=Heavy Floater Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=50,iCash=200,iElerium=46,iAlloys=15,iTime=7,iEng=7) ; ePerk_GeneMod_MuscleFiber46=Thin Man Autopsy ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=45,iCash=300,iElerium=48,iAlloys=24,iTime=7,iEng=6) ; ePerk_GeneMod_BoneMarrow48=Chryssalid Autopsy Cash Cost of Gene Lab reduced. iCash=45000 from 60000 reduced by 15000
Also: I Suggest reducing number of Mechtoids on base Defense mission. And replacing it with other aliens. I respect that base defense is intended to be brutal but Im playing on CLC - 2 difficulty and I almost lost that mission - note: i think that was not behind and was not my first base defence in xcom. And was lucky. But I got something like 7 + mechtoids? or more? On beam laser + carapace level.
Regarding LWR compat: i never played LWR but read that there are Airstrikes and emergency Evac. That might be a worthy addition.
VR training could be always included in mods as a second wave option. If it is possible. I wrote my comment because It took me some time to get it work. It did not worked with NOT Long War Mod Manager version of Erat.
Thanks for the feedback! Most of your points are valid. I will implement some of them on the next patch. As for Mechtoid spawns, 7 seems a bit higher than normal. I'm also not aware how one would go about changing spawn rates on certain missions. Likewise, LWR features like airstrikes are beyond the scope of this mod, even if I thought they were a good idea.
I have some little more - ADDITIONAL changes: The last ones. Im sorry that Im messing with your mod but I really believe that I was 90%+ Correct on my points written here.
Please note that these - ADDITIONAL changes - are included separately as Im playing with Squadron Unleashed and total loss, wear and tear and this may offset balance.
Spoiler:
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Additional Changes
MEC grenade launcher damage +1 5 from 4 MEC kinetic arm / strike damage +1 Additional Changes 2 - note its with Squadron Unleashed, Total Loss , Wear and Tear, VR training
MEC flamethrower damage +1 MEC 1 Prototype Cash Cost - 70% (35000 -> 10500) MEC 2/3 Cash Cost -45% MEC 4/5/6/7 Cash Cost - 20% Note: they still cost same amount of Meld, Ufo Flight Computers. // MEC Battle Equipment Cash Cost - 50% 36000 -> 18000 this is for foundry project // MEC Warfare Systems Cash Cost - 50% 45000 -> 22500 this is for foundry project
And The last thing: I highly recommend to increase cash cost of Aegis to 2.5 - times the original price, Titan to 4- times and Seraph Archangel accordingly (maybe improve seraph Archangel def, I leave this to you.). Keep Tengu as is, without changes.
Im not going TLDR how i come to this but it Im playing with Squadron Unleashed, so my point MAY be WRONG. And this is based on both testing and theorycrafting and just playing. Insted of TLDR - simply: investing in airgame instead of MECS is huge boon for XCOM and their cash costs were comparable. Soldiers in erat can be very strong and with high DR since perks and items and training roulette. With this balance of mod should be perfect IMO.
Edit: Didnt notice Alloy Carbide plating has armor bolstering so DR is not needed. Ethereals should be stronger just like in LW. So far just insta killing them. Muton Elites should probably just get back 36 range. (if changelog .xlsx file is correct)
Stuff from LWR is not needed. I do not recommend programming a mod this much as implementing airstrikes as this should be then in a scope of new game. Probably a better time investment.
Again thank you for your great mod. I really enjoyed playing this as I was always a fan of more realism stuff.
Thanks again for the suggestions! I will be implementing changes in increments, so I can push out patches more quickly, rather than doing a lot all at once.
You should consider leaving comments on our discord too, so other players can input their opinions as well.
so torn between this and lWR any chance you will be putting in a compatibility patch or anything? i prefer the most of this mod but there is a few things here and there i wouldn't mind adding from lwr.awsome mod for a oldy though
Hey there. Unfortunately, they are too different to really be compatible with each other. You could try suggesting some of the features you like from LWR in the ERaT discord, and maybe they could be implemented if it's in keeping with the design of the mod
Looking to start a Xcom LW playthrough and it's pretty amazing that there are updated overhauls for it. I find this one and LW Rebalance the most interesting sounding. Has anyone played both or have any overview of the differences?
I don't think there's a lot of people who have tried both, aside from Charlie Atlas, who is currently doing an ERaT campaign on his YT channel. From what I gather, LWR has introduced (and removed) many battle mechanics, while ERaT has more of a focus on repurposed items and weapons. Both have made extensive changes to perks, and both have major QoL improvements.
Since installation should take you no more than a minute or two, I would suggest playing at least one mission on both mods to see how they stack up.
...Which is what I would say if I weren't the dev. So imma tell you to play ERaT. Obviously.
Hi, I am having trouble setting up a new game. After the skyranger mission screen loads in and fades to black the xcom icon stops rotating in the bottom right and the map does not load. I can move the cursor, and cannot exit the program by alt-tabbing. This is true when starting from both final shell and dev menu, as well as with and without training roulette selected. The minimodscollection file is in the right place and doesn't have a second copy floating around, so I am confused as to how I can fix this. Any tips?
Hey there. Are you using the 10MB file of version 37.5? If so, then I'll have to look into it. In the meantime, could you try the 1MB LW Mod Manger file and see if that fixes the issue? It takes a bit longer to install but it should work.
Yes I dragged and dropped the files. I deleted all files and am reinstalling long war now, but I will try the mod manager version in the next day or two and will get back to you with the results
Update: I've tried both mod file methods and i'm still getting the same crash at the same point (immediately after beginning the mission). Are there any settings that are mandatory for the mod to work (specific graphics settings, combat speed, etc...)? I'm manually selecting training roulette, aiming angles, red fog, and perfect information and so far have not unchecked Progeny or the Zhang missions.
I uploaded a newer file called 37.5a. Can you check if that one works? If not, then you can use the previous version, 37.3c, which I've been told works properly.
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My biggest frustration right now is that everything just has SO much armor. It makes the other problems less of a random frustration and more... kind of game breaking. Enemies are consistently showing up with 3+ points of damage resistance, even without factoring in cover. Early game, Mutons often completely shrug off shots from primary weapons. Even with upgraded beam weapons, I am plinking away for 1-2 damage per hit against 15 HP enemies. I just had a berzerker charge my Assault who pegged him with a point blank Scatter Beam Shotgun hit...for zero damage. There are two Mechtoids on this level who are just walking through my guys because they each have around 30 hit points, and at 1-2 damage per shot I just can't kill the damn things. The last mission was a random downed small UFO and had FOUR cyberdiscs. Because of the pod-calling mechanics it is extremely easy to get overwhelmed with mobs that you just can't kill fast enough.
This problem is compounded by everything seemingly having dialed up accuracy and damage. On multiple occasions I've had soldiers one shot killed while sitting in cover and dense smoke, or hit by suppressed targets. Even early game, non-crits are hitting for 10+ and a random lucky shot can be instant death even in heavy armor and an HP vest. Given how long it takes to kill things, there just isn't any way to avoid a few rounds of exchanging fire which makes every encounter a roll of the dice on someone dying.
The current mission I am on is a Terror mission, and at like turn 2 I see a Cyberdisc, two 30 HP Mechtoids, several Mutons, and several Sectoids that are all converging on my spawn location. I'm restarting the mission again but I'm quickly hitting the point of "f*#@ this".
Shotguns are naturally bad against high DR, unless you have the Heavy Capacitor item. Since you're going with beam weapons, it wouldn't hurt to try bringing one or two Arc-Beam Rifles, since they both disable mechtoids and deal 6 dmg with 4 DR pen to all mechanical enemies. If you went ballistic, there's always HEAT Ammo. As for Mutons, acid works wonders on them, because it makes them suppress and waste their turn. With high level snipers, you can even one-shot them with crits.
I'm not sure what you mean by everything having higher aim and damage. You can see from the Google sheet that lots of enemies have lowered aim and damage. Mechtoids get higher damage but worse aim, and with Drones it's the other way around.
Anyway, ERaT isn't actually harder than LW1, it just requires different strategies, and maybe some knowledge of how to use the new items and perks introduced. The chain activation mechanic can produce difficulty spikes at times, so that's something to keep in mind. As for soldiers dying, there's really no way to prevent an unlucky crit from killing a guy, and that's no different in LW1. The challenge lies in whether you can win a campaign despite a few deaths. And of course, you can always lower the difficulty. Which is why I advise new players not to play on Impossible.
I had a similar problem with the heavy capacitor. It seemed like a direct counter to the DR mechanics, and it definitely is - when it works. However, on about 75% of the missions it just vanishes and doesn't do anything. I thought at first maybe I had just forgot to equip it, so I started making absolutely sure I had it. I even did some save / load testing to confirm that I had definitely equipped it, but when the mission loaded my beam shotgun was still completely blocked by DR.
Something is wonky somewhere and I'm not sure what or why. It doesn't seem consistent and I haven't been able to pin it down. I almost hard-quit the game yesterday because I hit an impossible exalt mission. It was a tiny corridor map and any blue move I took pulled around 8 of them. For whatever reason, they had obnoxious accuracy, consistently in the 90% to hit, despite cover. They literally leveled my entire four person squad in like two turns. I restarted the mission a few times, and it seemed to go back to normal, with around 40% hit rates and I rolled the mission.
Granted, I'm not saying all those problems are entirely specific to this mod. XCOM in general is famous for its "realistic" probabilities, and LW has always had issues with large numbers and small maps. It just sort of compounds. Because the items don't work, I can't counter effectively, which makes each encounter take much longer, which increases the risk of extra pod calls, which further raises the odds of a lucky shot killing one of my guys. My primary strategy has been taking around ten flashbangs to lock things down while I chip away.
I will try to play around with cloud saves, maybe test on another PC when I get a chance. I appreciate the follow up!
I try to avoid multiple pods with the CMPAS plus Motion Trackers for good measure. Flashbangs are effective, but sometimes a rocket is the surefire way of dealing of overwhelming odds.
But I have a question. It is really refreshing to finally see hobbits have a natural amount of HP, but how well does it address Long War's mid-lategame challenge? With an example of a sectoid on highest difficulty, it's 15HP in Long War 1.1 or LWR vs 5HP in ERaT even on top alien research level. I really like this realism, but I wonder how fun and challenging can mid-late game become as a result? There are other ways to combat this difference, such as off-the-bat psi attacks that I saw on YouTube, but I'm not sure if it's not going to become too easy at some point. LWR have a graph with difficulty curves, and I'd love to see something similar in your mod, especially comparing to LW 1.0 which you adhere to.
However, I do also want to ask--how does one remove the included mods with PatcherGUI/LW Mod Manager?
Finally, and most pressingly, I can't seem to get the mod to work. I've followed the instructions in the Readme, first copy/pasting the mod files into xcomgame then installing it using LW Mod Manager. However, when I start it up, it's already in the final shell menu without me having to click anything, the rookies in the first mission don't have suppression or run and gun, items appear to be as in the baseline LW (with the exception that everyone has an HE rather than AP grenade), and when I try to promote soldiers, they can't access abilities beyond their basic class abilities--anything after Specialist is just a blank box (I do have Training Roulette enabled).
I originally had Better Blueshirts, Patrick Carlock+Customize Unique Soldiers, Virtual Reality Training (Second Wave version), and DR Chipping for Long War. However, I tried uninstalling all of those and returning the game to base Long War using the LWMM, then installing only ERAT and the ERAT Mod Pack in LWMM.
This did work, but now I'm wondering which one of these could be causing compatibility issues. Do you have any idea? Could one of those other mods be incorporated in this one without my having realized?
Also, the difficulty options listed in the main menu are 01_NRM, 02_CLS, etc. or something to that effect. Is that normal or is it a sign of a bugged installation?
I installed all four of those mods, and I was still able to complete a mission and see the soldiers' skill "trees" after leveling up. Maybe try again on your end with some or all extra mods enabled, and see if there's a difference.
The difficulty options are supposed to look like that. I initially only numbered them 1 through 4, then I added hints so people can compare them to LW e.g. NRM for Normal, CLS for Classic. But since people always bring this up, I think I'll just go back to the original titles lol
I was "kind" or "daring" enough to include a list of changes I made to make it more balanced and realistic. Its based on my playthrough with VR training and Squadron Unleashed.
Please consider reading this and consider thinking about incorporating this into mod.
STRATMAP
; UFO hunting
UFO_INTERCEPTION_PCT=12from 4
This variable modifies chance of interception without satelitte coverage. Doubled with foundry project.
Reason balance: was too low.
Reason realism: Air Combat Patrol.
; Satellite hunting
UFO_FIND_STEALTH_SAT=0.15 from 0.30
UFO_FIND_SAT=0.60
UFO_SECOND_PASS_FIND_STEALTH_SAT=0.20 from 0.50
UFO_SECOND_PASS_FIND_SAT=0.90
Reason balance: What was the point of Stealth satelitte tech?
Reason realism: in my recent game UFO came to destroy my satelitte before it was deployed. srsly?
ALIENS
Note that increase of alien damage coresponds to minor increase of DR and boost on some XCOM stuff.
iType=eItem_CyberdiscGrenade Damage increased by 1.
iType=eItem_CyberdiscWeapon Damage increased by 1. -- Cyberdisc main weapon.
Reason balance: I found Cyberdiscs always weaker than Mechtoids or massed Mutons and almost never a problem.
Raised Environmental damage for
iType=eItem_HeavyPlasma_Muton , iType=eItem_HeavyPlasma_Floater
iType=eItem_PlasmaLightRifle_Muton, iType=eItem_SectoidPlasmaPistol, iType=eItem_PlasmaLightRifle_ThinMan
by +50% on average.
Reason balance: Massed thin mans can destroy cover faster. Can screw overwatch creep and is fun when cover is blown.
Reason realism: Plasma is bad.
Note that iType=eItem_HeavyPlasma_Muton environmental damage was NOT increased. Increase also corresponds to respective
Damage values.
iType=eItem_SectoidPlasmaPistol Damage increased by 1.
iType=eItem_PlasmaLightRifle_ThinMan iCritical=20 raised to 20 from 5.
Reason balance: Massing DR on regular soldiers and a good game where XCOM is not behind can cause Sectoids and Thin Mans
to be seriously IGNORABLE in most encounters. Their damage was lackluster once Carapace, Aegis armor kick in.
This also makes early game harder that is desirable.
iType=eItem_ZombieFist Damage reduced by 2.
Zombie base HP was increased by 5.
Reason realism: self explanatory.
ITEMS
Walker Servos Move +4 From +2 Price: Cash: 1400 from 80
Reason balance: was a waste of item slot. Now it competes with Combat Stim.
Reason realism: Now is an expensive leg addon to power armor.
Flashbang
Radius of effect was reduced by 40%. To 216 from 360.
Reason balance: Flashbang was too good staying too good even in late game.
Reason realism: Seeing berserkers being useless from a single flashbang in late game is kinda funny.
Couldnt they become equiped with some special protective sunglasses?
Needle Grenade
Damage increased to 6 from 5.
Reason balance: Does not destroy cover. +1 damage and small radius increase compared to HE was very poor
reason to take this item over HE,Chem,Flashbang or Plating, ... On top of that, Grenades deal very little damage to DR
based enemies such as mutons, cyberdiscs, mechtoids. Later in campaign when player faces DR based enemies
he usually does not use HE or Needle grenades anymore and prefers Rocketeers, Archers, Chems. Also damage is reduced
with radius from center. And most enemies have some DR later in game so practical result damage is still 0-2.
Alloy Carbide Plating
Weight 2 from 1
Adds DR 0.5.
Cash Cost increased to 1800.
Reason balance: Soldiers can attain same DR as MECS while having cover and some have tanking perks.
SHIVs
Their cash cost is doubled. Rebuild SHIV project Cash cost were doubled.
Cost Cash 3000 from 1500
Reason balance: SHIVS were too cheap and too good. Try basic SHIVs as damage sponge when needed or use them
as disposable scouts or flankers. Also This price is reduced from workshops.
Alloy Hover SHIVs Cash Prices +50% Rebuild Cash Prices + 50%.
Alloy SHIV 6000 from 4000 ....
Hover SHIV 14250 from 9500
MECS
Light MECS Movement + 3. (MEC 3, MEC 6)
Medium MECS Movement + 2. (MEC 2, MEC 7)
Heavy Superheavy MECS DR + 0.5 (MEC 4, MEC 5)
Reason balance: soldiers can have same DR as MECS and can be faster. Whas was the point of MECS relative to
their costs and investments?
I guess that Free flamethrower , free grenade - proximity mine with Archer and thats it. Regular soldiers can take cover. Also MECS primary weapons have usually less ammo than SHIVS or soldiers.
Reason realism: Larger legs are usually faster than smaller legs.
GENE MODS
Generally a little cheaper while eye geneMods are more costly. BoneMarrow reduces wound recovery time by 70%.
Reduced post mission fatigue for most Gene Mods. Cash x10. Costs rebalanced.
Posted entire table below.
GENEMOD_BONEMARROW_RECOVERY_BONUS=0.30ffrom 0.66f; Modifier to time spent recovering from wounds with Bone Marrow Genemod SET TO 30% from 66%
Reason balance: I found that i use eye gene mods for free aim and sometimes bioelectric skin while
I think that many other GeneMods were a waste of Meld.
+2 regen perk was mostly useless since most late soldiers in Erat got 6-8 hp at max.
; Gene Mod Configuration
;Perk-DNC$CostRequiredTechMeldDaysinTank +Fatigue
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=4,iCash=300,iElerium=53,iAlloys=14,iTime=10,iEng=8) ; ePerk_GeneMod_SecondHeart53=Muton Elite Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=20,iCash=200,iElerium=47,iAlloys=16,iTime=6,iEng=8) ; ePerk_GeneMod_Adrenal47=Muton Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=28,iCash=200,iElerium=57,iAlloys=14,iTime=10,iEng=0) ; ePerk_GeneMod_BrainDamping57=Mechtoid Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=155,iCash=150,iElerium=51,iAlloys=8,iTime=4,iEng=6) ; ePerk_Medal_DefenderB (Smart Macrophages) 51=Berserker Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=30,iCash=100,iElerium=44,iAlloys=11,iTime=5,iEng=5) ; ePerk_GeneMod_Pupils44=Sectoid Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=38,iCash=100,iElerium=45,iAlloys=11,iTime=5,iEng=6) ; ePerk_GeneMod_DepthPerception45=Floater Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=42,iCash=250,iElerium=58,iAlloys=20,iTime=6,iEng=7) ; ePerk_GeneMod_BioelectricSkin58=Seeker Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=148,iCash=200,iElerium=52,iAlloys=8,iTime=5,iEng=2) ; ePerk_GeneMod_IronSkin52=Heavy Floater Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=50,iCash=200,iElerium=46,iAlloys=15,iTime=7,iEng=7) ; ePerk_GeneMod_MuscleFiber46=Thin Man Autopsy
ItemBalance_Easy=(eItem=45,iCash=300,iElerium=48,iAlloys=24,iTime=7,iEng=6) ; ePerk_GeneMod_BoneMarrow48=Chryssalid Autopsy
Cash Cost of Gene Lab reduced. iCash=45000 from 60000 reduced by 15000
Regarding LWR compat: i never played LWR but read that there are Airstrikes and emergency Evac. That might be a worthy addition.
Im sorry that Im messing with your mod but I really believe that I was 90%+ Correct on my points written here.
Please note that these - ADDITIONAL changes - are included separately as Im playing with Squadron Unleashed and total loss, wear and tear and this may offset balance.
Additional Changes
MEC grenade launcher damage +1 5 from 4
MEC kinetic arm / strike damage +1
Additional Changes 2 - note its with Squadron Unleashed, Total Loss , Wear and Tear, VR training
MEC flamethrower damage +1
MEC 1 Prototype Cash Cost - 70% (35000 -> 10500)
MEC 2/3 Cash Cost -45%
MEC 4/5/6/7 Cash Cost - 20%
Note: they still cost same amount of Meld, Ufo Flight Computers.
// MEC Battle Equipment Cash Cost - 50% 36000 -> 18000 this is for foundry project
// MEC Warfare Systems Cash Cost - 50% 45000 -> 22500 this is for foundry project
And The last thing: I highly recommend to increase cash cost of Aegis to 2.5 - times the original price, Titan to 4- times
and Seraph Archangel accordingly (maybe improve seraph Archangel def, I leave this to you.). Keep Tengu as is, without changes.
Im not going TLDR how i come to this but it Im playing with Squadron Unleashed, so my point MAY be WRONG.
And this is based on both testing and theorycrafting and just playing.
Insted of TLDR - simply: investing in airgame instead of MECS is huge boon for XCOM and their cash costs were comparable.
Soldiers in erat can be very strong and with high DR since perks and items and training roulette.
With this balance of mod should be perfect IMO.
Edit: Didnt notice Alloy Carbide plating has armor bolstering so DR is not needed.
Ethereals should be stronger just like in LW. So far just insta killing them.
Muton Elites should probably just get back 36 range. (if changelog .xlsx file is correct)
Stuff from LWR is not needed.
I do not recommend programming a mod this much as implementing airstrikes as this should be then in a scope of new game. Probably a better time investment.
Again thank you for your great mod. I really enjoyed playing this as I was always a fan of more realism stuff.
You should consider leaving comments on our discord too, so other players can input their opinions as well.
Since installation should take you no more than a minute or two, I would suggest playing at least one mission on both mods to see how they stack up.
...Which is what I would say if I weren't the dev. So imma tell you to play ERaT. Obviously.