I found some npc character that joined me with that skill. Do they stick around?

Are crate/safe items random?

So on this go I went north and straight to the radio tower, now I seem have plenty of ammo.

The worst thing the toad did to me was steal one of my guys gun with his long tongue, got a laugh from that one. smile

only bug i ran across until now is that some of my core rangers seem to lose their clothing sometimes, running around the wasteland nekkid.

Lots of very weird design decisions in game. Things that neither make sense nor are a benefitial to the game.

The combat is, um, not to my liking, thats polite way of saying it.
I set up up squad, shoot one shot, then they all rush me.
If the combat stays like this I will never finish the game.

zippythezip

The combat is, um, not to my liking, thats polite way of saying it.
I set up up squad, shoot one shot, then they all rush me.
If the combat stays like this I will never finish the game.

The combat is fine, although comparatively simple. But also rather fast paced.

Just make liberal use of ambush mechanics and explosives and there is little challenge.

The thing that is far worse is, that the weapon class system is completely unbalanced.

currently, assault rifles simply offer the best blend of range, firepower and AP cost. Also Assault rifles can be most extensively modded, further boosting their allround versatility and power. SMGs are merely assault rifles with shorter range and less AP cost overall.

Nicely put,
I gave up on shotguns and my squad is also mostly armed with assault and pistols as close range back up.

Machineguns are pretty much useless, except for the minigun, which at least provides good damage and armor penetration. But since you cannot mod them, their chance to jam is way too high.

Shotguns simply lose out to assault rifles and SMGs, since their Ap cost is too high for the damage they do and their wide spread makes hitting allies and NPCs too likely to be of much use in many combat situations. Also they have a too limited range and armor penetration capability. ARs and SMGs simply take down single enemies way more reliable and precise.

Pistols at least can be modded for more range, bigger magazine and less chance to jam, making them somewhat useful as close range backup weapons with low AP. Still not as useful as assault rifles or SMGs.

Sniper rifles are so-so, most of them simply lose out to a thoroughly modded assault rifle with range extension mods, which generally boasts lower Ap costs per shot as well as burst fire ability. And whilst you can easily take out most enemies with one good burst from AR or SMG, sniper rifles often need 2 shots or more to realiably take down a single enemy. And you rarely will be able to pop off more than one shot from a sniper rifle per turn, compared to one to two bursts from the others.

Energy weapons vary in power and usefulness, but only truly shine against heavily armored targets.

Right now, there simply is little reason to not completely rely on assault rifles and SMGs, as they simply provide the most versatility and firepower and are effective against all enemy types. Also ammo is never really an issue past the first few hours.

Melee weapons are rather effective, so having at least 2 melee specialists in the team really pays off, since they can effectively prevent the enemy rushing the ranged shooters and also put pressure on ranged enemies, reducing their effectiveness. Put a plasma hammer on a quick and heavily armored ranger and he'll easily drop one enemy per turn.

Generally speaking, the whole combat system is rather poorly balanced and the equipment system is even worse, especially the guns. There simply is no real consistency there and not the slightest bit of realism either, further limiting the valid tactical options, which are already pretty limited. Mostly due to the lack of any morale or suppression system, which makes basically all enemies little more than suicidal zerg rushers.

Right now, pure, unadulterated raw firepower and damage output (and armor penetration) trumps everything, whilst range is a mostly secondary concern, as long as it is around or above 20 squares.

Stealth is a complete non-issue, only cover and high ground grant any useful bonuses that can really make a difference in a fight, since most enemies are so quick, that they will manage to close in to melee range within one or two turns at most.
So dropping those rushing enemies as quickly as possible is the key to success in most battles, which means firepower equals stopping power equals combat effectiveness. So tatical finesse is really of very little concern, beyond choosing target priorities.