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Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #341839] Wed, 22 July 2015 18:02 Go to next message
ShadoWarrior is currently offline ShadoWarrior

 
Messages:245
Registered:January 2006
Location: Twilight Zone
Enemy swarm in sector B10

In the image above, my group of 10 mercs (which at the time they had arrived in B10 the sector was empty of enemies) was swarmed by 50 redshirts coming into the sector from three different directions (east, west, and south). Fortunately, I was able to make it to the Bar before they closed in and I set most of my troops up on the rooftop, so that they could snipe at the horde as they tried to cross the clear killing zone around the bar. Wonderful turkey shoot!

Earlier, my mercs had accidentally gone to Calisto C13 before I realized that I had forgotten to clear out the bottom half of Atremo. In that abortive battle, the dozen enemies already in C13 when I got there were quickly reinforced by another fifty or so. I was expecting that. But what shocked me was that a few turns into the battle the enemy called in an artillery strike near where my mercs were!!! Are we supposed to be vulnerable to AI usage of artillery this early in the game?

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Sergeant 1st Class
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #341845 is a reply to message #341839] Wed, 22 July 2015 23:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Flugente

 
Messages:3509
Registered:April 2009
Location: Germany
Artillery strikes can be turned off (for all teams) in Skills_Settings.ini. If you still want to play with them, however:
An artillery strike can only be called in by a radio operator.
A radio operator needs a radio set.
The enemy can only get a radio set if that is in its ItemChoices xmls.
To get an item from there, the game must be progressed enough to reach the item's coolness.
It thus follows that if you want the enemy to get artillery strikes later, you should increase the radio set's coolness in Items.xml.



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Captain

Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #341876 is a reply to message #341845] Mon, 27 July 2015 18:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ShadoWarrior is currently offline ShadoWarrior

 
Messages:245
Registered:January 2006
Location: Twilight Zone
I'd like to suggest to Wil473 that he alter the radio set's coolness in the next release so that they don't show up in the game until after you've taken over Calisto. (By the time that I was done clearing all of the Calisto sectors I had over a half-dozen radios.) BTW, what value for coolness is necessary to restrict items until after Calisto is conquered?


A merc using jamming prevents the AI from calling in reinforcements, right? Since I started doing this I'm no longer being swarmed by enemies in adjacent sectors, and I was just checking to be sure that it's because of the jamming and not just an odd coincidence.

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Sergeant 1st Class
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #341877 is a reply to message #341876] Mon, 27 July 2015 19:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Flugente

 
Messages:3509
Registered:April 2009
Location: Germany
As this depends on your current campaign, no definite answer is possible. The enemy is allowed gear of coolness (your progress / 10) + x. x depends on soldier type, ini modifiers, randomness, the sector's location...

Yes, radio jamming blocks other operators from calling in artillery, and the enemy from calling in reinforcements.

[Updated on: Mon, 27 July 2015 19:26]




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Captain

Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342344 is a reply to message #341877] Mon, 07 September 2015 12:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
svean is currently offline svean

 
Messages:63
Registered:August 2005
In general UC enemies tend to attack in swarms, and... if you'd play Iron Man (of any kind) you would back off and try to fight one group at a time. This is how it should have happen.

I think Artillery strikes are fine as they are, since they give general impulse to think tactically on different levels. Best idea there would be to sneak with snipers and kill radio operators before other enemies, and before they unleash whole "swarm assault".

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Corporal
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342351 is a reply to message #342344] Mon, 07 September 2015 21:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Uriens is currently offline Uriens

 
Messages:346
Registered:July 2006
Shouldn't your own radio operator be able to jam frequencies and block enemy reinforcements and artillery strikes (it blocks your own too while active, but you can't have it all cheeky).

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Master Sergeant
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342368 is a reply to message #342351] Wed, 09 September 2015 13:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ShadoWarrior is currently offline ShadoWarrior

 
Messages:245
Registered:January 2006
Location: Twilight Zone
The encounter happened so early in the game that I had not yet captured any radios.

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Sergeant 1st Class
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342585 is a reply to message #341839] Mon, 28 September 2015 09:58 Go to previous messageGo to next message
johnson is currently offline johnson

 
Messages:59
Registered:September 2015
ShadoWarrior wrote on Wed, 22 July 2015 17:02
Enemy swarm in sector B10

In the image above, my group of 10 mercs (which at the time they had arrived in B10 the sector was empty of enemies) was swarmed by 50 redshirts coming into the sector from three different directions (east, west, and south). Fortunately, I was able to make it to the Bar before they closed in and I set most of my troops up on the rooftop, so that they could snipe at the horde as they tried to cross the clear killing zone around the bar. Wonderful turkey shoot!


Been there, only in my case there were only 30 redshirts and they attacked at night. Still tough for my meager team of 6 but luckily, I had plenty of break lights and was able to take a favorable position near a choke point.

ShadoWarrior wrote on Wed, 22 July 2015 17:02

Earlier, my mercs had accidentally gone to Calisto C13 before I realized that I had forgotten to clear out the bottom half of Atremo. In that abortive battle, the dozen enemies already in C13 when I got there were quickly reinforced by another fifty or so. I was expecting that. But what shocked me was that a few turns into the battle the enemy called in an artillery strike near where my mercs were!!! Are we supposed to be vulnerable to AI usage of artillery this early in the game?


Initially, I had an easy going through Calisto. Under cover of night I took the airport and all adjacent neighborhoods, creating a "square" where i'll always have at least 2 reinforcement available, dug in and built up my militia reserves. But I was getting low on funds and put my sights on the factory for income.

The factory was was a TOUGH fight, I had to replay it 3 times. By then I was low on quality weapons with sufficient ammo, while the enemy had superior weaponry (in many case twice the range\damage\acc of my best). And due to the structure of the map my militia were of little use, they just run in the long open street from the army force in the west to the police force in the south, gunned down like ducks... luckily I was able to make use of the gate near the CIA building, using stun grenades to hold them (capture\steal).

After taking the factory came the big army counter attack, but they hit the "square", where I had number superiority 60 vs 49 (I let it play out on auto)

Next I licked my wounds, replenish my reserves\equipment, and felt secure to cull out the enemy mobile forces, to reduce their reinforces options... HERE came the surprise not only I was out numbered and outgunned by the normal army specialists, there were also those black dudes with Dyn armor ( I can't still buy cavlar) AND they called an air strike on my position... That was as through defeat as I ever had, and I RUN away (not tactically retreated).

Btw the team opinions are rather annoying, my team leader got -6 form everyone for ordering the retreat. This isn't democaracy! shut up and do as you are told!

Uriens wrote on Mon, 07 September 2015 20:09
Shouldn't your own radio operator be able to jam frequencies and block enemy reinforcements and artillery strikes (it blocks your own too while active, but you can't have it all cheeky).


You can't buy a radio set this early on, and I play with limited item drop, so the only way I can acquire a radio set is by stealing it from the enemy.. which isn't that easy to accomplish.

[Updated on: Mon, 28 September 2015 10:04]

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Corporal
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342611 is a reply to message #342585] Wed, 30 September 2015 11:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
svean is currently offline svean

 
Messages:63
Registered:August 2005
Limited item drop can be really painful - I prefer playing on Iron Man (no saves during battle) but wit "drop all" checked. (Iron Man could be painful with instability of UC 1.13 but that's different story)

Not all retreats gives morale penalty, if someone would stay on the map you won't get any morale hit (tested with covered spy happy), BUT incoming reinforcements will appear always in the same place (road from neighboring sector).

Anyway - bonus from battle winning and killing enemies should be much bigger than morale hit from one or even two retreats (but remember that getting hit by enemy also reduces morale etc.).

[Updated on: Wed, 30 September 2015 11:29]

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Corporal
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342614 is a reply to message #342611] Wed, 30 September 2015 20:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
johnson is currently offline johnson

 
Messages:59
Registered:September 2015
Speaking of Swarms, defending Callisto Factory from southern attack is extreme easy. They all spawn in small open corner of the map in neat little clusters. With couple of well aimed shoot\thrown grenades I managed to drop more than half of the enemy force in the first round.. and my militia did most of the rest...

Also on an untreated note:

1. I finally managed to take capture my first radio set and throttle an enemy strike. But I am a bit disappointed, its my first time with this feature and I failed to consider that a radio operator is a full time job, and gave it to the wrong person whose skills are in great demand... Is there any save editor so I can switch traits between two mercs?

2. Does capturing enemies, auto drop their items or do I need to keep stealing everything first? (the game crushed on me couple of times and one of my prisons is now bugged, so I try not to experiment too much)

3. What is the hotkey for disabling interrupts for a single person? The spotter make interrupts make me mad.


Quote:
Limited item drop can be really painful - I prefer playing on Iron Man (no saves during battle) but wit "drop all" checked. (Iron Man could be painful with instability of UC 1.13 but that's different story)


I tried to play with full drop once, but honestly it was somewhat boring. Soon after the counter attack, I was swimming in all the best equipment and IMHO it diminishes the experience. With limited drops every item becomes valuable, you spend more time to equip your men and adjust your tactics accordingly, scout the surrounding areas and try capture enemies, and overall there is a more consistent sense of progression through out the whole game. Overall there is little challenge when all you have todo is snipe the enemy from across the map, while planning and executing capture of enemy troops for much needed items is that much more rewarding. (btw thank god (devs) for those one hit stun guns)

As for Iron Man, I don't savescum much, but I like to have the option to save during battle e.g. so I don't have to waste time sneaking into position each time.

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Corporal
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342618 is a reply to message #342614] Thu, 01 October 2015 12:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
svean is currently offline svean

 
Messages:63
Registered:August 2005
Trying to answer:

1. I don't think that you can switch traits between mercs, but you can always send any of your IMP mercenaries to die and then create new ones (from scratch). They will need some training to get as good as field ones but sometimes that's best you can do.
In general Radio Set could be gained quite soon - maybe not before 1st city but I got it during Calisto assault. And it's good idea to have one Radio Operator in assault team - in the beginning mostly to prevent enemy strikes, and later to make strikes on your own.

2. I have no idea, but I guess they don't drop anything. Just try stunning, stealing and then putting handcuffs.

3. I think there is none (maybe I'm wrong?). I just set "fast enemy moves" in ini, and hold a finger on "D" key happy

And about "drop all": I use it mostly with "slow progress" for enemy weapons so from my opinion most valuable things in the beginning of a game are not the things/weapons enemy drop, but scopes (holo type) that you can buy in Smitty's shop in Port Kip. Enemies might have quite good sniper scopes (Dragunovs), that can give quite an advantage but only during the day, and I prefer to fight at night, also in dense urban areas in UC they are not that good.
On the other hand Smitty is selling very good civilian market handguns (gunslinger can do wonders with them), shotguns (ranger do wonders with them), rifles (not AR just hunting/target rifles, but they do much better than SR as first weapons), and ammo for them. Also I really like holo type scopes (including Cobra etc.) sold by Smitty that are really good at close/medium ranges during night while enemies just drop PSO-1, at least in the beginning. Tony in Port Kip in general has mostly crap in the beginning (but has good military grade weapons later) and is mostly valuable for selling stuff, but Smitty... is great for buying happy (don't spend money on Bobby Ray's, save it for Smitty happy)
There are 2 more shopkeepers like that but only Port Kip is so easy to reach.

[Updated on: Thu, 01 October 2015 12:08]

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Corporal
Re: Enemy swarm in sector B10[message #342621 is a reply to message #342618] Thu, 01 October 2015 20:27 Go to previous message
johnson is currently offline johnson

 
Messages:59
Registered:September 2015
Thanks for the tips, they will come handy very soon, as I just finished making a withdrawal at the bank. Also so far I had pretty good experience with Urban areas, I just put my sniper team with a spotter on the main street and make some noise, and then stack up my force and move down the street to mop the left overs. If I am stuck in bad situation on a side street, usually i can just pin down the enemy and let the grunts assault it or pull back into cover. (all thanks to bobby ray updating its inventory.. I now stock several craters of the most common ammo and other necessities, and used it to great effect to hunt and capture the well stocked "men in black", I even got a Dragunov happy )

1. I guess i'll just bite the bullet, and make a new dedicated spotter\radio operator to stay at the back.
2. It makes sense that any detained person sent to the prison will leave all his items behind, if it is not a feature it should be, why waste my time doing pointless chore?
3. I seen it mentioned in the load screen tool tips, but I can't recall what it is. I also can't recall the one for picking up all the dropped backpacks. I'll try to google an uptodate hotkey list.

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Corporal
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