Home » PLAYER'S HQ 1.13 » v1.13 General Gameplay Talk » Why my mercs cannot hit broadside of a barn . . . and other questions (back to game after 1 year, finding it very 'challenging')
| Why my mercs cannot hit broadside of a barn . . . and other questions[message #341047]
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Tue, 19 May 2015 15:50 
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 Anthropoid |
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Messages:145
Registered:February 2014 |
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I did not discover this old classic, nor the astoundingly well-done 1.13 mod until about a year ago, and you'll note I got a bit active on here around then. Back then, I seemed to have "got the hang of it" and got as far as a nice foothold in Arulco (captured all of Chitzena, and Drassen, repelled counterattack, captured all of Cambria, hired up to about 15 mercs, had everyone well kitted with fancy gear . . . got to the point of rarely having to use reloads for disastrous engagements).
I do not recall what difficulty I used to play at, but I want to say it was Experienced. Now, that was a different machine (machine is dead now) and I believe a preceding version of the game. I'm playing with the latest beta build of 1.13 . . .
I do not recall exactly which one I installed, but I have two changelog files in my 1.13 directory:
ChangeLog_data_2233
and
ChangeLog_data_7816, so I'm guessing I have 7816 installed.
I have a number of questions about the game, and I'll use this thread as a common place to ask ones that come up and which I'm unable to answer by looking around. I'd really like to finish at least one play through on this game. One question in particular is really bugging me.
In the interest of figuring out if I am committing user error and simply do not understand the full nature of the new chance to hit rule system I'm playing with, or if I just do not like a game that is this much of an advantage to computer opponents:
Why are my mercs such crap at hitting, whereas basic early game enemy seem to be pretty well amazing crack shots? (Experienced difficulty with no significant changes made to the chance to hit rules; only changed a few things like Bobby Ray shipment factors, slight changes to food values, all using the editor).
Example of how an engagement plays out:
My four man team (one IMP merc, Thor, Barry and MD) have cleared Omerta, and (amazingly) killed all 3 or 4 enemies without anyone getting shot. I accomplished this by making reasonable use of the END, DEL, L, weapon-resting (mostly while prone) mechanisms as well as things like 'baiting' the AI out into the open. This was with all starting pistols (9x19 and .38s). I head off south, and then west, and encounter a group of 4 baddies in the farmhouse sector (B9 or B10 is it?, the one with the chicken coop in northeast corner and the cornfields east and south of it.
On arrival I put my IMP Merc "Doosh" (Lvl 4, Squadleader, Scout) about midway along the north-south axis, Barry just north of him in the rocks, Thor south of him, and MD just behind and slightly south of Thor.
First thing, Barry spots an enemy between him and the farmhouse. I check cover view (END), switch to run, get behind a rock, crouch, look to rest weapon on rock, and fire fully-aimed (with a Makarov) shot was out of range but hey, good cover here . . . missed twice.
Doosh also gets into cover and puts his binocs in right hand and scans for the others, sees them west of the cornfields.
Thor goes into stealth and heads out to greet them, MD behind him.
Doosh, then switches to crouch, puts pistol in right hand, fires one shot. Might have hit.
So, that gives you a sense of my mastery (or lack thereof) of the tactical dynamics in the game: fast forward one or two turns . . . synthesis, my mercs firing from cover with weapons rested, them well-rested and fed, morale good (although firing pistol slightly out of effective range), no wounds, and reasonable MRK (85 and higher) seem to rarely hit (it is true that the high MRK mercs do seem to hit more, but still, even they hit rather rarely it seems). Indeed, it almost seems random as to whether taking the effort to get a "better" shot (enemy in my green zone, taking careful aim and weapon rested on a surface) makes any difference. Perhaps it is just anecdotal and I really need to record the data to say with certainty, but it seems that, whereas the AI runs up, readys weapon at standing fires wildly three times and hits once quite often, my guys almost NEVER do that, and almost ALWAYS are quite careful about how they set up their shots (and these are mercs with MRK and AGI in the 70s and 80s) and nonethless miss >50% of the time.
So, what sort of bonuses is the AI getting on Experienced difficulty and what lines in the code might I consider changing to adjust "Experienced" to be a bit less advantageous for the AI in shooting?
[Updated on: Tue, 19 May 2015 16:21] Report message to a moderator
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Sergeant
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