Ramikin Rebalance

Ramikin Rebalance 1.0

1. Intro
1.1. The "Geoscape Balance" module
1.2. The "Alloy Craft and Lasers" module
2. Summary: the new balance
2.1 Early war
2.2 Alloy tech stage
2.3 Elerium tech stage
2.4 Tougher fights but faster recovery
2.5 Interceptors and interceptions
2.6 R&D adjustments
3. Suggested settings (not requirements)
4. Credits

1. Intro

The main motivation here is to address Geoscape combat: to make all Craft Weapons viable.

The secondary goal is to delay the obsolescence of Earth tech, in both Geoscape and Battlescape, while creating a distinct Alloy tech middle stage between Earth tech and Plasma/Elerium tech.

The scope is intentionally limited, working with vanilla weapons and craft and adding almost no new content, compared to more invasive reworks like the Equal Terms mod.

Both OXC and OXCE-compatible; Extended mechanics are not used.

1.1. The "Geoscape Balance" module

In unmodded X-com only Avalanches and Plasma Beams see use. Other weapons have either insufficient clip size (Fusion Ball Launcher) or inferior range and damage (everything else). Also there is little reason to manufacture other craft than Avengers.

This ruleset is an attempt to give the player reasons to use other options. Purely rebalancing; no new content.

1.2. The "Alloy Craft and Lasers" module

A separate ruleset adds an alloy craft. Better able to withstand enemy fire, it brings out the value of the Craft Cannon as a high DPS weapon. Rentable immediately after researching Alien Alloys.

Also: as Laser Cannons and Laser Rifles mostly obsolete all starting Earth tech, access to all laser weapons is delayed: they now require Alien Alloys.

This also means the Laser Tank is now an Alloy tank.

2. Summary: the new balance

Consider finding out by playing!

But if you want the "spoilers" about the new situation on the Geoscape, then here is a basic summary:

2.1 Early war

• Avalanches: inaccurate but powerful, now often destroy Medium Scouts instead of downing them. Best used against Large Scouts. Also safe against Abductors and Harvesters, but you'll need more than one craft for the Harvester, and often for the Abductor too.
• Stingrays are now safe to use against both Small and Medium Scouts without risk of destroying them. Using them against larger craft is very risky if all you have is Interceptors.
• Craft Cannon are now the high DPS option. Only Elerium-based weapons have a higher damage output. Need to be put on a tougher craft than the Interceptor to truly shine.
• Missile costs increased.

2.2 Alloy tech stage

• New alloy craft: "Raven", more resilient than the Interceptor. A pair of Ravens armed with Craft Cannons will defeat even a Harvester.
• Laser Cannons: ideal against any UFOs of Medium size or less. They now outrange Abductors and Large Scouts (in addition to Harvesters), and won't destroy Small Scouts.
• Heavy Laser improved, though more modestly than Xcomutil's overpowered monstrosity. Good sniping weapon.
• The Laser Tank is now an alloy tank; stats and appearance adjusted accordingly.

2.3 Elerium tech stage

• Plasma Beams: the first weapon to outrange Supply and Terror ships (Avalanches no longer do), but now costs precious Elerium to rearm.
• A Battleship is now a roughly equal opponent to a single Avenger with 2x Plasma Beams. Two such craft are needed to ensure victory with little risk.
• Fusion Ball Launchers: doubled clip size, doubled projectile movement speed. (A slow missile partly cancels the benefit of long range.)
• Two Craft with 2xFBL each will down a Battleship in short order, though not without risk for Firestorms.
• Fusion Balls' Elerium cost is halved per missile, and therefore unchanged for a full clip. Plasma Beams are more damage/cost efficient, but lower on DPS.

2.4 Tougher UFOs but faster recovery

• Damage dealt by all UFOs increased. Moreoever, some UFOs have more hitpoints, giving them more time to return fire, and/or have faster firing rates. This includes Large Scouts, so mind your Interceptors' health! Also be very careful attacking Terror and Supply Ships with Firestorms. Battleships are a deadly threat to any single craft, even the Avenger.
• Repairing speed increased for X-com craft with more hitpoints, so no more month-long repairs for the Avenger.

2.5 Interceptors and interceptions:

• UFOs: Breakoff-times increased for all Scouts, to remove one of the reasons the Craft Cannon was pointless.
• The Medium Scout is now a Very Small UFO, to match how it's easier to completely destroy it; now only the Large Scout is in the Small category.
• Firestorm: now the fastest craft. Can catch any UFO, but won't last if under fire from Large and Very Large ones.
• Avenger: Slower than Abductors, Harvesters, and Terror Ships. Faster than all the rest, including Supply Ships and Battleships.
• Elerium consumption per flight hour is lower for all craft. Fuel capacities increased.

2.6 R&D adjustments

• Alien Alloys are quicker to research than before. The saved time was instead added to Laser Cannon research.
• Medikits and Motion Detectors are now more profitable to sell, to compensate for the lost importance of the Laser Cannon as a cash crop. The yield per month should be about 75-80% of what you'd get with Cannons, a bit lower because you can start earlier.
• Manufacturing Plasma Beams requires 15 Alien Alloys (not 15 Elerium). Instead they require Elerium as ammo. Similarly, Fusion Ball Launchers need 20 Alien Alloys (not merely 1).
• Avengers cost 4 Power Sources and 240 Alloys to build.

3. Suggested settings (not requirements)

The mod works well without these setting, but they're ideas you might find worthwhile.

• UFO Extender accuracy: YES
  The new Heavy Laser is good with Aimed shots. It's fun to mix it with Laser Rifles in a setting where autofire isn't the solution to everything.
• Force Craft Launch: YES
  An Avenger will take serious damage against any Battleship even with Firestorms helping. It would be anti-fun to miss out on the follow-up ground mission for that reason.
• Alien Weapon Self-Destruction: YES
  Consider this option if you'd like to put extra strain on both your dollar and Elerium economies. That will highlight the difference between cheap Craft Cannons vs missiles, Laser vs Elerium weapons, and Plasma Beams vs the more Elerium-costly FBLs.

4. Credits

Thanks to MickTheMage for permitting the inclusion of the "Raven" mod. Note that the current ruleset was adjusted by me (originally it wasn't an Alloy craft, for example), and thus any shortcomings in this version are my responsibility.

Thanks to whoever made the openxcom modding tools for the easy to use tool to edit tank appearances.