Update #25

In addition to the usual bugfixes and minor changes, this week we got the revised base defense missions, adjusted based on the feedback we have been receiving over the past couple of weeks. Please continue to share your experiences with these missions!

Other major changes: Umbra and Decoys will not stop bullets anymore! That’s right, you can shoot right through that Umbra to hit that pesky Siren behind it. (another miracle possible thanks to Dimitar "Codemite" Evtimov :) ); all medium sized monsters will now walk over small critters and things, sometimes smashing them in the process.

-Bugfixes
+Umbra not targetable.
+Recruit interface showing what base would come under attack.
+Units could be deployed/recruited to base under attack.
+Parapsychosis actual range 14 instead of 12.
+AI controlled characters with paralyzing or virus weapons shooting at turrets and spider drones.
+Error messages related to AI target culling (looked like random error messages during enemy move).
+Vanilla infested base mission if base becomes infested after attack.
+Jamming field causing fumbles when it shouldn’t (also malfunctions to Kaos Weapons).

-Changes
+It's no longer possible to demolish a facility if doing so would cut off other facilities from the hangar; this is to prevent "bad" maps from being created for base defense, where player units are trapped after spawning.
+All medium size monsters (Chirons, Acherons and Cyclops) can now walk over small critters and things (like drones and worms). In addition, Cyclops and Chirons with heavier legs will squish them as they walk over them.
+Cyclops, as well as Chirons and Scyllas with heavier legs, are now immune to fire.
+Umbra and Decoys don’t stop bullets anymore. Make sure you don’t have anybody you care about behind them!
+Scorpion shred removed, instead projectile made unstoppable: it will just keep going, smashing everything in its way, hitting multiple limbs of the same target, and other targets behind it.
+New loading tips
+Reverted True Grit to 10% DR and Paranoid PER to +4.
+Project Osiris chances slightly reduced.
+Soldiers at a base successfully attacked by Pandorans will escape to nearest base.

-Further implementation
+Base defense missions have been adjusted using the feedback received so far. Please let us know what you think!

you can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland

Hotfix 2 to Update #24

-Bugfixes
+Softlock on Spawnery getting destroyed in tactical

Hotfix 1 to Update #24

-Bugfixes
+Softlock on an object getting destroyed in tactical
+Error message on start if subbed to BetterEnemies

Update #24

This week we focused on bugfixing and improving enemy AI, among other things addressing the use of ‘decoys' by the player to trick the AI. It’s a valid strategy, but it can also be a bit meta and immersion breaking. The main changes in this regard are that: the decoy ability will produce the same, good, appealing, tasty decoy regardless of the character who casts it, but ‘smarter’ enemies attacking from a close distance will see through the ruse after the first attack, and Scylla will ignore small enemies (and traverse over them or trample them, depending on leg type) and ranged enemies will typically ignore them too.

Also, if you have ‘Make Pandorans Stronger’ option enabled (and you are not subbed to BetterEnemies; otherwise TFTV detects BetterEnemies and tries to avoid messing with it), all Scyllas get a 25% damage resistance perk.

There are also a lot of other changes, like TBTV Call Reinforcements now being limited to one call (after that the Arthron/Crab can be Touched by the Void again)!

Let us know in #feedback what your experience is like, and how you feel about Pandoran AI, and which of their behavriours you find immersion breaking.

This week I will be focusing on adjusting the new base defense missions, so if you have any feedback on that make sure to share it as well!

-Bugfixes
+Softlock when killing wild Arthron or Triton that are set to cast Umbra
+Visible deployment zones on all maps
+Log revealing impending attack on Phoenix bases
+The 2 early Scyllas always skipped instead of one of them being picked as the first
+Cyclops skipping turns (Vanilla bug)
+Psychic Scream was able to target metallic substance actors (the AI used it on drones, turrets, vehicles ...)
+Wild faction actors were valid targets for Parapsychosis (it was possible to use it on them and AP/WP were reduced with no effect)
+Mind Crush, Induce Panic and Mind Control did get AP reduction with Sabotage (as attack skills they shouldn't)
+Softlock when actor with neural feedback dazes a friendly

Changes
+Scyllas will now ignore all small critters and things (worms, spider drones, turrets), walk over them and if they have heavy legs destroy them in the process
+AI controlled characters will ignore small critters and things more often (making them less useful as decoys)
+Infiltrator decoy now spawns as a special D-Coy character with no armor, making it a more attractive target; it doesn’t die, but disappears when HP reduced to 0 or a “smart” opponent attacks it from a short distance
+New substance for Umbra. Have fun testing what damage types work vs obviously-imagined-not-real oil monsters! (before the egg throwing begins, killing the host with fire should still prevent the Umbra from spawning)
+Added back option to turn off show faces in personnel screen in the config (look at the bottom of the screen)
+Cyclops stomp now doesn’t affect friendlies
+Call Reinforcements TBTV calls reinforcements now only once
+If you are playing with Make Pandorans Stronger (unsub/turn off BetterEnemies if you do), Scyllas now have 25% DR vs all types of damage.
+Background: True Grit Damage Resistance 10% -> 20%
+Background: Paranoid Perception +4 -> +8
+Excluded Sirens from Parapsychosis

you can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland

Hotfix 2 to Update# 23

-Bugfixes
+Base defense hints not showing unless player has optional context hints turned on
+Base defense objectives not spawning on some maps
+Jamming Field fix: More than one application of the status on enemies
+Parapsychosis fix: Can be used against Sentinels and Umbras

-Changes
+ if an Umbra spawns from a wild Arthron or Triton then it will be switched back to the Pandoran faction

Hotfix 1 to Update 23

-Bugfixes
+Parapsychosis affecting multiple enemies
+Umbra spawning every turn on base defense missions (sorry about that one ;))
[no, that’s not an evil laugh you are hearing in the distance]
+Canceling protect the cyclops mission not removing the mission, allowing to do it later
+Errors and issues with BetterEnemies integration because TFTV failed to detect that BE was also running

-Changes
+The HP bar of all wild faction characters is now colored magenta to easily identify them

Update #23

This week:

-First reports of bugs with base defense missions, and first fixes to them, as well as to infiltrator jamming field (which wasn’t working at all because something important was missing somewhere, oopsy).

-A major QOL upgrade - Mutoids will now proudly show their class. Next possible step: adding a pool of names for them. How do you feel about it? Would you rather they be named after ponies and unicorns of MLP (pros: large pool of badass names like Applejack or Cadance), or the Dragons from GoT HoD (pros: well, they are not entirely uncool, I suppose…)? Both? Neither? Come over to our Discord and make your opinion known!

-Changes to Scylla, ensuring that she will use cannons (if she has them) after attacking with spitter or sonic head.

And last but not least,

-BetterEnemies integration into TFTV. We have moved a lot of stuff from Dtony’s and Belial’s BetterEnemies straight into base TFTV, mainly some fixes to AI (Siren can now use acid torso, Tritons will more often prefer to shoot rather than spank, etc.), changes to human perception (human perception reduced to 30 from 35, and human headgear rebalanced around it) and reduction of WPs of Arthrons and Tritons. An option that increases difficulty by making Pandorans more dangerous is included in the config, as a single switch; in the future more granular selection of changes will be implemented. If you are already subscribed to BetterEnemies, none of these changes will take effect to avoid compatibility issues.

-Bugfixes
+If player doesn’t destroy Citadel, keeps facing same type of Scylla
+Enemy infiltrators not getting the new skills
+Umbra strat error in base defense
+Can’t exist deployment screen in base defense if mission started without any operatives
+Jamming field not working
+1000 mat reward from some ancient sites and double exotic materials from all of them (hmm, wonder why this one wasn’t reported until spotted by Etermes :) )

-Changes
+Mutoid icons and names now reflect chosen class
+Jamming field status (icon) will only appear on enemies that can be affected by it (those using direct fire weapons)
+Scylla will now prepare to use cannons after launching sonic or spit attack
+Range of sonic and spit attack reduced from 20 to 15
+Scylla spit attack damage slightly increased

-Other
+BetterEnemies integration

you can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland

Hotfix to Update #22/April 25 release

-Bugfixes
+Base defense timer reappearing on loading game
+Terraformers Syn alliance mission not featuring a proper gang
+Release version number/date not updated on github release

-Further implementation
+Infestation mission to recover base

you can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland

Update #22

Hopefully the wait for this release will have been worth it, because it's BIG. In addition to the usual bugfixes (some of them Vanilla), we have the BetterClasses long awaited Infiltrator class rework, and the new Base Defense mission and Geoscape mechanics.

Please be aware that as the first testers of this content you will likely encounter bugs and balance issues. Your bug reports and feedback are very, very important. In addition, please note that the Base Defense content is not yet 100% finished: major things pending completion are rework of the infestation mission (which is now available to recover a base lost to the act) and adjusting the base defense mission and Geoscape mechanics to attacks from factions.

In other news, I have created a Buy Me a Coffee page, so that you can buy me coffee if you feel like it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/voland

-Bugfixes
+Myrmidons not fleeing the battlefield after torso disabled (Vanilla bug)
+Missions can be done more than once if using more than one aircraft (Vanilla bug)
+Firequenchers error message spam
+Error on completing some missions, preventing obtaining resource rewards.
+VO effects persisting across different games
+Impossible Weapons adjustments not applying correctly if loading a tactical save
+Mutoids triggering Project Osiris
+Penalties from diplomacy missions not applying if loading Autosave
+Incorrect Vampiric damage shown in UI for Mutoids/Mutated operatives

-Changes
+New portraits for Alistair, Olena and Helena (still using our friend Abbinco's portraits as a base, now with more AI magic)

-Other
+A lot of corrections to text (big shoutout to Louis for editing!). Full stops are now mandatory. Everywhere. Always.

-New features
+Completely reworked Base defense, on Geoscape and on tactical. Big thanks to Dimitar "Codemite" Evtimov from Snapshot Games for all the help, especially re uncovering the mysteries of objective tile placement on the map!

-Better Classes

There is so much stuff that I'm just posting what Madskunky has given me :):

These should be the changes from the last package, but maybe not complete or even some of them were already in the last version, not sure:

- Ignore Pain: Removed "mind control immunity"

- Synedrion Faction Perks: Replaced lvl2 Skill (Pain Chameleon) with OW Focus

- Phoenix Point Faction Perks: Replaced lvl 2 Skill (OW Focus) with the new Skill "Die Hard": When you take lethal damage there is 50% to survive with 1HP and have all negative effects cleared and broken limbs restored. Can only trigger once per combat.

- Advanced Laser Weapons: Changed Synedrion requirement from "Laser Weapons Research" to "Multi-sensor Threat detection Research",
Reverted New Jericho requirement to "Technician Research" instead of "Advanced Technician Weapons Research"

- Advanced Melee Weapon: New requirements are Advanced Melee Weapons (DoA) and Advanced Paralysing Weapons (Syn)

- Advanced Acid Technology: Requires Heavy Cannon Deployment (PX) research in addition to Acid Weapons Technology (DoA)

- Armor Break change: Grants 15 Shred to the next direct-fire or melee attack. The shred damage is additive, but is split between pellets. WP 2 -> 3

- Infiltrator Skills rework:
Lvl. 5: Neural Feedback - Passive - Gain 2 AP the first time you daze an enemy during the turn
Lvl. 6: Jamming Field - Passive - Enemies within 10 tiles have 50% fumble chance with firearms
Lvl. 6 Vanish moved to Class perk 1 (lvl. 3 on the 3rd row)
Lvl. 7: Parasychosis - 1AP/6WP - Target human-sized enemy within 12 tiles becomes Wild

Other:
- Jet Jump is now limited to one use per turn
- Jetpack Control range increased to 14, limited to one use per turn
- Rocket Leap WP cost increased to 3 from 2, limited to 2 uses per turn