Terra Dolor: OOC Discussion & Think Tank

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
So, just in time for our XCOM2 RP to be over, I have finally bought XCOM2. What took me so long? Money, obviously. It was under $30, I had a $20 gift card, and I'm almost done with Wind Waker (a gift from a good friend).

So those who have played, any tips for the beginning? Any early mistakes that I can avoid would be great.
 

DarkGemini24601

Well-Known Member
So, just in time for our XCOM2 RP to be over, I have finally bought XCOM2. What took me so long? Money, obviously. It was under $30, I had a $20 gift card, and I'm almost done with Wind Waker (a gift from a good friend).

So those who have played, any tips for the beginning? Any early mistakes that I can avoid would be great.
Mmm... it's been awhile since I've played vanilla. Let me think.

If you have steam there's probably some fun, non-gameplay changing mods I can recommend too.

Foremost, be wary of the mission timers. Guerilla ops give you eight turns to grab the package before its destroyed, and council missions have a fixed evac point you need to get to before 12 turns have elapsed. If you fail to make it, any troops left on the map (that survive the last enemy turn) will be captured. They might show up on subsequent council ops as prisoners to free but don't count on it.

Gatecrasher's going to be difficult, though - provided you're not playing on Legend like some crazy person - grenades will break cover reliably and instant kill Troopers. Don't be shy about spamming them. You want your first squad to be uninjured so you can have full capabilities for the first month.

Your Grenadier will be your best friend. The combat hacker tree on Specialists is better for your first rodeo I'd say. Sharpshooters are super bad on timed missions, provided you build them snipy. Go Gunslinger for hilarious Stacie action. Pistols have no ammo, though only sharpshooters have them. Rangers are good with shotguns, their swords are weaker and are only good for dashing attacks before you have run and gun. Don't rely on them for kills since they'll leave your Ranger up front possibly exposed.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
Mmm... it's been awhile since I've played vanilla. Let me think.

If you have steam there's probably some fun, non-gameplay changing mods I can recommend too.

Foremost, be wary of the mission timers. Guerilla ops give you eight turns to grab the package before its destroyed, and council missions have a fixed evac point you need to get to before 12 turns have elapsed. If you fail to make it, any troops left on the map (that survive the last enemy turn) will be captured. They might show up on subsequent council ops as prisoners to free but don't count on it.

Gatecrasher's going to be difficult, though - provided you're not playing on Legend like some crazy person - grenades will break cover reliably and instant kill Troopers. Don't be shy about spamming them. You want your first squad to be uninjured so you can have full capabilities for the first month.

Your Grenadier will be your best friend. The combat hacker tree on Specialists is better for your first rodeo I'd say. Sharpshooters are super bad on timed missions, provided you build them snipy. Go Gunslinger for hilarious Stacie action. Pistols have no ammo, though only sharpshooters have them. Rangers are good with shotguns, their swords are weaker and are only good for dashing attacks before you have run and gun. Don't rely on them for kills since they'll leave your Ranger up front possibly exposed.
Thanks, friend. Hopefully this will save a soldier or two.
 

DarkGemini24601

Well-Known Member
The Havenbrook Manor has a square footage of about 45,000 sq.ft. Surrounding the building itself is an expansive garden, an outdoor pool, and a massive outdoor training area.

Within, the building is rectangular in shape, longer going east to west, with the main door/gates facing south. Walking in, you find yourself in a grand entrance large enough to be a ballroom all on its own, with stairs leading up to the second floor balcony. There are actually three floors, with a ground floor, second floor, and basement level.

There are dozens of rooms for the hunters to sleep in, with private rooms available for distinguished hunters (and guests). Besides ones attached to bedrooms, there are a dozen separate baths. There is a smaller indoor pool, a gymnasium, a game room, a ballroom, an indoor training room, an expansive library, and a gallery of the Guilds prizes and findings over the years.

The sub floors are occupied by a large meeting room, a large laboratory, a smaller lab, the armory, and the smithy/forge.

Note that many of the walls have been reinforced to make it fort like, and there are even four stone watch towers surrounding it. Gargoyles of various size are all over the outside.

Hunters usually need a reason to go to the rooms in the basement, but are allowed anywhere on the first and second floors with two exceptions; Lady Havenbrook's office and adjoining bedroom, and her garage.

Approximate real world cost: $35,000,000
Quoting this for posterity so I can find it on the right thread.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
Great job guys. Everything is looking great so far. Things didn't go quite as I had hoped yesterday, but today is a new day, and my lengthy headache is finally gone.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
As a heads up, the first mission will be on Sunday. It will involve 5-6 of your characters. Naturally, with ten characters, not everyone can go on it. Those who don't will be on the following mission.

Before choosing who will go on it, I need to know if any of you won't be available on Sunday.
 

ExoGrim

Active Member
As a heads up, the first mission will be on Sunday. It will involve 5-6 of your characters. Naturally, with ten characters, not everyone can go on it. Those who don't will be on the following mission.

Before choosing who will go on it, I need to know if any of you won't be available on Sunday.
I most likely be late, going to a convention over the weekend, but I should be there
 

Black0ut

Well-Known Member
As a heads up, the first mission will be on Sunday. It will involve 5-6 of your characters. Naturally, with ten characters, not everyone can go on it. Those who don't will be on the following mission.

Before choosing who will go on it, I need to know if any of you won't be available on Sunday.
I should be able to make it.
 

Frostlich1228 (Alt)

Well-Known Member
As a heads up, the first mission will be on Sunday. It will involve 5-6 of your characters. Naturally, with ten characters, not everyone can go on it. Those who don't will be on the following mission.

Before choosing who will go on it, I need to know if any of you won't be available on Sunday.

Doing something Saturday but I should be able to make it Sunday
 

Dahlexpert

Well-Known Member
As a heads up, the first mission will be on Sunday. It will involve 5-6 of your characters. Naturally, with ten characters, not everyone can go on it. Those who don't will be on the following mission.

Before choosing who will go on it, I need to know if any of you won't be available on Sunday.
Not me got to go to work really early no on my part.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
I feel compelled to explain something in terms of the Havenbrook Gargoyles. The reason one is seen being hoisted up instead of just flying up to its spot is because not all of the gargoyles are living creatures. More then half of them are simply stone statues.

The reason for this is gargoyles are dangerous and can not be tamed in, say, the same way Charter tamed Slone. They're monsters, and they can be controlled only with a special charm they must wear at all times. The charms are expensive to make and the gargoyles are dangerous and difficult to capture, thus it is impractical to have a whole bunch of them when a few coupled with stone gargoyles meet the intimidation factor.
 

Black0ut

Well-Known Member
I feel compelled to explain something in terms of the Havenbrook Gargoyles. The reason one is seen being hoisted up instead of just flying up to its spot is because not all of the gargoyles are living creatures. More then half of them are simply stone statues.

The reason for this is gargoyles are dangerous and can not be tamed in, say, the same way Charter tamed Slone. They're monsters, and they can be controlled only with a special charm they must wear at all times. The charms are expensive to make and the gargoyles are dangerous and difficult to capture, thus it is impractical to have a whole bunch of them when a few coupled with stone gargoyles meet the intimidation factor.
So we have a natural defense force of monsters to kill/ distract enemies in case the guild is attacked and intimidates most into submission. That's actually pretty cool. :D
 
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