the fact its been years and ben still can't grasp how line of sight works irl is pretty funny. "he can see me but I can't see him, thats now how it works!"
That dinky ship mission was absolute BS. There's just zero explanation of the difficulty ramp here. Warhammer 40K should play out a lot like traditional XCOM. The units you face have known and predictable power levels, in this case, ported over from the tabletop. I don't play, but even I know an actual goddamned Tyrranid Genestealer _should_ be a bigger threat than a cultist with a rotor cannon halfway across the map. With the exception of the ogryn in an undershirt, everyone that cultist hit was wearing serious armour, and they all went down in one shot. Absolutely rediculous. Meanwhile, of all the genestealers we've seen over the streams, I think there have been maybe two deaths to them? Many have just run right past units as if they can't see them. They should be sneaky torpedoes of death, more like the chupacabras from XCOM Files. Right now they're behaving like Mr. Magoo joined a funky cult.
To add on to this rant (because I'm disgruntled on Ben's behalf), XCOM walks an interesting game balance tightrope. The game is designed to give you little real information on the battlescape about what threats you're facing. It's a game with imperfect information. This is great. In the original, you start fighting tiny little grey aliens that look weak, and are. When you see a sectopod for the first time, you know it's a threat from its design, but you have zero specifics about it. This works great for the base game, and for a lot of mods. The ability to examine guns in enemies' hands for their stats once researched is a great touch added by OpenXcom. However, this starts to fall apart in scenarios like this 40K modpack's difficulty curve. It's cool and kinda logical that your enemies might start packing special ammunition to deal with you. Unfortunately, you have _no warning_ that this is the case when you encounter a cultist with a rotor cannon. The cultists Ben fought in the earlier months went down like trees near a logging camp and couldn't tap back. Suddenly they're incredibly dangerous. You can argue that a player might expect an increase in difficulty as the months progress, but this is an increase with zero warning or feedback. It's different from encountering mutons for the first time. You instantly know something's wrong when you see the big green chungus around the corner. Here the cultists have become traps for the player, and not good ones. Furthermore, in this 40K modpack specifically, it seems ridiculous to have your base cultists suddenly become a threat when 40K is all about models. You threat-assess by looking at the models, or the guns in the models' hands. Not the ammunition in the guns.
@@irregularassassin6380 I absolutely agree. Variation in enemy's ammo type is pretty bullshit because there's no warning or suggestion that anything is even different at all, especially against the same enemy types. At least in packs like XCOM Files, certain factions will consistently use fancy ammo, but you're going to approach with caution if it's your first encounter, and you'll definitely know about it after that mission. Also, the factions are *very* clearly defined in XCOM Files while here, everything is classified as "Heretics >:(" and you just get to find out what you're up against once you get there.
Other issue is that so many missions have 500-1000 point penalties if you skip them and there are no chump missions. Nothing you can rock up to and mow down some basic cultists, train some stats, earn some points, make a few credits. It's all in every single time.
Yeah the balancing of this pack is definitely out of line with traditional xcom. I've been playing as the IG and trying to get through any mission without losing almost everyone, or completely wiping is insane. Against anything other than basic cultists you're at such a heavy disadvantage right out the gate as your first mission could be tzeentch demons and rubric marines. The only way I've gotten through missions like those is being super tactical, taking long and tedious turns, inching forward turn by turn, heavily relying on the chimeras turrets, mounted heavy bolter, and lots of krak. Even then I'd be lucky if half the squad lives, only for that half to get pasted next mission so I always have trash rookies.
I love these videos, as someone who can't watch live and thinks the twitch vod feature is ass these are a god send
This felt like the start of XCOM files, when all your agents are in suits getting shredded by anyone who looks at them funny, not space marines
By the Emperor! I thought this was abandoned!
Have faith, brother
A month has past and the bemperor returns.
"Throws the bucket down the well"
the fact its been years and ben still can't grasp how line of sight works irl is pretty funny. "he can see me but I can't see him, thats now how it works!"
Ostrich Ben
well that was bloodbath after bloodbath.
Still no Lew-lew...
But who will forget to bring the guns then!?
Worry not, Ben manages to do it every so often.
Lewis is a jaded miserable man who hates and complains. Outwardly spoken in his views and cancels content that everyone likes.
Confirmed Ben not dead. World will be okay.🎉🎉🎉
That dinky ship mission was absolute BS. There's just zero explanation of the difficulty ramp here.
Warhammer 40K should play out a lot like traditional XCOM. The units you face have known and predictable power levels, in this case, ported over from the tabletop. I don't play, but even I know an actual goddamned Tyrranid Genestealer _should_ be a bigger threat than a cultist with a rotor cannon halfway across the map. With the exception of the ogryn in an undershirt, everyone that cultist hit was wearing serious armour, and they all went down in one shot. Absolutely rediculous.
Meanwhile, of all the genestealers we've seen over the streams, I think there have been maybe two deaths to them? Many have just run right past units as if they can't see them. They should be sneaky torpedoes of death, more like the chupacabras from XCOM Files. Right now they're behaving like Mr. Magoo joined a funky cult.
To add on to this rant (because I'm disgruntled on Ben's behalf), XCOM walks an interesting game balance tightrope. The game is designed to give you little real information on the battlescape about what threats you're facing. It's a game with imperfect information. This is great. In the original, you start fighting tiny little grey aliens that look weak, and are. When you see a sectopod for the first time, you know it's a threat from its design, but you have zero specifics about it. This works great for the base game, and for a lot of mods. The ability to examine guns in enemies' hands for their stats once researched is a great touch added by OpenXcom.
However, this starts to fall apart in scenarios like this 40K modpack's difficulty curve. It's cool and kinda logical that your enemies might start packing special ammunition to deal with you. Unfortunately, you have _no warning_ that this is the case when you encounter a cultist with a rotor cannon. The cultists Ben fought in the earlier months went down like trees near a logging camp and couldn't tap back. Suddenly they're incredibly dangerous. You can argue that a player might expect an increase in difficulty as the months progress, but this is an increase with zero warning or feedback. It's different from encountering mutons for the first time. You instantly know something's wrong when you see the big green chungus around the corner. Here the cultists have become traps for the player, and not good ones.
Furthermore, in this 40K modpack specifically, it seems ridiculous to have your base cultists suddenly become a threat when 40K is all about models. You threat-assess by looking at the models, or the guns in the models' hands. Not the ammunition in the guns.
@@irregularassassin6380 I absolutely agree. Variation in enemy's ammo type is pretty bullshit because there's no warning or suggestion that anything is even different at all, especially against the same enemy types. At least in packs like XCOM Files, certain factions will consistently use fancy ammo, but you're going to approach with caution if it's your first encounter, and you'll definitely know about it after that mission. Also, the factions are *very* clearly defined in XCOM Files while here, everything is classified as "Heretics >:(" and you just get to find out what you're up against once you get there.
Other issue is that so many missions have 500-1000 point penalties if you skip them and there are no chump missions. Nothing you can rock up to and mow down some basic cultists, train some stats, earn some points, make a few credits. It's all in every single time.
Yeah the balancing of this pack is definitely out of line with traditional xcom. I've been playing as the IG and trying to get through any mission without losing almost everyone, or completely wiping is insane. Against anything other than basic cultists you're at such a heavy disadvantage right out the gate as your first mission could be tzeentch demons and rubric marines. The only way I've gotten through missions like those is being super tactical, taking long and tedious turns, inching forward turn by turn, heavily relying on the chimeras turrets, mounted heavy bolter, and lots of krak. Even then I'd be lucky if half the squad lives, only for that half to get pasted next mission so I always have trash rookies.
The moral is : don't run headfirst with your inquisitor in a genestealer ship I guess
Best not to end your turn by walking anything into a ship with the last of their TU.
Agreeing with what others have said, this difficulty curve feels insaaaaane
I feel like the first episode of this series I watched was in 2023