PROJECTS
The reason behind the mods is simple: to modify both the maps and the alien AI
routing and placement of the Terror Site terrain, in order to allow for a more
challenging, urban combat terrain. At its conclusion it will be possible to
play X-COM: Area 51 without changes on the tactical engine by simply replacing
certain files, allowing for players to use the new terrain in their own UFO
games.
The original Terror Site terrain
always was one of my favorites: buildings to blow up, civilians to be
transformed into walking zombies and some really tight combats. However, I was
felt that it wasn't a 'real' urban setting: of the ten possible buildings, only
one had four levels (the game limit for height), while most of the 20x20 large
buildings had only one or two built up levels. In other words, there was a lot
of empty space, which turned the 'urban' fighting more like fighting in a
village. And even then, almost all of the fighting occurred outside the
walls. You could use the buildings to snipe at the aliens but there was few
combat inside them.
Area
51
In X-COM: Area 51, there's ten new
buildings, nearly all with three or four levels. With the exception of the POL
Depot and the Radar Outpost, all the others were built completely new from the
ground. With them, the tactical area turns into something completely different:
- More places for snipers, both
alien and X-COM.
- More fighting inside walls (akin
to storming a UFO, but now you can be shot at from the outside!).
- A different environment on
tactical, reflecting a military base: instead of streets now there's
runways; the new buildings have specific purposes (the Research
Facility, the Radar Outpost, the Hangar, etc.), using graphics from other UFO
and TFTD terrains.
- A more explosive scenario: more
objects that will explode when being shot at, placing both soldiers and aliens
in potential hazard.
Although the project is completed, a
new version will be released featuring some new graphics, created for the XComUtil version. There might be the occasional bug
concerning the terrain or the aliens but they will eventually show up. The mod
only changes the files used by the Terror Site terrain, leaving the rest of the
game completely unchanged.
Area
51 (XComUtil version)
Thanks to Scott T. Jones’ XComUtil program the enlarged version of Area 51 will have
over 30 different maps, from the basic 10x10 maps to 40x40 maps. This project
is still being developed although I hope to finish it sometime soon.
The
Hive
Originally I conceived the Hive
taking into account images of the Alien series: some sort of organic
construction made by the aliens to breed Chryssalids
(brrr!) that would resemble a hellish maze in 3D. The
3D maze is another thing that only came out with TFTD. Unfortunately, since the
Skyranger needs a place to land, the end result is
something bizarre. Since it can't be used to replace the Alien Base or any
other terrains, I'm waiting to see if there's another way to implement it fully
(without the Skyranger, transforming the entire map
into an enclosed area).
While I was designing it I started
creating new graphics (so far I had used graphics from other terrains in UFO
and TFTD) and that was so interesting that I decided to finish it.
The
City
The City is the latest terrain set
I'm working at the moment. Although Area 51 turned out really nice, it still
didn't have the urbanized look I was seeking for. That happened because I
realized that it would be better to leave Area51 as a military base and to do
something new, this time being a real City, like the terrains on Apocalypse.
The hardest part so far has been
designing new graphics (it takes ages because I use Paint). However, most of it
will come from TFTD's
And what next?
My major dream is to create a series
of custom designed 60x60 buildings (covering the entire game area), if it's
technically possible to run it on UFO. Those could be then used like special
missions, where you'd have to storm or defend a large facility with your troops,
or simply as a replacement for any terrain in the game. I'm crossing my fingers
to see if that's possible. :)