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[E. Albright]

I do not know whether CQC is calculated separately for every defender, if best defender is taken, or if random defender is taken. I assume that in case of melee attacks the defender is always the attacked one.

From Journal #078:
"Evasion (if any) of enemy closest to gal's front is substracted [sic] from [(0.5 Melee + 0.5 Reactions) * weapon CQ Accuracy (which is normally 85%)]. Note this check is performed always, whether you're targeting an enemy in melee range, or anything else."

From that, yes, melee attacks will always be the defender's evasion since you have to face them to attack them.

[Rolan7]

I'm pretty sure they play by the same rules, so draining their energy should let you actually shoot them.

In my experience though the formula is "just don't try".  If you can't get a tile away (often the case on cramped maps) just use melee instead.  I don't carry as much refreshment as I probably should, but *everyone* has a melee option.  Handle, fisticuffs, or preferably a stun baton.  Shock-a-fists later on, though they are very lethal hehe.  Melee is far more reliable than guns anyway, even if you do hit.

As the formula implies, you can't overwhelm the enemy's evasion with Firing, it's an entirely separate roll.  It also applies to each entire burst separately, so firing a 6-round from an SMG is just as ineffective.  It also works just fine if they're facing away.  It's pretty ridiculous, but it's also useful.  I still park gals next to ranged enemies and they very rarely get shot, usually the enemy backs off rather than even try.

[E. Albright]

Evasion only counts for half from behind, but yes, I'd not still recommend it. IIRC there might be some weapons that have reduced CQA penalties, but still, don't even try. I've survived enough fights with superior ranged opponents by swarming them to have a very healthy respect for melee accuracy disruption.

Also don't forget that melee weapons like hammers, picks, and chainsaws aren't actually melee weapons, so don't try those either.

As to everyone's CQC options, don't forget rifle butts on the medium/heavy rifles and some of the heavy weapons. As long as you're pretty strong, those are quite reliable and rarely lethal - though they are slower than a lot of dedicated options.

[Iduno]

As to everyone's CQC options, don't forget rifle butts on the medium/heavy rifles and some of the heavy weapons. As long as you're pretty strong, those are quite reliable and rarely lethal - though they are slower than a lot of dedicated options.

They always seem slow and less accurate than a handle or bat would have been. Slightly better (but hits harder) than the "free" hand while holding the rifle.

I mostly asked because enemies seem to be able to overcome my dodge attempts at the worst times. Perhaps because I need to win every time, and they only need to win one fight.

[Rince Wind]

And maybe you ran out of energy.

But yes, loosing a gal is hard. Killing a random enemy is barely noticed.
And when is it ever a good time for the enemies to overcome your dodge?

[Chiefwaffles]

So uh, what’s a good basic strategy for XPiratez? After both of my attempts ending in two years to a very strange base attack to an enemy I’ve never seen before and can only assume is a hardcoded event at this point, I definitely need to re-evaluate my strategy of “basically slowly turtle in the starting base.” I usually turtle way too much in games, but x-com and especially xpiratez are extremely punishing for it.

What’s a good early game craft weapon? I think I’m messing up the research so my first weapon with ammo is the spikeball launcher or the extremely expensive smuggled missile, 2 years in.
Also how should I be expanding and what should I focus on? Last game I maxed out the extractor on x-grog until I got the workshop rather late into my run, then maxed that out on x-grog after getting the codex. I think I had about 6-7 brainers by the end too.

(Also how the hell do you fight those very small APC shipping things in person)

[AzyWng]

A “very strange” base attack? Did enemies from Doom attack you or something?

[E. Albright]

They always seem slow and less accurate than a handle or bat would have been. Slightly better (but hits harder) than the "free" hand while holding the rifle.

Gun butts scale up more with strength - the bonus damage ranges from 0.5-0.65 * Str, whereas bats  have 0.3 and handles have 0.2 Str +0.25 Brv (with lower base damage). Armor is also 110% effective vs. bats or 122% vs handles, as opposed to 100% vs. buttstocks. They're really quite decent unless you're just starting out and/or a peasant/lok'narr.

What’s a good early game craft weapon?

I'd say empty slots are best early on. Take them on the ground, or don't take them. Anything else is kinda crappy and really pricey for a goodly long while. YMMV.

Last game I maxed out the extractor on x-grog until I got the workshop rather late into my run, then maxed that out on x-grog after getting the codex.

Chateau de la Mort is a lot better payout than X-grog, even if you need apples to make it.

[sluissa]

2 years is quite slow for that amount of progress. Granted I'm not MUCH faster but I'm definitely slow to the point of it causing me troubles and can imagine just a bit slower would be fatal.

The spikeball launcher is one of the first craft weapons you should get, but a lot of your missions should be going after craft that have landed on their own. Shooting things down, unless you have a good reason, is usually not worth it. Those early weapons and craft really limit what you even CAN shoot down.

Early on, equip people with melee and a couple of muskets for the ones that make themselves a pain. Handles for melee, preferably, to capture enemies alive. Use your huge.... time units... to get yourself close to the enemy and whack them on the head. Interrogate EVERYONE. Multiple times. Make sure you get every piece of research out of a given type of enemy before you start ransoming them.

Beyond that there can be a lot of luck involved in exactly what path you take. But interrogate prisoners, research new mission types, don't be afraid to run away, but also grab and take every crumb you can with you. Also losing your first few games is to be expected. Either accept that you'll have to do some reloading of saves, or accept that you'll have to start over a few times. I tend to always start over.

[frostshotgg]

So uh, what’s a good basic strategy for XPiratez? After both of my attempts ending in two years to a very strange base attack to an enemy I’ve never seen before and can only assume is a hardcoded event at this point, I definitely need to re-evaluate my strategy of “basically slowly turtle in the starting base.” I usually turtle way too much in games, but x-com and especially xpiratez are extremely punishing for it.

Basic strategy is blitzkreig for capped brainers. If you're on the newest version it's 12, then 16 once you get the personal lab, plus a couple more from various progression buildings. Brainers are your lifeblood. Cap by April-May on average, end of year 1 in the absolute worst case. They're expensive but they pay for themselves.

Also make more bases, even if it's just to throw down 8 plantations and forget about them. Cashflow is good.

[Rolan7]

Chateau de la Mort is a lot better payout than X-grog, even if you need apples to make it.

Yeah Chateau makes apples a valuable treasure - a mechanical reason to help the Lokk'Nars, as they tend to give a lot of apples.  Refining hellerium is almost as lucrative as X-grog if a base lacks a still.

So uh, what’s a good basic strategy for XPiratez? After both of my attempts ending in two years to a very strange base attack to an enemy I’ve never seen before and can only assume is a hardcoded event at this point, I definitely need to re-evaluate my strategy of “basically slowly turtle in the starting base.” I usually turtle way too much in games, but x-com and especially xpiratez are extremely punishing for it.

There isn't an awful lot of time pressure (except on the higher difficulties.  I think the HFS start retaliating 2 years in on hardest).  The enemies mostly scale up based on certain key researches, like "The Academy is alarmed" or "The Academy is angry", and pogroms are optional until you formally ally with the Mutant Alliance.  Score is easily positive just by research after the first few months, so taking your time just means less bonus dosh.

In general though I like to ramp up a manufacturing base as soon as reasonable, probably as soon as I get a workshop.  Making a base full of plantations also provides an income bonus and is easy to redevelop later on as more useful 4-tile buildings become available.  Always be researching, of course.  I like to focus on researching low-value captives first, to collect lore, so that high-value captives are more likely to give something good instead.

Slavery is lucrative and required for a nice lategame building, but it takes longer to pay off than I used to think.  A no-slavery run is very possible.  Robbing captives gives only half as much dosh as releasing but the bonus materials can be good.  More importantly it gives blue chips, which are a lot more than $1000 due to gambling. 

I got pretty far in J13a but didn't do much intercepting.  Bounty hunts and other static missions were usually enough.  That's pretty true even in the first few months- I never bothered with airballs, just grabbed a few civilians foolish enough to park nearby.

Base defences are an ever-looming threat, though it helps to avoid intercepting.  I try to keep an animal pen in every base.  I used to fill it with dogs and the occasional reaper, but I think bloodhounds can be bought en-masse with the proper research and are considerably tankier.  Dogs are very fast and deadly glass cannons, though.

(Also how the hell do you fight those very small APC shipping things in person)

Armored cars?  At first you don't, they're tanky as hell and deadly.  IIRC they're resistant to explosions, but they still take extra because they're multitile.  They're fortunately pretty rare, mainly showing up on pogroms.  I usually spam all the grenades I have available, then try to wear it down with machineguns/miniguns.  Their armor-pre-damage and sheer rate of fire makes them my go-to weapons once all the important enemies are heavily armored.  Their accuracy sucks, but that's not much a problem against a car.

[Chiefwaffles]

A “very strange” base attack? Did enemies from Doom attack you or something?

..yeah. Considering how it seemed to have happened at similar times both games and I never encountered said enemies before. Hence the programmed assumption.

I definitely need to fill out my base(s) with more peasant/slave garrisons, but I’m still confused.


And speaking of other bases, so I should just be making them to throw in some rings and production buildings for extra cash when I can afford it?

[Rince Wind]

Not to sound discouraging or anything, but the doom enemies are mostly harmless (mostly, because the baron and the cacodemon can be nasty, while the imp can be annoying).
At least the baron can be killed by volume of fire, the doom guys have little armor. Try that with an academy provost.


So as others have said: max out your brainers asap. More brainers mean better stuff, better stuff means fewer deaths, fewer deaths mean better, more experienced hands.
For a lot of the stuff you'll want better manufacturing as well, the main base can't house enough runts, if you also want all the neccessary research buildings and those sweet medic buildings (most of which have brainer space as well) that you'll want to get your gals back on their feet quickly.

Something I like to have is a large prison in my 2nd or 3rd base as well. Only keep the ones you want to research in your main base, the rest can go to other places for processing. By now I have some brainers in that base as well, so they can interrogate, but it is mostly a secondary production base, so they have the runtpower to make those slaves. The prison is also handy if you intend to start your pimp business.

More bases also mean more radar coverage, and you'll want that. For landed ships and later for interceptions. Landed ships are your best bet for getting early game weapons. (Dual) 25mm guns even come in one piece, the others need to be assembled from parts. While not early game stuff you can assemble craft weapons from their parts long before you can produce them from scratch. So once you can attack military ships you can get your hands on gauss and maybe even plasma weapons. (Careful though, some missions trigger retaliations when you shoot down the ships. Landed ones are always safe, but it is usually too late to hinder the mission by then. And some never land.)
Missiles will always be expensive. Even when you can produce them they need quite a bit of ressources for their computers and guidance systems.
The bounty prices also offer some craft weapons.

On the ground I like everyone to have a melee weapon, and for some it is their primary weapon. Those have pistols or submachine guns as secondaries.
Try to graduate from flintlocks asap. While fun and dealing a lot of damage they have horrible accuracy and you need a lot of inventory space for ammo and a lot of time units for reloading. At the beginning it'll mostly be lighter weapons, but even that light rifle the nurses sometimes have can make a difference, because it has a much better range than the flintlocks. And an early hunting rifle can be a lifesaver (as long as you have the ammo).
Don't ever underestimate melee. Your gals can run pretty far, especially when sprinting (costs quite a bit of extra energy though) and almost nothing in the game can withstand a couple good axeswings.
If the going gets tough try black powder bombs and molotows. Everybody likes fireworks!
If your gals keep running out of stamina give them a beer.


Early pogroms can be a good source of heavier weapons. Even if you only get some close enemies, take their stuff (and preferrably the unconscious bodies) and leave it can be worth the point loss. Spartans are especially nice for that.

[MCreeper]

Did anyone actually got to "shadowrealm" mission? What's the loot?

[Mathel]

Data about weapons you find there (and can not take back) and some material I do not know how to use.

Be sure to take melee gals with you if you go there.