Not taking Livewire == best decision ever!

[M1k3K]

Hi folks,

I just started my 2nd game (not because I am done... but playing on MI I got totally crushed after a certain plot twist) (Liking that by the way - MI is supposed to be hard.)

Anyhow, the "I am taking my 15 minute break here" got somewhat anoying for me, so I left Livewire out in my new game. And what can I say - IT FEELS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Even though the battles on MI were hard, it always "felt" easy. And for me, I just realized it had a lot to do with seeing the enemies. I am playing on an easier mode right now, but now enemies ambush me from out of sight. I am loving it!

Just wanted to share, because I did not realize what difference it makes, and for me this gives me a lot more adrenaline and is a lot more fun. Also loving Kalyna (character, voiceacting) by the way - just wished she had like 20 more Wis 😢

Any of you noticed something similar or feel the same/ different?

[Warmonger]

9 minutes ago, M1k3K said:

Hi folks,

I just started my 2nd game (not because I am done... but playing on MI I got totally crushed after a certain plot twist) (Liking that by the way - MI is supposed to be hard.)

...

Is this your first time playing such a tactical turn-based game? In fact, it helps if you've played Jagged Alliance 1 and/or 2 beforehand. The fact is that when the enemies attack you out of nowhere, you make a lot of mistakes or still have to learn. But to talk about it here would go beyond the scope. And no offense, I'm just trying to understand what's happening to you there.

 

[M1k3K]

Thanks for asking... maybe I was not clear enough.

Core message: I normally expect in games like JA/ XCOM etc to be ambushed. Playing JA3 with Livewire took that part out, even though I did not realize that part was missing. It is a LOT more fun without seeing the hidden enemies.

12 minutes ago, Warmonger said:

And no offense, I'm just trying to understand what's happening to you there.

 

Played UFO 1+2, JA1+2, XCOM and so on. I was playing JA3 on "Mission Impossible" (without "Attrition Assistance") and was struggling a bit. After visiting A8 + Camp (both directly after I got the messages) my mines were overrun and I decided that was a bit too much for me.

 

[Warmonger]

3 minutes ago, M1k3K said:

Thanks for asking... maybe I was not clear enough.

Core message: I normally expect in games like JA/ XCOM etc to be ambushed. Playing JA3 with Livewire took that part out, even though I did not realize that part was missing. It is a LOT more fun without seeing the hidden enemies.

Played UFO 1+2, JA1+2, XCOM and so on. I was playing JA3 on "Mission Impossible" (without "Attrition Assistance") and was struggling a bit. After visiting A8 + Camp (both directly after I got the messages) my mines were overrun and I decided that was a bit too much for me.

 

I see but at least you then have to find the enemies still and it is called military reconnaissance, otherwise it does not make sense to play it anyway imo. There distances for the sight in also items blocking sight. Weather an night having influences too. You have to calculate with all that. Well I play it as it comes and for me it is hard enough that way and mainly good balance fun. 

[Xeth Nyrrow]

I agree that Livewire's ability is grossly OP and that's fine. It's a great tool for people new to the genre so I can see why they added it. Anyone looking for more challenge though should definitely never take her. The down side is that she's a great mechanic with high wisdom and no one else has that combo at low level.

[MateKiddleton]

You can take her and just not put her on intel duty. Her wallhacks only activate if you assign her to scout beforehand

[Xeth Nyrrow]

22 minutes ago, MateKiddleton said:

You can take her and just not put her on intel duty. Her wallhacks only activate if you assign her to scout beforehand

That is a work around but she is one of the best scouts in the game with her 95 wisdom. I think for me I'll just remove/replace her wall hacks ability via modding so I can use her in a reasonable way.

[M1k3K]

39 minutes ago, MateKiddleton said:

You can take her and just not put her on intel duty. Her wallhacks only activate if you assign her to scout beforehand

Thank you... I did not even think about it. By reflex I always used her to hack/ scout. 

Not hacking with her is a nice solution to have a good mechanic with great WIS.

[scope112]

This is the perk that really needs to be nerved. It is way too OP, and greatly reduced gameplay fun.

 

I started playing with Livewire too and was really offput by the lack of fog of war. These were the game balance breaking perks that I was afraid off prior to release.

[sandman25dcsss]

I find it a great time saver, instead of carefully exploring the map before fighting and crawling in stealth I can walk straight to first enemy to kill him from good position.

[D13]

They should have implemented it like the X-ray machine in JA2: you could see enemies outside line of sight, but only for very few turns and only if and while you had charged batteries, and their charge would be reduced by every use of the machine.

 

Even with these limitations it could feel a bit too powerful, but I would use only tactically (when entering a tricky room/building, but not to plan the entire assault). So I treated it more like a tactical mirror which seemed a little more realistic anyway.

[LXant]

That ability is indeed very powerful. I'd prefer if she had something like 50% for double intel on hacking and that's it. No god eyes.

Although I'd like to see moddable armor, the way weapons can be modified right now. So we could attach night vision, uv vision, x-ray (for seeing enemies even behind walls within 20 or 30 tiles around you), something like a low-end version of it with the "extended ear" we had in JA2, to replicate the effect in a more limited, balanced and universally accessible way that doesn't make one specific merc omniscient.

[J1v1n]

I too think that this ability is OP but with every new game things need balancing. We already have a few popular things on our list like the ammunition drop rate, the lightning reaction perk, the MG Overwatch etc. and I believe and hope some of those things will get patched in the near future for the sake of enjoyable gameplay. 🤗

[troubleyoucalldw]

4 hours ago, MateKiddleton said:

You can take her and just not put her on intel duty. Her wallhacks only activate if you assign her to scout beforehand

You can also find intel by hacking items on the map. I rarely send her scouting, usually I've got items for her to repair, but I search each map fairly carefully so a lot of the time I'm able to get intel.

[Uncle Nick]

Livewire is just Ira 2.0, use her if you want, train her in marksmanship if you want, train her strength up to use her as logistic mule; ...and enjoy getting yourself triggered by her annoying trait, always asking for her 15 minute break.

 

I think there should be a Global Achievement award for anyone who can put up with Livewire in their Alpha team for the entire duration of the game.  

[MateKiddleton]

Put Livewire in the same team as Raider and Raven for some hilarious digs at cops

[StoProGratis]

Livewire is for gen z. As a boomer I refuse to use her. Her skill makes game too easy:)

[sandman25dcsss]

13 minutes ago, StoProGratis said:

Livewire is for gen z. As a boomer I refuse to use her. Her skill makes game too easy:)

Can you please stop agism? Different players can have different preferences no matter when they were born, it is not like people of one "generation" (really stupid term if you ask me) are identical to each other.

[StoProGratis]

1 minute ago, sandman25dcsss said:

Can you please stop agism? Different players can have different preferences no matter when they were born, it is not like people of one "generation" (really stupid term if you ask me) are identical to each other.

 

 

Dude you gots to chill. I ain't triggering nobody just joking.

But honestly I find it too easy without searching for enemies and staying aware in all directions. JA2 also had this option to see all enemies on the map and I also never used it.

[sandman25dcsss]

@StoProGratis

This is not joking, this is passive aggressive behavior.

I prefer combat systems where everyone is seen from the very beginning, call it mental trauma from xcom2 pods mechanic 🙂

Edited July 26, 2023 by sandman25dcsss

[Skaldy]

1 hour ago, sandman25dcsss said:

@StoProGratis

This is not joking, this is passive aggressive behavior.

I prefer combat systems where everyone is seen from the very beginning, call it mental trauma from xcom2 pods mechanic 🙂

not really, that is one of the differences between generations, up to gen Z, people grew up with banter in a playful way. After GenZ and woke movements, everything became offensive. Preferences are set by society, by dominant generation. That is why my generation debated education over exprience while GenZ cant decide what gender is.

I get it, it is not pleasant or fun for you, but some people are used to it.

[sandman25dcsss]

2 minutes ago, Skaldy said:

not really, that is one of the differences between generations, up to gen Z, people grew up with banter in a playful way. After GenZ and woke movements, everything became offensive. Preferences are set by society, by dominant generation. That is why my generation debated education over exprience while GenZ cant decide what gender is.

I get it, it is not pleasant or fun for you, but some people are used to it.

What are you talking about? You live in Russia, all those "generations" don't apply to you. And to me neither. A person was born 1 year later than another and they are different generations??? That's another reason why it is nonsense.

Edited July 26, 2023 by sandman25dcsss

[Skaldy]

Just now, sandman25dcsss said:

What are you talking about? You live in Russia, all those "generations" don't apply to you. And to me neither. That's why it is nonsense.

bigotry and bias wont help you either. I am not born or raised in Russia. Hence i am not Russian

[sandman25dcsss]

Just now, Skaldy said:

bigotry and bias wont help you either. I am not born or raised in Russia. Hence i am not Russian

I was born and raised in Soviet Union. Hence all that generation nonsense does not apply to me.

[Skaldy]

3 minutes ago, sandman25dcsss said:

I was born and raised in Soviet Union. Hence all that generation nonsense does not apply to me.

Unless you live in an isolated place it applies to everyone, you might not like it but you are already reacting to it. If you are talking about western concepts vs eastern concepts, that is another topic. But general points are same. My wife and I are absolutely from different cultures but we grew up at same generation span. We almost did everything same aside from minor gender and cultural things.

I dont like it either, i dont have power, money or surname to change things like these. It is how it is. It is tedious.