Weird...is it normal that since I've been playing, when I attack an alien base they are always bright? I never got the "alien bases in darkness" everyone's talking about. Some rare times it's total darkness yes but my squad can't move at all so it seems more like a bug (I just reload, re-enter then it's fine, bright and I can move).
Anyway, yesterday I got my first psionics. Boy do they kick behind! It's a HUGE help against muton. Before that I got a huge battle with mutons. My hyper-wave detector spotted a Very Large muton ship so I send 15-16 guys in my Avenger (I usually only send 14 on most missions). But then once the Avenger left, a Large muton ship appears...then another Large...then a Small one
. I send my 8 remaining guys in my Skyranger. Finally, my Avenger team was able to finish the Very Large mission, come back for fuel, go do One Large, come back for fuel, then do the other Large all before my Skyranger get to the small one LOL. I lost a total of 9 commando in those battles.
Commando being my "grunts", strong but expendable. At that time I had the money and living space to hire soldiers by group of 30-40. I kept only those with 50+ reaction (I can go as low as 47 if the firing accuracy is really high) and 50+ firing accuracy (I'm more loose on the accuracy because it raise faster than reaction). Then when a guy gets to about 42 strength and at least 60 firing accuracy, he gets promoted to "Death from Above". Those guys I give a flying suit and a rocket launcher. When a guy gets to 50+ strength and at least 70 throwing accuracy, he gets promoted to "Commando-thrower". Those I give a plasma rifle (heavy plasma now) like all commando but also 2 alien grenades, 2 high explosive, 1 smoke grenade, 1 proximity grenade and 4 electro-flare.
And now I have psionics. The results of my first training were pretty extreme...of the 15 trained, I got five 90+, then one 67 then all below 40. I just finished building 2 labs and 2 living quarters in my second base so I transfered all my 100 scientists there, dismantled my 2 labs and built two other psi-lab in my main base (total of 4). Also now I have two free living quarter so I can buy recruits by the hundreds
k:
Sorry for the long post I got carried away hehe.
PS: In this game I got really lucky by getting a navigator and a sectoid leader in my first missions.
PPS: Arg! Something I just discovered..when you mind control an alien and make it throw his gun, you won't get the gun at the end of the mission
. I thought you would because you retrieve the electro-flares you threw...