First, save/load/load/load is to cheat. You should dont care coz if you use Ctrl + C.
But outside these dreamland of no challenge where you always win, interceptors even 4 armed with plasma or avalanches cant defeat battleships. The damage of the UFO is also a tactic factor, a medium scout completely open to the sky is a crucial advantage agaisnt sectoids, a constant danger against floater and a sure defeat against ethereals.
Aliens are capable of found bases coz they are capable to do it when: you dont got armed air forces in range, their ships are too big or just they made the right move and you the wrong one.
Battleships only attack bases or search them for attack when the bases was already sppoted or attacked by another ufo.
grav shield + 2 FB defence isnt enough most of time, better to got 3 FB but the cost of these tecno + the cost of the building make them privative in early and half of mid game.

UFO: enemy unknown.. yeah I used to play this game... cool one :ok:

The very first version(s?) of the game contained that bug.
But 81 TU (and similar limits on other characteristics) is quite low.

By the way, if your throwing accuracy gets too high in those early versions, your throwing range drops like a brick. In the end you can't even throw a simple grenade anymore :P

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ahnassi @ Jun 2 2006, 12:07 AM) [snapback]233699[/snapback]</div>

I usually don't intercept battleships, they'll damage any craft. So I intercept everything else, and let battleships go, but send a transport if they land. Anything they may do is less harmful than damaging my planes so that they're useless for days.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rlbell @ May 31 2006, 10:08 AM) [snapback]233464[/snapback]</div>The fastest way to increase stats is to use them. Want to get better at throwing things? Throw stuff. Want to get more hit points?(the correct answer is no) Survive getting injured. Want to improve firing accuracy? Shoot at aliens-- hitting them really spikes this. Want to get braver? Resist panic attacks (given how the aliens select panic victims, this is very rare, but I have seen it). Want to improve your reactions? Find a good firing position and wait for Mister Alien (for some aliens this is as difficult as getting more hit points and only troopers who are already fast get faster). Carrying heavy stuff improves strength.

At about forty strength, a trooper can carry a pistol clip, pistol, rocket launcher (loaded), and three other rockets without penalty (gotta check this).
[/b][/quote]


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(laiocfar @ Jun 1 2006, 12:28 AM) [snapback]233576[/snapback]</div>Please actually test it...

You can load a rookie down as heavily as you like March him until he's coming up with about 17 energy a turn. Unload a few rifles. Wound him a few times. He gains nothing.

You have to either hit your enemy with a bullet, or get a successful psi attack in to boost anything other than reactions and throwing accuracy.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cockroach @ Jun 2 2006, 06:38 PM) [snapback]233871[/snapback]</div>My impression was that you had to do both things: 1. get kills 2. use the abilities. So there is no experience without kills, but to try to 'allocate' that experience on to the right skills, get the troops doing the right things.

I thought my rookies were getting stronger because they were making kills and carrying heavy loads. You're saying they get stronger purely from making kills, plus a random selection that decides their strength will go up?

Anyway it's useful to know this as there is various different stories out there.

As you suggest, I will test it. For now I will stop overloading rookies. I only ever did it very slightly - by just a couple of TUs.

Troops gain rank as you gain more troops - there is a formula for that one - like 10 troops = 1 sergant, 5 sergants = 1 cap and so on (not that the numbers are correct)....

Improving stats has something to do with, which abilities you use - fireacc. improves as you shoot, etc.

/Raasted

All of us got a little piece of right.
rookie got promoted to squadie by experience (2 missions or a kill), sergants and upped ranks comes when you got a number of troopers like 5 people = 1 sergant. But the sergant only will be promoted when he got the squadie rank. The upper ranks (anyone over squadie) are given to best trooper avaible with next low rank. So the first captain will be the best of your sergants, nobody skips ranks.
The skills are rised only when you kill aliens but the number and the way that they get up is connected as how you used them. So it usefull to run like fool to get energy, carry a complete arsenal for strengh, to trewh grenades to everywhere for get better at launch, etc.

Wrong.

You have a CHANCE to raise...
firing accuracy when you HIT an enemy with a ranged weapon or a grenade type weapon.
throwing accuracy when you throw something (throwing a gun I'm not sure though).
reaction when you make an opportunity attack.

time units, stamina, health, strength when you do anything of the above except throwing (though if you hurt an enemy with a grenade it does count).

Everything's explained in details on this site http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Experience

agreed a chance of raising and failed shoot doesnt count but you mostly agree with me.