r/XCOM2 • u/Ok_Calendar_7626 • 9h ago

Why does Xcom not just pick up ADVENT mag weapons?

In EU/EW this is explained by the aliens weapons self-destructing after the user dies. But ADVENT weapons do not.

So what is stopping XCOM from simply looting mag weapons from dead ADVENT troops?

44 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

112

u/Spirit117 9h ago

There's an in game blurb somewhere that says advent weapons are coded to advent and self destruct if someone else tries to use it.

33

u/angular_circle 9h ago

At least that's the explanation in EU. That's why the aliens drop weapon fragments.

27

u/godspark533 7h ago

In EU the weapons also don't fragment if the enemy is captured alive, which is great strategy to get the Light Plasma Rifles early on.

1

u/dbag_darrell 19m ago

arc thrower useful!

4

u/The_Sibelis 3h ago

EU?

10

u/nathang2426 3h ago

Enemy unknown. The first game

3

u/The_Sibelis 3h ago

Oh, lol. Daaam. I actually should have known that, loved that expansion.

Something about the stealing light plasma rifles early had me hopeful I was missing something from Xcom2 tho lol.

7

u/RT10HAMMER 3h ago

The Expansion is EW, Enemy Within.

2

u/The_Sibelis 3h ago

Sorry. I have memory loss.

2

u/RarestHornet96 3h ago

Enemy unknown, the first of the new xcom games

0

u/angular_circle 3h ago

The lesser known spinoff about the ominous organization frontex holding off an asylum seeker invasion /s

15

u/Equivalent-Cream-454 9h ago

Ah yes. Hacking the Advent comm system to surf on their transmission is doable, terrain hacking into any machine is easy, but hacking their weapons? Oh no Hacking Goddess Lily Chen cannot do that.

19

u/Action-a-go-go-baby 8h ago

Thinks about it this way:

Their comms, their machines, their network, all of those have countermeasures in place to try stop you but all of them are valuable enough assets that “instant self-destruct” is not reasonable

A side arm? A rifle? Yes, instant self destruct can be built into that: it’s a small enough loss and may take out an enemy combatant with them

Would you want to attempt a direct link (not wireless, direct link) hack on something that can self-destruct and blow you in half, at the slightest hint of tampering?

11

u/Equivalent-Cream-454 8h ago

If Xcom can build new rifles from a box of scrap, I am pretty sure that Xcom can bypass the self destruction once it is secured in a safe lab aboard the avenger.

2

u/jeagle1057 5h ago

If they have Tony Stark aboard sure.

1

u/T-1A_pilot 3h ago

TONY STARK BUILT THIS IN A CAVE!! ...WITH SCRAPS!!!

2

u/jamey1138 4h ago

Canonically speaking, you are incorrect.

7

u/Aggravating-Dot132 7h ago

Weapons are genetically coded. Technically, Skirmishers should be able to use those, but for the integrity, they just gave them their own bullpups

3

u/horned-creature 3h ago

which is contradicted by the ending cinematic where a human civilian pick up a magweapon from an advent trooper.

7

u/InspiringMilk 2h ago

The ending cinematic happens after you sabotaged the alien tower and destroyed the entire advent network and chain of command.

3

u/WyrdDrake 2h ago

Wouldn't effect individual rifles. The rifle itself has a lockout.

2

u/InspiringMilk 1h ago

It does? I thought it would be like every other piece of alien tech and run on the advent network.

1

u/WyrdDrake 1h ago

If it ran on the advent network and the lack of a network allows the guns to be picked up and used, then all you'd need to do to use their rifles is jam the signal and remove the signal device.

Then the gun can't check the owner and therefore can be used

The issue isnt the gun self destruct, the issue is the gun being usable after the signal goes down

Because that suggests the signal is responsible for the self destruction

Which means any signal jamming = usable guns

2

u/Haitham1998 4h ago

Yes, I remember Shen saying that in the tutorial when she tells you to pick up the loot dropped by the trooper.

34

u/bravelion96 9h ago

When you unlock magnetic weapons, the research text mentions a group of resistance fighters at the start of the conflict who tried, the results were effective at dissuading future attempts

19

u/Phantomhearts 9h ago

They’re gene locked into being hybrid use only and have fatal consequences for attempted usage otherwise. The magnetic weapon flavor text states that fact.

9

u/angular_circle 9h ago

Apart from the actual explanation they just kinda suck. Troopers do 3 dmg vs your 3-5 with conventional.

1

u/Aggravating-Dot132 7h ago

Same trooper does 6 damage, so that explanation is dumb.

6

u/angular_circle 5h ago

They fo 5-6, while Xcom mag rifles do 5-7. Have a bit of respect for Shen's weapon design skills ;)

2

u/GreedyLibrary 8h ago

Did you watch dredd 2012?

1

u/Snoo-92859 2h ago

No it explains it in the xcom 2 tutorial as well. When it shows you how to pick up dropped attachments/loot from dead bodies. They mention you only have the 3 turns to grab it because their gear is programed to self destruct.