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I have recently picked up Terror From the Deep again, displeased that I never managed to complete it on Impossible without extensive reloading. Here are the strategy notes I have assembled, feel free to comment and supplement. I have decided to limit myself to one reload per battle (save must be prior to combat) and nothing else.
1) Research strategy
Gauss Pistol
Gauss Rifle + Clip
Deep One corpse
Aqua Plastics
Aqua Armour
Medikit
Ion Beam Accelerators
Deep One Terrorist (my tech tree tells me to research IBA, Mag. Nav. and Aqua Armour before this, or the tech progress will hang. Does anyone know?)
MC Lab
Ion Armour
Heavy Gauss+ Clip
Gauss Cannon
Sonic Cannon + Clip
Crucial technology:
Gauss Rifle is the first decent weapon you get, and must be researched ASAP. Works best against Aquatoids, Gill Men and Deep Ones.
MC Lab must be gotten as soon as possible as it takes a long time to first build it and then another month to identify the MC stats of your soldiers.
Sonic Cannon is crucial against Lobstermen, Tasoths and Tentaculats. You can delay researching it until March.
Gauss Cannon lets you produce enough goods to make a difference in your household budget. Prioritize extra Workshops and Living Quarters before building additional bases.
Aqua Armour is the only armour you get for a long time if my tech tree is correct. In order to research Magnetic Navigation you need a Lobsterman Navigator, and that takes quite a while. It is no good without Medikits, so make sure you get them at the same time.
PD Sensor is the first cash item you can research, and may be of some use in battles. They are pretty good when entering buildings and subs if you use them correctly (take notes each turn and compare to see if someone is waiting for you).
Thermal Shok Launcher is necessary for capturing live aliens. (the only Live Aliens you need are: Deep One, Lobsterman Navigator and Lobsterman Commander). It is also good against Lobstermen in general, as one shot generally takes them down.
Sonic Oscillator is the best all-round craft weapon. You can delay researching them until you have Mantas, as your Barracudas are too fragile against large subs and basic weapons work well enough against smaller subs. In any event, you should wait for them to land so you can grab more loot.
2) Base administration
Build Living Quarters and Alient Containment on day one. Hire 20 scientists and 2 aquanauts. Purchase an SWS of your own choice along with 20 chemical flares, Torpedo Launchers for each soldier with FA above 60 and ST above 35. Also buy plenty grenades of all sorts except Dye (you can use these to reap experience from panicked aliens, but that's tantamount to cheating).
Build a Laboratory and another suite of Living Quarters when you have the cash. Hire 10 technicians when the first suite of Living Quarters are up, you need them to get Gauss Rifles in time for the first terror mission.
Build a second base containing a Sonar, a Hangar and General Stores for taking down subs whenever you have plenty cash. This is not an early priority, you can afford a few popularity hits at first.
After this, base maintenance is easy. Keep expanding and build vast amounts of Gauss Cannons to keep your accountant happy. Build extra workshops first, assuming that your technology level is sufficient to meet the current threats.
3) General battle tactics
Make sure you have either a tank (preferrably two, but they're expensive) or a few rookies with you on every trip. You don't want to use your best soldiers as scouts, keep them behind to work as snipers when clearing the surrounding terrain.
Immediately upon exiting the sub, you should take a trip clockwise around the sub with your tank. I often get my soldiers killed by an alien that starts out to the right of the sub. Avoid this by having your tank circle the entire sub before letting your soldiers out. Spend the time priming grenades.
I prefer Night Missions, as they allow me to see the enemy before they see me (using MANY flares). I lay one line of flares ~6 tiles apart, and then another line behind them. Then another layer, after which I pick up the first line and proceed. This is very slow, but it keeps your casualties down. Note that this is not a good tactique against MC foes, as you need to get at those as soon as possible. Run wild with your scouts and make sure your snipers can reach any zone you scout. If your scout is shot without spotting the alien, toss a few Sonic Pulsers in the shot's direction. Again, tanks are preferrable as they survive long enough to spot the heinous alien. Snipers should be placed on high spots that are known to be safe.
When entering subs, things go wrong. The smallest type is easy enough:
1) Patrol the area immediately outside the sub to make sure aliens don't pop out all of a sudden. PD Sensors are good here.
2) Place snipers in safe distance from the sub, facing the opening
3) Enter the sub with a rookie. If you spot the alien, move aside and let the snipers take it down. If you don't spot the alien, open one of the side doors. If you see the alien and you expect to take it down with one shot/round, go for it. If not, toss a grenade in there (Magna Blast, you don't want to wreck the sub completely) and run out of the sub. Then do the same thing with the other door. The alien should then come out, and can be picked off with the snipers (remember to place a flare outside the sub so they can see it).
Size 2:
1) Place snipers in safe distance from the sub, facing the opening.
2) Open the door with a scout (rookie or tank) standing on the left door tile (facing the door tile), then move aside (don't run past the other tile that is next to the door).
3) If you spot an alien, take it out with the snipers. If not, move aside and wait for the next turn. Move your snipers to the right so they can peer into the left part of the sub. Then open the door, standing on the right door tile, facing the far left end of the sub. If you spot an alien, take it out with the snipers. If no aliens are spotted in this way then they're usually outside, or hiding in the sub. Enter the sub with the tank and let the alien waste opportunity fire on it.
Size 3:
1) Patrol the entire area in front of the opening first, then place snipers in safe distance facing the opening.
2) Patrol the area outside the sub extensively. Many aliens may decide to take a peek outside. Use Grenades to blow up the door so you can peek into the sub and take out aliens hiding there. Use your tank and PD Sensors to locate the aliens without risking opportunity fire. Keep track of the aliens inside the ship and take notes. Once they stop moving you can no longer detect them, so be sure to track them.
3) When no more aliens appear (after waiting 5-6 turns), enter the sub with two rookies carrying grenades. Have them enter the sub and toss a grenade through each side door, then run out and take cover. If you don't detect movement on your sensors, you can assume that no aliens are waiting in the side rooms. Then toss grenades into the main room, run away and check for movement. If no movement is detected, enter the main room and toss grenades in front of the two alcoves, etc.
This follows the assumption that aliens will move when hit by a nearby grenade. If this is not so, the above strategy is less useful. Furthermore, all those grenades will turn the sub into a wreck. Instead of tossing grenades, try tossing rookies!
It costs you points, but rookies are inexpensive. Simply burst through the door and use core soldiers for backup once the rookies are down.
4) MC opposition
Don't carry primed grenades in your hands. If a soldier panicks, have him drop all weapons and use all his action points. Take care not to accidentally use opportunity fire against soldiers that have been taken over. Use unaffected soldiers aggressively to shorten the battle.
5) Tentaculats
I hate Tentaculats. I really, really, really hate Tentaculats
If you adopt a defencive stance, they might dodge your snipers and run 100 tiles to kill one of your soldiers. If you adopt an aggressive stance then they pop out of nowhere and kill your soldiers. You need to scout with tanks. They can damage tanks, but it usually takes several blows and they don't spawn on tanks.
You can use DP Launchers to level the entire level
but that does get expensive. Or you can use teams of soldiers with excellent reactions and Sonic Cannons. However, this puts you at risk of grenades.
It is crucial to face Tentaculats in day missions. You just can't toss enough flares quickly enough to spot Tentaculats. And they always seem to know where you are...
6) Port & island missions
These aren't too difficult. Take your time and pay no attention to the number of killed civilians.
7) Ship missions
Use PD Sensors and keep your crew in one area at a time.
8) Alien colonies
You can level the central room of the colony entrance with DP Launchers, allowing for a fast transit. I strongly recommend this. Exposing your soldiers to all the tasoths that lurk above the exit area is not desirable.
On the main level of the colony you cannot use DP Launchers to get at the target, I believe it is behind closed doors. Again, approach cautiously and use teams of three soldiers with good reaction ratings.
1) Research strategy
Gauss Pistol
Gauss Rifle + Clip
Deep One corpse
Aqua Plastics
Aqua Armour
Medikit
Ion Beam Accelerators
Deep One Terrorist (my tech tree tells me to research IBA, Mag. Nav. and Aqua Armour before this, or the tech progress will hang. Does anyone know?)
MC Lab
Ion Armour
Heavy Gauss+ Clip
Gauss Cannon
Sonic Cannon + Clip
Crucial technology:
Gauss Rifle is the first decent weapon you get, and must be researched ASAP. Works best against Aquatoids, Gill Men and Deep Ones.
MC Lab must be gotten as soon as possible as it takes a long time to first build it and then another month to identify the MC stats of your soldiers.
Sonic Cannon is crucial against Lobstermen, Tasoths and Tentaculats. You can delay researching it until March.
Gauss Cannon lets you produce enough goods to make a difference in your household budget. Prioritize extra Workshops and Living Quarters before building additional bases.
Aqua Armour is the only armour you get for a long time if my tech tree is correct. In order to research Magnetic Navigation you need a Lobsterman Navigator, and that takes quite a while. It is no good without Medikits, so make sure you get them at the same time.
PD Sensor is the first cash item you can research, and may be of some use in battles. They are pretty good when entering buildings and subs if you use them correctly (take notes each turn and compare to see if someone is waiting for you).
Thermal Shok Launcher is necessary for capturing live aliens. (the only Live Aliens you need are: Deep One, Lobsterman Navigator and Lobsterman Commander). It is also good against Lobstermen in general, as one shot generally takes them down.
Sonic Oscillator is the best all-round craft weapon. You can delay researching them until you have Mantas, as your Barracudas are too fragile against large subs and basic weapons work well enough against smaller subs. In any event, you should wait for them to land so you can grab more loot.
2) Base administration
Build Living Quarters and Alient Containment on day one. Hire 20 scientists and 2 aquanauts. Purchase an SWS of your own choice along with 20 chemical flares, Torpedo Launchers for each soldier with FA above 60 and ST above 35. Also buy plenty grenades of all sorts except Dye (you can use these to reap experience from panicked aliens, but that's tantamount to cheating).
Build a Laboratory and another suite of Living Quarters when you have the cash. Hire 10 technicians when the first suite of Living Quarters are up, you need them to get Gauss Rifles in time for the first terror mission.
Build a second base containing a Sonar, a Hangar and General Stores for taking down subs whenever you have plenty cash. This is not an early priority, you can afford a few popularity hits at first.
After this, base maintenance is easy. Keep expanding and build vast amounts of Gauss Cannons to keep your accountant happy. Build extra workshops first, assuming that your technology level is sufficient to meet the current threats.
3) General battle tactics
Make sure you have either a tank (preferrably two, but they're expensive) or a few rookies with you on every trip. You don't want to use your best soldiers as scouts, keep them behind to work as snipers when clearing the surrounding terrain.
Immediately upon exiting the sub, you should take a trip clockwise around the sub with your tank. I often get my soldiers killed by an alien that starts out to the right of the sub. Avoid this by having your tank circle the entire sub before letting your soldiers out. Spend the time priming grenades.
I prefer Night Missions, as they allow me to see the enemy before they see me (using MANY flares). I lay one line of flares ~6 tiles apart, and then another line behind them. Then another layer, after which I pick up the first line and proceed. This is very slow, but it keeps your casualties down. Note that this is not a good tactique against MC foes, as you need to get at those as soon as possible. Run wild with your scouts and make sure your snipers can reach any zone you scout. If your scout is shot without spotting the alien, toss a few Sonic Pulsers in the shot's direction. Again, tanks are preferrable as they survive long enough to spot the heinous alien. Snipers should be placed on high spots that are known to be safe.
When entering subs, things go wrong. The smallest type is easy enough:
1) Patrol the area immediately outside the sub to make sure aliens don't pop out all of a sudden. PD Sensors are good here.
2) Place snipers in safe distance from the sub, facing the opening
3) Enter the sub with a rookie. If you spot the alien, move aside and let the snipers take it down. If you don't spot the alien, open one of the side doors. If you see the alien and you expect to take it down with one shot/round, go for it. If not, toss a grenade in there (Magna Blast, you don't want to wreck the sub completely) and run out of the sub. Then do the same thing with the other door. The alien should then come out, and can be picked off with the snipers (remember to place a flare outside the sub so they can see it).
Size 2:
1) Place snipers in safe distance from the sub, facing the opening.
2) Open the door with a scout (rookie or tank) standing on the left door tile (facing the door tile), then move aside (don't run past the other tile that is next to the door).
3) If you spot an alien, take it out with the snipers. If not, move aside and wait for the next turn. Move your snipers to the right so they can peer into the left part of the sub. Then open the door, standing on the right door tile, facing the far left end of the sub. If you spot an alien, take it out with the snipers. If no aliens are spotted in this way then they're usually outside, or hiding in the sub. Enter the sub with the tank and let the alien waste opportunity fire on it.
Size 3:
1) Patrol the entire area in front of the opening first, then place snipers in safe distance facing the opening.
2) Patrol the area outside the sub extensively. Many aliens may decide to take a peek outside. Use Grenades to blow up the door so you can peek into the sub and take out aliens hiding there. Use your tank and PD Sensors to locate the aliens without risking opportunity fire. Keep track of the aliens inside the ship and take notes. Once they stop moving you can no longer detect them, so be sure to track them.
3) When no more aliens appear (after waiting 5-6 turns), enter the sub with two rookies carrying grenades. Have them enter the sub and toss a grenade through each side door, then run out and take cover. If you don't detect movement on your sensors, you can assume that no aliens are waiting in the side rooms. Then toss grenades into the main room, run away and check for movement. If no movement is detected, enter the main room and toss grenades in front of the two alcoves, etc.
This follows the assumption that aliens will move when hit by a nearby grenade. If this is not so, the above strategy is less useful. Furthermore, all those grenades will turn the sub into a wreck. Instead of tossing grenades, try tossing rookies!
It costs you points, but rookies are inexpensive. Simply burst through the door and use core soldiers for backup once the rookies are down.4) MC opposition
Don't carry primed grenades in your hands. If a soldier panicks, have him drop all weapons and use all his action points. Take care not to accidentally use opportunity fire against soldiers that have been taken over. Use unaffected soldiers aggressively to shorten the battle.
5) Tentaculats
I hate Tentaculats. I really, really, really hate Tentaculats
If you adopt a defencive stance, they might dodge your snipers and run 100 tiles to kill one of your soldiers. If you adopt an aggressive stance then they pop out of nowhere and kill your soldiers. You need to scout with tanks. They can damage tanks, but it usually takes several blows and they don't spawn on tanks.
You can use DP Launchers to level the entire level
but that does get expensive. Or you can use teams of soldiers with excellent reactions and Sonic Cannons. However, this puts you at risk of grenades.
It is crucial to face Tentaculats in day missions. You just can't toss enough flares quickly enough to spot Tentaculats. And they always seem to know where you are...
6) Port & island missions
These aren't too difficult. Take your time and pay no attention to the number of killed civilians.
7) Ship missions
Use PD Sensors and keep your crew in one area at a time.
8) Alien colonies
You can level the central room of the colony entrance with DP Launchers, allowing for a fast transit. I strongly recommend this. Exposing your soldiers to all the tasoths that lurk above the exit area is not desirable.
On the main level of the colony you cannot use DP Launchers to get at the target, I believe it is behind closed doors. Again, approach cautiously and use teams of three soldiers with good reaction ratings.
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