The New X-Com by Firaxis Hype Thread

[Pike]

So if you haven't heard the news yet, X-Com is now being remade by Firaxis (of Civilization fame.) It's confirmed for turn-based tactics in the style of the original. Link here. (http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/index.html)

Yes, this is separate from the shooter remake.

This is a thread to allow us oldschool X-Com nutjobs to work ourselves into a glorious frenzy about this development. :kakapo:

[Psychotic]

...

:jess:

[Madonna]

...

:jess:

[Pike]

To further whet our appetites, check out this article (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/01/06/why-firaxis-loves-xcom.aspx), and the video in particular. These guys know what they're doing. It's... so beautiful :crying:

[Slothy]

I'll admit a small part of me was wary since they kind of screwed up Civ V. But that video makes me one happy Professor.

[Pike]

I'll admit a small part of me was wary since they kind of screwed up Civ V. But that video makes me one happy Professor.

I had the same concerns, but the video has largely laid those to rest. This is going to be great :hyper:

[Madame Adequate]

I am tremendously excited, having watched that video.

[Jiro]

Well I guess that confirms it. The world will end this year. There's no way we'll ever get this :(

[Pike]

Alright guys, we've got screenshots, as well as a couple of early details: First Screens And Details Of XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Features - www.GameInformer.com (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/01/06/first-screens-and-details-of-xcom-enemy-unknown.aspx)

I'd like to see more screenshots before passing judgment. I do rather like the base view. As for the other details, I'm glad they seem to be keeping all of the essentials but the bit about "removing micromanagement" has got me a little worried.

[Psychotic]

Is having a rookie with a rocket launcher mind controlled and then firing into a crowd of your best soldiers with said rocket launcher micromanagement?

[Jiro]

If you're taking her to the Ballet and to a meal it's a sure fire way to get her performing like a soprano later in the evening, maybe with a little jools holland on in the background. It's smooth alright, smoother than Diana Krall. Though maybe you ought to watch out for her dad Sonnet, he'll probably be sitting on the porch out front with a shotgun casually cleaning it when you get home like all these country fools do.

[Madonna]

What are they going to remove? The buying and selling of ammo? Trying to puzzle-piece fit guns, medikits, grenades, and ammo onto one's person? The taking a good twenty minutes sometimes to get through one turn? I like all of that. What are they going to remove? Now I am in suspense trying to figure out what is getting guillotined and if my heart goes with it.

[Skyblade]

I got my Game Informer yesterday, and saw X-COM on the cover, and promptly went "pfft". Then I noticed a Sectoid. Opening it up, I saw quite a lengthy article on X-COM: Enemy Unknown.

What marketing idiot was planning to release this game after the stupid X-COM shooter? Everyone knows you reintroduce the series first, then release the crappy spinoffs. And the strategy game, the actual X-COM game everyone wanted, was left off the radar until now?

Anyway, the screenshots and info the article had look great, and I am very excited (and simultaneously, dreading one of the biggest perfectionist headaches returning). The biggest removal of micromanagement that has been mentioned so far is the removal of Time Units, replaced with a two-step turn, remniscent of Fire Emblem.

Rather than having to keep track and micromanage your Time Units, manually ensuring you keep enough on hand to make reaction shots or fire after moving, etcetera, each character gets two moves. First they move, then they take either an action or a second move. And, of course, they can conserve their moves to make reactions and focus shots (in the example, having a Sniper hold their entire move allowed them to make a full-turn focus shot when the enemy came into range).

To me, this is a good thing, as I found it rather easy to overshoot Time Units when moving, and splitting it in this way should make management more natural, and a little less restrictive.

[Pike]

What marketing idiot was planning to release this game after the stupid X-COM shooter? Everyone knows you reintroduce the series first, then release the crappy spinoffs. And the strategy game, the actual X-COM game everyone wanted, was left off the radar until now?

Supposedly the XCOM shooter has now been delayed so the strategy remake is coming out first now.

More screenshots are out now, by the way! And various other info: Game Informer's February Cover Reveal - XCOM Enemy Unkown (http://www.gameinformer.com/p/xcom.aspx)

[Skyblade]

The Spoony One and Angry Joe: Now with an E3 interview! (http://spoonyexperiment.com/2012/06/09/e3-2012-aj-spoony-exclusive-xcom-2012-interview/)

I have to admit, I am really looking forward to this game. Finally, a lovely new strategy game.

[Skyblade]

Sorry for the double post, I just want more people looking at this and checking the new info.

Main site articles (http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/articles.php). The interview with RPS is a great, 3 part overview of the game's development, and gives the best account of why time units went away (which I have to admit, I agree with exactly).

The Game Informer Articles (http://www.gameinformer.com/p/xcom.aspx) contain again a lot of dev information. How the aliens were developed, how certain things were fleshed out, and what the thoughts and feelings of the devs are on various aspects of the game and series.

And we have a release date! October 9! That's before the supposed end of the world, Jiro, so you're still in luck!

[Pike]

And we have a release date! October 9!

Oh man late this year is gonna be great, so much good stuff happening

[Skyblade]

A little bit of a thread necro, but with less than a month to go, I thought it time to bring this back to people's attention.

There's a lovely Article (http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/xcom-enemy-unknown/1225995p1.html) on Gamespy with one of the first completely untouched gameplay vids (about an hour of straight gameplay by the devs).

There's also this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AmaMn3xb7U) PAX panel, which is a lovely detailing of their development process, and how wrong some of the directions they took went, before they got things right.


And, finally, take note that it is availible for preorder on Steam now as well as from major retailers. Steam has some extra preorder bonuses unlocking if enough people preorder from them, including Team Fortress 2 items (so tell your shooter loving friends, and get them to play this phenomenal game) and a free copy of Civ V if the final goal is met.

[Madame Adequate]

One of the preorder bonuses, not sure where from, is Guile hair for your guys.

[Jiro]

ahahaha of course. I'm going to watch this video when I get home but man I am super pumped. Saw an interview with one of the devs or the producer or SOMEONE I forget but it looks fucking awesome. They're bringing the 2D game into 3D land and that's really the best way to "update" it.

[Pike]

One of the preorder bonuses, not sure where from, is Guile hair for your guys.

Preordering now.

[Skyblade]

One of the preorder bonuses, not sure where from, is Guile hair for your guys.

Not quite. The Guile hair is a part of the "Elite Soldier Pack" DLC. It is a DLC that is included in every launch copy of the game. The first shipment of every physical copy, as well as every preordered copy (including preordered digital copies), will include the DLC. Non preordered digital copies will supposedly also get it within a very limited timeframe (probably first-day) after launch.

The DLC allows additional customization of your troops, adding in helmet and armor customizations, armor color customization, and the Guile hair customization option.

So preorder from anywhere (in the US, at least, they're still working on worldwide support for the DLC, last I heard, though it is their full intention to provide it), and they guarantee access to the Elite Soldier Pack, including the Guile hair.

Some of the customization options should be shown in that hour long vid in the first article I linked, including the Guile hair, and what looks like a pink tutu, in addition to more regular armor customizations.

You might want to also keep in mind, that while Steam copies might come with a free copy of Civ V, every physical copy of the PC version in the US is a special edition version (there are two physical copies internationally, but only one in the US). There is no special edition of the console versions. PC gamers get extra goodies. :)



Also, something I forgot to mention, but want to call dibs on now, before anyone else does. About a week before release I'll be holding signups for an EyesOnXCom playthrough. Planning it to be a Normal Difficulty Ironman (no reloading saves, an optional feature they included in the game) run through of the game. Anyone who signs up will get their own soldier in the campaign. They can pick character name, nickname, class (if they want, though the random nature of the class system means they will have to wait for that class to be availible before their soldier can be created), customization, equipment loadouts (what equipment is availible is determined by my money and research, but you can choose anything that I have), and character skill progression as the character levels.

I haven't done a forum run of XCom in probably ten years, and I don't think I've done one on this forum at all, but they're fun, and the new game is the perfect opportunity. Basically, after every tactical mission, I recap what went on, including highlights, MVPs (which I choose based on performance), and, of course, character deaths.

The more active a player is in feedback and responses, the more I'll use their character, but be aware that soldier fatigue and injuries will keep me from using any one unit in every mission. Also, while only 4 soldiers can be taken on missions immediately, I will be aiming for the 5 and 6 soldier squad upgrades very rapidly, and I will of course have backup troops (at least a dozen troops can be owned at one time, probably more, though we don't have exact totals yet), so don't worry.

And, even if you die, if you want, I can give you a new squaddie and you can start a character over.

[Elite Lord Sigma]

This series completely passed me by the first time around, which was understandable considering that I was just finishing kindergarten when the last game came out in 1998. I'm liking what I've seen from this game thus far; I'm a huge Fire Emblem fan, so this sounds like it's right up my alley. I'm not sure if I'll pre-order it just yet, but unless it turns out to be a total bomb--and previews have indicated that it won't--I'm definitely picking it up.

[Jiro]

I would love to see this XCOM play through.

[Pike]

I was just finishing kindergarten when the last game came out in 1998.

I... was in high school.

Good word I feel old.

[Skyblade]

40 Hours with XCom (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/09/13/hands-on-forty-hours-with-xcom/)

It seems that the good gentlemen at RockPaperShotgun have managed to get their hands on a preview version of XCom Enemy Unknown (woohoo, that makes it more likely that a demo is incoming!). Mr. Adam Smith has collected his thoughts and impressions of the game together for us. Little new info, but the impressions themselves are worthwhile, as it seems that this game is indeed shaping up to be, well, XCom.

[Madame Adequate]

As I said to Pike when I read that article, you can generally feel safe in parting with your dosh when RPS are full of praise for something.

[Pike]

Yeah, this is looking better and better. I am so excited for this. DAY ONE BUY.

[Skyblade]

As of yesterday, an NDA seems to have been lifted, as we suddenly got a ton of new preview videos from media sites. I don't like to link to other forums, but since I'm probably going to be too lazy to keep this updated this way, and the one who made the thread over there isn't, I might as well.

General Preview Thread (http://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?134821-General-XCOM-Preview-Thread!)

The first post is the important bit, and here it is, in it's glorious detail.


Reworking this thread as a compendium for all released XCOM: Enemy Unknown preview articles and videos.

Here's the comprehensive list of all previews compiled by gair22 (links reformatted):

Video Previews:

Videogamer.com - Escort Mission Gameplay (http://www.videogamer.com/videos/xcom_enemy_unknown_escort_mission_gameplay.html) [09/14]
Videogamer.com - Abduction Mission Gameplay (http://www.videogamer.com/videos/xcom_enemy_unknown_abduction_mission_gameplay.html) [09/14]

Games.De - Second Preview Video to Tactical Parts (GERMAN) (http://videos.pcgames.de/hdvideo/10842/XCOM-Enemy-Unknown-Zweites-PreviewVideo-zum-Taktikteil) [09/14]

Gametrailers.com - First Contact Preview (http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/4mw519/xcom--enemy-unknown-first-contact-preview) [09/14]

Official XBOX Magazine (Part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KPGHW1A2hI) [09-13]
Official XBOX Magazine (Part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itzi92OGGT8) [09-13]
Official XBOX Magazine (Part 3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGt8e3vG3xw) [09-13]

Joystiq.com - Sending Rookies to Die (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/sending-rookies-to-die-in-xcom-enemy-unknown/) [09-13]
Joystiq.com - From X-Com to XCOM (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/video-from-x-com-to-xcom/) [09-13]

Revision3.com - The First 3 Hours (http://revision3.com/rev3gamesoriginals/xcom-campaign-preview) [09-13]

Videogamer.com - An Old Flame (http://www.videogamer.com/videos/xcom_enemy_unknown_an_old_flame.html) [09-13]

Destructoid.com (Youtube Post) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmD1gm9c5jA) [09-13]

Pcgames.De (German) - Erstes Preview-Video zum Strategieteil (http://videos.pcgames.de/hdvideo/10839/XCOM-Enemy-Unknown-Erstes-PreviewVideo-zum-Strategieteil) [09-13]

3djuegos.com (Spanish) (http://www.3djuegos.com/juegos/avances/12763/3613/0/xcom-enemy-unknown/) [09-13] - FYI Adblocker gives access denied to the video

Articles & Screenshots:

RPS XCOM XChat: Jim And Adam In Turn-Based Conversation (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/09/14/xcom-xchat-jim-and-adam-in-turn-based-conversation/) [09-14]

OXM XCOM hands-on: Xbox 360's best strategy game is also the scariest (http://www.oxm.co.uk/45818/previews/xcom-hands-on-xbox-360s-best-strategy-game-is-also-the-scariest/) [09/14]

Electronictheatre.co.uk - Article Preview (http://electronictheatre.co.uk/xbox360/xbox360-previews/24328/electronic-theatre-preview-xcom-enemy-unknown) [09/14]

Lazygamer.net Article - Quick, before ze aliens get here! (http://www.lazygamer.net/pc-gaming/xcom-enemy-unknown-preview-quick-before-ze-aliens-get-here/) [09/14]

Examiner.com - Article (http://www.examiner.com/article/pax-2012-xcom-enemy-unknown-hands-on-preview) [09/13]

2kGreg Ps3 Screens (http://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?134951-Get-your-PlayStation-3-screenshots-here)! [09-13]

Rockpapershotgun.com - Hands-On: Forty Hours With XCOM (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/09/13/hands-on-forty-hours-with-xcom/) [09-13]

Officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk - Galaxy-saving choices that make Mass Effect seem a cakewalk (http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/2012/09/13/xcom-enemy-unknown-preview-hands-on-with-the-near-finished-game/) [09-13]

Dealspwn.com - Interview with Garth Deangelis (http://www.dealspwn.com/xcom-enemy-unknown-interview-garth-deangelis-reimagining-classic-114410#60155) [09-13]

Gamereactor.eu - Article Preview (http://www.gamereactor.eu/previews/45571/Xcom%3A+Enemy+Unknown/)
Gamereactor.no - Article Preview (Norweigan, not the same as above) (http://www.gamereactor.no/previews/1...Enemy+Unknown/) [09-13]

Do Gaming (gaming.do.co.za) Preview (http://gaming.do.co.za/articles/previews/xcom_enemy_unknown_preview.htm) [09-13]

Jatekok.hu (Hungarian) Article Preview (http://www.jatekok.hu/jatek-hirek-201209-126-xcom-enemy-unknown-probakor.html#ad-image-0) [09-13]

Multiplayer.it (Italian) Preview (http://multiplayer.it/articoli/108409-xcom-enemy-unknown-battaglia-per-la-terra.html) [09-13]

PAX 2012: XCOM: Enemy Unknown hands-on preview (http://www.examiner.com/article/pax-2012-xcom-enemy-unknown-hands-on-preview) [9-13]

Electronic Theatre Preview: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (http://electronictheatre.co.uk/xbox360/xbox360-previews/24328/electronic-theatre-preview-xcom-enemy-unknown) [9-13]

PAX Livestream Videos:

PAX - A Thousand Stupid Ideas on the Road to Glory (http://www.twitch.tv/2k/b/331363076) - [09-01]

PAX - 2k Games FULL Live Coverage From PAX Part 1 (http://www.twitch.tv/2k/b/330605570) - [08-31]
PAX - 2k Games FULL Live Coverage From PAX Part 2 (http://www.twitch.tv/2k/b/330728983) - [09-01]
PAX - 2k Games FULL Live Coverage From PAX Part 3 (http://www.twitch.tv/2k/b/330851810) - [09-02]

Like I said, the one on the 2k forums is constantly updated with new info, while ours will not be (because I'm lazy).


However, I would like to draw attention to something I noticed in one of the vids.

Pigeons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXgKj3wxMm8)

There you are, troops kitted out and ready to rescue a VIP, and in front of you, on the open concrete, is a flock of frelling pigeons. Milling around, pecking at the ground, cooing like Tribbles.

Some of them don't care about your troops much, and just slowly waddle away. Others get spooked when you get too close and fly off, prompting others to fly off.

I mean, how awesome is that? So much detail has been poured into this game, not just the combat, or the strategy, but in making the world seem alive. Someone went and crafted a pigeon AI and added in pigeon sound effects. It's little touches like that which show just how much these developers care about quality and detail.

[Jiro]

Jesus fuck that's a lot of information. I'll have to work my way through it but oh man I want this game tomorrow!

[Skyblade]

I did name the post "Information Overload" for a reason.

Anyway, there's some more info out, including full playthroughs of the Tutorial missions (in this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgYU2VGqyGg) German Vid and it's second part (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muvjy3yEn1c&feature=watch_response)), which introduces players to the systems and the gameplay.

"Hi, welcome to X-Com. To give you a feel for how this game works, we're giving you a squad of 4 soldiers. To make sure you understand the game properly, by the end of this mission, three of them will be dead. Good luck, Commander."

And I have to say, while I know "gesundheit" is simply German for health, given its colloquial use in the US, I still crack up when I see "gesundheitbonus" on armor.

Also, we got an update to the "max troop count" message. The barracks can hold up to 99 soldiers at once, though 6 is the max squad size. So, yeah, not going to run out of guys anytime soon.



And, right after I post this, we get a vid of that entire first tutorial mission in English (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH6JnyfhJSI).

Worth noting, it seems everything about the initial mission is completely scripted. Not only what movements you make, but it seems your entire squad (likely due to the voice acting), including their countries of origin, appearances, and names.

So anyone who does the tutorial will likely be guaranteed those same three names on their memorial wall.

[Jiro]

Pretty hardcore way to start. Just, way to cause the commander some grief :(

[Slothy]

Figured this was worth a bump:

The Escapist : News : XCom: Enemy Unknown Demo Hits Steam (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119756-XCom-Enemy-Unknown-Demo-Hits-Steam)

[Skyblade]

Was planning to bump for the demo news myself as soon as it had finished downloading and I had tried it.

It seems the demo is very restrictive, unfortunately. Two missions, one of which is the first tutorial mission, and, as such, completely scripted. Very little base interaction, no soldier customization, a number of the PC UI elements apparently cut out, and according to some people, not completely polished for optimization on all machines.

Still thinking I'm going to play it and love it, as the demo vids look incredible, but I don't think this demo is going to bring a ton of new players to the fold. Which is a shame, since we're still only halfway to the Steam preorder goal for getting a free copy of Civ V.


EDIT: And, that will teach not to trust people on the 2k forums. While it's true the interface is restricted, I still like the PC interface and find it easy to work with. And you can customize your soldiers in the demo, you simply can't do it during the mission prep screen, you have to do it from the Barracks.

Unfortunately, this demo does little but whet and already incredible appetite. I want the game!

Oh, and an additional note: The game's config files seem to be completely unlocked, so feel free to edit the details such as troop number, armor abilities, etcetera.

[Pike]

I definitely want to look into this demo.

[Skyblade]

For those of you who have not yet downloaded the Steam demo, go do it now!

For those who have, I have a present for you.

DHX, a member of the 2k forums, threw together this (http://db.tt/ebDLuSvZ).

What is it, you might ask? Well, while it's true that the demo is, ordinarily, extremely restrictive, the devs made the insane choice to leave the game files open and unencrypted. What this means is that the demo can be modified like crazy.

This particular editor (which has been declared safe by Trend Micro and Malwarebytes, so it's probably ok, especially since it's so small and simple) lets you adjust the enemies that spawn in the second mission (some spoilers in that it lets you choose between all of the enemy types, including late game ones that have yet to be revealed officially), the number of soldiers you can take on the second mission (from the base 4 to the max 6), and the difficulty. And thank goodness for that, because the difficulty of the second mission is fixed on Easy in the demo (first mission is completely scripted), and the enemies have weak stats and severely restricted AI.


Also keep in mind, be careful when browsing the game's files yourself. They include things such as game videos. From simple things like alien autopsies to (apparently, have avoided them like the plague myself) endgame cutscene spoilers. I haven't checked, nor am I going to, that is a prize I want to have to earn.


Edit: Not all aliens seem to spawn properly (some I tried just kept the default aliens), but a lot of them do. Further note, Cyberdisks frelling owned my 6 man squad on Classic. Alien grenades suck.

Make sure you run the demo before using the editor, as the editor changes some files which aren't created until the demo is actually run.

[Elite Lord Sigma]

So, after I saw a bit of gameplay footage, it finally tipped the balance. I pre-ordered the game yesterday.

[Skyblade]

So, after I saw a bit of gameplay footage, it finally tipped the balance. I pre-ordered the game yesterday.

As a note on preorders, anyone who preorders on Steam now gets a free copy of Civilization V.

[Elite Lord Sigma]

Early reviews are nothing but acclaim so far.

Game Informer: 9.5/10
Official Xbox Magazine: 9/10
Games Radar: 4.5/5

Overall rating is a 91.25% based on 4 reviews on GameRankings. It looks like I made the right decision taking a gamble on this game.

[Pike]

This comes out tomorrow, yes?

I've got it pre-loaded on Steam :hyper:

[Slothy]

This comes out tomorrow, yes?

I've got it pre-loaded on Steam :hyper:

Same here. But even better is that I came down sick today and will definitely be calling in tomorrow. Never been happier to be sick.

[Skyblade]

If my information is correct, the Steam version actually unlocks before midnight. Have fun.

[Slothy]

I'm usually shit out of luck there though living farther east time zone wise than anyone in the US, what with Valve being on the west coast. Should be good to go in the morning though I'd imagine.

[Jiro]

Looks like I need to get paid

[Madame Adequate]

Looks like America needs to sink into the ocean :mad2:

[Jiro]

wait they get it three days early? oh well. it comes out on my birthday. brill

[Pike]

If my information is correct, the Steam version actually unlocks before midnight. Have fun.

Moot point for me because I go to bed at 7pm, haha.

But I've got it now though! :excited:

[Slothy]

Tried to start it up and it told me I couldn't because of some corrupted game files. Tried verifying the integrity of the game cache and it did nothing for me. Just deleted it outright and am reinstalling now. Thank god I don't have a bandwidth cap. Even at 1.3-1.6MB/s this is taking a while.

[Pike]

GUYS THIS GAME

THIS GAME IS FANTASTIC

SERIOUSLY I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ACCOLADES

I hope it installs quickly for you, Vivi! And then works!

[Slothy]

Fuck this game is big. Almost 3 hours later and it's at 98%. If it doesn't work this time I might just cry.

[Jiro]

I am crying so many tears of anticipation. never looked forward to a birthday like this before

[Slothy]

So it downloaded and did the same thing. I had taken a quick look around the games forum this morning but didn't see anyone with the same issue. Ended up going to the hub page for the game and found a topic about it. Guess what the solution is. No really, it's a good one, you might not get it.

Give up? Restart Steam.

smurf...

[Pike]

So it downloaded and did the same thing. I had taken a quick look around the games forum this morning but didn't see anyone with the same issue. Ended up going to the hub page for the game and found a topic about it. Guess what the solution is. No really, it's a good one, you might not get it.

Give up? Restart Steam.

smurf...

Ouch.

[Jiro]

DAMMIT VIVI MAN YOU CAN GET THIS TO WORK COME ON AND DO IT

[Skyblade]

And did it work?

Anyway, just got mine (stupid Gamestop not being open until 11:00 AM, grumble). Installing now. Yay.

[Slothy]

Oh yeah, it totally worked. I'm playing it right now.

I just wish I had found that this morning before I spent 3 hours downloading it again. Ah well, lesson learned.

[Elite Lord Sigma]

Just picked up my shiny new copy from the mailroom. I'll start playing it in a little bit.

[Madame Adequate]

This game is legitimately amazing so far. I just lost an Ironman Classic because this game is seriously taking no prisoners, and I love it. I mean I got picked up and had my back broken over the thing's knee, I was HUMBELLED. RIP in peace Molly Edwards, you were an Ellen Ripley-tier badass and you fucked up those aliens something fierce.

Also, fuck Thin Men and the horses they rode in on.

[Slothy]

Spent a solid chunk of yesterday with it. This is probably my game of the year hands down.

[Skyblade]

This game is legitimately amazing so far. I just lost an Ironman Classic because this game is seriously taking no prisoners, and I love it. I mean I got picked up and had my back broken over the thing's knee, I was HUMBELLED. RIP in peace Molly Edwards, you were an Ellen Ripley-tier badass and you smurfed up those aliens something fierce.

Also, smurf Thin Men and the horses they rode in on.

Thin Men actually feel cheap, because there is no way to block or resist their poison spit (short of equipping everyone with medkits). Fortunately, they're easy to kill.

The other thing about the game that seems cheap is the three-way missions. You only ever get to pick one, and lose ground constantly because you have no way to respond to the other ones. Completing one gets you a reduction in panic in one country, failing to complete one (ie, both of the other two) result in an increase in panic across the continent. It really feels like it's just there to hamstring you.

If we had a second Skyranger, this game would be quite a bit more managable.


Also, there is something (which I'm calling a bug) in the way panic works that means that if one guy panics, there's a very good likelyhood that he'll shoot one of your team, that they'll panic, and shoot someone else, etcetera. Only happened once to me, but given how few times I've had people panic, it's worth nothing. Panic is more deadly to your team than aliens.

[Madame Adequate]

You're meant to be trying to fight a fire that you can't actually put out though.

I had a hilarious panic spiral happen earlier, fortunately all but one of my guys made it out safely. Panic spirals were always issues in the original, but the smaller squad sizes make it much more serious when it occurs.

[Skyblade]

Panic control seems to become fairly easy to manage if you can get full sat coverage of the globe. It lets you stop/slow the "pick one of three" abduction missions, which are the main things that mess up your panic ratings.

[Slothy]

Panic control seems to become fairly easy to manage if you can get full sat coverage of the globe. It lets you stop/slow the "pick one of three" abduction missions, which are the main things that mess up your panic ratings.

I've been playing on normal and either I did something very stupid early on which made things harder than they need to be or this is incredibly difficult to accomplish. I just got my third satellite up with a fourth on the way. And I'm about to assault the alien base whenever I get off my butt and do it.

Mind you, next play through I'll be going in with a much better understanding of what research may be more beneficial earlier.

[Skyblade]

I focused entirely strategic, building new satellite relays and such immediately. Capture and interrogate early for the bonuses. I skipped Lasers entirely (good luck doing that on Classic or above), and went straight for Plasma.

I still haven't invaded the alien base (waiting for two more research projects), yet I've outfitted my team to the neck with stuff. Everyone with Plasma weaponry, some flying armor. All three SHIV types. And I just learned Blaster Bombs.

If you can get through the basic missions without the goodies, holding off on them until your economy stabilizes lets you rule the game.

Also, one Firestorm with an EMP cannon can take out a Battleship by itself.

[Slothy]

What bonuses do you get for capturing? I captured the aliens that I was required to to advance plot missions but not much besides that. Honestly, aside from global panic being an issue and losing two countries, I haven't had too much issue so far.

[Skyblade]

Each alien you interrogate provides a permanent, passive reduction to research time of all projects within a branch of the tech tree.

Example (first three):
Sectoids reduce research of lasers by 50%.
Floaters reduce research of basic armor by 50%.
Thin Men reduce research of UFO tech (Satellite Nexus, Elerium generators, etcetera) by 50%.

I'll let you discover the rest.



Oh, yeah. I've finished all availible research. I have a Firestorm with an EMP cannon in every territory. I have no panic anywhere on the globe. I have a squad of full Colonels and all Plasma weaponry and Titan armor. I have a squad with 6 Plasma Shivs, 2 Hover, 2 Alloy. I have a Blaster Launcher for my Heavy. I have satellite coverage over the entire world. I have over 6,000 credits, and over a hundred engineers and researchers. I have interrogated and autopsied every species in the game that I can thus far. I have my base totally dug out, with most facilities set up (save some space in case I get later ones).

I think it's time to pay the alien base a visit.

[Jiro]

holy fuck this game is hard. the normal difficulty says "challenging but fair." What a load of bollocks. It's fucking mental and I've never had so much fun

[Slothy]

holy fuck this game is hard. the normal difficulty says "challenging but fair." What a load of bollocks. It's fucking mental and I've never had so much fun

I don't know, I haven't found normal too bad. Lost one soldier this whole play through and it was on my third mission. Went something like this:
"Some of my guys are injured? Guess I need to add a new one. Oh look, I have a Canadian."
*does mission and squaddie gets hit once*
RIP Squaddie Chris West.

[Jiro]

I've have long stretches where 80+% shots have missed, leaving my dudes completely fucked over by the enemy and then in a last ditch effort my rookie will attack with like a 45% chance to hit and make it but not do full damage so they die anyway. Fuck. It's glorious though.

[Madame Adequate]

Oh hello I heard there were some small-timers in this thread so I figured I'd drop by and see for myself and welp :shobon:

http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/Automilf/Smugcom.png

:smug:

[Loony BoB]

Have been playing this game all weekend. I don't know if I'm in Ironman mode as I don't know what that means (if it means that you only have one save slot and it auto-saves, then I'm not doing that - I have multiple saves). It's my first attempt in years but I'm doing pretty damned well. I did lose a fair number of countries, though - China, Australia, India, Mexico, Brazil and France, I think - but have satellitees up on the rest and have raided the first base already. Also got the next main story task out of the way and have tested all my soldiers (only a couple of my nine colonels got it). Lost two colonels doing that one, though. I kind of ran into a large number of very aggressive robots all attacking me at once after blowing a hole in the side of a room with a rocket. :D Oops. But one of those colonels was always in a panic in recent times so I don't miss her much. The other guy was okay, but not one of my best. My two snipers are kings, taking out four enemies per turn if they can. :D

I'm sure I'm playing on easy street if I'm not playing on Ironman... I'm guessing I'm not playing on Ironman, because I've found it fairly easy going overall and have only lost low rank soldiers early on (aside from that one mission where I lost two colonels). It was horrible at the start, but it seems to be getting easier as the game moves forward, especially once the satellites are up. And, you know, the snipers have Double Tap. Which overpowers them like bloody crazy. xD

EDIT: Finished a non-Ironman run and found it really fun. Oh, man, I really failed hard on Ironman. So hard. xD I'm thinking on my next run that I might just let South America and Africa burn, and focus on keeping the other three continents alive. I just can't keep everyone happy and all my better soldiers got slaughtered on a terror mission. Which reminds me - next time the first terror mission pops up, I may just ignore it. Or send really rookie soldiers named after The Expendables.

MILF, teach me how to win Ironman. x_x

[Jiro]

I only lost Egypt so far and one stupid fucking Swedish new recruit who got critical hit by a fucking sectoid

[Skyblade]

My favorite Sniper build:
Headshot
Squad Sight
Damn Good Ground
Battle Scanner
Opportunist
Low Profile
Either Colonel perk, they both rock, just in different circumstances.

Psi Powers:
Mind Fray
Psi Inspiration
Telekinetic Field

Armor: Ghost or Archangel
Weapon: Plasma Sniper Rifle
Item: S.C.O.P.E. (with Foundry upgrade)

Explanation:
Squad Sight is incredibly powerful, greatly extending the Sniper's range, keeping them out of harm's way.

Damn Good Ground is one I take for a few reasons. First, while it is a minor boost, it boosts The Sniper's main focus, rather than their off weapons. Second, once I get a Psi Sniper, I usually replace pistols with Mind Fray, which rocks.

Battle Scanner I pick up, only because Disabling Shot is relatively useless. Personally, I think making a weaker utility shot less accurate than a regular attack just kills it, especially since it buys you a turn, at most, and doesn't work on Berserkers, who, besides Sectopods, are the only enemy Snipers can't one-shot if they get a good crit.

Opportunist is awesome. Since a Colonel Sniper with a S.C.O.P.E. has better than 100 Aim, this makes their Overwatch shots (always taken against enemies out of cover, since they're moving) always hit, unless they have a dodge buff (fliers, mostly), and even then, at least 85% hit. Since it works with Squad Sight, this makes it a way to basically instantly kill or cripple a member of an alien squad that patrols into you. This FAR outweighs the 10% Aim boost on hurt targets, IMHO.

As for the Colonel perks, it depends on how you play. If you eliminate an enemy group's cover with explosives, In the Zone let's them finish everything off and still have time to move and reload. It is also absolute death to Chryssalids. And it does have some psynergy (synergy, dangit, too much Golden Sun) with Overwatch, as you will usually get an extra turn (3 moves) on the turn after you Overwatch kill something due to In The Zone refunding a move when it triggers. Slightly buggy, but useful. Double Tap is a better stand alone, more reliable ability that requires less setup, but is also less powerful.

Mind Fray is your first Psi power, and it rocks. On a Sniper with good Will, this should replace your pistol. 5 damage, plus a mobility, Aim, and Will penalty? Yes, please.

Psi Inspiration blows Psi Panic away. It buffs your Will, and removes Mindfray from your team while it's at it. Panic is unreliable, and can cause the enemy to get a free, high accuracy shot.

Telekinetic Field is a HUGE defensive buff. If your Sniper has nothing to do, you can put you entire team in the equivalent of High Cover, or Hunker Down those already in cover. This ability is AWESOME. Not as flashy as Mind Control, but, again, more reliable. It can save your butt in bad situations, doesn't require high Will, and doesn't have the negative impact of Mind Control. Plus, since Snipers are in the back, and Mind Control doesn't work with Squad Sight, Snipers are in the best position to drop a TK Field on your team without buffing the enemies too.

Archangel versus Ghost armor. Both are awesome. Archangel is more vulnerable, but you do get extra defense from Damn Good Ground, since you're flying. Ghost gives you fast movement, passive defense that stacks with cover, a grapple of limited utility that is great when you can use it, and four charges of a +100% Crit chance ability (bonus for cloaked units). Psi Armor is not horrible, but since Mind Fray is the only offensive Psi Ability my Snipers get, I tend to focus on other strengths.

Plasma Sniper Rifle is the best one in the game, obviously. Use it, love it.

The S.C.O.P.E. gives you +10 Aim and +10 Crit chance (once upgraded). Almost every other item is defensive or explosive, and Snipers are rarely in a position to use either. Go with the offensive buffs.

[Skyblade]

Forgive the sequential post, but I felt I had to share.

Yahtzee over at Zero Punctuation has reviewed XCOM (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/6468-XCOM-Enemy-Unknown). And is positive about it.

I was rather flabbergasted by this. He's one of the biggest critics of turn based gaming I know, and I expected him to destroy the game just for that.

[Loony BoB]

Genuinely looking forward to checking that out when I get home. Hope I remember.

[Skyblade]

Also worth pointing out, according to Game Informer (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/10/31/xcom-enemy-unknown-a-success-more-dlc-coming.aspx), Take-Two Entertainment has issued a statement that XCOM is officially a commercial (and critical) success, and will be seeing additional support beyond their planned DLCs for this year.

Considering Take-Two's last (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/07/13/2k-strategy-games-not-contemporary/) statement on the subject, back when they were still defending 2K Marin's shooter XCOM, I just have to say:

HA!

Actually, the shooter didn't look too bad, it just definitely wasn't XCOM. Which makes sense, as it was developed as an entirely separate title and only got the XCOM name slapped on it later in the development cycle, by some idiot who figured they could cash in on the name and basically torpedoed the entire project.

[ShunNakamura]

I feel embarrassed.

You see in 30+ soldiers this playthrough I have only gotten 6 females(3 of which are snipers). 1 of which is from the newest batch. My first three were Sniper, Assault, Sniper. The other two came much later. However, I never realized a simple fact about my fist two snipers. For some reason I kept mixing them up. I just figured it was because they were both medium-dark skin with dark hair. It never clicked until the third month that they had the SAME last name. Apparently I got a pair of sniping twin-sisters! NIX and Snake Eyes are probably my two most valuable team members this time round! They are from different nations though. . . so maybe just cousins?


However, I am such a great commander! I clearly take a very personal interest in my soldiers and do not view them as simple nameless pawns to throw at the aliens. . . once they are majors/colonels!

[Loony BoB]

When trying to set up a good startup with Ironman / Classic, I once had my entire starter group as females. I got that achievement without even trying. :p

[ShunNakamura]

I think my assault is going to hate me after this terror mission! Though I say it is her own dratted fault for not emptying her alloy cannon at them(not one close combat reaction shot. . . she could have at least took out the Chrysallid)!
http://s18.postimage.org/v57xtdhrc/XCom_Game_2012_11_08_09_47_11_97.jpg
http://s18.postimage.org/re2ykstgo/XCom_Game_2012_11_08_09_47_41_07.jpg
http://s18.postimage.org/yjupn92js/XCom_Game_2012_11_08_09_48_00_78.jpg
And before you ask, I did have more of a front line up that way, but that friggin' robot kept blasting people. Plus, the only thing there when I ended my turn was the Robot and one drone(and the Muton she finished off). Everything else moved in from the fog. Didn't even realize that many aliens were active.

I think running awa . . . I mean a tactical retreat is in order!

Edit- Well crud, she is one tough lady!
http://s13.postimage.org/bg82ncfti/Debrief.jpg
You see right, my assault got out injury free. My sniper, one of my Heavies, and one of my Supports though took some injuries. Friggin' robot hit both the heavy and the sniper through smoke nades + high cover + ghost armor(well sniper was technically in low cover, but they have high profile). The injured support was also one of the front line that was forced to retreat. Also hit through high cover plus nade plus ghost armor.