XCOM: Enemy Unknown

[Kellervo]

I'm an oldie-TBS junkie.

XCOM: UFO Defense was the first game I got into as a kid. It was the first genuinely scary game I played, and the only one I could play on a regular basis (parents were ok with it because the agents didn't explode.)

Awhile back, 2k Games announced their... 1950s remake. It was a pretty big slap in the face to what made XCOM great - no permadeath, FPS Mass Effect knock-off which kept absolutely nothing from the original series.

But a week ago, Firaxis came out and announced they were making their own XCOM game. A re-imagining of the classic original.

While it doesn't handle the same as the original, it looks fancy;

I'll post more once I'm back from work. I'm just excited ;[

[Inoue Katsu]

I STILL PLAY THE OLD DOS GAME!

And 'Xcom UFO Defense' was the American name, the actual name is 'ufo - enemy unknown' :P

I remember having this game on 3 3.5" disks when i had a 286, making fresh copies *every* 6 months till i got a 386 so I could play it, there is also an open source one which is promising but the lack of destructible environment is a bit of a downer, i used to level the whole area when dealing with dangerous aliens that were sneaking around.

I thought Firaxis was making a top down shooter like the old game and not an FPS ?

[Deadmon]

While the screenshots indicate FPS, I think its just hyper-controlled RTS from the description. at one point it says "Every shot is within your control" or something similar.

[Kellervo]

The camera 'zooms in' whenever you're aiming, hence the odd angle shot above. Cinematic moments, like firing, or losing agents, are all zoomed in on.

Normally it's in a top-down / isometric view like the classic game. Interception and 'world management' is in realtime, but the tactical battles are turn-based.

[Inoue Katsu]

Yea what Keller said, more info has been released over the past weeks .. I'm kinda psyched about this one too.

[or10nsharkfin]

It's kinda like if the VATS system from the more recent Fallout incarnations became a turn-based strategy game.

[Marcus Tinamou]

Very excited for this

[or10nsharkfin]

/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPLTPj8SUhU

GRAAAAAGH

[or10nsharkfin]

Firaxis also says that they've got an entirely different team working on the PC UI, and that the game is being built specifically for the PC, in order to be ported over to the console. The control scheme and UI in these videos are from the fact that they're playing with control pads on the PC.

Very, very reassuring, actually. I'm looking forward to this release.

[Huttser]

I want... so bad

[SalemAdams Wobbit]

OOOH! I do want myself. I just happen to have XCOM: UFO Defense on CD (PC Gamer did a classic collection a long time ago).

[Kellervo]

Mexi-Guile isn't having any of this extraterrestrial alien bullshit.

(he killed five aliens single-handedly, not his fault they all warped in right in front of his LMG)

[Huttser]

Unlocks in two days for me, then another three waiting for internet to download it.... can't wait.

[Kellervo]

It's a very fun game, but if you want to play it in typical XCOM fashion, disable the tutorial. I made a game with it enabled, and it railroads you through / doesn't give you as much freedom. I was too competent so now my guys are stuck fighting Mutons with regular level-1 weapons and armor.

[Inoue Katsu]

Its already preloaded on my steam.

What do you mean for the tutorial ? If you disable it your squad lives longer / gets more stuff done quicker ?

[Kellervo]

The tutorial scripts the entire first mission and the start of the second, plus it packs in cinematics in between missions, tells you what your next step should be, and occasionally forces research projects. If you're too good at the game and capture aliens as soon as possible, it'll trigger other races to appear early, which means fun stuff like Berzerkers and Mutons before you even have a laser pistol.

[or10nsharkfin]

At the very least, do the tutorial for the achievement, and then restart your game with the tutorial turned off (Obviously, right?). There's a HUGE difference in how the game progresses with or without the tutorial.

On another note, I've found a way to cheat (Because I hate failure and I'm so close to losing my eighth and final XCOM council member) and got Sid Meier and three other game developers in the game as "Hero" units.

EDIT: With this squad of heroes, Huttser and I ranked up to Colonel and are in the process of being outfitted with the best gear. :D

Edited October 11, 2012 by Kurama Bingyi

[Inoue Katsu]

In other words, dont capture aliens till you got some decent gear ?

[or10nsharkfin]

No, you can capture aliens early on. All you need is an Arc Thrower, which knocks aliens unconscious when you get close enough to them. Just make sure you're prepared to deal with much stronger aliens in missions following it..

At the very least, try and research/manufacture Laser Weapons before you start on missions after capturing an alien.

[Kellervo]

That was my mistake. If you do the tutorial, it scripts A LOT of the campaign very differently, and namely it seems to tie enemy appearances into your Current Objective.

Once you finish researching the Outsider, the game starts throwing a lot at you. And you can do that in under a month, well under the time you need for decent armor and weapon research.

[Inoue Katsu]

I found everything very (too) scripted actually even when skipping the tutorial .. the aliens were getting extra movement and firing turns when they walked and ran into the view of my soldiers ..

After getting ghost / Titan armor and plasma weapons my soldiers were decimating aliens .. the only problem I had after that was if an ethereal managed to take over one of my soldiers and I could not kill said ethereal in that same turn before my own soldier acted against me ..

My soldiers ranked up rapidly and once I got 6 soldiers in the squad (I still feel squads could be bigger) it gave me the space I needed to train up rookies at least captain while my colonel's made sure the rookies did not die.

For tough missions or ones with ethereals the rookie had to make way for a (hover)SHIV .. But i found myself hardly having to use any form of flight on tank or person .. the fuel was too limited to make handy use of it IMO.

What I DID do was not capture an outsider before I got Armor and laser weapons, my team ended up consisting of 2 snipers, 2 assault, 1 support and a heavy. Occasionally i replaced the heavy with an extra support .. my support soldiers had 3 med packs which were frequently empty.

[Huttser]

I found that the hover SHIV was useless but the alloy one equipped with plasma made an ample replacement for when my only ranked heavy was incapped. That and a colonel ranked sniper with a plasma rifle and double tap will kill most aliens in one shot.

[Kellervo]

I held off on assaulting the alien base until I had Lasers and Titan armor (and Light Plasma Rifles). It was a cakewalk.

Now every mission is 100% Mutons / Heavy Floaters / Sectopods. My six Colonels are never all healthy at the same time. 8c

[Guest Ruin Nefarious]

Heavy Floaters

[Huttser]

Use heavies with bullet storm and HEAT. rounds for sectopods. Snipers can one hit mutons, then use assaults and support to mop up. Should always keep assaults handy to deal with any bezerkers or chrsalids that show up. You give those guys alloy cannons and they can one hit anything at close range, they'll Ffff up most at medium range too.