[Megathread] XCOM : Enemy Unknown

**Kathandira** · 2012-10-09, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by puppypizza

Only played the first game, but I think I know what you mean. At least in that game, you could kinda slow the enemy down by destroying their bases or just blowing every single UFO out of the air. But things tended to get frantic past a year in, and you have like 10 things happening at any given time.

I played about 5 or 6 missions in, but the difficulty seems to be ratcheting up fairly quickly. They're introducing a new enemy type every other mission, and when I logged off, I was facing a "Very Difficult" mission already. Now, whether that's determined simply by enemy numbers/types, or their AI will be more devious, I have no idea.

I imagine that the increasing difficulty of missions will mean that it becomes more likely that you fail them, and the panic level spreads to unmanageable levels. Also when you're doing non-UFO missions, where you get the choice of 3 countries, you will always be leaving at least two of them out to dry (or all 3 if you fail). If the game is particularly devious and gives you bad sets of choices, it might very well become impossible to keep all countries under control after too long. Which should be the motivation to finish the game in an efficient manner. I think once a country leaves the Council, they're gone for good.

I am enjoying it! Stayed up until 2:30 AM, and will likely jump back into it when I get off work, and probably lose even more sleep.

It's just that by restricting a lot of the experience, it feels too streamlined. I hate to use these words, makes me feel like a hipster, but it also feels "mainstreamed" and "consolized". They put padded bumpers on everything and removed all the extraneous thinking bits just so you could just focus on their combat. Let me put it this way: my younger brother would be completely lost if he played the original game. But even he can play this new XCOM. Not that this is a bad thing.

It's a good game, I'm just hesitant on calling it a good XCOM game. Kinda like when Fallout 3 came out. But at least this one was much more welcome than the initial 2K Games FPS version.

Right on, i think i can live with this. I still own all of the previous XCOM games and can play them on my Win XP box without any issues. So if i feel masochistic i can always play the earlier versions.

---------- Post added 2012-10-09 at 08:07 PM ----------

Just confirmed that my local Game Stop did get their copies today. <SQUEEE>

**Fahrenheit** · 2012-10-09, 09:50 PM

Ok, so I'm playing this on the 360 and I dig it so far. But when can you use the stuff from the "Elite solider pack" DLC? I'm well past the tutorial now and doing missions on my own but I haven't seen a way to do that or get the classic X-com themed solider.

What gives?

**SirRobin** · 2012-10-09, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by Kathandira

Could you elaborate on that a bit? What difficulty are you playing on?

I understand the fundamental differences such as no "Fog of War" and only having 1 main base. Also the Class system and how inventory has changed. These are the only things i'm really aware of that have dumbed down the game.

have you found something else i haven't listed that veers away from the way the older games have played?

Oh I'm just playing normal difficulty.

Well on top of what you already mentioned, unlimited ammo for primary weapons and the six member team cap. I also find myself missing the grey market a lot more than I expected too. The one in the remake appears to be "sell only," so far. Have not had my base attacked yet and apparently that doesn't happen. The interception mode seems a little funky too with my only apparent options being abort or one-off specials obtained by apparently stuffing alien corpses into parts of the aircraft.

Off hand that is what I recall so far at least. There may be other bits too.

**Goldscar** · 2012-10-10, 12:45 AM

Has anybody tried the multi player modes yet?

**obdigore** · 2012-10-10, 04:01 AM

Bah I was blowing through normal until the first terror mission with chrysalisses. They ate my squad for breakfast. Well, their zombie babies did. Opened a door with a shotgun on one side, laser rifle on the other, and a sniper across the street. The Chryssies get to move on my turn, one ran out the door and jumped up three levels to the roof and started eating civies, the other ran out and oneshot my shotgun guy.

I take down that chrissy, move back and setup shop because I know that roof chryssie is going to be a pain, and then my dead xcom soldier comes up as a zombie that can move farther than my guys, one-shot my soldiers, has 8 HP and takes -2 damage from each shot on him. I put him down after losing another soldier, and then 3 zombies 'fall' off the three story roof and charge my team. I lose my sniper captain and everyone freaks out and gets eaten.

A huge sudden ramp up in difficulty there. This was on normal btw. I hadn't lost a soldier before that. (Medpacks and snipers that are upgraded to be able to shoot what squadmates see are boss.) Edit: It felt right, btw. I'm not complaining.

In other news, what kind of squads are people running? With 5 I'm running 2 Heavies, 1 support, 1 assault, and 1 sniper. With six I will probably add another support for more medpacks. I don't really find the assault troopers that good since I prefer to have covering fields of fire so I always have at least 2 troops able to shoot anything that comes up, and generally the sniper as well.

**SirRobin** · 2012-10-10, 04:30 AM

Well I'm passed the alien base and up to the save the un guy mission and I've only lost four soldiers so far. Lots of wounded but not a lot of kia. Short hops and lots and lots of overwatch have gotten me through the krisses. I use whoever I have healthy enough to fly, though I do prefer mixed squads. Assaults with lightning reflexes are good at getting into range to stun.

**obdigore** · 2012-10-10, 04:57 AM

Originally Posted by SirRobin

Well I'm passed the alien base and up to the save the un guy mission and I've only lost four soldiers so far. Lots of wounded but not a lot of kia. Short hops and lots and lots of overwatch have gotten me through the krisses. I use whoever I have healthy enough to fly, though I do prefer mixed squads. Assaults with lightning reflexes are good at getting into range to stun.

Yea I reloaded it from a couple missions back since I hadn't been saving after every mission, and got through it without a loss the second time. (2 rockets and a grenade make short work of bunched aliens, even if Dr. Whatsherface keeps whining about me using explosives.)

I did the escort a scientist mission which was pretty easy, actually. After the reload I still have not lost a guy, but I'm retarded and had two injured soldiers when I went to try to capture the energy-only (outsider) aliens and those two injured soldiers were the ones holding my arc's and I didn't change them.

Ive captures thin/floaters/sectoid now. 2 heavies laying down suppression and an assault zapping them with the support guy pistoling if needed to lower their HP works well.

**HAcoreRD** · 2012-10-10, 05:32 AM

This game's difficulty, even on normal, is rough. I like it.

In XCOM UFO Defense, I'd have enough cash to make 2 bases with their own fully equipped squads to handle everything, now I'm in danger of losing multiple countries' support, and the Cyber Discs just showed up to ruin my life.

I found that Snipers are really really over powered. Especially with Overwatch. If you put a point into the ability where you can target enemies your allies can see (forgot name), your sniper (with scope for bonus accuracy) can shoot cross map through walls. I had a sniper hit a Muton that was in the navigation room of a Medium UFO across the map. Friggin crazy.

I don't really care for Multiplayer. My game I played earlier was a guy with 3 snipers in invisible suits cross mapping me with overwatch. I'm sure there's a counter for it, but, I yet to play with all the combos.

Here's a ufo mission I had earlier. I dunno if I take things too slow or what.

**Ashnazg** · 2012-10-10, 05:38 AM

Lost my first game on classic because I tried to play it Ironman style, lost all my high level guys, and ended up with level 2 soldiers vs mutons.

After restart, my game is doing much better. Running with 5 colonels and 1 major, 2 snipers, 2 heavy, 1 assault, 1 support. Laser sniper rifles / plasma assault rifles.

Ripping stuff to shreds so far.

**obdigore** · 2012-10-10, 05:53 AM

Your tactics weren't bad, but the battle scanner is a line of sight device from where you put it down, it didn't show the commander in the ship, your guy running up did.

Also, those waves are 'sounds', it is you hearing the aliens doing something, like how they can hear you opening doors and whatnot, not you knowing that they know where you are.

Also, confused how you have one laser rifle, but 6 troops? I've found having stronger weapons is extremely important.

**Jigain** · 2012-10-10, 06:50 AM

So can someone clarify for this poor European who's not allowed to play for another two days, is "Classic" incorporating the classic mechanics, or is it just a straight-up "enemies do more damage" type of difficulty?

**obdigore** · 2012-10-10, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by Jigain

So can someone clarify for this poor European who's not allowed to play for another two days, is "Classic" incorporating the classic mechanics, or is it just a straight-up "enemies do more damage" type of difficulty?

I've not tried it yet, but it seems to be one of the level of difficulty, so that is what I imagine it is. iirc it is the second highest level of difficulty.

**Howard Moon** · 2012-10-10, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by Jigain

So can someone clarify for this poor European who's not allowed to play for another two days,

TWO days?? I though one? Dammit!

**Jigain** · 2012-10-10, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by Howard Moon

TWO days?? I though one? Dammit!

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure it's scheduled for release in the EU on Friday.

**Howard Moon** · 2012-10-10, 08:20 AM

You are right Jigain... oh well one more day, no big deal.

I'm also curious to know if the fog of war mechanic changes in any way in "classic" mode.

**Kijimea** · 2012-10-10, 09:08 AM

Seems like i gotta try X Com out again.. didnt play Xcom since Enemy Unknown xD loved it though!

**Shamanic** · 2012-10-10, 09:46 AM

Played an hour before I had to actually do some work this morning, I would have been playing it yesterday but Dishonored releasing on the same day made my choice hard. Really enjoyed it though, looking forward to giving it a few hours later

**obdigore** · 2012-10-10, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by Shamanic

Played an hour before I had to actually do some work this morning, I would have been playing it yesterday but Dishonored releasing on the same day made my choice hard. Really enjoyed it though, looking forward to giving it a few hours later

Aye I had my friend buy dishonored for me as a gift (I gave him cash) and told him not to let me have it until the 19th so I wouldn't be in the middle of two amazing games and have to make the hardest choice a person can make.

**Rannasha** · 2012-10-10, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Jigain

So can someone clarify for this poor European who's not allowed to play for another two days, is "Classic" incorporating the classic mechanics, or is it just a straight-up "enemies do more damage" type of difficulty?

It's just a difficulty-level. The order is Easy -> Normal -> Classic -> Impossible. So Classic is just another name for "Hard". I guess they named it "Classic" to tempt old-school XCOM players that were worried about the game being too easy to pick that difficulty first. It works well though, Classic (+Ironman) can be quite unforgiving. I'm considering restarting my C+I game, because I keep losing my experienced guys and girls and I just found that fighting a Muton squad with a bunch of rookies is a recipe for disaster.

**Howard Moon** · 2012-10-10, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Shamanic

Played an hour before I had to actually do some work this morning, I would have been playing it yesterday but Dishonored releasing on the same day made my choice hard. Really enjoyed it though, looking forward to giving it a few hours later

Wait, aren't you in EU? How did you manage to play?

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