Chance Hale
Member
Seriously, one of the lookers of the year surpassing any possible expectation I had. Only issue is the steam overlay is broken and takes black screenshots. Going by the steam forums it's a common issue, can you confirm?
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The Bureau: X-COM Declassified |OT| It's all about Taction
- Thread starter Pops Maellard
- Start date
Seriously, one of the lookers of the year surpassing any possible expectation I had. Only issue is the steam overlay is broken and takes black screenshots. Going by the steam forums it's a common issue, can you confirm?
Pops Maellard
Member
Upon checking, yes. I'm having the same issues with the screenshots. I should also note that on my desktop with an ATI card, I have to turn everything to low or off to get anything above 30fps, which is a bit odd/irritating. Anything past that, even a combination of medium/low, results in 27-30fps. I'll check it out on my Y510 running dual GTX750m's in a bit, I can only hope that the performance will be slightly better.
Hmm... can anyone else with ATI cards of any sort chime in about performance too?
Also Green man gaming still hasnt replied to my X com collection key question/email. Two others have posted on their forums about it.
Chance Hale
Member
Seems like a driver issue, a guy with a GTX590 is getting a smooth 60 at max settings in DX11 mode while people with titans are dropping to the 40s.
Pops Maellard
Member
I just spent a few minutes going through each setting one by one to determine which was adversely effecting performance; turns out it's the screen space reflections. Running everything else on max settings, including PhysX particles, and it's a solid 60 now. I'm assuming this is patchable?
Edit: Also, the game has cards. Awesome.
Edit: Also, the game has cards. Awesome.
SirButterstick
Banned
This totally reminds me of Full Spectrum Warrior in a good way. They weren't kidding when they said they took inspiration from games like that and the old Rainbow Six. Also, they integrated the XCOM turn-based elements nicely.
Really digging the style. The tac view is fluid and easy to use. It's a looker as well.
Edit: the only thing that's a bummer is the compression on the cutscenes. They're console-quality
Edit:
I can confirm . . . I was getting ~40 fps, turned that setting off I'm getting in the 100's on a 680.
Really digging the style. The tac view is fluid and easy to use. It's a looker as well.
Edit: the only thing that's a bummer is the compression on the cutscenes. They're console-quality
Edit:
I can confirm . . . I was getting ~40 fps, turned that setting off I'm getting in the 100's on a 680.
Chance Hale
Member
I can confirm that was the issue as well, how strange. Hopefully they patch that and the overlay issues quickly.
ThroneZwei
Banned
Thanks, was wondeirng what was causing my game to act up. The reflections are probably a heavy load on the card.
Chance Hale
Member
I think it's just bugged, the performance drops happens even when there's nothing possibly there to reflect.
Also: Don't use in-game vsync it seems. Use nvidia control panel.
http://steamcommunity.com/app/65930/discussions/0/846961716484107107/
SirButterstick
Banned
chrominance
Member
Had to drop settings to Medium on my ATI 6950 2GB, but once I did so everything was pretty smooth and ~60fps (albeit with some noticeable tearing). Mouse and keyboard feels a bit clunky, though, not sure how much I like the controls.
It's even more Mass Effect-y than I originally thought; there's even a Mass Effect-style dialogue wheel during cutscenes.
It's even more Mass Effect-y than I originally thought; there's even a Mass Effect-style dialogue wheel during cutscenes.
Still waiting on the download, but its kinda funny when the majority of the below average reviews read like they should be average scores ( 7 range) but then give a much lower score just because it plays more like a shooter with a focus on squad commands, than X-COM from a third person perspective.
Pops Maellard
Member
PC version screenshot:
A few more reviews from the review thread:
And Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/the-bureau-xcom-declassified-the-kotaku-review-1170127306
And Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/the-bureau-xcom-declassified-the-kotaku-review-1170127306
Locked the framerate to 30 via the in game locker and everything seems smoothish enough to play. After playing through the first mission I must say I'm having a blast playing the game. Only issues with control I've had thus far is sometime the tac command thing gets caught on geometry when I'm trying to move guys in the thick of battle (particularly when moving them into an enclosed space), but it's hardly gamebreaking.
Eh, it's actually an easy fix but the solution is one we'd never see in an AAA game like this: stringent checkpoint placement. That way even if you lose a guy reloading isn't something you'd want to do as you'd lose multiple fights worth of progress. Though I don't know why IGN is slamming The Bureau for save scumming when you could save scum the fuck out of EU.
Eh, it's actually an easy fix but the solution is one we'd never see in an AAA game like this: stringent checkpoint placement. That way even if you lose a guy reloading isn't something you'd want to do as you'd lose multiple fights worth of progress. Though I don't know why IGN is slamming The Bureau for save scumming when you could save scum the fuck out of EU.
ambientmystic
Member
Ironman mode wouldn't work in a game like this due to its structure. It does have a hard mode which only allows you to call in reinforcements at specific checkpoints, though, which is as close as you're going to get in a game like this.
And frankly, Ironman mode was kinda shit in EU due to the questionable balancing and some of the glitches in that game. Personally I don't really get slamming a game for save scumming when you could just not do it...
So start on hard mode, check.
CecilRousso
Member
What kind of mission structure does this game have? Are there randomly generated missions like in XCOM, or is it just regular linear campaign, with some bonus missions/sidequests for the sake of it?
ThroneZwei
Banned
Thanks for the further tip! I actually turned on Vysnc and got major stutters in cutscenes.
Man the lip syncing in this game is really bad >.> Like Alan Wake bad :X
Another thing: I don't really get the complaints about researching and base building being understated in this game. Since they reintroduced the project they've been clear that the focus was on creating a game set from the perspective of an XCOM field agent, not one of the commander of XCOM. So it makes sense that commander of XCOM deals with the base, and you simply just pick up research materials and return them to base as that's your role in the agency. Although I do think they could have built off of the researching minigame in BioShock 2 (equip the video camera and the combat basically turns into DMC from the FPV, the crazier, more interesting, and more off the wall tricks you do the faster the research bar fills) and done more with it here to appease the XCOM fans a little more, even though it'd be unnecessary and wouldn't work near as well here given that your tool chest is spread across three different people now.
Another thing: I don't really get the complaints about researching and base building being understated in this game. Since they reintroduced the project they've been clear that the focus was on creating a game set from the perspective of an XCOM field agent, not one of the commander of XCOM. So it makes sense that commander of XCOM deals with the base, and you simply just pick up research materials and return them to base as that's your role in the agency. Although I do think they could have built off of the researching minigame in BioShock 2 (equip the video camera and the combat basically turns into DMC from the FPV, the crazier, more interesting, and more off the wall tricks you do the faster the research bar fills) and done more with it here to appease the XCOM fans a little more, even though it'd be unnecessary and wouldn't work near as well here given that your tool chest is spread across three different people now.
Pops Maellard
Member
Nope. The ability to save at any point negated the permadeath in Enemy Unknown, and from what I've played so far I'm not entirely clear on why the reviewer claims that losing a squadmate likely means you'll be dying quickly as well.
From what I've played so far, the only review I don't understand is the IGN one.
I thought it looked great for keyed animation; not Infinite level but certainly far beyond anything I've played recently, particularly when the game is outside of cutscenes. Could just be how disgusted I was by the muppet faces AC3 reverted to when having characters talk during gameplay though; just finished that game last week.
Most of the time it looks okay, but when it goes into that shot/reverse shot convo system the lip syncing just looks really bad on my end. I'll try and fraps a vid to show it off because it may be just a bug or something.
TekGryphon
Banned
I was looking forward to this only to find they'd nearly completely gutted any of the management aspects of the game. No research, no resources, no base building - nothing.
As a dude-bro shooter with a squad mechanic it looks fun, but God damnit didn't we already have enough dude-bro shooters on the market?
As a dude-bro shooter with a squad mechanic it looks fun, but God damnit didn't we already have enough dude-bro shooters on the market?
This isn't a "dude bro shooter" by any means, though. It's a tactical shooter, and we actually have a painfully small amount of those on the market today despite the base genre's popularity. I mean other than this we've had a couple of bad SOCOM games, Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and 2 (which came out forever ago now), and...uh...arguably the ME series if you played it on very hard I guess.
Also saying it gutted out all the management aspects is a little disingenuous as you do indeed manage you and your squad's abilities and such.
Also here's that lip sync vid I promised:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efsQUoBcm_Y&feature=youtu.be
Chance Hale
Member
A game can be a shooter without being dude bro.
Professor Lich
Member
Having a lot of fun so far. Going for four hours without meaning too must mean something, haha.
I have to say I think what's missing really are characters. Since your squad has permadeath, they couldn't waste time making anyone outside people with 'faces,' a character. I think if that was changed around and you only had a small squad with real acts behind them, it would of turned out better.
I have to say I think what's missing really are characters. Since your squad has permadeath, they couldn't waste time making anyone outside people with 'faces,' a character. I think if that was changed around and you only had a small squad with real acts behind them, it would of turned out better.
XANDER CAGE
Member
Err, this game might not be super great, but what about it says dudebro, exactly? Are these strawman dudebros way into the early 1960s and its sociopolitical issues now?
TekGryphon
Banned
After watching a few gameplay videos... I dunno. Seemed pretty run of the mill shooter to me. Like Gears of War with a tactical overlay. Hide behind cover, pop out, shoot the enemy 50 times (lol @ hp pools), pop back in. Every now and then order your squad mate to taunt an enemy into a mine.
Reading reviews the tactical part is actually one of the biggest problems with the game. Supposedly it's 1960 and you're pulling out laser turrets on the first mission and using alien weaponry immediately?
I mean, I get that they're aiming for an audience that might not like complex subjects or gameplay, but every game out there has some kind of skill tree. How hard would it have been to translate that into an even rudimentary research tree? Instead, nope, you're whipping out 2050 technology in 1960.
Remachinate
Member
You guys do know that EU had Ironman mode right, and that the designer intended the game to be played that way? That's the difference here. Well, that and the fact that in The Bureau, you apparently don't even need to save scum because of how easily teammates revive each other.
Yes I'm shocked as well. The game looks amazing the effects, lighting, and art look top notch.
Thanks for the tip; I'm going to try that tonight. I played it a bit last night and the performance was all over the place (I'm running two 7870s).
Edit: just turned off screen space reflections and the game is running MUCH smoother, even with everything maxed out.
cleveridea
Member
Eurogamer usually gives the right score I have found, sounds like a solid 7/10 so will def get when its a bit cheaper on pc
completely addicted to dragons crown right now and getting infinity today hopefully
completely addicted to dragons crown right now and getting infinity today hopefully
Karak
Member
Usually I find myself feeling the same way as Eurogamer reviews as well. Compared to most.
my thoughts as well.
phantomspiker
Member
Played through the first hour (all the tutorial bits basically), so far so good.
Cameron122
Member
Played the first section that acted as the tutorial last night. Loved that Carter is a rude shit :lol
played the intro earlier in the afternoon. It may not scream AAA when it comes to the cinematic cut scenes but god damn is the core of this game good.
I feel like every game with artificial intelligence team mates should rip off some form of the battle focus system that is in place here. It really circumvents the brain dead tendency AI characters tend to have. By putting you in this much control it is entirely up to you if you fail or not.
I can't wait to play more.
I feel like every game with artificial intelligence team mates should rip off some form of the battle focus system that is in place here. It really circumvents the brain dead tendency AI characters tend to have. By putting you in this much control it is entirely up to you if you fail or not.
I can't wait to play more.
SlasherJPC
Banned
About to start live streaming the start of the game for those interested. 360 version. www.twitch.tv/slasherjpc
For some reason the chat isn't working tonight. Nevermind firefox is having issues with it.
For some reason the chat isn't working tonight. Nevermind firefox is having issues with it.
The only way it's reasonable to to penalize a game like IGN did is it forces you to use a mechanic.
I played XCOM on non iron man but I wouldn't restart a mission if one of my team members died because I thought that was "cheating" instead I'd just keep playing and see if I could finish the mission. IF I couldn't finish the mission then yeah I'd reload my save.... I mean I'm not going to be out there losing all my soldiers for nothing!
So what if you're throwing laser turrets in the first level? I'm assuming that those guys you're commanding are higher level than you are and thus have enemy weaponary.
I don't understand making a case against a fictional world if it's already the conceit of the fiction. To me if you give me a backstory even it's crazy and makes no sense..... okay that's the world we live now given that make a good story line with realistic characters that reflect that world (and abide by the laws within it) and I'm happy.
I played XCOM on non iron man but I wouldn't restart a mission if one of my team members died because I thought that was "cheating" instead I'd just keep playing and see if I could finish the mission. IF I couldn't finish the mission then yeah I'd reload my save.... I mean I'm not going to be out there losing all my soldiers for nothing!
So what if you're throwing laser turrets in the first level? I'm assuming that those guys you're commanding are higher level than you are and thus have enemy weaponary.
I don't understand making a case against a fictional world if it's already the conceit of the fiction. To me if you give me a backstory even it's crazy and makes no sense..... okay that's the world we live now given that make a good story line with realistic characters that reflect that world (and abide by the laws within it) and I'm happy.
Unity2012
Member
I am a couple hours in and really enjoying the game. I am surprised at the wave of overly-negative reviews and responses. I hope people find out for themselves.
It's not Mass Effect, Halo or Battlefield quality--it is a new view of the franchise by this developer; but apparently the expectations were very, very high.
The game is fun, feels fresh and it requires quick thinking and strategy.
It's not Mass Effect, Halo or Battlefield quality--it is a new view of the franchise by this developer; but apparently the expectations were very, very high.
The game is fun, feels fresh and it requires quick thinking and strategy.
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