this makes sense to me.
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XCOM 2 (PC/Mac/Linux, Firaxis, November 2015) announced [Up: New info/screens in OP]
- Thread starter dex3108
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this makes sense to me.
GoonerTRON
Banned
This was the best console stategy game ever aswell WTF?
Oh boy!
I'm not a big fan of turn based games, but XCOM managed to grab me pretty hard anyway which might say something about the game, or maybe about me, or perhaps nothing at all. I'm hoping for more in-depth base building and squad management, because that was the best. No, the best was probably seeing the hero shot of your squad lined up before a mission with the music pumping in the background.
Also hoping for a Linux port as solid as the last one. They really did good on that front. And controller support!
I'm not a big fan of turn based games, but XCOM managed to grab me pretty hard anyway which might say something about the game, or maybe about me, or perhaps nothing at all. I'm hoping for more in-depth base building and squad management, because that was the best. No, the best was probably seeing the hero shot of your squad lined up before a mission with the music pumping in the background.
Also hoping for a Linux port as solid as the last one. They really did good on that front. And controller support!
Kssio_Aug
Member
NoPiece
Member
Xcom is more of a tactics game, and there is more of a market on consoles for them than full blown strategy games. It is closer to stuff like Vandal Hearts, FF Tactics, Ogre Battle, Fire Emblem, Valkyria Chronicles, etc
Man, I am incredibly happy this exists and hyped for all the people who will get to enjoy it but sadly this new XCOM game went from a guaranteed pre-order to a probably-never-buy based on being PC exclusive because I don't play games when I'm at my computer. No port begging here whatsoever, if this never shows up on consoles that's okay, but if it does, I'll definitely grab it. Loved the shit out of Enemy Unknown.
FunkyPajamas
Member
Larger areas. Fully destructible environments. More enemies on screen/area. More enemy variety. More mission variety. Seamless transition between areas. Proper physics. Better lighting. Being able to call in air-strikes or artillery strikes. Ship battles.
I'm not saying any of that will make it into the game. Hell, most of that probably won't. But if you can't see the possibilities of making the game exclusively for the leading technological platform out there, I don't know what to tell you. I'm not even getting into stuff like an actual headquarters base that you can walk around with research going on in real time, deployable vehicles, etc.
SolicitorPirate
Member
I didn't follow how well Xcom did on the market, but I have to admit, I'm surprised at how many people are disappointed Xcom 2 won't be on consoles. I always assumed sales of the game heavily skewed towards PC.
Anyway, I look forward to pouring dozens of hours into this game, just like it's predecessor.
Anyway, I look forward to pouring dozens of hours into this game, just like it's predecessor.
There is always the possibility of a console release. In the end, it is PC. Rather than some paid off money barrier to prevent it happening, the companies doing this do so of their own volition for a wide variety of reasons relating to the game. There is the possibility it might not happen if the game simply won't work on a console whether that is due to input, hardware or features being used that are integral to the game. If not, then there wouldn't be a big reason to stop them making a console version. Then again there is also the option of a console-centric version being created entirely for consoles only such as Civ Rev. Stranger things happen, who knows.
Obviously! XCOM lends itself to procedural map generation though. I like the reboot a lot but I was always disappointed by the way the battle maps were largely divorced from the strategic mode. If XCOM 2 is anything like the original game, the strategic mode will tie directly into the battle scenes making pre-battle decisions even more important.
I wonder if they'll bring back limited-visibility night missions.
KyanMehwulfe
Member
First impression is still hype but after the last thread, I was sort of hyped for more of a XCOM Apocalypse so I think I'm a bit disappointed it didn't end having more of a city-sim mode. I was hoping for the scale of the HQ or 'home base' to grow from an underground base to a major city rather than shrink to a mobile ship. That said, that's mostly because the last thread sort of got me hyped for that... if I had missed that thread and went straight from nothing to this XCOM 2, I'd be pure hyped. So, I'm still psyched we're getting it. Straight to the top 2 or 3 most anticipated games...
Surprised that it's not releasing on consoles though... I mean, it's not like they put much effort into the last gen console ports lol. Their performance was horrible as fuck, and constantly frozen. EU must have froze every 6-7 hours, and even more often you're into the later bigger levels. And EW... I almost lost an entire Ironman file 25+ hours in because the game froze. Game frozen, had to reboot my PS3, and the game wouldn't even reload my save file. It froze the game. Tried for 3 hours, rebooting, starting new games and trying to load the save file from different points/menus. My entire 25+ hour Ironman file was frozen. Simply would not load. And since it was Ironman, I never had second saves. Luckily, I have PS+ so I was able to download my previous Cloud-saved save file for the previous day, and reload that one from about 5 hours earlier. I was a bit demoralized from having lost so much and I never played that save file again though.
Combine the freezing with the horrible framerate and the console ports were rather lackluster... good enough to play tho lol (still beat the game a few times) so surprised they don't even try put together a couple lazy ports.
Doesn't really matter to me and in the long run, probably better off since I'll build a new gaming PC next year and XCOM 2 will probably be a better game for it. And I'm sure they could try put out a couple lackluster ports a few months later anyhow.
I like the screenshots so far. Very XCOM[1]... almost too much lol. 20 years and the soldiers still wearing that pre-alien tier 1 armour haha? at least they have a laser rifle and a flying mechtoid. liking the 'utopia/distopia' city... hoping we get a lot more high-tech urban city centers and the such. the pre-alien tier 1 xcom armor looked so out of place, though it's sort of charming in its own way. mobile base i have mixed feelings about. i like building a big HQ but a mobile ship could be cool. biggest thing is the new map generator, and that's just a wait and see. digging the setting regardless though i still would have like some xcom apocalypse city management.
Surprised that it's not releasing on consoles though... I mean, it's not like they put much effort into the last gen console ports lol. Their performance was horrible as fuck, and constantly frozen. EU must have froze every 6-7 hours, and even more often you're into the later bigger levels. And EW... I almost lost an entire Ironman file 25+ hours in because the game froze. Game frozen, had to reboot my PS3, and the game wouldn't even reload my save file. It froze the game. Tried for 3 hours, rebooting, starting new games and trying to load the save file from different points/menus. My entire 25+ hour Ironman file was frozen. Simply would not load. And since it was Ironman, I never had second saves. Luckily, I have PS+ so I was able to download my previous Cloud-saved save file for the previous day, and reload that one from about 5 hours earlier. I was a bit demoralized from having lost so much and I never played that save file again though.
Combine the freezing with the horrible framerate and the console ports were rather lackluster... good enough to play tho lol (still beat the game a few times) so surprised they don't even try put together a couple lazy ports.
Doesn't really matter to me and in the long run, probably better off since I'll build a new gaming PC next year and XCOM 2 will probably be a better game for it. And I'm sure they could try put out a couple lackluster ports a few months later anyhow.
I like the screenshots so far. Very XCOM[1]... almost too much lol. 20 years and the soldiers still wearing that pre-alien tier 1 armour haha? at least they have a laser rifle and a flying mechtoid. liking the 'utopia/distopia' city... hoping we get a lot more high-tech urban city centers and the such. the pre-alien tier 1 xcom armor looked so out of place, though it's sort of charming in its own way. mobile base i have mixed feelings about. i like building a big HQ but a mobile ship could be cool. biggest thing is the new map generator, and that's just a wait and see. digging the setting regardless though i still would have like some xcom apocalypse city management.
Psychoward
Banned
....aliens invade, you have to fight back. If they added more cutscenes and crap it'd hamper the gameplay and replay value.
NoPiece
Member
Part of what made the original awesome is that sometimes you'd get dropped into a map and it would be a massacre just walking down the ramp, or sometimes you'd catch the aliens totally without cover and it was a shooting gallery. Because the maps in the reboot were all handcrafted and balanced, it kind of lacked surprise. I'd argue they were too balanced.
I think you are looking at this the wrong way. Better modding support means The Long War 2.0 or whatever is brought to Xcom 2 will be played by many more people.
There will probably be console versions. Still think it will happen in 2016. PC features would have to get shelved in favor of getting console versions out this year and I wouldn't want that compromise. Nothing wrong with focusing on one version right away and getting the core experience right.
I'd like to think that PS4 and XB1 shouldn't have to dial it back too much, but then again...I cant complain about something PC exclusive when there are still lots of console exclusives.
PC only.. mod support, procedural generated maps. Best news ever.
EU was dumbed down in the worst ways so it could work on consoles. Long War completely put Firaxis to shame with what they accomplished despite no real mod support so I can't really empathize with the console port begging. Maybe we'll actually get destructible environments this time around.
EU was dumbed down in the worst ways so it could work on consoles. Long War completely put Firaxis to shame with what they accomplished despite no real mod support so I can't really empathize with the console port begging. Maybe we'll actually get destructible environments this time around.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Not really sure I agree with the 20 years later Invasion bit, but I hope it gets more fleshed out in the game.
XC1 had a really shitty plot with real shitty exposition.
XC1 had a really shitty plot with real shitty exposition.
I can certainly see the *possible* benefits of going PC exclusive, however these screenshots don't exactly scream "not possible on anything but PC" to me.
Yeah then this isn't the series for you.
They even ported the first one to Ipad and Android
So people are stressing for nothing
The devs know their biggest install base is old school PC gamers, so thats who they are speaking to with this release. Consoles will get it later
KyanMehwulfe
Member
Probably a lot less to do with graphics and more to do with modding and perhaps coding for one platform.
Perhaps precisely because the console ports were rather lackluster in terms of performance, they want more time to do ports later to 'get them right,' and that extra time also gives that more time to figure out how to leverage all the modded content built during that time period.
While I do like the occasional Black Hawk Down scenario, reducing the number of soldiers to ~4 in the reboot made this change necessary. I hope they increase the deployment size to bring some of that back.
Another thing: I think the original's map generation was a bit TOO random. Too many missions devolved into hide and go seek. The map generator could use a bit more focus. Bug hunts can be fun, just not so often.
Basically, these kind of games are hard as hell to design.
That applies to tons of PC games though. Xcom of all things is hardly about its graphics.
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
Having recently built a gaming PC I'll definitely be jumping into this game, but it makes me a little sad that it's no longer on consoles. Once upon a time I had wrist surgery that took my left hand out of commission for a few weeks, and I spent that time sitting on my couch playing XCOM Enemy Unknown on my 360 with one hand. T'was a glorious few weeks.
thewhitehawk
Member
I'm down for more XCOM but if the RNG still causes a significant number of misses with max hit chance and enemies get a free turn whenever you find them I think I'll pass. Those two issues were immensely upsetting in the first game and became progressively worse as the enemies became stronger.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
yeah, i'm a little hesitant about getting worked up about the plot, also, the main storyline was a big let down. Enemy Within was better but anticlimactic. i'm just hoping for some good designed maps for story missions and filling in the gaps with the procedural levels.
Well, it looks like the free turn thing is over since you can now apparently ambush patrols.
As for the hit chance thing, many tests have been run and the percentages have been proven to be accurate. I wouldn't want it any other way. XCOM is very much about preparing for and minimizing the effect of inevitable disaster.
I can't really think of any gameplay reasons it can't work on consoles either, being turn based. So if it's not for technical reasons, and not for gameplay reasons...It's probably just for market reasons, and that's so disappointing now that we're actually starting to see turn based games on consoles again.
Poodlestrike
Banned
The RNG was verified (repeatedly) to produce exactly the results it said it did. That's just the confirmation bias speaking; you remember a miss at 95%, but you forget the 19 other times you made that shot and it connected.
The other thing would seem to be a non-issue now, since they've said that you can ambush enemies.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
controls can be more precise, the UI can be smaller, more options can be laid out.
thats all i got off the top of my head. it makes a big difference to the experience of the game and how they plan stuff out
It may be CPU intensive. Calculating AI and pathfinding for a lot of enemies in a turn based game can massacre CPU's, leaving you to wait for long turn times.
There could also be gameplay emchanics not super feasible with a gamepad, who knows.
Fragamemnon
Member
One thing about XCOM RNG is that it is very sensitive to perceived confirmation bias-you don't take the low percentage shots so you never see them yolo hit, but you are always taking the high percentage shots and so you almost always see when they miss. The game provided plenty of deterministic-outcome ability and item cooldowns to deal with sidestepping hit % RNG.
There's actually a very good argument that shot rolls should have been capped at 99% instead of 100% to ensure that regular shots were never fully guaranteed.
There's actually a very good argument that shot rolls should have been capped at 99% instead of 100% to ensure that regular shots were never fully guaranteed.
KyanMehwulfe
Member
actually... Tao 'All Day' Chen can't remember that... because he's dead =(
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Yeah, but seriously, XCOM had a shit narrative.
Like I said earlier, there is very little likelihood of moneyhatting or anything like that, and they do this out of their own volition relating to the game. Your assumption is that there is no gameplay or technical reason, which no one can know till tomorrow and is not something you can work out from the few screenshots available right now. I'd take a stab that if it isn't one of those, it will be the use of paid mods akin to CS:GO perhaps. It seems really clear that Soloman loves Long War, so it is possible they want to create that kind of stuff, perhaps tied to very frequent updating and iteration, building packs of content out of community mods / maps / weapons etc. Maybe they'll have events or an on going story to fit in with all those things, who knows.
What you can be sure of, is that if there is no reason to hold it from other systems - they will put it on other systems. There is nothing to stop them
Edit: Actually in terms of mechanics, I just made a random bullshit one up - imagine if the maps were much larger, there are no squares or limits to movements or actions but there are time constraints. So, say there is an alert status, perhaps the game will give you and the opposition 5 secs per turn for the entire match. By design, even with a mouse and keyboard, your choices are limited, as is your movement, and actions, but at least you could do them. To compensate for a controller, you would have to rebalance the entire game, change or even remove that kind of mechanic, and you are getting into the territory of actually forcing a change on what the game can be
GravityMan
Member
This is great news. I should get around to finishing Enemy Unknown later this year; I really liked what I played of it.
TC McQueen
Member
The narrative in all the X-Com/XCOM games merely exists as a framework for you to create your own narratives in each playthrough.
Sooooooooo hyped. I am one of the many that are quite bummed it's not coming to consoles right now ... But come on. Of course it will find its way to consoles eventually. I'm just glad X-Com is back, baby.
Just triple-dipped on the PC version of EU + EW (since they dropped a Steam sale for $12.50 for the whole pack) just so I can finally play Long War.
Just triple-dipped on the PC version of EU + EW (since they dropped a Steam sale for $12.50 for the whole pack) just so I can finally play Long War.
But then again this generation has already proved that thought wrong, many times over.
Their CPUs are abject shit and instantly become a bottleneck, and then the Xbox's GPU power (lack thereof) is a second anchor around the neck of multiplatform development.
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