-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
XCOM 2 (PC/Mac/Linux, Firaxis, November 2015) announced [Up: New info/screens in OP]
- Thread starter dex3108
- Start date
- Status
1hr and 20mins till the livestream - but don't expect gameplay, that is apparently something IGN will get to show off at their E3 show
I was really hoping they would go into more details of that in the article. The IGN video above the article seems to suggest putting the procedural generation is something they could do with the resources available to only developing for PC, but that seems like a poor reason for it to stay only on PC.
Doomshroom
Member
Seems like a bullshit reason. If its exlusive because of poor sales then just say so. Hope they will explain in the livestream so i can either keep my hope up or just forget this game exist.
ISee
Member
bigboss370
Member
How did we go from the ending of Enemy Unknown to the aliens successfully taking over the world? That means somewhere along the way you failed as the commander...
It clearly says they will have an article specifically detailing why Xcom 2 has to be PC only on Friday. The IGN video I am referring to suggests that is part of it, but there is clearly more to be said, as obviously that could easily lead to releasing later on consoles. That doesn't seem to be the case
Specifically from the article, IGN will have more info in what they says is "Impossible Ironman is Canon: Why Earth Had to Lose the War for XCOM 2 to Happen", i assume also on Friday
All the aliens encountered in Xcom EU were slaves to a more powerful yet to be seen race from what I understood, Xcom won against the first wave, aliens countered with all their might and won.
I was expected Xcom 2 to be Humanity unlocking space travel and counter attacking the aliens themselves, but this looks good enough, leading a guerrilla war against alien occupation.
Thank you. I hope they show something good, but it seems IGN has a lock on the first gameplay footage, sadly.
ISee
Member
YW, also no big deal for me. I am in an absolute hype mode for this game. I take everything I can
Delta Assault
Member
That does not make sense at all. If they can put The Witcher 3 on consoles... you can't tell me the procedural generation in XCOM is more demanding. It just doesn't sound credible at all.
The game isn't Crysis 4.
I thought it was just gonna be Beaglerush playing Long War as usual. Unless they have something else pre-planned.
That isn't what I said or what they said. Just watch the video and read the article, they have an article going into the reasons on Friday, and seem to reaffirm today that it will be PC only
ProvostZak
Neo Member
Looks like steam vents in the bottom corner were canon =/
ISee
Member
You are comparing apples and oranges. The new A.I. system, procedurally generated maps and fully (?) destructable terrain sounds very CPU taxing to me. The Witcher 3 on the other hand is extremly CPU friendly, it even runs on downlocked (2ghz) i5s very good.
I am not saying that XCOM won't come to consoles in the furture. I think they will port it eventually. But your statment that consoles should be able to run X-COM 2 because they can run witcher 3 is questionable, at least.
if true.Shake Appeal
Member
Good news for everyone who hated the free move: It sounds like the game is very much about optimizing your position before engaging the unsuspecting x-rays now.
That "pool of components" sounds like what I hoped "procedural" would be: assembling maps from a big box of prebuilt pieces. Gives you the best of both worlds.
AWizardDidIt
Member
Procedural generation can be RAM intensive and consoles are very RAM limited. The more complicated the procedural generation, the more RAM required. So yeah, it's very possible that if they're trying to do something very interesting with that, that consoles might not have the hardware required to pull it off effectively.
Oh man, I like the sound of increased environmental destruction! I always loved how fire was a real threat in the original. Well, smoke was the real enemy but I don't expect it'll be a thing in XCOM2.
So long as I can use rocket launchers and flying suits to create makeshift balcony entrances or to facilitate roof access, I'm happy.
Sounds like they still get the free move by default but the game provides ways to prevent it from happening.
So long as I can use rocket launchers and flying suits to create makeshift balcony entrances or to facilitate roof access, I'm happy.
Sounds like they still get the free move by default but the game provides ways to prevent it from happening.
ShadowSoldier89
Member
you are mixing up CPU processes and GPU processes. Console CPUs are very weak
archangelmorph
Member
I'll be interested in why 2K is moving XCOM to PC only. An entire exclusive article for IGN gives me some thought it's also somehow about mod support or some of the other features, cause honestly I would've just pegged it as 2K moving XCOM to join up with Civ and just become another franchise for PC-only based on however the previous game sold or Soloman convinced them it was for the best and that was that.
Remachinate
Member
I'm very curious and a little concerned about the strategy layer, especially research, in light of a small mobile base, and the emphasis on scavenging and grafting alien items onto solders' existing loadouts, as opposed to the previous game's gradual development and manufacturing of tech. As great as the changes to the tactical layer sound, I hope they maintain the elements of big decisions outside of combat that have long term payoffs and impacts how well you are able to keep up with the aliens technologically.
Shake Appeal
Member
There is definitely "base-building" and research to some degree. I'm almost sure of it. But yeah, the strategic layer is actually the biggest mystery at the moment.
Fragamemnon
Member
Witcher 3 has design priorities, i.e. what they put effort into, that fit in well with both console and PC player tastes.
XCOM 2 has design priorities that are tailored for PC audiences.
I don't think the PC exclusive nature is a technical one, but one of "we can't make the game we want for both the PC and consoles at the same time, so we're going to make it for the platform that fits in with our priorities and maybe look at consoles later". Please note that this is what Diablo 3 also went through almost to the letter before Blizzard got a design they were comfortable with that took Diablo 3 and brought it to the living room.
I'm sure there will still be research, but foraging a better rifle , a weapon component/small item, and a couple of exotic ammo clips to use in a key mission later on would be clutch. Having some special gear that explodes if you don't take some risk to recover it is a more integrated way to encourage risk taking and make players decide between safety and greed.
ISee
Member
I honestly think it has something to do with mod support, mod publishing and current XCOM mods like long war (must have in my opinion). I think mods are one reason why the new XCOm is still popular on PC, and console only players are missing some great stuff.
I also wonder if Valve is going to reanable their 'paid mods' system for XCOM 2 (maybe in a differant way) and if Firaxis is going to publish a xcom 2 version with certain, prepicked and installed, mods for consoles down the road (maybe 1 year after PC release).
Guess we have to wait till later in the week for more info then
Off-topic Beaglerush L&I post: Multiple Alien Base Assaults before November I hope.
Fragamemnon
Member
It's so crazy how far behind he was in his campaign, and this was even before he had that wipe on that crashed medium. On b14, a build of the mod that was incredibly friendly to players wrt tech and economy costs.
I've only been watching his YT campaign since the Long War thread showed up on GAF so I've only just caught up on that. I need to watch as much of the Twitch campaign as I can as well now because I keep hearing about hilarious escapades like that.
Just imagine what might be possible with a Long War type mod with full mod support instead of the nightmare that is EU/EW.
I H8 Memes
Member
Do I need Enemy Within to play Long War? Wanted it for awhile but its never on sale on Steam.
If modding is more open and easy to do instead of having to hex-edit cooked files.... expect LW to not be the only game in town anymore is what.
Shake Appeal
Member
It's on sale right now? Or it was yesterday, at least.
Yes. It's on sale right now actually, was a daily yesterday, luckily steam extends their daily timer to 48 hours now.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/200510/
I H8 Memes
Member
I see it is now. I checked yesterday after EU went on sale and it wasnt discounted.
Fragamemnon
Member
This. There will be a variety of options, ranging from slight tweaks to full on Long War class complete reworkings. If you've never seen what modders did for Civ (community balance, 3/4 uniques per civ, the near infinite number of interesting custom Civlilizations, etc.) you are in for a treat.
Guerrillas in the Mist
Member
I also wonder if Valve is going to reanable their 'paid mods' system for XCOM 2 (maybe in a differant way) and if Firaxis is going to publish a xcom 2 version with certain, prepicked and installed, mods for consoles down the road (maybe 1 year after PC release).
Civilisation IV's second expansion, Beyond the Sword, actually came with a bunch of mods and user-made scenarios selected by Firaxis, so it wouldn't have been the first time they've done something like this.
Also, if the procedurally generated stuff is reasonably simple enough to figure out, Cities Skylines-style community asset creation and integration is going to give this game some serious legs, with or without gameplay mods.
Oh look, Just EW is more expansive than buying the full collection. Been meaning to pick it up for a while now actually, but I guess I can wait until Summer Sale. Hate it when publishers do this *stares intently at Bethesda*.
Anyway, yay for more XCOM! Kinda wish they went with a Terror from the Deep theme though. A very underused theme in general, would've been neat to see I think.
Anyway, yay for more XCOM! Kinda wish they went with a Terror from the Deep theme though. A very underused theme in general, would've been neat to see I think.
Good news is, right now you could pick it up and play it for 1h50m safely though!
http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds
It won't go lower than that sadly, I've been waiting for a while too.
Similar case with Borderlands.
Fragamemnon
Member
This begs another question-will the procedural generator pull in assets from modded sources, and if so can we provide metadata alongside those assets so that they are used logically by the generator.
Or even better, can we configure the generator's map construction algorithms ourselves.
If you could do these things there is honestly little reason why you couldn't make a XCOM2 style game (it's always going to feel like XCOM2) in completely different settings.
MEME-E one of my Alloy SHIVs alongside CELL-E, went 21 missions straight in my campaign before finally needing to take some time in the repair shop due to tanking a full pack of EXALT+a half pack of Thin Men on a trap midsummer abdcutor.
- Status