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XCOM: Enemy Unknown |OT| Neo GAF is Under Alien Control

Hindle

Banned
This may be up there with The Souls series as the most difficult game in a long time. Classic especially is just nuts.
 

r1chard

Member
The new PC patch isn't out yet, right? I had a game last night which included an Abductor UFO mission and the roof issue was definitely still there...
 
How do you detonate combustible targets like cars and fuel tanks? My soldiers will only fire their rifles at moving targets.

Im finding that playing on classic is frustrating. Four soldiers per squad, and the accuracy quotient between my guys and the aliens is unfairly biased towards the aliens. How do I increase accuracy with the regular shitty rifles that I am stuck with? How do I increase grenades to my arsenal, because combat efficiency with rifles is non-existent in this game on classic:-(
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
How do you detonate combustible targets like cars and fuel tanks? My soldiers will only fire their rifles at moving targets.

Im finding that playing on classic is frustrating. Four soldiers per squad, and the accuracy quotient between my guys and the aliens is unfairly biased towards the aliens. How do I increase accuracy with the regular shitty rifles that I am stuck with? How do I increase grenades to my arsenal, because combat efficiency with rifles is non-existent in this game on classic:-(

You can blow up cars with lasers or plasma fire. If you hit a car, or if an alien hits a car, it'll catch on fire and blow up next turn. If you grenade a car, it'll catch on fire and blow up next turn. If you grenade a car that's already on fire, it'll blow up immediately.

You can increase accuracy by equipping a scope, or a light plasma rifle, or by leveling up your guys.

Use grenades to blow up cover, since it'll increase your accuracy by a lot.
 
Okay. But can you target automobiles or buildings with your rifles. Destroying cover with grenades is a good start, but you're limited to 1 grenade per soldier.
 

patapuf

Member
Okay. But can you target automobiles or buildings with your rifles. Destroying cover with grenades is a good start, but you're limited to 1 grenade per soldier.

you can't, rifles also don't set anything on fire and don't do destruction beyond windows, so even if you could free aim the rifles would be usless for that.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Okay. But can you target automobiles or buildings with your rifles. Destroying cover with grenades is a good start, but you're limited to 1 grenade per soldier.

No. The only stuff you can free aim are grenades and rockets. If you could free aim rifles, the game would be way too easy.

Learn how to flank. This is the art of getting into a position where the aliens don't have cover. Hunker down with a guy to lure them closer, and then sneak your other guys around to flank from a 90 degree angle or more.
 

zkylon

zkylewd
Is it weird that I ran out of research options (just
assaulted the first alien base
)? Should I tear down some of the labs to make room for workshops and uplinks?
 

patapuf

Member
Is it weird that I ran out of research options (just
assaulted the first alien base
)? Should I tear down some of the labs to make room for workshops and uplinks?

a lot of research options pop up if you capture more aliens. It also depends on if you rushed to the alien base or if you took your time, the hefty resarch projects start with the plasma and psy stuff.

However, Engineers and uplinks are more important than scientists in the long run as both mean more money in your pocket. Also, if you manage to capture most aliens you get a lot of research credits which compensates a lower scientist count.
 
Classic is tough. THe accuracy quotient, I find, is skewed more in favor of the aliens than the player.

I can play Halo on the hard setting, but legendary is more a hassle than it's worth.

Is classic besieged by cheap A.I., or is it just a matter of learning the minutia of the game mechanics? The game should be challenging, but the difficulty curve from normal to classic is brutal -- especially on the "difficult" abduction missions -- which is early on in the game.

And honestly, players should be allowed to target combustibles with their firearm. Will fireaxis change this with a patch?
 

patapuf

Member
Classic is tough. THe accuracy quotient, I find, is skewed more in favor of the aliens than the player.

I can play Halo on the hard setting, but legendary is more a hassle than it's worth.

Is classic besieged by cheap A.I., or is it just a matter of learning the minutia of the game mechanics? The game should be challenging, but the difficulty curve from normal to classic is brutal -- especially on the "difficult" abduction missions -- which is early on in the game.

And honestly, players should be allowed to target combustibles with their firearm. Will fireaxis change this with a patch?

Classic is indeed about learning the minutia of the game mechanics. It is difficult but doable.

the "cheap" difficulty setting is impossible, which, at least in the first few months, is almost impossible to beat.

free aim for firearms won't be changed, it is out by design. If you could do that with the later weapons the game would be way too easy.
 
Classic is tough. THe accuracy quotient, I find, is skewed more in favor of the aliens than the player.

I think the aliens get a +10 aim bonus on classic (also crit bonusses?). But rookie accuracy is just bad, no matter the difficulty. It's just that on normal you can risk a 50% shot, as a miss isn't a huge deal. On classic it likely means you are going to lose someone.

Is classic besieged by cheap A.I., or is it just a matter of learning the minutia of the game mechanics? The game should be challenging, but the difficulty curve from normal to classic is brutal -- especially on the "difficult" abduction missions -- which is early on in the game.

The early game is really tough, due to the combination of low HP, bad aim and improved alien aim. But it is definitely doable and it feels fair. The aliens are frightening as they should be.

And honestly, players should be allowed to target combustibles with their firearm. Will fireaxis change this with a patch?

I think this can be a nice addition. Igniting a car isn't as game changing as destroying cover. And the enemy has a chance to act before it's too late. On the other hand implementing it can be difficult and seem unrealistic. If you can target a car now, why not also a wall? And you lose the random, unpredictable element.
 

MasLegio

Banned
Nope, which is a shame.

and this makes classic stupidly hard,

harder difficulties need more tactical options,
I cant see any good reason why they removed free aim


also they should add the possibility for friendly fire

both free aim and friendly fire were important tactical factors in the original games and they did add a lot to the experience
 

patapuf

Member
and this makes classic stupidly hard,

harder difficulties need more tactical options,
I cant see any good reason why they removed free aim


also they should add the possibility for friendly fire

both free aim and friendly fire were important tactical factors in the original games and they did add a lot to the experience

you can friendly fire with explosives and you can shoot your own guys if they are mind controlled.
 
The early game is really tough, due to the combination of low HP, bad aim and improved alien aim. But it is definitely doable and it feels fair. The aliens are frightening as they should be.


Right now, it feels like I'm playing Legendary on a Halo game -- where playing without a sniper rifle is not an option.

Shouldn't there be some room for mistake now and then? The accuracy factor seems really arbitrary on classic. Anything below 70% always results in a miss.

And how the hell am I supposed to lure my targets into a 90 degree flanking position? Don't they usually fall back into a position and lurk indefinitely at the other side of the map? I don't feel like spending 20 turns just waiting for my targets to stumble into an overwatch attack.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Right now, it feels like I'm playing Legendary on a Halo game -- where playing without a sniper rifle is not an option.

Shouldn't there be some room for mistake now and then? The accuracy factor seems really arbitrary on classic. Anything below 70% always results in a miss.

And how the hell am I supposed to lure my targets into a 90 degree flanking position? Don't they usually fall back into a position and lurk indefinitely at the other side of the map? I don't feel like spending 20 turns just waiting for my targets to stumble into an overwatch attack.

Move from point to point while avoiding line of sight to the aliens so that they don't know you are trying to flank them. But on the other hand, doing so might aggro more aliens. Use your discretion. If you want to be cautious, just grenade their cover away, and then voila, instant flanked alien.
 
and this makes classic stupidly hard,

harder difficulties need more tactical options,
I cant see any good reason why they removed free aim


also they should add the possibility for friendly fire

both free aim and friendly fire were important tactical factors in the original games and they did add a lot to the experience

The old and new XCOM use different cover systems, so using old XCOM rules for free aim/friendly fire wouldn't work in new XCOM. For example an alien is near a entrance in the building just behind the wall. In old XCOM I don't think you can hit him, unless you destroy cover (and neither can he). In new XCOM you can hit him but with a 40% penalty and he can hit you. Destroying the cover with free aim would drastically change the situation, as the alien now lost his cover and is viable to critical hits.
And that not taking into account the vastly different rules for moving, shooting and other actions.

The no friendly fire thing is a bit odd. Missed shots can destroy cover or ignite cars, but they will never hurt a character. I wouldn't know how to implement it properly though.

Anyway it's clear that both XCOM games have a different design philosophy. Old XCOM is more a sim, while new XCOM is more a board game.

Something they could easily add is the option to break windows, like opening doors. Minor thing, but it makes grenades & rockets more easy to use.

Right now, it feels like I'm playing Legendary on a Halo game -- where playing without a sniper rifle is not an option.

Shouldn't there be some room for mistake now and then? The accuracy factor seems really arbitrary on classic. Anything below 70% always results in a miss.

And how the hell am I supposed to lure my targets into a 90 degree flanking position? Don't they usually fall back into a position and lurk indefinitely at the other side of the map? I don't feel like spending 20 turns just waiting for my targets to stumble into an overwatch attack.

You seem to be frustrated and that seems to cloud your impression of the game. People have looked into the given and actual hit % and they were fairly accurate. Flanking isn't impossible and enemies will abandon cover when they lose sight of you.
 

milkham

Member
Right now, it feels like I'm playing Legendary on a Halo game -- where playing without a sniper rifle is not an option.

Shouldn't there be some room for mistake now and then? The accuracy factor seems really arbitrary on classic. Anything below 70% always results in a miss.

And how the hell am I supposed to lure my targets into a 90 degree flanking position? Don't they usually fall back into a position and lurk indefinitely at the other side of the map? I don't feel like spending 20 turns just waiting for my targets to stumble into an overwatch attack.

you just have to play more cautiously, i failed several times on classic ironman before I started getting the hang of it.
look at this guy doing impossible ironman
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXctaw5JGF4LcidFVdkQMV1tc2DfC8x3D
 

Sotha Sil

Member
Ah yeah, makes sense. I always interrogate as soon as possible. My lack of need of laboratories only occurred to me when I checked out the achievement list out of curiosity.
 
Most likely, but those aren't the full notes as there are reports that the Rookie HP bug is also fixed. (All Rookies started with 6 HP no matter the difficulty. On Impossible, it should have been 3.) So it'd be nice to know what else is fixed.
For those of you playing Impossible, how big of a deal is the rookie HP bug getting fixed?
 
For those of you playing Impossible, how big of a deal is the rookie HP bug getting fixed?

Less than you might think. Impossible is all about getting lucky with keeping your heavies uninjured, getting lucky with maps, being able to avoid very difficult abduction missions , and not getting wrecked by a council "squad disposal" mission in month 1.

The few points of health stop mattering as much once your tech gets better. I mowed down a 29-enemy battleship in my Impossible run vs. 23 in Classic, and the Impossible run was easier due to better squad comp.
 

Grimsen

Member
Less than you might think. Impossible is all about getting lucky with keeping your heavies uninjured, getting lucky with maps, being able to avoid very hard abduction missions , and not getting wrecked by a council "squad disposal" mission in month 1.

The few points of health stop mattering as much once your tech gets better.

I disagree. With +3 health, you have at least a chance of surviving a light plasma shot, and a an alien grenade. Also, later with carapace, your guys can still get 1-hotted easily. +3 health is often the difference between a lost soldier or not.

Now i'm with titan armor and Chitin plating, it's not as much of a big deal, but getting there is the hard part :)
 

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
Was trying to build Satellites and the buildings they need as quick as I could but Russia just pulled out and I have 3 other countries on the edge. How do you get those built quick enough?
 

Grimsen

Member
If you had to rely on it, it's a fairly significant change. But if you want to do the 5 sats in the first month strategy, you can't afford them anyway.

I'm pretty sure I only got 2 sats up at the end of my first month on my surrent impossible game. Lost 3 countries, but by month 2 I got my shit together, and then I did fine, even if I got one satellite shot down in month 3 or 4.

The metagame is important on impossible, but not as crucial as keeping soldiers alive. I even stalled the
base assault
to get Plasma tech, and didn't lose any more countries past month 1.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I'm pretty sure I only got 2 sats up at the end of my first month on my surrent impossible game. Lost 3 countries, but by month 2 I got my shit together, and then I did fine, even if I got one satellite shot down in month 3 or 4.

The metagame is important on impossible, but not as crucial as keeping soldiers alive. I even stalled the
base assault
to get Plasma tech, and didn't lose any more countries past month 1.
I find it's actually easier to not stall and do it as fast as possible while the aliens are still low tier.
 
Im not going to blame the patch but I had an absolutely mistake free classic ironman run going. I had carapace and full laser weapons and with sound strategy I was winning everything without losing anyone, including terror missions.

I download the patch and in my first mission I wiped and lost my squad. I missed 4 shots over 80% with one being 94%. I got XCOM'd so hard.


Not gonna blame the patch. Not gonna blame the patch. Not gonna blame the patch.




DAMN YOU FIRAXIS YOU KILLED MY SUPER SQUAD!?!??! :*(
 
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