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[weekend_warrior]

What missions should I refrain from bringing weak soldiers on? I have ti assume there are points in the game where bringing them along is a fools errand. Also, what are the advantages and disadvantages of bringing Shivs along on?

SHIVS are pretty worthless. I've used the floating ones during terror missions because the Chrysilids and zombies can't attack them, but that's about it.

I wouldn't bring weak soldiers on critical missions like the base assault, the first overseer, or battleship or cargo ship maps. But on regular UFOs, abduction, terror missions, or council missions it's fine.

 

[fuzzy.dunlop]

Just started playing this game, it's awesome. Doing a normal difficulty playthrough and want to do a harder one next. I've streamed it on twitch once or twice.

Haven't played any multiplayer, but I checked the quick match a few times and there don't seem to be any players online. Is this normal for Steam?

 

[ShaneB]

Just started playing this game, it's awesome. Doing a normal difficulty playthrough and want to do a harder one next. I've streamed it on twitch once or twice.

Haven't played any multiplayer, but I checked the quick match a few times and there don't seem to be any players online. Is this normal for Steam?

Multiplayer is nonexistent yes. A shame really, with some overworking it could've been really cool.

 

[Jintor]

So did xenonauts ever come out

 

[Witchfinder General]

How hard is this game for someone who has never played an X-Com game nor anything similar? It's going to be $9.99 on PC in the next 24 hours and I was thinking of grabbing it.

 

[weekend_warrior]

How hard is this game for someone who has never played an X-Com game nor anything similar? It's going to be $9.99 on PC in the next 24 hours and I was thinking of grabbing it.

It can be as hard or difficult as you want it to be, depending on the difficulty level you pick and if you enable ironman mode. The controls and gameplay are extremely intuitive, I had never played an Xcom game before and it literally took about 5 minutes to learn how to play. It's an automatic buy at $10, do not miss it.

 

[Witchfinder General]

It can be as hard or difficult as you want it to be, depending on the difficulty level you pick and if you enable ironman mode. The controls and gameplay are extremely intuitive, I had never played an Xcom game before and it literally took about 5 minutes to learn how to play. It's an automatic buy at $10, do not miss it.

Sweet, thanks. Will play on easy.

Also, does this game have much of a story? Is it any descent? I wondering if it's a game my wife will watch me play.

 

[weekend_warrior]

Sweet, thanks. Will play on easy.

Also, does this game have much of a story? Is it any descent? I wondering if it's a game my wife will watch me play.

Not a story as much as a series of events with some accompanying dialog. If your wife wants to watch it will be because she wants to see what you've been spending day after day playing, not because of the story.

 

[fuzzy.dunlop]

Also, does this game have much of a story? Is it any descent? I wondering if it's a game my wife will watch me play.

Because it is turn based, your wife can actually offer suggestions or even play with you - if you guys are up for that. You could even literally split your squad up in half, with each of you controlling a half.

 

[Rentahamster]

Sweet, thanks. Will play on easy.

Also, does this game have much of a story? Is it any descent? I wondering if it's a game my wife will watch me play.

A large part of the appeal of the original game that was released back in 1994 was that there was no story. Therefore, the player made their own stories up, due to the fact that they personalized and internalized their soldiers' battlefield experiences so much. It was kind of a side effect of being able to name your own soldiers, as well as permadeath.

In this game, there is a little bit of story to set up a framework, but nothing as expansive or intrusive like Xenosaga or Metal Gear. If your wife likes watching video games that are essentially huge as cutscenes all the time, then this probably won't do it for her.

If she's the kind of person who has a good imagination, or likes giving you advice on what to do in a game, then this might be a good game to play together. Give the soldiers names of your friends or people you both know. Even of people you don't like very much. As you play, make up stories and crack jokes about your soldiers as if they were your actual real life associates.

One of my favorite pre-release dev stories was about how the lead producer was play testing the game one day, and all of a sudden he screamed out, "oh my god my mom died", and everyone in the office came over to offer their condolences. They didn't realize that he only just named on of his soldiers after his mom. lmao.

When you're making tactical decisions, ask her for her input, if she likes that sorta thing. Work on your tandem cuddling/controller holding positions. The great thing about turn based games is that you can discuss your next move with everyone in the room. And then blame each other the next turn when everything goes horribly wrong

If it gets boring then go execute Plan B and go have sex instead.

 

[Kvik]

I really need to replay my Ironman mode again, this time with Warspace mod.

Speaking of which, where's that GAF X-COM LP thread?

 

[Rentahamster]

I really need to replay my Ironman mode again, this time with Warspace mod.

Speaking of which, where's that GAF X-COM LP thread?

We're all DEAAAAAAAD!

/PTSD

 

[Witchfinder General]

Not a story as much as a series of events with some accompanying dialog. If your wife wants to watch it will be because she wants to see what you've been spending day after day playing, not because of the story.

Because it is turn based, your wife can actually offer suggestions or even play with you - if you guys are up for that. You could even literally split your squad up in half, with each of you controlling a half.

A large part of the appeal of the original game that was released back in 1994 was that there was no story. Therefore, the player made their own stories up, due to the fact that they personalized and internalized their soldiers' battlefield experiences so much. It was kind of a side effect of being able to name your own soldiers, as well as permadeath.

In this game, there is a little bit of story to set up a framework, but nothing as expansive or intrusive like Xenosaga or Metal Gear. If your wife likes watching video games that are essentially huge as cutscenes all the time, then this probably won't do it for her.

If she's the kind of person who has a good imagination, or likes giving you advice on what to do in a game, then this might be a good game to play together. Give the soldiers names of your friends or people you both know. Even of people you don't like very much. As you play, make up stories and crack jokes about your soldiers as if they were your actual real life associates.

One of my favorite pre-release dev stories was about how the lead producer was play testing the game one day, and all of a sudden he screamed out, "oh my god my mom died", and everyone in the office came over to offer their condolences. They didn't realize that he only just named on of his soldiers after his mom. lmao.

When you're making tactical decisions, ask her for her input, if she likes that sorta thing. Work on your tandem cuddling/controller holding positions. The great thing about turn based games is that you can discuss your next move with everyone in the room. And then blame each other the next turn when everything goes horribly wrong

If it gets boring then go execute Plan B and go have sex instead.

Thanks for the replies.

I've bought the game.

Any tips for someone starting out? Anything I must know? Also, any tips on getting this to look its best on PC? Maybe a nice SweetFX setting?

 

[McNum]

Well, there are the usual "not quite obvious" tips for newbies.

1. Build Satellites, as many as you can afford.
2. Launch Satellites on the last day of the month over the country with the most panic, especially if it's at 5/5.
3. Capturing aliens alive is risky, but very much worth it.
4. You will most likely lose countries to the aliens. It's okay, you can afford to lose up to seven, but the eighth is instant Game Over.

And do the tutorial on the first game, it's quite helpful.

 

[mercviper]

One of the only reasons you'd want to keep some sectoid parts around is if you plan to delay your interceptor tech a little, and need the evasion boost to help take down larger craft. I usually just sell.

Thanks for the tip. About 3 days from getting Carapace Armor for all my troops and effectively give everyone a 50% HP increase for my 5th run of the game, this time on Classic Ironman. I suppose I'll work on a foundry next to upgrade my interceptors before moving onto laser rifles for my snipers to catch up in tech.

It's the middle of May and I've only gotten 1 casualty so far. I just got a council mission to do a bomb defusal that I'm kinda dreading because of how amazing the last one I had to do went. In my vet squad I have 2 majors, and a mix of captains and Lts. The other reason I'm scared to run it is because I just ran into Mutons the mission before so I really hope I don't run into any here. Overall this run has been going really smooth /knockonwood. I'm @ 3/4 satellites with 1 in reserve to be launched at the end of the month. I would've made more but I screwed up building placement and started excavating + making a power generator too late so I won't have an uplink until next month at the earliest. What will help too is if I get a Colonel after this mission so I can finish the OTS upgrades and scrap the building for more uplinks.

Is there a list of how many aliens you find in a particular mission based on difficulty? I thought it was 6 for classic and 8 on impossible but after the terror mission I think they bumped up to 10/12 respectively. Is that right? Will this # increase again as I progress through the story? Not really too important I guess but it gives me a lot of peace of mind when I know a particular pack of aliens will be the last one I face.

 

[Rentahamster]

Is there a list of how many aliens you find in a particular mission based on difficulty? I thought it was 6 for classic and 8 on impossible but after the terror mission I think they bumped up to 10/12 respectively. Is that right? Will this # increase again as I progress through the story? Not really too important I guess but it gives me a lot of peace of mind when I know a particular pack of aliens will be the last one I face.

Hm, I dunno. I know that higher difficulty means more packs, but I never really counted. I just know that when I played impossible, I find myself swimming in corpses by the end.

I never really noticed increased numbers later into the game, just higher tier aliens because I'm from Buenos Aires, and I say, "KILL 'EM ALL!".

 

[mercviper]

Aughhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I lost both my Majors in 2 consecutive engagements :<

The first was an abduction mission in a small construction yard. 3 thin men packs and 1 muton. Took out the three thin men and then proceeded to aggro mutons and finish the job... Except my computer crashes. Upon reload I find myself in a position having just taken out the first group and ready to aggro the second. I figure I should take the opportunity to try and do the job a little bit better. Turns out that was the wrong choice. I end up aggroing all three remaining packs at once. Unnecessary firefighting occurs in a disadvantageous position, including 2 mutons getting flank shots on my heavy in the open with the intent of rocketing the muton group. :<

Second one happens in the base assault, where I scout past the abduction tubes with my assault major only to run into a pack of what looked like 10 Chryssalids. -_- Upon aggro they move right next to my assault and no amount of firepower could save him since he can't run faster than any Chryssalid's single time unit with his remaining dash. I also lose my squaddie heavy that I was training to replace the old one, much to my sadness.

On the bright side, I made out with 3 new Majors, 2 snipers and 1 support, as well as a psionic prisoner. Unfortunately I'm also wayy behind in interceptor tech so I'm scrambling to keep alive the satellites I have.

 

[CLBridges]

Played the demo of this on PS3 and really enjoyed it (Never played an XCOM game before). I put off buying it and am glad I did. Just bought it for $10 from the Amazon PC sale. I'm at work now, but excited to play later today when I get home.

 

[fuzzy.dunlop]

I reached the point where the game tells me that researching a new fighter jet is a priority to shoot down some UFOs. This is after building the hyperwave thingy. I also upgraded the stock fighters with laser canons - was that a waste?

 

[Atruvius]

I reached the point where the game tells me that researching a new fighter jet is a priority to shoot down some UFOs. This is after building the hyperwave thingy. I also upgraded the stock fighters with laser canons - was that a waste?

No. You can fit those laser cannons into the new fighters as well.

 

[fuzzy.dunlop]

This game is getting pretty difficult toward the end. Can't wait to try again on a harder difficulty.

No. You can fit those laser cannons into the new fighters as well.

Thanks.

 

[Luigi87]

So did xenonauts ever come out

Out... today!

 

[Sentenza]

I must say that that the more I try to play this game, the more I'm annoyed by how poor Fireaxis' post release support is.

 

[fuzzy.dunlop]

Just finished my first play through, on normal difficulty. Ghost armor with a shotgun can be pretty effective.

Is it possible to finish the final battle sequence without any squad members dying? I killed the Ethereal in the center who was mind controlling someone and he died

Time for a harder difficulty!

 

[milkham]

Just finished my first play through, on normal difficulty. Ghost armor with a shotgun can be pretty effective.

Is it possible to finish the final battle sequence without any squad members dying? I killed the Ethereal in the center who was mind controlling someone and he died

Time for a harder difficulty!

It is possible to finish it with 2 shots and the enemy never even making a move

 

[DC1]

It is possible to finish it with 2 shots and the enemy never even making a move

What? Is it in the tread? I will go searching.

Just getting into the game, haven't finished it yet/haven't gotten to the final fight.

 

[weekend_warrior]

What? Is it in the tread? I will go searching.

Just getting into the game, haven't finished it yet/haven't gotten to the final fight.

Easy.

Spoiler

Park two snipers with double tap and squad sight in the long hall leading to the ethereals, move another member with ghost armour up to give them sight of the super ethereal. Boom, Boom, dead.

 

[mercviper]

Update on my 5th run, completed. Whenever I got the plasma sniper rifles built for my team was probably the point where things got super easy. I was using ballistics up until that point though, so next time I play I think I'm going to try and research precision lasers just a little bit faster than never. Will also make all future runs I/I runs.

One thing I did learn is that even when you have the best tech available, don't go rushing in on easy missions lol. I had my col. squad go in a council mission full of thin men, spread out across 3 areas and aggroing the entire map for what I thought was a cake walk. Well, thin men still hurt and I got half my team wounded with one of my best supports in critical. I ended up benching the guy because his will dropped down to 29 after that mission.

 

[daw840]

I just jumped back into this an started an iron man run. I noticed that there are 2 DLCs for this on the 360. Are they worth buying?

 

[Fragamemnon]

PC players-you might want to check out one of the two major mod efforts for the game: "Warspace Extension" and "Merciless". Especially if you play on Ironman / Impossible or even Classic/Ironman. Here's a pseudo-comparison I am going to jot down here so I have a reference for my next podcast ep.

UFO/interceptor combat: Reworked in both mods, and makes you have to expend a lot more research and effort to get the results you need. You can no longer 'zone out' abductions by simply building satellites-you need to get to the point where you can bring down an abductor ship, which doesn't come quickly at all. Huge upgrade over the original in terms of introducing tradeoffs and encouraging more strategic choices. The one-time use consumables for ship combat come in DAMN handy in both mods. Interceptors will gain EXP and capability for each ship they shoot down.

Tactical Combat-Reworked. Progression from ballistic weapons to lasers to plasma not as clear cut. Especially between lasers and plasma, some real tradeoffs. AI is generally more moving around more on patrol and more aggressive. On smaller abduction maps on I/I you will get some extremely hairy firefights even after you get your base armor and weapons techs up. However, if you are playing Impossible you will not get ground into the dust by four HP sectoids for 30 attempts until you finally clear the first month. Mutons and floaters are much nastier threats since your weapons, armor, and snipers aren't as uber.
Warspace Extension on Hardcore install feels the hardest, Merciless mod feels the most balanced. Soldiers have completely reworked perk trees, and they are nice.

Economy-Very divergent patterns. On Warspace Extension, the economy is very much normal only Sats cost a LOT more, basically everything costs a lot more and requires a lot of engineers so you really have to find the cash to cultivate a solid engineering section. Same for labs, sorely needed. Merciless takes a totally different tack-you start the game funded by all nations, but not nearly as much - maybe 600-ish income total. As panic goes up, income from the nations goes down. So the game isn't about earning more income from satellites, but about protecting your income from the aliens yoinking your coucil nations while at the same time trying to afford interceptors to protect those satellites and get everything else you need. Significantly improved challenge wise over the original. Merciless is awesome because eventually you get to the point where you fund yourself mostly through via the grey market and shot down UFOs.

Research- Research times have been extended for some techs, labs are needed now. Armors can have two slots, and you can replace the pistol w/ an arc thrower, though that isn't always optimal. Prereqs for techs have changed and core techs like Firestorms and what not take a lot more time to tech, and research in general is more material consuming. Again, more tradeoffs.

I feel both mods really improve the game, and though I am nearly certain Firaxis is working on a full blown expansion pack for the game that will rework a lot of the issues these mods attempt to address, if you are looking for a "remixed" version of XCOM that still has some surprises, you should check out these mods.

 

[Sentenza]

and though I am nearly certain Firaxis is working on a full blown expansion pack for the game that will rework a lot of the issues these mods attempt to address...

Are you? Personally I'm just expecting more story-driven content.

 

[McNum]

There is something in the Steam XCOM Enemy Unknown database entry called XCOM:EW. It even has its own executable. Possible expansion pack?

 

[Sentenza]

There is something in the Steam XCOM Enemy Unknown database entry called XCOM:EW. It even has its own executable. Possible expansion pack?

The expansion is already rumored and they even hinted about it recently.

What's absolutely unknown at the moment is what kind of expansion that's supposed to be.

 

[McNum]

The expansion is already rumored and they even hinted about it recently.

What's absolutely unknown at the moment is what kind of expansion that's supposed to be.

Yeah, I kind of hope it's the standard Firaxis expansion pack style that expands the main game rather than just slap some story content on after the ending. The strategic part could do with some improvement, and I wouldn't mind some weapon variants either.

 

[Sentenza]

Yeah, I kind of hope it's the standard Firaxis expansion pack style that expands the main game rather than just slap some story content on after the ending. The strategic part could do with some improvement, and I wouldn't mind some weapon variants either.

That's what I'm hoping as well. Expand the content (more items, more maps, a reworked base), make the game less linear and more replayable, put less (or no) focus on the story progression and "cinematic presentation".

What I'm actually expecting: some sort of half-assed story extention with a submarine invasion, as a "modern take to Terror From The Deep".

 

[McNum]

I'm expecting a couple of new aliens, possible taken from Terror From the Deep, or some upgraded versions of the ones we have. It's it odd that we have Elite Mutons, and Sectoid Commanders, yet no other alien has an upgrade?

As for what I want... I want flying Chryssalids with a poison spit attack. Thin Men that are still a danger lategame, maybe dropping the disguise and going all Snakeman.

I want new weapons that have obvious benefits and drawbacks. Like a grenade launcher, or a flamethrower. A laser-flame thrower! This IS the game that gave us a laser-shotgun, so I wouldn't count it out.

And finally, I want the aliens to have to use ships to pull off their missions like in the original game. Abductions and Terror Missions don't "just happen", there's a UFO dropping the aliens off. Shoot down the UFO and you prevent the attack. The good old "Oh God! That's a Snakeman Terror Ship! Shoot it into the ocean! NOW!" maneuver.

 

[Fragamemnon]

Man, the Merciless mod really makes the impossible/ironman game intense. Before it was just lopsided and dumb-if you made it through month 2 you were home free. Not so in this game-it really does feel like a huge epic struggle , fighting tooth and nail for funding and having to make really hard choices with your limited resources.

The expansion pack model of very significant upgrades to the base product that they adopted for Civ 5 has been very successful for both Firaxis and Take 2, so I can see that model extending to XCOM. Expect a few new mechanics and reworking things that didn't work out so well.

If they were just going to release more Slingshot like DLC we'd have it by now.

 

[Jintor]

Rework the metagame plz

let me get my ass to mars

 

[Fragamemnon]

let me get my ass to mars

Is there really a functional difference between Cydonia and the big spaceship in the sky?

My take on reworking the metagame would to really make the clock work against you. I know a lot of more casual people bristle at the idea, but a race against time/ real 'clock management' features, combined with more difficult decisions, would be really helpful. The XCOM commander should be having to make awful, terrible choices and sacrifices for the greater good.

One of the reasons Civ on Deity is fun to play is that you have to keep your ass in gear and constantly focused on executing your plan to win the game. If you durdle around one of the AIs will derp itself into a spaceship and win before you know it. Some of that kind of pressure would be very welcome in XCOM.

 

[Rentahamster]

If you durdle around one of the AIs will derp itself into a spaceship and win before you know it.

rofl! This is the most eloquent and apt way someone has described this.

 

[Snacks the sober sea lion]

Is there a certain way to get rid of Berserkers? I've just been backing up and putting everyone on overwatch so I don't give them free moves during my turn, then finishing them off if they survive the overwatch. I imagine it's going to be harder at the times when the regular Mutons don't just sit back.

 

[Rentahamster]

Is there a certain way to get rid of Berserkers? I've just been backing up and putting everyone on overwatch so I don't give them free moves during my turn, then finishing them off if they survive the overwatch. I imagine it's going to be harder at the times when the regular Mutons don't just sit back.

Ping pong them between max range shooters. They will always move towards the person who shot at them.

Or, shotgun Assaults with Close Combat Specialist. That skill is so fucking devastating, lol.

 

[Jintor]

Is there really a functional difference between Cydonia and the big spaceship in the sky?

Yeah, I'm not on mars

 

[Rentahamster]

Yeah, I'm not on mars

Hehehe, exactly

No Mars was honestly kinda disappointing to me.

 

[Snacks the sober sea lion]

Can you just perpetually go on missions and the game won't introduce new enemy types until a plot point? I'm at the Overseer UFO in August and I don't think I'm ready. Only one Titan Armor, only now ready to buy plasma weapons. Monthly income is 388, just made 1,100 fulfilling a request. Have one Firestorm, 6 soldiers at Colonel.

 

[Fragamemnon]

I wouldn't go near the Overseer UFO without the last tier of armor (Titan and variants) and plasma. The enemy there and its bodyguards are no joke.

My Merciless mod playthough is now in June and I've had to cede all of Asia and my current total income per month from nations is now 18 credits due to interceptor overhead-this is with satellite coverage up everywhere else. From here on out I make my money by shooting down UFOs (especially abductor UFOs, since I can intercept their missions and selling surplus corpses (which I will not get if I blow up the bodies with explosives in this mod). The increasingly constrained resource approach is very neat in this modded version.

edit: I need all those interceptors, and this is with the North America bonus. Shooting down aliens is not trivial in the modded version.

 

[Snacks the sober sea lion]

Things were going pretty well, then panic spiked in the U.S. and all over Europe and I lost 2 countries at the end of the month. No missions to reduce panic and there are now 4 countries in red, so that's pretty much it. Seems like I should just ignore countries I'm not interested in so this doesn't happen.

 

[TheSeks]

So, LTTP but renting this due to Sony's new-paywall.

Like I said in the demo thread, it's scratching my SRPG itch in the right places. But I got a question: I shot down a UFO on my

Spoiler

Easy

South America run and killed all the aliens BUT not the "energy being." Which doesn't seem to be attached with the corpses I gained. Did I fuck up? Is there some monumental energy thing I could've researched and gained mad money on?

I also bought three shocking things to try to capture an alien but it seems suicidal to send my team in on a 2 damage alien and can't even get "in-range" to use that item. D: Any tips for that? Should I wait for a main mission or something?

 

[McNum]

So, LTTP but renting this due to Sony's new-paywall.

Like I said in the demo thread, it's scratching my SRPG itch in the right places. But I got a question: I shot down a UFO on my

Spoiler

Easy

South America run and killed all the aliens BUT not the "energy being." Which doesn't seem to be attached with the corpses I gained. Did I fuck up? Is there some monumental energy thing I could've researched and gained mad money on?

I also bought three shocking things to try to capture an alien but it seems suicidal to send my team in on a 2 damage alien and can't even get "in-range" to use that item. D: Any tips for that? Should I wait for a main mission or something?

You stunned the Outsider? (That's the energy being.)

Great work! That's actually an objective. You may have an Outsider Shard now. Not sure if you need the Alien Containment to get it, since, you know, you don't really catch this one "alive". Go catch a Sectoid or something alive to further the story and report back if you are allowed to skip straight past the "Catch an Outsider" objective.

Oh, and if the research time isn't completely horrible, consider researching the Light Plasma Rifle you got from that one, too. It's as good as a Laser Rifle, but with more Aim.

To get in range to stun, you have to be within a three tile radius. There's a circle with lightning bolts around aliens when you have the Arc Thrower equipped.

 

[TheSeks]

No I didn't, but I saved in another slot so I guess I can go back and do that mission. I gotta take a sniper along for that mission but it seems the UFO continuously spawns enemies wayyyy further than my sniper will go (and so he can't fire/overwatch) and the rest of my team get shot up (though this last time not to death so thank that) while attempting to capture one of the aliens. I guess I should ignore them, rush up and get the Outsider damaged to stun then?

But like I said: Stunning seems very dangerous right now. I don't have anything but the default/human armor right now and default/human weapons. I just upgraded the autopsy and story-related stuff.