Support NeoGAF

[patapuf]

The talk of length for such kind of game is weird.

yep, it's not the kind of game you "beat" and then you are done with it. Just like civilisation, every time you play it will be a different game.

I never really played the original series but really liked the demo and played 200+ hours of Jagged Alliance 2 and Incubation. Which difficulty level should I choose?

it depends how much tolerance you have for having to start over because you just got wiped.

Normal seems to be doable but not a cakewalk, while classic is when the game will actively try to kill you.

 

[FlutterPuffs]

I think I heard about 20+ hours on normal for a play through.

Great. I'll be going in the tutorial scripted version first, and ironman later.

Was surprised to see that with the tutorial off you get a whole different set of introduction missions, plus you could pick any region to build your base to boot.

 

[fanboi]

Just started (didn't play the demo), finished the tutorial mission.

This just ooze awesomeness... !

 

[Nocebo]

I never really played the original series but really liked the demo and played 200+ hours of Jagged Alliance 2 and Incubation. Which difficulty level should I choose?

Do you want to breeze through or do you want a challenge? I think it's better to start difficult and be forced to dial it back if it gets too tough than to start too easy and feel bored the whole time not wiling to start over because you've already invested time in your game. If you know what I'm saying.

 

[Nocebo]

Great. I'll be going in the tutorial scripted version first, and ironman later.

Was surprised to see that with the tutorial off you get a whole different set of introduction missions, plus you could pick any region to build your base to boot.

Speaking of regions for your base. What did everyone pick? I choose Africa for the increased pay because I figure it would positively affect every aspect of the management layer instead of only individual parts.

 

[graywolf323]

So I take it Classic turned out to be plenty difficult xD?

I switched to easy for my first terror mission...


...and got slaughtered

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

The talk of length for such kind of game is weird.

I just want to find out how good my investment of £22.50 was, considering I am going in completely blind.

 

[red731]

I just want to find out how good my investment of £22.50 was, considering I am going in completely blind.

It will be different everytime you will play it and as other people said, estimates about lenght in this genre isn't very predictable.

 

[Impeccable]

It will be different everytime you will play it and as other people said, estimates about lenght in this genre isn't very predictable.

Considering you can get twelve hours into a game and LOSE, this game will pretty much last as long as you're having fun.

 

[Corky]

I just want to find out how good my investment of £22.50 was, considering I am going in completely blind.

It's going to be a game like CIV, if it clicks with ya ( and according to the reception it does for many ) then you have literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gametime ahead of you.

 

[Nocebo]

Considering you can get twelve hours into a game and LOSE, this game will pretty much last as long as you're having fun.

Yeah not only is the campaign decently long, it's all about the replayability anyway. As are most if not all strategy games.

 

[Dakota47]

It's going to be a game like CIV, if it clicks with ya ( and according to the reception it does for many ) then you have literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gametime ahead of you.

Exactly. I am quite sure I will reach tripple digit numbers playing time with XCOM, just like I did with the Civ and Total War games.

 

[YoThatLimp]

I would like to join in on the gaf-games:

http://steamcommunity.com/id/YoThatLimp

Man, Normal is no joke. I would not say normal = easy in this case. I have lost 3 good soldiers already

 

[FGMPR]

So once an research item type is actually researched, is it safe to sell all the excess on the grey market or do I use those components to build weapons and armour?

Also, how do I not dash? (I'm using M&K)

 

[Keikaku]

So once an research item type is actually researched, is it safe to sell all the excess on the grey market or do I use those components to build weapons and armour?

Also, how do I not dash (I'm using M&K)?

1. Depends. You can sell all the corpses once the research is done, maybe all but 1 corpse beforehand too.
2. The blue area around the soldier is the area in which you won't dash. You'll be able to move and fire at the end of the turn. Unless you're talking about making your guys physically walk or something . . . in which case I don't know if you can or if there is a point at all.

I restarted for a 3rd time on Classic/Ironman after getting my previous group wiped and, after 4 missions, I haven't lost anyone yet. I am getting better at playing this game but I'm going to be taking a break for a day or two. I've been working at my computer for about a week straight and my eyes need the rest.

 

[FGMPR]

1. Depends. You can sell all the corpses once the research is done, maybe all but 1 corpse beforehand too.
2. The blue area around the soldier is the area in which you won't dash. You'll be able to move and fire at the end of the turn. Unless you're talking about making your guys physically walk or something . . . in which case I don't know if you can or if there is a point at all.

Thanks

 

[Derrick01]

I got lucky. I went into the tutorial mission thinking it was the same as the demo and I'm lucky I didn't get anyone killed since it wasn't the same.

Also it reported 5 kills when there was only 4 enemies. They credited robert downey jr with a kill when he didn't even fire at anyone :lol

 

[Nocebo]

I got lucky. I went into the tutorial mission thinking it was the same as the demo and I'm lucky I didn't get anyone killed since it wasn't the same.

Also it reported 5 kills when there was only 4 enemies. They credited robert downey jr with a kill when he didn't even fire at anyone :lol

Stare of death!

 

[JambiBum]

It's going to be a game like CIV, if it clicks with ya ( and according to the reception it does for many ) then you have literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gametime ahead of you.

Start out with classic Corky. I never actually played the old games but I am pretty good at most games and classic is proving to be a welcomed challenge. Anyone with any experience should start on at least classic

 

[Fragamemnon]

So I take it Classic turned out to be plenty difficult xD?

It's a order of magnitude harder than Veteran X-COM:UFO Defense, no joke.

 

[red731]

I got lucky. I went into the tutorial mission thinking it was the same as the demo and I'm lucky I didn't get anyone killed since it wasn't the same.

Also it reported 5 kills when there was only 4 enemies. They credited robert downey jr with a kill when he didn't even fire at anyone :lol

Awesome, he is just, awesome.

 

[Corky]

Dag nabbit... ya'll ain't making the wait easier.

*prays to lord Sid that the game arrives earlier*

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

It's going to be a game like CIV, if it clicks with ya ( and according to the reception it does for many ) then you have literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gametime ahead of you.

Fucking sweet. No doubt it will.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Do you want to breeze through or do you want a challenge? I think it's better to start difficult and be forced to dial it back if it gets too tough than to start too easy and feel bored the whole time not wiling to start over because you've already invested time in your game. If you know what I'm saying.

You can change the difficulty level at any time in the Pause menu, much like Oblivion and Skyrim.

So I take it Classic turned out to be plenty difficult xD?

I'm playing Classic but not Ironman. I would not be able to play Classic if I couldn't restart after getting slaughtered by a mission. If you make one bad move, the aliens will waste somebody, then 2 other guys will panic, one panicking guy will blow one of his squadmates away, the other panicking guy will run right to an alien and die, and that's the end of your Ironman playthrough. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[Funky Papa]

The talk of length for such kind of game is weird.

Nah. It's pretty justified considering that levels are not randomly generated, IIRC.

 

[Keikaku]

Dag nabbit... ya'll ain't making the wait easier.

*prays to lord Sid that the game arrives earlier*

You were asking earlier about how hard it was. I'm playing Classic/Ironman and I had a 2 Corporals, 1 Sargent and a Rookie wiped out by one Thin Man on a roof. I wasn't rushing him nor was I out in the open.

It's hard but it's fair.

 

[Zeliard]

Also it reported 5 kills when there was only 4 enemies. They credited robert downey jr with a kill when he didn't even fire at anyone :lol

 

[Funky Papa]

Man, Normal is no joke. I would not say normal = easy in this case. I have lost 3 good soldiers already

It's a order of magnitude harder than Veteran X-COM:UFO Defense, no joke.

Damn. I mean, fuck me.

OG X-Com was the first game to give nightmares. It looks like it finally found a worthy successor.

 

[Sotha Sil]

Man, Normal is no joke. I would not say normal = easy in this case. I have lost 3 good soldiers already

That's extremely reassuring. I was kind of kicking myself for going normal ironman, but it sounds like it's a good way to start. I'm so jealous of you guys.

 

[vehn]

Did pre-ordering this on steam give any TF2 items?

 

[Keikaku]

Did pre-ordering this on steam give any TF2 items?

I believe there's a new hat and a pin. Maybe something else too.

 

[Minsc]

That's extremely reassuring. I was kind of kicking myself for going normal ironman, but it sounds like it's a good way to start. I'm so jealous of you guys.

I'm curious to see impressions of how Normal is for the 2nd half of the game, iirc a few places that reviewed it mentioned it gets much easier when you unlock a lot of the abilities.

In that game informer interview, Jake Solomon said:

Classic Ironman is what I consider to be the best form of the game

Also looking forward to reading some multiplayer impressions later too.

 

[Sotha Sil]

I'm curious to see impressions of how Normal is for the 2nd half of the game, iirc a few places that reviewed it mentioned it gets much easier when you unlock a lot of the abilities.

Damn, don't bring this up, that's what I'm afraid of; I know XCOM is supposed to get progressively easier at the end, but I sure hope tension remains :/

 

[Dakota47]

Did pre-ordering this on steam give any TF2 items?

A pin, a pyro hat and a hair 'hat' wearable by a couple of classes.

 

[Hambone]

I woke early so I could start the game before coming to work. So good...can't wait to get home to really be able to dive into it and start customizing soldiers.

 

[Ceebs]

Oh yeah....

with 4 rooks too.

 

[Zeliard]

I'm playing Classic but not Ironman. I would not be able to play Classic if I couldn't restart after getting slaughtered by a mission. If you make one bad move, the aliens will waste somebody, then 2 other guys will panic, one panicking guy will blow one of his squadmates away, the other panicking guy will run right to an alien and die, and that's the end of your Ironman playthrough. Thanks, but no thanks.

What's great about Ironman is the sense of tension it evokes with every passing turn, and how meaningful it makes all of your choices and decisions, both tactically and strategically.

I play games like X-Com for the experience, not for the story or to particularly get to the end point, so giving it a roguelike "the end is the end" flavor just makes it more interesting. And it'll make beating it that much more rewarding.

 

[Magilla]

Speaking of regions for your base. What did everyone pick? I choose Africa for the increased pay because I figure it would positively affect every aspect of the management layer instead of only individual parts.

I went with Africa for the same reason. 30% more cash for everything as opposed to different pluses in different aspects. It seemed like an easy choice which means I'm missing something in an X-Com game. lol

 

[Derrick01]

Awesome, he is just, awesome.

His badassery knows no limits apparently.

 

[FlutterPuffs]

I woke early so I could start the game before coming to work. So good...can't wait to get home to really be able to dive into it and start customizing soldiers.

I've even made little back stories for each soldier I put in missions.

For example the only survivor from the tutorial mission was horribly traumatized and shaken up from what happened, since he was close to the primary team. He now wears a helmet in a way to keep himself distant from any of his other team mates, as he can't take losing anyone he cares anymore.

He will start to open up later in the game. That is, if he survives.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

I've even made little back stories for each soldier I put in missions.

For example the only survivor from the tutorial mission was horribly traumatized and shaken up from what happened, since he was close to the primary team. He now wears a helmet in a way to keep himself distant from any of his other team mates, as he can't take losing anyone he cares anymore.

He will start to open up later in the game. That is, if he survives.

As soon as he does so, the rest of his squad will inevitably be wiped out by a single blaster bomb.

 

[Nocebo]

I went with Africa for the same reason. 30% more cash for everything as opposed to different pluses in different aspects. It seemed like an easy choice which means I'm missing something in an X-Com game. lol

Haha perhaps. Good luck to the both of us! ;D

 

[Funky Papa]

I've even made little back stories for each soldier I put in missions.

For example the only survivor from the tutorial mission was horribly traumatized and shaken up from what happened, since he was close to the primary team. He now wears a helmet in a way to keep himself distant from any of his other team mates, as he can't take losing anyone he cares anymore.

He will start to open up later in the game. That is, if he survives.

XCOM, ladies and gentlemen. XCOM.

 

[MasLegio]

anyone else have problem with the patching when starting the game,

takes ages and the download timer just goes up

game was fully preloaded before I activated it (with spotflux which I then turned off)

 

[JambiBum]

anyone else have problem with the patching when starting the game,

takes ages and the download timer just goes up

game was fully preloaded before I activated it (with spotflux which I then turned off)

It took a while on my laptop and now it's taking a while again on my desktop. Since I have already had a taste it's just making the wait even longer.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

What's great about Ironman is the sense of tension it evokes with every passing turn, and how meaningful it makes all of your choices and decisions, both tactically and strategically.

I play games like X-Com for the experience, not for the story or to particularly get to the end point, so giving it a roguelike "the end is the end" flavor just makes it more interesting. And it'll make beating it that much more rewarding.

Are you playing Ironman on your first playthrough? I don't know which difficulty to start with, I haven't played the original XCOM but I'm a big fan of SRPGs like Tactics Ogre, Fire Emblem, and Shadow Wars. I'm not sure exactly how much that experience will help me in this game, though.

Right now I'm leaning towards normal for the first playthrough but Ironman definitely sounds the most intriguing.

 

[Magilla]

As soon as he does so, the rest of his squad will inevitably be wiped out by a single blaster bomb.

I want to become a traitor and provide detailed intel to the aliens to ensure that this happens.

 

[Johnlenham]

So to be 100% clear. If I buy off GMG with the 25% code ill get my serial in the email today? then I use VPN toget on steam and redeem it right?

 

[FlutterPuffs]

XCOM, ladies and gentlemen. XCOM.

Fuck yes. I aim to get emotionally distraught by this game.

 

[Mikeside]

Are you playing Ironman on your first playthrough? I don't know which difficulty to start with, I haven't played the original XCOM but I'm a big fan of SRPGs like Tactics Ogre, Fire Emblem, and Shadow Wars. I'm not sure exactly how much that experience will help me in this game, though.

Right now I'm leaning towards normal for the first playthrough but Ironman definitely sounds the most intriguing.

I don't see the downside to Ironman unless you really can't handle having to start again after 10 hours or something.

It just gives so much weight to your actions when you know that there's no way of undoing them & trying again.