No? I can't be arsed to find which one of the interviews it was said, but only the starting transport is limited to 4 soldiers. You can research bigger VTOLs that can carry more cannon fodder for the cannon fodder god as the game progresses.
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No? I can't be arsed to find which one of the interviews it was said, but only the starting transport is limited to 4 soldiers. You can research bigger VTOLs that can carry more cannon fodder for the cannon fodder god as the game progresses.
#102
That makes more sense... it would blow if you were capped at 4 squaddies.
But you cannot play attrition battles with lots of cannon fodder. You a limited to carebearing 4 supersoldiers.
#104
Again, you have four soldiers only at the very start of the game. Your squad size increases as the game progresses, but the devs have yet to say what the progression criteria are (max load of dropshop used? research? plot-mission progress?) or what the max size is. Even at four though, I still see enough for a suicide grenadier and sniper combo: the grenadier is a low-level goober that operates recklessly to blow holes in walls with high explosives so the professional sniper can pop noggins. If the grenadier dies then the sniper supports the remaining two soldiers.
On that note, I really hope they add more weaponry capable of blowing holes in alien craft. I've always wished there more options for opening holes in alien craft before Blaster Bombs became available.
The more videos I see of this, the less it reminds me of X-Com and much more of Final Fantasy Tactics (I recall one of the developers mentioning his love for FF:T in an interview). If you notice the gameplay videos, it never seems as if you're patrolling through the unknown looking for hidden aliens, but much more that your squad stumbles upon encounters. Which explains the small squad sizes. It's not a squad - it's a party. This is a RPG:Tactics game.
Though I have to admit, something like FF:Tactics or Freedom Force with the whole geoscape strategy-side tacked on might be pretty badass. But on the other hand it's not really X-com.
Also, in case anyone was wondering. Squad sizes max out at six.
"You can't have sex with abstract concepts!"
"Friedrich Nietzsche could. Some say it was his mustache. Some say it was the source of his powers."
- concerning the possibility of sexual relations with the Abyss, from Interpreting His Will by, um, somebody.
Its too cartooney for my taste. Effects are epilepsy-inducing.
#107
Gameplay footage out of 2K! Looks quite lovely; it's a shame it's not October yet.
#108
Totally agreed, Maktaka. That was quite excellent.
#109
That gameplay video was totally awesome. I can't find fault in anything they showed so far. I'm psyched enough to preorder the game if only they had it on Steam.
#110
That's the same thing I'm waiting for, Shin.
I already wanted this just from the early-game playthrough they showed earlier this year. I can't handle the tease of over an hour of gameplay!
Look at the bright side, kid - you get to keep all the money.
When you shoot heavy laser, fire comes from the sides of the muzzle, lol. I still have some reservation for only one base and reduced squad size. Also sometimes too flashy.
Maybe the heavy laser-rifles are chem-laser based? Reaction by-products will have to be vented away after each shot. As long as it follows the rule of cool I am fine with some scientifically incorrect aspects when fighting off an alien invasion
IMO it looks quite promising, even though the levels shown were quite a bit smaller than I remember from the old X-Com. But as long as there is enough randomization it might be fine.
Man this looks great. First game I've been excited for in quite a while. It obviously deviates from X-COM quite a bit but looks good nevertheless.
saki, the levels aren't randomized but there are enough maps that it's unlikely you'll see the same map twice on a single playthrough. I read that... somewhere.
edit: nope, that's wrong. What they're promising is actually way better.
GC: (laughs) So the levels themselves are also completely randomly generated?
JS: The levels themselves are hand-crafted but we have an obscene amount… you could not play through a full game twice and see those levels again. But what happens on those levels with aliens when they come up, that stuff is all procedural.
Last edited by Arbit; 28th Aug 12 at 5:51 PM.
Add me on Steam - ArbitUH. Don't EVEN bother adding me on GFWL
Where's me squig ointment reference in my sig... oh
#115
I can't wait for the fan mods that will bring back larger squad sizes, time units, etc.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle
Grmbl, I feel left out, my PC is broken and the video is not available for mobile devices...=/
#117
hnng.. neeed... hnnngg.... xcom...
been playing a game of unknown enemy for well over 200 hours now. that shit is INSANE
@arbit thanks for the info. Looks mighty interesting
#119
looks like we're going to have multilayer in some capacity. im interested to see what it will form.
i'd love to see some co-op myself, but i'm thinking its much more likely to be a sort of L4D style survivors vs zombies thing... which is cool i guess but. meh co op plox!
#120
I don't think there's co-op; the only multiplayer mode they've revealed is player vs player. Each player gets to create a team from a mixture of XCOM units and aliens (with no restrictions; you can have an XCOM soldier and a sectoid on the same team), and then they fight each other on a map. The teams are limited to a certain number of points, and each unit costs some amount of points. Pieces of equipment also cost points, so you can give yourself a single leveled-up soldier fitted to the gills in late-game tech, but he'll massively eat up your point budget.
Looks like this thread needs more dosage of gameplay videos:
#122
XCOM is available for preorder in Steam now. And that's not all: the more people that preorder, the better the preorder rewards become.
And it's preordered.... On a related note, the steam mobile app improved a lot since the last time I've used it!
#124
Sweet Jesus that game looks awesome. I'm about halfway through the long gameplay video and although I was quite optimistic about the game (because Firaxis) this really sealed the deal for me. Unfortunately, I fear the neckbeards will riot about the game not being a complete clone of the original UFO.
Edit: @40 minutes, apparently you only get to (visually) customize your armour if you pre-order. Fuck that.
Last edited by Rincewind; 7th Sep 12 at 3:30 AM.
Egregious Professor Of Cruel And Unusual Geography
Yeah, the vid is not very specific on the topic, Rincewind. On their forums they've said you only get the customisation bundled with the game if you preorder, paying the base price. The DLC will be available for everyone at extra cost. Plus, you can customise your armour already without the DLC, but the DLC brings extra parts, and (this is something they should have included in the base game, in my opinion) the ability to change its colours.
#126
the pre-order DLC is just a few fancy parts. and the iconic flat-top hairstyle.
you can still customise without it.
also, i knew what the team fortress pre-order stuff was gonna be ages ago. updated my TF2 server and look what i found XD
Pre ordered. Because X-COM can probe me any time. Also TF2 hats.
I'm waiting for the PC Special Edition to go up on UK retailer websites, damn it!
Not really sure what to think about this, it seems like a neutered version of X-Com- missions aren't random generated, only one base, aliens don't seem creepy nor the atmosphere music seems creepy, scheduled research, huge mass effect feel, limitations.. at least the original gave you a big feeling of freedom (like you made the decisions flying interceptors over areas to scout out for UFOs and stuff). No doubt it'll probably be a decent tactical game but the idea of soldiers being shoehorned into classes with special skills also doesn't do it for me either (I imagine a game to have flexible soldiers that get practice with guns over time but they don't need to "learn" special moves). It just feels like they cut a load of stuff out then put it into a new graphics engine, IMO.
#130
They did. Don't worry. Mods will fix everything.
Remind me, do Steam pre-orders take the cash now or when it's released? Also... pre-order... sci-fi... please don't be like SotS2.
Dunno, but I suppose they take it instantly. I have it linked to my creditcard so I really don't care
But yeah any flaws this game might have, a bazillion of mods that will be released will fix it
#133
steam take the money immediately. but there's zero chance of you turning up at the store for your copy and they turn arround and say 'sorry we didnt get enough copy's allocated to us' or, 'sorry we only have the 360 version in today, our PC shipment comes in next fortnight'
the UK special edition is GAME exclusive (FFFFFFFFFFFUCK!!) so i'm pre-ordering on steam so i can pretend to be american and play on the 9th instead of the 11th and then -maybe- get the collectors box off ebay a week later once game get's their sorry ass in gear and finishes delivering peoples copy's late, people who then go on ebay to sell their GAME copy because they bought it elsewhere on the day when game inevitably fucks it all up.I'm waiting for the PC Special Edition to go up on UK retailer websites, damn it!
as you can see, my opinion of GAME is a bit low.
Okay, cheers guys.
I played X-com UFO Defense when I was little... never managed to beat it. But back then I was new to "complicated PC games", and made poor strategic decisions. I stopped playing at the point where I was supposed to capture a live Ethereal, since I had no idea how to do that; it was all I could manage just to kill those psionic bastards. I also bought TftD, but never got around to playing it since I never beat UFOD. I'll never go back to them, because the graphics/animations are just too dated by today's standards.
But I love TBS games, loved Final Fantasy Tactics, loved JA. I'll totally buy this game.
#136
Dude, it's not too late, the game is like 5 dollars on steam.
Ethereals
You will need to have researched psionics so you can start screening your guys for PSI weaklings if you want to have any chance against Etheral ships, or gods forbid Terror Missions. Easiest way to do it is via Sectoid Leader (they can be found even on small, 3 man UFOs). Mind probe + a couple of guys with Small Launchers does the trick.
Has it even been confirmed that this game will even be moddable? This day in age, it isn't such a silly question.
I too have reservations on this game as it doesn't seem like the X-Com I know. Aren't the squads capped at a max of six guys? What happened to the aliens having superiority over you for the first half of the game and you taking horrendous casualties unless you were very careful/lucky? What are you going to do with six guys? Lose three of them? THE HORROR. I remember missions from the original where I'd bring 14 rookies on their first UFO recover mission and lose half of them and that'd be considered a success. Or a terror mission with the same amount of rookies and losing all but 2-3 guys and God knows how many civilians and was just lucky to beat back the damned sectiods.
Just from the description and screenshots, it doesn't seem like you're leading the underdog earthlings against overwhelming force, but the A-Team against commie-terrorist-aliens.
#138
14 rookie cannon fodder is exactly the reason why they are capping the squads at such low numbers - they want your dudes to develop by gaining skills, perks and experience before eating a heavy plasma to the face, causing you to cry like a little girl. Watch the gameplay video - guy loses a 25-mission veteran to one bad, unlucky decision.
Also, Iron Man mode. One save that gets automatically updated, including when you lose a guy.
That makes absolutely zero sense, Rincewind.
Units in X-Com gained experience and improved their stats the more missions they were on and the more successful they were at a skill. There's no significant difference between a 25 mission veteran in the original game and in the remake. Oh you can say in the remake they get all sorts of RPG garbage, but the result is more or less the same. Both guys are badasses and can die and cause you grief. There is, however, a significant difference in only being able to bring in a few dudes as opposed to a max of 28 (if I recall correctly). It kills the suspense and sense of realism where the aliens are bleeding you with their technology, but you ruggedly take them down one at a time while possibly suffering as much as a 2-1 loss ratio to the aliens in the early game. Can you do that in the remake? No.
Having such small squad sizes means that these guys don't seem like real life dudes but more like alien-hunting supermen that routinely go into a mission outgunned, out-teched, and outnumbered, yet somehow prevail. I call that boring and stupid. The earlier comparison to Mass Effect has a lot of merit in my eyes. This seems more like it wants to be an RPG than a turn-based tactical game and while it may ultimately turn out to be a good game, but it isn't staying true to X-Com. Which, by the way, is what these developers have claimed they've tried to do all along, but it comes off as more of the same development hype and it degrades the game as a result.
well, for those who want a more similar experience to old-school x-com, there's always xenonauts.
I'm short and misanthropic. I'll bite your nipples off.
#141
also. mods will fix everything.
I agree with Brenil, in that having squads capped at 6 automatically forces certain gameplay designs, so the complaint really can't be just handwaved away with "idle speculation man wait until you play the game." We're all RTS/TBS veteran gamers and we know how things will roll just from learning confirmed gameplay elements.
Which is sad, since from watching the dev vids I feel that their worshipful enthusiasm for the original game is genuine, and from certain in-game skills (squad sight) it's also evident that they understand the advanced mechanics of the game.... So why the F would they diverge from the original in such a basic aspect? Why would lovers of X-com decide that Mass Effect would be better?
I will still buy and love this game, because I like Mass Effect. But it's true that nowadays we get too much Hollywood "few against the many." X-com is not a game that coddles you and makes you feel badass, so I don't see why the remake needs to cater to that mindset now with 6 humans protected by plot armour.
#143
PCgamer article:
linky
From the article:
So yeah, I'm not worried because mods.“The idea is that there is the ability for modability,” said Solomon. It won’t be anything that we’re committing to for release, but it’s very very easy using Unreal titles. I write almost all my game code in the scripts, and that’s very easy to give to people.”
#144
They've mentioned games where they've lost over three hundred soldiers so far. That's far more than I ever lost in a game of UFO Defense, even with the larger possible squad sizes.Originally Posted by Brenil
Also: Yeah, it sucks that we're stuck with smaller squad sizes, but to be honest I never used a squad larger than ten men at once anyways, and even that was more than I ever really needed. Anything more than eight (two four-man fireteams) was just a waste of time. You couldn't really succeed by trying to win through attrition in X-COM, or at the very least it was more difficult than playing 'smart'.
Three hundred soldiers 2-3 or 3-4 at a time? Woo...
Doesn't change my comment, because it doesn't change the essential point that you're always going to be outnumbered and, in the early game, out-gunned and out-teched. Which breaks away from the immersion that they were supposedly trying to build up. Having the Expendables at your command isn't nearly as interesting to me as having actual soldiers fighting overwhelming odds and taking horrendous casualties against superior foes until they breach the technological gap and develop specific tactics to counter each alien race.
I know casualties are still possible, and I did see the vid where a 20-missions vet in power armour got killed by 1-2 shots from the aliens, on Normal. It's still not a cakewalk.
But in the old X-Com, no matter how careful I was, I needed to bring the max number of soldiers because that's how much suck human soldiers were compared to aliens. I could set up the perfect crossfire kill-zone, just wait there for the aliens with my full action points, and a lone Sectoid would just stroll out the door, kill 2 of my squaddies, and limp back into the FOW.
If the transport maxes out at 6 soldiers, then that means this absolutely cannot happen no matter how early I am in the game. Because if this still holds true, then it means the game is unplayable. Therefore even if the game is not a cakewalk, by the game design it is still forced to be a lot easier: As long as you play smart you'll overpower the Sectoids on your first mission.
If somehow they kept the feeling of human vulnerability even with only 6 soldiers, I'll be very eager to see how they did it.
#147
Nah you could win missions with 6 men. It just involved packing as many high explosive packs as possible onto them, chucking them everywhere, and hoping that no-one went berserk. Also you got no salvage because it was all on fire.If the transport maxes out at 6 soldiers, then that means this absolutely cannot happen no matter how early I am in the game. Because if this still holds true, then it means the game is unplayable. Therefore even if the game is not a cakewalk, by the game design it is still forced to be a lot easier: As long as you play smart you'll overpower the Sectoids on your first mission.
Let's Play Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind
Let's Play Master of Magic: Abandoned
In the beginning there was nothing. Then Steam crashed.
For a game that looks like it could run on a PS2, this game does not run on Windows XP? It requires ****ing Vista?
**** YOU Firaxis! I don't care if you give me the original X-com with 2012 graphics and no bugs, I ain't getting ****ing Vista!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
(Was originally posting to say I was psyching myself up for this game by watching the Starship Troopers TV series. But now.... Vista?! **** it.)
What, it does not run on my Win98 PC?! Fuck you Firaxis for not supporting my severly dated system! Also no Linux support?! How outrageous!!!!
Complaining that an OS where the official support has even stopped is kinda pointless. Why not demand DOS support, I mean the original runs on that...
#150
Why on earth would you buy Vista when Win7 is available? Also, why would you expect third parties to provide support for a platform that the distributor itself no longer offers support for? If something goes wrong during certification and testing on Windows XP, Firaxis is SOL because Microsoft will not provide aid on Windows XP issues without a contract saying otherwise, and the users would be equally screwed if any problems were discovered after release.
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