Original XCom: UFO Defense from 1994. Fans?

jackrabbix

Junior Member
Sep 22, 2008
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This is possibly still one of my favorite games of all times. I play the dosbox/steam version.

Anyone else remember this one? It shares a place in my heart right next to Master of Orion II ;)

If anyone is a fan, I also have a funny video series on youtube about it, ala let's play style.
(not too long yet, only up to #5, and I'm moving so it's hard to get time between packing and saying goodbye to play lol)

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL44SKvtBrHlUh9OwH6SUm-L-aRDFQIXdk

Who else ADORES this classic??
 

Revolution 11

Senior member
Jun 2, 2011
952
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I actually got into this game very very late, shortly after hearing about Xenonauts in 2011 but it is very fun and executes the tactical turn-based game better than its rebooted and slimmed descendant and its spiritually inspired indie successor.
 

jaqie

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2008
2,471
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I built a 386 just to play the classics, including this one. build log in my sig.

I have an original xcom ufo defense CDROM disc and jewel case, too.
 

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
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I have the PC Gamer demo disc that had like 10 complete games, including this one. I've tried to play it a few times, but I never get very far. I don't know what to do.

I should download the manual from replacementdocs someday and read through it.
 

jaqie

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2008
2,471
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First, you research medkits and usually go for laser rifles. Then you start building your base up and gathering as many materials as you can, upgrading your troops, base, and ships of both kinds as much as you can. Your final object is to get the ultimate craft and fly it somewhere... that's enough details to win.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
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I have it on floppies in the original giant box with manual. It was great back in the day, and held up pretty well when I played the Steam version a few years ago. Time has not been kind to the 320 x 240 256-color graphics though :)
 

AdamantC

Senior member
Apr 19, 2011
478
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Be sure to also check out OpenXcom, a complete engine recreation. It's completely open source so hopefully plenty of mods and ports will be available in the future.

Please note it still requires all of the original Xcom files to work.
http://openxcom.org/
 

ControlD

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2005
5,440
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I've got a CD of it, but I prefer TFTD personally. (Fewer bugs, slightly more refined graphics.)

I could never get past the insane starting difficulty in TFTD. I have played the original at least a dozen times over the years but I have yet to even come close to a full play through of TFTD.
 
Feb 25, 2011
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I could never get past the insane starting difficulty in TFTD. I have played the original at least a dozen times over the years but I have yet to even come close to a full play through of TFTD.

Give up on live alien recovery until later in the game and just blow up everything. The biggest risk is going broke buying magnablast grenades.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
21,016
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Who else ADORES this classic??

Me mememememememememe me!

Nothing beats Terror from the Deep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too bloody difficult. Those two-level ship missions where you'd be stuck in a hold at the start of the lower level and all it needed was one grenade and the whole place would go up.... no, thank you!

The new XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a faithful remake of the original, but it seems that the more times I complete it, the more bugs I encounter. Not that the original was bug-free...
 
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Feb 25, 2011
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Me mememememememememe me!



Too bloody difficult. Those two-level ship missions where you'd be stuck in a hold at the start of the lower level and all it needed was one grenade and the whole place would go up.... no, thank you!

The new XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a faithful remake of the original, but it seems that the more times I complete it, the more bugs I encounter. Not that the original was bug-free...

You crowded your entire team into a single killzone?
 
Feb 25, 2011
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You *start* in a killzone. All of your guys spawn in a single small place and you can't move them out quickly enough. Many times it's just a massacre.

::rereads::

Ah. Okay, yeah, there is that.

I misunderstood - thought he was talking about the entry chambers that are on the lower level of the USOs.
 

JeffNY35

Senior member
Dec 16, 2009
294
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Just got this on Steam. never played. I had barely even heard of it!!

I played XCOM EU, loved it. beat on normal. Now I am grinding through classic with Warspace Extension mod installed.

Anyway, I fired up UFO Defense. Old graphics combined with OLD UI hit me with just an uncomfortable feeling of how to get myself into it so I have only been as far as the first screen you get once you choose your base.

Gonna give it a real try though...soon :)
 

AyashiKaibutsu

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2004
9,306
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First, you research medkits and usually go for laser rifles. Then you start building your base up and gathering as many materials as you can, upgrading your troops, base, and ships of both kinds as much as you can. Your final object is to get the ultimate craft and fly it somewhere... that's enough details to win.

I always go laser rifles first. Having weapons worth a damn saves more lives than being able to save the occasional wounded guy especially when you don't have armor so they tend to get gibbed anyway.
 

taq8ojh

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2013
1,296
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Oh, UFO! That's the game that I wasted my preteen years on. I spent ridiculous amounts of time playing it like a madman back in the stone age. I think I was like 13 then, and this started my lifelong addiction. I guess UFO could easily make first place on my list due to the added nostalgic value. It was also the second game I'd legally owned after Arena, which I played with similar passion.
Good old times...

I bought XCOM about week ago, and the spirit is there, btw! Finally a good remake.
 

Agent11

Diamond Member
Jan 22, 2006
3,535
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The one thing that actually bugs me that I wish the remake had put in is the ability to select elevation.

Nothing is more annoying than trying to do precise movements on elevated surfaces and having the mouse pop down a level constantly.