X-COM: Enemy Unknown remake by 2K / Firaxis!

[lozina]

OG XCOM designer weighs in...
http://www.edge-online.com/features/julian-gollop-xcom

Wow, awesome stuff there. That guy's a legend in my book.

 

[lozina]

This is great news. We got sequels to Jagged Alliance and X-COM, 2 of my all time favorite TB strategy games! If reviews are favorable I'm willing to pay full price to support their efforts.

this is going to be a terrible year.... for girlfiends

 

[NTAC]

More info, part 1 of a combat walkthrough scenario:

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...actics-exploring-xcom-39-s-combat-part-1.aspx

 

[JSt0rm]

lookin good.

 

[ultimatebob]

If this game is half as good as the original, it will be an instant classic.

Please, Firaxis, don't screw it up!

 

[QuantumPion]

Is 2K games making two different X-COM games? Because when I searched for it I found a video of a console game that looked like a clone of mass effect (cover based shooter with squad powers, etc).

 

[Born2bwire]

Is 2K games making two different X-COM games? Because when I searched for it I found a video of a console game that looked like a clone of mass effect (cover based shooter with squad powers, etc).

Yes.

 

[natto fire]

I know Firaxis doesn't owe the original creator any input whatsoever, but I personally would have rather he was at least contacted before setting out on this project. The game Julian Gollop is describing sounds perfect to me, where Firaxis seems to be overthinking it, too many compromises. The battlescape is where I hope they can blow me away like the original did in '96 when I first played it.

I am definitely going to follow this, and cross my fingers.

 

[thespyder]

Wow, awesome stuff there. That guy's a legend in my book.

One thing I really didn't like very much was his comment about turn based combat and really big maps. Basically he was against them and felt that the original X-com had that as an issue. I want to go the opposite direction in saying that one of my all time favorite games (aside from X-com) is GalCiv. I can get totally lost in HUGE maps and the anticipation and escalation that comes from set up and position.

the problem that I have with RT squad games today is you can't control 10 guys in real time with the precision that would equal some of the turn based games that I have played (xcom, GalCiv, etc...). So you have to set things up and then trust to dodgy AI which doesn't represent even reasonably skilled troops in actual combat.

Provided that you can save at each turn (because life intrudes), I am all for huge maps and strategic approaches to search and destroy. Just my two cents.

 

[Born2bwire]

One thing I really didn't like very much was his comment about turn based combat and really big maps. Basically he was against them and felt that the original X-com had that as an issue. I want to go the opposite direction in saying that one of my all time favorite games (aside from X-com) is GalCiv. I can get totally lost in HUGE maps and the anticipation and escalation that comes from set up and position.

the problem that I have with RT squad games today is you can't control 10 guys in real time with the precision that would equal some of the turn based games that I have played (xcom, GalCiv, etc...). So you have to set things up and then trust to dodgy AI which doesn't represent even reasonably skilled troops in actual combat.

Provided that you can save at each turn (because life intrudes), I am all for huge maps and strategic approaches to search and destroy. Just my two cents.

See, that was what turned me off of TFTD; the enormous sea lane missions. Part of the charm to me was that they built X-COM as two games, the geoscape and the tactical missions. I liked the features and gameplay of the geoscape and an overly long map made me anxious to get back. But more importantly was the fact that you are limited in the number of men you have which makes searching a large map exceedingly tedious and time consuming. I preferred the scope of the UFO missions where I could expect to be able to get through the map in one sitting with the occasional daunting base invasion for an open afternoon.

 

[thespyder]

See, that was what turned me off of TFTD; the enormous sea lane missions. Part of the charm to me was that they built X-COM as two games, the geoscape and the tactical missions. I liked the features and gameplay of the geoscape and an overly long map made me anxious to get back. But more importantly was the fact that you are limited in the number of men you have which makes searching a large map exceedingly tedious and time consuming. I preferred the scope of the UFO missions where I could expect to be able to get through the map in one sitting with the occasional daunting base invasion for an open afternoon.

Which, I gather, was Julian's perspective. That TFTD took it to a level that was not liked or necessary (by him and others). I guess I am from the minority camp in that I loved having to explore every nook and crany in that underwater seascape. I personally love doing the Huge and Gigantic maps in GalCiv 2 where it's hours and hours of build up. then marching cross the galaxy to utter domination victory over my enemies (with the Empire theme playing in the background).

Either way, I do hope that the new product isn't dumbed down to a level that removes tactics entirely. that would be a shame.

 

[NTAC]

Part 2!
http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forum...actics-exploring-xcom-39-s-combat-part-2.aspx

 

[Born2bwire]

Part 2!
http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forum...actics-exploring-xcom-39-s-combat-part-2.aspx

Interesting, it appears that they now have classes and terrain perks. The terrain perks are certainly welcome addition.

 

[IlllI]

all this talk brought back memories of this GBA game called rebel star tactical command. if you guys like xcom, you might want to try to 'find' it online (the company went out of business a couple years back).

 

[Martimus]

I dont' like the small squad size. The way I used large squads was to pair up guys with one acting as a scout with a cattleprod, and the second as his backup to kill any alien he found and was unable to stun. The more pairs I had, the faster I could scout out an entire map. With only 4-5 guys, I will need to take longer to clear a map, since you can't break up the team into multiple groups anymore.

 

[nanobreath]

I dont' like the small squad size. The way I used large squads was to pair up guys with one acting as a scout with a cattleprod, and the second as his backup to kill any alien he found and was unable to stun. The more pairs I had, the faster I could scout out an entire map. With only 4-5 guys, I will need to take longer to clear a map, since you can't break up the team into multiple groups anymore.

Maybe squad size increases later in game? Maybe the maps aren't as large and don't require as many men to clear? Maybe the mission type determines the squad size? Maybe each ship only holds 3 squad members, but you can rendezvous several ships at a site to team up squads?

My point is we have no clue what the full details of the game are. Sit back and enjoy the juicy bits of information we get and reserve judgement for an actual review of the game when it's released.

 

[NTAC]

all this talk brought back memories of this GBA game called rebel star tactical command. if you guys like xcom, you might want to try to 'find' it online (the company went out of business a couple years back).

I would say so, Rebel Star Command was created by Julian Gollop... who created... drum roll please.... X-COM!

Here is part 1 of a 3 part interview (part 2 and 3 will be released over the next few days) with the guy making this new x-com:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/01/xcom-enemy-unknown-preview/#more-92040

My thoughts on squad size.. I don't want a limit either. I loved taking 20 guys into battle to see who will survive... that's how I narrowed down my squads, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST!... or luckiest sometimes

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I dont' like the small squad size. The way I used large squads was to pair up guys with one acting as a scout with a cattleprod, and the second as his backup to kill any alien he found and was unable to stun. The more pairs I had, the faster I could scout out an entire map. With only 4-5 guys, I will need to take longer to clear a map, since you can't break up the team into multiple groups anymore.

I usually did 3 man squads. Often on simple down UFO missions I'd be lazy and just do pairs and sometimes singles, but breaching UFO doors was always a 3 man job. Base assault and terror missions the 3 man squad rule holds firm.


The other big thing I don't like about the small squads in this remake is while permadeath is almost certainly still in the game, it implies it's FAR less common and actually losing a member could be far more damaging now and encourage reloading. Losing 2 squaddies out of 12, not the end of the world. Losing the equivalent of one sergeant out of 4 units, that's gonna hurt.

 

[LurkerPrime]

As long as I can get around 8 or so squad members I'll be fine. Any more than that and it becomes more of a hassel to move them all around. The only time 12+ members came in handy was when you went to that terror mission, stepped out the door and could see 8 aliens. And to make matters worse, 2 of those were those floating disks and all you have is laser rifles.

Since they apparently have classes, it would nice if your highest experienced member of each class was able to train other squad members at your base to a % (say 75%) of his current experience. That way if he dies you dont have a level 1 replacement and you aren't stuck with a worthless squadmember for the next few engagements. Having a replacement at 75% is still a setback, and if your guys continiously are getting killed, you'll eventually be stuck with a level 1 replacement.

 

[thespyder]

Interesting, it appears that they now have classes and terrain perks. The terrain perks are certainly welcome addition.

Kind of worried about this. Makes it really feel like the soldiers are going to be nameless/faceless single function units rather than actual soldiers. I hope that the walk-through used terms like "Heavy" simply because it was an early build.

And is it just me or did the pics look more like an updated Freedom Force than Xcom?

 

[NTAC]

Kind of worried about this. Makes it really feel like the soldiers are going to be nameless/faceless single function units rather than actual soldiers. I hope that the walk-through used terms like "Heavy" simply because it was an early build.

And is it just me or did the pics look more like an updated Freedom Force than Xcom?

You'll be able to rename and I think even change the appearance of a new soldier if I'm not mistaken.

 

[mikeymikec]

What amazed me was the sheer incompetance of the raw recruits that you get. I'm trying to figure out what rent-a-cop organization they were rejected from before they finally settled with XCOM. I just love it when they throw a grenade and it somehow manages to go twenty feet in the wrong direction, gratuituously blowing up the local filling station.

Huh? I completed it on the Amiga and PC and never saw that happen. Admittedly I suspect that the difficulty setting wasn't implemented on the Amiga, so I could complete it on Superhuman as easily as beginner, and I've completed it on the PC quite a few times.

Grenade throwing always went in the right direction for me, usually crazily accurate too.

 

[Martimus]

I dont remember grenades very well, but I do remember needing to have a half dozen guys shooting at the same target early in the game, because everyone is so insanely innacurate in the beginning.

 

[NTAC]

Grenades wouldn't go in the wrong direction but they would be off the mark if your recruits throwing accuracy was bad... I've definitely had some VERY bad throws where I basically killed half my squad by accident

BTW, part 2 of the interview!:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/02/firaxis-xcom-preview/

 

[thespyder]

I remember grenades being a pretty dicy gamble early on in the game. But I have seen worse since in other games (where the grenade bounces back on the soldier 50% of the time).