XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Strategy Game - Developed by Firaxis

Aaron D. wrote:

Well if it's any solace, every report I've heard on the console build (Giant Bomb, Rebel FM, etc.) have been nothing short of glowing in regards of performance, control and overall quality.

Thanks Aaron, this helps calm my doubts considerably. I've been cycling thru all the on-line mags allot, with not a whiff of console news (or at least what I could detect. )

Certis wrote:

Assuming this brewing cold doesn't destroy my voice, we're planning a video feature for next week (maybe Monday) and we'll talk about it on the podcast.

I'll be looking forward to that...feel better!

Strongly considering the game, but -- and contrary to recent trends -- I'm thinking 360 instead of PC. I don't see myself wanting to modify the game at all, and this seems like the perfect title to rack out on the sofa with, rather than sitting at my desk to play.

After trying the demo with the 360 controller and M/K, i'm going 360 too. This one looks to be very playable on the couch.

Tkyl, if you miss a shot in this game, is it still possible that the bullet may hit another alien standing further behind?

MoonDragon wrote:

Tkyl, if you miss a shot in this game, is it still possible that the bullet may hit another alien standing further behind?

No, it won't hit another unit. The most a miss can do is destroy cover near or behind the unit you shot at. Of course I say it like that is nothing, but that can actually have a huge impact on gameplay.

Tkyl wrote:
MoonDragon wrote:

Tkyl, if you miss a shot in this game, is it still possible that the bullet may hit another alien standing further behind?

No, it won't hit another unit.

/ (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Doesn't that kind of render machine guns useless?

Going to miss being able to spray lead (or plasma) into a darkened area without knowing or caring what's in there and getting a lucky kill or two.

LobsterMobster wrote:

Doesn't that kind of render machine guns useless?

No, as there is an ability that Heavies can take that allow them to suppress an area as opposed to a single unit. Plus, an Heavy with a machine gun is going to do more damage than a rifle, but be more inaccurate at range.

Tkyl wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:

Doesn't that kind of render machine guns useless?

No, as there is an ability that Heavies can take that allow them to suppress an area as opposed to a single unit. Plus, an Heavy with a machine gun is going to do more damage than a rifle, but be more inaccurate at range.

Wait, doesn't mean there's also no risk to opening up on an enemy that's right next to an ally? If you miss the enemy, you can't hit the ally, right?

Tkyl wrote:

Launch Trailer Time

And out first review score: 9.5 out of 10 from GameInformer

There is also going to be a live cast Multiplayer Match between Pete Murray (Our in house marketing guy) and 2K's Grag Laabs. You can watch that on the 2K Twitch TV channel at 11:00am EST.

Great trailer. What kills me tho' is at the end it say's look at their Twitter pages, yet there's zip there that is current.

bighoppa wrote:

Going to miss being able to spray lead (or plasma) into a darkened area without knowing or caring what's in there and getting a lucky kill or two.

Hopefully you can still toss a grenade into an area for possible exposure/kill.

LobsterMobster wrote:
Tkyl wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:

Doesn't that kind of render machine guns useless?

No, as there is an ability that Heavies can take that allow them to suppress an area as opposed to a single unit. Plus, an Heavy with a machine gun is going to do more damage than a rifle, but be more inaccurate at range.

Wait, doesn't mean there's also no risk to opening up on an enemy that's right next to an ally? If you miss the enemy, you can't hit the ally, right?

Correct.

How about damaging a unit that you can't see, or haven't even discovered yet? Of course, I mean with explosives. E.g. if I suspect there to be an alien around the corner, can I toss a grenade or a rocket, and actually hurt it, or do I have to had discovered it first, before I can hurt it?

--Edit--
D'oh, same minute Tannhausering...

Donan wrote:
bighoppa wrote:

Going to miss being able to spray lead (or plasma) into a darkened area without knowing or caring what's in there and getting a lucky kill or two.

Hopefully you can still toss a grenade into an area for possible exposure/kill.

That seems to be the way to go. The way suppression seems to work in the gameplay vids, you'll never get a kill out of suppressing an area. It only reduces enemy fire abilities.

Donan wrote:
bighoppa wrote:

Going to miss being able to spray lead (or plasma) into a darkened area without knowing or caring what's in there and getting a lucky kill or two.

Hopefully you can still toss a grenade into an area for possible exposure/kill.

Yes, you can. And it's so much fun.

bighoppa wrote:
Donan wrote:
bighoppa wrote:

Going to miss being able to spray lead (or plasma) into a darkened area without knowing or caring what's in there and getting a lucky kill or two.

Hopefully you can still toss a grenade into an area for possible exposure/kill.

That seems to be the way to go. The way suppression seems to work in the gameplay vids, you'll never get a kill out of suppressing an area. It only reduces enemy fire abilities.

Actually, you do have a chance to kill if the suppressee tries to move on their turn. Being suppressed doesn't actually immobilize the target, it just means that if they decide to go ahead and try to move anyway it's highly likely they will get shot.

Is there a friendly fire option?

One thing I've been wondering about is how non-lethal damage is implemented. For example, in UFO Defense if anything stood in a burning structure for too long they could collapse from smoke inhalation. So it wasn't unusual to find unconscious but alive aliens inside the burning ship at a crash site. Between this and the concussion from explosions, I never bothered to bring stun rods with me to take aliens alive, since I often managed to knock a few out via other means anyway.

Looks like they fixed the point value for the floaters.

Those twitch.tv games Tykl mentioned between the 2K guy and the Firaxis guy are archived on the channel if you didn't see them live.

IIRC, the actual vid starts 20+ minutes in.

The closer XCOM comes out the funnier this thread gets.

Crockpot wrote:

The closer XCOM comes out the funnier this thread gets. ;)

I read some of the first posts on this thread it's fun to do that sometimes, see how things change. Still haven't preordered yet probable gonna crack so I can preload the game.

Found XCOM on Intkeys.com for $34.90. Has anyone tried them? They seem like a similiar outfit to Green Man Gaming. The only caveat is that you'd be buying an international version (EU/AU) of the game, so it would release on October 12th instead. They claim it's region-free though, so it doesn't seem like you'd have to do anything complicated like mess with a VPN to get your game activated.

http://www.intkeys.com/index.php?mai...

I think the first advert is a missed opportunity. I understand the need to appeal to the action-game audience, but it's harder to stand out there. There's little in that trailer that says 'This game is very different to other action games'. Also, a bit like board game art, it isn't really representative of the pace of the action (at least that I've seen on video).

I think a better message would have been about loss and consequences. Because that's what the game has to offer that is least like other games. In the same way that Demon's Souls sold itself on death and difficulty. That trailer is just another detergent on the supermarket shelf.

hannibals wrote:

Found XCOM on Intkeys.com for $34.90. Has anyone tried them? They seem like a similiar outfit to Green Man Gaming. The only caveat is that you'd be buying an international version (EU/AU) of the game, so it would release on October 12th instead. They claim it's region-free though, so it doesn't seem like you'd have to do anything complicated like mess with a VPN to get your game activated.

http://www.intkeys.com/index.php?mai...

Researching this was interesting. Seems like there is a nice grey market growing in digital downloads. I wouldn't buy from them as it could get your account in trouble.

Found this forum post:

I did a search for "intkeys" and it found no search results on STEAM. I want to make sure I do not breach the STEAM TOS so here is my question.

If I buy Steam Keys from this site below, am I breaking the STEAM TOS?

http://www.intkeys.com/

Many of there keys are from Russia and converted via their VPN scheme to be region free and/or able to be validated on STEAM. All this is legal according to the author of this site which has been up and running since 2008.

TIA as I don't want to jeopardize my highly valued STEAM Account in any way

STEAM RESPONDED with a email a day later with this statement:

Hello,

A staff member has replied to your question:

Hello Sherwood,

Thank you for contacting Steam Support.

This is not an authorized re-seller of Steam CD Keys. Please do not complete any purchases with this vendor.

Only CD Keys included with retail copies or purchased from authorized retailers will be allowed.

Let us know if you have any further questions or concerns.

So much for my no preorder policy...
IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/ZvuDu.png)

I'm going to attribute it to the undercover video, and the line "it's like a sandwich of gaming".

clever id wrote:

I'm going to attribute it to the undercover video, and the line "it's like a sandwich of gaming".

I was fond of "all your soldiers will be killed and you will cry"

I am really tempted to pick this up for 360 since I know I will own it eventually for PC, is anyone else picking it up on 360?