Help me enjoy X-Com

I tried Aftermath. If just didn't work as well as X-Com, for me.

If a game wants to claim to be a 'spiritual successor to X-Com', then it needs the things that made X-Com great.

Destructable terrain. Not just blowing holes in walls, but setting things on fire, to try to smoke the aliens out (or have them pass out, that worked for me too).

Night and day mission.

Soldiers and tech that progressed with time. With clear stats.

Aliens that progressed with time.

Base building.

Funding that reflected your choices, which nations to support, which to ignore.

Good sized maps (Aftermath maps always felt cramped and repetitive).

Simple and useful UIs.

Weapons and gear variety that meant something.

Base raids.

Aliens that acted like living things, and not just AI. Forcing the last Grey to run away in a panic because you just blasted his three friends.

Something of a story line, not just random maps. X-Com wasn't the best, here, but it did have one.

clever id wrote:

I always wondered about that too. I somehow ended up with a copy of UFO: Aftermath which was XCOM inspired, but just didn't feel right to me and I've had a eye on the open source project UFO: Alien Invasion (edit: Sourceforge Link) but I never gave it the time I should to properly judge it. For some reason, I just feel the need to play the ORIGINAL series.

UFO:AI is good, but it's not complete, and there's some quirks to it - the "3D-ness" of the maps is sometimes confusing. Also, terrain is not destructible (the engine doesn't support it, it's quake-based I think). The AI is also not nearly as good, even compared to the very limited AI in the original X-Com. It's also a lot bloodier, as the aliens tend to be able to shoot better.

bighoppa wrote:

Building and ship entries can be handled like SWAT entries. 3 rookies up front, one to each side of the door, facing diagonally into the opening, one in front to breach and enter, one vet with good reaction time a few squares behind the breacher in case he gets popped right away and the rooks to the sides don't avenge him. Move as a group, always leave time for auto-fire, and if you have to you can split into two two-man fire teams. Larger ships may require two or three entry teams. Once I get flying armor and launchers I send a third team onto the roof of the big ships.

This is how I always handled entries. Line everyone up, wait until the next turn, then open the door without going in, shoot anything that is there.

Nevin73 wrote:
bighoppa wrote:

Building and ship entries can be handled like SWAT entries. 3 rookies up front, one to each side of the door, facing diagonally into the opening, one in front to breach and enter, one vet with good reaction time a few squares behind the breacher in case he gets popped right away and the rooks to the sides don't avenge him. Move as a group, always leave time for auto-fire, and if you have to you can split into two two-man fire teams. Larger ships may require two or three entry teams. Once I get flying armor and launchers I send a third team onto the roof of the big ships.

This is how I always handled entries. Line everyone up, wait until the next turn, then open the door without going in, shoot anything that is there.

This works, but it's safer and faster (in real time, not game time) just to wait for them to come out.

LtWarhound wrote:

I tried Aftermath. If just didn't work as well as X-Com, for me.

If a game wants to claim to be a 'spiritual successor to X-Com', then it needs the things that made X-Com great.

Destructable terrain. Not just blowing holes in walls, but setting things on fire, to try to smoke the aliens out (or have them pass out, that worked for me too).

Night and day mission.

Soldiers and tech that progressed with time. With clear stats.

Aliens that progressed with time.

Base building.

Funding that reflected your choices, which nations to support, which to ignore.

Good sized maps (Aftermath maps always felt cramped and repetitive).

Simple and useful UIs.

Weapons and gear variety that meant something.

Base raids.

Aliens that acted like living things, and not just AI. Forcing the last Grey to run away in a panic because you just blasted his three friends.

Something of a story line, not just random maps. X-Com wasn't the best, here, but it did have one.

Oddly, things Apocalypse did differently were the map variety, night/day missions and the oddball real-time element which I felt made the game playable where the turn based made fighting poppers impossible. Actually, the real-time pausable gameplay is what I thought made the game worth playing.

Alright, found this thread this morning and now, as I sit on a conference call, you guys are helping keep me awake.

Can't say enough about screening the recruits, as mentioned above. There's no fee to sign them, so hire 20 to keep 5 or 10. As far as locating a base, make sure not to put it in the middle of the ocean or you'll have no land mass for a UFO to crash land on. Asia center, near Moscow, is where my first one always goes. Scientists should be more plentiful than engineers, always. I usually make one base for science, with just a token engineering presence, then my second base is all engineers.

About weaponry: I skip right past laser weapons and head straight to plasma. There's nothing worse than wailing on a Muton with a laser rifle while he murders two or three people. Even plasma pistols are better weapons than laser rifles. Later in the game, if I'm short on cash, I'll sell plasma weapons that I pick up and refit green teams with laser. These green teams only go on cake missions though. No terror, no large craft. You start the game with an auto-cannon and a blaster cannon of some sort. Toss the auto-cannon to the curb, and then buy another blaster cannon. Bulk up on HE rounds and lay waste to farmhouses instead of dancing around in them waiting to get shot. Also, pick up at least one missle launcher. Post the guy with the BEST aim at the middle back of the group to pivot and return fire from unseen aliens. EVERYONE must have at least two electroflares. If you are out or short, don't even attempt a night mission without flares. Sprinkle in a few prox grenades, maybe two or three per shuttle. Don't bother with high explosives, they won't even dent the alien craft.

About attacking the aliens: Don't hit a larger ship or a base without alien containment built. Nothing worse than sacrificing two or three middling or top soldiers to catch a brain bug, only to bring them home and get the message "Alien has died as there is no containment facility." Likewise, if you have two bases mind which one has the containment facility. If a team leaves a base if has to return to that base, so send the right team to the base with containment and launch from there.

About tactics: Travel in pairs, or in threes, and move from cover to cover. Night missions almost help you get better at the daytime missions as the "fog of war" graphic plainly shows you what you can see as you leapfrog through a map.

About terror: Methodically check everywhere, space by space, block by block. If a two-some or three-some has a few deaths there new name is overwatch and their movement rate is now zero. The rest of the teams work the map towards them. Stay the hell away from the gas stations. If anything looks like a disk or makes a noise like a disk take cover and set to auto while lobbing alien grenades at it. If you can lead with a tank or two ahead of the teams, all the better.

Armor: Any armor is better than none. Flying armor is overated, and power armor should be standardized on for top teams by the time you get the blaster launcher.

On specialization: Each soldeir has plusses and minuses, and each of the teams you build should have the same. Have a team for terror, a team for assault, a team of newbies to cut their teeth on smaller ships.

Man... I may have to re-install this after the baby comes. This would be the perfect game for late night feedings.

And I can't wait to be a replacement soldier. Hooah, let's drop in!

Edit: I also have a PS2 version. Maybe this is another reason to get a PS3. Anyone get the PS2 X-Com to work on their PS3?

Can we just, quickly and quietly, pour one out for Dreamland Chronicles? When I just remembered this game I haven't been so dissappointed since I played MOO3.

http://commanderx.xcomufo.com/dreaml...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dre...

I haven't bothered reading the advanced strategy everyone else is going on about, but it's a fun game.

Just use a trainer, give yourself a billion dollars (as you would have limitless resources if any of that stuff was real), build an extra base, hire some scientists, then do your best.

EDIT - I see you are playing the PS2 Version. Nevermind. Good luck.

Vulgar or Ridiculously Childish wrote:

I haven't bothered reading the advanced strategy everyone else is going on about, but it's a fun game.

Just use a trainer, give yourself a billion dollars (as you would have limitless resources if any of that stuff was real), build an extra base, hire some scientists, then do your best.

Pssh, like a little alien invasion would be enough to stop political infighting and bureaucratic nonsense.

TheWanderer wrote:

This would be the perfect game for late night feedings.

I think you are greatly overestimating both the duration of the late night feedings (I hope ) and the mental dexterity you will have after a few nights of waking. With that being said, I whole heartedly support your endeavor.

My first experience with X Com was Terror From the Deep and it's haaaaaaaaaaaard. I went to UFO defense and while it's difficult, it felt a lot better.

I'm not sure I could play them again though. I've been spoiled by faster action even in turn based games.

Gaah, reading this thread is making not playing X-Com almost unbearable. Memories of childhood laughter! And love! And the raptoresque screams of the aliens as my blonde Guile-looking soldier blasted him in the face.

But I really need to finish off some other games... Oh, holiday! You can't come soon enough! Btw, Prozac, how's the game progressing?

Geez, I go get 8 hours sleep and come back to 50 new responses!

At least I don't have to be as cautious with you lot anymore, I see a lot of names for green recruits

Another hint I just remembered: keep high ranking characters out of the fray. If someone around the colonel or commander rank (forget exactly where) gets KIA, it'll drop the morale of the surviving troops way low. Best bet is to leave him or her in the Skyranger as a morale booster until powered flying suits are available; once you have one, place your "leader" on top of the Skyranger with a blaster launcher and take out whatever's in range before sending in the grunts.

Rat Boy wrote:

...keep high ranking characters out of the fray. If someone around the colonel or commander rank...

Brown-noser.

Oh, I forgot to post this way back when I thought of it:

Aetius wrote:

1) Abuse your green soldiers by having them do everything dangerous. Experienced soldiers are worth their weight in gold, and can generally hit stuff harder and more often - don't waste them on ultra-risky maneuvers like entering a building for the first time. Once you get vehicles, use them up first, then your green soldiers.

"That's what expendable means."

MoonDragon wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

...keep high ranking characters out of the fray. If someone around the colonel or commander rank...

Brown-noser.

Hey, I'm just watching out for the team. We already know Aetius likes a little blue-on-blue action; no need to give him a real excuse to go berserk if Tamren gets zapped.

Yonder wrote:

Pssh, like a little alien invasion would be enough to stop political infighting and bureaucratic nonsense.

I always thought it was a little silly that the US government was only giving me a million dollars to combat a blood thirsty alien invasion. Then they get mad at *ME* when the planet is overwrought with purple aliens.

Don't blame me, I voted for the other guy.

Reading through the first page of posts I feel like I always do when talk of this game comes up-- utterly intimidated. Judging by Podunk's post this is probably a dumb question-- but is this game as punishing and difficult as it seems?

demonbox wrote:

Reading through the first page of posts I feel like I always do when talk of this game comes up-- utterly intimidated. Judging by Podunk's post this is probably a dumb question-- but is this game as punishing and difficult as it seems?

Punishing in a you-killed-my-father kind of way, difficult as in the methodical way. While it's not something you should lose, you could take an awful long time to win. But every battle is very satisfying, and always a dangerous endeavor. Every shot is potentially lethal.

I would like to be recruited to the Prozac Army. I promise to obey, never run in the face of danger, and to always point my gun in the enemies direction (mostly).

TheWanderer wrote:
demonbox wrote:

Reading through the first page of posts I feel like I always do when talk of this game comes up-- utterly intimidated. Judging by Podunk's post this is probably a dumb question-- but is this game as punishing and difficult as it seems?

Punishing in a you-killed-my-father kind of way, difficult as in the methodical way. While it's not something you should lose, you could take an awful long time to win. But every battle is very satisfying, and always a dangerous endeavor. Every shot is potentially lethal.

You will make a TON of mistakes your first play through. You will also probably get to a point where there are more landings than you have landing parties, and the planet will slowly be invaded. At this point you take everything you've learned and start a new game.

My advice is to re-name all your starting soldiers after movie stars and see how many you have at game end. I remember Steve McQueen made it to endgame before he had to bite the bullet (or Bullitt, as it were).

IMAGE(http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss157/apspittles/deadYonder.jpg)

Whoops, turns out the corpse is Coldstream, Yonder is sytanding BEHIND Taoist. I'm just too lazy to edit the picture. I may take the rocket launcher away from you guys. every death has involved the launcher so far... hmmm... Quintin you like the rocket launcher?

EDIT: Yonder revived Taoist, and it looks like Coldstream had an armed grenade, because he self destructed. Closed coffin funeral!

Epic fail.

I was hoping I was going to catch a incendiary rocket to the face!

Well Quintin Stone got the promotion to Sergeant to replace Coldstream. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...

Please enroll Novice Feeank to your squad as soon as possible Prozac, I'll be starting this one for the gazillionth time tonight.

Hello, I would also like to enlist as a meat-shield in your suicide newbie squadron.

I have no idea where this is going, but I've already canonized it in the Goodjer Commandments.

Latest promotions:

Commander Prozac
Colonel Tamren
Captain Quintin Stone
Captain Yonder
Sergeant Malor
Sergeant Complex Math
Sergeant Prederick
Sergeant Baron of Hell
Sergeant LocknLaod
Sergeant Aetius

Dammit Prozac, this isn't TF2! People aren't supposed to shoot the medic!