Help me enjoy X-Com

If you buy the game through Steam and install it on a PC of some kind (or under VMWare), you'll end up with a small installation of DOSBox and all the game files. You can then pull the game files somewhere else, and play them with your own version of DOSBox.

Note that if you use nonstandard DOSBox setting (for instance, I always set my virtual Sound Blasters to IRQ 5), you may have to reconfigure the DOS game to know what to look for. Most DOS games have an 'install' or 'setup' program you run that lets you specify your hardware.

Since it's so easy and cheap to get these days, you're on your own for getting the actual X-Com files, but I'd be happy to PM a version of dosbox.conf that works well with a 2.66Ghz Macbook Pro to anyone who asks.

Ah, so it looks like getting something on the order of steam is the hangup. Might have to look into crossover or something similar as I don't have access to a pc.

Yay for Mac gaming.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

I was looking at my retail box of Apocalypse and it turns out it came with the strategy guide. Holy hell, this thing is thick.

That's right! I need to go unearth that thing in my shoebox of full of game manuals!

EDIT: Found it! What I have includes a 212 page instruction manual, a rookies guide that has graphics vomited on a page so offensively I didn't bother to look at it and a promotional poster. Also, I found the technical installation instructions for TFTD along with tons of other instruction manuals, some of which belong to games that have never been returned to me and I probably wouldn't play anyways, such as Shogo and Sim City 3000.

Tamren wrote:

If any of you are jumping for the steam sale thats on now, buy UFO Defense, TFTD and Apocalypse individually. Don't get the deal pack, it will saddle your game list with Interceptor and Enforcer. Both are terrible games.

I'll be honest, I actually liked Interceptor... I got it around when it came out, and I was so hankering for another X-com fix that I got past most of it's flaws, I actually ended up completing the game. It also probably helps that I never really played many flight/space sims so I had nothing to compare it to, interceptor was a strategic game for me first, the space combat was almost incidental.

I've played it since, and it doesn't have the same legs as UFO and TFTD but I did enjoy it in it's day.

I have no experience with Enforcer however, it sounds pretty terrible.

Enforcer is a shoot'em up. Not an FPS, its Serious Sam in X-Com land. Run around, blow your way through to the end of the level, collect bits, earn exp, buy improvements, rinse, repeat. Really no relationship between X-Com and Enforcer, other than a few aliens from X-Com wandering around in Enforcer shooting at you.

That said, if you want a shoot'em up, its decent. Just don't expect any real crossover between the two games.

Jaegor wrote:

Ah, so it looks like getting something on the order of steam is the hangup. Might have to look into crossover or something similar as I don't have access to a pc.

Yay for Mac gaming.

Jaegor, there are several places where you can get X-COM these days, other than Steam. D2D service should have it as well. And that one will download a zip file with binaries inside it.

Malor wrote:

I'd be happy to PM a version of dosbox.conf that works well with a 2.66Ghz Macbook Pro to anyone who asks.

Yes, please!

MoonDragon wrote:
Jaegor wrote:

Ah, so it looks like getting something on the order of steam is the hangup. Might have to look into crossover or something similar as I don't have access to a pc.

Yay for Mac gaming.

Jaegor, there are several places where you can get X-COM these days, other than Steam. D2D service should have it as well. And that one will download a zip file with binaries inside it.

Thanks for the recommendation! I've been limited to WoW and the 360 for the last few years, I was unaware of these alternate sources.

Downloading now. . .

I was playing this last night for the first time in over a decade. I had forgotten what bastards the aliens could be. They all 5 sat inside their UFO, and just used their five chances at opportunity fire to blast anyone who opened the door. Then the bastards would just close the door again and sit there. I finally got them with a suicide bomber who primed one grenade in each hand and ran into the ship. They shot him immediately, but he blew them straight to hell anyway.

Point your entire team (and maybe a proximity grenade) at the door and just keep hitting "End Turn".

That bastard tactic works both ways.

LilCodger wrote:

Point your entire team (and maybe a proximity grenade) at the door and just keep hitting "End Turn".

That bastard tactic works both ways.

Winner. I would feel a little cheap about this tactic, except that they use it against me to such great effect. I've never been certain whether the aliens' impatience after about 20 turns is an exploit or just, you know, impatience programmed into the AI, but I choose to believe the latter.

For the none of you that don't have this yet, X-Com is now on Impulse.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

Ok, on the suggestion of others I went and tried to get FRAPS to record some stuff eventually. Well, I can't get it to work in X-COM Apocalypse, but I can in other games. I also can't get this game to run in a window. It doesn't bother me so much, but that means no videos for everyone else. Sorry guys. If I weren't buying other games for the sale, I might could be bothered to pick up the Steam version and try again.

the new version of FRAPS will record your entire desktop if you have Vista/Win7. I haven't experimented with it too much yet but the "capture Aero desktop" box might work with an XCOM window stretched to the edges of your screen. I hope that's sufficiently vague enough for you to try

Also, I hope my character died in battle because he did something stupid.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, because I'm a filthy skimmer, but to supplement the actual game I'm starting at home, I've been trying out Pocket UFO on my phone. I haven't played it enough to really judge it, but so far it seems like a great way to get some Xcom in on my lunch break. You can get it here, since the original developer's Russian website is now gone.

mrwynd wrote:
mrtomaytohead wrote:

Ok, on the suggestion of others I went and tried to get FRAPS to record some stuff eventually. Well, I can't get it to work in X-COM Apocalypse, but I can in other games. I also can't get this game to run in a window. It doesn't bother me so much, but that means no videos for everyone else. Sorry guys. If I weren't buying other games for the sale, I might could be bothered to pick up the Steam version and try again.

the new version of FRAPS will record your entire desktop if you have Vista/Win7. I haven't experimented with it too much yet but the "capture Aero desktop" box might work with an XCOM window stretched to the edges of your screen. I hope that's sufficiently vague enough for you to try

Also, I hope my character died in battle because he did something stupid.

I'm running the newest version of FRAPS and my OS is windows XP, on a 5 1/2 year old computer (AGP graphics). I will soon build a windows 7 machine, but currently, that's what I have, and I have my doubts if I'll even try to get x-com apocalypse running on win7 64.

Also, I can't get Apocalypse to run in a window in WinXP via my current method, which is quite stable as long as I don't alt-tab out.

X-Com Directors Log – 19 April 1999
We should have seen it coming.

It started with a typical detection. A small UFO was heading in to the US over the Atlantic. Then a larger blip appeared from the Gulf. Then the Canadian skies parted with two more large craft. Then another biggie from the Pacific. They were pinging all over the sky. Hell, even Moses didn’t see that much red when he parted the sea.

Interceptors scrambled. I ordered the small downed over the Atlantic. Down she went lost to the sea floor. We have bigger fish to fry. I ordered the flight groups split to the larger craft with strict standoff orders. Pursuit and report, only. They tracked the first two to their landings.

Ranger One was deployed to the first landing. Breach and recon teams worked to perfection. Liberal use of the alien’s grenades made sure of that.

Flight crews turned the Ranger around in record time. The wrenches need to be recognized for that. Second landing was bigger. Probably a warship en route to terrorize another city. Not on my watch. More intense fire fights, but zero casualties. Thank God for the new personal armor the tech boys created.

During the two recoveries, one of the Interceptors had tracked what we believe to be a supply vessel to its landing the Florida panhandle. Int-One was ordered to CAP over the landing zone until the Ranger could be turned around. Again, I’ve gotta buy those wrenches a round on me.

Then it happened. I can still hear it in my head. “Interceptor 1-1 to Command. Sir! They’re heading underground! They’re heading underground!” Murmurs quickly spread through the Command & Ops Center. I ordered our satellites into position. Well I’ll be damned if the thermal scans didn’t confirm our worst fears. Those damned aliens built a forward post right under our bloody noses.

Global RTB ordered and base lockdown status initiated. No one is getting in here. The Ranger One team was given two days R&R. No need to rush this. Following that, one full day of prep and briefings. One more day to get the operatives rested and focused.

Then we launched. Surface penetration went perfectly. Breach and recon teams swept the base with tactical precision and efficiency. The aliens were scattered through the base, but quickly dispatched. They picked their way in to the central command center. Breach teams lined up, smokes and chokes at the ready.

Then it happened.

A blast of purple light shot down the lift shaft and turned – I mean 90 f*#&ing degreest turned – and hit the squad leader square in the chest. The blast decimated the room and instantly incinerated the three operatives inside. Then a second blast right behind it streaked through the now sundered door and hit the back wall, killing the other three operatives holding position outside. Before the recon teams could even move to support their fallen comrades, a third blast came from behind. Three blasts, 9 kills, 3 seconds.

We should have seen it coming. It was all a trap. We’d been too successful, too over-confident and fell victim to our own successes.

The skies filled with UFOs were the first lure and we bit down hard. They allowed us to take their larger craft - a larger bait which we swallowed whole. They let us pick off their base’s interior sentries and fodder. Hell, even their base was a throw away by the way they nuked the crap out of it. They leveled the damn place and all of our men in one fell swoop.

They didn’t need to come to us. They knew we’d come to them. And we blindly accommodated them.

We should have seen it coming. Now I sit approving personnel requisition forms, scheduling training regiments, and writing letters home to the families of the fallen.

Yeah. I should have seen it coming.

(TL:DR damn you Blaster Bombs – DAMN YOU!)

I stumbled on these the other day and found them very entertaining. I found Kikoskia to be really funny and his gameplay light-hearted. It's not a hardcore walk-through, but rather a fun romp through the game play.

Let's Play X-Com Super Antarctic Challange

Let's Play X-Com Terror from the Deep Pacific Challenge

Those videos are great. He uses redshirt tactics but thing still come off as hilarious thanks to the great commentary.

"NOOOOOOOOOO Hugo!"

It also has a lot of funny random crap that happens. Like zombies firing laser rifles, then turning into cryssalids who.... also fire laser rifles!

TonyBone wrote:

I stumbled on these the other day and found them very entertaining. I found Kikoskia to be really funny and his gameplay light-hearted. It's not a hardcore walk-through, but rather a fun romp through the game play.

Let's Play X-Com Super Antarctic Challange

Let's Play X-Com Terror from the Deep Pacific Challenge

The fact this guy equips the flares on the belt instead of the free hand of the soldier even though it's a Terror mission at night makes me want to grab him by the throat and shake him into sense. He's still funny though.

feeank wrote:
TonyBone wrote:

I stumbled on these the other day and found them very entertaining. I found Kikoskia to be really funny and his gameplay light-hearted. It's not a hardcore walk-through, but rather a fun romp through the game play.

Let's Play X-Com Super Antarctic Challange

Let's Play X-Com Terror from the Deep Pacific Challenge

The fact this guy equips the flares on the belt instead of the free hand of the soldier even though it's a Terror mission at night makes me want to grab him by the throat and shake him into sense. He's still funny though.

Yeah I posted those videos earlier in the thread, but I think they definitely NEED to be reposted. I enjoyed the 2 LPs immensely. Kikoskia is very funny, and I actually found those videos to be very informative.
For someone like me, who will always save and reload when things go south, I got to see a side of the game that I would never have seen. And I would NEVER choose my base at those locations...

Alright, I'm a few missions into a new game. This is as far as I've ever gotten in X-Com, so I consider it to be a resounding success so far!

I'm playing on Beginner difficulty, which seems like a pretty good sweet spot for me since I totally suck. I stole Prozac's idea and named a bunch of my soldiers after Goodjers, although I was too lazy to check this thread and see who actually wanted to be included in such an endeavor.

My first mission was a cakewalk. I left four squad members in the Skyranger, just in case, and sent out a team consisting of Certis, Quintin, Tamren and Predrick. The UFO was a broken mess, and sectoid corpses littered the crash site. My Goodjers cheerfully looted the place and packed up the dead sectoids. As the team headed back to the Skyranger, a lone sectoid emerged from a farm house and was spotted by the dudes guarding the ship. Two of the reserve squad members took positions at the base of gangplank and traded some scattered fire with the sectoid while the others packed their loots back to the ship. Finally, Predrick was able to take up a position near the corner of the house and take an aimed shot, which instantly dropped the sectoid. Mission complete, Predrick promoted to sergeant!

Second mission is shaping up to be a bit rockier. My interceptor downed the UFO, but took a hit and was damaged in the process. The Skyranger was scrambled to the crash site with its crew of intrepid Goodjers, and they immediately found themselves under fire from a floater. Tamren was first to disembark, and provided covering fire while the rest of the squad took positions and returned fire. Fortunately, the floater was as pathetically bad at shooting as my Goodjers were, and Tamren finally killed it with an aimed shot. The squad followed a fence line toward the visible edge of the UFO, and soon found themselves taking fire from another floater in the cover of a nearby apple orchard. Plasma rounds blew out segments of fence and impacted on the ground, but the squad was miraculously unharmed. Certis landed a lucky shot with a barrage of automatic fire, and took the floater down. The squad began to skirt the UFO in search of an entrance, and Quintin and Certis were surprised by another floater upon rounding a corner. Both Goodjers fired and missed, and Certis was seriously wounded by the floater. That's where I had to save and quit last night.

Quintin and Certis were surprised by another floater upon rounding a corner.

We keep telling Elysium to double-flush, but he never listens.

Two missions in and you're already getting Floaters? I don't know if that's good or bad.

Podunk wrote:

The UFO was a broken mess, and sectoid corpses littered the crash site. My Goodjers cheerfully looted the place and packed up the dead sectoids. As the team headed back to the Skyranger, a lone sectoid emerged from a farm house and was spotted by the dudes guarding the ship.

Maybe my memory is off, but I remember that your mission was to clear the map of aliens, and the loot and everything would be picked up automatically.

wordsmythe wrote:

Maybe my memory is off, but I remember that your mission was to clear the map of aliens, and the loot and everything would be picked up automatically.

That is correct. The loot does get picked up automatically at the end of the mission.

$2 for the X-Com complete pack on Steam this weekend. I've resisted re-buying these games... until now.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

$2 for the X-Com complete pack on Steam this weekend. I've resisted re-buying these games... until now.

*sigh* I cannot physically stop myself from pulling my cc out of my wallet to buy these $2 games. Death by a thousand papercuts.

*looks around*

Well...looks like I have 18 pages of posts to look through so I can figure out what the hell I'm doing with this game.

I just got the $2 deal, too. Shamefully, I admit I've never played X-com. I'm starting with UFO Defense, and looking at the world map screen, with nary a clue as to what to do next.

I dug around the steam folder where x-com is located, but couldn't find a pdf manual. Anyone know where I can get one?

edit: apparently this 'google' thingy is a pretty good search tool ...

http://store.steampowered.com/manual...

I bought as well. Which game should we all start with? Not that I expect to give this old-ass games much time compared to Mass Effect 2

Start with UFO Defense; TFTD is in many ways the same game, just with the difficulty curve ramped up. Tip #1 would be place your base somewhere important, like the middle of the U.S. or Europe. Build several General Stores, an Alien Containment, then get a Laboratory and Workshop; the first helps you research new technologies (get laser rifles ASAP), the second lets you build said technologies, which you can either use or sell, which you'll need to do in order to have enough money to keep going.