XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Strategy Game - Developed by Firaxis

I think that in order to make XCOM an XCOM for the modern gamer, it needs to incorporate the spirit of the old game, not the specifics.

At its heart, XCOM is a series of minigames wrapped around a tactical/horror main game in order to create a sense of place and event.

The tactical game must be completely nailed down, firstly. The game heavily relies on this main element to create story and tension, so it must absolutely be as close to perfect as possible - varied, interesting environments; good core tactical and strategic (those are not the same!) game design; and good character design are central elements important to success.

The minigames that supplement that can be forgivable, as long as they are acceptable. For my part, I think that the base defense game could suffer to be different than the core tactical game, for a change of pace; and also to give a modern feel to the base design minigame. I would actually like for this part to be a tower-defense minigame. You can't change the layout on the instant, of course, but I imagine that you can place your soldiers differently based on how many are wounded or recovering. The resource model can't be the same as normal tower defense games, of course, as it doesn't make sense that you get more money instantly when aliens are killed - and of course, it's just a small minigame.

The other important mini is the interception game, of course. I once harbored dreams of this being a full-on flight simulator, but of course that would hurt the game pacing something fierce. Classic solutions would be to place an oncoming shooter game here (ala spacehip sections in Kingdom Hearts), or a straight up 2D shooter. It wouldn't be hard to put a basic, arcadey, and short 3D flight combat game in here, I'm thinking. Or go the set-it-and-watch-it approach similar to the old game.

All that aside, turn based Xcom! From Firaxis! Woot!

LarryC wrote:

The other important mini is the interception game, of course. I once harbored dreams of this being a full-on flight simulator, but of course that would hurt the game pacing something fierce. Classic solutions would be to place an oncoming shooter game here (ala spacehip sections in Kingdom Hearts), or a straight up 2D shooter. It wouldn't be hard to put a basic, arcadey, and short 3D flight combat game in here, I'm thinking. Or go the set-it-and-watch-it approach similar to the old game.

That's a good point. They could improve the interception game with all the ideas, concepts and technology that have come out since then. I was thinking something like Steambirds. But instead of 2D top down turn-based strategy with WW2 planes, make it a X-Com squadron consisting of fighters and bombers against the main UFO and some small fighter-like escorts depending on the size of the UFO.

Can even add another resource element to it were you get to choose how many planes and which of their pilots you want to send out on each interception based on what little information you have on that contact from the Hyperwave.

This news has inspired me to do another playthrough of XCom.

Tkyl wrote:

Game Informer is posting new material throughout the month on their XCOM hub page. Here's a link to their post for today.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...

Loved that video with the lead designer. He certainly gets what Xcom is all about. I think they're gonna do this one right.

Good stuff!

On a side note, the video player on gameinformer must use some crap encoding. It maxes my CPU when I run the video.

Amazing video, my god, that game is sooooooo amazing!!! You know what I always wished they had done and kinda hope they do now is, you get the....the...dammit, word slipped my mind...the persuadatron purple thingy so you can mind control them, well yeah, you use it, you would mind control one of them, but once you killed every alien, you couldn't keep him!! I would walk him to my skyranger, and try to leave, but I couldn't. I had to kill him...made me sad.

That's it. I'm firing it up right now...join me against the evil Sectoids and Mutons!!!

EDIT: Psi-Amp!!! Dammit!

BNice wrote:

destructible tactical environments

THIS is the only thing that matter. I've been wanting a game that does what Silent Storm did best for years. Please tell me that there is material penetration to hit opponent behind cover and I will kiss you.

I've been expecting an X-Com remake using the Silent Storm engine ever since that game came out. Surprised it never happened. That was a great engine.

The guys driving it lost their minds about halfway through the game (and its sequel), but the technology was superb.

Barab wrote:
Tkyl wrote:

Game Informer is posting new material throughout the month on their XCOM hub page. Here's a link to their post for today.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...

Loved that video with the lead designer. He certainly gets what Xcom is all about. I think they're gonna do this one right.

What a great video, I'm somehow even more excited than I was before!

I'm cautiously optimistic, I guess. On the one hand, the lead designer is clearly passionate about "getting it right". Also, Firaxis is one of the few (probably the only) companies that has a chance to successfully do a re-make with modern sensibilities while keeping the elements that make X-Com special. On the other hand, so many attempts have foundered on the shoals of trying to re-make X-Com. Even the guys who did the original had trouble re-capturing the magic of the original. Terror from the Deep was okay but not as good as the first one.

X-Com is one of my top three games of all time - I still play it. I hope these guys can pull it off.

I can't seem to find the pre-order button.

Malor wrote:

I wonder if they'll go for the same level of punishing difficulty? You could expect to lose troopers, even very senior ones you were very attached to, on almost every mission. Would that kind of savage punishment fly with modern gamers?

I hope so. If you dropped your guard you could pay the price and breaching a UFO was a serious ordeal. That's part of what made X-Com great. I'd say things like Super Meat Boy and Dark Souls are signs that gamers are willing to be punished if the game is good enough. X-Com has the advantage in the nostalgia column and it did have several difficulty levels so you always had the option of dialing it down. If difficulty selection actually worked

Anyway, I'm very excited. Since it's a firaxis game, I hope that it will support modding like the Civ games have.

tboon wrote:

Even the guys who did the original had trouble re-capturing the magic of the original. Terror from the Deep was okay but not as good as the first one.

Development on TFTD was started before X-Com sales took off, and the Gollops had very little to do with it. I wrote an article about it several years back.

Game Informer posted another new page. A couple screen shots are included.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...

Are you allowed to explain what is going on with the UI Tkyl? Like what icons represent etc.

It's looking good. Can't wait to see footage. The last screenshot reminds of Valkyria Chronicles which was also sort of a turn based strategy game so I wonder if it plays similar.

BNice wrote:

Are you allowed to explain what is going on with the UI Tkyl? Like what icons represent etc.

It's looking good. Can't wait to see footage. The last screenshot reminds of Valkyria Chronicles which was also sort of a turn based strategy game so I wonder if it plays similar.

I wish I could, but no. We aren't allowed to say anything about the game other than posting links to posted articles.

I certainly hope the PC interface is going to be a little bit more.. substantial.

Tkyl wrote:

Game Informer posted another new page. A couple screen shots are included.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...

Ugh, terrible interview questions. Maybe they should have picked someone with a clue to write them?

Quintin_Stone wrote:
Tkyl wrote:

Game Informer posted another new page. A couple screen shots are included.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...

Ugh, terrible interview questions. Maybe they should have picked someone with a clue to write them?

Those aren't interview questions, but rather a basic FAQ written by the Game Informer based off of their visit to the studio.

Robear wrote:
You infected Firaxis with the site's love for blowing up walls, killing aliens and naming crew members after family members?

"Look, a resident alien in the gas station! Ready the rocket launcher!" :-)

Dude! So not cool!

Tkyl wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:
Tkyl wrote:

Game Informer posted another new page. A couple screen shots are included.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...

Ugh, terrible interview questions. Maybe they should have picked someone with a clue to write them?

Those aren't interview questions, but rather a basic FAQ written by the Game Informer based off of their visit to the studio.

Ohh, I see now. Sorry for my confusion.

LarryC wrote:

The minigames that supplement that can be forgivable, as long as they are acceptable. For my part, I think that the base defense game could suffer to be different than the core tactical game, for a change of pace; and also to give a modern feel to the base design minigame. I would actually like for this part to be a tower-defense minigame. You can't change the layout on the instant, of course, but I imagine that you can place your soldiers differently based on how many are wounded or recovering. The resource model can't be the same as normal tower defense games, of course, as it doesn't make sense that you get more money instantly when aliens are killed - and of course, it's just a small minigame.

Liked this. A lot.

I think the Alien attacking your base could be a great opportunity to introduce "Modes" into the game.
I wouldn't recommend as radical a change as LarryC does (from turn-base to tower defense), but try to involve "some" aspect of the story.

Your base are will belong to us
- A captured alien is an important military office and Aliens are trying to rescue him, or kill him (if you got info from this alien officer). Stop Aliens from reaching X within your facilities.

- Aliens have learned humans have labs where they are reverse engineering their technology. Stop aliens before they explode labs and all research is lost. % of damage = % of research lost.

- Aliens are angry. Stop Aliens from destroying base.

- Switch and Bait; aliens pretended to come for one of the above reasons, but only attacked to capture one of your soldiers: location of all bases compromised, aliens gain better armor vs reverse-engineered weapon technology.

In the same way; a retaliation from humans;
- Alien base found; destroy, investigate, detect political influence in the region, abduct aliens (ironic, I know) to gain intelligence. # of live aliens captured increases... something, % of base left not destroyed helps scientist increase research on specific topics, rescuing abducted humans inside alien base increases political standing with region, failed mission lowers standing, etc.

Other wacky ideas!
- Interceptor Intercepted, aka IT'S A TRAP: You shoot down a small alien ship only to be shot down yourself by a larger vessel. You aim to survive the attack; you can't capture aliens or destroy their ship, etc. It's kill their entire force or survive for a number of rounds (while re-enforcement arrive). Number of turns is in function of distance between crash site and nearest base.

- Governments that have low appreciation for team, will have key missions to boost appreciation or kill funding; Aliens invade a major city. Unlike other missions, try to show recognizable settings; Statue of Liberty, wall of China, Vatican's St. Peter's plaza, Vega's Eiffel tower. Heck! Even that big replica in Paris!

Bah, you kids and your newfangled modern games; I just want a "classic" mode--no minigames, no extras, just the base game. If there's new stuff, let me enable/disable it as I choose.

You all can keep your wacky PvZ-COM ideas to yourselves. I liked defending my bases just the way it was. Same mechanics as terror sites and intercept missions.

Firaxis, more mission types and locations is fine, but make sure that what you give me is a true modern XCOM.

Itsatrap wrote:

Bah, you kids and your newfangled modern games; I just want a "classic" mode--no minigames, no extras, just the base game. If there's new stuff, let me enable/disable it as I choose.

You mean alien-eating plants will not get any funding in your bases? Ha! I feel sorry for your unprotected base, sir!

A 2012 interface + a decent tutorial = 1 sale

Spoiler:

to me

If it has the ragdoll physics featured in UFO:Aftershock without the malware, that would be cool too.

LarryC wrote:

For my part, I think that the base defense game could suffer to be different than the core tactical game, for a change of pace.

Between the base management, craft interception, and core tactical scenarios, I don't think the classic X-Com design is exactly wanting for a change of pace. (If anything, it's probably a bit too broad already, from a "required vocabulary" standpoint.)

On top of that, the tactical implementations of base invasions were not only a crucial re-contextualization of the core conflict -- the aliens can come after you too! -- but they also served as a really effective test for the player's tactical skills. The stakes are much higher in a base invasion, but the aliens typically don't seek out the X-Com base until a couple of months have passed and, by that point, the player is already very familiar with the game's tactical mechanics.

It's as close as the game's structure comes to a mid-boss encounter and, considering the amount of mastery that is available through the tactical gameplay, it stands as an important moment of tension in what can otherwise be a fairly linear slope to Cydonia.

The screenshots for the new XCOM are interesting. The vertical base building throws me for a loop, so I'm curious how that will play out for base invasions. Maybe its just one perspective they are showing. Hopefully there are still horizontal floors.

I like the tactical screen for all I can see in the one screenshot. The art style reminds me a bit of Silent Storm which I enjoyed.

I know the modern craze is minimal hud.. which I guess is ok, but sometimes it doesnt hurt to have a few buttons on screen too.

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Did anyone here try UFO: Extraterrestrials. (The Gold version is on STEAM). It was supposedly very true to the original XCOM, if not too true. I never did try it cause I gave up on re-imaginings and clones from other developers.

OMG, sh*t pants... just saw this tread

Irongut wrote:

I know the modern craze is minimal hud.. which I guess is ok, but sometimes it doesnt hurt to have a few buttons on screen too.

Yeah—to be honest, that HUD is so minimal it makes me worry a little.

A good HUD needs to give you the information you need without having to hunt around. There's so little information there that it makes me wonder if either the game is going to be simplified more than I would like or if the UI isn't telling me enough. How healthy is the selected unit? What's his morale like? How much ammunition does he have? How much movement/action/what-have-you does he have left? Is he reserving any (or does he need to?) for reactions?

How many total units do I have? How many have I given orders to? How many have action/movement/etc. left? How many are off-screen?

The division between shown-at-unit and shown at-lower-left troubles me, too. I'm okay with quick summary information being available attached to units—but all of the relevant vital stats for the currently selected unit should *also* be displayed in the "main area" to help you plan. (Assuming the six boxes represent health, for example, that should also be shown in the bottom right.)

Anyway, still time for this to improve. I'm a little less excited now that I've seen this screenshot. Still excited, yes, but more of a "Hrm. This could be good. Don't mess up." vibe than the "OMG, AWESOME! MUST HAVE NOW!" vibe I had originally.