X:COM Enemy Unknown

Has anyone else picked this gem up?

I haven't played the older ones, but ended up picking this up based on a friend's recommendation. So far it's been an interesting experience, seems to be relatively easy to pick up the basics, and but difficult to master. Definitely taught me not to get attached to my squad members, as any one of them can meet their permanent demise around every turn, and really forces you to go against the grain of building up an elite squad of 5-6 members.

Unfortunately, the more I keep playing my current game, the more it looks like I will have to restart because the consequences of my earlier choices are really starting to rear their ugly heads (lack of funds and rampant panic) ... But at least I can skip the tutorial this time around.

Anyone else?

I was excited for it, but having played many hundreds of hours of the original (and TFTD) I just can't bring myself to pay $50 for this modern version. Everything I've read says it is vastly dumbed down compared to the original.

The stuff that I specifically don't like includes no base building, no inventory system, no destructible walls and terrain, tiny squad sizes, and several others which aren't coming to mind right now.

I understand they are just making what sells, and that's fine, it's just not going to sell to me until it's $5 or so.

ratbuddy said:

The stuff that I specifically don't like includes no base building, no inventory system, no destructible walls and terrain, tiny squad sizes, and several others which aren't coming to mind right now.

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Not quite sure what you mean by some of the above.

While I have not played the originals and thus cannot comment on the way it was done then, but there is quasi base building. While you are limited to a single base, you design and build it up, in a downward direction lol, by adding labs, foundry, workshops, power plants etc. As for inventory, again not sure how it was done in the OG, but each individual member of the squad has their own inventory: body armor, weapon, sidearm, and equipment slots. Terrain, other than the ground and some big rocks, all seems to be destructible. My heavy guy with a rocket launcher was able to blow away a side of a building in which two xenos were hiding in, cars catch fire and explode, and just about anything else you can use for cover, can be destroyed. Lastly, the size of the squad, starting with 4 and upgrading up to 6, is an average size for a squad element/fire team (this is from my military experience);however, that I suppose is relative to one's own expectations.

As for the "dumbed down", I have nothing to compare it to, but from what I've been reading, it has been simplified a bit. However, after putting in about 8-10 hours on Classic Ironman (only 1 save) difficulty is pretty dang challenging and unforgiving. Still quite enjoyable.

I haven't played it, so I can only go by what I've heard. Some of my information may be wrong.

In the original games, you constructed bases around the world based on where you could best cover your supporting nations. It was a tradeoff between available cash and resources vs placement to keep the richest/most densely positioned sponsors happy.

Squad size was limited to how many you could pack into the landing craft. I can't remember if the biggest one held 16 or 22 or something, but it was a lot. Enough to have a half dozen new recruits in crummy armor to act as expendable scouts. If they survived and got stronger, great, if they died, well, that's war.

Inventory was a pretty big part of the game. You loaded gear into the landing craft, and from there, assigned it to various squad members. You placed items in backpack, belt, leg slots, hands, etc. You could drop or throw equipment and pick it up with another crew member. The guy with the medpack die, but you need to heal another person? No problem, send someone over to his corpse to pick it up. Out of ammo? Drop or throw a clip to the person who needs it. I've heard the new one doesn't even include ammunition, it's just unlimited.

Everything could be destroyed, if you had the right firepower. Walls, floors, ceilings, terrain, everything. The maps were randomly generated so you weren't repeating the same exact missions over and over.

I'm sure the new one is fun when taken on its own, but for diehard fans of the original two games, it's a sad step backwards. Like I said, I'll still buy it when the prices comes down to $5 or so.

XCOM HD, now that I'd pay $50 for. Remake the original with higher quality isometric graphics in the old style, fix a few glitches, maybe add a few more tech options, and I'm sold.

Now I kinda want to go and dig up the original.

sHape oF gReY said:

Now I kinda want to go and dig up the original.

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I think I paid $5 or so for all the classic XCOM games on steam. Never played any but the first two, I heard the others weren't as good.

I've been wanting to pick this up. I freaking loved the original and tftd. Now I'm kinda wondering if it may be better for me as well to wait til the price comes down some if they changed that much from the original.

Just had to restart the game for the 2nd time (Ironman >.<). Last mission (terror) ended up losing most of my veterans, later couldn't muster enough $$$ to maintain satellite coverage over all of the member nations so they pulled out. Live and learn.....

I've got about 20 hours in the game so far and must say that I have really enjoyed it.

I have countless hours in the original, beating it multiple times on every difficulty...and still play it to this day.
I certainly agree that the "remake" is simplified...but nevertheless I have found it very entertaining.

Codeman05 said:

I have countless hours in the original, beating it multiple times on every difficulty

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I assume you used xcomutil to fix the difficulty bug? If not, it resets to beginner mode after your first combat

ratbuddy said:

I assume you used xcomutil to fix the difficulty bug? If not, it resets to beginner mode after your first combat

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Of course

I just finished the game last night and it is absolutely my game of the year so far and the best Fireaxis title since Alpha Centauri. While I liked the original, I don't think that a straight 3D remake would have been better. However since the devs are talking about providing active mod support I am sure that some retro features will be inbound, and if that isn't good enough for you there is always Xenonauts.

Started on classic so I'm just learning some of the ins and out, once I got that down then its off to ironman impossible

Versus the original (my opinion):

Battle: I thought I wouldn't like it because different classes are forced to use different guns and item use is very limited. But it turns out I love the battle in this new version. Much funner than the first. Negative is that every unit that can mind control you will try.

Air battles: Original was better. This one requires the use of one time items that cost limited resources.

Base management: Wash. Different aspects in the games but nothing major.

Geospace: Older one is better. Older one seemed more random and a lot more going on all over the world.

Economy: Old one is much better. I am a builder, and this game is severly recources limited. You can't even research without large amounts of limited resources. I have tons of upgrades I choose not to do because there aren't enough resources to go around.

Panic: Old game made more sense. Do good and everyone is happy. This game literally makes it impossible to please everyone. Only option is to speed through the game as fast as possible before countries surrender or spend the first three months racing to get satellites up (and nothing else) and thereby essentially break the game's panic system.

Sounds like the original is better by this break down, but this game's battle is so much better and you spend a lot of time in battle. I wish I could combine the two!

I lost Russia before hitting the first base, now I don't know if I want to continue or start over on classic impossible. So far, I've learned

1. Develop Officer Training School when you get a chance and expand your squad
2. Build Sat
3. Take mission that give you money over scientist or engineer early on
4. Develop laser weapon fast

I finished the game on normal two days ago. Ending is not so great !

Im a big fan of the older one, the first one to be precise. terror from the deep was good too but i dont liked apocalipse, he friend of me liked it alot ... so its all about your gaming taste !

As for this new one, its way less "deeper" than the good old Xcom. There are lots of little thing that are just not present and lotsa of little option in combat that you no longer have, like simply relying on "time unit" to move/fire and not only "2 action" per turn. The base management is also way less deeper and your base can no longer be attacked.

Im not telling i dont like it, i enjoyed the game on normal and i just started on classic mode, its much harder now

There are also a TONS of bug in combat...... The game never really crashed on me but 2 or 3 times i had my control to stop from working on keyboard, had to click the action then the keyboard came back ... keyboard was still responding for windows as alt-tab worked but the game wasnt. this happened to me a few times on 2 different gaming rig. rest of bug are not that bad but there is huge place for improvent.

You guys make me wanna pick this and the originals up...No pc atm, so it'll have to wait.
If some mods start surfacing I think the money will be well spent on it.

ivanlabrie said:

You guys make me wanna pick this and the originals up...No pc atm, so it'll have to wait.
If some mods start surfacing I think the money will be well spent on it.

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Hmm? You have one in your signature..

haha good one...dead mobo :/
Waiting for my MVG.
Any guesses?