is there an XCOM thread?

Getting OWNED on classic level

playing the OG from scratch today, getting pwnd repeatedly

ah, that was a good one

went to lagos for a terror mission, start the mission and there are two floaters right in front of me at the bottom of the ramp

in a split second they took out four of my dudes in front, all of whom were wearing armor

then one dude in the back row goes berserk, fires wildly three times and takes out the other three squaddies in the skyranger

>:-0

7 dudes dead and i haven't even stepped foot out of the fucking skyranger. on beginner.

The reboot is fine, but having just finished a second playthrough (Classic difficulty, this time with a self-imposed requirement for a 6 female all-psy operative team for the final battle, just for challenge/kicks), I can say that the new game offers pretty much zero replay value, once its tricks are learned. The OG has serious issues, but larger, less repetitive maps, the terror of nighttime, and alien assaults on your own base make it much more of a nail-biter.

Semi-spoiler question: Is the game's final battle after the Gollop Chamber? I've been hesitating on pulling the trigger since they give you that "no point of return" warning.

Also I am still afraid of Classic difficulty, considering how many battles I've restarted on Normal

Spoiler: yes.

Classic is no big deal once you learn 1) Never end a move out of cover (exception: snipers well outside of the fray), 2) only expand your squad's area of visibility on the first move of each turn: the trick to winning the battles is always getting the first shots off), 3) use the map borders to protect flanks and rear, 4) reload and adjust overwatch positions after firefight 5) Support troops in the lead (with sprint, they can run further back if neccessary, they can heal themselves, and the sprint+extra slot is ideal for arc zapping) 6) Heavy aim sucks, but AOE rockets still useful if opportunity arises, 7) Snipers are weakest squadies, but with squad-sight & double tap, the strongest colonels, 8) Assault with run-n-gun is a useful last move reserve to save your ass after a mistake. My usual squad is 2 support, 2 snipers, 1 heavy, 1 assault. Strategically prioritize 1) satellite coverage, 2) armor, 3) squad size, 4) weapons, 5) game progress 6) advanced interceptor in that order. Save up live & autopsy subjects for after getting the Brazil + Argentina perk "We Have Ways", which permits instantaneous research. Be wary of research & foundry projects that consume elerium and weapons fragments that seem ancillary. Grab a plasma rifle by zapping a Muton as soon as possible - the whole laser weapon research tree can be bypassed.

good tips! i agree with pretty much everything you said. i was a little annoyed when i realized you can only have one satellite per country, feel like i put too much effort into that in the mid-late game. (also i really don't want to fight mutons with regular rifles, lol)

my squad is usually 2 support, 1 sniper, 1 heavy, 1 assault, 1 rookie for promoting/fodder. (Just realized now that maybe this game doesn't work the same as the original, where you needed more rookies so other guys could get higher promotions)

thinking about going earlier into the SHIV trees next go-round just to see how good they can be, but like the original it just seems way cheaper to burn through rookies as fodder. the interceptor/ship stuff is expensive and doesn't feel worth the effort, though you have to do it to progress the game.

classic difficulty infuriates the shit out of me when my squad members cant hit a target 5 feet away but the aliens are making critical plasma pistol shots from the oppposite edge of the map

At the end of the game my snipers had 4 times the kills of my other troops. With squad-sight on the snipers, you can send a support (for distance) or assault (for immunity to 1st reaction shot) out to spot (without firing), take some shot(s) with each sniper, then pull the the spotter back to cover and out of the alien sight range. Rinse and repeat till the aliens are attrited enough to advance. If I didn't have to fight indoors I'd take a 4 sniper team...

yeah,i found Squad Sight is generally preferable to the Snap Shot/Opportunist combo

irlLOL@"At least they're not playing...COMPUTER GAMES!"

heh, just realized that voice actor played Dr. Pierre Chang on Lost

http://www.bitcreature.com/editorials/heavy-metal-xcom/

Gus Mustrapa names his squaddies after 80s Metallica, details their fates

Cliff could hear the monsters shuffling in the distance – calling to each other. He leaned out of cover and peered across the asphalt to the bloody remains of his bandmates. Kirk took a headshot and had tumbled backwards off his sniping perch. James was bleeding out nearby. How did shit get so fucked up so fast? Those missions in Canada and Mumbai were a breeze. The band felt tighter than it had in years. Kirk worked his magic from afar, picking off alien assholes with his sniper rifle while James and Lars kept watch, shooting anything that moved. It was all going so well until Sao Paulo and now… Fuck it. It’s all over.

that's one of those things I read and just wasn't sure how to react to

The Second Wave stuff that modders re-enabled is officially in as a free DLC update. Nice interview here, largely for the insight about consequence/permaloss being a resurging breakout feature in 2012:
http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/01/08/interview-xcom-jake-solomon-pc-gamer/

for consoles too?

xcom: eu is def a perfect game to just keep adding expansion units/maps/challenges/items/aliens/whatever to. firaxis/microprose so good at making games i want to keep playing indefinitely

i just traded 18 old ps3 games in for this and $32 in credit

i'm happy

This weird Steam deal for Bioshock Infinite will maybe get you XCOM for free?

http://kotaku.com/5986321/bioshock-infinites-pre+order-scheme-is-a-bold-step-in-consumer-manipulation

great now you tell me

is there a way to calm regions down that isnt randomly finding an abduction there or sending up a satellite? i'm not that far in and already everybody is freaking out

Pretty much. The decision sequence is a bit contrived but just remember every abduction successfully averted improves both that nation (by 2) and its continent (by 1), so you can keep juggling a lot of near panic nations for a while.
Picking which countries to abandon is a usual midgame dilemma, but the game can be won with only about half-standing: it just takes longer, with more losses.

i just feel like every time i save one country everyone else gets all mad

but that probably accurately simulates the desperation of a planet being invaded by aliens

if a country leaves, can you get them back?

Nope. XCOM! (jazz hands)

im scared

ios version coming this summer

!!!

that is wonderful news for iosers.

what a game.

reading "iosers" as "losers" = priceless

ya uh i realized that a minute later

Soy un iPhone4 I'm a ioser baby

So why don't you bill me?

Anyone tried the mac version?

my buddy just grabbed it

Instead of actually playing it I've just been watching those YouTube videos of Ironman Impossible mode by Beagle. Really entertaining

Revive for the iOS version, out today. Never did get it for the Mac, this may be the platform for me.

still waiting for the hungry-4-ass blow-by-blow on this new kid xcom

did you... have you say that

yes?

Mac version?!?!

The iOS version is reportedly identical in gameplay, they just down rezzed textures & models to cut the memory requirements. Kinda wish I waited for it (as touch screen seems a more natural interface than mouse).

i bet it would be great on the ipad. iphone seems way too small tho.

got the same feeling

apparently there aren't as many maps too

from ipad to iphone or from pc to ios?

pc to ios