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X-COM: Enemy Unknown Game Informer Mag Details [Up8: Sid Meier Talks XCOM]
- Thread starter Xater
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I'd like that. TFTD challenge was good times. I would probably get destroyed on Superhuman since I haven't played it before, but that won't stop me from trying.
...Come to think of it I never quite got around to finishing the last few missions in the TFTD challenge. Hopefully I still have my save...
I wanted to play it since it came out (its designed by Gollop), but it's 3DS only; I don't see me buy the 3DS, at least not this year.
CecilRousso
Member
Haven´t played XCOM for years, did it really take 50-100h to beat it? If so, I do hope they streamline that part.
yeah, must be 6-8 hours like most games these days.
CecilRousso
Member
Or 20-50h.
No. If you do every single side thing in the game there might be that much to it, but the campaign is nowhere near 50 hours long.
I think it's on iOS, too.
It's lacking some of X-Com's greater charms, such as: R&D, random terrain, fog of war, hidden movement. But the enemy AI doesn't follow the same pre-combat paths over and over, which is cool.
Right now the new XCOM is my most anticipated game of 2012. If they get the the depth right and if they bring back the fog of war and hidden movement that will go a long way with me.
You shush. I've been waiting for this game for over 15 years. I want it to last.
Don't know how the new game works, but both UFO/TFTD and Apocalypse (Apocalypse is longer) spans for many months/weeks of game time; seems impossible to me to condense all of that in just 20 hours, escalation of the invasion would be too rushed, research would need to be "instantaneous", so the sense of struggling and progression would definitively be hurt.
50 may be fine for the originals, never kept track of the total time; I think Apocalypse is longer than that though.
Ah, so that's why I have a few annotated screenshots saved in my X-Com folder. I just didn't make it past the first two missions before, I don't know, losing interest? So I never got around to posting it in that thread. In any case, I'll probably start over.
Hmm, so is it better to start a new RTTP thread, or revive a 2010 thread with a very late entry?
archnemesis
Member
Feel free to bump the 2010 thread if you want to. The last post was only six months ago.
Minsc
Gold Member
For the first time through, without using the internet or FAQs to help you out? Absolutely 50 hours is a fair estimate, I would put it much higher if you're the type of person to go after every UFO too, as late game with long range scanners and multiple bases you can see ~10 battles in a single month (versus 1-3 initially) if I'm not mistaken. The battles take a lot of time (sometimes you can lose 5-10 minutes looking for the last alien... not to mention the night terror missions that are no cakewalk), so unless you're the kind of person to skip them (there are ways to win the game with minimal combat encounters, but I don't think it's normal to explore that type of play style initially), the original games are easily that length to finish (assuming you do actually finish, and don't screw yourself over and have to start again).
Tylahedras
Banned
I think this looks great.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
After a few playthroughs I got through XCOM : EU quite quickly back in the day. I suspect somewhere around 8-10 hours, although people better at the tactical side could easily shave that a lot. Once you're strong enough to win most intercepts, you don't really have to fight tactical missions unless you want too, so can concentrate on taking out larger ships or finding bases.
charlequin
Banned
Yeah, the splash screens and geoscape and stuff in X-Com were really nice, but the actual battle sequences were kind of fugly. It's not a game that was ever selling on basis of its beautiful presentation.
Father_Brain
Banned
Isn't the XCOM FPS slated to ship around the same time? Bizarre to revive a long-dormant IP that way, provided both titles are actually retail.
Oh, no. The FPS is coming out pretty soon, actually. On the same day as Mass Effect 3, if remember right. The words "sent to die" come to mind here.
Also, I've begun reading Fishman's let's play. "Ah, it's just 62 pages, I can get that done fast." Until I realized that it's just the first thread...
Minsc
Gold Member
It's been delayed between ~1-12 months from the original March 2012 release. So there could possibly be a pretty small window between the TBS and TPS XCOM releases.
MiniBossBattle
Member
Looks really promising. The base stuff looks rad but the actual battle screen looks a little too purple and colored to my liking. Curious how they will address the Fog-of-war/unexplored and unknown areas that made combat so interesting.
Ah, hadn't heard that. You know, it'd be interesting if the two games could optionally merge into one. I think there was a soccer game that did that with its corresponding soccer management game once. But I doubt they will.
Still, this X-Com XCOM game is easily stealing the thnder of the FPS XCOM game already. Yes, I use "X-Com" as a genre, because, what else would you classify it as? (On an amusing note, this could make Valkyria Chronicles into a JX-Com game. Come to think of it... That's not a bad description at all.)
JasonUresti
Member
Valkyria Chronicles turned out to be really, really close to the spiritual X-Com sequel Gallop was working on back in the late's 90's, but that game was cancelled.
frontieruk
Member
Ok this thread convinced me of something that I've been thinking for a whole now, that I missed a classic series and with that in mind I purchased the complete pack on steam. So Gaf what tips can you give me as I know I'm going to suck at this but it looks fun in the videos I've watched.
Ignore Intercepter and Enforce entirely. Start with one of the first three games (UFO Defense, TFTD or Apocalypse). Remember that these games were made back in the days when RTFM ("read the fucking manual") actually meant something.
frontieruk
Member
Ok I was going to start on UFO Defense, so I guess I'll rtfm as it's now installed
Louis Cyphre
Banned
I played the original years ago and was hooked. The game was pretty hard from what I recall. Never did play the others but this is welcomed news. The X-COM game that was supposed to come out last year didn't remind me on anything like UFO Defence. So glad these guys are making this game.
I've got my digital copy. But I don't think there's any way to directly copy and quote the text.
There's apparently a 'Heavy Armed Mobile Cover Platform that serves as a powerful rock on which to anchor any tactical advantage' and you can directly customize the heavy troops armor and weapons individually.
Though they mention there's some story based missions that are not randomly generated and involve in-game cinematics of some kindGameinformer said:
What I've read is
•randomly generated missions, terrain. Developer says you'll never play the exact same mission twice outside of a few story missions which feature in-game cinematics
•fog of war is confirmed. area starts off with darkness everywhere, and the average soldier can't see shit
•enemy spawns are randomized
•mobile platform called SHIV; customizable for new chasis
•Sectoids and Mutons confirmed
•The base's screenshot is accurate. It is now a side shot instead of top down. You can also upgrade your base, like the satellite, with alien technology
•There was an example in one scenario where Japan had the laser rifle already developed before the invasion because they felt threatened, so that seems random.
•You have 16 countries in the funding council you need to keep happy. Some provide more money, but others, like Africa, provide more raw resources
•The sniper units have a grappling hook ability to get on top of buildings
•Gunners have a suppressing fire
•you can equip your xcom guys with all kinds of different guns. customization looks like a big deal
•Apparently there's some sort of cinematic view when your guys get killed. They didn't cite VATS or anything, so I doubt it's too in depth
•Unexperienced agents can panic, freak out, etc if something bad happens
•Firaxis designer states that the PC version will have an enhanced interface. He cites Dragon Age: Origins on PC and console as a big inspiration
This is like the first half of the article
Would you be willing to do a bulleted list of some details?
It can even be really short, but I would quite appreciate it.
Pinko Marx
Banned
What do you mean by charming?
Added a couple notes from the first half of the cover story
Thank you!
Air Zombie Meat
Member
That all sounds good to me.
Neuromancer
Member
Cheers mate
Thank you very much! We all love you for this!
Thanks, that list looks awesome.
Destructible environments
In the scenario they showed, one member died. Because of this the other squadmates didn't get an experience bonus
Without the bonus, the sniper leveled up still. He was able to choose from two abilities. Either Squad Sight(which means he can shoot anything a squadmate can see) and Snap Shot(which lets him shoot after moving. Something snipers aren't normally allowed to do)
You can't recruit specific classes. You can only recruit rookies and then level them up to become specific classes
The guys in suits in the screenshots are 'Thin Man' aliens. They're able to leap long distances
Challenge is stressed a lot
same quick save/load system though they are considering an iron man type mode where you can't load previous saves
Firaxis states that they're not rebooting it, they're re imagining it. Using the same core gameplay with modern technology, weapons, audiovisuals, etc.
That's the stuff I saw that was worth noting
In the scenario they showed, one member died. Because of this the other squadmates didn't get an experience bonus
Without the bonus, the sniper leveled up still. He was able to choose from two abilities. Either Squad Sight(which means he can shoot anything a squadmate can see) and Snap Shot(which lets him shoot after moving. Something snipers aren't normally allowed to do)
You can't recruit specific classes. You can only recruit rookies and then level them up to become specific classes
The guys in suits in the screenshots are 'Thin Man' aliens. They're able to leap long distances
Challenge is stressed a lot
same quick save/load system though they are considering an iron man type mode where you can't load previous saves
Firaxis states that they're not rebooting it, they're re imagining it. Using the same core gameplay with modern technology, weapons, audiovisuals, etc.
That's the stuff I saw that was worth noting
Thanks again!
NinajHeartless
Member
More Fun To Compute
Member
I'm twitching badly at some of these. Classes? Perks? Experience bonuses for doing something as sodding irrelevant as keeping everyone alive? What sort of game do they think they are making?
I'm not familiar with DAO. Could someone elaborate a bit on what an "enhanced interface" could mean?
Mouse-based vs controller-based basically?
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