X-COM Preorders

[Arctic Blast]

Some early thoughts :

-Once your troops rank up past that initial promotion, you get a choice of what tactical ability they add to their repertoire. So you can customize a fair bit. You could field 5 Assault troops and have 5 completely different skill sets on the field. You can also switch up their weapons load outs.

-Research works pretty well. Choose from among many projects, with restrictions laid down on some by whether or not you have pre-requisite materials.

-Production is almost 2 separate parts. On the one hand, you have making Medikits, armour upgrades and other small stuff. This is built immediately and added to your load out options. On the other hand, you have bigger builds. A good chunk of that is base building. In some cases, areas have to be cleared to enable something to be put there. Only then can you actually put a facility there. Also, it gets more and more expensive the deeper you go. The other big type of production is :

-Satellites. you need to build these and launch them in to orbit to both expand your scanning ability and also calm regions of the planet and help keep them funding you. But you can't launch more until you build more Sat Uplink facilities in your base. And that means you aren't expanding other capabilities. And everything requires power, so you keep having to use precious real estate on power production, too.

-Interceptors can be purchased for any region, and are added to pre-existing hangar facilities in those regions. Of course, if you don't have satellites somewhere, it probably isn't worth the purchase and maintenance costs to have 3 fighters sitting there. Interceptions are the one piece of the game that's weak as Hell...you really don't do much of anything. But it isn't like this was a highly developed, feature rich part of the original, so whatever. It does look like you can still research and produce improvements to interceptors.

-You can also spend money at Officer Training School. This is where you expand your unit capabilities, including expansion of your squad from 4 troops up to 5 and then 6. It costs money to unlock squad abilities, and also requires at least one soldier to have achieved a certain rank.

-And yes, you can customize your soldiers to assemble a squad consisting of whoever you want (and they don't end up looking like Team Aryan Pride when they take the field this time, either). In my little test run tonight I had a group of myself and friends, and quickly remembered how hilariously funny it can be when one team member panics and it's your buddy and now you can rag on him a bit for being a pansy.

Only then, he panics a bit more and starts shooting randomly and shoots the guy named after me in the face. Bastard.

Oh, and aliens use Overwatch. A lot. So pay attention to that. Otherwise, you might send someone to go nail one with an Arc Thrower to take it alive, and then watch that guy eat about 17 plasma bolts as he steps out of cover. The bastards also move and flank and drop back to better cover. So don't just sit there like a punk because they sure as Hell won't. This was on Normal difficulty, by the way.

More details tomorrow after I likely spent insane amounts of time playing this.  ;D

[JudgeDredd]

oooohhhhhhhhhhhh  :)

Thanks for that Arctic!

[Arctic Blast]

oooohhhhhhhhhhhh  :)

Thanks for that Arctic!

No problem.

One more thing that I should mention : the game seems a lot less twitchy than the demo was at times. I haven't had to double click anything or experienced any issues with something not registering the first time. And that did happen to me a bit during the demo.

Also, once you clear the first 2 tutorial missions (and yes, you CAN skip those), the whole base view/options totally opens up. You can look at anything and check out options any time. It doesn't stay as 'locked down' as it is while the tutorials are going on.

[jomni]

Looks deep enough for me. Sadly, X-Com purists say this is not X-Com enough.

[JudgeDredd]

Sometimes it's wise not to listen to purists...meh.

For me, I don't recall ever playing the original though a mate of mine raved about it...so I can come to this with a clean mind. Someone said it on this thread I believe - it's best not to compare remakes to the original...take it as it's own game. I know that can be hard if you have played and loved the original and I've found it difficult to do so in the past.

I'm glad I never played the original - that means my thoughts won't be clouded. Besides - I more often than not find trying to "relive" my youth (whatever the activity) often ends in disappointment!

[Jarhead0331]

Looks deep enough for me. Sadly, X-Com purists say this is not X-Com enough.

If you have not read the RPS review linked a couple pages back, I strongly recommend you do.  A large segment of the review is devoted to the dichotomy of trying to pay homage to the original title, while still trying to create something new.

[jomni]

Looks deep enough for me. Sadly, X-Com purists say this is not X-Com enough.

If you have not read the RPS review linked a couple pages back, I strongly recommend you do.  A large segment of the review is devoted to the dichotomy of trying to pay homage to the original title, while still trying to create something new.

Yeah I know.  What's the point of playing something that is a clone of an old game when you can just get the old game and experience it in all its glory?
Anyway I just bought the game and will see for myself.  I like the way the tactical part is done based on the previews.

[tgb]

I like it.  I'm playing normal/iron man difficulty and decided to go through the tutorial to how far it extends beyond the demo.  Pretty far as it turns out. I'm four missions in, and my squad of John, George, Paul & Ringo is doing pretty well.  I'm at the point where there is no hand-holding during a mission, but base improvements are still scripted. Next mission is to bring something back alive, and I think that's where the tutorial ends.

[undercovergeek]

Some early thoughts :

-Once your troops rank up past that initial promotion, you get a choice of what tactical ability they add to their repertoire. So you can customize a fair bit. You could field 5 Assault troops and have 5 completely different skill sets on the field. You can also switch up their weapons load outs.

-Research works pretty well. Choose from among many projects, with restrictions laid down on some by whether or not you have pre-requisite materials.

-Production is almost 2 separate parts. On the one hand, you have making Medikits, armour upgrades and other small stuff. This is built immediately and added to your load out options. On the other hand, you have bigger builds. A good chunk of that is base building. In some cases, areas have to be cleared to enable something to be put there. Only then can you actually put a facility there. Also, it gets more and more expensive the deeper you go. The other big type of production is :

-Satellites. you need to build these and launch them in to orbit to both expand your scanning ability and also calm regions of the planet and help keep them funding you. But you can't launch more until you build more Sat Uplink facilities in your base. And that means you aren't expanding other capabilities. And everything requires power, so you keep having to use precious real estate on power production, too.

-Interceptors can be purchased for any region, and are added to pre-existing hangar facilities in those regions. Of course, if you don't have satellites somewhere, it probably isn't worth the purchase and maintenance costs to have 3 fighters sitting there. Interceptions are the one piece of the game that's weak as Hell...you really don't do much of anything. But it isn't like this was a highly developed, feature rich part of the original, so whatever. It does look like you can still research and produce improvements to interceptors.

-You can also spend money at Officer Training School. This is where you expand your unit capabilities, including expansion of your squad from 4 troops up to 5 and then 6. It costs money to unlock squad abilities, and also requires at least one soldier to have achieved a certain rank.

-And yes, you can customize your soldiers to assemble a squad consisting of whoever you want (and they don't end up looking like Team Aryan Pride when they take the field this time, either). In my little test run tonight I had a group of myself and friends, and quickly remembered how hilariously funny it can be when one team member panics and it's your buddy and now you can rag on him a bit for being a pansy.

Only then, he panics a bit more and starts shooting randomly and shoots the guy named after me in the face. Bastard.

Oh, and aliens use Overwatch. A lot. So pay attention to that. Otherwise, you might send someone to go nail one with an Arc Thrower to take it alive, and then watch that guy eat about 17 plasma bolts as he steps out of cover. The bastards also move and flank and drop back to better cover. So don't just sit there like a punk because they sure as Hell won't. This was on Normal difficulty, by the way.

More details tomorrow after I likely spent insane amounts of time playing this.  ;D

SOLD!!!!!!

[CptHowdy]

loving it so far! got a sniper up to Captain. he is kicking ass. really need to upgrade weapons and armor just short on cash. so ive been doing easy missions when they pop up. caused china to drop from the council though.

[Kushan]

When a country drops from the council can you get them to rejoin?

[LongBlade]

Crap. So tempting. I'm between this and Dishonored right now.

The old X-Com I loved, but played all the way through the campaign and lost. Never picked it up again, though I did by the underwater sequel. Which wasn't as good. :(

[CptHowdy]

When a country drops from the council can you get them to rejoin?

not sure but i doubt it. when i lost em i got a pop-up that said doomsday counter or something like that. so i think if you lose enough countries you will just lose the game. my guess and im probably wrong!

[Capn Darwin]

Give in to the dark side and go XCOM LB!  I have two games going right now. One using the mouse and the other using a Xbox controller. Normal difficulty. About 2.5 months of fighting and only one lost soldier. All hail bounding overwatch.

[Arctic Blast]

And because I feel the need to post n both XCom threads : pretty funny video found called 'Emergency XCom Meeting'.

http://www.dorkly.com/video/44907/emergency-xcom-meeting