UFO: Enemy Unknown, remake by Firaxis

Inventory management is the one gripe I have with the RPG genre as a whole. In pen and paper format I tend not to give a crap. In games with weight like Skyrim it's horrendous. I hate it. The better forms are super simplified versions of inventory management like in Diablo, but even that can get a little annoying.

In a game like UFO it might not be too bad since you don't constantly find stuff on the ground that you need to make room for, and if the game remembers your settings properly, which was a problem with the original. It's very much part of the UFO experience.

OK... So, I had to take my car up to get some work done on it, and while walking back, I decided to stop by a local GameStop along the way. Sure enough, I saw the copy of Game Informer with XCOM on the cover. First, off, I was a little miffed by this (though not too surprised) as I am a subscriber and, correct me if I am wrong, but aren't subscribers supposed to receive the magazine before it hits the newstands. Not that it mattered since, when I tried to buy it, the guy behind the counter (who did a decent job at faining interest in the game, though obviously had never played the original though he tried to play it off like he did) told me he couldn't sell me the issue without selling a subscription. Yes, I know I have a copy coming, but I am tired of waiting for this article. To make matters worse, the guy kept gloating about getting his issue already.

Anyway, so, while I was there, I flipped through the magazine to get a glance at the article. I am happy to say that it is several pages long and looks to have a heep more information than what has been shown for those that have not already received their copy. I didn't read the article, as I would prefer to do that on the comfort of my own porcelain throne, but I glanced at some more of the screen shots and was very happy to see three key words...

Pro tip: Don't shop at Gamestop.

I'm very optimistic about this. Civ and Xcom are my favorite games of all time, so nothing bad can come out of this.

I've gone back to the original Xcom recently, played it enough to admit one thing: I would trade all of its interface problems for a console friendly control scheme any time of the day.

Between Xenonauts and this game, it's going to be a great year for alien blasting in turn based combat.

Maniacal said:

Pro tip: Don't shop at Gamestop.

Click to expand...

...unless you're buying used console games.

aelf said:

In real war, you don't give orders to AI-controlled units.

That is all.

Click to expand...

In real war, you don't give orders to AI-controlled units....YET.
*****


http://www.gameinformer.com/p/xcom.aspx

And apparently Firaxis wants us to follow them on Twitter and Facebook as a newsfeed for the game's development.

One disappointing thing is that they have removed the time units, and replaced them with a walk action and a shooting action or something. However there is a mysterious "classic" mode...

And does anyone have the scanned pages of that magazine? You know for us who don't have access to American game magazines.

Lillefix said:

And does anyone have the scanned pages of that magazine? You know for us who don't have access to American game magazines.

Click to expand...

Do I have to say something like "copyright violation"?
That question is sure rhetorical.


-------------
Yeah, combat system is something to worry about. Might be good, might be bad. Purely depends on the implementation.

It isn't a copyright violation if you post a summary

I have finally read the article and I am now very happy with what I have read so far. What details were given seem to be very faithful to the original. I won't go into detail here (though I didn't sign any NDAs when I subscribed, I will refrain out of courtesy) I will say that the article runs through an in game scenario which sounded close to the feel of the original game (with some enhancements for interface and such). There were a few tidbits about some of the alien races (which you can see at GI's website ).

Side note with the above link, it looks like they have another feature with Sid Meier's thoughts on X-COM.

Hopefully, we won't have to wait long before the details in the magazine become public knowledge. I look forward to discussing this game. I can't remember how long after the GI Civ 5 article came out that other sites began reporting the info divulged, but I imagine that it won't be long. I am guessing by February. At the latest, I am guessing by GDC (which I would not be surprised if this game is there... after all, the original was a hallmark in Game Design and it would make sense that it would be discussed with the new version in the works).

I see this forum isn't quite as deserted by the mods as I had hoped when I made my last statement
We managed to smuggle in some forbidden Civ4 screens I remember. Anyway. Forget about that then.

The published screens do look promising though. And I hope they focus on the roleplaying part of the soldiers. I know you can specialise in different areas and that sounds exciting. (Go watch Angry Joe if you don't have the issue)

I have to say, I love the globe view... the city lights are a nice touch on the "Dark Side" of Earth! Though not in any of these screenshots, the ones that show the gas pumps make me look forward to firing a rocket launcher at them!

Of course, the cars could also provide the same affect. In any case, I also like the idea of "classing" the soldiers making the management of weaponizing them much simpler than the original. This game is shaping up to be awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on it. You think Firaxis would mind if I crash their studio?!?

I'm not sure I like the 'Scan for UFO's' button on the globe screen. What does this mean? I don't find any UFO's if I don't press it? Why aren't we constantly scanning for UFO's where we've built listening stations?

I saw something mentioned about satelites. I suppose that part of it might be that you launch satelites (which may give you a wide range to scan. I would imagine that their might be radars for short range, but I don't know. I will wait to learn more before making a judgement.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun X-COM rant

This is old (before most of the pictures and info were divulged), but still an interesting read.

In case you missed it, there is a new video on Game Informer's XCOM: Enemy Unknown hub page:

Dissecting a Classic: How to Modernize X-COM

One of the most interesting things, and something mentioned in the article, is that they have moved away from a Time-Unit system to a "Move/Action" system. Apparrently, they did try to implement the TU system but they tried improving it. They came up with a system where the soldiers have a number of move/actions. In other words, they can move, then perform an action or move again if they choose. It sounds a little like 4E D&D (which, the combat in that is basically Tactical Turn-Based Strategy as well). I have to admit, I am intrigued and am looking forward more and more to playing this game.

I may have to figure out a way to crash Firaxis Studios and convice them to let me play!

So, am I the only one still interested in this game? Between the magazine and the steady release on GI's website, there is a lot of info flowing that is increasing my excitement 10 fold each time. I figured this thread would be 50 pages long by now. Well, if no body else is going to talk about it, I will... After yesterday's update, GI just released another:

Advanced Tactics: Exploring XCOM's Combat Part 1

The perks system sounds very interesting. I think might like the grappling feature! I look forward to part two of the walkthrough. For that matter, I look forward to this game, period.

Side note to the CivFanatics admins... when will there be an XCOM sub-forum? There are so many things to talk about with this game (not too mention the original). Don't forget a section for us to place our stories!

Side-side note - I have been playing the original for the past couple of days. The nostalgia is near intoxicating, though playing it adds even more anxiety for this games release (dealing with the soldier management... ugh!).

I'm interested, I just don't have anything to say, especially since I never go around to playing the original games yet. And no we don't need a subforum for X-Com, almost no one uses the current game specific subforums and they need to be merged anyway.

I have the older XCOM games on Steam. I tried to play the first game, but I found the battles too hard. Whenever I began to move the troops out of the ship, it always seems like I run out of moves just as I spot an alien, and then on their turn they kill my troops. I think I only ever manage to complete a couple of missions. I kept playing the game until I got the game over screen, where the aliens conquer the Earth.

Maniacal said:

I'm interested, I just don't have anything to say, especially since I never go around to playing the original games yet. And no we don't need a subforum for X-Com, almost no one uses the current game specific subforums and they need to be merged anyway.

Click to expand...

I would have to disagree... sure, they may not be as popular or frequented as the main (Civilization) forums, but they provide a place for people to talk about specific games other than CIV without the threads getting lost in a huge list of topics. As far as X-COM, there is plenty to talk about, including each of the articles and videos that GI has published on their X-COM hub page, speculation on elements that have been shared, but not fully divulged, speculation on achievements/trophies that can be earned, as well as stories to share and discuss about the original games.

Chukchi Husky said:

I have the older XCOM games on Steam. I tried to play the first game, but I found the battles too hard. Whenever I began to move the troops out of the ship, it always seems like I run out of moves just as I spot an alien, and then on their turn they kill my troops. I think I only ever manage to complete a couple of missions. I kept playing the game until I got the game over screen, where the aliens conquer the Earth.

Click to expand...

Been there, done that! The thing is, you have to manage your movement. I don't move everybody out at once. Having a tank helps too. At the very least, if there are aliens waiting outside of your Skyranger hatch, the tank (which is always in front) will usually take the blunt of any reaction shots from the aliens. It can also help clearing out those "campers" while you bring out your troops. I then move out the first few soldiers and move the last few closer to the entrance. A key part is reserving TUs. Also, as you bring them out, you want to spread them out as much as possible. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a group of enemys clumped together awaiting a well placed grenade, which is quite less then satisfying if you are the receiving party.

I move my troops out in stages, trying to get them to the closest cover as possible. Depending on where your Skyranger landed, that can be easy or really difficult... but with time, practice and (if you are that type of player) a few reloads, it soon becomes second nature. As any X-COM veteran will tell you, that is part of the fun of the game.

Thorburne said:

I would have to disagree... sure, they may not be as popular or frequented as the main (Civilization) forums, but they provide a place for people to talk about specific games other than CIV without the threads getting lost in a huge list of topics. As far as X-COM, there is plenty to talk about, including each of the articles and videos that GI has published on their X-COM hub page, speculation on elements that have been shared, but not fully divulged, speculation on achievements/trophies that can be earned, as well as stories to share and discuss about the original games.

Click to expand...

And all of that can easily fit into a thread or two in AoG. There have been plenty of topics and discussions and AArs on various Paradox titles, yet there has been no need for their own subforum. The other games subforums have even less activity than AoG (which is already not very busy) and it won't be any different for X-Com.