UFO: Enemy Unknown, remake by Firaxis

[GoodSarmatian]

"Difficulty ramps up regardless of how advanced you've gotten."

Damn, he really does suck at video games. Nothing could be further from the truth in this game. Once you get Ghost Armor and Plasma Weapons, you are untouchable. At least there wasn't any significant whingeing about the RNG.

I don't think that's what he meant. Aliens start throwing more advanced enemies at you regardless of how far your research is. The game becomes easier as long as everything goes more or less according to plan, but lose your highest promoted troopers in a mission, let UFOs get away -and halt your research because you lack resources- or lose a country to poor panic management and you'll have a much harder time.
If you're again down to an all rookie squad, you'll still face Mutons and Cyberdiscs instead of Sectoids and Thin Men, and better gear can't fully compensate for the lack of a double tap (or even just squad sight) sniper or a heavy with HEAT ammo.
It sometimes only takes one botched mission to turn a cakewalk into a nightmare.

 

[sherbz]

I don't think that's what he meant. Aliens start throwing more advanced enemies at you regardless of how far your research is. The game becomes easier as long as everything goes more or less according to plan, but lose your highest promoted troopers in a mission, let UFOs get away -and halt your research because you lack resources- or lose a country to poor panic management and you'll have a much harder time.
If you're again down to an all rookie squad, you'll still face Mutons and Cyberdiscs instead of Sectoids and Thin Men, and better gear can't fully compensate for the lack of a double tap (or even just squad sight) sniper or a heavy with HEAT ammo.
It sometimes only takes one botched mission to turn a cakewalk into a nightmare.

Now this I totally agree with. Consider my classic ironman game (the details of which I will sketch before I tell you how it went so drastically wrong):

Alien base: completed
Fully equipped Laser weapons
Carapace and Skeleton armour
Full Satellite coverage (over what was left, anyway)
Researched Firestorms (but not built), about to embark upon plasma weapons and heavy armour
6 troops at major or colonel level (1 lieutenant)
About 3/4 other mid range troops
The rest squaddies/corporals

Now, it all seems easy from here on in. I was at that time facing nothing more dangerous than mutons and cyberdisks. Trouble was, I had a very bad terror mission (whole squad of my best troops wiped), which as a consequence meant I didn’t have enough troops to take on a large and landed UFO (I only had 4 troop slots), then the following UFO came right afterwards, and with my more senior troops in psi training, I had to take squaddies, which all got wiped out. The end result was that I didn’t have the materials to manufacture plasma weapons (which probably would have saved me). Because of this, my squaddies couldn’t cope with berserkers and muton elites, and eventually were overwhelmed, I lost too many members on the council after failing a terror mission, and then I lost. Point is that when you make a mistake in this game its pace is relentless. You might be able to cling on, or get lucky. But skate too much on thin ice and eventually it will punish you. I had the opportunity to rescue my terror disaster in the UFO landing, but because I did not have enough back ups in the barracks, I lost out on the materials necessary. Then I lost again, and by this time I think the writing was on the wall. The beauty of this game is that it’s a constant process of mitigating risks (especially on ironman).

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I don't think that's what he meant. Aliens start throwing more advanced enemies at you regardless of how far your research is. The game becomes easier as long as everything goes more or less according to plan, but lose your highest promoted troopers in a mission, let UFOs get away -and halt your research because you lack resources- or lose a country to poor panic management and you'll have a much harder time.

Most of those are under the control of the player. As for bad luck in a mission, that's why you should only bet on certainty and always have multiple contingencies. If you have to fall back, then fall back and regroup. Don't take any unnecessary risks.

 

[DaviddesJ]

I think some of the people who insist everything is easy are those who are willing to reload when things go wrong or they make a mistake.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Well, by all means, do tell everyone in the XCOM /vg/ general that they aren't playing Ironman. I await the (assuredly amusing) results.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Well, by all means, do tell everyone in the XCOM /vg/ general that they aren't playing Ironman. I await the (assuredly amusing) results.

WTH does this mean?

 

[scratchthepitch]

Well, by all means, do tell everyone in the XCOM /vg/ general that they aren't playing Ironman. I await the (assuredly amusing) results.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Does that mean you know what he's talking about? Can you explain what he means?

 

[sirtommygunn]

Does that mean you know what he's talking about? Can you explain what he means?

Going to a place to tell hardcore fans that they're all cheating in a way that isn't possible in a place where there are no rules against calling you mean names.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Going to a place to tell hardcore fans that they're all cheating in a way that isn't possible in a place where there are no rules against calling you mean names.

No one said that any fans are all cheating.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Does anyone here play multiplayer ?
Single player mode doesn't really need to be balanced, but I can see how probability based combat can be frustrating and unfair at times. I won my first match thanks to my sniper hitting twice with below 50% odds.
My opponent must be cursing the Random Number God right now.

 

[sirtommygunn]

No one said that any fans are all cheating.

I think some of the people who insist everything is easy are those who are willing to reload when things go wrong or they make a mistake.

When playing ironman mode, the game autosaves over old save files so it is impossible to savescum. In spite of this, the people at /vg/ claim that the game is easy even on ironman. Your claim that people who think the game is easy are just savescumming is obviously incorrect due to ironman mode, and the idea of you going to /vg/ and telling them they are savescumming is considered funny.

 

[Arakhor]

Well, "the people" who said that clearly aren't for whom the game was designed, or maybe they should play on Impossible Ironman instead.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Your claim that people who think the game is easy are just savescumming

I didn't claim that. I don't know what to say, except read my post again.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

I hope someone at Firaxis freaks out after a paper cut and shoots the guy who implemented the willpower/morale thing (he doesn't have to shoot him dead, just a flesh wound).

Moderator Action: calls for violence - even if not entirely earnest - are not appropriate for this forum, please refrain from such statements. - ori
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

Durign my first foray into classic a Thin Man landed a lucky shot and killed one of my rookies. Immediately my first assault freaked out and killed my only support, at which point my second Assault shot my first assault dead.

And while I'm at it: Before that mission I had two assaults, one support, four snipers and four heavies.
Why would I need four snipers and four heavies ?

 

[RD-BH]

I think some of the people who insist everything is easy are those who are willing to reload when things go wrong or they make a mistake.

... Your claim that people who think the game is easy are just savescumming ...

I didn't claim that. I don't know what to say, except read my post again.

Okay, rereading.
Your claim ...
... posted by DaviddesJ ... check
people ...
... "some of the people" ... check
think the game is easy ...
... "insist everything is easy" ... check
are just savescumming ...
... "are those who are willing to reload when things go wrong or they make a mistake" ... check

Okay, I reread your post ...
... and you DID say it.

So ...
... what did you think you said?
... what did you intend to say?
... what do you wish you'd said?

 

[DaviddesJ]

I said some of the people who think the game is easy are reloading when things go wrong.

Not all such people. Others might have just studied the game a lot. Or play at a low difficulty. There are many reasons someone might find the game easy.

How is that not obvious?

Most of the people who keep playing the game and posting about it aren't the ones who find it too easy, anyway.

 

[ImperialGuard]

I hope someone at Firaxis freaks out after a paper cut and shoots the guy who implemented the willpower/morale thing (he doesn't have to shoot him dead, just a flesh wound).
Durign my first foray into classic a Thin Man landed a lucky shot and killed one of my rookies. Immediately my first assault freaked out and killed my only support, at which point my second Assault shot my first assault dead.

I agree 100% on this. Not sure I agree with the rationale of when they panic they need to shoot their teammates. Run away if you're scared, hunker down (freeze with fear), but why kill your squad mates (is this to simulate "fear induced friendly fire" ?)

At least "dial it back a bit", may 1 in 100 chance of shooting a teammate. I've seen the cascading panic attacks you describe way too many times

Caused a few rage quits for me when I loose my best guys through no fault of my own.

 

[coanda]

I agree 100% on this. Not sure I agree with the rationale of when they panic they need to shoot their teammates. Run away if you're scared, hunker down (freeze with fear), but why kill your squad mates (is this to simulate "fear induced friendly fire" ?)

At least "dial it back a bit", may 1 in 100 chance of shooting a teammate. I've seen the cascading panic attacks you describe way too many times

Caused a few rage quits for me when I loose my best guys through no fault of my own.

Yes, friendly-fire panic is a broken mechanic in this game. I don't know what they were thinking. Maybe let them shoot at friendly units who move while they are panicking (sort of an overwatch-lite). Or make friendly fire extremely rare, or give it a huge accuracy penalty so it tends not to hit. Or just disable it entirely.

Oh yes - and @GoodSarmatian. I wish I got a game with 4 snipers and 4 heavies out of my first 11 squaddies. Heavies are the god-kings of early game; their rockets are ridiculously good early in the game. They aren't as far ahead of the pack later in the game, but they're still quite strong then (Holo-Targeting + Suppression + Danger Zone + Mayhem makes a superb crowd control unit; alternatively, Bullet Swarm + Shredder Rocket + HEAT Ammo + Danger Zone + Rocketeer makes a unit that will tear apart mechanical units and cover that aliens are trying to hide behind). Snipers dominate the late game, with Squad Sight, Opportunism, Double Tap / In The Zone, and plasma sniper rifles. Assaults and supports are nice, and definitely have valuable abilities and skills that can be put to good use, but I vastly prefer Heavies and Snipers.

 

[EddyGamerLP]

2nd patch announced to be released soon...



Nice fixes, but hopefully more will be in the final patch notes. Especially the wonky and sometimes broken PC interface: hotkeys not working, involuntary map scrolling, and the almost impossible struggle to navigate the movement interface when there's more than just the ground level, or the patience required to aim a rocket or grenade due to the awful interface, etc., etc. Also, soldier health on non-easy difficulties is incorrect, and the flanking mechanic and the soldier "line-of-sight" are impossible to predict. ...and no mention of the aliens teleporting all over the map.

Current verdict: Underwhelming.

Fixing bugs is probably first priority, but the game definitely could use some polish on the interface, for example an "unequip all soldiers" button. Unfortunately, Firaxis and 2K have been very quiet since release, so I got no idea where the game is heading

Did they give any time frame for the patch ? I'm afraid that because it is also a console game and console patches have to go through some long validation processes it might delay the patch on PC too