UFO: Enemy Unknown, remake by Firaxis

[Disgustipated]

I used the foundry to build a scope upgrade, but it doesn't show up as something I can equip on my Sniper guy. Am I missing something or is it automatic (passive)?

Also any advice on interceptors would be helpful. Mine seem to take damage every time. I actually shot down a large UFO though. All I had was the Aim thingy and phoenix cannon. Wasn't sure how to use them, but managed to take it down with just a sliver of life left. How should I outfit my interceptors?

And stealth satellites? Do I really need these? I thought they couldn't attack your bases.

 

[PhilBowles]

I used the foundry to build a scope upgrade, but it doesn't show up as something I can equip on my Sniper guy. Am I missing something or is it automatic (passive)?

It's automatic.

Also any advice on interceptors would be helpful. Mine seem to take damage every time. I actually shot down a large UFO though. All I had was the Aim thingy and phoenix cannon. Wasn't sure how to use them, but managed to take it down with just a sliver of life left. How should I outfit my interceptors?

With better weapons. Though they always will take damage - that's why you need multiples. Mostly I just send them in one at a time, retreat them when heavily damaged, and send in the next one to finish the job. The only thing that doesn't work against is the Overseer, which for story reasons requires a Firestorm to kill it; if you send a second interceptor after it it will accelerate and disappear before you get there.

And stealth satellites? Do I really need these? I thought they couldn't attack your bases.

A Very Large spaceship can hit and automatically destroy a satellite if you don't intercept it, but it's only happened to me once. I didn't bother with Stealth Satellites.

 

[Disgustipated]

Thanks for the responses. I'm ready to assault the alien base. It seems the story is moving along quickly (too quickly for my tastes, but that's okay). I feel like I'm near the end already. Or am I? Should I assault the base or wait?


Overall the game is damn fun. Just as fun as the original. I only have a few problems with the game. One is enemies dropping from the sky. Reminds me of Dragon Age 2- which is a bad thing for me. And not being able to name save games. I blame consoles for this. It's like we are going back to 1980's computing. Ridiculous. It's easier to keep track of when I name my own save games. Right now my saves are a jumbled mess. Oh well. Yes I could play iron man. And I would, but sometimes my guys don't go where I want them too. For some reason they drop down a level when I want them to stay on the same level. I haven't figured out why that is happening.

 

[PhilBowles]

Thanks for the responses. I'm ready to assault the alien base. It seems the story is moving along quickly (too quickly for my tastes, but that's okay). I feel like I'm near the end already. Or am I? Should I assault the base or wait?

The alien base is only the first major story mission - there are three or four more missions/requirements you need to complete. Though I do think the game is too short for its tech tree, this appears to be explained by the original intent for a longer "Second Wave" version of the campaign. If I'm right and the six missions suggested by the new achievements are tied to this, the campaign length might be doubled if that ever becomes operational.

Attacking the alien base is essential to progress the story, so you can do it whenever you feel like. It's a good idea to do so if you're having trouble with panic, since beating that mission will reduce global panic (after that, I never had any trouble with panic again).

Overall the game is damn fun. Just as fun as the original. I only have a few problems with the game. One is enemies dropping from the sky. Reminds me of Dragon Age 2- which is a bad thing for me.

Only happens with VIP missions, which are in my view something of a weak point in the game generally the way they're handled.

And not being able to name save games.

This frustrated me too. But not as much as the lack of a UFOpaedia.

I blame consoles for this. It's like we are going back to 1980's computing. Ridiculous. It's easier to keep track of when I name my own save games. Right now my saves are a jumbled mess. Oh well. Yes I could play iron man. And I would, but sometimes my guys don't go where I want them too. For some reason they drop down a level when I want them to stay on the same level. I haven't figured out why that is happening.

You need to use the mouse wheel to control elevation, otherwise if the computer has a choice of two elevations to move to it will take the lower one rather than the one the soldier is on. This is a very irritating pathfinding issue.

 

[Disgustipated]

What is that sonic thing the aliens use? I thought it was psionic powers, but I don't think so. I've seen it for a while. My characters go: "quiet- what is that noise". But the beams don't seem to do anything to my guys.

 

[Kozmos]

It's not a weapon, it is an indication that your squaddies can hear aliens shuffling about in a general direction but cant see them yet. Listen to the audio cues.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

First game - damn, i suck.
Making money is hard.

 

[Disgustipated]

crap, I shot down the overseer UFO, but I didn't send my skryanger in because all my best men (including my 2 colonel medics) were wounded. Damn cheating game gave me 2 missions right in a row before my hyperwave thingy was complete. BS. Is my game screwed or will I get another chance? I was thinking the crash site would stay there for a while (for 2 days), so I could at least get 2 people back in my squad. And with guys in psi training, I didn't even have enough to fill out a skyranger.

And also, how does the grappling hook work?

 

[sirtommygunn]

crap, I shot down the overseer UFO, but I didn't send my skryanger in because all my best men (including my 2 colonel medics) were wounded. Damn cheating game gave me 2 missions right in a row before my hyperwave thingy was complete. BS. Is my game screwed or will I get another chance? I was thinking the crash site would stay there for a while (for 2 days), so I could at least get 2 people back in my squad. And with guys in psi training, I didn't even have enough to fill out a skyranger.

And also, how does the grappling hook work?

It will keep appearing over random continents until you bring the skyranger in.

You have a grappling hook skill that when used allows you to use your first move to get to the edge of any higher elevation that is in sight range and isn't blocked.

 

[Disgustipated]

Is there a point in the game where they just keep sending you mission after mission with no breaks in between? I'm on my 4th mission right in a row, and using mostly 2nd stringers right now due to injuries.

I'm near the end I think, but I'm holding off researching the alien device I got from my first etheral ship so I can clean up other research. I'm also hoping to get enough money to get my guys decked out in plasma guns and the best armor and get my last couple satellites up (for complete coverage of the world). But all these missions in a row without break is causing me concern. I may have to just go ahead and research that priority research goal.

 

[Disgustipated]

Also I'm on an asset recovery mission (haven't done one of these before), but I don't know what I'm supposed to recover.

edit: Nevermind, it turns out it's just to kill a bunch of aliens. I missed one group of mutons way at the end of the road.

 

[PhilBowles]

Is there a point in the game where they just keep sending you mission after mission with no breaks in between? I'm on my 4th mission right in a row, and using mostly 2nd stringers right now due to injuries.

When you have full satellite coverage you get lots more UFO missions. You can ignore crashed UFOs without repercussions though.

 

[Disgustipated]

hmm, I may ignore crashed ones then. But then again, I need the money.

So what's the best armor you guys running? I have researched everything now. I'm still undecided what the best it. Titan offers the biggest health bonus, while archangel is still 8 I believe with flying capability. I like the health bonus, because it seems my guys can take some hits, and still not be injured at the end of the mission which is nice.

I got enough money to be able to afford the alloy cannon X 2 (since I'm running 2 assault guys), 2 plasma rifles (for my 2 support guys), 1 plasma sniper rifle and 1 heavy plasma. Does that sound about right? I'm guessing there is nothing better than those weapons then? Although I'm debating substituting a sniper in for one of the assault guys. Their limited range doesn't really go with my play style.

I'm pretty much decked out in everything now except I still need a few more armors maybe. I'm very close to full coverage, and I'm just ready for end game. Which reminds me...

Is the only way to end game to max out your psi abilities? I don't like psi combat, and never used it in the first game (although from some let's plays I seen, it is extremely powerful in the first game, and I could play a higher difficulty level I think if I used it). I just don't like that style of combat, and I always forget to use my psi abilities.

 

[BigChiefLizzy]

Yeah I screwed up spending my money on a research lab first and other stupid crap. I didn't read the manual, so I didn't know you needed a satellite link to build satellites. I think only having 2 satellites is what's hurting me bad right now. I really don't want to restart though. I'm not playing classic, so I think I can recover from this.

First things I built were two research labs, then a workshop, loads of scientists; in the original seemed to help. And since you dont pay them any wages now, it seemed a bargain

Like you I've only (until recently) had 2 sats going, lost Russia and nearly Japan and all of south and north America. Nearly broke most of the time, but now got some more sats up.

Only the other screw-ups to cover, buying two more Interceptors straight away, seeing that I can move them to any continent I choose (no use without a satellite I think)

 

[Lib.Spi't]

getting up a psi guy is easy, you just use the first psi ability, which is really effective (high percentage hit)(against low intelligence beings) mine was lucky enough to be an assault guy, so I could use his ability whenever he was not in range with his main gun, I would definately recommend a second sniper, they are just deadly with the top tier skill, you also have to equip your psi guy with a psi armour to be able to start the end game. I found the archangel and titan armour to be a bit disappointing, (not sure if I used flight right) I had a lot of fun with the ghost armour though, finding baddies without them running for cover then blasting them to itty bitty pieces with my snipers. I am ALMOST tempted to try the game again and develop a 3rd sniper as a pistol whipping scout.

 

[coanda]

Well it took me about 20 tries, but I've finally got the hang of doing the first mission on Insane difficulty (Iron Man ofc, because who plays insane but not iron man...). Two of my last four tries ended with me having 3 uninjured promoted soldiers coming out. Of the other two... one went absolutely to pieces and just lost after an unlucky shot and chain panic and I gave up on when I got down to 1 rookie left and 4 sectoids remaining; one ended with a KIA, two injured and promoted, and one uninjured and promoted. There's a healthy dose of luck involved, but tactics and paranoid cowardice can prevent a lot of the more common dangers.

 

[Lib.Spi't]

yeah I found grenades and explosives a must on the classic version at the beginning to guarantee a kill and reduce the enemy numbers

 

[coanda]

In the Classic game I recently finished, I used the occasional grenade early on... but generally I had things under control enough that I could safely kill with conventional weapons for extra corpses and weapon fragments. Grenades were only the option for panic situations.

My experience with the first mission in Impossible is that things start out as panic situations and go downhill from there. I was using 3-4 grenades on each try, and almost always wishing I still had a grenade on someone later in the mission.

 

[Disgustipated]

Speaking of pistols, does anyone use them? I have yet to use one (I never used them on the first game either). I don't even know how to switch what weapon I use... It would be useful maybe when I"m out of ammo and there's an enemy in front of me?

I'm near the end if I ever remember to use my psi abilities. I don't like being forced to use psi abilities to win the game. Another thing I don't like is only having 2 (1 to start) rockets. It's these kinds of limitations that piss me off from Firaxis. Same with 1UPT in Civ5. They think these kinds of limitations make the game more tactical, and maybe it does, but it also pisses me off. Give us more options so we can have more fun dammit. I think the graphics for rockets kind of suck too. They were so much cooler in the original. Nothing beats 1 guy (I usually had 2 heavies) carrying a rocket launcher with 3 large rockets to spare in his backpack. I could level nearly the entire map. Now that's what I call fun.

 

[VoidTrooper2014]

It's really like playing different games:

Normal - is a walk in the park, you pretty much have the leisure to try everything and still beat the game.
Classic (playing this currently on PS3) - is a real test of tactics, you are going to be force to "walk the thin line" of risk and reward.
Classic Ironman (playing this currently for my AAR) - Oh my. This is Classic, but much more intense. Every decision gets pondered, because a wrong move - or a series of them could be your last.
Impossible (Ironman) - Yeah, some people like to be hurt...

The higher the stakes, the more likely you are to use explosives. They have the huge advantage of having fixed damage, so you can make sure that specific alien is snuffed. Only a dead alien cannot shoot back. In addition they eliminate cover and are AoE. So you use explosives either as prep, or as a finishing move on the higher difficulties.

Of course there are stories where rockets go haywire and suddenly you find your own troopers hurt and without cover...

About Stealth Satellites: Not needed on Normal, but on CI the scenario of having too many wounded / not having enough air coverage becomes a real threat (Answer: Research and build Firestorms as early as you can fit it in).