XCOM 2

[SupremacyKing2]

I got back into XCOM2:War of the Chosen after several months away. You should definitely assault the stronghold of the Chosen who has the highest progress bar first and fairly soon (magnetic weapons and plated armor). If you eliminate all the Chosen as soon as possible, before they are able to do the Avenger mission, the rest of the campaign is a breeze. The Chosen can be very powerful and a serious threat if they are able to level up to the max. But early on, the Chosen are more of a nuisance than a real threat.

 

[sherbz]

I've given up now with xcom2. And there's going to be no wotc long war version. Now it's a case of waiting for Xcom 3 for me. Which, if previous development cycles are anything to go by, will be some time this October/November?

I might revisit it if there's a decent overhaul that takes my fancy. I never completed wotc on legend. But I can't really be bothered to try. Classic Ironman is where I shall stick.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

I've given up now with xcom2. And there's going to be no wotc long war version. Now it's a case of waiting for Xcom 3 for me. Which, if previous development cycles are anything to go by, will be some time this October/November?

Why are you giving up on XCOM2? Have you played it to death and it does not challenge you anymore?

I like the new mechanics in War of the Chosen. But I have played the game so much now that I am definitely ready for something new. I am looking forward to XCOM3 if it arrives. I do feel like War of the Chosen went a bit too far into fantasy territory with too much psionics and zombies. I love the combat mechanics but I don't care much for warlocks and zombies. I know XCOM is about aliens but I hope XCOM3 is more grounded with more "realistic" aliens.

Honestly, I would love a total conversion mod that keeps the same game mechanics but makes the game about counter terrorism instead of fighting aliens. A game with the same gameplay mechanics as XCOM but where your squad drops into North Korea and has to disarm a nuke or drops into Afghanistan and has to rescue a VIP from an Al Queda camp, that would be amazing!! When I play a mission, I often think about how if you removed the aliens, you could totally make the missions about counter terrorism with very few changes. A lot of the types of missions (sabotage the array, rescue a VIP, protect an array, hack a computer, etc) could easily be real world Special Ops missions with a few tweaks.

 

[sherbz]

Why are you giving up on XCOM2? Have you played it to death and it does not challenge you anymore?

I like the new mechanics in War of the Chosen. But I have played the game so much now that I am definitely ready for something new. I am looking forward to XCOM3 if it arrives. I do feel like War of the Chosen went a bit too far into fantasy territory with too much psionics and zombies. I love the combat mechanics but I don't care much for warlocks and zombies. I know XCOM is about aliens but I hope XCOM3 is more grounded with more "realistic" aliens.

Honestly, I would love a total conversion mod that keeps the same game mechanics but makes the game about counter terrorism instead of fighting aliens. A game with the same gameplay mechanics as XCOM but where your squad drops into North Korea and has to disarm a nuke or drops into Afghanistan and has to rescue a VIP from an Al Queda camp, that would be amazing!! When I play a mission, I often think about how if you removed the aliens, you could totally make the missions about counter terrorism with very few changes. A lot of the types of missions (sabotage the array, rescue a VIP, protect an array, hack a computer, etc) could easily be real world Special Ops missions with a few tweaks.

Mainly because I have played it to death along with a couple of long war stints. Whilst I enjoyed wotc, I thought the end game was a drag. And long war was only fun for a while before it became more like work rather than play. A total conversion which sits somewhere in between the two would be good.

Re your other point. Doesn't rainbow six offer you something like you are describing? I can't honestly comment as I have not played. But it sounds similar.

Even if XCOM3 doesn't come out this year (and it might), Phoenix point is due to release in December. And considering that is being made by Julian Gollop - who made the original Xcom back in the 99s, that ought to be worth a look. I'm hoping for something somewhere between Xcom and xenonauts. Xenenauts 2 might be released as well, but from what I have seen, very little seems to have changed from the base game. Which IMO lacks a degree of polish.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Mainly because I have played it to death along with a couple of long war stints. Whilst I enjoyed wotc, I thought the end game was a drag. And long war was only fun for a while before it became more like work rather than play. A total conversion which sits somewhere in between the two would be good.

Yeah, I do find the end game to be a drag too because once I have eliminated all 3 Chosen, there is nothing stopping me from winning the game. And my squad of leveled up Colonels with plasma weapons and the Chosen's super guns, is unstoppable, but the game still makes me grind through guerilla ops missions.

Re your other point. Doesn't rainbow six offer you something like you are describing? I can't honestly comment as I have not played. But it sounds similar.

Rainbow Six is a 1st person shooter. Definitely not what I am looking for. I am interested in turn based games.

 

[sherbz]

Yeah - end game could do with some attention. I think the difficulty curve is a bit off whack. And it isn't solved by just making larger aliens with more hitpoints that are more difficult to hit. That's lazy. I think there should be some late challenge via the metagame.

And my bad on rainbow 6. I could have sworn I'd seen a video where a list of commands we're issued third person and then a turn acted out. I must have got confused with something else.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Yeah - end game could do with some attention. I think the difficulty curve is a bit off whack. And it isn't solved by just making larger aliens with more hitpoints that are more difficult to hit. That's lazy. I think there should be some late challenge via the metagame.

Yeah, the difficulty curve in the game is out of whack. In the vanilla game, the early phase is a bit hard because your soldiers are weak and if you get unlucky, you can easily lose a soldier or two which will set you back. But the mid game becomes easier as your soldiers get more powerful. Then the late game becomes super easy once your soldiers are the most powerful. Basically, the game starts you at a disadvantage but if you are able to survive and level up, you eventually overcome the disadvantage. It is actually a good representation for what the game is about: a resistance fighting against all odds to liberate the planet. The difficulty should be high in the beginning but taper off if you do things right. In War of the Chosen, the difficulty curve shifts. The early phase actually becomes easier thanks to the free Resistance soldier, especially the Reaper. The mid game can be a bit more difficult when more powerful aliens show up and the Chosen are constantly annoying you. But once you get rid of all 3 Chosen, the game becomes super easy because your soldiers are so powerful. In many ways, War of the Chosen makes the game a lot easier. In War of the Chosen, the difficult goes easy-moderately difficult-easy-super easy.

I totally agree about not just giving the aliens more hit points. It helps make the midgame a bit harder if your soldiers are not quite leveled up as much as they should be. But giving aliens more hitpoints in the late game, does nothing to make the game harder because by then, your soldiers are just too strong. I blame some of the late game abilities like banish (for the Reaper), chain shot and rupture (for the Grenadier), serial (for the sniper), reaper (for the ranger) that allow your soldiers to dish out insane amounts of damage, especially if you couple them with good weapons and other abilities. If used right, some of these abilities feel like cheats because of how strong they are. So even with more hitpoints, it is not enough because your soldiers can still one shot kill them with ease if used properly. I have had late missions where my squad was seriously outnumbered and the aliens were beefy and yet I still wiped the floor with the alien pod in a single turn.

So yes, the best thing for the end game would be adding a new interesting mission to do. But I seriously think the game should end sooner to avoid the tediousness of the late game. My suggestion would be that after you kill all 3 Chosen, and maybe some other requirement, that there would be a cutscene where the Elders decide to take matters into their own hands and you immediately jump to a final boss mission where you have to stop the Elders from wiping out humanity. This way, the game would cut things short when you are very strong, preventing the end game from getting tedious and give you one final challenge to determine if you win or lose.

 

[steveg700]

I've given up now with xcom2. And there's going to be no wotc long war version. Now it's a case of waiting for Xcom 3 for me.

By Xcom 3 I assume you mean Phoenix Point.

WotC added more bad than good IMO. The Chosen themselves were never a big threat in my game. If they showed up during missions, they'd more often than not just flit about a far side of the map. The fact that they drop these ridiculously powerful weapons goes a long towards neutering the value of weapons research. Just keep passing the Chosen weapons amongst your soldiers. The loot drops are a really terrible idea, and eventually I had to stop using them. And the one that you never want to feel like you're doing in an XCOM game is fighting with one hand tied behind your back. They look goofy too, so just toss them in the heap with the ridiculous ruler armors.

I couldn't help but feel like the developers are out-of-touch with the game they're working on. The whole point of the aliens in XCOM is that they are--wait for it--alien. They don't talk like us, they don't think like us, they don't feel like us. So, adding a bunch of blue guys that are constantly yapping at the player is in direct opposition to the game's theme. And it's hard not to notice that they dug into fantasy tropes for the WotC--the witch, the warlock, the hunter, all look and behave like they're knocking off a BioWare fantasy RPG.

The mechanism for getting tired had potential, but the way it seems to work is quite stupid (not that it's really well-explained). Basically, once the heroes spot any aliens on a mission, they start losing Will for no other reason. It's just another type of mission timer to try to strong-arm players into rushing their way through missions. Again, the developers don't seem to appreciate the game they are designing for.

I did think it was a great idea to separate the advanced warfare center into two rooms. The idea of awarding ability points for good tactics and the way you spend is a lot better than just unlocking one random non-class skill. Soldier bonding is an excellent idea. They also gave SPARKS some much-needed buffs. Probably more good stuff that I'm not thinking of right now, but if I had to choose between LW2 and WotC, the former wins.

But I don't have to choose, because I'll have Phoenix Point soon enough

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Just keep passing the Chosen weapons amongst your soldiers.

Yeah, I feel like weapons should be locked with a particular soldier. It feels like a "cheat" that you can just pass the uber chosen weapon from soldier to soldier. It totally negates what is supposed to be a downside when you have to cycle out tired or wounded soldiers. If weapons, especially the Chosen weapons, were locked to a particular soldier, then it would be more meaningful when say my sniper with the dark lance is wounded, and can't go on the next mission.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Even if XCOM3 doesn't come out this year (and it might), Phoenix point is due to release in December. And considering that is being made by Julian Gollop - who made the original Xcom back in the 99s, that ought to be worth a look. I'm hoping for something somewhere between Xcom and xenonauts. Xenenauts 2 might be released as well, but from what I have seen, very little seems to have changed from the base game. Which IMO lacks a degree of polish.

Here is a good video with about 30 minutes of Phoenix Point tactical combat gameplay:

Looks good. Phoenix Point reminds of me of XCOM: Enemy Unkonown with better graphics and some more sophisticated combat rules.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Hints at another expansion for XCOM2?
https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/2018-06-03-xcom-2-could-be-getting-another-dlc-expansion

I would not say no to another expansion but I kinda wonder what they could add that would justify another full expansion. XCOM2: War of the Chosen seems pretty packed already. Other than adding new mission types and maybe some new weapons, I can't really think of any big new feature that the game is lacking.

Maybe it won't be a full expansion but rather a smaller DLC that just adds some new mission types and maybe an extra soldier type or something.

 

[sherbz]

Hints at another expansion for XCOM2?
https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/2018-06-03-xcom-2-could-be-getting-another-dlc-expansion

I would not say no to another expansion but I kinda wonder what they could add that would justify another full expansion. XCOM2: War of the Chosen seems pretty packed already. Other than adding new mission types and maybe some new weapons, I can't really think of any big new feature that the game is lacking.

Maybe it won't be a full expansion but rather a smaller DLC that just adds some new mission types and maybe an extra soldier type or something.

Hmmmm. I agree. Im not sure what they could add to the game thats beyond whats currently there. I was kind of hoping for XCOM3 as the next big announcement. We are lucky at the moment though. With phoenix point due for imminent release, fans of turn based squad games are well catered for at present. And competition brings out the best in people.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Hmmmm. I agree. Im not sure what they could add to the game thats beyond whats currently there. I was kind of hoping for XCOM3 as the next big announcement. We are lucky at the moment though. With phoenix point due for imminent release, fans of turn based squad games are well catered for at present. And competition brings out the best in people.

I have to say that Phoenix Point is looking mighty good. It appears to have some really nice new mechanics like being able to aim at a particular alien body part. I hope there is an XCOM3 but Firaxis has some real competition. XCOM3 needs to show some real innovation.

 

[sherbz]

I have to say that Phoenix Point is looking mighty good. It appears to have some really nice new mechanics like being able to aim at a particular alien body part. I hope there is an XCOM3 but Firaxis has some real competition. XCOM3 needs to show some real innovation.

Use the code (on the lux edition)

LUX20

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Use the code (on the lux edition)

LUX20

thanks

 

[odpadnik]

I have to say that Phoenix Point is looking mighty good. It appears to have some really nice new mechanics like being able to aim at a particular alien body part. I hope there is an XCOM3 but Firaxis has some real competition. XCOM3 needs to show some real innovation.

I get the feeling they got "inspired" by Fallout or something But I'll play trough it anyway... can't wait for XCOM 3 though..

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Purchased Phoenix Point with Early Access. Played one mission last night. Graphically, it feels more gritty than XCOM2. The aliens feel less "cartoony" than in XCOM2. The game feels more like that horror movie where soldiers have to fight monsters. Granted I only played one mission and I have gone very deep into the lore of the game but the game feels more down to earth which I really like. I definitely felt like XCOM2: War of the Chosen went too far into fantasy territory, with the introduction of warlocks and zombies.

Mechanically, PP keeps the basics of the original XCOM but tweaks and improves the mechanics to make things deeper and more complex. The game definitely has more tactics than XCOM2.

You can spend fraction of action points. So unlike XCOM2 where if you just move 1 tile that counts as a whole action point, in PP, you can move a small distance, shoot and move again. Or you can stay in place and shoot twice. You can also temporarily regain some action points with the exertion ability. Weapons also affect your movement radius. Bigger guns will give you a smaller "blue move" (like in XCOM2, the radius of how far you can move and also shoot). You can target specific body parts on the aliens which will impose certain disabilities on the aliens depending on which body part you hit. For example, disabling a leg will reduce the aliens movement. If you disable the arm that is carrying the weapon, you can disable the alien's ability to shoot completely. Of course, the aliens can do the same to you. This mechanic definitely adds more tactics to the game since it is not just about taking a shot and doing generic damage anymore. There is also a return fire mechanic where soldiers and aliens will automatically shoot back when they are shot at. This mechanic is in addition to overwatch which is still in the game. But return fire makes combat more realistic and more brutal. The game has friendly fire implemented so you need to be more careful when shooting an alien if one of your soldiers is in the line of fire. The game also gives you a 4 wheeled vehicle. You need to move a soldier into the vehicle to pilot it. The vehicle has a big gun on the top to shoot at the aliens. It also crushes cover if you drive over it. The vehicle has a ram ability where you can ran into the boss alien for a big attack. I also like that your engineer soldier can drop an automated turret which can be useful for giving your squad more firepower. Another mechanic that I was actually not aware of and it cost me dearly, is that ammo is finite in the game. You can't just automatically reload as much as you want like in XCOM2. You have limited ammo and you need to find more in crates or you will run out and not be able to shoot. In my first game, I was able to kill all the little aliens and then the big boss alien showed up. But I had used up all my ammo and half my squad was unable to shoot at all. You definitely need to think more about when you shoot so as not to waste ammo but also think about getting the crates on the map to resupply.

The game is in early alpha so it is very buggy. But I think the game already shows a lot of potential for returning to the "classic" XCOM game but with better mechanics.

 

[Imaus]

Purchased Phoenix Point with Early Access. Played one mission last night. Graphically, it feels more gritty than XCOM2. The aliens feel less "cartoony" than in XCOM2. The game feels more like that horror movie where soldiers have to fight monsters. Granted I only played one mission and I have gone very deep into the lore of the game but the game feels more down to earth which I really like. I definitely felt like XCOM2: War of the Chosen went too far into fantasy territory, with the introduction of warlocks and zombies.

Mechanically, PP keeps the basics of the original XCOM but tweaks and improves the mechanics to make things deeper and more complex. The game definitely has more tactics than XCOM2.

You can spend fraction of action points. So unlike XCOM2 where if you just move 1 tile that counts as a whole action point, in PP, you can move a small distance, shoot and move again. Or you can stay in place and shoot twice. You can also temporarily regain some action points with the exertion ability. Weapons also affect your movement radius. Bigger guns will give you a smaller "blue move" (like in XCOM2, the radius of how far you can move and also shoot). You can target specific body parts on the aliens which will impose certain disabilities on the aliens depending on which body part you hit. For example, disabling a leg will reduce the aliens movement. If you disable the arm that is carrying the weapon, you can disable the alien's ability to shoot completely. Of course, the aliens can do the same to you. This mechanic definitely adds more tactics to the game since it is not just about taking a shot and doing generic damage anymore. There is also a return fire mechanic where soldiers and aliens will automatically shoot back when they are shot at. This mechanic is in addition to overwatch which is still in the game. But return fire makes combat more realistic and more brutal. The game has friendly fire implemented so you need to be more careful when shooting an alien if one of your soldiers is in the line of fire. The game also gives you a 4 wheeled vehicle. You need to move a soldier into the vehicle to pilot it. The vehicle has a big gun on the top to shoot at the aliens. It also crushes cover if you drive over it. The vehicle has a ram ability where you can ran into the boss alien for a big attack. I also like that your engineer soldier can drop an automated turret which can be useful for giving your squad more firepower. Another mechanic that I was actually not aware of and it cost me dearly, is that ammo is finite in the game. You can't just automatically reload as much as you want like in XCOM2. You have limited ammo and you need to find more in crates or you will run out and not be able to shoot. In my first game, I was able to kill all the little aliens and then the big boss alien showed up. But I had used up all my ammo and half my squad was unable to shoot at all. You definitely need to think more about when you shoot so as not to waste ammo but also think about getting the crates on the map to resupply.

The game is in early alpha so it is very buggy. But I think the game already shows a lot of potential for returning to the "classic" XCOM game but with better mechanics.

Sounds like a step in the right direction, for sure, IMO.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

New Free DLC for XCOM2: War of the Chosen coming next week, Oct 9.

"Tactical Legacy Pack"

NEW GAMEPLAY MODES:

• Legacy Ops – Command a squad of soldiers through a series of linked consecutive tactical missions:

• Central’s Archives – Central Officer Bradford, and other key members of XCOM, recount the pivotal operations that led to the rise of the resistance between the events of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2:
  • Blast from the Past – After the fall of XCOM HQ, Central Officer Bradford begins his journey to build the resistance by returning to where it all began.
  • It Came from the Sea – The broadcast of a fledgling radio DJ is reaching an audience he didn’t intend. It’s up to Central to save the DJ from an endless horde of hungry listeners.
  • Avenger Assemble – Join Lily Shen as she works to retrofit the Avenger into a new home for the growing forces of a reinvigorated XCOM.
  • The Lazarus Project – ADVENT is kidnapping key members of the resistance, and it’s up to Central to rescue some of XCOM's most renowned operatives.

• Resistance Archives - Engage enemy forces in series of tactical missions increasing in difficulty.

• Skirmish Mode – Create and play your own custom XCOM tactical missions using the included editor that allows you to modify various settings (map, squad loadouts, objective, enemies, and more.)

• NEW MAPS: Engage in battle across 28 new maps including remastered maps and scenes from XCOM: Enemy Unknownand XCOM: Enemy Within. These new maps will be featured in Central’s Archives.
• NEW WEAPONS AND ARMOR: Equip your soldiers with reimagined versions of the conventional, laser, and plasma weapons, as well as Kevlar, Carapace, and Titan armor from XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Complete Central’s Archives to unlock these new additions for use in the main single player campaign.
• NEW CUSTOMIZATION AND PHOTOBOOTH OPTIONS: Customize your soldiers with new attitudes and helmets. Create new images in the Photobooth with additional backgrounds, colors, and character poses.
• NEW SOUNDTRACK OPTIONS: With the new Soundtrack Selector you can choose to play the XCOM 2: War of the Chosencampaign with the existing score, the score from XCOM: Enemy Unknown, or an all-new soundtrack inspired by the music from the original X-COM: UFO Defense.
• OFFLINE CHALLENGE MODE: Play through all 100+ War of the Chosen challenges as often as you want.

https://xcom.com/news/entries#xcom-...actical-legacy-pack-dlc-release-date-pc-steam

 

[sherbz]

And this is free? As in really free?

There must be XCOM 3 coming early in the new year i reckon. This is probably going to be something like a prelude for where they want the narrative of the story to go. I approve of this message