XCOM: Enemy Within expansion announced

[Wolfbeckett]

Which could be 8 countries - Europe + Asia are your two suspects, each have 4 countries, so a 1 in 8 chance of guessing correct. I dont like those odds. I think the country leaving is a bit harsh. Maybe push them to max panic rather than a straight withdrawal. That could make things a little dicey in view of the doom counter. 8 Countries leaving = game over. 1/8 chance of guessing correct.

That's why you do some more missions and collect some more clues before you start guessing. Wait until you can make a confident guess and you won't have a problem with all those countries leaving.

 

[PhilBowles]

Which could be 8 countries - Europe + Asia are your two suspects, each have 4 countries, so a 1 in 8 chance of guessing correct. I dont like those odds. I think the country leaving is a bit harsh. Maybe push them to max panic rather than a straight withdrawal. That could make things a little dicey in view of the doom counter. 8 Countries leaving = game over. 1/8 chance of guessing correct.

Ah, good point - for some reason I was thinking the base would be found in a continent rather than a country.

I like the risk of having a country leaving - it's hard enough for that to happen past the earliest game stages as it is (once you have a satellite up, the only ways for it to happen are to lose a terror mission, or lose the satellite and not replace it by the end of the month).

 

[Pikkis]

I like the risk of having a country leaving - it's hard enough for that to happen past the earliest game stages as it is (once you have a satellite up, the only ways for it to happen are to lose a terror mission, or lose the satellite and not replace it by the end of the month).

I like it, too, but I fear that this will end up extending the Classic/Impossible gap even further. I hope they'll introduce the much-needed in-between difficulty with this expansion.

 

[coanda]

I like it, too, but I fear that this will end up extending the Classic/Impossible gap even further. I hope they'll introduce the much-needed in-between difficulty with this expansion.

I'd think a pretty good in-between would be to just give the Classic soldier panic rates and starting HP for soldiers, classic panic gains from abduction missions, everything else as it is Impossible.

 

[PhilBowles]

I'd think a pretty good in-between would be to just give the Classic soldier panic rates and starting HP for soldiers, classic panic gains from abduction missions, everything else as it is Impossible.

There's already a lot of inbetween - Classic with assorted Second Wave options, a few of which make the game harder than vanilla Impossible.

 

[Pikkis]

There's already a lot of inbetween - Classic with assorted Second Wave options, a few of which make the game harder than vanilla Impossible.

It's not the same thing; 'hardened Classic' and 'Classic with Second Wave options' are qualitatively different. Given the scope of the expansion, this one should be among the easiest to implement.

 

[sherbz]

If you have a look at some of the gameplay footage that Firaxis have released, it looks as though the days of when you triggered parties of aliens/exalt soldiers before they became active are numbered. Some missions seem to operate on a last stand type arrangement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF3AwytdPh8

From what I have seen the expansion looks to be pretty awesome. I have already pre ordered (steam have it at 10% off i think). I think i might also take a holiday from work and veg out for a few days playing nothing but xcom

Are they doing the same thing they did last time and releasing to the US a few days before europe. That would really piss me off if they do

 

[PhilBowles]

If you have a look at some of the gameplay footage that Firaxis have released, it looks as though the days of when you triggered parties of aliens/exalt soldiers before they became active are numbered. Some missions seem to operate on a last stand type arrangement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF3AwytdPh8

From what I have seen the expansion looks to be pretty awesome. I have already pre ordered (steam have it at 10% off i think). I think i might also take a holiday from work and veg out for a few days playing nothing but xcom

Are they doing the same thing they did last time and releasing to the US a few days before europe. That would really piss me off if they do

That first scene may be something like the tutorial mission, and so needn't follow standard rules.

There is apparently a new Second Wave option that will allow aliens to overwatch or fire occasionally rather than move, but I hadn't heard there's a move and fire option.

What does interest me is that psionic aliens now appear to turn up outside UFO missions.

 

[woody60707]

We need some multiplaying going on. After seeing that video by angry Joe and totalbiscuit, I really want to try it out.

My steam name is: woody60707 Add me if you like.

 

[GoodGame]

That first scene may be something like the tutorial mission, and so needn't follow standard rules.

There is apparently a new Second Wave option that will allow aliens to overwatch or fire occasionally rather than move, but I hadn't heard there's a move and fire option.

They do that already as far as I've seen (playing with basic UFO, not enemy within).

 

[sherbz]

I suck at the multiplayer aspect lol. I played it once and got totally blasted by some guy who was amazing, then i rage quitted. I dont really have the patience to find a build that is any good. His build of 1 heavy floater and 3 sectoid commanders was pretty decent. I think a co op version might be pretty good.

 

[Louis XXIV]

One thing I'm curious about is this: Given that there are now enemies who use similar tactics to XCOM soldiers, is it too much to hope for a singleplayer skirmish mode where you can basically play like the multiplayer mode only against the AI instead.

 

[Pikkis]

One thing I'm curious about is this: Given that there are now enemies who use similar tactics to XCOM soldiers, is it too much to hope for a singleplayer skirmish mode where you can basically play like the multiplayer mode only against the AI instead.

I'd assume the AI is still quite far away from the XCOM tactics, even if it's closer than in vanilla XCOM:EU. I guess that what you're suggesting would require a major AI redesign.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Yeah, but I can hope (hell, I'd settle for letting the AI be able to cheat or have a substantially larger number of units if necessary to make the mode work).

 

[sherbz]

I'd assume the AI is still quite far away from the XCOM tactics, even if it's closer than in vanilla XCOM:EU. I guess that what you're suggesting would require a major AI redesign.

I remain unconvinced by allowing the AI to use the same tactics as a human. The trouble is that some of the maps would have to be completely redesigned. Many of them are too small to allow for it. Although you could have special maps with special aliens that hunt for you.