XCOM Squad!?

I don't think XCOM is gonna wind up in the final game, why? Because I always saw GDR as that final unit that just helps you win in the end, although I guess in a way that's slightly overpowered (GDR were always powerful units).

Not to mention have you seen XCOM Squad's strength = 110. Dayum.
 
Almost certainly a joke, stats are kind of ridiculous even when compared to the GDR and the argument that it's a lot of work for a joke doesn't hold water as the only thing that will take considerable time is the graphics and they can be ported from XCOM without too much difficulty.
 
Almost certainly a joke, stats are kind of ridiculous even when compared to the GDR and the argument that it's a lot of work for a joke doesn't hold water as the only thing that will take considerable time is the graphics and they can be ported from XCOM without too much difficulty.

Quite wrong arguments:

1. Stats are completely normal for infantry/tank proportion compared to GDR.

2. Such thing can't be ported from XCOM this way. All models, icons and animations are made from scratch. Civ models are low-poly and if they would be done with polygon reduction, they'd look completely different. There are also many small things in animations and icons.
 
Quite wrong arguments:

1. Stats are completely normal for infantry/tank proportion compared to GDR.

2. Such thing can't be ported from XCOM this way. All models, icons and animations are made from scratch. Civ models are low-poly and if they would be done with polygon reduction, they'd look completely different. There are also many small things in animations and icons.

Range 40 paradrop? And another units animations can be appropriated or the unit could be reskinned entirely.
 
Range 40 paradrop? And another units animations can be appropriated or the unit could be reskinned entirely.

What's wrong with range 40 paradrop? By this time we'll have Mec. Inf. with movement 4, which means 40 tiles by railroad (not across the ocean, of course). And probably it will have future update as well.

We don't know how far in enemy territory XCOM squad could land and it has very low base movement for the future era. And assuming it can be intercepted I doubt it's that good for offense. So yes, this looks balanced.

Speaking about the model - it doesn't look reskinned. Weapons are unlike any other unit in the game and icons are surely developed for this unit specifically.

P.S. I remember the time GDR was announced, many people thought it's a joke. For me that's completely fits Firaxis sense of humor.
 
Quite wrong arguments:

1. Stats are completely normal for infantry/tank proportion compared to GDR.

2. Such thing can't be ported from XCOM this way. All models, icons and animations are made from scratch. Civ models are low-poly and if they would be done with polygon reduction, they'd look completely different. There are also many small things in animations and icons.

I agree. For this reason I think that its real; I mean, we all thought GDR was a joke right...?

What annoys me the most is that they will put development time into making something silly like this, but there's still no sign of airports (unless unannounced still - but I doubt it)!!!

Whats more important for Civ? XCOM or Airports? :mad:
 
What annoys me the most is that they will put development time into making something silly like this, but there's still no sign of airports (unless unannounced still - but I doubt it)!!!

Whats more important for Civ? XCOM or Airports? :mad:

Airports would presumably require a different type of development time to naming a paratrooper upgrade 'XCOM Squad' and providing artwork for it accordingly. Time spent on one does not equal time lost on the other.

Though I don't understand why airports would be so important, particularly when this very unit offers the chance to drop in pretty much anywhere else in the world.
 
They mentioned new tile improvement(s). May be one of them would be an airfield improvement?
 
The GDR was no joke, I doubt this one is.
But I do find it kinda strange how there's an XCOM squad if there aren't even any ALIENS in the game.

I actually just looked up on wikipedia and XCOM even means "Extraterrestrial Combat Unit".
Why would an extraterrestrial combat unit be used to fight solely against terrestrial enemies?
 
Airports would presumably require a different type of development time to naming a paratrooper upgrade 'XCOM Squad' and providing artwork for it accordingly. Time spent on one does not equal time lost on the other.

I'd imagine the custom artwork and animations is somewhat time consuming, implementing an airport feature wouldn't take too long if the features were fairly straight forward. There's been plenty of suggestions on this forum of how they could work...

Though I don't understand why airports would be so important, particularly when this very unit offers the chance to drop in pretty much anywhere else in the world.

Well, airports actually exist, and are essential in the modern world.

Also, a lot of trade is done by air these days, this whole new trade system seems like the perfect excuse to add airports as just an trade/economy building, even if they didn't have military uses like in IV...
 
I like how so many people think that XCOM squad HAS (!!!) to be a joke. Geez. It's just another name for the "future paratroopers". Be simple. Just a little nod for the fans of both games.
 
Well I'm pleasantly surprised at the restrained manner in which people are taking this. After Paradox released the Sunset Invasion DLC I wondered if strategy gamers could be trusted with humour from developers!
 
I'd love to see airports in some form (I almost expect them to be in). However, I can live with some future paratropper unit with the same graphics as shown in that video. But the name wouldn't be XCom Squad and those sats will prolly be tweaked a bit. :)
 
I like how so many people think that XCOM squad HAS (!!!) to be a joke. Geez. It's just another name for the "future paratroopers". Be simple. Just a little nod for the fans of both games.

I very much doubt it will be in the final game, since it would tie Civ to a particular fictional universe, which does not sit well with what the series is about. Although there were X-COM units in a scenario in the Civ 2 expansion Fantastic Worlds...

As for the probably trivial expense of adding XCOM graphics (they routinely add several new unit graphics/animations in DLC scenarios that are quick to produce/release), it's hardly unusual for a company to prepare something specifically for a conference, and they did make a show of wanting to show this off particularly. Also, while it's a joke likely to be lost on the majority of the Civ-going public, it's something that could quite reasonably be designed specifically for a conference audience familiar with both games (and Firaxis' involvement in them).

Having said that, they did seem to try and sound serious when introducing the XCOM unit, although I think that was a case of bad delivery of a good joke.
 
I doubt there will be airports (meaning something to move regular units between continents). The reason is simple - developers put so much efforts in making naval combat essential what they'll not want to ruin it. One future unit with low movement is ok, but allowing to move the whole force would be too much.

Surely, we'll have international trade routes to protect but I doubt that's enough to remove late game sea troop movements.
 
I'd be surprised if they didn't include it. The reception at PAX was brilliant. The reasoning behind it's addition is decent, and in the end is it worse than GDRs?

At least they didn't add Sectoids...

They should have given the GDR a Sectopod graphic...

The reception at PAX to the Skyranger drop was great, but as I noted this is a specific audience that more or less handpicked to be fans of XCOM; those cheers may have come from the XCOM fans rather than the Civ fans.
 
There is an overlap between fan bases, you know :p
 
The reasoning behind it's addition is decent

I don't really see how infantry wielding plasma weapons are an upgraded paratroop, ok, so I see the 'drop troop' similarity but the weapons?

Where are these going to come into the tech tree exactly? :cry:
 
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