XCOM: Enemy Unknown

[The Jedi Master]

I rented this game recently, and I absolutely love it. It's a reboot of a series of games from 1994, the original being called X-COM: UFO Defense (UFO: Enemy Unknown in the UK). The original is widely regarded as the greatest strategy game of all time. Even without having played the original, I can tell that the this game lives up to that legacy. I think even Danny made a video for it.

For those who haven't played, it works like this: Aliens have invaded the planet Earth (maybe those Kerbals got a little militant), and your job is to command the XCOM Project, the first and last line of defense against the aliens. The game is split into two modes: the strategic base management mode, where you build your base, manage funds and research, buy weaponry for your troops, etc., and the tactical mode, where you command a 4-6 man squad in turn-based combat against the aliens. It is much, much harder than most games you're probably used to even on the easiest difficulty, but that's part of the charm (much like KSP, really).

So, has anyone else played this game, and has anyone got any good stories of battle with the extraterrestrial threat? I got a few tales of my own, which I'll post tomorrow.

[Manifest]

Ehhh, I bought it when it came out, I loved and still love the concept, I even bought the expansion even though I was disappointed by how it turned out on initial launch.

But I loath how the AI is handled, and how increasing difficulty is administered.

See, in combat, there are scripts that are implemented if you do too good, for example if you've just hit your last three shots, all of a sudden their chances of hitting will be doubled many times over, and yours decreased many times, until you've taken fire in some form of damage, be that a cross map shot from a plasma pistol, or a hit when in full cover 15 tiles away from the enemy hitting you.

A case in point is an old story where I was engaging one last alien, having just killed three to four of it's friends and taken no damage the script kicked in, I knew this and had prepared my assault soldier to run up into it's face and in that way override the script with a 100% chance to hit, so I ordered him up on his sides, one tile away from him, and to my horror I see the script is still active, by decreasing my chance from 100% to 99% chance to hit, so now I see an opportunity to experiment, so I save the game(*), and sure enough, with 99% chance to hit, he misses his shot, so now I load the save to see if it truly is the game engine or a script, and freaking a', as soon as it was loaded I had a 100% chance to hit because the script wasn't reactivated in the loading process.

So that is way I have problems with the game, I freaking love the concept, the air battles being a little thin on content, but overall being awesome, if it wasn't for the damned scripts that replace AI with game altering features, i would love the game.

There have also been some major reports of the AI clipping through walls when you can't see them, getting up on roofs and through walls, that sort of thing.

Final notes:

I don't hate the game, I love it, but it gets destroyed for me by the lazy ai design hidden behind scripts, and clipping bugs

(*)This may be referred to as "save-whoring", but when the game has scripts like that to increase the difficulty trough laziness, instead of actually increasing the difficulty, by giving the AI new paths and new processes to run before choosing an action; then I don't give a damn, it is a sign of lazy AI programming to me and I'll be damned before I let it stand and just "deal with it".

Edited January 14, 2014 by Manifest

[Joshington]

I love it to death, but my first play through was probably the worst thing I've ever done. I didn't even get that far, only to the alien base or whatever (it was a while ago). Then I used cheats to see the full story, then did it legit the third time. The only reason I haven't gotten the expansion is because I don't want to torture myself again.

In short: Great game if you love steep learning curves. And I mean 90-degrees steep. Even on the lowest difficulty you're thrown into ridiculous situations.

[The Jedi Master]

-snip-

That's odd. Maybe I just didn't notice, but I never really had problems with that. Then again, there was that one time when I missed a 98% shot...

As for the promised tale, a little scene-setting: I'm on my second playthrough (my first was godawful, and I didn't even finish--there seems to be a major spike in difficulty right around the alien base...), and I got this guy, a Japanese Assault by the name of Kazu, nickname Cash. I got him as a reward for completing a Council mission. He's basically my Rambo, always making the hardest shots. He was the one survivor of my attack on the alien base. He makes it to the rank of Colonel, the highest rank in the game, and is being sent on every mission.

Then, while investigating a downed UFO, I get a little careless and send him dashing into one of the rooms... straight into a pack of Mutons, the most powerful enemy in the game. Needless to say, Colonel Kazu gets gunned down the second the aliens get their turn. Technically, he was critically wounded, but I didn't have anyone with a medpack.

Thus, I learned a harsh lesson: Never go rushing into any area, and always bring a medpack!

[Motokid600]

I tried it for a good hour. I learned that I do not like turn based games.

[Canopus]

I absolutely love this game. I played through Enemy Unknown on normal and now i'm playing Enemy Within on classic. I can't proceed though since after defeating Exalt i'm stuck in the Alien base assault. In my version a textbox without text appears right after my soldiers are dropped from the Skyranger and i can't click it away.

(Forget it, i just found a workaround...)

Edited January 14, 2014 by Canopus

[Sugoi]

Didn't know about the damage script, that's something I'll have to keep in mind in future.

Still, back on topic, seriously get Enemy Within if you get Enemy Unknown. EXALT missions are great for leveling your B-Team, Chameleon Skin and Mechs are another way to break the game, and the Foundry actually is useful beyond making SHIVs (improved medkit among other things). I'm actually just starting an Impossible runthrough; the early game is a real meat grinder, I've been avoiding it for too long.

Fun story from my recent Classic Ironman runthrough: I'm towards the end of Street Overpass with (what I think) is the last Sectoid; I dash a heavy to the to the top of the overlook, revealing another three. One mind melds, the other three shoot (one hits but it's the mid game, no big deal). I decide to rocket them, and right as I confirm the rocket I turn to my friend and say, "watch this guy miss." Lo and behold, this soldier decides that NAFTA is a greater threat and puts his rocket into a nearby semi instead of the unmarked police car the Sectoids are playing behind.

A run-and-gun, grenade, and Squadsight sniper mopped them up that turn, but jinxing my own soldier with somebody watching was pretty hilarious.

[The Jedi Master]

Still, back on topic, seriously get Enemy Within if you get Enemy Unknown. EXALT missions are great for leveling your B-Team, Chameleon Skin and Mechs are another way to break the game, and the Foundry actually is useful beyond making SHIVs (improved medkit among other things). I'm actually just starting an Impossible runthrough; the early game is a real meat grinder, I've been avoiding it for too long.

Thing is, it's thirty bucks. I'm young, so I don't have that kind of money. Still, looks pretty good.

Also, yeah, you got to hate it when the guy misses with a missile. The first time that happened to me, I was just sitting there in awe, since I thought explosives never missed.

[Seret]

For those that have played both the original and the new one, is it worth getting the new one? I played the original to death (think I still have it lurking on a storage drive somewhere...), and I've heard good things about the recent attempt at reviving it.

As for AI getting lucky shots and your boys missing at point blank, well that's just XCOM. It was always a pretty unforgiving game. Losing one of your favourite power-suited psi-amped ubergrunts to a fluky shot from a Sectoid in the late game brought many players close to tears.

[The Jedi Master]

For those that have played both the original and the new one, is it worth getting the new one? I played the original to death (think I still have it lurking on a storage drive somewhere...), and I've heard good things about the recent attempt at reviving it.

As for AI getting lucky shots and your boys missing at point blank, well that's just XCOM. It was always a pretty unforgiving game. Losing one of your favourite power-suited psi-amped ubergrunts to a fluky shot from a Sectoid in the late game brought many players close to tears.

It's well worth it, but keep in mind that it is not UFO Defense with a new coat of paint. It does have several major changes, such as a real cover system and only one base. Doesn't really hamper enjoyment, but then again, I never played the original, and I got my info on the original from the internet, so it's your choice.

[trekkie_]

Enemy Unknown was what XCOM should have been when it first came out. Kind of backwards to release a DLC years after the game came out.

Sure it has some new stuff, but much of it was pointless if you already played the game before. The extra missions were short, few, and didn't offer much, the extra squads you get happen so late in the game, you've probably got some high ranking psionic soldiers by then, and you really only need one. The only thing I liked was some extra enemy types and the mech soldiers. my squad was basically 2 mec's, 1 psionic and the rest genetically modified. mec's are a bit OP even with just 1, especially as a sniper with grenade launcher and reaction shots. before the DLC I used to play with all psionics.

[audimrfy]

the original on playstation, gave me the chills, loved it. yes the AI was insane tho. got the that and the others from steam. havent played much of any of them.

[Seret]

before the DLC I used to play with all psionics.

That was the way to rock the original. Clear the outdoor areas with weapons platforms, and send your psi-amped troops to knock on the door of the UFO and mind control anybody inside. Why have the aliens shooting at your boys when they could be shooting at each other? Happy days!

[The Jedi Master]

Another tale!

I'm doing an abduction mission in Germany. Its a bad situation as it is--my best sniper is dead, my SHIV has been destroyed and everyone else is being flanked. My Argentinian Heavy, Han 'Falcon' Solo (yes, I named him myself), is behind a destroyed car with my Chinese Support. Suddenly, one of the Mutons decides that today is 'Be A Jerk To The Player' Day and throws a plasma grenade. It causes both soldiers to go into critical mode. Unfortanetly, the Support has the only medpack, and I'm unable to save them in time. As such, I lose my best soldier (Han was even my most powerful psi) and my best medic.

Lesson learned: XCOM can be a jerk sometimes, even when you're doing great.

[Godot]

Yep, Mutons and their Plasma grenades are a good incentive to spread wide

[Canopus]

I always have the worst time when the Cyberdisk throws its grenade.

[TwoHedWlf]

For those that have played both the original and the new one, is it worth getting the new one? I played the original to death (think I still have it lurking on a storage drive somewhere...), and I've heard good things about the recent attempt at reviving it.

It's pretty good, different feel and research is really simplified though. Chrysalids were nightmare fodder in the original...In this one sectopods and chrysalids are nightmare fodder.

[Dark Junior]

The aliens spotted you too easily