XCOM Enemy Unknown

[tberton]

On console's you're buying a new version of the game that is completely stand-alone, so it costs a bit more. On PC it's an expansion that requires the original to play.

 

That makes sense, but it kind of fucks over people who bought the first game on consoles.

[Dewar]

Well you could, in theory, sell back the old disk to make up the difference right? Or give it to a friend who never had the joy of XCOM.

[tberton]

Yeah, I'll see if I can sell it back. Maybe I could give it to a friend. Still, it's a dumb and annoying decision on their part.

[osmosisch]

That makes sense, but it kind of fucks over people who bought the first game on consoles.

That's kind of what one should expect these days when buying games on consoles anyway? Maybe it will be different in the new generation.

[Sorbicol]

Also as far as the new game elements are concerned, there is a bunch of new equipment available fairly early on, and you gain access to the gene and cyber lab pretty early on. Because of the scope of your economy early on, you probably only have the opportunity to build one initially. I built the gene lab which in retrospect I think was a mistake. I botched that run up pretty badly so I'm going to try the cyber lab next time around.

Hmmm. I'm not sure. Getting a MEC and running effectively is very expensive. I think the gene mods, while more passive are more effective in the long run. Give one guy memetic skin for example, and just have him run off to collect all the MELD. Very OP.

[osmosisch]

Suddenly aware that XCOM allows you to Flush a Heavy Floater. GOTY.

[Stuart]

I fucking hate this game. And that's why I absolutely love it.

 

Just wanted to say that. :x

[Nachimir]

Having just completed Enemy Unknown this week, I can't face more XCOM just yet.

 

I was surprised at the lack of friendly fire on projectiles, and what good shots the rookies are. It felt very "fair", in that if someone died or got critically wounded it was generally my own fault for taking a stupid risk or rushing, but it felt really, really easy on normal difficulty. Once I'd developed a set of tactics for each type of alien, it was very by the numbers. Also, snipers are way OP once levelled up with the right abilities and equipment, even without psi powers. Is any of this stuff addressed in Enemy Within?

 

I was glad to see that blaster launchers are significantly nerfed compared to the original. On the Amiga version, I'd get out of the skyranger with a squad's worth of those, immediately demolish the UFO, then maybe have to hunt for a straggler or two in the smoking ruins.

[Dewar]

Nachimir, I found it pretty easy myself, but a lot of people don't. It sounds like we should probably be playing on classic difficulty. Either that or I should get back to my game of Original XCOM.

[Stuart]

Nachimir, I found it pretty easy myself, but a lot of people don't. It sounds like we should probably be playing on classic difficulty. Either that or I should get back to my game of Original XCOM.

 

I play it on Classic Ironman and it's wonderfully brutal. I wouldn't dare play on Impossible Ironman, that would be masochistic. There are also mods that increase the brutality of the game. They have a couple of graphical and armor mods as well. Here's a link:

 

http://xcom.nexusmods.com

 

And a link to the most brutal of difficulty mods out there, Long War. NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART AND MIND. SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE UNENDING FURY AND HAIR RIPPING. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

 

http://xcom.nexusmods.com/mods/88/?

[sclpls]

Nachimir, I found it pretty easy myself, but a lot of people don't. It sounds like we should probably be playing on classic difficulty. Either that or I should get back to my game of Original XCOM.

 

Yeah, I haven't tried it for EW, but in the original game I found normal to be too easy, and classic was extremely challenging but doable. I assume the same is true for the expansion, although I am having a rougher time of it compared to the original on classic.

[I Saw Dasein]

Normal is pretty easy, but part of me just likes watching my mans run around shooting things. So I usually play on normal. 

[tberton]

Maybe I just suck, but I find Normal to be plenty hard. I have yet to complete a campaign. I do play on Ironman, though.

[Dewar]

I'm still scared of playing on Ironman after hearing about all the wierd bugs that plauged the release of the game. I, myself, would have been screwed in the very last mission by a mind control glitch that caused combat to freeze.

 

Edit: In fact I only ever restarted a combat once while doing the campaign (outside of that bug.) I went into the very last mission with only one guy with any Psi-powers and I got destroyed the first time in.

[dibs]

They are rookies in the most elite fighting force the world has ever seen, so it's not that surprising.

It was very easy on normal for me too though.

[Nachimir]

Oh, I get that it fits narratively, it's just that in the original they sucked so much more. It used to be that if you positioned them outside a UFO door, aliens would eventually come out. On my first mission, I put them on overwatch in a semi-circle around a door (which yes, is a… sub-optimal plan). They all missed the sectoid and mostly hit each other.

[dibs]

(which yes, is a… sub-optimal plan).

 

Next DLC will be benny hill music.

[Nachimir]

I was like, 12 or something! It taught me a valuable lesson completely inapplicable to anything else in my life except XCOM and similar strategy games.

[Flynn]

Hmmm. I'm not sure. Getting a MEC and running effectively is very expensive. I think the gene mods, while more passive are more effective in the long run. Give one guy memetic skin for example, and just have him run off to collect all the MELD. Very OP.

 

Mimetic skin will probably need a patch -- the AI can't seem to deal with it and a smart player can use it to win almost any battle if you don't mind slowly kiting enemies between two soldiers with it.  I think it should only work if you are getting a cover bonus from your cover and not count if you are flanked.  That way it could break unexpectedly and you can't run up next to enemies in cover, on the same side as their cover, and remain hidden.  

 

Ghost armor basically does the same thing but it comes so late in the game and it actually runs out after one turn -- at that point you want the equipment to break all the rules.

[Flynn]

If you've already played a ton of XCOM, perhaps already beat the original twice or on ironman classic with multiple attempts, I'd strongly recommend trying the 'talent roulette' second wave option.  It really changes up the game by making every soldier actually unique and irreplaceable.  

 

I don't think it makes the game harder really -- you can get access to high level talents earlier than vanilla -- but it makes you not rely on old synergistic combos.

[sclpls]

I am drunk, and want to blast aliens... but I also know I will undoubtedly wreck my campaign in the process of doing so. Not only is this game full of hard decisions, it even produces the occasional difficult meta-decision. Hmmmmmmmm........................

[Sorbicol]

I am drunk, and want to blast aliens... but I also know I will undoubtedly wreck my campaign in the process of doing so. Not only is this game full of hard decisions, it even produces the occasional difficult meta-decision. Hmmmmmmmm........................

I think I've wrecked 2 or 3 campaigns by this same method......

[Reyturner]

Quick Question: If you've never played XCOM Enemy Unknown, should you play it through before trying Enemy Within? 

 

Or does Enemy Within make the overall XCOM package more complete? 

[Sorbicol]

It's probably worth getting at least one play through on enemy unknown before moving on to enemy within. EW throws quite a lot of new things into the mix and it's easier to learn the basic tactics and strategy you'll need.

[Bjorn]

I just got past the base assault in a NI playthrough with the new content, wishing I had started on Classic now.  But I went Normal first as I wanted a chance to experiment and learn without being punished too bad.  I'm loving all the new stuff, particularly the new scripted missions, but the endgame of a Normal playthrough is going to be a cakewalk.  Mimetic Skin is nuts, as are Mechs who can punch anything to death and sprint halfway across a map.