Who's preordering X-COM?

[AyashiKaibutsu]

It could kind of go either way in my opinion. Who is to say that said grenade wasn't damaged in the kill shot. Or isn't not so obviously available on the smoking corpse that someone getting shot at would have time to grab it? or so covered in gore that reasonable people aren't going to want to pick it up and throw it.

I take your point in that a lot of tactical RPG style games allow characters to loot corpses of fallen comrades in the middle of combat, but really? How probable is that.

From the developers stance, they probably figured that this was just another aspect of limited resources. Tactically, deal with it.

You know full well from a developers stand point they couldn't implement a full blooded inventory system for consoles that wouldn't be clunky. Trying to come up with some noble excuse is pretty silly. How probably is it to grab a grenade desperately needed in combat? Pretty damn probably.

 

[datalink7]

Or if injured people could treat themselves, like in the old games.

Injured people can treat themselves if they have a med kit. I do it all the time.

 

[thespyder]

You know full well from a developers stand point they couldn't implement a full blooded inventory system for consoles that wouldn't be clunky. Trying to come up with some noble excuse is pretty silly. How probably is it to grab a grenade desperately needed in combat? Pretty damn probably.

Actually, I know no such thing. For what is being requested here, I would think that a 4X4 or 6X6 square pop up would be the simple solution and very implementable in a console environment. We aren't talking about adventurers that go around and stockpile gobs of loot across numerous adventures before going to the shop to unload it all (Ala Diablo or NWN). We are talking two or three items at most (even 5 or 10 would be doable in the scenario I describe). Therefore it's exclusion must either be a conscious decision or an oversight. Not an intentional slight.

As for the other, I defer to your expertise. I have never been in heavy combat with aliens shooting at me and trying to eat my brains. So I don't know how much leisure time I would have to pick through the remains of my best mate's body and entrails to collect weapons, amo and keepsakes to send back to his widow in such a situation.

 

[Agent11]

This is one of my all time favorite games now. Been playing it non stop. I love it.

 

[CPA]

This is one of my all time favorite games now. Been playing it non stop. I love it.

I really don't have $45 right now, but I may have to bite the bullet. Wife is going to kill me.

 

[zerogear]

I really don't have $45 right now, but I may have to bite the bullet. Wife is going to kill me.

Just finished a single player campaign on normal - 20 hours. Now time for Classic + Ironman.

Do it.

 

[QuantumPion]

This game is a definite win. The devs did a great job replicating the challenge of managing resources, the joy of upgrading equipment, outfitting your soldiers, and the danger of the tactical combat. I like the slight changes they have made - it is not dumbed down at all, just streamlined. At first I thought the linear map layouts was going to be lame, but I don't really miss the hunt-the-last-alien-panicking-in-the-closet run-around - it works.

My only complains so far (just cleared first alien base, woo!) are the interceptions seem to have been too simplified and lack neat graphics. Also I don't like how enemy aliens just sit in fixed places and wait for you to spot them before coming active - it always gives them the initiative. Although I guess that method is required for the linear-style maps.

 

[adlep]

Just finished a single player campaign on normal - 20 hours. Now time for Classic + Ironman.

Do it.

It took you only 20 hours to beat the entire game?

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Also I don't like how enemy aliens just sit in fixed places and wait for you to spot them before coming active - it always gives them the initiative. Although I guess that method is required for the linear-style maps.

That doesn't really give them the initiative. I just creep forward w/ overwatch and they get lit for the most part. The only action they can do when they reveal themselves is take cover. But you're right, I don't like this mechanic because it generally makes encounters too predictable and I think will hurt the game's replayability.

 

[Clinkster]

It took you only 20 hours to beat the entire game?

On normal, that's not unusual. It's not as hard since there are less frequent missions and you spend far less time strategizing since the tactical is much easier.

Classic mode will take you much, much longer. Good luck beating that on ironman.

 

[Mem]

This game is a definite win. The devs did a great job replicating the challenge of managing resources, the joy of upgrading equipment, outfitting your soldiers, and the danger of the tactical combat. I like the slight changes they have made - it is not dumbed down at all, just streamlined. At first I thought the linear map layouts was going to be lame, but I don't really miss the hunt-the-last-alien-panicking-in-the-closet run-around - it works.

My only complains so far (just cleared first alien base, woo!) are the interceptions seem to have been too simplified and lack neat graphics. Also I don't like how enemy aliens just sit in fixed places and wait for you to spot them before coming active - it always gives them the initiative. Although I guess that method is required for the linear-style maps.

I'm still waiting for my retail copy to arrive via post,so while I'm waiting any tips you can give those that have yet to play the game ie any special loadouts or things you should bring into the combat missions,early research etc?

 

[CPA]

Just finished a single player campaign on normal - 20 hours. Now time for Classic + Ironman.

Do it.

I did. Woke up at 4:30am and said "F It, I'm buying this game". At 99% on Steam right now.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Loving it.

In terms of spit & polish, some of the automated camera angles piss me off. When it shows me the alien shooting but not who's getting hit, or cuts to the over-the-shoulder view for a shot but the target is out of frame. Then again, I don't have a widescreen.

Are anybody else's SHIVs unarmed?

 

[SpunkyJones]

I'm having a great time. First time I tazed a alien and captured him I jumped up and yelled "hell yah bitch". My wife is worried about me.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

This game is a definite win. The devs did a great job replicating the challenge of managing resources, the joy of upgrading equipment, outfitting your soldiers, and the danger of the tactical combat. I like the slight changes they have made - it is not dumbed down at all, just streamlined. At first I thought the linear map layouts was going to be lame, but I don't really miss the hunt-the-last-alien-panicking-in-the-closet run-around - it works.

My only complains so far (just cleared first alien base, woo!) are the interceptions seem to have been too simplified and lack neat graphics. Also I don't like how enemy aliens just sit in fixed places and wait for you to spot them before coming active - it always gives them the initiative. Although I guess that method is required for the linear-style maps.

I agree with the not dumbing down for the most part. Some maps are less linear than others, but there's that noise indicator (I think it's them making noise at least) to point you in the right direction generally. The unit size makes the bigger maps not really linear feeling. Some alien groups do actually move around. They'll always do their scamper away to cover if they spot you and then you get a free move to attack them so it's actually really good when you run into them that way. I've also had floaters seem to come at me without being activated yet, but I don't know if that was a bug or something weird.

 

[Agent11]

There are patrols, later in the game it will be mutons on patrol instead of floaters.

 

[irishScott]

So I beat it, and the last level was kinda meh. Very linear, pretty shallow backstory. Not bad, but I'd give it a B- for an ending plot-wise. Still, this game was never really about the narrative. I'll be replaying on Classic-Iron Man next.

 

[Howard]

Everything about this game makes it seem as though it's worth playing, though historically single-player games haven't been the most fun for me (e.g. I have 3000+ hours in TF2). I wonder...

 

[acheron]

I've been doing Normal-Iron Man. Probably a couple playthroughs that way before moving up to Classic.

 

[kevinsbane]

Oh man, that battleship battle almost resulted in a wipe. Reloading my guns behind a door, just getting into position to rush the door.....

They decide that they don't want to wait and rush the door. They, being a sectopod, crysallids, muton berserkers, and mutons. They don't have enough actions to actually attack, but I end up with two berserkers and two crysallids in the middle of my team. Not only that, the two crysalids decide it'd be good to block me in by blocking off the hallway. Meanwhile the sectopod has a clear view to start pouring laser fire down the hallway.


My team consists of a squad sniper, a scoot and shoot sniper, medic, mid level support that I was trying to level up and an assault set up for defense. All of them in melee range. An XCOM commander's second worse nightmare (the worst is if they had the actions to actually attack...) But! Ghost suits are OP. Shot out one of the crysallids to get an exit. Used grappling to snag my snipers onto a arch overhead. Ran my assault out to draw overwatch fire, cloaked ebveryone . But my heavy's using psi armour, and she only has one move left.... she's screwed. I was thinking to have her go out in a blaze of glory, rockets flying.

Then I get a better idea.... I run the heavy past a choke, and block it off with ghosted units...

Cue alien units wandering around aimlessly trying to get past my invisible wall. Score!

Can't wait to try out blaster bombs.

 

[acheron]

Had a group of pretty good troops assault the alien base, and they got carved up like turkeys. End of the mission was the sniper getting mind controlled and head-shotting my highest ranking guy. Fantastic.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Is there a 2K or Firaxis feedback line?

Because when I press "Esc" it means I either want to pause, abort mission, load, save, or exit the game. It does NOT mean I want to sit there with my thumb up my ass watching cut scenes and mind controlled AI characters run around until the combat resolves (e.g. everybody dies.)

A wipe is a wipe, and I'll accept it, but don't force me to sit here not doing anything.

 

[irishScott]

Is there a 2K or Firaxis feedback line?

Because when I press "Esc" it means I either want to pause, abort mission, load, save, or exit the game. It does NOT mean I want to sit there with my thumb up my ass watching cut scenes and mind controlled AI characters run around until the combat resolves (e.g. everybody dies.)

A wipe is a wipe, and I'll accept it, but don't force me to sit here not doing anything.

? Esc brings up the main menu for me. Backspace is the hotkey to end a turn.

 

[datalink7]

? Esc brings up the main menu for me. Backspace is the hotkey to end a turn.

He means you can't hit escape on the enemy turn, which I've also found annoying. You have to wait for the aliens to finish their turn.

 

[datalink7]

Hmm... well this is a little frustrating. My computer crashes whenever I build a Psionics lab so I can't progress.