I like the fact that they're linking the two games.
They both seem interesting to me. I'll probably get both of them, this one definitely.
I know alot of the Xcom vets seem to hate the FPS with a passion, but haven't you guys ever played the original TBS game, and had some epic mission go down where only one of your guys survived? Don't you think it would be cool to play a whole game as that badass? Maybe the FPS will be like that.
Shit, most of my X-Com missions ended that way until I started getting heavily into psionics.
Every mission was an entity filled with the crushed hopes and dreams of the poor grunt bastards I sent in to stop the enemy. Cue one Aliens-esque sequence of events later, and one shell-shocked badass emerged from the Chryssalid and Muton decorated ruins of the combat zone dual wielding two almost-empty machine guns.
So every mission was basically Aliens meets Rambo: First Blood.
And don't even get me started on Terror from the Deep. Which removed the Rambo part of things entirely and usually was a running battle to haul my ass back to the lander before they picked off my last good squad member.
Archonex on
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Warlock82Never pet a burning dogRegistered Userregular
I like the fact that they're linking the two games.
They both seem interesting to me. I'll probably get both of them, this one definitely.
I know alot of the Xcom vets seem to hate the FPS with a passion, but haven't you guys ever played the original TBS game, and had some epic mission go down where only one of your guys survived? Don't you think it would be cool to play a whole game as that badass? Maybe the FPS will be like that.
I think most people have a problem with the FPS game because it has almost nothing in common with the X-Com license, not necessarily because it's a FPS. I mean, the original showing was literally Bioshock in the 50s with black blobs. There was absolutely nothing recognizably X-Com about it (and the backstory directly contradicts the backstory of the original game). After huge backlash they re-tooled the game into a Mass Effect ripoff because I guess that is somehow "TBS-like," but it still feels very half-assed (and somehow looks worse than their original showing, at least graphically). And I think they still won't confirm or deny whether any aliens from the original are even returning (compare that to this new one that has already announced Sectoids and Mutons are back in the span of a day after announcement), or if they is any base building, etc.
For what it's worth, I think the franchise would work pretty well as a squad-based shooter ala SWAT or something. But you need to at least keep some recognizable elements in there.
RIght, the issues with the FPS have been hashed over a ton. The main point comes down to, if your going to do an xcom game you either need to keep the gamplay elements, or the "lore elements". When you keep absolutely neither, except for "aliens!!" you arent making an xcom game, you are making a random alien game with the xcom title.
Also where do we see art for the new skyranger interceptor, i havent seen any?
For what it's worth, I think the franchise would work pretty well as a squad-based shooter ala SWAT or something. But you need to at least keep some recognizable elements in there.
Yeah, I would play the shit out of Rainbow Six: X-Com.
But it would take some pretty crazy game-making to make it work and still feel x-com-like.
Yeah...good luck with linking those successfully. I actually LIKE the modern art look of the XCOM aliens. Especially in contrast to the 60's era. I accidently stumbled on a video for the XCOM game while finding the art video for Enemy Unknown. It made me realize how much I hate that era weaponary. Combat just looks awkward with tommy guns. But, all in all, aside from looking a bit clunky, the game looks decent. It just isnt XCOM in any way shape or form.
I like the fact that they're linking the two games.
They both seem interesting to me. I'll probably get both of them, this one definitely.
I know alot of the Xcom vets seem to hate the FPS with a passion, but haven't you guys ever played the original TBS game, and had some epic mission go down where only one of your guys survived? Don't you think it would be cool to play a whole game as that badass? Maybe the FPS will be like that.
The FPS has almost nothing to do with the TBS games, which is why everyone hates it. Of course, with this game the way it is and the FPS disappearing into development oblivion again, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a diifferent version of the FPS again.
I love how the new screens show some of the environmental destruction.
The Sectoids look feral , which doesn't mesh well with their old role.
I like the change, it makes them look threatening while still keeping the same general design. Always found them corny in the original.
Also, not really sure why them being slightly hunched over changes their role?
The Sectoids look feral , which doesn't mesh well with their old role.
I like the change, it makes them look threatening while still keeping the same general design. Always found them corny in the original.
Also, not really sure why them being slightly hunched over changes their role?
Maybe from their later role in the game as psi warriors? Though they still have the nice big heads to do that with.
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KlykaDO you have anySPARE BATTERIES?Registered Userregular
The Sectoids also have glowing power supplies inside their chests!
I bet they are totally enslaved and lobotomized, hence being used a feral soldiers by the Mutons or something.
Can anyone confirm whether or not the 4-soldier squad per mission is true? Because if so, that's kind of a bummer.
Where'd you hear that?
Also, is it possible that there's a 4-soldier limit per squad, but you can bring multiple squads to a mission area? After all, in the art director interview, he mentioned that it was a challenge making a Skyranger that looked like it could go fast and carry a lot of troops, so a hard limit of 4 doesn't seem like it would make sense.
For what it's worth, I think the franchise would work pretty well as a squad-based shooter ala SWAT or something. But you need to at least keep some recognizable elements in there.
Yeah, I would play the shit out of Rainbow Six: X-Com.
But it would take some pretty crazy game-making to make it work and still feel x-com-like.
I was so pissed when X-Com: Alliance got canned. It was basically this. THAT is how you do a FPS X-Com game.
More info from people who've read the Game Informer article:
'The PC Difference - XCOM obviously has deep PC roots and a hardcore fanbase with strong feelings about strategy franchises moving to consoles. It's natural for them to worry about a game like XCOM being dumbed down during the transition from keyboard to gamepad. Everything that Firaxis has shown so far indicates that any 'dumbing down' is limited solely to removing over-designed rules. For example, the original's Time Units have been removed for a simple move+action (or double move) for each unit. The idea is to let players still make the same decisions - move here, shoot that - without having to precisely calculate steps taken and type of shots fired in order to optimize that final five percent of combat effciency. And fear not, PC players - Firaxis is planning to take advantage of the platform's unique capabilities to provide an enhanced interface. Lead designer Jake Solomon uses DA:O as an example of what he wants to happen with XCOM. He suggested a zoomed-out full-map view of the tactical map as the kind of feature that PC players can expect that might not make it into the console versions. Finally, if you're an XCOM devotee from the old days, take comfort in the fact that the hardest difficulty is simply called Classic Mode.'
Other notable gameplay changes mentioned: no more Aimed/Snap/Auto shots, but there are two special abilities you can choose between at each level up that add more actions (the example is a choice the sniper gets: 'Squad Sight which lets him fire at any enemy a squadmate can see, or Snap Shot which lets him take a quick shot after moving, an ability normally restricted from sniper rifles).
Oh yeah, there are classes; the ones mentioned are sniper, support, and heavy. Rookies don't come with their class identified, you have to level them up to find out which they are. Weapon clips are gone but you still need to reload, it doesn't say if there are infinite reloads but you no longer manufacture or load clips onto the Skyranger.
The 16 individual countries will each have demands and assign missions - the article mentions Japan requesting a shipment of laser rifles as a reaction to XCOM not protecting their territory, and Africa as being a poor continent but rich in raw materials needed for manufacturing (each continent will have a bonus). The missions are mostly procedurally generated, but there are specific "tentpole scenarios that take place at certain points in the narrative. These come in several forms, from in-game cinematics showing the growing alien threat through the lens of human newscasts to setpiece tactical battles. Firaxis hopes to use these moments to create some semblance of overarching narrative despite the strategic layer being completely player-driven... Firaxis insists that its tactical AI as well as the unique capabilities and squad compositions each player will bring to them will maintain the game's integrity."
When a soldier is killed by a destructive enough weapon, "his equipment is so badly damaged that it can't be salvaged." Environments are destructible, and suppressive fire is in the game - the example is a heavy pinning down a Sectoid, denying it a turn during the aliens' turn. There are pictures of Sectoids, Mutons, and Cyberdiscs, which are fairly faithful to the originals, although cyberdiscs also come in spiderlike forms. Sectoids can use their psionic abilities to link up with each other to increase their effectiveness, but killing one will kill any others it is linked with. Mutons have Blood Call, "a battle cry that excites surrounding Mutons into a kind of animalistic fury.
Finally, the gay hipsters are called Thin Men. "The Thin Man is strikingly similar to the Slender Man myths. It may be that some morphogenic race has been secretly studying humanity, and has sent these human facsimiles to Earth as spies. Unnaturally tall and slender, Thin Men are not perfect replicas.... Once engaged in battle, a Thin Man will perform acrobatic maneuvers unlike any human. Thin Men are capable of covering large swaths of ground in a single bound. Snipers should be wary of their ability to jump up several stories in a single leap. Once engaged in close quarters, the Thin Man unhinges its jaw and vomits forth a spray of corrosive putrescence... upon expiration, a Thin Man will explode in an acid shower damaging nearby equipment and field personel."
I have no idea why they chose to feature the Thin Men in the first released screenshots - there are about 30 screenshots and those are easily the worst. The tactical view is moveable from a bird's eye 70 degree view to ground level behind/to the side of the soldier. The picture of the geoscape is incomplete, it only shows the globe. The base screens seem similar - the example is a research screen, with a list of topics and a scientist presumably moving in the background. Soldiers are indeed clad in Gears of War style armor, but both soldiers and aliens are drawn in a very clean comic style reminiscent of the animated cinematics of the original (or the Firaxis house style circa Civ V).
Captain_Brian on
0
chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
For what it's worth, I think the franchise would work pretty well as a squad-based shooter ala SWAT or something. But you need to at least keep some recognizable elements in there.
Yeah, I would play the shit out of Rainbow Six: X-Com.
But it would take some pretty crazy game-making to make it work and still feel x-com-like.
I was so pissed when X-Com: Alliance got canned. It was basically this. THAT is how you do a FPS X-Com game.
For what it's worth, I think the franchise would work pretty well as a squad-based shooter ala SWAT or something. But you need to at least keep some recognizable elements in there.
Yeah, I would play the shit out of Rainbow Six: X-Com.
But it would take some pretty crazy game-making to make it work and still feel x-com-like.
I was so pissed when X-Com: Alliance got canned. It was basically this. THAT is how you do a FPS X-Com game.
Apparently, the beta code for that is leaked.
So, that's interesting.
I've been saying shit like this forever. Want to modernize JA2(or every turn based strategy game) into a shooter? Keep every weapon, voice, feature, and map, BUT, make the graphics up to standards, change the battlegrounds and UI to 3d graphics, replace the tactical turn based battles with something more SWAT, GR, and R6 oriented, and I'm talking about the early ones. Bam, you have the makings of a great game, now if only the "developer" knows how to make it.
Kadoken on
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AchireIsn't life disappointing? Yes, it is.Registered Userregular
It's just that a great game like SWAT 4 or Rogue Spear is not going to sell the 2 million copies required to break even. I'd play the hell out of a SWAT style X-Com game too but that doesn't make it economically feasible. A strategy game is something you can make with a smaller budget than an FPS.
When a soldier is killed by a destructive enough weapon, "his equipment is so badly damaged that it can't be salvaged."
Ah. So they'll be adding their own fuck you moments.
"What? You want to just salt the earth with those blaster bombs? Well you can do that, but don't expect any salvage. And See that alien there, with the huge death gun? The one that just disintegrated that rookie? You're not getting that laser rifle back from him. Good luck!
They've changed the turns to work more like D&D? I can get behind that. It does seem to imply you can't poke around a corner, fire/throw a grenade and go hide again (though I personally rarely had the TUs to actually do that); good, real men don't hide, real men run into enemies screaming with all their grenades primed.
[edit] Yeah, I'm pretty sure using explosives destroyed equipment even in the originals.
[edit2] Ah, I think heen has it.
Like, that's basically ripped straight from X-Com. Something goes off near a corpse it's GOODBYE CORPSE AND STUFF NEAR CORPSE.
Well, yeah. But that was only if it was already DEAD. I'm taking this to mean "You KILL something with a big enough explosion, and it's bye bye weapon" and not "You aniahlate it's already lifeless corpse, and THEN the weapon dissapears"
It sounds a lot more "gamey" than the original's sim type setup. Stuff like bonuses for countries and specific tasks and story missions.
Er, this makes it seem less gamey. Different nations have different resources available to them. Before it was just "here have money".
There might be a reason to actually keep the Council happy instead of just having a base or two mass produce laser cannons to sell on the black market.
X-Com would have been a lot tougher if you had to keep good relations. Imagine losing all your bases in a territory if you pissed them off? (or having to defend against human attacks?)
They've changed the turns to work more like D&D? I can get behind that. It does seem to imply you can't poke around a corner, fire/throw a grenade and go hide again (though I personally rarely had the TUs to actually do that); good, real men don't hide, real men run into enemies screaming with all their grenades primed.
That's the only change so far that I've cocked my head and glanced suspiciously at.
I LIKE that you can move a step or two, look around, and then move back if you want. Losing that feels a little unnecessary, maybe even arbitrary, but we'll just have to see how it handles when it comes out, I guess.
It sounds a lot more "gamey" than the original's sim type setup. Stuff like bonuses for countries and specific tasks and story missions.
To be fair, there waas always a semi-fixed mission at the end of Enemy Unknown and TFTD, adding a couple more shouldn't hurt things, and the country-based tasks add a bit more interest to the game rather than just ignoring funding nations after Laser Base gets built.
Ok, it looks like some of the information we got from people who read the Game Informer article was wrong. Apparently those people didn't read it right or something. Anyway, here are some clarifications:
1. Not sure if the GAF poster was reading the mag upside down or something, but no. Countries don't research stuff, XCOM does. Countries will give you missions with tradeoffs (send us 4 laser rifles and we'll give you 10 engineers etc).
2. Grappling hook is an armor ability, not a class thing. The sniper in the example was equipped with an armor suit that has a grapple ability.
3. The cinimatic view is purely presentation, just some eye candy for big moments in combat.
4. You start out with only 4 soldiers and then upgrade your limit from there.
Captain_Brian on
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
I was never good at X-com, but I did enjoy the hell out of it. I really can't wait for this.
A thought did just cross my mind, though - Multi-monitor support. Have the cinematic view on one screen, and the tactical view on another. That way you get the best of both.
(also there is a hyphen in the new XCOM logo - it's in the COM part.)
More info from people who've read the Game Informer article:
'The PC Difference - XCOM obviously has deep PC roots and a hardcore fanbase with strong feelings about strategy franchises moving to consoles. It's natural for them to worry about a game like XCOM being dumbed down during the transition from keyboard to gamepad. Everything that Firaxis has shown so far indicates that any 'dumbing down' is limited solely to removing over-designed rules. For example, the original's Time Units have been removed for a simple move+action (or double move) for each unit. The idea is to let players still make the same decisions - move here, shoot that - without having to precisely calculate steps taken and type of shots fired in order to optimize that final five percent of combat effciency. And fear not, PC players - Firaxis is planning to take advantage of the platform's unique capabilities to provide an enhanced interface. Lead designer Jake Solomon uses DA:O as an example of what he wants to happen with XCOM. He suggested a zoomed-out full-map view of the tactical map as the kind of feature that PC players can expect that might not make it into the console versions. Finally, if you're an XCOM devotee from the old days, take comfort in the fact that the hardest difficulty is simply called Classic Mode.'
Other notable gameplay changes mentioned: no more Aimed/Snap/Auto shots, but there are two special abilities you can choose between at each level up that add more actions (the example is a choice the sniper gets: 'Squad Sight which lets him fire at any enemy a squadmate can see, or Snap Shot which lets him take a quick shot after moving, an ability normally restricted from sniper rifles).
Oh yeah, there are classes; the ones mentioned are sniper, support, and heavy. Rookies don't come with their class identified, you have to level them up to find out which they are. Weapon clips are gone but you still need to reload, it doesn't say if there are infinite reloads but you no longer manufacture or load clips onto the Skyranger.
The 16 individual countries will each have demands and assign missions - the article mentions Japan requesting a shipment of laser rifles as a reaction to XCOM not protecting their territory, and Africa as being a poor continent but rich in raw materials needed for manufacturing (each continent will have a bonus). The missions are mostly procedurally generated, but there are specific "tentpole scenarios that take place at certain points in the narrative. These come in several forms, from in-game cinematics showing the growing alien threat through the lens of human newscasts to setpiece tactical battles. Firaxis hopes to use these moments to create some semblance of overarching narrative despite the strategic layer being completely player-driven... Firaxis insists that its tactical AI as well as the unique capabilities and squad compositions each player will bring to them will maintain the game's integrity."
When a soldier is killed by a destructive enough weapon, "his equipment is so badly damaged that it can't be salvaged." Environments are destructible, and suppressive fire is in the game - the example is a heavy pinning down a Sectoid, denying it a turn during the aliens' turn. There are pictures of Sectoids, Mutons, and Cyberdiscs, which are fairly faithful to the originals, although cyberdiscs also come in spiderlike forms. Sectoids can use their psionic abilities to link up with each other to increase their effectiveness, but killing one will kill any others it is linked with. Mutons have Blood Call, "a battle cry that excites surrounding Mutons into a kind of animalistic fury.
Finally, the gay hipsters are called Thin Men. "The Thin Man is strikingly similar to the Slender Man myths. It may be that some morphogenic race has been secretly studying humanity, and has sent these human facsimiles to Earth as spies. Unnaturally tall and slender, Thin Men are not perfect replicas.... Once engaged in battle, a Thin Man will perform acrobatic maneuvers unlike any human. Thin Men are capable of covering large swaths of ground in a single bound. Snipers should be wary of their ability to jump up several stories in a single leap. Once engaged in close quarters, the Thin Man unhinges its jaw and vomits forth a spray of corrosive putrescence... upon expiration, a Thin Man will explode in an acid shower damaging nearby equipment and field personel."
I have no idea why they chose to feature the Thin Men in the first released screenshots - there are about 30 screenshots and those are easily the worst. The tactical view is moveable from a bird's eye 70 degree view to ground level behind/to the side of the soldier. The picture of the geoscape is incomplete, it only shows the globe. The base screens seem similar - the example is a research screen, with a list of topics and a scientist presumably moving in the background. Soldiers are indeed clad in Gears of War style armor, but both soldiers and aliens are drawn in a very clean comic style reminiscent of the animated cinematics of the original (or the Firaxis house style circa Civ V).
(spoilering due to giant quote :P)
Ah, that explains some things a bit better. So it does sound like movement will be handled similarly to Shadow Wars. In fact, a lot of things in this sound similar to Shadow Wars - the Heavy dude in that game had suppressive fire as well. This is good, they should copy the hell out of that game because it was developed by Gollop and was a pretty great evolution of the X-Com design.
The classes thing kind of makes sense, though I'm not sure exactly what they are saying. What I'm going to assume is that you level/spec your squad into the class as they gain XP/ranks (or whatever) from doing missions. I don't really understand the "to find out which they are" part though. I would assume you get to choose, wouldn't you? The way the original worked if I'm remembering right is you basically equipped dudes (usually based on their random stats) and they sort of grew into that role since performing those actions boosted the appropriate stats. I'm guessing they are going for something similar, but in a more defined "you pick what you want" approach. So you maybe lose the ability for, say, a guy you had been having lug around a grenade launcher the entire time to suddenly switch to pistols or something, but then that guy would have sucked with those weapons anyways.
I like the Sectoid psychic thing btw. That sounds like a neat idea.
The classes thing kind of makes sense, though I'm not sure exactly what they are saying. What I'm going to assume is that you level/spec your squad into the class as they gain XP/ranks (or whatever) from doing missions. I don't really understand the "to find out which they are" part though. I would assume you get to choose, wouldn't you?
I read that as, and hope it is, pre-determined but unknown. As in, you run the rooks through the paces and the brave, the few, the lucky reveal themselves to be competent snipers, supports, or heavies.
pressive fire as well. This is good, they should copy the hell out of that game because it was developed by Gollop and was a pretty great evolution of the X-Com design.
The classes thing kind of makes sense, though I'm not sure exactly what they are saying. What I'm going to assume is that you level/spec your squad into the class as they gain XP/ranks (or whatever) from doing missions. I don't really understand the "to find out which they are" part though. I would assume you get to choose, wouldn't you? The way the original worked if I'm remembering right is you basically equipped dudes (usually based on their random stats) and they sort of grew into that role since performing those actions boosted the appropriate stats. I'm guessing they are going for something similar, but in a more defined "you pick what you want" approach. So you maybe lose the ability for, say, a guy you had been having lug around a grenade launcher the entire time to suddenly switch to pistols or something, but then that guy would have sucked with those weapons anyways.
I like the Sectoid psychic thing btw. That sounds like a neat idea.
....Kind of. Each soldier had their own set of stats at the beginning though. So you could, if you really, really, really wanted to, give someone with 10 strength and 70 accuracy a gigantic cannon and watch them be unable to do anything with it because they can't even lift it to fire for the first many, many, many missions they'll be on, but normally you'll want to equip the guys with high strength heavy weapons and the guys with high accuracy rifles and cannons.
Posts
Shit, most of my X-Com missions ended that way until I started getting heavily into psionics.
Every mission was an entity filled with the crushed hopes and dreams of the poor grunt bastards I sent in to stop the enemy. Cue one Aliens-esque sequence of events later, and one shell-shocked badass emerged from the Chryssalid and Muton decorated ruins of the combat zone dual wielding two almost-empty machine guns.
So every mission was basically Aliens meets Rambo: First Blood.
And don't even get me started on Terror from the Deep. Which removed the Rambo part of things entirely and usually was a running battle to haul my ass back to the lander before they picked off my last good squad member.
I think most people have a problem with the FPS game because it has almost nothing in common with the X-Com license, not necessarily because it's a FPS. I mean, the original showing was literally Bioshock in the 50s with black blobs. There was absolutely nothing recognizably X-Com about it (and the backstory directly contradicts the backstory of the original game). After huge backlash they re-tooled the game into a Mass Effect ripoff because I guess that is somehow "TBS-like," but it still feels very half-assed (and somehow looks worse than their original showing, at least graphically). And I think they still won't confirm or deny whether any aliens from the original are even returning (compare that to this new one that has already announced Sectoids and Mutons are back in the span of a day after announcement), or if they is any base building, etc.
For what it's worth, I think the franchise would work pretty well as a squad-based shooter ala SWAT or something. But you need to at least keep some recognizable elements in there.
Also where do we see art for the new skyranger interceptor, i havent seen any?
Yeah, I would play the shit out of Rainbow Six: X-Com.
But it would take some pretty crazy game-making to make it work and still feel x-com-like.
In the video interview linked earlier with the art director.
The Art Of XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
The FPS has almost nothing to do with the TBS games, which is why everyone hates it. Of course, with this game the way it is and the FPS disappearing into development oblivion again, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a diifferent version of the FPS again.
I love how the new screens show some of the environmental destruction.
Also, not really sure why them being slightly hunched over changes their role?
Maybe from their later role in the game as psi warriors? Though they still have the nice big heads to do that with.
I bet they are totally enslaved and lobotomized, hence being used a feral soldiers by the Mutons or something.
Love this scale.
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
Where'd you hear that?
Also, is it possible that there's a 4-soldier limit per squad, but you can bring multiple squads to a mission area? After all, in the art director interview, he mentioned that it was a challenge making a Skyranger that looked like it could go fast and carry a lot of troops, so a hard limit of 4 doesn't seem like it would make sense.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
I was so pissed when X-Com: Alliance got canned. It was basically this. THAT is how you do a FPS X-Com game.
Apparently, the beta code for that is leaked.
So, that's interesting.
Why I fear the ocean.
I've been saying shit like this forever. Want to modernize JA2(or every turn based strategy game) into a shooter? Keep every weapon, voice, feature, and map, BUT, make the graphics up to standards, change the battlegrounds and UI to 3d graphics, replace the tactical turn based battles with something more SWAT, GR, and R6 oriented, and I'm talking about the early ones. Bam, you have the makings of a great game, now if only the "developer" knows how to make it.
Excellent.
"What? You want to just salt the earth with those blaster bombs? Well you can do that, but don't expect any salvage. And See that alien there, with the huge death gun? The one that just disintegrated that rookie? You're not getting that laser rifle back from him. Good luck!
I like the sound of that.
Like, that's basically ripped straight from X-Com. Something goes off near a corpse it's GOODBYE CORPSE AND STUFF NEAR CORPSE.
[edit] Yeah, I'm pretty sure using explosives destroyed equipment even in the originals.
[edit2] Ah, I think heen has it.
Er, this makes it seem less gamey. Different nations have different resources available to them. Before it was just "here have money".
There might be a reason to actually keep the Council happy instead of just having a base or two mass produce laser cannons to sell on the black market.
That's the only change so far that I've cocked my head and glanced suspiciously at.
I LIKE that you can move a step or two, look around, and then move back if you want. Losing that feels a little unnecessary, maybe even arbitrary, but we'll just have to see how it handles when it comes out, I guess.
To be fair, there waas always a semi-fixed mission at the end of Enemy Unknown and TFTD, adding a couple more shouldn't hurt things, and the country-based tasks add a bit more interest to the game rather than just ignoring funding nations after Laser Base gets built.
A thought did just cross my mind, though - Multi-monitor support. Have the cinematic view on one screen, and the tactical view on another. That way you get the best of both.
(also there is a hyphen in the new XCOM logo - it's in the COM part.)
=======================================================
Ah, that explains some things a bit better. So it does sound like movement will be handled similarly to Shadow Wars. In fact, a lot of things in this sound similar to Shadow Wars - the Heavy dude in that game had suppressive fire as well. This is good, they should copy the hell out of that game because it was developed by Gollop and was a pretty great evolution of the X-Com design.
The classes thing kind of makes sense, though I'm not sure exactly what they are saying. What I'm going to assume is that you level/spec your squad into the class as they gain XP/ranks (or whatever) from doing missions. I don't really understand the "to find out which they are" part though. I would assume you get to choose, wouldn't you? The way the original worked if I'm remembering right is you basically equipped dudes (usually based on their random stats) and they sort of grew into that role since performing those actions boosted the appropriate stats. I'm guessing they are going for something similar, but in a more defined "you pick what you want" approach. So you maybe lose the ability for, say, a guy you had been having lug around a grenade launcher the entire time to suddenly switch to pistols or something, but then that guy would have sucked with those weapons anyways.
I like the Sectoid psychic thing btw. That sounds like a neat idea.
I read that as, and hope it is, pre-determined but unknown. As in, you run the rooks through the paces and the brave, the few, the lucky reveal themselves to be competent snipers, supports, or heavies.
....Kind of. Each soldier had their own set of stats at the beginning though. So you could, if you really, really, really wanted to, give someone with 10 strength and 70 accuracy a gigantic cannon and watch them be unable to do anything with it because they can't even lift it to fire for the first many, many, many missions they'll be on, but normally you'll want to equip the guys with high strength heavy weapons and the guys with high accuracy rifles and cannons.