Also my idea for an elite version of the thin man is this: they're infiltrators, so an advanced version is an infiltrator that is indistinguishable from a human being. They look exactly the same until they pull a pistol and shoot you. Now put this enemy into a terror mission.
I had a terror missions where entire map was full of aggressive Mutons that did not give a shit about killing civilians. They would run passed the civies without a care. I just bunkered up in the middle of the street behind some car wrecks (where I ambushed 3 Chryssalids at the start of the mission) and shot at waves and waves of Mutons.
Lost one civie to a rocket, the rest lived. Terror mission? more like Xcom: Tower Defense.
I'm undecided regarding shiv's. Sure they are nice when there are alien psionics lurking about but they have no soul, kind of like my rookies. Just send them in and if they survive I might get to know them better.
Don't like soldier rewards, it's nice to get a high ranking soldier (perhaps even more so on higher difficulties) but I don't know them. I like to see them earn it.
"The unwritten rule is a new guy's life isn't worth as much 'cause he hasn't put his time in yet."
Also my idea for an elite version of the thin man is this: they're infiltrators, so an advanced version is an infiltrator that is indistinguishable from a human being. They look exactly the same until they pull a pistol and shoot you. Now put this enemy into a terror mission.
Do you see.
Do you.
i can't see.
They're indistinguishable.
They can already get spotted by your last soldier on your phase, take cover around you, and then rape you when it becomes their faze. Why be sneaky about it?
So last night I got the escort mission with the suspected alien-lovin' politician, on the laundrymat map. It's an early Classic/Ironman game and on the previous mission my vets were all injured, leaving me with a Squaddie Assault and three rookies to handle the escort. Has to be one of the craziest missions I've experienced so far.
Bit of a long read, but I just had to get it out of my system. It started out simple enough...
I started by setting up defensive positions among the laundry machines inside the laundrymat. A Thin Man who came at my troops was quickly taken care of. Didn't like the large, open rooms, however, so I had my men move up onto the roof of the opposite building.
Things were going great, my soldiers moved towards the extraction zone with good speed and one of my rookies took out a Sectoid camping on the roof on the opposite building with an impressive long range shot. The extraction zone was in sight.
Then a Thin Man jumped up. My Assault scored a hit with his reaction shot, but the wound barely slowed the Thin Man who darted around a small shack, plasma gun in hand. Two of the rookies who were positioned on the other side failed to react and the one closest to the Thin Man paid with his life, causing both remaining rookies to panic. Luckily they just hunkered down, not shooting anyone.
When the new turn begun my Assault moved up behind the alien and killed it with ease. We were down one man, but still in pretty good shape.
My troops had barely recovered when another Thin Man jumped up onto the roof, right in front of my rookies. Both of them missed their reaction shots. During my turn both rookies then missed their shots again, leaving my Assault to get things done. I had to score the hit, so I moved him closer only to trigger the Thin Man's overwatch which I had missed completely. My Assault took the plasma bolt dead center in the chest, leaving just a single hitpoint. No worries, the alien would be dead soon anyway. Taking his position, my Assault lined up his weapon and fired. Now he missed.
As the Thin Man moved a little closer and raised his weapon I was already saying goodbye to my Assault. When the head of the rookie next to my Assault vaporized into a red mist I couldn't believe my grim luck. My remaining rookie was screaming again, whimpering and calling for an extraction. Now it was payback time. My Assault lined up his shot and just as he pulled the trigger, I realized I'd made a fatal mistake.
I hadn't moved my Assault away after the Thin Man had gotten closer.
As the poison cloud engulfed him I knew he was doomed, with the medic one of the earlier casualities. I ended the turn and the poison surged through the veins of my Assault, killing him. This sent my lone surviving soldier into another fit of panic. He raised his assault rifle, screaming - and shot the politician in the back of the head at point blank range. Incredibly, he survived minus his long term memory and some other non-vital parts of his head.
So, left with a rookie who'd seen more breakdowns than Lindsay Lohan and a half-dead politician I moved them up to the edge of the roof. The extraction zone was right there, close enough for a one turn dash. A lone Sectoid scurried away as it was detected, hiding in the shadows. Figuring it had spent its moves, I sent the politician running. He made it. Now all that remained was to clear out the remaining aliens. With a rookie. Outnumbered probably six to one. I did not expect Endo, a rookie hailing from the land of the rising sun, to make it out alive.
Endo, however, had other ideas. This man, this beautiful beast of a man, decided it was time to man up, time to face his fears and show those alien bastards a thing or two about human resilience.
First he wore down a Thin Man using reaction shots after it was jumping up and down the roof, seemingly not keen on getting stuck up there without cover. Before the green, oozing cloud had even dissapated Endo then faced the Sectoid who had hidden earlier. Firing its plasma rifle from street level it missed, allowing Endo to promptly dispatch it with a single burst into its forehead. He was kicking ass and taking names.
Still aliens about, Endo carefully made his way down to street level and then around to the door of the building. Four Sectoids waited for him as he opened the door and after a grueling firefight Endo, like a modern day samurai who doesn't know the meaning of giving up, stood victorious surrounded by Sectoid corpses and what remained of the building that had been absolutely destroyed in the exchange of bullets and plasma bolts. Bleeding and exhausted he limped towards the extraction zone. He was going home.
---
Probably the most intense and most satisfying mission I've experienced so far. It was also the closest I've come to a squad wipe so far (which includes a complete run of Normal/Ironman before moving up to this game of Classic/Ironman).
Endo racked up a total of six kills in his first mission and was promoted to Corporal, but apparently the brass is a bunch of hardasses because he didn't earn a nickname. That's XCOM, eh?
TL;DR - A rookie soldier breaks down as the rest of his squad is wiped out, then decides he wants to be awesome and kills everything.
Flying plasma SHIVs are like tiny angry gods who rain death on the enemy from a mile in the air.
My standard late game strategy in the original was having a hover shiv exit the skyranger and go to the top level and kill everything close to the drop zone. But still, no soul.
1) Shot down Overseer. Had a chance to stun Ethereal, but had forgotten to pack the arc thrower. What was I thinking? No casualties.
2) Outfitted my best psi soldier with special armor. Started construction on Gollop chamber.
3) Shot down and assaulted a battleship. 2 wounded because I wanted capture the Ethereal, which I ended up not doing. I had the opportunity, but it would have meant sacrificing my Colonel Assault. The upside is that Support soldier Maj. Patrick "Magic Man" Stewart (100% randomly generated!!) finally was promoted to Colonel.
4) Researched and manufactured blaster launchers. Also armed my fleet of Firestorms with Fusion Lances.
5) Landed supply ship? Sure. Except, oh shit! The very first move I made to the nearest cover revealed 3 Elite Mutons, 3 Chryssalids, and an Ethereal. Luckily the Mutons disappear with the Ethereal. The 'lids die in a hail of gunfire. When I try to chase the Ethereal, SECTOPOD! Which dies in a turn. Then a couple Cyberdisks and their drones come to visit. Eventually they all die, and my team finally leaves the LZ. That Ethereal ends up getting stunned and introduced to a certain Doctor. Too bad I have nothing else to research (sadly, no achievement, since I realized I never took a floater alive). Two wounded.
6) Terror mission in China. Very Difficult. Awfully tempted to ignore it, Gollop chamber almost done, panic levels are low. Do it anyway, collapsed highway or bridge or something. One assault soldier is wounded when a sectopod rockets the car she is using for cover and it explodes immediately. My other assault? He's way out in front of the team rescuing civvies and killing 'lids. Couple of well placed blaster bombs, and the team finishes it Like a Scalpel.
7) China is grateful and would like 5 plasma rifles. I've got 15. Done. 2000 space credits, and nothing to spend it on. All my soldiers are healthy, the chamber is complete, the council meeting is in 11 days. Time for bed.
FWIW, my general tactical strategy has been to get my Squadsite sniper to a good vantage point, then advance the team in a skirmish line with everybody in overwatch while the sniper stays put. Entry teams are usually two assaults if I've got them, otherwise 1 assault and 1 support.
Flying plasma SHIVs are like tiny angry gods who rain death on the enemy from a mile in the air.
My standard late game strategy in the original was having a hover shiv exit the skyranger and go to the top level and kill everything close to the drop zone. But still, no soul.
I'm pretty sure you have to have a soul to display the level of righteous fury these things are packing. Just turn after turn of burning green judgement.
Flying plasma SHIVs are like tiny angry gods who rain death on the enemy from a mile in the air.
My standard late game strategy in the original was having a hover shiv exit the skyranger and go to the top level and kill everything close to the drop zone. But still, no soul.
I'm pretty sure you have to have a soul to display the level of righteous fury these things are packing. Just turn after turn of burning green judgement.
I will give the floating plasma arch angel of death a try and get back to you.
Are there any farm missions? I really miss setting fire to barns.
My current game is a normal game. I'm pretty much kicking ass, although I did lose Australia early as there was nothing I could to stop it. I'm on the next priority research after the first alien base, have good satellite coverage and a nexus/3 sats incoming (have usa's bonus, 2 over Asia due to panc. 2 over Europe due to panic, and wi get
Africa soon)
I'm thinking about starting over on classic though, now that I have my bearings about. It's not like it's been cake or the RNG hasn't fucked me, just more that it was meant to be played on classic.
So when rolling in with 5 guys, what do you guys usually pack?
I try to give my snipers SCOPE, but I always feel like every time I need a grenade or medkit no one has any. I use the nano vest thing WAY too often in hopes of keeping people alive. Any advice would be great.
Really thinking that it's not worth trying to brute force through when it's clear this first run is a disaster, and it may be worth just restarting now that I actually understand how important certain things (in month 3 and I just now realized how important satellites are) are.
PSN: mxmarks - WiiU: mxmarks - twitter: @ MikesPS4 - twitch.tv/mxmarks - "Yes, mxmarks is the King of Queens" - Unbreakable Vow
There's a mod that allows you to equip the taser in the pistol slot. Apparently the code is there, so at one point it was meant to go in the pistol slot but then they changed their minds before release. Mods are also doing other cool things, like giving late game armor more equippable slots (wearing Titan armor gives you 2 slots, like the support talent does) and letting you shoot down UFOs before they even get to where they're going.
Hi Firaxis, stop being silly and implement these officially please. Thanks.
Yeah all those mods are kinda buggy (the tazer pistol one has buggy animations). Official support (or more comprehensive modding support) would be great.
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
I think there are enough valuable inventory items that an OTS upgrade to get Deep Pockets for everyone wouldn't necessarily undermine the tough choices balance.
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
0
KayWhat we need...Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered Userregular
If you could put an Arc Thrower in your Pistol slot, then your Assaults could Run and Gun with them, which may have been a little too safe for XCom, baby.
One grenade a battle is fine for game balance, it doesn't bother me as a realism thing. I also like the way that the 'discovery->disperse' mechanic leads to you sloowly advancing along the map, and dissuades you from sprinting up to flank if you don't know what's there. I mean, baiting an enemy into an unfavorable position is a pretty effective tactic, right?
If you could put an Arc Thrower in your Pistol slot, then your Assaults could Run and Gun with them, which may have been a little too safe for XCom, baby.
One grenade a battle is fine for game balance, it doesn't bother me as a realism thing. I also like the way that the 'discovery->disperse' mechanic leads to you sloowly advancing along the map, and dissuades you from sprinting up to flank if you don't know what's there. I mean, baiting an enemy into an unfavorable position is a pretty effective tactic, right?
On higher difficulties, they get smart. They don't follow you in. They also have infinite patience
0
KayWhat we need...Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered Userregular
If you could put an Arc Thrower in your Pistol slot, then your Assaults could Run and Gun with them, which may have been a little too safe for XCom, baby.
One grenade a battle is fine for game balance, it doesn't bother me as a realism thing. I also like the way that the 'discovery->disperse' mechanic leads to you sloowly advancing along the map, and dissuades you from sprinting up to flank if you don't know what's there. I mean, baiting an enemy into an unfavorable position is a pretty effective tactic, right?
On higher difficulties, they get smart. They don't follow you in. They also have infinite patience
No, I'm saying that if you charge blindly to flank them, YOU are being baited into an unfavorable position by the aliens so they pop a discovery and push your shit in. Which is why you don't charge blindly to flank them. Though charging into an area you know is clear thanks to a sniper's scannerdrone is fine. Unless you get teleport-glitch stuff.
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
0
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
I think there are enough valuable inventory items that an OTS upgrade to get Deep Pockets for everyone wouldn't necessarily undermine the tough choices balance.
But I do take your point.
I honestly wouldn't use much beyond scope and grenades for everyone, with a dedicated arc thrower and support carrying a medkit. Later you just stick everyone with the absolute no brainer choice of mind shield and then scopes (as arc thrower is beyond pointless by end game). It utterly demolishes any semblance of inventory being a hard choice and make the already good items must haves, because you can get them and the utility item (medkit, arc thrower) instead of just bring a trade off as the are now.
And arc throwers replacing the pistol would mean swimming in plasma and interrogations, because it would be so simple to just move whoever you wanted up to capture an alien. As its a limited inventory item and not something you can just equip as a secondary weapon whenever you want, it makes it a tough and necessary choice. This is why they did it this way and it's clearly the best design decision, as I am sure the mods with two inventory slots will find out when people easily roll the game due to having optimal equipment builds for any situation.
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
The risk associated with the stun is huge because of the range. If you miss, you are dead...unless you're playing on normal or are save scumming.
In which case the discussion is a moot point because you'll be swimming in plasma weaponry anyway.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
0
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
The risk associated with the stun is huge because of the range. If you miss, you are dead...unless you're playing on normal or are save scumming.
In which case the discussion is a moot point because you'll be swimming in plasma weaponry anyway.
I have never failed a stun on classic or impossible. So long as you soften them up first, it shouldn't really be an issue and late game with improved arc thrower is a non issue.
If I could take an arc thrower over a pistol, I would never use a pistol again until I didn't need to interrogate enemies anymore.
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
The risk associated with the stun is huge because of the range. If you miss, you are dead...unless you're playing on normal or are save scumming.
In which case the discussion is a moot point because you'll be swimming in plasma weaponry anyway.
I have never failed a stun on classic or impossible. So long as you soften them up first, it shouldn't really be an issue and late game with improved arc thrower is a non issue.
If I could take an arc thrower over a pistol, I would never use a pistol again.
There's an improved arc thrower?
...fuck.
Also: I've never had to use a pistol, apart from with low level snipers.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
0
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
The risk associated with the stun is huge because of the range. If you miss, you are dead...unless you're playing on normal or are save scumming.
In which case the discussion is a moot point because you'll be swimming in plasma weaponry anyway.
I have never failed a stun on classic or impossible. So long as you soften them up first, it shouldn't really be an issue and late game with improved arc thrower is a non issue.
If I could take an arc thrower over a pistol, I would never use a pistol again.
There's an improved arc thrower?
...fuck.
Also: I've never had to use a pistol, apart from with low level snipers.
On writing my post above, I realized a terrible irony: I extensively use pistols to soften targets up for the arc thrower.
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
The risk associated with the stun is huge because of the range. If you miss, you are dead...unless you're playing on normal or are save scumming.
In which case the discussion is a moot point because you'll be swimming in plasma weaponry anyway.
I have never failed a stun on classic or impossible. So long as you soften them up first, it shouldn't really be an issue and late game with improved arc thrower is a non issue.
If I could take an arc thrower over a pistol, I would never use a pistol again.
There's an improved arc thrower?
...fuck.
Also: I've never had to use a pistol, apart from with low level snipers.
On writing my post above, I realized a terrible irony: I extensively use pistols to soften targets up for the arc thrower.
So when rolling in with 5 guys, what do you guys usually pack?
I try to give my snipers SCOPE, but I always feel like every time I need a grenade or medkit no one has any. I use the nano vest thing WAY too often in hopes of keeping people alive. Any advice would be great.
Really thinking that it's not worth trying to brute force through when it's clear this first run is a disaster, and it may be worth just restarting now that I actually understand how important certain things (in month 3 and I just now realized how important satellites are) are.
Scope on snipers, medkit on support once they have the "use medkits three times" talent, +psi item on my psionics, nades on everyone else until mutons show up, then scope for everyone (unless I'm playing failing Impossible, in which case Scope for everyone else from the outset). Arc thrower carrier is either whoever has the most HP, a rookie or a support with the two inventory perk.
So I shot down a Medium UFO and sent out my A-Team to kill anything moving there. While enroute, I get an abduction alert, and my only option is to Ignore it. Once I'm done with the UFO, will I be able to respond to the abductions too? Or do I automatically fail all 3 of them because I happened to be in the air?
So I shot down a Medium UFO and sent out my A-Team to kill anything moving there. While enroute, I get an abduction alert, and my only option is to Ignore it. Once I'm done with the UFO, will I be able to respond to the abductions too? Or do I automatically fail all 3 of them because I happened to be in the air?
You usually have a window of a day or so before the missions are no longer available, so long as the UFO you shot down isn't halfway across the world you should be able to make it back in time.
My gf and I are playing XCom on the same computer, same Steam account for now, and she has accidentally deleted my game save twice now. She selected on an extra save of hers, clicked delete, and then my game was deleted. This has happened twice now. I haven't played it much yet, so it's not like there's a ton of progress that I've lost, but it's really annoying to have the game mess up like this.
Anyone know what could be causing this? Just a weird bug, or something? Or is she just spastic?
The mouse wheel is really flakey on the save game screen. You can avoid the issue by using different windows logins. Otherwise, you have to be certain to click the game you want to select. Just seeing it selected isn't enough.
My gf and I are playing XCom on the same computer, same Steam account for now, and she has accidentally deleted my game save twice now. She selected on an extra save of hers, clicked delete, and then my game was deleted. This has happened twice now. I haven't played it much yet, so it's not like there's a ton of progress that I've lost, but it's really annoying to have the game mess up like this.
Anyone know what could be causing this? Just a weird bug, or something? Or is she just spastic?
Some of the menus are weird (if I can get technical for a second): its like the index for items on certain grids is not zero based, but when the function is called for a particular row it's sending back a zero based index.
Example: You click on an item, click delete, it deletes the item just above it.
You can easily see this in action on the psionic testing roster screen.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
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Iron WeaselDillon!You son of a bitch!Registered Userregular
They remove those things because they feel that they were not healthy for the game. Shooting down the Abduction UFOs means that you never actually have to make "hard choices". Obviously, it's frustrating how it's sort of artificially forced upon you, but apparently they just didn't have the time required to balance the game to have tough choices arise naturally without players feeling utterly screwed. Tasers in the pistol slot, again, becomes a total no-brainer choice for pretty much anybody who's not a sniper and maybe an Assault, at least after you get Ammo Conservation. Extra inventory slots? Chitin for everybody, why the hell not!
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
The risk associated with the stun is huge because of the range. If you miss, you are dead...unless you're playing on normal or are save scumming.
In which case the discussion is a moot point because you'll be swimming in plasma weaponry anyway.
I have never failed a stun on classic or impossible. So long as you soften them up first, it shouldn't really be an issue and late game with improved arc thrower is a non issue.
If I could take an arc thrower over a pistol, I would never use a pistol again until I didn't need to interrogate enemies anymore.
One of my Assaults blew a 95% chance to to stun a heavy floater who was down to 2 HP with an improved Arc Thrower. Had to have someone else shoot the floater to save the soldier. Later, a suppressed Sectopod bulls-eye'd her for 15 damage, ending a promising career.
XCOMbaby.jpg, etc...
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The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
If you have PSI troopers, and you mind control a target and the aliens kill it before mind control wears off, you keep that target's equipment intact by the end of the battle.
I'd guess it's a bug - game treats it as a friendly death so items = recovered. But if it is or isn't, it's a hell of a lot more effective and safe method of recovering some free equipment compared to the Arc thrower.
As long as whatever you're trying to mind control isn't also a PSI user.
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jefe414"My Other Drill Hole is a Teleporter"Mechagodzilla is Best GodzillaRegistered Userregular
If you have PSI troopers, and you mind control a target and the aliens kill it before mind control wears off, you keep that target's equipment intact by the end of the battle.
I'd guess it's a bug - game treats it as a friendly death so items = recovered. But if it is or isn't, it's a hell of a lot more effective and safe method of recovering some free equipment compared to the Arc thrower.
As long as whatever you're trying to mind control isn't also a PSI user.
It probably is a bug. however, I think it's balanced by the fact that a mind controlled alien, when killed, can cause panic in your own troops (loss of ally).
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i can't see.
They're indistinguishable.
Lost one civie to a rocket, the rest lived. Terror mission? more like Xcom: Tower Defense.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
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Very difficult anything is KILLING my squad on normal. I will not lose you, best sniper i have!
Don't like soldier rewards, it's nice to get a high ranking soldier (perhaps even more so on higher difficulties) but I don't know them. I like to see them earn it.
"The unwritten rule is a new guy's life isn't worth as much 'cause he hasn't put his time in yet."
They can already get spotted by your last soldier on your phase, take cover around you, and then rape you when it becomes their faze. Why be sneaky about it?
Bit of a long read, but I just had to get it out of my system. It started out simple enough...
Things were going great, my soldiers moved towards the extraction zone with good speed and one of my rookies took out a Sectoid camping on the roof on the opposite building with an impressive long range shot. The extraction zone was in sight.
Then a Thin Man jumped up. My Assault scored a hit with his reaction shot, but the wound barely slowed the Thin Man who darted around a small shack, plasma gun in hand. Two of the rookies who were positioned on the other side failed to react and the one closest to the Thin Man paid with his life, causing both remaining rookies to panic. Luckily they just hunkered down, not shooting anyone.
When the new turn begun my Assault moved up behind the alien and killed it with ease. We were down one man, but still in pretty good shape.
My troops had barely recovered when another Thin Man jumped up onto the roof, right in front of my rookies. Both of them missed their reaction shots. During my turn both rookies then missed their shots again, leaving my Assault to get things done. I had to score the hit, so I moved him closer only to trigger the Thin Man's overwatch which I had missed completely. My Assault took the plasma bolt dead center in the chest, leaving just a single hitpoint. No worries, the alien would be dead soon anyway. Taking his position, my Assault lined up his weapon and fired. Now he missed.
As the Thin Man moved a little closer and raised his weapon I was already saying goodbye to my Assault. When the head of the rookie next to my Assault vaporized into a red mist I couldn't believe my grim luck. My remaining rookie was screaming again, whimpering and calling for an extraction. Now it was payback time. My Assault lined up his shot and just as he pulled the trigger, I realized I'd made a fatal mistake.
I hadn't moved my Assault away after the Thin Man had gotten closer.
As the poison cloud engulfed him I knew he was doomed, with the medic one of the earlier casualities. I ended the turn and the poison surged through the veins of my Assault, killing him. This sent my lone surviving soldier into another fit of panic. He raised his assault rifle, screaming - and shot the politician in the back of the head at point blank range. Incredibly, he survived minus his long term memory and some other non-vital parts of his head.
So, left with a rookie who'd seen more breakdowns than Lindsay Lohan and a half-dead politician I moved them up to the edge of the roof. The extraction zone was right there, close enough for a one turn dash. A lone Sectoid scurried away as it was detected, hiding in the shadows. Figuring it had spent its moves, I sent the politician running. He made it. Now all that remained was to clear out the remaining aliens. With a rookie. Outnumbered probably six to one. I did not expect Endo, a rookie hailing from the land of the rising sun, to make it out alive.
Endo, however, had other ideas. This man, this beautiful beast of a man, decided it was time to man up, time to face his fears and show those alien bastards a thing or two about human resilience.
First he wore down a Thin Man using reaction shots after it was jumping up and down the roof, seemingly not keen on getting stuck up there without cover. Before the green, oozing cloud had even dissapated Endo then faced the Sectoid who had hidden earlier. Firing its plasma rifle from street level it missed, allowing Endo to promptly dispatch it with a single burst into its forehead. He was kicking ass and taking names.
Still aliens about, Endo carefully made his way down to street level and then around to the door of the building. Four Sectoids waited for him as he opened the door and after a grueling firefight Endo, like a modern day samurai who doesn't know the meaning of giving up, stood victorious surrounded by Sectoid corpses and what remained of the building that had been absolutely destroyed in the exchange of bullets and plasma bolts. Bleeding and exhausted he limped towards the extraction zone. He was going home.
---
Probably the most intense and most satisfying mission I've experienced so far. It was also the closest I've come to a squad wipe so far (which includes a complete run of Normal/Ironman before moving up to this game of Classic/Ironman).
Endo racked up a total of six kills in his first mission and was promoted to Corporal, but apparently the brass is a bunch of hardasses because he didn't earn a nickname. That's XCOM, eh?
TL;DR - A rookie soldier breaks down as the rest of his squad is wiped out, then decides he wants to be awesome and kills everything.
My standard late game strategy in the original was having a hover shiv exit the skyranger and go to the top level and kill everything close to the drop zone. But still, no soul.
1) Shot down Overseer. Had a chance to stun Ethereal, but had forgotten to pack the arc thrower. What was I thinking? No casualties.
2) Outfitted my best psi soldier with special armor. Started construction on Gollop chamber.
3) Shot down and assaulted a battleship. 2 wounded because I wanted capture the Ethereal, which I ended up not doing. I had the opportunity, but it would have meant sacrificing my Colonel Assault. The upside is that Support soldier Maj. Patrick "Magic Man" Stewart (100% randomly generated!!) finally was promoted to Colonel.
4) Researched and manufactured blaster launchers. Also armed my fleet of Firestorms with Fusion Lances.
5) Landed supply ship? Sure. Except, oh shit! The very first move I made to the nearest cover revealed 3 Elite Mutons, 3 Chryssalids, and an Ethereal. Luckily the Mutons disappear with the Ethereal. The 'lids die in a hail of gunfire. When I try to chase the Ethereal, SECTOPOD! Which dies in a turn. Then a couple Cyberdisks and their drones come to visit. Eventually they all die, and my team finally leaves the LZ. That Ethereal ends up getting stunned and introduced to a certain Doctor. Too bad I have nothing else to research (sadly, no achievement, since I realized I never took a floater alive). Two wounded.
6) Terror mission in China. Very Difficult. Awfully tempted to ignore it, Gollop chamber almost done, panic levels are low. Do it anyway, collapsed highway or bridge or something. One assault soldier is wounded when a sectopod rockets the car she is using for cover and it explodes immediately. My other assault? He's way out in front of the team rescuing civvies and killing 'lids. Couple of well placed blaster bombs, and the team finishes it Like a Scalpel.
7) China is grateful and would like 5 plasma rifles. I've got 15. Done. 2000 space credits, and nothing to spend it on. All my soldiers are healthy, the chamber is complete, the council meeting is in 11 days. Time for bed.
FWIW, my general tactical strategy has been to get my Squadsite sniper to a good vantage point, then advance the team in a skirmish line with everybody in overwatch while the sniper stays put. Entry teams are usually two assaults if I've got them, otherwise 1 assault and 1 support.
I'm pretty sure you have to have a soul to display the level of righteous fury these things are packing. Just turn after turn of burning green judgement.
I will give the floating plasma arch angel of death a try and get back to you.
Are there any farm missions? I really miss setting fire to barns.
Africa soon)
I'm thinking about starting over on classic though, now that I have my bearings about. It's not like it's been cake or the RNG hasn't fucked me, just more that it was meant to be played on classic.
I try to give my snipers SCOPE, but I always feel like every time I need a grenade or medkit no one has any. I use the nano vest thing WAY too often in hopes of keeping people alive. Any advice would be great.
Really thinking that it's not worth trying to brute force through when it's clear this first run is a disaster, and it may be worth just restarting now that I actually understand how important certain things (in month 3 and I just now realized how important satellites are) are.
Hi Firaxis, stop being silly and implement these officially please. Thanks.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
But man, Arc Thrower in the secondary slot would be so great.
It's not like these guys shat on a dartboard to make their decisions. There are reasons why things that are only disabled through some variable in an .ini are actually disabled.
If it was up to me I'd change 90% of the game mechanics, actually. There's game balance and then there's pants on head silly:
In our game you are tasked with managing a secret international organisation tasked with saving our species from a highly advanced alien race who are hellbent on ending life as we know it. The fate of the world is in your hands. Your tools in this war for the future? Highly trained men and women versed in the ways of war, the best the world has to offer...
...soldiers who can't carry more than a single grenade on their belts without falling over in spasms.
Good luck.
The game has enough artificially restrictive hard choices Letting the player swap our their sidearm for a taser would be fine
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
But I do take your point.
We would be swimming in plasma weaponry in no time at all. Do i shoot with my laserrifle or stun?
One grenade a battle is fine for game balance, it doesn't bother me as a realism thing. I also like the way that the 'discovery->disperse' mechanic leads to you sloowly advancing along the map, and dissuades you from sprinting up to flank if you don't know what's there. I mean, baiting an enemy into an unfavorable position is a pretty effective tactic, right?
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
On higher difficulties, they get smart. They don't follow you in. They also have infinite patience
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
I honestly wouldn't use much beyond scope and grenades for everyone, with a dedicated arc thrower and support carrying a medkit. Later you just stick everyone with the absolute no brainer choice of mind shield and then scopes (as arc thrower is beyond pointless by end game). It utterly demolishes any semblance of inventory being a hard choice and make the already good items must haves, because you can get them and the utility item (medkit, arc thrower) instead of just bring a trade off as the are now.
And arc throwers replacing the pistol would mean swimming in plasma and interrogations, because it would be so simple to just move whoever you wanted up to capture an alien. As its a limited inventory item and not something you can just equip as a secondary weapon whenever you want, it makes it a tough and necessary choice. This is why they did it this way and it's clearly the best design decision, as I am sure the mods with two inventory slots will find out when people easily roll the game due to having optimal equipment builds for any situation.
The risk associated with the stun is huge because of the range. If you miss, you are dead...unless you're playing on normal or are save scumming.
In which case the discussion is a moot point because you'll be swimming in plasma weaponry anyway.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
I have never failed a stun on classic or impossible. So long as you soften them up first, it shouldn't really be an issue and late game with improved arc thrower is a non issue.
If I could take an arc thrower over a pistol, I would never use a pistol again until I didn't need to interrogate enemies anymore.
There's an improved arc thrower?
...fuck.
Also: I've never had to use a pistol, apart from with low level snipers.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
On writing my post above, I realized a terrible irony: I extensively use pistols to soften targets up for the arc thrower.
This highly amuses me.
I win! ...or do I?
Do I indeed.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
Scope on snipers, medkit on support once they have the "use medkits three times" talent, +psi item on my psionics, nades on everyone else until mutons show up, then scope for everyone (unless I'm playing failing Impossible, in which case Scope for everyone else from the outset). Arc thrower carrier is either whoever has the most HP, a rookie or a support with the two inventory perk.
You usually have a window of a day or so before the missions are no longer available, so long as the UFO you shot down isn't halfway across the world you should be able to make it back in time.
My gf and I are playing XCom on the same computer, same Steam account for now, and she has accidentally deleted my game save twice now. She selected on an extra save of hers, clicked delete, and then my game was deleted. This has happened twice now. I haven't played it much yet, so it's not like there's a ton of progress that I've lost, but it's really annoying to have the game mess up like this.
Anyone know what could be causing this? Just a weird bug, or something? Or is she just spastic?
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Some of the menus are weird (if I can get technical for a second): its like the index for items on certain grids is not zero based, but when the function is called for a particular row it's sending back a zero based index.
Example: You click on an item, click delete, it deletes the item just above it.
You can easily see this in action on the psionic testing roster screen.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
XCOMbaby.jpg, etc...
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
I'd guess it's a bug - game treats it as a friendly death so items = recovered. But if it is or isn't, it's a hell of a lot more effective and safe method of recovering some free equipment compared to the Arc thrower.
As long as whatever you're trying to mind control isn't also a PSI user.
It probably is a bug. however, I think it's balanced by the fact that a mind controlled alien, when killed, can cause panic in your own troops (loss of ally).