As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
We're funding a new Acquisitions Incorporated series on Kickstarter right now! Check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pennyarcade/acquisitions-incorporated-the-series-2

[XCOM] Thread Executed by regenerating Outsider

17980828485100

Posts

  • farbekriegfarbekrieg Registered User regular
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    Has there been any word on any more expansion packs / sequels? I like how EW has revitalized the mid-game, but i still feel like the late game is kind of... empty. Nothing is really challenging me anymore besides Sectopods (which despite being metallic in appearance are clearly made out of highly concentrated bullshit), and the final mission remains meh. I want to get my ass to mars!


    I really hope we do get some more map/mission/character skins and a rework of the final act of the game before we get an outright sequel (enemy from the deep?)

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    heenato wrote: »
    Ahahahah. Oh wow. The rewards for operation progeny are so bad. Good god. Well, at least into Deluge.

    Uh, guaranteed psionics are actually pretty good.

  • heenatoheenato Alice Leywind Registered User regular
    heenato wrote: »
    Ahahahah. Oh wow. The rewards for operation progeny are so bad. Good god. Well, at least into Deluge.

    Uh, guaranteed psionics are actually pretty good.
    I will admit, she's better than I had first expected, BUT, I already had a psionic. And I find Psionics woefully...well, kinda useless. Especially in EW. I mean, the only reason I bothered is because I need one for the final mission.

    M A G I K A Z A M
    Inquisitor77
  • CaptainNemoCaptainNemo Registered User regular
    I'm just so super shitty at this game that it's starting to hamper my enjoyment of it.

    PSN:CaptainNemo1138
    Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
  • BrocksMulletBrocksMullet Into the sunrise, on a jet-ski. Natch.Registered User regular
    heenato wrote: »
    heenato wrote: »
    Ahahahah. Oh wow. The rewards for operation progeny are so bad. Good god. Well, at least into Deluge.

    Uh, guaranteed psionics are actually pretty good.
    I will admit, she's better than I had first expected, BUT, I already had a psionic. And I find Psionics woefully...well, kinda useless. Especially in EW. I mean, the only reason I bothered is because I need one for the final mission.

    Even mind control?

    I, for one, enjoyed the Mako.

    Steam: BrocksMullet http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197972421669/


  • CaptainNemoCaptainNemo Registered User regular
    I mean, I can handle the field operations pretty well. It's the metagame research panic balancing that fucking destroys me.

    PSN:CaptainNemo1138
    Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
  • heenatoheenato Alice Leywind Registered User regular
    edited January 2014
    heenato wrote: »
    heenato wrote: »
    Ahahahah. Oh wow. The rewards for operation progeny are so bad. Good god. Well, at least into Deluge.

    Uh, guaranteed psionics are actually pretty good.
    I will admit, she's better than I had first expected, BUT, I already had a psionic. And I find Psionics woefully...well, kinda useless. Especially in EW. I mean, the only reason I bothered is because I need one for the final mission.

    Even mind control?
    Yes. Because why take control of the alien, have it do...not much, and possibly become a threat again, or prolong the mission, when I have at least 20 explosives, all of the plasmas, and giant punching metal death machines with theoretical particle murder guns.

    Basically, at this point in the game, MC is really only the backup plan for if things go horribly wrong. And the only time that really happens is against sectopods. Which cant be MCed anyway, I believe.

    heenato on
    M A G I K A Z A M
    Inquisitor77
  • PaladinPaladin Registered User regular
    because aliens prioritize shooting traitors - especially ones you can maneuver into more vulnerable positions than your teammates. Also, they'll move out of good cover if your MC flanks them.

    Marty: The future, it's where you're going?
    Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
    chiasaur11BrocksMullet
  • heenatoheenato Alice Leywind Registered User regular
    But I'm at a point where neither of those matter. I mean, yes. Maybe on impossible, but fuck that. I have enough explosives that enemy cover isn't really an issue. I mean, maybe my hubris will end up taking a bite out of my ass (THough I am training up a psionic anyway, since I have to) but I dunno. It's just so underwhelming, because of the things added in EW. Mostly because it leaves something alive. I mean, yes, I could use it to have an expendable alien draw fire, but barring the catastrophic circumstances like activating two or three packs at once, I've usually got the aliens killed on the turn they activate.

    M A G I K A Z A M
  • The Fourth EstateThe Fourth Estate Registered User regular
    Having psionics definitely doesn't hurt. Mindfray is a great way to kill off Muton Elites entreched in heavy cover and higher tier abilities give good repeatable defensive options in the late game. Telekinetic field is very nice vs the new Sectopods for example.

    steam_sig.png
    Dracomicronchiasaur11
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    heenato wrote: »
    But I'm at a point where neither of those matter. I mean, yes. Maybe on impossible, but fuck that. I have enough explosives that enemy cover isn't really an issue. I mean, maybe my hubris will end up taking a bite out of my ass (THough I am training up a psionic anyway, since I have to) but I dunno. It's just so underwhelming, because of the things added in EW. Mostly because it leaves something alive. I mean, yes, I could use it to have an expendable alien draw fire, but barring the catastrophic circumstances like activating two or three packs at once, I've usually got the aliens killed on the turn they activate.

    See, you're talking about the reward's usefulness in your current game and assuming that it's a bad reward for other folks. You can get the Portent rewards well before you have plasma or high end exploders, and it generally comes not long after you get the ability to make psionics in the first place... most people are just rocking lasers at most at that point.

    Further, the crazy high defenses of a lot of endgame enemies can be circumvented by psionics; a Muton Elite in heavy cover can be successfully mitigated by such means, for example.

    Finally, a soldier reward is often considered an attractive deal, especially with Training Roulette, where you can plan out some broken soldier builds, and having four total psychic soldier rewards from that quest chain is gonna be pretty great. Heck, along with the guarantied starter psyker, you can be almost guaranteed a full team of psychics if you want it.

    I'm just saying, the rewards might not have meant much to you, but, on a tough game where you're struggling to that point, Portent can make all the difference.

  • The Fourth EstateThe Fourth Estate Registered User regular
    The problem i had with portent is that changes to research and soldier levelling in EW encourage delaying the base assault right to the end of the game, so you're unlikely to see those early benefits. I had endgame gear by the time i got my psi soldiers.

    steam_sig.png
  • DreadBertDreadBert Registered User regular
    MC is also really handy for getting gear without having to taser aliens. Saves me a fair amount of cash on plasma weapons.

    Outside of early/mid mission suicide recon I agree it can get annoying though. One mc'd alien can be hard to get rid of, 2+ and they can get together for a Frag Party.

  • farbekriegfarbekrieg Registered User regular
    heenato wrote: »
    heenato wrote: »
    Ahahahah. Oh wow. The rewards for operation progeny are so bad. Good god. Well, at least into Deluge.

    Uh, guaranteed psionics are actually pretty good.
    I will admit, she's better than I had first expected, BUT, I already had a psionic. And I find Psionics woefully...well, kinda useless. Especially in EW. I mean, the only reason I bothered is because I need one for the final mission.

    Even mind control?

    yes... yes i have

    mind_control.png

    /classic game non iron man, probably shouldnt count

  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    I love mind control. Enemies seem to prioritize their own MCed guy more than your troops. Of course, that is probably because when I use an alien scout he never gets to use cover.

    steam_sig.png
    BrocksMullet
  • heenatoheenato Alice Leywind Registered User regular
    The problem i had with portent is that changes to research and soldier levelling in EW encourage delaying the base assault right to the end of the game, so you're unlikely to see those early benefits. I had endgame gear by the time i got my psi soldiers.
    This is the thing right here. I didn't DO the base assault until I had a bunch of plasma. By the time I got psionics, the only thing I was missing was blaster launchers (Still don't have those. Had slingshot disabled). At this point in the game, I'm killing the muton elites before they get a turn.

    Now, again. I'm not saying psionics are really bad. They're not. They just kinda pale in comparison to the ridiculous things I'm getting with EW.

    M A G I K A Z A M
  • ValiantheartValiantheart Registered User regular
    I feel bad after reading this thread. I reload missions gone awry all the time :(

    Heck once last week i rushed a guy forward just to see what was there and then reloaded.

    PSN: Valiant_heart PC: Valiantheart99
  • DuriniaDurinia Evolved from Space Potatoes Registered User regular
    edited January 2014
    So, I'm doing a C/I "Army of Four" run. I also have had a sniper who has been on every mission, so I was being pretty careful with her (going for "Ain't no Cavalry...").

    Cue muton with light plasma shooting at max range, through bonused heavy cover and critting for the maximum damage amount.

    (say it with me)
    FABDF0C5D512F75523A3B2B3DB8E99.jpg

    Durinia on
    For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
    --Mark Twain
    GONG-00DracomicronDarkMecha
  • VeritasVRVeritasVR Registered User regular
    edited January 2014
    I just finished the first three months of Impossible.

    I'm going back to Classic because Impossible *is* like slamming your dick in a door.

    VeritasVR on
    CoH_infantry.jpg
    Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
  • scherbchenscherbchen Asgard (it is dead)Registered User regular
    VeritasVR wrote: »
    I just finished the first three months of Impossible.

    I'm going back to Classic because Impossible *is* like slamming your dick in a door.

    aww man if you make it three months you got it... well you got it next time around.

    fuck that if you make it a month you got a solid base to work from.

    be sure to say FUCK THAT SHIT NOPE NOPE NOPE to bomb disposal council missions early on and to the slingshot follow up, remember the spawns on progeny 1st mission and just shoot some alien balls off...

    at times the attrition can get to you and the maps are really tiny for some spawns but if you get to month three you got that shit the second time around and with some luck and garnered experience.

  • VeritasVRVeritasVR Registered User regular
    scherbchen wrote: »
    VeritasVR wrote: »
    I just finished the first three months of Impossible.

    I'm going back to Classic because Impossible *is* like slamming your dick in a door.

    aww man if you make it three months you got it... well you got it next time around.

    fuck that if you make it a month you got a solid base to work from.

    be sure to say FUCK THAT SHIT NOPE NOPE NOPE to bomb disposal council missions early on and to the slingshot follow up, remember the spawns on progeny 1st mission and just shoot some alien balls off...

    at times the attrition can get to you and the maps are really tiny for some spawns but if you get to month three you got that shit the second time around and with some luck and garnered experience.

    Only when I save scum.

    I'd rather play Classic Ironman and NOT save scum, which I personally feel is the right way to play XCOM.

    CoH_infantry.jpg
    Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
  • DarkMechaDarkMecha The Outer SpaceRegistered User regular
    edited January 2014
    LOL Started a new game on Classic. First mission is the subway map. Sectoids kill a guy in full cover with 1 shot their first turn, people panic, everyone dies, game over on mission 1.

    :/

    *Edit - Hah, then next try I perfectly ambush all the aliens, drawing first blood reaction shots on both sectoid packs and cleaning the mission up with no casualties. One guy even had 4 kills!

    DarkMecha on
    Steam Profile | My Art | NID: DarkMecha (SW-4787-9571-8977) | PSN: DarkMecha
    ElvenshaeCaptain Carrot
  • BrocksMulletBrocksMullet Into the sunrise, on a jet-ski. Natch.Registered User regular
    DarkMecha wrote: »
    LOL Started a new game on Classic. First mission is the subway map. Sectoids kill a guy in full cover with 1 shot their first turn, people panic, everyone dies, game over on mission 1.

    :/

    That happened to me on my first XCOM attempt, which was also on classic. I started a game of Normal after that.

    I, for one, enjoyed the Mako.

    Steam: BrocksMullet http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197972421669/


    manwiththemachinegun
  • chiasaur11chiasaur11 Never doubt a raccoon. Do you think it's trademarked?Registered User regular
    Almost done with my army of 4 run. Only got the temple ship to go, and I'll have all the achievements again.

    Overseer was a bit difficult. Finished off the first pack of elites just as I made contact with a sectopod. Then another pod. Then the other elites.

    I may have reloaded to keep my sniper alive when a Muton elite popped in, after I had managed to deal with every other enemy not on babysitting duty activating at once, and STANDING WITH HIS DICK IN THE BREEZE just so he could one shot my sniper.

    Could have finished the mission either way, but it was the principle of the thing.

    Army of 4's definitely forced me to think about things in a different way. Not being able to field a full team changes my thinking for pretty much everything.

  • WearingglassesWearingglasses Of the friendly neighborhood variety Registered User regular
    chiasaur11 wrote: »
    Almost done with my army of 4 run. Only got the temple ship to go, and I'll have all the achievements again.

    Overseer was a bit difficult. Finished off the first pack of elites just as I made contact with a sectopod. Then another pod. Then the other elites.

    I may have reloaded to keep my sniper alive when a Muton elite popped in, after I had managed to deal with every other enemy not on babysitting duty activating at once, and STANDING WITH HIS DICK IN THE BREEZE just so he could one shot my sniper.

    Could have finished the mission either way, but it was the principle of the thing.

    Army of 4's definitely forced me to think about things in a different way. Not being able to field a full team changes my thinking for pretty much everything.

    So who were you packing during sorties?

  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    To me, psionics are pretty much useless except as a convenient way to get rid of thin men or sectoids. Which are mostly harmless late game anyway.

    Just noticed something cool today; all of the research projects have codenames. Some things are named according to the thing itself, "Roswell" for the Sectoid autopsy for instance, others are named to fit a theme. I.e, all of the plasma weapon's research projects are named after birds, and all of the laser weapons have a "sun" theme. Here are some cool ones I can remember:

    - "Roswell" for the Sectoid autopsy, as mentioned above
    - "Ridley" for the Chrysalid autopsy
    - "Spark" for the laser pistol
    - "Lightwire" for precision lasers
    - "Thorax" for Carapace armor

    But my favorite was probably the Seeker autopsy, codenamed "Lovecraft".

    NocrenDracomicron
  • heenatoheenato Alice Leywind Registered User regular
    Nah. The best is "Red Cape" for floaters.

    M A G I K A Z A M
    BrocksMullet
  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    Yep, and I think the floater autopsy is "Goalpost" which I can't really figure out.

  • heenatoheenato Alice Leywind Registered User regular
    I'm pretty sure it's the autopsy that's "Red Cape" maybe "Goalpost" is for a live one?

    M A G I K A Z A M
  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    Yep, and I think the floater autopsy is "Goalpost" which I can't really figure out.

    Maybe because they have a tendency to fly really well when you kill them in the air.

    steam_sig.png
  • heenatoheenato Alice Leywind Registered User regular
    ...I...Is this a bug? Can I not punch a sectopod? What the fuck game. My one wish in life, and you WON'T LET ME DO IT?!

    M A G I K A Z A M
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    I assume this has been asked about seven thousand times, but as a 360-owner if I've never played Enemy Unknown, I should just go ahead and get Enemy Within, right? I figured it was just an expansion with some different scenarios, but now that I'm reading up, I'm getting the impression that it's EU with a bunch of extra stuff on top?

    forumsig.png
  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    I would just get Enemy Within. It's everything EU was with more awesome stuff on top. It's the same general arc, just with more awesome stompy robots.

    steam_sig.png
    darleysam
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    Cool, cheers!

    forumsig.png
  • klemmingklemming Registered User regular
    heenato wrote: »
    ...I...Is this a bug? Can I not punch a sectopod? What the fuck game. My one wish in life, and you WON'T LET ME DO IT?!

    Are you sure you're standing in the right spot?
    Sectopods are huge, but I think they still only have a one square hitbox.
    Check with the movement option; if you can't move thought it, it's where the Sectopod is standing, so you know where to stand to hit it.

    Nobody remembers the singer. The song remains.
  • DuriniaDurinia Evolved from Space Potatoes Registered User regular
    You can, in fact, punch Sectopods.

    The challenge is not giggling like a little girl when you do it.

    For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
    --Mark Twain
    KanaDarkMecha
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    darleysam wrote: »
    I assume this has been asked about seven thousand times, but as a 360-owner if I've never played Enemy Unknown, I should just go ahead and get Enemy Within, right? I figured it was just an expansion with some different scenarios, but now that I'm reading up, I'm getting the impression that it's EU with a bunch of extra stuff on top?

    Just get EW. IIRC you will be able to play the original from that disk anyway (or at the very least play like its the original since Mectoids and the Base assault don't really change all that much).

    Re: Punching Sectopods. You can definitely do it, punching Sectopods to deal is my main method of killing them.

    wbBv3fj.png
  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    You can't play the original from the EW disc on the 360. But the additions are awesome and you want them.

    steam_sig.png
    NocrenMr Ray
  • chiasaur11chiasaur11 Never doubt a raccoon. Do you think it's trademarked?Registered User regular
    chiasaur11 wrote: »
    Almost done with my army of 4 run. Only got the temple ship to go, and I'll have all the achievements again.

    Overseer was a bit difficult. Finished off the first pack of elites just as I made contact with a sectopod. Then another pod. Then the other elites.

    I may have reloaded to keep my sniper alive when a Muton elite popped in, after I had managed to deal with every other enemy not on babysitting duty activating at once, and STANDING WITH HIS DICK IN THE BREEZE just so he could one shot my sniper.

    Could have finished the mission either way, but it was the principle of the thing.

    Army of 4's definitely forced me to think about things in a different way. Not being able to field a full team changes my thinking for pretty much everything.

    So who were you packing during sorties?

    Well, mostly irritation since I didn't have any assaults for far too long.

    Assaults once I got one again, but my main units were a MEC, heavies, and an ITZ sniper. Sniper was even more useful than usual, since the thing about Army of Four?

    Typically when a pack activates playing normally, you have a little more firepower than you need to bring it down. One or two people in less than ideal positions isn't the end of the world.

    Army of four, comes a lot closer to being a disaster. Not being able to get both shots out of your MEC, say? Well, there goes your chance at downing that pack of Mutons this turn. A colonel sniper's ability to get a killchain going if set up properly?

    It's the only way to drop multiple packs on one turn a lot of the time.

  • DuriniaDurinia Evolved from Space Potatoes Registered User regular
    chiasaur11 wrote: »
    chiasaur11 wrote: »
    Almost done with my army of 4 run. Only got the temple ship to go, and I'll have all the achievements again.

    Overseer was a bit difficult. Finished off the first pack of elites just as I made contact with a sectopod. Then another pod. Then the other elites.

    I may have reloaded to keep my sniper alive when a Muton elite popped in, after I had managed to deal with every other enemy not on babysitting duty activating at once, and STANDING WITH HIS DICK IN THE BREEZE just so he could one shot my sniper.

    Could have finished the mission either way, but it was the principle of the thing.

    Army of 4's definitely forced me to think about things in a different way. Not being able to field a full team changes my thinking for pretty much everything.

    So who were you packing during sorties?

    Well, mostly irritation since I didn't have any assaults for far too long.

    Assaults once I got one again, but my main units were a MEC, heavies, and an ITZ sniper. Sniper was even more useful than usual, since the thing about Army of Four?

    Typically when a pack activates playing normally, you have a little more firepower than you need to bring it down. One or two people in less than ideal positions isn't the end of the world.

    Army of four, comes a lot closer to being a disaster. Not being able to get both shots out of your MEC, say? Well, there goes your chance at downing that pack of Mutons this turn. A colonel sniper's ability to get a killchain going if set up properly?

    It's the only way to drop multiple packs on one turn a lot of the time.

    I'm going this route. I have 2 MECs, a Col. heavy with a blaster launcher, and a sniper in the 4th spot.

    I always always use double-tap, but I took ITZ on this guy for specifically this reason. 3 guys to blow up cover and one dude to shoot everything.

    For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
    --Mark Twain
    cB557
Sign In or Register to comment.