BerkshireEarth Federal ForcesMassachusettsRegistered Userregular
So, I didn't know until today that Annette Durand's class randomizes. I thought she always showed up as the same class, like Zhang. This makes her appearance as an Assault (after I lost my only one before I got even laser weapons) both timely and awesome. Going from prisoner subjected to all kinds of unspeakable things by the enemy, she got to exact all of her fury (pun fully-intended) on them with the most in-your-face class possible. From scared civilian to alloy-slinging, invisible (whatup, mimetic skin!) screaming psychic death machine in a couple of easy steps. She is the best example of using the enemies' own stuff (alloys, gene mods, and psychic powers) against them.
I love that this game gives me such awesome storytelling tools.
"And don't you ever stand for that sort of thing. Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back."
GT: FootlongKaPow
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.
Yeah, I never realized the true power of ITZ until this playthrough. When it says shots against targets not in cover are "free", it really means it, meaning you can also fire and then move. A snapshot sniper could theoretically fire, move, then fire again.
0
mastertheheroProfessional Video Editor & Book AuthorRegistered Userregular
This is why I loved snapshot. ITZ made it so that I could kill a sh** ton of enemies as long as they weren't in cover.
You can imagine a shredder rocket/sniper combo would pretty much be game over for anything less than a sectopod.
So I picked up on a C/I game that had a disastrous setback (lost a couple full teams and three countries), but was otherwise in a pretty good place. I saw that I had a bead on an EXALT cell and figured I'd make a comeback by stomping some dudes in suits.
Not only was it the first mission where EXALT brought out the laser weapons, but I think all but one of the EXALT soldiers were heavies.
Rockets. So many rockets. I was lucky to only lose my covert agent and two squad members. Had to Revive my MEC, then almost lost it again.
What a goddamn mess.
0
scherbchenAsgard (it is dead)Registered Userregular
The challenge is not giggling like a little girl when you do it.
it is also very important to remember that you won't do 12/18 damage per hit but half of that (unless shredded yadda yadda yadda).
I kind of forgot that once. it sucked a bit.
that's one of the reasons I really like the area stun for mechs
First turn run up adjacent to it, shock it, let your squad all move up and take potshots
Next turn you can now take 2 swings at it, assuming you've got the upgrade in the foundry, which at that point in the game you prolly do, plus your squad can keep on shooting
It can make sectopods pretty painless, which is nice
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
It's a shame that they have to explode when you punch them to death.
On more than one occasion I've been faced with a critically injured Sectopod, and had to choose how to finish it off.
I could technically shoot it from a safe distance, but on the other hand, I could punch it to death, and eat the damage.
My MEC had to skip a mission once because he was still a day away from recovering from self-inflicted-sectopod-death injuries.
Totally worth it.
Nobody remembers the singer. The song remains.
+1
chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
edited January 2014
So, finished Army of 4, clearing the achievement list.
Ending got pretty fun.
Started off well enough. Got an invisible heavy in position to drop a rocket on every hostile.
Unfortunately, that was followed by my assault getting BOTH rounds from her rapid fire returned by the boss, and my sniper missing a gimmee that was supposed to get an ITZ killstreak going.
Then, the enemy turn hit. Aaand everything went straight to hell.
The two elite mutons opened fire on my MEC. She countered one, took him down after she got pummeled for ten. Unfortunately, his buddy was just as good a shot. MEC down. Then the Eths went for mind control.
Opening of the next turn?
My heavy and the sniper volunteer were both under enemy control. My MEC was bleeding on the ground. The head Ethereal still had the majority of his HP.
My only soldier active?
Rhino. Japan's contribution to the XCOM project in exchange for services rendered. The relative newbie on the squad. Right in the middle of every active alien.
With one HP left.
Still. Had a shot. I took it. Both barrels of an alloy cannon, right in that smug alien bastard's face.
8 for the opener. Not good enough unless the next hit for ten or better. And then goodbye Earth.
And, well, the Eth knew how to toss her shots back. Didn't have much faith.
Turned out I should have. Second round hit dead on. Cue final cutscene, victory screen, and 100% achievements.
I'm doing Army of Four as well on C/I and it's fun as hell. Exalt gave me serious headaches until my ITZ sniper got his plasma rifle and then it was target practice. I also have training roulette activated, which makes Army of Four even more of a chess match…no medic or lightning reflexes so I've had to rely on lesser-used tactics like suppression and disabling shot much more than ever before. It is absolutely the most fun campaign I've done thus far.
NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
I explained to my friend the difficulty tiers of Xcom the other day:
Easy - A slap in the face
Normal - A punch in the gut
Classic - A kick in the balls
Impossible - "Bend over. And bite the pillow, I'm going in raw."
Also, I have a soldier named William Hudson. Luckily the dude has so far had really good luck against Chryssilids.
Pfft, for newbies like myself it was no joke. I still lost a few countries and a decent number of soldiers. Learning the game from the ground up is a lot harder than actually knowing what to do at each stage.
+4
NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
Yeah, I was explaining it to someone who never heard of Xcom before, in any iteration.
Knowing the maps makes a huge difference. It also took me 3 tries on C/I before I figured out how to bend Exalt over the barrel. Seriously though Army of Four is the way to go to make classic feel like a new challenge…knowing the maps helps immensely but the handicap of only 4 guys makes every decision count like never before, prior to plasma and titan armour that is. I did the base assault last night and barely had a scratch. Next I'll try Army of Four with all the SW handicaps enabled. I think impossible with Army of Four would be masochistic but I'll give it a go eventually.
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jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
Put a German male in the MEC.
The voice is life affirming. Oh my god so awesome.
man, marathon is still super broken but i am enjoying getting mercilessly stomped and having to dig myself out of it. i think i'm finally on some solid footing but my doom tracker is almost full.
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DuriniaEvolved from Space PotatoesRegistered Userregular
Army of Four complete!
Here's how it ended...
For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
--Mark Twain
+9
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
How do sectopods know where I am when my whole team is cloaked? Not all of them, but oftentimes, they'll move and stand right on top of my invisible dudes, and a fair amount of time, they'll start randomly shooting out cover around my dudes or bombarding them. Is it a bug or WAD?
(Also, occasionally randomly revealing my mimetic skin dudes.)
" Sectopods can detect cloaked soldiers and will either use their cannon to destroy their cover (and reveal the soldier if it has Mimetic Skin), or they will target the ghosted soldier's location with their Cluster Bomb barrage."
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AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
Aliens needed some counter to ghost and mimetic skin. It's still hideously overpowered.
I appreciate that their assessment is similar to mine, he is a really good player who gets stupid lucky. Now I will return to my own impossible (non iron man run where Im getting shot out of full cover by sectoids with alarming regularity.
That said zem's runs are starting to look a lot more appealing than beagle's, as his are now 6 hr wankfests with jamball and friends going off on tangents while beagle completes a mission an hour (if you're lucky).
How do sectopods know where I am when my whole team is cloaked? Not all of them, but oftentimes, they'll move and stand right on top of my invisible dudes, and a fair amount of time, they'll start randomly shooting out cover around my dudes or bombarding them. Is it a bug or WAD?
(Also, occasionally randomly revealing my mimetic skin dudes.)
I've never had them run right up to invisible guys, but they do seem to have a "bombardment" attack that doesn't require line-of-sight, they just fire it off in the general direction of where they think your guys are.
It wouldn't surprise me if they were 'allowed' to see your units after a while, just to keep the game from turning into a permanent stalemate.
Isn't there that thing where all the enemies automatically 'know' were you are after X turns, to save the frustration of searching every inch of the map for that last guy?
Nobody remembers the singer. The song remains.
0
chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
It wouldn't surprise me if they were 'allowed' to see your units after a while, just to keep the game from turning into a permanent stalemate.
Isn't there that thing where all the enemies automatically 'know' were you are after X turns, to save the frustration of searching every inch of the map for that last guy?
In the first game, there was a bit of common knowledge that after 20 turns the aliens knew everyone's location. Not sure if it was confirmed by code dives, though.
It wouldn't surprise me if they were 'allowed' to see your units after a while, just to keep the game from turning into a permanent stalemate.
Isn't there that thing where all the enemies automatically 'know' were you are after X turns, to save the frustration of searching every inch of the map for that last guy?
In the first game, there was a bit of common knowledge that after 20 turns the aliens knew everyone's location. Not sure if it was confirmed by code dives, though.
I think it's based on empirical testing and observation rather than concrete reverse engineering of the game code. Abusing alien "clairvoyance" is the basis for some actual cheese strats though (camp in front of a UFO door, skip until turn 20+, reaction fire everything to death).
Did they patch out the annoyance where you have to turn one particular class into MECs because otherwise you lose stats overall?
I don't think that's a glitch, if it's what I'm thinking of.
If you use Hidden Potential, MECs still have better aim growth than heavies. Just a quirk of the system. Keeping them heavies is better if you want rockets. Making them big stompy robots is better for just aiming.
It wouldn't surprise me if they were 'allowed' to see your units after a while, just to keep the game from turning into a permanent stalemate.
Perhaps, but I've had this attack miss completely as well so its clairvoyance clearly isn't perfect. It could be that it fires at the spot it last saw you?
This game is so good and also dangerously addictive. I'm a good few hours into my first ever playthrough of any XCOM, going on Normal like an absolute wet blanket, but every little victory is an utter triumph. I loaded it up before bed last night just to finish a mission I'd started the day before, then suddenly an hour's gone by and I'm dragging home a freshly-incapacitated alien after responding to an abduction mission that just couldn't wait.
So, I decided to start a new game, and thought "I'll put training roulette on"
The first upgrade for my sniper that wasn't squadsight? HEAT AMMO. And I just said to myself..."Oh this is going to be good"
I really like the idea of Training Roulette, but playing with it really does expose the awfulness of some of the skills, like when you get the good ol' Flush versus Savior combo.
Also very clearly makes Support just a useless class, and you're often just flailing in the dark for a medic.
Posts
I love that this game gives me such awesome storytelling tools.
GT: FootlongKaPow
Yeah, I never realized the true power of ITZ until this playthrough. When it says shots against targets not in cover are "free", it really means it, meaning you can also fire and then move. A snapshot sniper could theoretically fire, move, then fire again.
You can imagine a shredder rocket/sniper combo would pretty much be game over for anything less than a sectopod.
Not only was it the first mission where EXALT brought out the laser weapons, but I think all but one of the EXALT soldiers were heavies.
Rockets. So many rockets. I was lucky to only lose my covert agent and two squad members. Had to Revive my MEC, then almost lost it again.
What a goddamn mess.
it is also very important to remember that you won't do 12/18 damage per hit but half of that (unless shredded yadda yadda yadda).
I kind of forgot that once. it sucked a bit.
that's one of the reasons I really like the area stun for mechs
First turn run up adjacent to it, shock it, let your squad all move up and take potshots
Next turn you can now take 2 swings at it, assuming you've got the upgrade in the foundry, which at that point in the game you prolly do, plus your squad can keep on shooting
It can make sectopods pretty painless, which is nice
On more than one occasion I've been faced with a critically injured Sectopod, and had to choose how to finish it off.
I could technically shoot it from a safe distance, but on the other hand, I could punch it to death, and eat the damage.
My MEC had to skip a mission once because he was still a day away from recovering from self-inflicted-sectopod-death injuries.
Totally worth it.
Ending got pretty fun.
Started off well enough. Got an invisible heavy in position to drop a rocket on every hostile.
Unfortunately, that was followed by my assault getting BOTH rounds from her rapid fire returned by the boss, and my sniper missing a gimmee that was supposed to get an ITZ killstreak going.
Then, the enemy turn hit. Aaand everything went straight to hell.
The two elite mutons opened fire on my MEC. She countered one, took him down after she got pummeled for ten. Unfortunately, his buddy was just as good a shot. MEC down. Then the Eths went for mind control.
Opening of the next turn?
My heavy and the sniper volunteer were both under enemy control. My MEC was bleeding on the ground. The head Ethereal still had the majority of his HP.
My only soldier active?
Rhino. Japan's contribution to the XCOM project in exchange for services rendered. The relative newbie on the squad. Right in the middle of every active alien.
With one HP left.
Still. Had a shot. I took it. Both barrels of an alloy cannon, right in that smug alien bastard's face.
8 for the opener. Not good enough unless the next hit for ten or better. And then goodbye Earth.
And, well, the Eth knew how to toss her shots back. Didn't have much faith.
Turned out I should have. Second round hit dead on. Cue final cutscene, victory screen, and 100% achievements.
Colonel Okamoto, your planet salutes you.
Why I fear the ocean.
Origin: theRealElMucho
In reality, not really. Verify the cashe, and all that, but it's just not well coded.
That is all.
Steam: MightyPotatoKing
Easy - A slap in the face
Normal - A punch in the gut
Classic - A kick in the balls
Impossible - "Bend over. And bite the pillow, I'm going in raw."
Also, I have a soldier named William Hudson. Luckily the dude has so far had really good luck against Chryssilids.
The voice is life affirming. Oh my god so awesome.
Here's how it ended...
--Mark Twain
http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/01/31/worlds-best-xcom-player-how-zemalf-beat-enemy-within-on-impossible-ironman-with-zero-deaths/
(Also, occasionally randomly revealing my mimetic skin dudes.)
" Sectopods can detect cloaked soldiers and will either use their cannon to destroy their cover (and reveal the soldier if it has Mimetic Skin), or they will target the ghosted soldier's location with their Cluster Bomb barrage."
I appreciate that their assessment is similar to mine, he is a really good player who gets stupid lucky. Now I will return to my own impossible (non iron man run where Im getting shot out of full cover by sectoids with alarming regularity.
That said zem's runs are starting to look a lot more appealing than beagle's, as his are now 6 hr wankfests with jamball and friends going off on tangents while beagle completes a mission an hour (if you're lucky).
I've never had them run right up to invisible guys, but they do seem to have a "bombardment" attack that doesn't require line-of-sight, they just fire it off in the general direction of where they think your guys are.
Isn't there that thing where all the enemies automatically 'know' were you are after X turns, to save the frustration of searching every inch of the map for that last guy?
In the first game, there was a bit of common knowledge that after 20 turns the aliens knew everyone's location. Not sure if it was confirmed by code dives, though.
Why I fear the ocean.
I think it's based on empirical testing and observation rather than concrete reverse engineering of the game code. Abusing alien "clairvoyance" is the basis for some actual cheese strats though (camp in front of a UFO door, skip until turn 20+, reaction fire everything to death).
Did they patch out the annoyance where you have to turn one particular class into MECs because otherwise you lose stats overall?
I don't think that's a glitch, if it's what I'm thinking of.
If you use Hidden Potential, MECs still have better aim growth than heavies. Just a quirk of the system. Keeping them heavies is better if you want rockets. Making them big stompy robots is better for just aiming.
Why I fear the ocean.
Perhaps, but I've had this attack miss completely as well so its clairvoyance clearly isn't perfect. It could be that it fires at the spot it last saw you?
MEC primary is same base damage as Sniper rifle if memory serves.
I'm all for something like a bulletstorm sniper rifle, very much so on a non-punchy mec.
The first upgrade for my sniper that wasn't squadsight? HEAT AMMO. And I just said to myself..."Oh this is going to be good"
I really like the idea of Training Roulette, but playing with it really does expose the awfulness of some of the skills, like when you get the good ol' Flush versus Savior combo.
Also very clearly makes Support just a useless class, and you're often just flailing in the dark for a medic.