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X-Com is pretty awesome guys, we should talk about it

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Posts

  • bamjobamjo Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Thanks VoodooV, just bought Apocalypse. To this day there are very few games that match the gameplay excellence and replayability of the X-com games.

    Epic tales of the alien conflict!

    http://xcomtales.atspace.com/

    These are a must read!

    bamjo on
  • GaghdkullGaghdkull Registered User new member
    edited September 2008
    Khavall wrote: »
    Nothing fitting those? Fuck 'em. Call em "Sack" or "Redshirt", and either get them shot or just dismiss them.

    Two of the most dangerous parts of a mission are disembarking from your landing craft and entering a UFO.

    For the former, you can't really do much about the order your troops line up. But for the latter, sending in a red shirt is better than using someone you actually value.

    Also, I really hope people find a way to make Apoc not run horribly. I had been looking forward to actually being able to run that one again.
    There is actually a way to deal with both of these problems.

    When trying to get out of the Skyranger without getting hit by plasma from every alien scattered across the level, you can use smoke grenades. It's unbelievable but those near useless things can save your ass when you just want to get out of the aircraft. When facing off against the later aliens (who for some inexplicable reason, all have heavy plasma. Why do they only get it in the late game? Where was this massive weaponry in the beginning?), this can be a godsend. Especially for when you meet the aliens in the orange robes with robots...I hate those things.

    As for the latter problem, just hang outside the UFO. Station 2 guys such that they won't shoot each other if they miss and clear out the rest of the level. So long as they have a decent reaction level, they'll kill anything that tries to come out. By turn 60-70, any aliens in the UFO start to get curious and try to come out. That's when you kill them. Consider it payback for all the times you've tried to get into the UFO only to be shot in the face with plasma.

    Gaghdkull on
  • inthegrayinthegray Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    bamjo wrote: »
    Thanks VoodooV, just bought Apocalypse. To this day there are very few games that match the gameplay excellence and replayability of the X-com games.
    Epic tales of the alien conflict!

    http://xcomtales.atspace.com/

    These are a must read!

    seriously, this should be included with every X-Com download and featured at every X-Com site.

    inthegray on
  • CohsaeCohsae Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Gaghdkull wrote: »
    Khavall wrote: »
    Nothing fitting those? Fuck 'em. Call em "Sack" or "Redshirt", and either get them shot or just dismiss them.

    Two of the most dangerous parts of a mission are disembarking from your landing craft and entering a UFO.

    For the former, you can't really do much about the order your troops line up. But for the latter, sending in a red shirt is better than using someone you actually value.

    Also, I really hope people find a way to make Apoc not run horribly. I had been looking forward to actually being able to run that one again.
    There is actually a way to deal with both of these problems.

    When trying to get out of the Skyranger without getting hit by plasma from every alien scattered across the level, you can use smoke grenades. It's unbelievable but those near useless things can save your ass when you just want to get out of the aircraft. When facing off against the later aliens (who for some inexplicable reason, all have heavy plasma. Why do they only get it in the late game? Where was this massive weaponry in the beginning?), this can be a godsend. Especially for when you meet the aliens in the orange robes with robots...I hate those things.

    As for the latter problem, just hang outside the UFO. Station 2 guys such that they won't shoot each other if they miss and clear out the rest of the level. So long as they have a decent reaction level, they'll kill anything that tries to come out. By turn 60-70, any aliens in the UFO start to get curious and try to come out. That's when you kill them. Consider it payback for all the times you've tried to get into the UFO only to be shot in the face with plasma.

    Wait so is that a certainty that the aliens WILL eventually leave the UFO? I always just figured that at some point you had to charge in there.

    Cohsae on
    sig.gif
  • GaghdkullGaghdkull Registered User new member
    edited September 2008
    Cohsae wrote: »

    Wait so is that a certainty that the aliens WILL eventually leave the UFO? I always just figured that at some point you had to charge in there.
    99% of the time they will. Occasionally you'll wind up with one of the aliens who refuses to come out once 160 turns have passed. Typically that's for the 3rd smallest UFOs. I don't know why, but those sectoids seem to like their dark ships.

    Gaghdkull on
  • inthegrayinthegray Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    i've actually always found entering UFOs as not that much of a hassle.

    if there's a hole at the top of the ship, that means the elerium has blown up, so feel free to throw in grenades through that hole to weaken or kill whatever's in there before charging in.

    if there's no hole, use basic entry tactics, like you see on tv shows with swat guys.

    inthegray on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    inthegray wrote: »
    i've actually always found entering UFOs as not that much of a hassle.

    if there's a hole at the top of the ship, that means the elerium has blown up, so feel free to throw in grenades through that hole to weaken or kill whatever's in there before charging in.

    if there's no hole, use basic entry tactics, like you see on tv shows with swat guys.

    So thats why in fear sometimes two guys are humping each other and both get blown away by the shotgun at once. I thought it was ai error. Huh.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • KiTAKiTA Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    So the Steam version is the old DOS version? Not the Collector's Edition, not Windows, etc? The old version?

    KiTA on
  • JohnDoeJohnDoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Gaghdkull wrote: »
    Cohsae wrote: »

    Wait so is that a certainty that the aliens WILL eventually leave the UFO? I always just figured that at some point you had to charge in there.
    99% of the time they will. Occasionally you'll wind up with one of the aliens who refuses to come out once 160 turns have passed. Typically that's for the 3rd smallest UFOs. I don't know why, but those sectoids seem to like their dark ships.

    Cosy ship or wander out and get blasted? I know what I'd pick.

    JohnDoe on
  • CohsaeCohsae Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    JohnDoe wrote: »
    Gaghdkull wrote: »
    Cohsae wrote: »

    Wait so is that a certainty that the aliens WILL eventually leave the UFO? I always just figured that at some point you had to charge in there.
    99% of the time they will. Occasionally you'll wind up with one of the aliens who refuses to come out once 160 turns have passed. Typically that's for the 3rd smallest UFOs. I don't know why, but those sectoids seem to like their dark ships.

    Cosy ship or wander out and get blasted? I know what I'd pick.

    Well somebody has to leave the ship, or there'll be no-one to wander around the barns, possibly in order to mutilate some cows.

    Cohsae on
    sig.gif
  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    yeah i just saw, apparently the update for tftd is upcomming. So i'll be buying this tomorrow probably

    Anyone know if this update fixes the scrolling issues? Namely my view whizzing around the map should I so much as touch the edge of the screen, and the mouse falling out of the bottom-right of the game as if i'm playing it in an invisible window.

    Mr Ray on
  • mrsnackroadmrsnackroad Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    yeah i just saw, apparently the update for tftd is upcomming. So i'll be buying this tomorrow probably

    Anyone know if this update fixes the scrolling issues? Namely my view whizzing around the map should I so much as touch the edge of the screen, and the mouse falling out of the bottom-right of the game as if i'm playing it in an invisible window.

    Shouldn't you be able to fix the scroll speed in the options menu? I had the same problem until I slowed it down a bit.

    mrsnackroad on
  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    yeah i just saw, apparently the update for tftd is upcomming. So i'll be buying this tomorrow probably

    Anyone know if this update fixes the scrolling issues? Namely my view whizzing around the map should I so much as touch the edge of the screen, and the mouse falling out of the bottom-right of the game as if i'm playing it in an invisible window.

    Shouldn't you be able to fix the scroll speed in the options menu? I had the same problem until I slowed it down a bit.

    Yeah I know, but even on the slowest setting a slight nudge moves the view most of a screen away, which is incredibly irritating.

    Mr Ray on
  • mrsnackroadmrsnackroad Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    yeah i just saw, apparently the update for tftd is upcomming. So i'll be buying this tomorrow probably

    Anyone know if this update fixes the scrolling issues? Namely my view whizzing around the map should I so much as touch the edge of the screen, and the mouse falling out of the bottom-right of the game as if i'm playing it in an invisible window.

    Shouldn't you be able to fix the scroll speed in the options menu? I had the same problem until I slowed it down a bit.

    Yeah I know, but even on the slowest setting a slight nudge moves the view most of a screen away, which is incredibly irritating.

    Ah... this is where I stop pretending I know how to make my computer work, then. All it took for me for TFTD was the scroll speed adjustment - but, I'm playing on Windows XP, and even then I get kicked out of my game with sad regularity.

    mrsnackroad on
  • VoodooVVoodooV Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    KiTA wrote: »
    So the Steam version is the old DOS version? Not the Collector's Edition, not Windows, etc? The old version?

    That was my impression too, just that they tweaked it with DosBox and made it work on XP.

    Which is fine by me. I realize it's a minor nitpick, but the CE screwed with the intro sequence if I remember right. This is the true blue original X-com on Steam. Kudos to them!

    VoodooV on
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  • Shorn Scrotum ManShorn Scrotum Man Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    So what all do I need to research for armor? I've got the laser stuff pretty much wrapped up.

    Shorn Scrotum Man on
    steam_sig.png
  • WykedWyked Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    xcom on cell phone > xcom on steam

    Wyked on
  • Shorn Scrotum ManShorn Scrotum Man Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I would love X-Com just ported over to GBA/DS

    Shorn Scrotum Man on
    steam_sig.png
  • VoodooVVoodooV Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    So what all do I need to research for armor? I've got the laser stuff pretty much wrapped up.

    you just need to research alien alloys to get the basic armor. that + elerium-115 will get you the power suit, and then the flying suit

    VoodooV on
  • firewaterwordfirewaterword Satchitananda Pais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Can anyone vouch for the Steam version of Apocalypse on XP?

    I really liked that one, but have had zero luck getting it to run on my PC.

    Also, is the Steam TFTD patched to get rid of the research bug that, if I recall, can make impossible to finish? I ran headfirst into that shit back in the day, and given how brutal it can be to make headway in it, I was royally pissed off.

    I'm seriously considering the bundle, as it seems once every year or two I waste an entire weekend playing X-COM, and I haven't played the 2nd or 3rd one since... uh... well I guess since they were released.

    firewaterword on
    Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
  • ErandusErandus Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I played TFTD before I was aware that another X-Com existed. The day I found out, I was all giddy and loaded up the original.

    I meticulously sorted through my team, renaming them based on their stats, picking a hand crafted roll for each member, loading them up with the best equipment for each person that I could at the start of the game. I shot down my first UFO, flew out to the site, handed out equipment, decided on my plan of action, opened the back door of the skyranger, caught a grenade with my face and my whole team died to a man as my skyranger exploded. Total loss. Skyranger destroyed. No survivors.

    I stared at the screen for about 15 seconds, and finally said "Well fuck that" and shut it off. I've never played it since.

    Erandus on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Wow. That's an ass-fucking, even for X-Com. usually TFTD is the one that drives people nuts.

    Phoenix-D on
  • VoodooVVoodooV Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Can anyone vouch for the Steam version of Apocalypse on XP?

    I really liked that one, but have had zero luck getting it to run on my PC.

    Also, is the Steam TFTD patched to get rid of the research bug that, if I recall, can make impossible to finish? I ran headfirst into that shit back in the day, and given how brutal it can be to make headway in it, I was royally pissed off.

    I'm seriously considering the bundle, as it seems once every year or two I waste an entire weekend playing X-COM, and I haven't played the 2nd or 3rd one since... uh... well I guess since they were released.

    I can vouch that it runs, but I haven't really seriously played it yet TFTD has been out for a while on steam, but I'm not a 100 percent sure if it has the research patch

    VoodooV on
  • KiTAKiTA Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Research Patch?

    So where should my first base be? USA? Or in the middle of Europe? (Right outside of Berlin?)

    So I should work on Laser Weapons immediately?

    I heard it's good to put /LETTER after character names, where LETTER is what they're good at. What defines "good" at a skill? 50+?

    Dump anyone under 30 strength, right?

    KiTA on
  • Steel AngelSteel Angel Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Can anyone vouch for the Steam version of Apocalypse on XP?

    It might take a restart after Steam downloads it (it ran horribly for me after I bought it), but other than that it seems fine.

    Steel Angel on
    Big Dookie wrote: »
    I found that tilting it doesn't work very well, and once I started jerking it, I got much better results.

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  • bamjobamjo Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    VoodooV wrote: »
    I can vouch that it runs, but I haven't really seriously played it yet TFTD has been out for a while on steam, but I'm not a 100 percent sure if it has the research patch
    Apocalypse ran fine for me with absolutely no tweaking. Its very different from the first two games so far.

    I am still learning the strategy, and the real time battles took some getting used to. Now I like them better than the turn-based option for this game.

    Some UFO's popped out of a dimension gate, and one of them was taking a suspicious interest in one of the buildings in the city. So I was like, "Hmm, I'd better check that out." I sent a loaded APC using the "attack building" button. They took me a little too literally, and proceeded to level the building. The worst part is, it didn't even kill the aliens inside. A short while later there was a live alien sighting there, and I had to go and clear out the rubble.

    bamjo on
  • IgelIgel Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Research Patch?

    So where should my first base be? USA? Or in the middle of Europe? (Right outside of Berlin?)

    So I should work on Laser Weapons immediately?

    I heard it's good to put /LETTER after character names, where LETTER is what they're good at. What defines "good" at a skill? 50+?

    Dump anyone under 30 strength, right?

    I believe the research patch is a TFTD thing. Nothing to worry about if you're playing UFO Defense.

    Generally I put my first base east of Budapest, but that's just me. The idea is to either cover a lot of little funding nations (Europe) or the one big one (USA). But really, it's up to you.

    Researching laser weapons ASAP is beneficial because the starting weapons can be a bit annoying and underpowered and laser weapons have that great no-hassle benefit of being ammo less. Thus, it is a good idea to research them right away, but I've heard that others get medkits or motion sensors first. But laser weapons are still a high priority.

    I believe someone else earlier in the thread indicated what base stats he thought were exceptional. I think it's 50+ for shooting and throwing accuracy (70+ preferred for marksmen), 30+ for strength makes good heavy weapon wielders and I can't remember exactly what's considered good for reactions. 40 - 50+ maybe?

    I don't believe it's strength you're concerned about here, it's bravery. anyone with less than 30 bravery should be marked expendable and used for UFO door opening operations. They either tend to panic and become useless or worse, go berserk and shoot their teammates in the back. Poor stuff in any case.

    Igel on
  • SG MahonaySG Mahonay Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I used to play X-Com on the Playstation. That game always put me on the edge of my nerves.

    SG Mahonay on
    Greetings from www.seasonedgamers.com
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  • Dignified PauperDignified Pauper Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I fired up this game for a round of frustration... That's exactly what I got. Frustration and lots of screaming sounds.

    Dignified Pauper on
    PSN: DignifiedPauper
    3DSFF: 5026-4429-6577
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  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Much as I like X-Com, there's a part of me which would like someone to redo the tactical phase into a real-time mode for the original game. I want my guys to be able to pile out of the Skyranger and do fire and manoeuver drills (but let me pause/slow down time so I can plot where they're going).

    Then let me replay the entire thing after a mission so I can see it as awesome.

    Someone should do this.

    Eh, there's rumours of a new X-com by Irrational, but i'm not holding my breath.

    I just want a version of TFTD that doesn't suck, which may require DOSBOXing and digging out my old CD, since the steam version is bugging the hell out of me.

    Mr Ray on
  • VelmeranVelmeran Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I just want multiplayer with a voxel engine so you can blow shit up in a variety of ways, and have real bullet penetration.

    Velmeran on
    Vechloran.png
  • inthegrayinthegray Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Much as I like X-Com, there's a part of me which would like someone to redo the tactical phase into a real-time mode for the original game. I want my guys to be able to pile out of the Skyranger and do fire and manoeuver drills (but let me pause/slow down time so I can plot where they're going).

    Then let me replay the entire thing after a mission so I can see it as awesome.

    Someone should do this.

    this is kind of what laser squad nemesis is. i'm not really a fan of real-time tactical phases, though, and prefer x-com's formula.

    inthegray on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    KiTA wrote: »
    Research Patch?

    So where should my first base be? USA? Or in the middle of Europe? (Right outside of Berlin?)

    So I should work on Laser Weapons immediately?

    I heard it's good to put /LETTER after character names, where LETTER is what they're good at. What defines "good" at a skill? 50+?

    Dump anyone under 30 strength, right?

    30 Strength is required for the heavy weapons.

    But fun fact: Heavy Plasma weighs the same as a Rifle.

    20 Strength(Which is as low as new recruits strength goes) will be able to carry a Heavy plasma, extra clip, and a pair of grenades. And strength improves with movement while carrying things.

    30 Strength in early game is really only required for an Autocannon user(29 weight with extra clip) or Rocket Launcher user(34 with 3 extra rockets, and a whopping 42 with 3 extra large rockets)

    For me, scouts can get by with very little Strength(7 for laser pistol, 3 for motion scanner, 5 for medkit and 6 for two grenades = 21), snipers can get by with very little strength(11 for loaded heavy plasma, 3 per clip=20 with 3 extra clips), and hell, demolitions can get by with relatively little strength, since it's just dependent on how many grenades(3) and explosives(6) you want to give them, and how far they'll need to throw.

    Khavall on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    They'd have to nerf the game too much for real time tactical phase....you'd get raped even harder than you do now because you'd have no time to response to pull off skin of teeth saves. I think that would make it suck more than the real time would make it good.
    Speaking as someone only going on what others have said about it of course, I've never played anything other than the x-com demo years ago.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • yotesyotes Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    X-Com is mostly a very cruel game, but it does have its merciful moments. I found a landed large scout UFO in Iceland, started to clear out the frozen wasteland, one of my scouts took a faceful of plasma but survived without any fatal wounds. Nice. Three sectoids down, but the rest wouldn't get out of the craft. Three redshirts readied their stun rods, I expected at least two of them to die in the assault. Hole gets blown into the navigation wall, and all the aliens are looking the wrong way. Suicide mission dude #1 runs in, stuns an alien, a sniper gets another, the rest of the capture squad run in. Dead men walking at that point, right? Nope.

    Turns out there are two more aliens inside the engine room, one of them with a small launcher... he stun bombs everybody inside the craft, including himself and his buddy. My whole squad survives, and I capture an engineer and two navigators alive. Hyperwave decoders and stun bombs in mid-January? Yes please!

    yotes on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I had a redshirt pass all other soldiers by at least a factor of two last mission I did.

    Fucker had a laser pistol and a grenade. First kill was after a heavy shot the alien with an autocannon, a sniper shot the alien with a rifle, and then the redshirt just sprayed fire all around 'till he hit something, and killed the alien. Then he entered the UFO and blew up two more with the grenade, then he breached the engine room and sprayed some more laser fire around 'till everyone was dead.

    Goddamn best redshirt ever.

    Khavall on
  • yotesyotes Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    The only downside to all the redshirts surviving is that they all got promoted and now I've got Sgt. COWARD FAGGOT and Cpt. WIMPY SHITHEAD leading my forces.

    Oh well.

    yotes on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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