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[XCOM] XCOM 2.5 is XCOPS

DuriniaDurinia Evolved from Space PotatoesRegistered User regular
edited June 2022 in Games and Technology



Because of <reasons> I'm not familiar with 20 year old strategy games. What was XCOM, and why is this a big deal?
Some XCOM History:
In 1994, Microprose released the original XCOM: UFO Defense. This game mixed real-time strategy with turn-based strategy. The RTS part, called the Geoscape, took place on a global scale. You started with one base (with the ability to build more) somewhere on the planet. You had to manage your resources, which included buying or manufacturing weapons, ammo, armor, outfitting your air force and troops, and directing research and manufacturing focuses. The money for all of this (including paying everybody's salary) could come from selling your supplies or manufactured goods, but mainly from the funding council of countries. If a country was happy with your performance, you'd receive more money from them the next month. If they were displeased (or infiltrated by the aliens) they would cut off their funding. Actually putting soldiers on the ground for a specific mission (UFO crash, etc.) triggered the turn-based portion of the game, called the battlescape. Missions in the battlescape started with your squad on the landing craft, ready to take on the alien menace. By directing your soldiers, you either killed the enemy or led your soldiers to their (permanent) deaths.

The point being the game was deep, hard, and brutal. High casualties and squad-wipes were not only normal, but expected. It has remain well-played to this day. In fact, you should really go read @Fishman's LP of the original right now. It's one of the best LPs in the history of forever.
UFO Defense had some sequels which some people have strong opinions about. There were other attempts to clone or revive the series, most of which failed in a spectacular manner. This is the first time that a dedicated, high-budget team has attempted to bring the classic into the modern age.

WTF is XCOM: Enemy Unknown Within?

Fast Forward to 2012: Our friends at Firaxis gave us a straight-up re-imagining/modernization of the original XCOM. We're going from this:
e.png

to this:
hJXvdBc.jpg

How is this all made possible? Jake Solomon, GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER tells us.

XCOM: Enemy Within Expansion
XCOM: Enemy Within is the expansion pack for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, released 11-12-13 (I KNOW, WITTY AMIRITE?).

Similar to other expansions for Firaxis games (see: Civ V), XCOM: EW is not a "new campaign", but a set of significant changes/enhancements to the original game. The expansion introduces new mechanics both at the tactical layer (MEC and Gene Mod troops, new meld resource in missions, new mission types) and the strategic layer (introduction of new concurrent enemy faction, new resource to manage, new tactics for reducing panic).

XCOM 2
Release date: February 5th, 2016

Trailers and Other General Moving Visual Stimuli:
Launch trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIRDb_O6qXA

Announcement trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E_-2wIJIzQ

December hype trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0qHZG1-rEg

XCOM 2 Bebop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtyw3aURYCU

TIPS & TRICKS
Confused about how Hits / Crits / Dodge are calculated? Check out this diagram to understand exactly how badly RNGesus is sticking it to you:
IH42IPs.png

What things are safe to sell in the Black Market without messing with your research or builds?

Here's a list

How Cover Works: A Tutorial
HEY YOU - want to send fellow Penny Arcadians to their horrific deaths as members of your XCOM 2 squads?

XCOM 2 adds the concept of "character pools", which allows you to customize soldiers and then share them. We here at the PA XCOM thread are collecting these soldiers as a PA pool, which will be updated regularly and (hopefully) automatically synced through Steam. Here's the details on how YOU can join!

Here is the CURRENT POOL

Ready to fight for Earth with other Penny Arcadians?

This is the form for submitting your willingness to participate in the various shenanigans that will result from this character pool being distributed to the denizens of the PA Forums G&T XCOM Thread.

If you've got XCOM 2 yourself, export your character in a character pool file and then head over to the Character Pool Upload Page, which will save both of us a lot of work.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXPORTING:
In game, go into the character pool -> select the character you want to send -> click "Export" -> on the next page click "create new pool" (at the top) -> name the pool -> THEN select the pool you just created to export.

Then, take the "whatyounamedyourpool.bin file (located in ...\Documents\My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\CharacterPool\Importable) and upload it to the site.

Don't have XCOM 2, but still want to see your name in lights? (Likely on a memorial wall...)

Then proceed with this survey. Good Luck, Commander.

For reference, you might want to peruse the different customization options visually on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOPsOjkT7x4

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TWEAKING CHARACTER SELECTION
You want to go into \Documents\my games\XCOM2\XComGame\Config\XComGameData.ini (or the DefaultGameData.ini file in your install directory) and set it like this:
alingis wrote:
The .ini settings were misreported in a few forums & on a few videos. There are 3 configuration lines to change:
InitialSoldiersCharacterPoolSelectionMode - starting soldiers
RewardUnitCharacterPoolSelectionMode - soldiers granted by completing vip missions & certain POIs
RecruitsCharacterPoolSelectionMode - soldiers available for recruitment
Setting these to eCPSM_PoolOnly will force the game to use characters within your pool first and then generate randoms afterward. RandomOnly means you only get random soldiers in the pool.

XCOM: EW version
HEY YOU - want to send fellow Penny Arcadians to their horrific deaths as members of your XCOM:EU/EW squads?
You can drop this file into C:\Users\<YOUR USER>\Documents\My Games\XCOM - Enemy Within\XComGame\Config

(if using Windows 7) to use custom names.

Videos!

The hottest (video) ticket in-thread these days is for the Ironman Impossible videos of one BeagleRush. Follow along as he narrates his pain in real time. As a bonus, you will definitely learn something about the tactics needed to win the harder difficulties.

Season One
Season Two

A bit of an introduction into the three special "Council Mission" types:
Escort Mission
Abduction Mission
Bomb Disposal

For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
--Mark Twain
A duck! on
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Posts

  • DuriniaDurinia Evolved from Space Potatoes Registered User regular
    For those confused, thread title refers to this:

    For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
    --Mark Twain
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    MARIOCOM in the streets, XCOM in the sheets.

  • KorhedronKorhedron Registered User regular
    XXXCOM: Release date TBA

    These are the stories of Dwarf Fortress. Legends have been forged there, and meticulousy gathered in one mighty hub: http://dfstories.com/start-here/
  • DelduwathDelduwath Registered User regular
    Are there any recommended mods to make the suits you craft out of the Alien Rulers look just a little bit less garish? I want to use the extra abilities, obviously, and the idea of literally wearing the skins of your fallen enemies is vaguely amusing in a macabre way, but good gravy are those suits over-the-top.

    To be honest, though, I'm not sure what approach I'd take to make those suits more palatable in my eyes. For the Berserker Queen, I'd start by giving the suit actual boots instead of literally having the Queen's feet as shoes (for some reason, that's what crosses the line between "using the spoils of war as a weapon of war" and "wearing another person as a suit, like a serial killer" for me). For the Viper King, I'd probably lose the snake-hood (which looks dopey to me). I haven't unlocked the Archon King armor yet, but based on screenshots online, it actually seems pretty reasonable.

  • mastertheheromasterthehero Professional Video Editor & Book Author Registered User regular
    I've found that changing the color scheme of the suits and wearing an appropriate helmet makes the suits look much more appealing. They'll never have that military look but you can make them appear slick and cool. Here's a color scheme I did for the Snake suit. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=935902740

    hk52krrtzsf6.gif
  • PhonehandPhonehand Registered User regular
    So I never finished a playthrough with alien rulers. Should I do this before they get nerfed?

    pmdunk.jpg
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    Phonehand wrote: »
    So I never finished a playthrough with alien rulers. Should I do this before they get nerfed?

    Maybe if you want to try and work on all the achievements before? *shrug*

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    I've found that changing the color scheme of the suits and wearing an appropriate helmet makes the suits look much more appealing. They'll never have that military look but you can make them appear slick and cool. Here's a color scheme I did for the Snake suit. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=935902740

    Yeah, you can change the colors and helmet to make them less creepy or dumb; gotta say the Archon King suit is totally badass looking and I never change it.

  • DelduwathDelduwath Registered User regular
    Huh, I didn't realize that you can change the helmet option; haven't played around with it yet. Can you swap out the Serpent Suit helmet, too?

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    Delduwath wrote: »
    Huh, I didn't realize that you can change the helmet option; haven't played around with it yet. Can you swap out the Serpent Suit helmet, too?

    Yes.

    You keep the crazy scarf, though.

  • DelduwathDelduwath Registered User regular
    Phonehand wrote: »
    So I never finished a playthrough with alien rulers. Should I do this before they get nerfed?
    Personally, I think the alien rulers as they are now are an exercise in unnecessary frustration; of course, I can imagine that some people enjoy it, and find it a good challenge. I think that reactions on every single action warp the mechanics of the game to a point where I'm not having fun anymore. Honestly, I'm not even sure that the upcoming nerf will be enough to make me enjoy them.

    I wonder if, post-nerf, they will trigger off of entering Overwatch. If not, it might turn out that the most efficient way to fight them is to just have your entire squad Overwatch. Unless, of course, they will earn extra actions upon being attacked via Overwatch.

  • mastertheheromasterthehero Professional Video Editor & Book Author Registered User regular
    edited July 2017
    Delduwath wrote: »
    Phonehand wrote: »
    So I never finished a playthrough with alien rulers. Should I do this before they get nerfed?
    Personally, I think the alien rulers as they are now are an exercise in unnecessary frustration; of course, I can imagine that some people enjoy it, and find it a good challenge. I think that reactions on every single action warp the mechanics of the game to a point where I'm not having fun anymore. Honestly, I'm not even sure that the upcoming nerf will be enough to make me enjoy them.

    I wonder if, post-nerf, they will trigger off of entering Overwatch. If not, it might turn out that the most efficient way to fight them is to just have your entire squad Overwatch. Unless, of course, they will earn extra actions upon being attacked via Overwatch.

    Once you realize that you can just tag the alien rulers with acid and fire round DOTS, they are less fearsome. Especially with the DLC active, you can choose when to have them spawn in your missions. So if you want to wait until you have plasma rounds, fire nades, acid nades, and delta strike a ruler, you can do that. The Archon King was the most BS of them all with his devastate attack able to hit your defenseless characters once the turn had expired.

    And I also want to note, I'm not that good at X-Com. I'm an advanced player at best, but beating the Alien Rulers isn't that terrible once you know the trick.

    masterthehero on
    hk52krrtzsf6.gif
  • DelduwathDelduwath Registered User regular
    I was thinking about that! The thing is, it requires you to be outfitted a certain way to face the rulers, and I wasn't at any time that I faced them. That's probably on me, to be honest, because I probably should be using the specialty equipment more. I was using mostly "kill things/destroy cover" equipment, while the rulers are best taken on with "disorient/damage-over-time" equipment. I feel like with most standard enemies, it's better to just kill things ASAP, but perhaps I haven't explored the more control-oriented loadouts and playstyles.

  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    I need to actually finish a game of XCOM2

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    Delduwath wrote: »
    I was thinking about that! The thing is, it requires you to be outfitted a certain way to face the rulers, and I wasn't at any time that I faced them. That's probably on me, to be honest, because I probably should be using the specialty equipment more. I was using mostly "kill things/destroy cover" equipment, while the rulers are best taken on with "disorient/damage-over-time" equipment. I feel like with most standard enemies, it's better to just kill things ASAP, but perhaps I haven't explored the more control-oriented loadouts and playstyles.

    One thing the Rulers do make you do is re-evaluate how you're playing the game. When every action counts, you have to make sure that everyone can contribute in a pinch. You also need to learn to keep your powder dry in some cases; you can use your Acid Grenade to take out a pod of ADVENT, or you can wait until the Berserker Queen is rampaging towards you and hit her with a serious DOT that will trigger on each of her (many) actions.

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    Warlock video out. Can't link YouTube directly from work.

    https://www.pcinvasion.com/xcom-2-war-chosen-trailer-spotlights-arrogant-warlock

  • DuriniaDurinia Evolved from Space Potatoes Registered User regular
    Looks like some nice allusions to the Chosen interrogations and attacks on the Avenger.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wIoESZnkQ0

    For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
    --Mark Twain
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    Durinia wrote: »
    Looks like some nice allusions to the Chosen interrogations and attacks on the Avenger.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wIoESZnkQ0

    Honestly I'm a little bored by the Warlock. The fanatic thing doesn't do it for me. Next week's video should be the Templars, and then Nolan NorthThe Hunter, which should at least be fun. I bet there'll be a Lost video after that... then it's anybody's guess what they'll put up to keep the hype train rolling.

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited July 2017
    This looks to be all new mission information (spoilers)
    Seems like a little too much pre-defined plot for my taste (the specific two factions for the escort mission seem to be fixed, as well as the Chosen involved). But I'll reserve judgement.

    Dracomicron on
  • SnicketysnickSnicketysnick The Greatest Hype Man in WesterosRegistered User regular
    edited July 2017
    Our boy Bratterz has done a mission playthrough with Jake himself

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-ik5hH9gGU

    It's super long and just gone up but I am sure it is solid gold.

    Snicketysnick on
    7qmGNt5.png
    D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
  • TransporterTransporter Registered User regular
    I watched most pf that video and the fact that

    Each faction works as a counter to each others Chosen enemies is fucking brilliant.

    Reapers countering the Assassin who are hunting the free Advent dudes is cool as shit

    I am 100% hype for the expac

  • TransporterTransporter Registered User regular
    I watched most pf that video and the fact that

    Each faction works as a counter to each others Chosen enemies is fucking brilliant.

    Reapers countering the Assassin who are hunting the free Advent dudes is cool as shit

    I am 100% hype for the expac

    More on that spoiler

    Reaper>Assassin who's hunting Advent Bros

    Templar's>The Undying(?) who are hunting the Reapers

    Advent Bro's>The Warlock who's hunting the Templar's
    Maybe?

  • mastertheheromasterthehero Professional Video Editor & Book Author Registered User regular
    It's so hard not to click on the spoiler tags, but I am succeeding. Thank you guys for doing that, it's much appreciated. But it's not the end of the world if something gets blurted out, heh heh.

    hk52krrtzsf6.gif
  • SnicketysnickSnicketysnick The Greatest Hype Man in WesterosRegistered User regular
    I like that it sounds like Michael Dorn is voicing
    the Advent dude, made both the fact that he's teaming up with Marina Sirtis amusing and added a nice wink to camera for "I do not intend to die this day"

    7qmGNt5.png
    D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
  • DelduwathDelduwath Registered User regular
    I think that the Lost add something very interesting to the gameplay, but I have to admit that I super am not into the theming behind them. For whatever reason, "chryssalid-infested zombies" worked fine for me in the setting, while "shambling corpses animated by side-effects of alien invasion zombies" brings me out of it.

  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    Delduwath wrote: »
    I think that the Lost add something very interesting to the gameplay, but I have to admit that I super am not into the theming behind them. For whatever reason, "chryssalid-infested zombies" worked fine for me in the setting, while "shambling corpses animated by side-effects of alien invasion zombies" brings me out of it.

    On the one hand, it gives people "incentive" to live in the safe areas that ADVENT protects.

    On the other hand, it's like... just where did the zombies start coming from, right? People gotta figure that it's a bit convenient they started showing up after the aliens did.

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Delduwath wrote: »
    I think that the Lost add something very interesting to the gameplay, but I have to admit that I super am not into the theming behind them. For whatever reason, "chryssalid-infested zombies" worked fine for me in the setting, while "shambling corpses animated by side-effects of alien invasion zombies" brings me out of it.

    On the one hand, it gives people "incentive" to live in the safe areas that ADVENT protects.

    On the other hand, it's like... just where did the zombies start coming from, right? People gotta figure that it's a bit convenient they started showing up after the aliens did.

    The xenos arrived just in time to save us from a pre-existing zombie apocalypse.

  • cB557cB557 voOOP Registered User regular
    I wonder if sword kills can proc headshots. Sounds like they probably won't, but if they could, that'd probably make sword rangers actually good.

  • SnicketysnickSnicketysnick The Greatest Hype Man in WesterosRegistered User regular
    cB557 wrote: »
    I wonder if sword kills can proc headshots. Sounds like they probably won't, but if they could, that'd probably make sword rangers actually good.
    They can't. Bratt uses a sword for a kill in the video when he ran out of ammo and it's a regular action. Jake did point out that Reaper for Rangers is pretty solid as a backup though if you can chain those sword kills carefully.

    7qmGNt5.png
    D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    cB557 wrote: »
    I wonder if sword kills can proc headshots. Sounds like they probably won't, but if they could, that'd probably make sword rangers actually good.

    Hey, Bradford is a sword ranger, and he rocks!

  • WACriminalWACriminal Dying Is Easy, Young Man Living Is HarderRegistered User regular
    cB557 wrote: »
    I wonder if sword kills can proc headshots. Sounds like they probably won't, but if they could, that'd probably make sword rangers actually good.
    They can't. Bratt uses a sword for a kill in the video when he ran out of ammo and it's a regular action. Jake did point out that Reaper for Rangers is pretty solid as a backup though if you can chain those sword kills carefully.
    Sounds like a strong contender for "first post-xpac mod" to me.

  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    If The Walking Dead has taught me anything, it's that anyone can headshot a zombie, but it takes a few fencing lessons to chain kills with a sword.

  • DuriniaDurinia Evolved from Space Potatoes Registered User regular
    That gameplay has me pretty stoked. Looks like some fun stuff.

    I expect there to be some seriously good poster entries in this thread come release.

    For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.
    --Mark Twain
  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    edited July 2017
    I like that it sounds like Michael Dorn is voicing
    the Advent dude, made both the fact that he's teaming up with Marina Sirtis amusing and added a nice wink to camera for "I do not intend to die this day"

    Makes sense given he already did the "English Warrior" SPARK voice. I'm also hearing that Johnathan Frakes is going to be involved somehow. So that's what, three star-trek actors confirmed?

    Mr Ray on
  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    I like that it sounds like Michael Dorn is voicing
    the Advent dude, made both the fact that he's teaming up with Marina Sirtis amusing and added a nice wink to camera for "I do not intend to die this day"

    Makes sense given he already did the "English Warrior" SPARK voice. I'm also hearing that Johnathan Frakes is going to be involved somehow. So that's what, three star-trek actors confirmed?

    Somebody @ me if Stewart gets on board to voice act.

  • PonyPony Registered User regular
    I'm actually genuinely surprised by the Lost, they're a reference to something from the XCOM 2 prequel novel and I didn't expect that actually be canon or referenced at all since almost nothing from that book was prior.

  • cB557cB557 voOOP Registered User regular
    Pony wrote: »
    I'm actually genuinely surprised by the Lost, they're a reference to something from the XCOM 2 prequel novel and I didn't expect that actually be canon or referenced at all since almost nothing from that book was prior.
    I thought in the novel it was meld that was infecting stuff or whatever?

  • LeumasWhiteLeumasWhite New ZealandRegistered User regular
    The Lost seem like they'll be a bit boring on their own, but great fun when Advent are around.

    As far as the mission itself, I'm reasonably certain it'll be like Lost Towers or the Alien Nest; active and static the first time you use the DLC, optional afterwards. They've mentioned that the faction counters are randomized for each Chosen before.

    QPPHj1J.jpg
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    The Lost seem like they'll be a bit boring on their own, but great fun when Advent are around.

    As far as the mission itself, I'm reasonably certain it'll be like Lost Towers or the Alien Nest; active and static the first time you use the DLC, optional afterwards. They've mentioned that the faction counters are randomized for each Chosen before.

    Yeah, I hope that is accurate. They already have the mechanism in place to activate or deactivate the DLC missions.

  • LeumasWhiteLeumasWhite New ZealandRegistered User regular
    Price is up. Jeez, that's a little hefty. How much was EW when it came out?

    QPPHj1J.jpg
This discussion has been closed.