XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Greatatlantic · 2012-10-11T13:40:20.000Z

So, after downloading what seemed to be two updates, I noticed they changed the quicksave button from F12 to F10, which is the sort of thing I would have done eventually anyways since F12 is also mapped to take screenshots. However, whenever I try to take a screenshot at the base before scanning it doesn’t take. All my saves are either auto saves or manual saves since last night.

Anyone else have this problem?

Jab · 2012-10-11T13:45:05.000Z

Tim James:

Don’t forget there’s an .ini tweak to disable intro movies. Steam will replace the ones you’ve renamed, so the .ini is a better long term solution.

What’s the tweak to disable the intro movies again?

IndridCold · 2012-10-11T13:54:47.000Z

Anyone know if the patch fixes the panning/zooming issue for the ant-hill base view? Free-Zoom was not working at all, and panning was only possible by moving the mouse cursor to the edges of the screen. I don’t see anything listed explicitly in the patch notes.

Maybe it’s lower priority, but I really want to be able to zoom in and checkout the various rooms of my base (like the interrogation chamber!)

Vesper · 2012-10-11T13:56:52.000Z

Just checked - Zoom is fixed!

Grifman · 2012-10-11T14:07:24.000Z

Savillo:

I’m not 100 percent sure, but those mission difficulty ratings seem tied closely to the likely number of aliens you’ll encounter more so than anything else.

Well, not only that but the type of alien and the goals. For example, I haven’t see any “easy” terror missions even though one of mine had no more aliens than an “easy” mission where I shot down a small scout. Plus this had floaters/chryslids vs just Sectoids.

Dejin · 2012-10-11T15:03:48.000Z

Piemax2:

Well I can partially answer my question about the pacing and difficulty of the missions- I’m now seeing “easy” and “medium” missions with more advanced aliens that would destroy a newbie team. Does anyone know if this is keyed to your following the “plot line” of priority research? If so does that mean you can keep the missions easy by dragging your heels on the plot? or is it tied to the game’s calendar? (I think I’d prefer that…)

My understanding based on Jake Solomon’s comments on interviews is that the Aliens run on their own timeline they have their own strategy and they push forward regardless of what you do or do not do.

TimJames · 2012-10-11T15:04:28.000Z

Jab:

What’s the tweak to disable the intro movies again?

Maybe I only saw it on another site.

In your Documents\My Games\XCOM - Enemy Unknown\XComGame\Config\XComEngine.ini you can put a semicolon in front of the 4 lines that start with StartupMovies.

But it looks like mine weren’t commented out and I still don’t have the intro videos, so maybe the update didn’t revert the videos. See my earlier post in the thread about renaming them. I don’t know, try one or the other.

Chaplin · 2012-10-11T15:31:40.000Z

Any tips for dealing with layered terrain? Whenever there are multi-floor battlescapes I feel like I am fighting the interface more than anything else as the screen flips out in an epileptic fit when I am trying to find the magic spot that shows just the ground floor, middle layer, etc. I recently played a level that had a 4 or 5 story ruin that was open all over the place. It had multiple thin men moving about but it was hell trying to get an idea of where they were or what walls or stairs mattered for each one. I try using F or C, but it doesn’t seem to help.

Alan_Dunkin · 2012-10-11T15:48:27.000Z

Which is the battleship? I just did a mission last night with the giant maw on front of the UFO where it’s just all open, no major cover options getting in, dead cows all around, and just assloads of aliens (including Beserkers, argh). Plus, you can go ON TOP of the ship.

— Alan

RepoMan · 2012-10-11T15:48:55.000Z

I agree, they really need to fix their visibility algorithm. It should be rock solid but it’s an oscillating nightmare. It’s like their auto-camera positioning is fighting with the “should I draw this level or not” code.

Jab · 2012-10-11T16:01:58.000Z

I think I found something spotty with the to hit calculator. I had an enemy standing in plain sight and when I checked the accuracy factors I had a penalty due to low cover. Now this guy spawned in so there was no way that he was behind cover. And on top of that I was using a sniper rifle so I know that it wasn’t a range issue.

This isn’t the first time that I’m getting inaccurate results due to cover. I had one where I was literally facing the non covered side according to the camera and the enemy was still considered in full cover.

Lunch_of_Kong · 2012-10-11T16:10:19.000Z

Alan Dunkin:

Which is the battleship? I just did a mission last night with the giant maw on front of the UFO where it’s just all open, no major cover options getting in, dead cows all around, and just assloads of aliens (including Beserkers, argh). Plus, you can go ON TOP of the ship.

— Alan

The battleship is the one where the entire map is the ship. You spawn right outside the rear doors of the thing, and the first room you enter puts you on one side of a chasm.

Editer · 2012-10-11T16:27:50.000Z

Stupid Chryssalids. I’m going to have to retry the
minorspoiler

Alien headquarters

mission and take along a cannon fodder new recruit to send ahead and flush out the Chryssalids. “Oh, important mission, let me take ALL my experienced officers on it.”

D’oh.

Alan_Dunkin · 2012-10-11T16:29:04.000Z

USE A SHIV. These are awesome fodder, and they’re hella cheap.

— Alan

Editer · 2012-10-11T16:38:21.000Z

Alan Dunkin:

USE A SHIV. These are awesome fodder, and they’re hella cheap.

— Alan

Don’t have them yet. Guessing I might be visiting the place a bit early in the game?

robc04 · 2012-10-11T16:39:53.000Z

Jab:

I think I found something spotty with the to hit calculator. I had an enemy standing in plain sight and when I checked the accuracy factors I had a penalty due to low cover. Now this guy spawned in so there was no way that he was behind cover. And on top of that I was using a sniper rifle so I know that it wasn’t a range issue.

This isn’t the first time that I’m getting inaccurate results due to cover. I had one where I was literally facing the non covered side according to the camera and the enemy was still considered in full cover.

Yeh, I made the same comment earlier today here. It is very annoying. My troop was standing right next to the alien with nothing in between them and it said he had a cover bonus.

robc04 · 2012-10-11T16:47:28.000Z

Does anyone else want to punch out the council guy who keeps saying that they are watching us? I want him to put his ass on the line or shut the hell up.

Alan_Dunkin · 2012-10-11T16:57:34.000Z

Editer:

Don’t have them yet. Guessing I might be visiting the place a bit early in the game?

That would be my thinking. First time I ran through it, there were 3 groups of Chrysallids. Not to mention a surprise at the end. I’d wait till I had full laser loadouts and improved armor with a SHIV before going in honestly, but that’s just me (the second time around it did seem easier).

— Alan

MikeOberly · 2012-10-11T16:59:39.000Z

Editer:

Stupid Chryssalids. I’m going to have to retry the
minorspoiler

Alien headquarters

mission and take along a cannon fodder new recruit to send ahead and flush out the Chryssalids. “Oh, important mission, let me take ALL my experienced officers on it.”

D’oh.

Thanks for the heads up. I just got that one, but haven’t had time to try it yet. And I just had a hairy Terror mission in the city where I lost one of my best guys (and was lucky I didn’t lose everybody). I may not be ready yet…squad size 5, still.

Sean_Tudor · 2012-10-11T17:06:54.000Z

Does this latest XCOM give you a chance to build up? Or is it on an invasion timer like the original game?