XCOM: Enemy Unknown

CF_Kane · 2012-10-03T10:20:48.000Z

Tim James:

It’s frustrating how game previews are all moving to videos and podcasts now. It takes forever to absorb basic information like this. I guess I count on RPS to put it in text for me.

A thousand times this. Videos are great for some things, but most of the time I’d rather just read a summary of what was said in the video than spend an hour watching it.

Mr_Zero · 2012-10-03T10:23:12.000Z

Tom Mc:

There is definitely an attempt to expand “accessibility”, however you quantify that, as evidenced by the smaller scale and console friendly control scheme. The ratio of patient die hard gamers to casuals has lost ground in the decades since Xcom. So if you are looking for a more serious game in the Xcom legacy this is probably not it. Xenonauts is being touted as a more traditional successor. That may be worth a look.

Tom M

If the die hards have lost ground, why is that? Are former die hards transitioning into casual play as they get older? Or is the tent bigger, and the influx of new players has skewed the ratio towards the masses?

Savillo · 2012-10-03T10:28:52.000Z

rezaf:

The new game had no height levels, right? Only “on ground” and “flying”. No destructible terrain and rare destructible environment (i.e., blowing holes in walls).

Enemy Unknown does have height levels. Use the mouse wheel or keys F and C to change between them. You do have to initiate “flying mode” as an ability (if wearing the correct armor). I found it a little difficult to see exactly where you’d be putting a soldier. You don’t have the multi-level box cursor as in the original. Just a box on the elevation level you’re viewing.

Environments are fully destructible (from what I can tell) but as in UFO Defense, not Apocalypse. We were just discussing that few weapons have a free-aim mode.

Tim James:

The TMA podcast was the first time I heard how multiplayer works. For anyone going in blind, it’s a tabletop point buy system. You choose whether to take a couple powerful units or a bunch of weak ones. That sounds good.

I published a multiplayer preview last week on GamesBeat if you’re interested in more detail.

Tom_Mc · 2012-10-03T10:29:15.000Z

Without any actual data, I would say its the influx of new players. Especially when you consider this is a console title every bit as much as a pc title. I don’t really consider this a horrible thing as I can probably get friends to look at this game where I could not get them to look at the original. And for the serious players there will always be serious games. They may not be triple A titles but they will never go away.

Tom M

Jason_Lutes · 2012-10-03T10:36:03.000Z

rezaf:

The new game had no height levels, right? Only “on ground” and “flying”. No destructible terrain and rare destructible environment (i.e., blowing holes in walls). No random levels. Overall smaller maps where the position of the aliens is usually more or less clear from the start.
These, to me, are clearly cases of bad steamlining.

How can they be “clear” cases of bad streamlining if you haven’t played the game? Context is everything for this kind of stuff.

Jenner · 2012-10-03T10:40:20.000Z

Jake goes ‘undercover’ at a game store and tries to hustle patrons into buying XCOM.

Savillo · 2012-10-03T10:49:05.000Z

Jenner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1pyJxcETmc

Jake goes ‘undercover’ at a game store and tries to hustle patrons into buying XCOM.

I know that store! Funny video.

Scotch_Lufkin · 2012-10-03T10:49:58.000Z

Jenner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1pyJxcETmc

Jake goes ‘undercover’ at a game store and tries to hustle patrons into buying XCOM.

That was brilliant. “Which isn’t like chess at all, now I think of it.”

Tom_Mc · 2012-10-03T10:53:42.000Z

“You’re eighteen right?” Quote is more awesome out of context.

Why couldn’t he sell the game early to one of us chomping at the bit? I know not as funny as trying to explain Xcom to your average joe but we’d appreciate it a lot more.

Tom M

nKoan · 2012-10-03T11:12:48.000Z

“You could play this game for 10 hours and still lose this thing”

Not the best marketing strategy for most gamers.

Thrag · 2012-10-03T11:14:20.000Z

rezaf:

The new game had no height levels, right? Only “on ground” and “flying”.

No. In some of the various gameplay videos multi-level buildings are shown and in the demo you can get up on rooftops. One of the videos showed a sniper using a grappling hook contraption to zip up to to high ground.

Quaro · 2012-10-03T11:33:47.000Z

nKoan:

“You could play this game for 10 hours and still lose this thing”

Not the best marketing strategy for most gamers.

Nah it’s cool. People understand that if you can’t lose it’s not a strategy game. Just like Civ.

Scotch_Lufkin · 2012-10-03T11:39:11.000Z

nKoan:

“You could play this game for 10 hours and still lose this thing”

Not the best marketing strategy for most gamers.

I would disagree, since it’s been the number 1 game sold on Steam for awhile now, and in the top 10 for a very long time. :) I hope more publishers stop thinking as you are, and look at what people actually want from there games.

rezaf · 2012-10-03T11:45:25.000Z

Jason Lutes:

How can they be “clear” cases of bad streamlining if you haven’t played the game? Context is everything for this kind of stuff.

In these cases, the context is irrelevant to me.
The game can STILL be fun, of course, it’s just that without such limitations it could be even better - for me, at least.

Still, thanks for the clarification everyone about height levels, I stand corrected, and I’m glad this is the case.

rezaf

Reemul · 2012-10-03T12:23:17.000Z

Just pre ordered for £20 on GMG, can’t really go wrong at these prices especially when you get a nice steam key to just type in.

nKoan · 2012-10-03T12:58:58.000Z

BleedTheFreak:

I would disagree, since it’s been the number 1 game sold on Steam for awhile now, and in the top 10 for a very long time. :) I hope more publishers stop thinking as you are, and look at what people actually want from there games.

That was actually my point. For you and me (and most everyone here) it is a positive selling point and I’m glad they are touting it. But, unfortunately for the big publishers, I think they probably still feel like this will scare people away.

I’m hoping that this game can help to turn the tide so that publishers will recognize that things like permanent death and no guarantee of winning as being positives for a lot of gamers.

forgeforsaken · 2012-10-03T13:02:13.000Z

nKoan:

That was actually my point. For you and me (and most everyone here) it is a positive selling point and I’m glad they are touting it. But, unfortunately for the big publishers, I think they probably still feel like this will scare people away.

I’m hoping that this game can help to turn the tide so that publishers will recognize that things like permanent death and no guarantee of winning as being positives for a lot of gamers.

I think we’re starting to see a resurgence of challenging games, with the Souls games, FTL, Dredmore, and X-com all seeming to do relatively well sales wise.

TurinTur · 2012-10-03T13:27:01.000Z

nKoan:

“You could play this game for 10 hours and still lose this thing”

Not the best marketing strategy for most gamers.

It’s not a marketing line for the people to whom he talked in the shop, but to the people watching the video.

And hell, look at Dark Souls.

Brooski · 2012-10-03T14:26:20.000Z

Thanks for all the replies and comments. In terms of sounding “aggro,” I went back and listened to parts of the show and have to say I respectfully disagree. To me it sounded like an adult asking another adult questions. What strikes me about this whole thing is that from the very beginning of the show, even before we started recording, I made it a point to be as measured and non-confrontational as possible, taking to heart previous comments about my interview style in past episodes. So what you heard there was me dialed down to the maximum while still asking non-fluff questions. If you consider that too harsh and aggressive, than I may just not be pleasant for you to listen to, ever. Not that that is your problem, just that it may be the way it is.

SlyFrog:

I think that what they were clumsily trying to get at is that the original game seemed to have more spacious maps than I have seen with respect to the new game. Therefore, you didn’t always have the option of staying in cover … that has little to do with a “cover system” and more to do with the size of the maps and the amount of cover that is made available.

Yes, that is exactly it. Sorry I was clumsy about it.

Anyway, I’m definitely looking forward to the game being released next week.

TimJames · 2012-10-03T14:35:09.000Z

forgeforsaken:

I think we’re starting to see a resurgence of challenging games, with the Souls games, FTL, Dredmore, and X-com all seeming to do relatively well sales wise.

To continue this discussion: one of those is not like the other. FTL, Dredmor (and all roguelikes), and possibly XCOM are built on the principle of “Losing is fun.” I think Dark Souls is built more on old school controller-smashing repetitive failure. Which is fine, but I see it as a reaction to easy games that goes in a different direction than the Dwarf Fortress / roguelike legacy.