Hm, I just looked at XCOM’s global achievements page, and people have already unlocked a bunch of achievements, including ones like beating the game in Ironman and Impossible modes. I guess these are all people with reviewer copies?
Blips
1922
Got my GMG key, preloading now :D
Played the demo for the second time. I have to say that, even if the new system have less tactical options and depth, it does have certain streamlined elegance in it. Two actions points per soldier, 2 types of cover (light, heavy), and a few extra for the soldiers (like “hunker down”, etc), that’s it.
The randomness feel reduced in comparison with the original games, both in “% hit” and “damage”, so the game turns into who discover first the enemy, who surprises the other out of cover or out of actions, and who outflanks the other. The one who does it, kills the other unit, as their aim is better than before and the weapons usually kill in one burst.
Wolff
1924
Grr three day weekend with no xcom
ElGuapo
1925
Next week might be my last week in my current contract. Oh man, what timing. I feels a marathon, 1994-era non stop session coming my way!
tgb123
1926
Oh, Steam, how you taunt us with that lovely shortcut to nowhere.
Thrag
1927
Discovering the enemy first was a major element in x-com. Your description could easily apply to the original game.
You seem to be making generalizations about the entire game based on what is basically a tutorial mission. Yes, in the very first mission of the game you are up against the weakest aliens and they do go down with one shot. Other gameplay videos that have been out for a while have shown there are aliens that do no go down with one shot.
I think it will be even more important.
You seem to be making generalizations about the entire game based on what is basically a tutorial mission.
A fair thought, but the fact that you have now only 4-6 soldiers, with some clues in the different modes you can turn on/off (posted some pages back) that it seems to bring back the extra randomization optionally, and a few gameplay videos here and there, makes me think that way. Or at least forms a somewhat supported speculation.
Sepiche
1929
One more day of work and then I have 2 full days to dive into glorious XCom. :)
Wolff
1930
Is it unlocking earlier than steam is saying? Or is your one more day tomorrow?
I believe he said “one more day of work” as in, after Monday he can look forward to some XCOM goodneess.
Giaddon
1932
New game informer interview, mostly about the difficulty. Sounds basically not worth playing on normal (the strategy layer is super easy).
tgb123
1933
I realized that I wanted normal difficulty to be a difficulty that everyone can play and beat. So I walked back the strategy layer on normal, and I kept the strategy layer on Classic really difficult, cutting down the number of specialists, making the AI behavior a lot more, I don’t want to say intelligent, but they just play the game a lot more. Whereas normal it’s a lot more random behavior. Normal was like the baseline for combat and then the strategy was walked back on normal. On Classic, combat actually was made harder than what our baseline was, and then the strategy layer stayed the same there.
He should have gone the way of Creative Assembly and had two difficulty settings.
Hugin
1934
My first playthrough will almost certainly be Normal. I want to see the game, see the options available to me, have the space to experiment with powers or base building strategies knowing that tiny mistakes won’t doom me. Once I’ve gotten a basic feel for what I like and don’t like and understand the general shape of everything, I’ll go in for a Classic game. Obviously the changes at that difficulty will mean adjusting what I saw and learned in the first game, but I prefer adjusting to completely guessing.
Pogo
1935
It’s been explained to you already in excruciating detail how the new system does not have less tactical options or depth because complexity does not automatically create depth. Depth in X-Com was an illusion created by the complex strategy layer on top of the TBS combat layer. I can’t believe your skull is this thick that you’ve already forgotten the argument.
This game easily trumps X-Com 1 in tactical options. If you can’t see how it has more options, then you’re a lost cause. Here, I’ll give you one… you can jump through windows. Want another freebie? You can climb to get onto rooftops. At the time, X-Com was super exciting because of the environmental destruction, which is present here and is actually even more accurate and defined than ever before.
I love you pogo. That is exactly what I was thinking.
LeeArac
1937
That’s an awfully assertive and aggressive response based on… what exactly? How long have you played, precisely?
I’m with TurinTur. Everything I’ve seen and read points to less complexity and depth. Maybe some of the ‘streamlining’ is good, but I don’t believe all of it is.
I am just excited we only have a few more hours, before we can have a spirited debate about 1 vs 2, based on actual game play.
It better be good, or I am going to be a sad puppy.
Tyrion
1939
His response is based on the details available to us, which are pretty extensive. The demo, the many videos, the gameplay previews…we know a lot about XCOM.
Then you haven’t seen and read all of the available information. Soldiers have special abilities. Right there is a massive, massive addition to complexity and depth. It’s an easy counterexample to your assertion that everything points to less complexity and depth.
For most of the other contentious design choices, Jake Solomon has provided solid rationale for why they add depth, not subtract it. For example, he mentioned how letting players deliberately target and destroy cover with non-explosive weapons reduced depth by creating a nearly dominant strategy. Players would end up hanging back, destroying all cover, and then wiping out their enemies easily that way.
Wolff
1940
Just wish people that haven’t played anything beyond the demo would stop stating broad sweeping generalizations about the game - if you feel that way once you’ve played the game - I want to hear about it! But for now can you please keep your super uniformed opinions to notepad?
