Game Unknown: XCOM

[Ratlos]

Since the General 2K Discussion was labeled "For all your non-game-related 2K topics" I decided to start a new thread here.

So, it's almost certain that 2K will be producing a new game for the X-COM franchise and Irrational Games is a strong bet for developing it.

The orginal game was a perfect combination of tactical and strategic elements and is generally considered to be one of the best PC games ever.

Naturally I would like to see another installment of more of the same, but better :) For the tactical combat Jagged Alliance has brought many things: personalities, moddable stuff, multiplayer (in Deadly Games), miniquests and a whole lot more. Of course Silent Storm set the new standard for graphics, physics and destroyable environment.

Having turn based gameplay is not a bad thing, it's just a different approach to things. 2K knows this, right? Atleast they didn't make Civization realtime...

However X-COM franchise offers many other prosperious opportunities. Like making a shooter, like that cancelled X-COM: Alliance would have been. (And I remember from the screenshots that you could see your squad mates view from small screens in your HUD, definately makes me want some Space Hulk -stylised tactical action.)

Knowing that Irrational has done both Freedom Force and SWAT4, it could go either way.

Your thoughts on the issue?

Meanwhile, to get a feel of what others have done and are doing on the subject, check out these links:

The UFO:After* series by ALTAR Games.
http://www.altargames.com/pages/index.html

UFO: Extraterrestrials by Chaos Concept.
http://www.ufo-extraterrestrials.com/

Laser Squad Nemesis by Codo Technologies.
http://www.lasersquadnemesis.com/

[Bartekk]

I'm eager to play anything that would be true next X-COM game. However I don't want to see Alliance, I'm a bit tired of First-Person Shooters. BioShock and stalker are the last on my list. I just want true successor to X-COM series, tactical/strategy mix, very complex one.

[Freddo]

I might be wrong here, but isn't the X-COM franchise owned by Atari, Inc?

One thing I would love to see are the first two X-COM games remade for cellphones. The phones of today are good enough to handle it, and it would be perfect for long trips.

[Gimli]

Take Two bought the rights in 2005 as I recall.

[Pinstripe]

Take Two bought the rights in 2005 as I recall.
Not precisely. Firaxis bought the X-Com license sometime ago, which then was bought by Take 2.

[Freddo]

Not precisely. Firaxis bought the X-Com license sometime ago, which then was bought by Take 2.
Very cool :cool:

2K doesn't make cellphone games, though, do they? Shame, I would really have liked to see the first X-COM games for S60. It would have been so perfect.

[Gimli]

Not precisely. Firaxis bought the X-Com license sometime ago, which then was bought by Take 2.

Microprose merged with Hasbro in the late 1990s (1998-1999), and after Hasbro bailed out, the rights were bought by Firaxis which used to be part of Infogrames (later Atari). The rights officially belonged to Infogrames/Atari. Then Take Two got the rights in 2005, and they were officially assigned to T2 on Aug 24th 2005.:p

[Pinstripe]

Whatever. They're in good hands now, that is all that matters to me.

[jackinthebox]

the first x-com was a very interesting game... but i didn't like any sequel, they all seemed like clones to me :P
if the x-com developed by IG will be real time, i'm going to scream for help >.<

[Bartekk]

(...) i didn't like any sequel, they all seemed like clones to me :P (...)

Terror from the deep was an abvious clone, just harder (but who the hell really cares?), but Apocalypse? Apoc was very different.

[Veritas]

Agree with a previous poster. FPSs are getting boring. Someone has to make one that is revolutionary, showing that other version of FPSs can succeed. Thats what Darkness and BioShock are trying to do. Change the way FPSs are view. Everyone is tired of the WWII and Sci-Fi FPSs.

[CrashT]

Technically Bioshock is a Sci-Fi FPS.

[Da Bubs]

Technically Bioshock is a Sci-Fi FPS.

yeah, but its got some RPG mixed in

[Gimli]

It's official now (http://www.strategycore.co.uk)

[LowEnergyCycle]

Fantastic!.....

And then you read the post below it about Uwe Boll's next film venture...

And a significant part of you dies inside :(

[Gimli]

Fantastic!.....

And then you read the post below it about Uwe Boll's next film venture...

And a significant part of you dies inside :(


*Gimli adds LowEnergyCycle to the list of April Fools* ;)

[LowEnergyCycle]

..................... Damnit!

Two years in a row I've been fooled!

Two!!:o

[Gimli]

..................... Damnit!

Two years in a row I've been fooled!

Two!!:o

Don't worry, I even fooled the admin on the site. Twice! :D
Wait till you see what I come up with next year, hehehe.

[nmrahde]

X-Com: Apocalypse was very different in terms of both game and some of the story.

While differing gameplay styles are nice, I would have liked to see a consistent storyline with the Snake Men and Chryssalids...

[Gimli]

That's pretty much the biggest beef people have with Apocalypse. Well, and Microprose shipped it unfinished so the TB combat sucks and lots of very cool things were cut. Not only in terms of equipment, but also things that would have made the whole political side of the game much more engaging such as VIP interrogation.

The interesting thing, however, is that Dave Ellis, designer of X-COM: Interceptor and keeper of the timeline, managed to find a way to integrate Apocalypse into the storyline for the discontinued X-COM: Genesis, even if it was a bit stretched. You can read about it in part 3 of this (http://www.thelastoutpost.co.uk/games/dave-ellis-genesis) interview. He hadn't worked much on building the story to present a more believable transition from Apocalypse to Genesis, but it was still very early in development when Hasbro cut the funding. It's a shame because as you can see from the interview, Genesis would have one of the best intro animations I've ever seen. Sadly, Hasbro chickened out after only 6 months leaving us with Enforcer...

EDIT: However, not everything looks so grim right now. UFO: Extraterrestrials, the most promising spiritual successor to X-COM, has gone gold (http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=6294&pid=75869&st=0&#entry75869). If the game delivers, then we have a good chance to show the gaming industry that this kind of game can sell well, when the word-of-mouth is strong. More importantly, if Take Two Interactive has someone developing the game or is planning in the near future, then this would reassure them that it is a good business decision.

[nmrahde]

So that's a book, the Fallout 3 forum link, and now this game that you brought to light....

...and here I thought Dwarves were only for killing things or mining too deep and releasing Balrogs...

[Gimli]

So that's a book, the Fallout 3 forum link, and now this game that you brought to light....

...and here I thought Dwarves were only for killing things or mining too deep and releasing Balrogs...

We also like "smaller" people, and have a special site with pictures of naked midgets... but that's a whole different story.










No, not really, don't be silly. ;) It's an old joke, which I've spread through every forum I post on, hehe.

[Freddo]

Terror of the Deep (http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=game&AppId=7650) is now on STEAM, heh. Kinda cool :cool:

This should imply that they still have the sources for the game. So making a mobile phone version should be very possible if 2K decided to put resources into it.

[nightcleaver]

Apocalypse was fun in its way, but not as addictive, and it was plagued with technical difficulties and had a weird theme that wasn't fully realized. There were some really good qualities to it.

I think that it would be difficult to get right, what with technology being very different - I don't understand how it is that no one's been able to get it right. There needs to be technology, research, squad eqipping, etc, but in all those areas the original x-com could have used some overhauling, honestly. I think the scenario in Beyond the Sword has an idea of how to approach getting the feel - that it should feel more like horror, but maybe not quite so much as that scenario. It should be from how sectoids can mind control your men, chrysallids make them into zombies, and blaster launchers tear your squad to little bits. If they make another, it needs to be gritty and real, and really use light and shadow to good effect. The glint of the sectoid's eyes, you know? And they don't need to change what type of alien we're fighting against - just give us the original idea with better graphics, a little bit more balancing with the research and the equipment, and the sort of chills and slow pace the original gave you in 16-color glory. It also needs to have some sort of believable terrain generation, though I don't know how feasible that is.

I have thought WAY too much about this...

[nightcleaver]

Sorry to double post, but I have another thing to ask... is extraterrestrials really all that good?

[Quanta]

I'd kill for a true sequel, or even a re-imagining of the X-COM series. We can only pray that 2K actually does something with the IP rather than sit on it like every other company has since it was "abducted" all those years ago.

[JamesR]

Woo ... Gotta love X-Com.

Although its not exactly "Unknown" (Pub unintended), its just old.

Still love it. Still never managed to finish a game of it :P

[Quanta]

All I know is that I miss killing Chrysalids, as annoying as they were. :(

[Undying Zombie]

I would love to see a new X-com game, but as long as they stick to how the 1st or 2end one in terms of how the game was played. I just REALLY did not like the 3rd one..

[Faenaris]

The moment I read an announcement saying that an Xcom successor is in development, is the moment I pre-order the game. I don't pre-order games since I prefer to just pick em up at my gameshop, but I would gladly pre-order and use the fastest delivery method to get it in my mailbox.

Terror from the Deep was one heck of a game. I always had a thing for water (and I did become a scubadiver at one point) and seeing troops in suits, fighting nasty alien critters on the bodem of the ocean really made my heart beat faster. I played it a lot more than the original X-Com yet I never finished a single game. Those two-part missions sure take a loooooooot of time. :)

That said: Xcom successor? HELL YES!

[vrap]

I'm not sure if you read the article, Faenaris, but Shacknews posted some very interesting facts some months back accidentally revealed by 2K's legal department suggesting very strongly that Irrational was indeed working on a new X-Com. It was the best evidence we have thus far, so see if you can dig up the story.

[Faenaris]

I'm not sure if you read the article, Faenaris, but Shacknews posted some very interesting facts some months back accidentally revealed by 2K's legal department suggesting very strongly that Irrational was indeed working on a new X-Com. It was the best evidence we have thus far, so see if you can dig up the story.

Cheers for the heads-up, vrap, I'll have a look for that story tomorrow. :)

[Gimli]

No need for that, here's the link:

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/45797

There's a lot of other things that make this even more buyable, I am hoping that by E3 we'll have found out what it is 2K Boston is really working on.
I hope X-COM will get a better treatment from Take 2 than it got from Atari and Hasborg: the annihilator. :D
Of course, it will be easier to convince Take 2 that X-COM is a good game if you support them (shameless plug, true, but I think nobody will mind in this case):

TFTD on Steam (http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=game&AppId=7650&cc=HR)
UFO on Gametap (http://www.gametap.com/home/play/gameDetails/000374750)

While I don't know Take 2's plans, I would guess this is a sort of test to see how much interest there is in the X-COM games.

[MasterMike569]

It was too bad we didnt get any news about the new Project X from the GDC via the mouth of Ken but hell hopefully something surfaces soon to make us crop dust our pants from the excitement!

[Paendrag]

Hi I am new to these forums. As soon as I heard that 2K Games got the X-Com franchize licence and is planning on a sequel to my favorite PC Game series I signed up to contibute my opinions and to stay tuned to the newest developments.

First of all, I read that there is the possiblility that the new developer will stray from the path and fall for the "dark side" of the force... e.g. there is the possibility they will develop a FPS-Game.
sincerly
PLEASE DONT DO THIS.Ii think its a BIG mistake and will lead only to the financial trashcan, since most younger gamers (FPS games is favorouble to a young audience) probably have NEVER heard of the X-COM frenchize, thus seeing this game probably only as a nother second line FPS game. Anyway the competition out there in the FPS sector is way stronger than the one which deals in Turn-Based strategy. And I bet a sequel will be most certintly find its strongest supporters with the old X-COM vets.

Leave it TURN-BASED, as it is an core-element to the success of the frenchize. It might be an idea to make a mixture of turn based and real time gameplay as has been started with X-COM Apocalypse and was finaly ripend at the hands of CENEGA, the developer of the other big frenchize which is feeding on the X-COM idea in their "UFO-series".

Here some suggestions for a new game (more a wishlist, to be honest :D )

If you want a succesful successor you need to stick to the principle of the original series and build upon its strengths!

-Turn based tactics with full destructible and highly detailed environment and buildings to enter.
-Global strategy/diplomacy
-Squad sized teams with strong RPG elements and deep customization options
-Base-building and management
-Recource managment and equipment market
-Various and long tech-trees for reserch (maybe with some "secret" research options which are available only under certain conditions)
-Vehicles for combat at global map and on tactic maps
-Weapons customization
-Dark furure/ sci-fi atmosphere with scary aliens (like in the alien movies for example)and good storyline for better immersion (no kiddy colored comic graphics)
-Strong AI (very important..make it a challenge!)
-Loads of different tactical maps, preferrably generated randomly.
-Many different mission types. ranging from "kill all enemies" to "recover object x", "defend point x for x turns" , "escort and rescue missions" and so on...
-Next gen. graphics engine.
-High modability, pref. tool set for modding
-Online/offline coop/ pvp (in short: Multiplayer)
-Replay and "recording" function for missions.
-Make random drops of "special items" in missions, which cannot be researched and build but must be found.
-Make maps more alive with random animals and civillians.
-Realistic physics and ragdoll system
-RPG elements should also include ranks for your soldiers and a medal awarding-system (like in Apocalypse). And special skills which are hard to aquire.
-Hitbox -system where you can target certain body-areas like arms, legs, torso, head and so on...

Dear 2K Games, please involve the community and the fanbase and listen to them when designing the game. It will help you save money and time. And it will make for a solid customer base even before the game is on the market...

Thx for reading

Paendrag

[Paendrag]

Oh, and if you want to see for your self how many people are still fans of the X-COM idea, have a look on the cenega forums and the discussions about their UFO-franchize. Its a big fanbase with huge potential. And I think its time an other developer took over because I think CENEGA and Altair Games are out of ideas... They made solid games, fun to play but never achieved the glory of the old X-COM series. But the last games they developed felt all the same...

Paendrag

[Psy Guy]

I think the direction that x-com needs to take is partly the same as was taken in x-com apoc (sadly it shipped incomplete). The turn based system with tactical squad combat is very limited in what you can do (similtanious attacks, supression fire, running from nades, advantages of speed aren't really possible without exagerated and limited game mechanics).
Honestly i would like to see x-com step away from the turn base and innovate more real time elements to give more fluid combat and allow for more advanced team tactics. Give the game a stong cover system, world enviornment physics, and a good AI to make use of it and you could have a top selling strategy game. Imagin the possibilites of using a machine gun to lay down supression fire to move troops into a better possition or load AP rounds into your auto cannon to shoot through a wall to kill a sectoid hiding behind it. Giving real time fast paced action in heated gun fights can really make the game fun but having the ability to pause and issue commands can give the player the needed control and oppertunity to overcome a superior enemy.
X-Com 1 was a game won by proper control of LoS which allowed terror missions and outdoor combat to work just fine but when the battle went indoors the limitations of turn based started to take away from the fun. The reaction shot system helped the aliens far more often than the player and you really couldn't do much against an alien waiting behind a doorway or around the corner of a hallway (there are ways to counter it with explosives and human wave tactics but that took away from the fun).
I know theres diehard fans of turn based game out there and having the option to play the game in turn based would be nice (just like apoc) but as seen in games like jagged alliance you really can't do too much more with turn based than whats already been done 5 even 10 years ago.
A turn based x-com remake for the PSP or GB would be awsome (and i would buy it on release) but for a full fledge new x-com on the PC or console (stong prefrence for PC) stepping away from turn based would be the best move IMO.

(Note) Ive played UFO:Enemy Unknown, TFTD, Apoc and beaten the 1st and 3rd many times (bugged research tree ruined my TFTD experiance). I do enjoy everything from turn based strategies and empire builders to FPS and MMOs.

[Psy Guy]

Its not a double post but a random list of cool ideas i had for a new x-com game. This list is just "cool" ideas and not really a post about what should be done in a new x-com (like the above post)

3 Tiers of Weapon Tech
Conventional Terran Weapons- (AK-47, Rocket Launcher)
Advanced Terran Weapons- (basic gauss tech)
Alien Tech- (alien's plasma tech and Elerium powered gauss weapons)

Idea that plasma weapons are really bullets that errupts into a plasma ball on contact to deliver heavy burning/melting damage. Shell itself does little penetration

2 Armor types (with diffrent levels of tech advancement
Hard Armor- (Stong vs gauss weapons. Prevents piercing of the armor with a hard solid outer surface)
Sharded Armor- (Stong vs plasma weapons. Armor covered in scales or shards. The plasma hits a shard and the heat melts the connector to the body and the plasma covered shard falls off protecting the body from the plasma's burning effect)

Multi dropship terror missions (they all meet at a staging area outside the combat area and then launch an attack against the aliens in the city)

HWP that soldiers can drive / ride in. (terror missions only)
LWP serve the same role as xcom1's tanks.

Etheriels aren't a race of aliens but instead the psionic essence of an old or mortaly wounded sectoid that is put into a body to carry on its existance. (A body with only a developed brain and heart is much easier to control psionicly because all its actions are done with telepity instead of muscle work.

[xracer]

Hello everyone,

Seen that there are so many rumors about a remake of xcom i figure i will join and keep a close eye on this.

So has anyone heard any real notice whether 2K is working on updating XCOM or is all this simply hopes and dreams from fans that are still waiting for a proper sequel.

See you
Xracer

---EDIT---
WOW I just realized this is an extremly old thread. Oh well hopefully something is in the works for real

[Gimli]

All X-COM games are now available through Steam (http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=posts&cc=HR). Buy 'em while they're hot. ;)

EDIT: If you happen to have any problems, there's a subforum on Steam for the games currently only for TFTD, but I trust they'll update that very soon. You can also go to www.xcomufo.com/forums or www.strategycore.co.uk/forums.

[GBlair4811]

Hey guys, I have purely signed up for this site just to post on this thread =P

I have played all of the X-Com games (Including the god-awful enforcer). The first X-Com is still a good game even by todays standards because nobody has even tried to copy it to the same standard.

Sure, UFO: Extraterrestrials tried. But that game is so bad on so many levels. Considering todays standards, the graphics were poor. It didnt even have multiple height levels or anything. I mean come on, the old x-com made back in the day was better than that, how they can make a modern day clone and do a worse job i will never know, I have no idea how it got so many good reviews. I mean do they even have the rights to use the same music? lol.

TFTD Was just a clone of X-Com 1 with some new techs and guns, bad guys and some nice new level designs which was all good, just a little too much of more of the same strategy.

X-Com Apocalypse is the king. For a lot of reasons. It took the previous 2 turn-based x-coms and pushed them to the next level. The explosions rocked, they were no longer limited to 2 dimensions, they now took up and downs into consideration aswell. I loved the choice between turn-based and real-time. For all those claiming to want x-com to be a blend of both only, shut up, jesus. Its primarily a turn-based game, but the option for real time was nice. And it was very well done and taken care of in apocalypse. There were advantages and disadvantages to playing it either way. In turn based, poppers / brainsuckers (or as I called them brainf******s) would get you more where in real time you could react as soon as you saw them. But in real-time if you got into a large gunfight you are forced to take fire from the aliens in retallation to your own, whereas in turn based you could use the last of your time units to hide behind a corner or lie down behind something or whatever you get the idea.

I loved the ways the guns were taken care of. Machine guns used less time units in turn based than a laser sniper rifle for example and in turn based this equalled to rate of fire. Perfect. It was the way that the game translated to real-time and turn-based so perfectly and with the choice of both that made it great. But nothing really quite matches the ability to play with a friend (co-op) where you would both command say a squad of 4 men each, and you would each use a pheonix hovercar for em, and go about doing missions together. Altho the game wasnt officially co-op that worked perfectly if you played turn based.

Also, X-Com Apoc's physics were far superior also, take for example the plant building (i think it was like the equivalent of their greenhouses either that or the sanitarium). It would have 4 big metal girder looking leg supports. If you planted Hi-Ex at each of these or shot the **** out them with the pig snouts (devastator cannons) you could cause the ENTIRE building to collapse. Which is absolutely funny as hell when its full of aliens, who then have next to 0 chance of survival lol. Altho the owner didnt like you much for it =P

Yes, it was shipped unfinished, there was going to be a lot more to it. Like alien gas grenades and rockets that you just couldnt get without hacks, but it was still far superior to all the previous turn based ones in so many ways. Who didnt get pissed off with all the constant late game attacks on your bases in x-com 1? Come on, dont tell me that you actually like spending half your play time just watching your base defences blast battleships down constantly? Or when late game if all your men didnt have maxed out psionic skills the aliens like ethereals would just mind control your weak ones and use them against you constantly. Or blaster launchers, I mean what the heck, that was just wrong lol there was nothing you could do but hope that the occasional misfire would happen.

I would love to see a new x-com game, and if it is turn based I will definately pre-order. But I think they should use X-Com 3 (Apocalypse) as their grounds for improving upon, but with a return of the old foes like chrysallids and snakemen, floaters etc. As a little side story, i remember the first time I encountered chrysallids when I first played x-com, they came outta nowhere and zombied 2 of my men. Then I thought damn, so I used all my men with rifles to blast up the crysallids, then the zombies hoping that would be the end of it, then oh no! Chrysallids popped outta my men! I ended up having to do a tactical retreat from that mission =P altho i took a corpse of one with me for research haha.

Bottom line, make another X-Com =P I know a lot of people who would purchase it. Especially if it had multiplayer co-op, altho how this would be done I cant begin to speculate. Altho I would still buy it without it. Google X-Com and see how many results you get. 6,150,000. It has a major cult following, and fans have been looking for a proper continuation for a decade.

I'll be surprised if anyone actually has read all of this =P

Edit: On another note, yes I have played all the Cenega UFO games, and they are just abusing the gaping hole in the genre left by x-coms departure. Altho they are good games (particularly the 2nd), they still arent anywhere as good as x-com, and they aren't turn-based.

[Paendrag]

I agree that the Cenega is exploiting the big gap/hole in the market that the non existence of a worthy X-Com successor has left. They are fun to play in their own right and have some good ideas, but its time to make a real X-Com.

Anyways, just thought I bump this thread so that you guys from 2K see that there is still interest in the series. Dont let the license to the franchize rot in your desks, its a terrible waste of money. Heck I come back here every month to check on news...maybe some 2K official could respond to this thread *dream*...

[LuckyLindy]

After reading the posts in this column, I decided to register and "beg:" Please revisit and bring back the XCOM series. XCOM: UFO Defense and XCOM: Apocalyspe were excellent games. The UFO: After____ games were interesting. I disagree with some of a previous poster's comments about UFO: ET in the sense that user mods made this a great game with less than stellar (as in modern) graphics. I for one like the turn based tactical setting, however Cenega's real-time is interesting too. UFO: ET best attribute is its following because it was the closest thing we've seen since the original X-COM series. UFO: After_____ also have their place in the gap.

My personal wishlist:

1) Please start over at the beginning. Enough time has gone by since X-COM, what 15 years?
2) Please use the basic premise of X-COM: UFO Defense and the initial alien contact through the vanquishing of the alien threat.
3) Please use the same aliens, especially the greys, mutons, and vipons with a cadre of other new aliens and mechs from alien lore.
4) Ability to build and retrofit bases, mecha, and aircraft. Ability to outfit and utilize more than one team of soldiers, i.e if more than one ufo is shot down, or a terror mission is available, have several teams ready to go.
5) Start with modern day equipment such as AK-74s, M-16A2's, RPG, Dragons and modern aircraft and maybe the Oprey as an initial assualt craft. Then research alien and unique terran technologies to equip your X-COM forces.
6) Once the threat is vanquished from Earth, have the ability to go into a deep space operations and bring the war home to the aliens (or at least vaquished them from the Sol System and/or nearby systems). This can setup sequals and/or expansions.
7) Modern graphics and artwork!
8) Have the tactical missions have the ability to utilize a squad of troops (~12 troops and HWP's).
9) If their is a real-time component to the tactical play, be able to link 3-4 troops in a fire team and move them as a fire team and engage from cover and/or around corners.
10) Have the rank system similar to the original X-COM and Apoc.
11) Have scientists and mechanics be able to defend themselves when the base is attacked.
12) Be able to see the ufo being attacked and possibly crash landing.
13) Randomized battlescapes is a must! Battlescapes should be dark so that there is a since a dread whereby you are truly engrossed into the combat so that you must "have one more turn."

Please add to this list.

Anyway, I can almost garranty that there would be an instant hit and 2K would profit.

[obi-one-kaboozi]

I would love to see this game dont in the spirit of the first game. I.E. First Contact through final expulsion of aliens (Or total loss by humans).

Things I would like to see:

Geoscape:
1. Survey for base location based on need
a. Mountains for stealth and bunkers in stone but slow to resupply. (air)
b. Deserts, Plains are cheap, easier to resupply (roads, air)
c. Ports (Can launch maritime ships/subs)

2. Geoscape Upgrades
a. Remote Sensors, airstrips and artillary/missile bases.
b. Satellites for intel and potential weapons bay

Politics:

1. Increase importance of factions and financial need / rewards. (may be good for multiplayer options too)
2. Nation States that ally with aliens
3. States of resulting public anarchy affecting overall effectiveness

Tactical and Personell:
1. Allow more precision options - Electronic, Cyber and stealth warfare
2. Troop Reinforcements, Equipment and Vehicles
3. Call in air strikes or remote artillary bombing
4. Loot and Recoverables directly related to level of precision or damage.
5. Ranks and Skills in soldiers, but the ability to pick your commanders / leaders. Your selection for promotion will determine the effectiveness of the squad.
6. Both Land and Sea and late game perhaps even moon missions.
7. Require recruitment of soldiers, scientists, engineers and medics
8. Leaders that improve effectiveness in each area, combat, research, manufactuing, medical.
9. Require Salaries or other upkeep to keep a need for a money sink
10. Urban, Rural, Remote missions

Bases:
1. Options for standard, underground, underwater, and stealth installations (obviously with financial impact)
2. Possible leasing of office buildings in Urban areas for quick deployment but reduced security and cost with perhaps an increase in recruiting.
3. Various upgrades including power, research/medical facilities, manufacturing, hangers, intelligence, communications, security.

These of course are idea. Most of them were already in the original XCOM but can be updated to reflect more immersion. Multi-Player options could see the political aspect of enticing various nation states and factions to your operation. Perhaps special missions/rewards can be granted based on your relationship to specific factions and even additional intelligence options.

In all cases, I could see the original re-done with todays graphics and would be perfectly happy. This is just a wish list of enhancements. I do think the idea of the first one capturing the invasion from "first contact" on as very immersive.

They did a great job of manageing the economic model too. Starting first with funding from governments to late game building and selling your items for needed cash and or using them. Some form of resource management is good too.

[Paendrag]

I see this thread is still alive and well. It shows perfectly that there is a real treasure in the UFO-Series ready to be claimed by 2K. Why waste this potential for money? Why waste the fame (I will never forget Microprose for just this frenchize!)? I`d really appreciate it very much if someone from 2k Games could drop in and give a short comment on this (whishful thinking).

Being owner of something is not just about "owning" it, its also about responsibility! Responsibility towards the heritage of the series and the (still broad) fanbase of the X-COM universe.

cheers

Edit: What about the rumors from February that 2K Boston under Ken Levine is working on a new X-Com?

[LuckyLindy]

What about the rumors from February that 2K Boston under Ken Levine is working on a new X-Com?

Unfortunately, that was 8 months ago without anything, not even new rumors. :mad: :( :confused: If Take2 would just bring it back, a real X-COM, not the UFO: After____ that we must endure, their would be a huge fanbase. No the first person shooter, mind you, but a real tactical X-COM. Everyone that bought UFO: After____ and UFO: ET, would certainly buy this, even if it was a re-image of XCOM: UFO Defense. If the marketing is good, and the gameplay and graphics is superior to the UFO: You Name 'Um, it will be an instant hit.

[Zalandar]

Hi all, newbie to this forum.

I would just like to say to 2K please give us just a hint,as u know when the rumors came out all the gamer sites in the world went nuts for awhile about a new X-Com game so u know the interest is there.C'mon cough up!!! are u or aren't U?

Haveing said that here is my 2 bits for the game I would like to see:

I would like to see UFO Defense and TFTD merged into one.Ugrade the graphics but not so that u need asuper computer in order to play it.Update the AI so that the Aliens would have much better tacticsand quite a few more choices in the way that they applied those tatics in different situations
.IE: flanking moves,platoon sized rushes,scouts that would pull back and try to suck u into an ambush,etc.

Definatly keep all the things that made these such great games.The base building,and reseaching just to name a couple.Some new research and tech to bring it more up to date and/or some refinement to the existingtech in the game now.For example Plasma weapons could be upgraded to be lighter or faster or more powerful.
Tech to add onto weapons,ie: scopes,accelarators etc.

Larger carrying capacity for troop carriers in the way that more equipment could be added in anew cargo space.Being able to send two or more troop carriers to a site.The reason for this is because there would be more aliens at any given site and larger maps.


Also as u are going to be fighting underwater as well, there are new tech trees that will have to be developed.I never liked being able to throw grenades underwater so would like to see perhaps a harpoon gun that would shoota small torpedo shaped grenade.Underwater weapons tech should be overhauld or changed to reflect underwater type
fighting. Need some ideas here!!!!!!

More varied missions no more terror sites.Replacing them would be clearing out alien bases and cleaning out cities and or territory.Attacking alien troop trains (real choo choo trains as they will be using our
existing infrastructure to move equipment and slaves) and convoys.

Rescue missions where u have to pull groups of scientists or technicians out of slavery so thatthey can work for us again.The reason for this is u wouldn't be able to hire them because they are all
enslaved and working for the aliens. (You would of course have saved some before the crunch)


Bigger and more varied maps are also a must,with different terrain and city types,which must be destructable in keeping to what makes to games so great now.Don't forget underwaterterrain aswell.

It would also be great if going prone was added so that the terrain could be used to better advantage.

A traing centre should be added so that rookies can be trained up a litlle bit before theyare thrown out into battle.Other types of training could be added for vets- like scouting or stealth which ofcourse implies new tech needs to be developed to compliment these skills.

SO the Story Line goes like this:

We have managed to stop or at least slow the Alien advance of the take over of our world.
Unfortunately they have enslaved a large portion of the world, before X-Com could be brought up to
speed, leaving us with only two bases.One of these bases is underwater and the other is on land.
(Both bases would be larger than in the origninal games).At least double.

If keeping all bases as double size then u would only be able to have 5 or 6 more bases one haveingto be in space for the moon/belt attacks.Or if following bases are back to original size then perhaps 8 to 10
more bases.All of course would be fully upgradable to working/researching etc.

Now you are probably wondering how this could have come about,eh! Well, its like this;the Aliens snuck into our system and set up a large research and maufacuring base on the moon and a gathering
plant out in the asteroid belt.The plant supplied them with all thier metals and other goodies they neededto build thier invasion force.

By the time we clued into the fact that Aliens were abducting humans and that Ufo sighting were in factreal and not fiction the invasion had begun.It soon became evident that old hostilities had to be set aside
and alliances made and thus X-Com is born. Yee Haaaaa!!!!

Now comes the part i'm not to sure about but it could be very cool.The Aliens tick off the Gillmen and so we are able to forge and alliance with them.This would imply that the aliens developed some new monstrosities for fighting under water.There are vaarious ways this could be
introduced into the game but I won't get into that.

Well i could go on and on but this is getting pretty big so
any thoughts? Love it Hate it?

[roninmagik1]

Another newbie who signed up to these forums to beg, plead, advise that if 2k redoes xcom it'll be amazing!!! Cmon people bring back X-COM!!!!!

[LuckyLindy]

Another newbie who signed up to these forums to beg, plead, advise that if 2k redoes xcom it'll be amazing!!! Cmon people bring back X-COM!!!!!

HEAR, HEAR!

[TheRealOG]

Tack on another newbie that's here to show his X-COM love! :D If I had a dollar for every "What's your favorite game?" thread that I've bombarded with walls-o-text detailing how blown away I was from X-COM: UFO Defense I'd have enough to buy 2K Boston and make the next X-COM just how I want it! :p
-----------
I've enjoyed the above posts and the interesting features you guys have shared. My concern with some of those though would be making the game too complicated than it already is. I'm not sure about you guys but I learned many lessons the hard way that required me to start from the beginning with a bit more X-COM wisdom (how many labs/scientist to have, how best to delegate research and priorities, same on the production end, where to put the first base, etc). Now that I've been through all that I'm ready for tougher scenarios but it would come at the expense of people new to the series. Sure you could adjust difficulty but that wouldn't help all that much with a steep learning curve.
-----------
For me one of X-COM's greatest aspects was the freedom you had. Basically you were given the tools and funding to start your battle against the invasion then set loose on the world. Awesome. You picked the site for your base and after the initial pods that come with your first base you can construct it by your own needs and design. As for additional bases its totally up to you.

One small feature (that may very well have been added as an afterthought) in the game added a level of emotional attachment to my troopers that I had never encountered before in a game. This simple feature was the ability to name (rename) my soldiers. Simple, right? I remember the first guy to make major (only the ones that ranked up got sweet custom names). I named this brave dude Major Pain and he was a badass! I even had a guy I named Hudson, he was a crack shot but was always the first to lose his mind and have to be incapacitated. Major Pain was the guy I could go to when there were tough shots that would make or break a mission. I loved giving him the latest and greatest from the labs so he could be lord of the battlefield and put fear into those freakish aliens. To me he was the first Master Chief. Sadly though he didn't finish the fight. Shortly before the mission to Mars he died and due to an unfortunate overwrite of a saved game I had the choice to either go back many many many hours of play or let him go. I had to let him go. I didn't play the game for a few days after that and not because I was mad but because I was bummed out from losing my main hombre.

The reason I brought this up was the fact that I know that Mr. Levine and the 2K Boston crew are masters of story telling in the video game medium. While I have zero doubts that they could spin an epic tale in the X-COM universe I truly hope that they remember the freedom that made X-COM great. You see, I cared for fictional pixelated dudes and dudettes with goofy names that I had given them and even mourned their loss. All this without one single line of dialogue. The freedom the game allowed made for a sandbox experience in which myself and my crew crafted our own story through crazy acts of luck and heroism. The thing is that was just the combat, I wasn't the grunt in the fields perforating alien scum. I was in charge of it all, the eye in the sky. I chose the sites of new bases, where to attack ufos, what to research or what to sell and sometimes who to sacrifice. When I sent my warriors into battle I wanted them to have the best equipment available. I was the paper-pusher who felt bad when I made a mistake that cost lives.

If they make this a shooter then I'll lose a lot of what I loved about X-COM. If I'm the one risking my life on the ground then it wouldn't make sense if I also had to balance the budget. That's not a soldiers job. If they try to tell a tale that involves well rounded characters then I would think that I'd lose a lot of control. No matter how many times I play Mass Effect (which I love for different reasons) I know when and how I lose my comrades as its written into the story. This was not the case with X-COM as I could lose my favorite "characters" on any given mission when death lurked around every corner. It just feels more real somehow. I'd love an avatar in the game world but I'd like it to be some guy behind a desk. Between missions I would talk to my lead scientist for reports on research progress or my highest ranked soldier when he suggests we get more recruits or newer equipment. I don't think I need to know their life stories.

As for combat I'd suggest something along the lines of KOTOR, Baldur's Gate or even X-COM: Apocalypse. Top down psuedo real time where you can hit a button to pause the action and issue orders. More about tactics less about head shots. If it is at all possible to salvage the little red blinking boxes that indicated that someone has spotted an alien then by all means do so because I loved it!!! It would work much the same where you'll be moving right along without restrictions until POP! the red box o' doom appears and it pauses the game. How you gonna act now Commanda!? :confused:
------------
I guess because I'm passionate about games and X-COM in particular I felt compelled to share my two cents (just be thankful I didn't throw in the whole dollar!). In the end though I honestly couldn't think of a more trustworthy and capable team to carry on one of my (if not the) favorite series. I know those guys are as big or bigger fans of X-COM than we are. Whatever they come up with might not be what we asked for or expected but it might just be more or better than we could have ever hoped for! I wish 2K Boston the best of luck and godspeed! :)

[ATLAS IS WATCHING]

what is this game about? the X COM?

[Gimli]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-com

One of the best strategy games ever created. Along with Civilization and a few others.

[Rassia]

Hi there fellow Xcom fan!

I've played all the xcom games ranging from the first Xcom to Enforcer (and yes i know I'm sad, but i own a copy of Enforcer :(, oh and Interceptor was pretty decent ). There's only been a few games that have been released that compared to it but it never exceeded it. I downloaded Afterlight and that tied me over a bit, but i dunno it just didn't seem like the real deal.

I hope they bring in the whole flight/sub battle sequences again. I know you didn't do much in it but it still was pretty cool for its time. I might have to keep floating around here to see what comes of it!

[NewnotesJR]

X-Com is a series that appeals to the micro-manager gamer. It is a true micro-manager's game because it allows the gamer to control every aspect, every action, every piece of the game from base construction, to what is researched, by how many, and when, to the very movements of the tactical squad members. There is even the option of fleeing a battle. If you find killing every enemy is too difficult, you can focus your fight and carry away specific items or incapacitated/dead enemies so that you don't have to sacrifice your squad just to capture an enemy or their stuff for research. I love the micro-managing in this game. I loved the turn-based tactical play, and the optional real-time tactical based play in Apocalypse. I hated the brain suckers in turn-based play though.

I would very much want, and have waited for another X-Com title. I only avoided buying the last few sequel-type games (I forgot who made them) because of their price, and the fear they messed it up somehow, as is so common among games that try to be as good as the originals. I'm regretting it now because I cannot find them on the shelves anymore. I'm going to have to resort to ebay I think. (UFO: Aftermath, UFO: Afterlight, Laser Squad Nemesis, and UFO: Extraterrestrials. For those of you who have searching, I think these are all the sequel-type games that have been developed by various creators.)
(I have Aftermath, and it's a very decent sequel, but very difficult at times because the aliens are powerful, fast, and all their weapons are vastly superior. Sometimes it can seem impossible to actually win the game because every mission, the aliens carry vastly superior weapons, and the people are too weak to last more than usually one, sometimes two shots. And your units are too slow to avoid being shot. I have been stuck on a single mission, not willing to lose it all, but can't afford to escape either.)

Anyway, X-Com Apocalypse is definitely one of the best sequels, but it falls short in it's story-line and in the fact that one single enemy character is responsible for completely and utterly devastating any hope of playing the turn-based portion of that game. The brain suckers. They can be launched, hatched, run across the entire room, and suck out anyone's brain, turning the control of your unit over to alien power, all within one single turn. That is completely ridiculous and utterly destroys the possibility of using the turn-based portion of that game. One small-weak enemy is the single-handed destroyer of the turn-based option.

If they make a game to sequel X-Com or if they make an X-Com sequel, they need to pay close attention to the turn-based options, which they must have if it is truly a sequel, and make sure they don't defeat the purpose by putting such ridiculous advantages to the enemy. Or at least give us the same advantage in time, such as when we discover it through research. If we could use the brain sucker, then great, but we can't, even after it's researched.

I would love a good true sequel to X-Com, but I hope and pray it will be better, as in maybe a multiplayer option, like what was hoped, but never happened with X-Com Apocalypse. I know it's possible, it's been done with other games, though the only one I can remember off hand is that Mech game that was turn-based and had hexagon shaped spaces to move on.

I think the story-line should start on earth, maybe, and extend into other places to explore. Perhaps if Apocalypse gave us the option to start a new base on another planet like mars where we would find other evidence about the alien aggressors, and to set up bases in the Alien dimension that would be great. What if we could use alien units that defected from the alien government because they didn't agree or they were rogues. I mean it seemed that X-Com was getting better, and that they were going to be able to explore some of these ideas with sequels, but they never did, and they kept the same old thing with other less interesting ideas such as using the same thing, but under-water and with different weapons. Apocalypse had a few good ideas, but then we were stuck in that one city, until we found out how to travel to the alien dimension that would only allow for fighting anyway.
It was good that we had at least a few basic diplomatic abilities, but you couldn't do much about appeasing a faction where enemy aircraft kept flying over, and would get damaged during the constant cross-fires except pay them with money you were barely able to maintain. I liked the ability to be able to clean out the alien influence by investigating buildings of an organization. But then if you were wrong even just a few times, you'd have another enemy to fight during alien excursions and when you were doing things. And money was always scarce. You could capture and make items and then sell items, which was great, but even that didn't seem to supply enough money to both appease organizations and keep your squads and vehicles up to date.
I think the game overall was great, but if you didn't move fast, and cheat by saving and reloading where you made mistakes, you'd fast find yourself unable to win the game because of the amount of enemies you'd have, and the cost of research and maintaining your troops would be overwhelming. Even with the saving and reloading I feel that if you didn't raid and destroy the alien dimension, you'd eventually become overwhelmed, and be defeated because of the frequency in which the aliens would be attacking, and the damages done in the cross-fires, and the lack of money you'd have to appease the factions in the city and maintain a fighting force.

I loved this X-Com series, and I am ever a die-hard fan of it. I just hope that whatever they do next, they do it well, and market it better to the right people so that they can keep making money on this, and make even better games of this genre.

[Gimli]

Do note that the UFO: After... series as well as UFO: Extraterrestrials are not part of the X-COM series. They are spiritual successors, though.

[LuckyLindy]

Do note that the UFO: After... series as well as UFO: Extraterrestrials are not part of the X-COM series. They are spiritual successors, though.


While technically correct, what else do we have. UFO:ET was probably the closest thing we've had to XCOM: UFO Defense (since it was pretty much a carbon copy) and with the mods, it rocked up until the end (a let down).

Take 2...please, please (pretty please) bring this back. :)

[Paendrag]

@NewnotesJR

I agree that Apocalypse was a strong, if not the best sequal.

About your problem with the brainsuckers: They are very powerful and fearsome enemies, I agree. They made this game so interesting. But they are easily dealt with:

Leave your troops enough actionpoints to react, if they come running. Also make sure that a few of your squadmembers have rapid fire guns like the mashineguns. They will kill every single brainsucker. No probs. You can even shoot them down when they have attached themselves to the head! ;)

Your problem is not related to the game`s combat mechanic but to your tactics. And if that should be too hard either, you still can save before your turn ends.

Back@topic:

Oh, 2K pretty please announce the sequel, soon! (begging on my knees here)

[Gimli]

In a recent interview Ken Levine said they won't be announcing the game they're working on yet.

[LuckyLindy]

In a recent interview Ken Levine said they won't be announcing the game they're working on yet.

Yep...but the rumor mill in the winds have it as an X-COM sequal. The X-Com domain name is apparently owned by somebody, like ?????

I guess I can only wait, since I am only getting older. Please keep the turn-based, squad/platoon oriented tactics that makes Xcom so popular and leave out the real-time tactical like the After*&^$ series.

[Paendrag]

One just can wait and hope.

I am still hoping that we will get a surprise announcement at the E3 from 2K on the sidelines of all the other 2K games that are being hyped there...

cross fingers and repeat after me:

Announce the new X-Com at the E3! Announce the new X-Com at the E3!
Announce the new X-Com at the E3! Announce the new X-Com at the E3!
Announce the new X-Com at the E3, Announce the new X-Com...

repeat three times and walk in a circle around your chair while doing it.

Also keeping rabbit-paws on your belt and sacrificing ants is said to be helping too... :p

[Gimli]

Yep...but the rumor mill in the winds have it as an X-COM sequal. The X-Com domain name is apparently owned by somebody, like ?????

I guess I can only wait, since I am only getting older. Please keep the turn-based, squad/platoon oriented tactics that makes Xcom so popular and leave out the real-time tactical like the After*&^$ series.

I know about the rumors, and IGN says they confirmed it, but (!) until it is officially announced by either the developer or the publisher, it is a rumor. There are good reasons for this, for example even if IGN was right at the time, it does not mean that the game is still in development. It could always get cancelled before the announcement.

The x-com.com domain name is owned by Rockstar as I recall, and Rockstar is part of Take Two, which owns the X-Com IP. This still doesn't mean it's in development though. It could also mean they bought it now to prevent having to buy it from someone else at a higher price later. So just in case.

Having said that, I seriously doubt there will be an announcement at E3 as per Levine's words. It's possible we won't see it even on the next one.
I do believe it's in development. Hope it turns out good. :)

[vrap]

Could the current Steam sale of the Freedom Force games have anything remotely to do with what 2K Boston might announce at E3? ... ;)


Want to know how sad I am? I actually recently dreamed that someone at 2K told me in person that X-COM was being developed. Sad sad sad.

[Quanta]

Is anybody else worried that this "unannonced shooter" that 2K Boston is hiring for is going to be an X-COM game? I'm hoping that it isn't, seeing as we haven't had a turn-based strategy installment for the last 12 years, and the last 3 games were awful in comparison.

Personally, I would hope for an enhanced remake/reboot at this point, seeing as the code for the original games has been lost, and technology has advanced to the point where they could do some truly great things with graphics, AI, and gameplay. Plus, it'd be an opportunity to introduce modern gamers to the pants-****tingly terrifying Chrysalids for the first time. :)

[LuckyLindy]

Think greys, snake things, and mutons...with a greatly evolved story-line and graphics....:)

[LuckyLindy]

Think greys, snake things, and mutons...with a greatly evolved story-line and graphics....:)

That will probably be a 1st person shooter...:mad:

[LuckyLindy]

That will probably be a 1st person shooter...:mad:

...or maybe not. Sid Meiers' XCOM?

[Paendrag]

Found interesting news on a German game news website.
http://www.gamefront.de/

According to the website they found a line in Shamus Bakers resume (cv) on "SuperAnnuation" that states that he has worked as lead character artist at 2k Games Canberra on an X360 based X-Com title from Jan. 2007 to April 2008.

If that is true then 2K games has/had really something in the pipline. Though the dates show that by know there should have been at least an announcement by 2K games by now, that they are working on a title. Maybe the whole project was put on the backburner... :(