X-COM Information Summarized- READ ME FIRST!

**heniv** · 01-27-2012

I have been going through a lot the articles and forum posts trying to figure out rumour and speculation from facts, and have compiled a shot list of what I have found out.

Numbers in [] after each line states the reference at the end.

Feel free to add in things I have missed, but a link to a credible source of reference is a requirement.

GENERAL

Released on [38]
- XBOX360
- PS3
- PC

- Steam
Release Date [33]
- October 9th North America
- October 12th International
Collectors Edition [33]
- PC only
- "several goodies like an art book, fold-out poster of the XCOM headquarters, XCOM insignia patch, and even some digital stuff like the soundtrack, special art, and more." - 2K Greg
Pre-order bonus [39]
- Classic X-COM Soldier: The blonde, flattop.
- Soldier Deco packs: Aesthetic upgrades to armour including the new Hyperion and Reaper soldier armor kits.

- Including helmet toggle. [40]
- Complete color customization: customize your squad's look.
Difficulty settings [E, 42]
- Easy
- Normal
- "Classic"
- Impossible (how long will you last -mode) [37]
Ironman mode [E]
- Toggle at campaign start.
- Auto-save only, one savegame.
Interface
- PC version will have an "enhanced" UI compared to the console. [12]
- XBOX/PS3, free movement in tactical. [E]
- PC version, grid overlay in tactical. [E]
- "Glam-Cam" on/off setting. [31]
- Soldier voice on/off setting. [31]
- Possible HP-bar and damage hide/view in-game setting. [31]
Achievements

STRATEGICAL

Funding Council
- 16 Countries, game over if 8 or more countries lost. [H]
- Funding and resource bonuses varies [12, 16, 36]

- North America, "Air and Space" - All aircraft and aircraft weapons cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain.
- Europe, "Expert Knowledge" - Labs and workshops cost 50% less to build and maintain.
- Asia, "Future Combat" - All projects in the foundry and the Officer Training school cost 50% less.
- South America "We Have Ways" - Autopsies and Interrogations are completed instantly.
- Africa, "All In" - Monthly XCOM funding increased by 25%.
Trade & Missions continually [9]
Satellite Cover for UFO detection
- Bonus for complete satellite coverage of continents. [16]
- Satellites can be lost. [35]
One base only [27]
- Hangar bases for Interceptors on multiple continents
- North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe confirmed [C]
- Up to 4 Interceptors per interceptor-base. [C]

Missions

Randomly generated mission names. [20]
Mission types
- 2-10 types of missions [L]
- Abductions
- Terror missions
- Hostage Extraction [27]
- VIP rescue, (player controlled VIP) [27, L]
- UFO Crash site [32]
- Capture alive alien [34]
Enviroments [J]
- Urban
- Outdoors
- Alien environments
Story or "Set type" missions. [14]
Large number of hand-crafted maps. [20]
- Unit placement procedurally generated.
Mission Accomplished Screen [D at 15:25]
- Aliens Killed (6, Excellent!)
- X-Com Operatives Lost (1, Good)
Mission Debrief Screen
- New Research Available (Xeno-Biology, Weapon Fragments, Alien Materials)
- Artefacts Recovered (2x Sectoid Corpse, 2x Muton Corpse, 14x Weapon Fragments)
NPCs confirmed
- Targets for aliens.
Multiple attacks at once, player have to choose.
- ""There is not just one group of aliens invading, they are hitting 2 cities at once, or three, or four. You have to make a decision, am I going to Hong Kong or ....."
- "..where ever they don't respond to, they have the risk of loosing that country or increasign the panic-meter....." -Casey O'Toole on PAX. [E at 4:16:00].

Crafts

Interceptor [D at 17:28]
- One weapon mount (Cannon may be standard side-arm)
Firestorm [41]
Weapons [M]
-Stats

- Hit% chance
- Range
- Fire rate
- Damage
- Armour Penetration
- Avalanche Missile
- Laser Cannon
- Plasma Cannon
- EMP Cannon (less destructive, more loot) [41]
- "Consumable" items (defence, imp. hit%) [41]
Abilities/Stances [41]
- Abort
- Track
- Aim
- Dodge

Research

Item capture and resource requirement for research. [A, 31]
Each and every research grants some gameplay bonus, not some only narrative. [31]
Projects
- Xeno-Biology

Slow (12 days)
Project Cost: 3 Sectoid Corpse
- Weapon Fragments

Normal (6 days)
Project Cost: 5 Weapon fragments
- Alien Materials

Normal (6 days)
Project Cost: 5 Weapon fragments
- Alien Materials [41]

Hints at body armour improvement.
- Experimental Warfare [41]
- Sectoid Autopsy [41]
- Thin Man Autopsy [41]

Base facilities

Static facilities [17]
- Hangar
- Mission Control
- Situation Room - funding council.
- Armory
- Barrack
- Science Labs (?)
- Engineering (?)
- Infirmary (?)
Expandable facilities
- Alien Containment
- Officer Training School - global perk unlocks for squad
- Laboratories - boosts Science Lab
- Workshop - boost Engineering, "Random resource rebate on whatever you built". -GI
- The Foundry - large manufacturing projects
- Power Generator [A]
- Thermal Power Generator - more power, require steam vent [B]
- Satellite Nexus [A]
- Satellite Uplink - "monitor the airspace over different countries around the world." [A]
24 facility expansion slots [27]
Bonus depending on adjacent facilities [D]
Base resource: Power [A]

TACTICAL

Gameplay Mechanics

Fog of War [3,9]
Panic [9,12]
Cover, looks like three types [screenshots]
- Ability: "Hunker down", double defence, penalty to vision and cost one turn. [16]
Line of Sight [3,9]
Day and Night [9]
- "No gameplay effect for lighting..."
- "... better visibility at night, but more shadows at day." - Jake Solomon [35]
TUs replaced with Move-Action mechanics instead. [9,12,13]
- Displayed by two small "play" arrows in UI.
- Two movements possible, UI displays range of Move-Action on ground. [D]
Inventory grid page removed, replaced with an Ability Bar. [3, 14]
- Still some type of inventory "slots" pre-mission.
Critical Wounds, possible to revive but suffers permanent penalty to Will stat (panic). [14,15]
Destructible environments [10,12]
- Walls and Cover destruct able, Roofs or Ground are not.
Overwatch [21]
Weapons explode into weapon fragments [Video A at 4:06]
Auto-deployment, no Skyranger unload. [27]
Doors can be opened in several ways [27]

Aliens

Weapons [D,E]

- Plasma Pistol
- Plasma Rifle
- Heavy Plasma Rifle
- Alien Grenade
- Alien weapons disintegrate to fragments upon death. [31]
- Alive captured aliens keeps weapons intact (required for high-tier tech capture). [31]
Sectoids
- Ability: Mind Merge, extra health (but can kill both aliens). [11]
Mutons
- Ability: Blood Call, group combat bonuses. [7]
Cyberdiscs
- Two forms [7, screenshots]
- Throws Grenades [J]
Thin Man (new alien type)
- High mobility, poison [7]
Berzerker (new alien type) [23]
- Muton like, Heavy armoured, Close combat
- Can destroy environments.
- If damaged, will move torwards attacker regardless of turn. [E]
Floater [29, F at 13:29]
- Flying
- Ability: Boost: fly straight up off screen and land anywhere on the map. [M]
- Improved grenade ability (Heavy?). [I]
Heavy Floater [K]
Chrysalids [G]
- High mobility, can jump multiple levels. [I]
- Units killed by the Chrysalid turn into new Chrysalids unless killed in a couple of turns. [K]
Alien "Hero" units, (psionic type hinted at) [14]
"The Drone" [K]
- Heals robotic units
Sectopod [K]
- Large bipedal mech unit.

Soldiers

Squad size start at four and can later upgrade to six. [9,12,20]
Permanent death for soldiers [9]
Class hidden until first promotion. [13]
Choice of two abilities on level up (exclusively) [13]
Stats
- HP
- Will
- Defence
- Aim
Soldier customization [13,14]
- First Name
- Last Name
- Nickname

* earned at Sergant rank. [15]
- Country
- Race
- Voice
- Head
- Skin Color
- Hair
- Hair Color
- Facial Hair

Classes

Sniper
- Ability: Squad Sight, fire at enemy seen by any in squad. [13]
- Ability: Snap Shot, quick shot after movement. [13]
- Ability: Double Tap, Allows both actions to be used for Standard Shot, Precision Shot, or Disabling Shot. provided no moves were made. 1 turn cooldown. [D at 16:27]
- Ability: In the Zone, additional attack if a critical hit. [36]
- Improved Overwatch, unit turn does not 'end' as long as he keeps landing hits on aliens. [22]
Heavy
- Ability: Supression, reduce target Aim by 30 and take free shot if the target moves. [D]
- Ability: Focused Suppression, reduce target Aim by 65 and take free shot if the target moves. [11, D]
- Ability: Tracer Beam Rounds, if hit alien takes extra damage from entire squad. [22]
Assault
- Ability: Run & Gun, on the turn you activate Run & Gun, you can fire after Dashing. [GI screenshot]
- Ability: Combat Stim, increase stats and reduce damage taken. [M]
Support
- Ability: Smoke Grenade [14]
- Ability: Rifle Suppression, reduce target Aim by 15 and take free shot if the target move. [14, D]
- Ability: Some type of Improved Heal [14]
- Ability: Heal Wound, use the Medkit to heal up to 8 HP. [M]
Psionic
- Late game class [I]
- Ability: Mind Control, Size control of this enemy for 5 turns. [K]
- Ability: Panic [L]
- Ability: Rift, Create a devestating psionic storm. (Free Aim, Limited range) [K]

SHIV

Mobile Weapons Platform [13]
Takes place of 1 soldier.
Multiple levels of chassi [J]
- Cover type of chassi [J]
Multiple levels of weapons [J]
- Minigun
- Laser Cannon [J]

Weapons

Basic
- Sniper Rifle (takes two actions to fire) [12] - Unlimited
- Assault Rifle - Unlimited
- Shotgun (Assault class only) - Unlimited
- LGM (Heavy Class only) - Unlimited
Laser
- Laser Rifle
- Heavy Laser
- Laser Sniper Rifle
- Scatter Laser (shotgun type?) [J]
Plasma
- Light Plasma Rifle [J]
- Plasma Rifle [G]
- Heavy Plasma Rifle [J]
- Plasma Sniper Rifle [G]
- Alloy Cannon (plasma? shotgun type) [J]
Stun
- "Arc Thrower", close range stun weapon. [31]
Throwable
- Frag Grenade, Grenades explode on impact.
- Smoke Grenade, (free aim) units in smoke are harder to hit. [M]

Upgrade: stats enhancing drugs for soldiers inside. [22]
- Battle Scanner, throw able sight improvement mechanic. [14]

Armour

All soldiers can wear all types of items and armour. [14]
Body Armour - unlimited (start armour presumably) [D at 16:27]
Skeleton Suit, grapple hook to get to higher ground. [11]
Carapace Armour (Requires research) [D at 16:27]
Titan Armor (Requires research) [D at 16:27]
Archangel Armour, flying [G]
Ghost Armour, invisibility, limited charges (3) [G, K]
"Psionic Enchancing Armour" [H] - Pete Murray

Equipment

Medkit
- Temporary patch up a soldier's wound in combat, 2 charges. [B]

**DazzD** · 01-27-2012

SHIV - Super Heavy Infantry Vehicles.

Several chassis types
Several types (one mentioned is heavily armored mobile platform that serves as moving cover)

Significant resources, time and research will be taken up.
Will take the place of one unit in battle.
Never gain experience and when lost in battle are permanently lost.

(Game informer page 48.)

**Usul** · 01-27-2012

Taken from Gamestar (february 2012):
- area not devided into squares, instead free movement
- a lot of different types of "achievments" for xp boni like "everybody survives a mission"
- location of main base gives boni, dependent on continent
- anti-terror missions confirmed (protect civilians)

**54x** · 01-27-2012

<.< >.> the plural of bonus is bonuses

**Martok** · 01-28-2012

- area not devided into squares, instead free movement

Actually it's a hexagonal layout, not totally free movement.

**Brian Damage** · 01-28-2012

Originally Posted by Martok

Actually it's a hexagonal layout, not totally free movement.

Is that your own interpretation of info from a magazine, or what? From the screenies and the play-by-play articles, it does look a lot like free movement. There was that one screenshot at the start of all this that did look like it had hexes, but I'm willing to chalk that up to coincidence.

**54x** · 01-29-2012

Originally Posted by Martok

Actually it's a hexagonal layout, not totally free movement.

The gamestar article outright states it's free movement, I'll give you the original German and a translation:

Die wichtigste Erkenntnis vorneweg: Es wird nach wie vor in guten, altmodischen Runden gekämpft. Weggefallen ist allerdings die klassische Unterteilung in viereckige Felder. Stattdessen bewegen wir uns nun völlig frei; ein blauer Rahmen gibt dabei aber jederzeit die maximale Reichweite der Soldaten an.

The most important thing to be aware of first: The battle is still fought in good, old-fashioned rounds. Gone, however, is the classic division into rectangular areas. Instead we'll now be moving entirely freely; a blue border shows the maximum range of your soldiers at all times.

(So the maximum range is hexagonal, but you're not moving in hexagons)

edit: I'll have more information from the Gamestar article in a bit, I want some time to go over it to be sure I've understood some of the more difficult parts, but there's a couple interesting bits in it, for instance being able to customise everything about our soldiers other than nationality and class.

**SamBC** · 01-29-2012

I'll let you in on a secret - there's no such thing as free movement in computer games. There's always a grid. What it comes down to is the size of the grid spaces compared to the people moving around. The way the lines kink about certainly suggests there is a reasonably coarse underlying grid, and the shape looks to be hexagonal to me.

**craziestp** · 01-30-2012

Excellent post OP! Great summary for everyone. They need to make this thread a sticky.

**AlienCommander** · 01-30-2012

Originally Posted by craziestp

Excellent post OP! Great summary for everyone. They need to make this thread a sticky.

Yes this!

And thanks for making this thread as it helped me check some screenshots i didn´t know of.

**serious77** · 01-30-2012

I did see a mention in the Game Informer article that medpacks will exist and that, while everyone can use them, 'support class' get extra benefits. So apparently, there is a support class. I don't have the magazine in front of me (I have to find what I did with it) but I am sure anybody that does have it can confirm. It was in one of the screen captions on the 4th or 6th page of the article.

**SectoidSquisher** · 01-31-2012

Originally Posted by DazzD

SHIV - Super Heavy Infantry Vehicles.

Several chassis types
Several types (one mentioned is heavily armored mobile platform that serves as moving cover)

Significant resources, time and research will be taken up.
Will take the place of one unit in battle.
Never gain experience and when lost in battle are permanently lost.

(Game informer page 48.)

Surely we can build/buy another one?

**CaptainMuton** · 01-31-2012

Originally Posted by SectoidSquisher

Surely we can build/buy another one?

Nope. The alien plasma blast that destroyed it also killed the operator, mechanic and the entire R&D team that came up with it +witnesses

**54x** · 01-31-2012

Originally Posted by SamBC

I'll let you in on a secret - there's no such thing as free movement in computer games. There's always a grid. What it comes down to is the size of the grid spaces compared to the people moving around. The way the lines kink about certainly suggests there is a reasonably coarse underlying grid, and the shape looks to be hexagonal to me.

The hexagons are there to show your maximum range. Sure, there's an underlying grid- there always is. Free movement means that grid is small enough that it's not really noticable.

**heniv** · 02-03-2012

* Update original post, http://www.gameinformer.com/b/podcas...onpodcast.aspx
* Also several updates from the GI226 article (first hand source now).

**JonVanCaneghem** · 02-03-2012

Originally Posted by heniv

* Update original post, http://www.gameinformer.com/b/podcas...onpodcast.aspx
* Also several updates from the GI226 article (first hand source now).

Thanks for compiling this stuff, I'll post if I see anything that was missed.

**heniv** · 02-03-2012

* Update http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...n-xcom-part-3/
* Update http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...xcom-s-hq.aspx

Not 100% sure I have covered everything.

**heniv** · 02-25-2012

* Update http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/xcom-e...8,2565075.html
Gamestar.de (German)

**nassos** · 02-25-2012

nice topic keep this updated all time

also im so happy to see in not the only 1 with the xcom virus in me keep it up ppl

**heniv** · 02-28-2012

* Update: http://www.pcgamer-magazine.com/pcga...g=36&pm=2#pg36

**2K Greg** · 02-29-2012

Hey heniv; I've stickied this thread because I think it's an excellent summary

**heniv** · 03-01-2012

Originally Posted by 2K Greg

Hey heniv; I've stickied this thread because I think it's an excellent summary

Thank you, I'll do my best to keep it up to date.

**andrebrazil** · 03-04-2012

could use hexagons for moving, its lotsa better than squares...

**heniv** · 03-04-2012

Originally Posted by andrebrazil

could use hexagons for moving, its lotsa better than squares...

"Could" is not definite, unless you have a source on it.

**Usul** · 03-06-2012

Squad starts with 4. Size limit is 6.
And maps are not random but hand made.

source

**SectoidSquisher** · 03-06-2012

Ginx preview vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJdPB...eature=related

And something that might put anyone's mind to rest who is concerned about the maps being hand-crafted.

GC: (laughs) So the levels themselves are also completely randomly generated?

JS: The levels themselves are hand-crafted but we have an obscene amount… you could not play through a full game twice and see those levels again. But what happens on those levels with aliens when they come up, that stuff is all procedural.

**heniv** · 03-07-2012

* Added 2 videos.
* New additions and updates in red.
* Added 7 new references.

**heniv** · 03-07-2012

* Update: http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/xcom-ene...1220087p1.html

**Inkidu** · 03-12-2012

I wish I could find the source now, but I don't remember where I saw it. Out there for anyone to confirm but:

They said something about sound being a factor in the game. If you move through a door your character kicks it down and alerts any nearby hostiles. If you move into cover next to it you can have your character open it tactically and silently.

**heniv** · 03-12-2012

Originally Posted by Inkidu

I wish I could find the source now, but I don't remember where I saw it. Out there for anyone to confirm but:

They said something about sound being a factor in the game. If you move through a door your character kicks it down and alerts any nearby hostiles. If you move into cover next to it you can have your character open it tactically and silently.

Latest addition, section "For the tactical maps....."
I've added it to the list.

**heniv** · 03-12-2012

* Update http://www.gamestar.de/index.cfm?pid=1589&pk=65229 (GameStar, German Video)

**heniv** · 03-20-2012

* Update: http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/03/16/xc...c-tactical-ui/
Not much new, MOD support confirmed though.

**Gazz** · 03-20-2012

Originally Posted by heniv

Destructible environments [10,12]

Walls and scenery items (cars, etc.) are destructable, floors / ceilings are not.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/02/29/ev...enemy-unknown/

I'm not sure if this is a verbatim quote.

**4Aces** · 03-22-2012

Originally Posted by heniv

Not much new, MOD support confirmed though.

Cheers for that news!

**Inkidu** · 04-01-2012

Some things that need to be added.

Main base defense mission more or less confirmed in the GameSpy interview.
An initial bonus for building your base on certain continents.

http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/xcom-ene...1220087p1.html

For your discretion.

**WorldWintide** · 04-10-2012

here is a little bit more information to scan through from Screwattack PAX2012 http://www.screwattack.com/news/pax-...-enemy-unknown

**heniv** · 04-10-2012

Sorry for the late update, there has been alot of new information to go through and I have been busy with work.

Also, we are now close to spoiler-land, so I will rename the topic.

PAX update

Classes [D at 16:27]

Sniper
- Ability: Double Tap, allows both actions to be used for Standard Shot, Precision Shot, or Disabling Shot. Provided no moves were made. 1 turn cooldown.

Equipment [D at 16:27]

Body Armour - unlimited (starting armor presuably)
Skeleton Suit - Requires research
Carapace Armor - Requires research
Titan Armor - Requires research
Shotgun - Assault class only
LGM - Heavy class only

Mission Debrief [D at 15:42]

New research available
- Xeno Biology
- Weapon fragments
- Alien Materials
Artefacts recovered
- 2x Sectoid Corpse
- 2x Muton Corpse
- 14x Weapon fragments

Crafts [D at 17:28]

Interceptor
- One weapon mount (Cannon may be standard sidearm)
- Avalanche Missile

Aliens

Berzerker
- Will move towards attacker regardless of turn. [E]

D. http://www.twitch.tv/2k/b/314356244 2KGames Pax Stream
E. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a5biRyFLA Curse cover of PAX Panel

**DrBone** · 04-17-2012

Gameplaymovie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWU9w...54ALT4cw4QAAAA

**tazong** · 04-23-2012

Not sure if any of these have been mentioned but after studying many screenshots and videos of the game - theres going to be lots of weather and enviromental changes.
i did notice wind on the garage level - the blowing of trees and bushes etc also noticed rats and fireflys on that level to - also acid on the boot of a car from the sectoids - you have to look closley but its there.

from this screenshot - you can clearly see that its begining to rain?
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y47/tazong/944x531.jpg
now i know you have night and day and even sunset missions - so if you have rain surley snow - ice and even hot levels like deserts and fogs are bound to appear?
so basically i think weather effects are in the game.

**Spleenslitta** · 04-23-2012

Rain in the game? This is a very pleasant surprise indeed.
Pardon me Tazong but i got so excited that i posted a whole new thread about it right away.
What about snow? That would be great.

The XCOM squad hasn't encountered any aliens despite knowing the enemy is somewhere in the area.
Suddenly the harmless looking snowmen outside a completly obliterated house falls apart revealing mutons with a wicked grin and enough firepower to level a small town.
Oh crap...Sarge. Those guys were not snowmen and despite their favorite color being green they are not leprechauns with pots of gold.
And that guy is dressed in red but he doesn't look like the santa that gave me presents when i was a little boy....he...looks like.....Berserker!!Run!

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