Xcom feature in PC Gamer

[SectoidSquisher]

I can't find it online, but in this month's issue (UK - issue 237, March 2012), there's a feature on Xcom, where a PC Gamer writer gets to see the game in action.

First off, I reckon the starting number of troops is six - not four, because it mentions that you can pick up to six of your best soldiers to fight the UFO crew on the ground. Given this is a preview for PC Gamer, I don't think it's likely that they'd be showing them a late game, or even mid game mission - surely it would be an early game mission? If that's the case, six is the starting number, not four. If that is accurate, that means we can have three x two fire teams, which works for me personally.

It also appears that the 'ant farm' is also the game's menu. So if you want to look at research, you no longer click on 'research', you click on the lab and the camera 'swoops in close to show you the inside of your laboratory'. Each room functions the way the old Xcom menu system did, so to name and manage your troops, you go to the barracks, to launch interceptions, you go to the hangar and so on. Personally, I love that - it sounds as though it'll make the game immersive at all times.

The Muton has a special ability - it

'beats its chest to panic the inexperienced rookie'.

'Almost instantly, one of Jake's recruits spots a couple of Sectoids. We're introduced to them by a short ingame engine cutscene'.

That's bound to annoy some people here, but I'm sure there will be a way to turn them off.

There's quite a lot of info in here - anyone has questions, post them and I'll try to find a relevant quote in the magazine.

[Gen_Pho]

I can't find it online, but in this month's issue (UK - issue 237, March 2012), there's a feature on Xcom, where a PC Gamer writer gets to see the game in action.

First off, I reckon the starting number of troops is six - not four, because it mentions that you can pick up to six of your best soldiers to fight the UFO crew on the ground. Given this is a preview for PC Gamer, I don't think it's likely that they'd be showing them a late game, or even mid game mission - surely it would be an early game mission? If that's the case, six is the starting number, not four. If that is accurate, that means we can have three x two fire teams, which works for me personally.

It also appears that the 'ant farm' is also the game's menu. So if you want to look at research, you no longer click on 'research', you click on the lab and the camera 'swoops in close to show you the inside of your laboratory'. Each room functions the way the old Xcom menu system did, so to name and manage your troops, you go to the barracks, to launch interceptions, you go to the hangar and so on. Personally, I love that - it sounds as though it'll make the game immersive at all times.

The Muton has a special ability - it


That's bound to annoy some people here, but I'm sure there will be a way to turn them off.

There's quite a lot of info in here - anyone has questions, post them and I'll try to find a relevant quote in the magazine.

I wonder if the cutscene is just the first time you the alien ever in the game, or first time in the mission. If it is the first time in the whole game ever I wouldn't mind, it could be a cool way to be introduced to the new species.

[Brian Damage]

I just hope it's not like UFO: Aftermath.

"There's one, over there!"

Slow zoom-and-rotate

"I see one!"

Slow zoom-and-rotate

"An alien!"

Slow zoom-and-rotate

"There's one over there!"

Slow zoom and rotate...

They'll probably not make that mistake, though. It's the action cams I'm worried about. I hope there's a toggle.

[SectoidSquisher]

No, I wouldn't mind either. It reminds me of when you meet a new enemy in Doom 3 and I liked that.

Here's a bit I like:

'I asked Jake afterwards if the user interface would be the same across PC and console. He laughed.
"No, no, no. Noooo. Oh man, no".
-So that's a no?
-We wouldn't do that do you, are you kidding?

[SectoidSquisher]

I just hope it's not like UFO: Aftermath.

"There's one, over there!"

Slow zoom-and-rotate

"I see one!"

Slow zoom-and-rotate

"An alien!"

Slow zoom-and-rotate

"There's one over there!"

Slow zoom and rotate...

I hear you. Wasn't there a way to turn that off? I only saw it in the demo, it's one of the things that put me off the game. Not the main thing, but it was a factor.

Edit:

After watching Jake play the game, a lot of my fears about it have been put to rest. It looks like Xcom. Still, I'm nervous.

That bit then follows on into the bit about the PC interface - that's what he was nervous about.

My anticipation for the game has just skyrocketed. In the past, there have been very few occasions where I've disagreed with PC Gamer.

[coyote_blue]

Thanks for the heads up, Squisher.

If they just have the "movement speed" option from Enemy Unknown, that'll let you burn through lookit-this-neat-power animations, like the reaction shots did in the original.

[SectoidSquisher]

Jake keeps going before I even get the chance to ask about mods. "Because it's on Unreal Engine 3 too, the idea is that there's the ability for modability. It won't be anything we're committing to for release, but it's very, very easy using Unreal titles to then give people access to the scripts."

I'd bet on mod tools three months after release. And mods to increase the battlefield soldier count and remove those incredibly brief cutscenes, oh, about twelve seconds after that.

I'm liking the sound of that!

Edit: I'm beginning to think that because you can zoom into each room in the base, it might be not entirely unlike watching a brief, simplistic, but interesting and entertaining scene from The Sims play out. That's my impression, but I might be wrong. Either way, it's got to be better than a sterile static screen, eh?

Interesting fact from the PC gamer issue: UFO Enemy Unknown was rebranded as 'Xcom' in the US to capitalise on the popularity of The X-Files. So there you have it, that's how 'X-Com' the brand was born. It also settles the argument over what came first as far as naming goes.

[Brian Damage]

I hear you. Wasn't there a way to turn that off? I only saw it in the demo, it's one of the things that put me off the game. Not the main thing, but it was a factor.

It's been ages since I played, but I seem to recall the only options were between "No alerts", "Near-useless alerts" (we've seen an alien but we won't tell you immediately where it is - you'll have to ask us to) and "Annoying alerts" (we've found an alien and we're going to force you to spend three seconds looking at it). But the game had crap performance on my computer back then, didn't like my graphics card, and kept crashing, so if there were other options I might have failed to find them due to not wanting to risk perturbing the engine any more than I had to. I definitely preferred the later two games, Afterlight especially, though by that point they were quite distantly removed from their original inspiration, so they don't really scratch "the X-Com itch" for me.

I'm liking the sound of that!

Edit: I'm beginning to think that because you can zoom into each room in the base, it might be not entirely unlike watching a brief, simplistic, but interesting and entertaining scene from The Sims play out. That's my impression, but I might be wrong. Either way, it's got to be better than a sterile static screen, eh?

I'd say most of the ant farm stuff will be seen from slightly further away - remember that the actual interface screens we've seen for character customisation and research were rather single-focus, with only one obvious "character" in view.

[Cpl_Facehugger]

I'm liking the sound of that!

So am I. Oh yes.

I just want Firaxis to commit to it instead of just being wink wink nudge nudge.

[SectoidSquisher]

I've just noticed one of the screenshots - you can make the female soldiers look hot.

Speaking of customisation, here's a little snippet which shows that the relationship between you and your troops will be even more personal:

He's now your favourite toy out of all your toy soldiers. You've thought about him as much as you have your Khajiit in Skyrim, or your monk in Diablo III. Remember that. We'll come back to Popeye Doyle in a moment.

Later in the preview, the writer asks you to imagine that 'Popeye' gets killed and goes on a long lament of what-ifs. Gimme this game now, man!!!!!

Edit: Running around and making a lot of noise can alert the aliens - so moving slowly can have its uses.

Hmm. One slight negative: it appears the camera not only zooms in whenever you see a new species (don't mind) but also for each kill. Off switch please, Firaxis - we may or may not like that and for those who don't, we need the option to turn it off.

[Brian Damage]

[Moved from a late edit]: On the modding, I'm not sure where the article writer is pulling those numbers from (Solomon even says they're not committing to it for release, and doesn't say when they do think they'll be able to do it), but I do hope they can get all the legal wrangling and stuff sorted out. I feel this game is going to need a few mods before I and certain others will be happy with it, and I hope we can thus encourage Firaxis to add a little more crunchiness to any sequels.

Not sure I like the focus on individual soldiers and what it may represent. I want a soldier to be a favourite tool that may get broken, not a favourite RPG character that the game will be practically encouraging me to hold a funeral for.

[Aknazer]

Off-topic in regards to XCOM, but relating to PC Gamer. The most recent copy of it I saw in the US had a "Top 100 games ever list" only to turn around and not have XCOM on the list and to say that it only represents games that are good to play nowadays and ignores nostalgia or what a game might have done for a genre. How can it be top 100 ever if they don't consider the effects the game had on the genre, and how can they say that XCOM isn't in the top 100 nowadays?!?! I sure don't still play it cuz of the "nostalgia" factor!

[Cpl_Facehugger]

Off-topic in regards to XCOM, but relating to PC Gamer. The most recent copy of it I saw in the US had a "Top 100 games ever list" only to turn around and not have XCOM on the list and to say that it only represents games that are good to play nowadays and ignores nostalgia or what a game might have done for a genre. How can it be top 100 ever if they don't consider the effects the game had on the genre, and how can they say that XCOM isn't in the top 100 nowadays?!?! I sure don't still play it cuz of the "nostalgia" factor!

I dunno. I mean, X-COM still routinely gets on other top 10 lists, much less top 100 ones. IGN's lists come to mind most prominently, but there are others too.

[SectoidSquisher]

Odd. It's still on the UK's top 100 list.

[Aknazer]

I dunno. I mean, X-COM still routinely gets on other top 10 lists, much less top 100 ones. IGN's lists come to mind most prominently, but there are others too.

At Wal-Mart like three days ago was when I was looking at the PC Gamer magazine and ya it wasn't listed AT ALL in their top 100. It made me put the mag down and just shake my head.

[SectoidSquisher]

Uh-oh guys - major negative.

I've just reread the article and saw this:

He only has four along for this mission. With research, that can be upgraded to a maximum of six.

At least it looks likely we'll be able to mod it - on PC at least. So, it would appear that four is the starting point after all. Let's hope the modders can do something about that - but that it doesn't somehow unbalance the game to change those numbers.

I'm still very excited about the game though. Sure, we won't be commanding big squads any more (mods withstanding), but the idea of a 'squad based' Xcom - similar to Rainbow Six or suchlike really appeals.

[Cpl_Facehugger]

A maximum of six? As in, six for the whole game? Two teams of three or three pairs?

Well crap. That's worse than the UFO: After<xxxx> games.

I mean, UFO: ET had the starting transport with six guys and I always rush to the larger transport because I can't stand working with so few guys.

Major downer. Still probably going to buy since it has everything else I want, but that's very sad.

[Aknazer]

Honestly, hearing that the starting size is 4 and it can be upgraded to a whopping 6 really sucks a lot of my enthusism for the game out. I'll still get the game and I'm sure I'll still enjoy it, but I know I won't enjoy it as much. Controlling 4-6 is NOT controlling an army, and that was part of the joy for me. And having a max size of 4-6 in a non-FPS tactical setting just doesn't feel like XCOM to me. Sure it worked for Interceptor, but I didn't really like the small squad sizes in that game either and it's part of the reason I rarely play Interceptor.

Starting with 4, but being able to buy an additional 2 soldiers for the starting craft similar to how the original Skyranger had 8 soldiers and you had to buy the extra 6 to fill it up, followed by allowing you to eventually upgrade to 12 would have been better to me. But 4-6 is really just crap in my opinion.

[Brian Damage]

Uh-oh guys - major negative.

I've just reread the article and saw this:



At least it looks likely we'll be able to mod it - on PC at least. So, it would appear that four is the starting point after all. Let's hope the modders can do something about that - but that it doesn't somehow unbalance the game to change those numbers.

I'm still very excited about the game though. Sure, we won't be commanding big squads any more (mods withstanding), but the idea of a 'squad based' Xcom - similar to Rainbow Six or suchlike really appeals.

Even if it unbalances the game, I'm certain we can just re-balance everything that gets broken... maybe take some of the focus off perks-as-abilities and make most of them just have passive effects*, kinda like I feel Firaxis should have been doing from the get go. This feels more and more like an RPG skirmish game. A simplified small squad game like this would have been better as a side game, possibly a linear sequence of missions like Rebelstar raiders, especially if they wanted to focus on characters as much as they seem to.

I think this game just went down to "buy only when modding is fully supported" for me.

*With the inevitable AP/TU mod: Extra actions, cheaper actions, increased move, dodge bonus for less likelihood of being hit while moving, stealthy movment, able to fire at things outside your line of sight etc. All stuff that just allows you to do more with what you've got, like the items of the old games, rather than trying to make everything an action with a cooldown to keep track of.

[Nosmirc]

Controlling 4-6 is NOT controlling an army, and that was part of the joy for me.

I've seen comments like that come up from time to time in the last few weeks, and I gotta say...I never felt like that when playing X-Com. X-Com has always been a specicalized strike team for me.

Myself, it's not that huge of a deal for me, really, especially if it'll be easily moddable like Solomon is hinting at. Probably play it a few times with the normal cap, then go for a more comfortable 8-10 (really don't want to command more then that, IMO) once the modding is supported.

I've just noticed one of the screenshots - you can make the female soldiers look hot.

That settles it. I shall have an all women's squad of hotness called Valkyrie Squad

[Severene]

I think this game just went down to "buy only when modding is fully supported" for me.

I agree. I was super excited but think that now I will just wait a year or 2 for it to go down in price while I wait for them to get all the bugs out and create mods to fix the screw ups.

[Aknazer]

I've seen comments like that come up from time to time in the last few weeks, and I gotta say...I never felt like that when playing X-Com. X-Com has always been a specicalized strike team for me.

Myself, it's not that huge of a deal for me, really, especially if it'll be easily moddable like Solomon is hinting at. Probably play it a few times with the normal cap, then go for a more comfortable 8-10 (really don't want to command more then that, IMO) once the modding is supported.



That settles it. I shall have an all women's squad of hotness called Valkyrie Squad

It depends on how the controls work for how many soldiers I use. In the not-very-tactical EU/TFTD games I usually start with 6-8 per mission just because tactics aren't very important while accuracy and saving TUs is and the controls are horrible for controlling multiple people. But in Apoc I regularly use 12-20+ soldiers because the controls are so much better for controlling squads; and so long as you don't go the Toxin Type-C route then you actually want more people and your tactics matter more (The toxin is so powerful that a single soldier can easily drop a squad of 4-6 aliens thanks to it's machine-gun speed and heavy plasma level damage). If one goes the toxin route then it becomes more of a challenge to see how few troops you can use to beat missions.

[SectoidSquisher]

I've seen comments like that come up from time to time in the last few weeks, and I gotta say...I never felt like that when playing X-Com. X-Com has always been a specicalized strike team for me.

Same here - when I'm playing Total War, I feel like I'm controlling a whole army. When I play Xcom, Special Forces springs to mind - small, contained units. Well now they're going to be even smaller and even more contained, but having said that I would still prefer a slightly larger number and I'm glad that mods shouldn't be much of a problem.

That settles it. I shall have an all women's squad of hotness called Valkyrie Squad

But of course - it would be rude not to!

[Cpl_Facehugger]

Yeah. I never really got the sense I was commanding any great number of guys - most of the time I used 10-~12 at the most. The others are just reserves who chill in the skyranger unless I start suffering casualties.

That being said, six guys is way too few. I don't really care if each one has all sorts of special abilities and such, I need warm bodies to throw at the aliens and scout the map, and to absorb the inevitable casualties from me making a mistake somehow. Six warm bodies isn't enough. Twelve is pushing it, because I like to have reserves.

The good thing is that it should be modable. I'll admit this really cools my enthusiasm.

Still a day 1 purchase... But sad.

[ShanDaMan]

Wasn't there a mention in the GI article about researching bigger craft? Is 6 the limit UNTIL you research a bigger craft or AFTER you do? It seems silly that the scientists come out with "The Lightning - Featuring 2 more seats!".

[Aknazer]

Wasn't there a mention in the GI article about researching bigger craft? Is 6 the limit UNTIL you research a bigger craft or AFTER you do? It seems silly that the scientists come out with "The Lightning - Featuring 2 more seats!".

According to the UK PC Gamer 6 is the max later in the game and 4 is all you can have at the start.

[OldManBrian]

About the squad size, I'll repeat what I said in the other thread:

I think the original X-Com is like the movie Aliens, a large, inexperienced squad that gets extremely high casualties trying to combat an unknown alien threat. All the soldiers have a similar skillset and are fairly interchangeable as far as abilities go.

The new XCom is like the movie Predator, an elite 6 man squad that STILL gets extremely high casualties trying to combat an unknown alien threat. Each soldier is pretty unique and has their own abilities and skillsets.

Based on what Solomon has said, while I don't think the casualties will match the original in numbers, I think they will be similar in percentages.


From what's been said, you WILL have reserves, but they will be back at base. Instead of having a skyranger half full of troops for reserves, you'll have to pull your team back and retreat if you get overwhelmed, instead of having half your team sit the mission out and wait to be "tagged in" after someone dies.

[Cpl_Facehugger]

Based on what Solomon has said, while I don't think the casualties will match the original in numbers, I think they will be similar in percentages.

Unpossible. Player errors are far more punishing since each guy represents a much higher proportion of the squad - if the player makes the same number of errors between games, they'll suffer a greater loss in total squad firepower.

From what's been said, you WILL have reserves, but they will be back at base. Instead of having a skyranger half full of troops for reserves, you'll have to pull your team back and retreat if you get overwhelmed, instead of having half your team sit the mission out and wait to be "tagged in" after someone dies.

Which means they aren't actually reserves. Seriously, the whole point behind reserves is so you can take casualties in a mission and still complete the mission without having to abuse save/reload. Having 9999 guys back at base doesn't strictly matter.

[OldManBrian]

Unpossible. Player errors are far more punishing since each guy represents a much higher proportion of the squad - if the player makes the same number of errors between games, they'll suffer a greater loss in total squad firepower.

In the original it was EASY to accidentally get your guys killed. No cover systems, misguaging TUs, soldiers who can't shoot straight, and general UI limitations caused the majority of soldier deaths in the original game.

Which means they aren't actually reserves. Seriously, the whole point behind reserves is so you can take casualties in a mission and still complete the mission without having to abuse save/reload. Having 9999 guys back at base doesn't strictly matter.

From what they said you can and will take casualties and still be able to finish the mission. Like I said, think more in terms of the movie predator instead of the movie aliens.

[anotherdevil]

and then think of alien versus predator, and think how horrible that turned out to be =p

So what were the individual skillsets of the guys from the predator movie? One guy had a mini gun, one guy was a native american, one guy was really bad at shaving, and they were all really buff (apart from the chick)

[Brian Damage]

and then think of alien versus predator, and think how horrible that turned out to be =p

So what were the individual skillsets of the guys from the predator movie? One guy had a mini gun, one guy was a native american, one guy was really bad at shaving, and they were all really buff (apart from the chick)

And then flash forward to Predators, where the chick's kinda buff too, or at least gives the impression of it :P.

But yeah, I'd rather play Aliens than Predator. Game over, man! Game over!

[OldManBrian]

and then think of alien versus predator, and think how horrible that turned out to be =p

So what were the individual skillsets of the guys from the predator movie? One guy had a mini gun, one guy was a native american, one guy was really bad at shaving, and they were all really buff (apart from the chick)

From IMDB:

What were the roles of each member of Dutch's team?

There are six members on Major Dutch Schaeffer (Arnold Schwarzenegger)'s Search-and-Rescue team:
(1) Billy (Sonny Landham), Scout and Tracker
(2) Mac (Bill Duke), Sergeant, 2nd in command/Assault
(3) Poncho (Richard Chaves), Demolitions/Translator (possibly medic)
(4) Hawkins (Shane Black), Radio Operator (possible medic)
(5) Blain (Jesse Ventura), Heavy Weapon Support
(6) Dillon (Carl Weathers), CIA Liaison and Mission Supervisor.

[Aknazer]

And then flash forward to Predators, where the chick's kinda buff too, or at least gives the impression of it :P.

But yeah, I'd rather play Aliens than Predator. Game over, man! Game over!

I always found Hudson to be so annoying. I mean he never really "panicked" in a fire-fight but his voice was just so whiney. Though he did have a point, if everyone is already dead why not just pull back to space and nuke the place to clear out the infestation?

And in regards to the Predator team, just chop off either Poncho or Dillion for your squad since you still need to make space for Dutch! Though I would probably make Mac and Hawkins into snipers for XCOM.

[IllusionOfLife]

I know the Alien/Predator thing started as an analogy, but we're starting to get a little bit off topic here. If you want to go more into a discussion of the movies themselves there's plenty of room up in the General Off-Topic section.

[anotherdevil]

And then flash forward to Predators, where the chick's kinda buff too, or at least gives the impression of it :P.

Oh please don't start with predators. God way to ruin a perfectly good kick arse, terrifying alien species by making them appear really weak.

And OldManBrian, just because IMDB says it's so doesn't make it so. That may have been their 'roles' but we don't really see them sticking to them ala the class system. In fact we do see Mac pick up Blain's minigun and become a heavy, ala the original X-COM...

[OldManBrian]

Oh please don't start with predators. God way to ruin a perfectly good kick arse, terrifying alien species by making them appear really weak.

And OldManBrian, just because IMDB says it's so doesn't make it so. That may have been their 'roles' but we don't really see them sticking to them ala the class system. In fact we do see Mac pick up Blain's minigun and become a heavy, ala the original X-COM...

Oh come on, I obviously wasn't making a 1 to 1 comparison to the movie, my point was the new xcom was going to feature a small, specialized, elite squad and still have high casualty rates. Whereas the old xcom had a large, generalized, inexperienced squad with high casualty rates. Since the soldiers are more capable in the new XCom, you can still beat a mission even after sustaining losses.

[SectoidSquisher]

Wasn't there a mention in the GI article about researching bigger craft? Is 6 the limit UNTIL you research a bigger craft or AFTER you do? It seems silly that the scientists come out with "The Lightning - Featuring 2 more seats!".

Yeah, I agree that it is a very strange decision to have six as the absolute limit, especially taking what you mentioned there into account. Thank God for mods, that's all I can say. They've improved so many games over the years - games that would've been on the shelf a long time ago without them.

From what's been said, you WILL have reserves, but they will be back at base. Instead of having a skyranger half full of troops for reserves, you'll have to pull your team back and retreat if you get overwhelmed, instead of having half your team sit the mission out and wait to be "tagged in" after someone dies.

The ability to call in reinforcements? I didn't see that anywhere in the PC Gamer article - where did you see that?

[OldManBrian]

The ability to call in reinforcements? I didn't see that anywhere in the PC Gamer article - where did you see that?

Nah I didn't mean you'd be able to call them in, just that you'd have guys waiting back at base to replace casualties and switch out between missions. You don't just have six guys and thats it, you have a bunch of soldiers at base that can be rotated out for different squad makeups, and choose up to 6 to go on missions. As a result, there certainly will be times you're going to have to book it back to the skyranger or face a complete squad wipeout. Whereas in the original you could have a bunch of guys sitting around in the skyranger, waiting to replace someone. Personally I think forcing the player to pull back is more realistic and less cheesy than just having a mass of soldiers waiting in the skyranger.

[SectoidSquisher]

I would be disappointed, dismayed and distraught ( ) if Firaxis turn around and tell us that we can only have a total of six men at any one time!!! I'm sure we'll have a decent pool of troops to choose from at the base. To have only six troops available at base at any one time would be disastrous. That would actually ruin the game for me.

What's this expression 'cheesy'? Having troops sitting in the Skyranger doing nothing doesn't strike me as 'cheesy'. Maybe it's a non-British thing, I don't know.

[insidius]

I never took more than 6 guys anyway in the original, so I'm not bothered by the 6 man squads.