E3 demo bland flat terrain! = missed opportunity?

[warmaster]

One thing I noticed from the new demo's shown at E3, and in particular the forest map was the lack of any hills, tunnels/sewers/pipes, gullies or defilade of any sort. Yes, we have "cover" but to my eye the cover looks bland and well, gamey. Not anything like I'd imagine it could be. Put simply it does not look natural and not that interesting. I feel its a huge missed opportunity from the developers.

The limitations aren't coming from the game engine. I feel they were design decisions made to simplify the combat experience but, I fear at the cost of the sort of emergent tactical combat this game really needs to take it to the next level. Almost all the elements are there already!

What we have:

Flexible 3D engine
Cover system coded in
Glam Cam to follow your soliders down the rabbit hole
Basic elevations

What's missing:
Fine-tune the Line of Sight mechanic?
Some changes to UI?
AI Scripting? / Player mechanic scripting?


Advantages:

Additional options to flank or use environment and defilade to your squads advantage. More immersive combat with the player thinking hard on how to use the environment advantage.

We know the Alien AI patrols and uses its hearing and senses to detect your squad. Would a crawl across a gully or through a sewer tunnel under a road lessen the profile until you're ready to let them have it in a flanking attack?

Although the cover system is adequate for most it would be nice if these things could be addressed, if not by release then perhaps in the DLC or sequel!

[Inkidu]

Actually, people who have seen the whole two-hour-long demo state that there are RTS-like terraces. You know, ramp to flat terrace. Better than nothing. Honestly though, height and vertical tactics are in the urban maps in spades. So, no way to really tell until the game comes out.

[coyote_blue]

First: big ups, warmaster, for using the word "defilade" properly.
Second: Defilade is already in use the instant you have two floors and half-cover. The gas station has both.
Third: Big hill + Floaters - Flying Suits = Killbox.
Fourth: Given that Tactical Manshoot: The Shootening (aka any FPS) uses the word "tactical" to mean "camo patterned", we may have to accept that we're in the minority when it comes to markets. Most cats are going to be hard pressed to set up a standard flanking line of advance without a tutorial. (WTF I can't run behind the alien spawn point and camp for headshots?)

I'm going to drink this game up like water one way or the other.

[Voqar]

It's one map out of many, we have no idea what is actually in the game since getting info out of firaxis is like trying to break into fort knox. It's like they think they'd be giving away trade secrets or there are competitiors making similar games.

[SupernovaXL]

It's one map out of many, we have no idea what is actually in the game since getting info out of firaxis is like trying to break into fort knox. It's like they think they'd be giving away trade secrets or there are competitiors making similar games.

Be a bit boring if they told us everything. I would rather be surprised.

[warmaster]

Im 100% in that camp. When I got the game in 1994 before the internet I called up my mate on the phone to tell him what I had just encountered in the game. Part of me wants to know every single detail and the other half wants to be surprised =D

I'm also in that camp of masochists that spent weeks playing TFTD and found that challenge even more satisfying (sigh)

[NickL2005]

I dont want to know every single part of the game.... I want to be surprised just like 18 years ago! however.... I wish they would release a demo with a small mission to play..... These next 4 months or 119 days are going to seem like years!

[skot1420]

One thing I haven't noticed on any of the maps so far is the element of surprise finding hidden aliens...it seems that the aliens in the vids shown so far are in some what of plain sight...maybe that "demo magic" due to limited time showing off the game to the masses? So far out of every thing ive seen that is my only fear...xcom isnt xcom with out the element of hidden aliens lurking behind every corner.

[TheFinn]

One thing I haven't noticed on any of the maps so far is the element of surprise finding hidden aliens...it seems that the aliens in the vids shown so far are in some what of plain sight...maybe that "demo magic" due to limited time showing off the game to the masses? So far out of every thing ive seen that is my only fear...xcom isnt xcom with out the element of hidden aliens lurking behind every corner.

I do believe in one video against the cyberdisks one of them falls back into the fog of war and then emerges the following turn. (not 100% positive, memory plays tricks at my age)

I do think what we've seen is mostly demo magic. I'm a little worried too that there won't be that attack out of the darkness anymore but they have said that aliens patrol and hear noise even in the fog of war so hopefully none of that surprise aspect of the original has been lost.

[Mindless]

Finally got around to watching it... actaully reminded me of Heroes of Might and Magic's turn-based combat. I am asuming that what they show is just a small fraction of the battle map though...