Ranger33 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Anyone else geared up to play the new XCOM game? I know from the CMBN Steam group that several people have pre-ordered it so I figured I would make a thread for discussion. A lot of the changes for the new version have been controversial, and as a fan of the original I was concerned. However, everything I've seen and heard about the game these last few months has been stellar, and I'm really looking forward to playing. For the absolute purists there is always Xenonauts, which is much more an upgrade of the original instead of a reboot. I look forward to it as well. Anyway, game comes out in a few hours so I'll pop back in later with impressions. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pak_43 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Not out in the UK until the 12th... grrr..nicely suprised by how good it is after playing the demo, but yep, I can't wait for this... Eurogamer review of the game http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-08-xcom-enemy-unknown-review_3 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I am psyked! I just wish there wasn't about 4 other games I want to play all coming out at the same time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I've waited years for it and am playing it now, around various chores and errands. Yes indeed, I'm a happy camper. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger33 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Got in a few hours this afternoon, it's quite excellent. My original plan was to stick to the Classic Ironman difficulty, which is the "real" game, but it was just way too hard. There's almost no margin for error, but completing a mission and coming home with all of your troops is an awesome feeling every time. However, that was pretty rare Decided to give my self a break and switched to Normal (with Ironman) for the first playthrough. It is way easier but good for learning the ropes I think. Once I play all the way through and see all the techs and gear and what not, then I'll be ready for real deal. On Classic (between 4-5 restarts ) I lost 20+ soldiers in a just a couple hours, on Normal I've only lost 4 after a dozen missions, plus I have tons of money and there is no fear of countries cutting off my funding or anything yet. On Classic you are up against the wall right off the bat in the strategic layer as well as the tactical. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I picked it up yesterday but unfortunately won't have a chance to play until Thursday night. I put in hundreds of hours in the original and am really excited to play this one. From everything I've seen and read about this (and that's quite a bit) I'm going to love this. The changes that were made seem to have modernized it some and added a bit more action to it. If anyone is interested I recommend checking out Giant Bomb's quick look of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I would love to play it - so much that I have bought it - but I cannot get it to run It's my first steam game, and I have to say it's not looking like I'll be using the system willingly in the future...I wonder what their refund policy is like??!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger33 Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 I would love to play it - so much that I have bought it - but I cannot get it to run It's my first steam game, and I have to say it's not looking like I'll be using the system willingly in the future...I wonder what their refund policy is like??!! What is your issue with getting it to run? All Steam does is download the game and launch it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I select it from the Steam menu, a little window pops up for a couple of seconds saying "Preparing to play X-com" then that little window goes away and nothing further happens - no messages, no errors, no game - I left it for 3 hours while I went & did something else once.....so it's not just a matter of waiting for it to launch!! i've asked on the Steam forum & Steam & 2k help - no useful answers yet 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger33 Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 I select it from the Steam menu, a little window pops up for a couple of seconds saying "Preparing to play X-com" then that little window goes away and nothing further happens - no messages, no errors, no game - I left it for 3 hours while I went & did something else once.....so it's not just a matter of waiting for it to launch!! i've asked on the Steam forum & Steam & 2k help - no useful answers yet Try restarting Steam, if that doesn't work, close Steam then go into the Steam folder and delete ClientRegistry.blob (this will kind of refresh Steam completely) which is the magic bullet for a lot of things. Also try launching the .exe directly from the XCOM folder and verifying the cache (right click game in Steam -> properties -> then it's under one of the tabs). If none of that works then I don't know, I have not heard of this being a widespread issue with XCOM, so it might be something on your end. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 @Stalin's Organist: Go to the steam App under Library. Look up XCom and right click on it to bring up Properties. On the Tabs pick Local Files and in there select the button that says Verify Integrity of Game Cache. It will take a few minutes and re-install any bad or missing game files. Then I'd recommend you quit the Steam app, re-start it, select XCom "Play" and the game should work fine. With a completely wonky install you can go to Steam Library, right Click on XCom and press Delete Local Files. This will completely remove the game from your HD. Then do a re-install. I have to say that I was a total Steam hater and avoider until I actually tried it. Now I like it. That's saying a lot from someone who's been buying games since the mid-80's. My XCom install was on the first few moments after it was released, when the Steam servers were swamped. My first install screwed up the DirectX files somehow and I had to go through the file verification routine I mentioned above and the game correctly reinstalled the files. I Quit the Steam app (which insures that the app cache and files are correctly updated), re-started Steam, and began to play XCom. Let me know if this helps or not. Enjoy the game! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I think it may be a hardware problem - my old desktop meets teh physical requriemetns with a 256mb video card....but it is a much smaller number than the NVidia 8600 specified as "minimum" - 5200. So I've ordered up a 512 card with a much larger number than the ATI card required for "optimal" performance - fortunately brand new AGP cards are still available and cheap Should be here by tomorrow and perhaps I will owe Steam an apology!! We'll see...... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublime Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Wow. Played the demo its FANTASTIC. Cant wait to buy the full game tomorrow - the demo doesnt let you play much 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I've got about 100 hours of play in it already and am enjoying the heck out of it. But the 2K site is awash with trollish posters complaining that it is either too easy, too hard, not enough like the original, too much like the original, etc. etc. I'm very pleased with it myself. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseltaylor Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 ANd then therre is Borderlands2 : ) IS xCOM multiplayer? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmar Bijlsma Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 AFAIK there is something quite like CM's Quick Battles, but no co-op or something similair. Still on the fence on this one. Every reviewer whose opinion I value is loving it to some extent but all of them also mention the little niggles that I think would drive me up the wall. As a long time fan of the original I do not think I could get over the streamlining/simplification/dumbing down. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger33 Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Still on the fence on this one. Every reviewer whose opinion I value is loving it to some extent but all of them also mention the little niggles that I think would drive me up the wall. As a long time fan of the original I do not think I could get over the streamlining/simplification/dumbing down. I'm loving it, but I can see where you're coming from. The first time it drops to $30-35 I would snatch it up regardless, it's one of those games that's pure fun as well as really challenging. In regards to multiplayer: There is no campaign or anything, but a skirmish mode where you can use human as well as alien units. You get X number of points and then spend them on various gear, upgrades, and experience. I haven't tried it but you could spend a lot of time coming up with different teams of units and strategies. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZPB II Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 What I know about the new UFO: Enemy Unknown (I will adamantly call it that since the original was released with that name over here ) is limited to this thread and Angry Joe's funny video review. I also have concerns about the streamlining. Even X-Com Apocalypse (loved that one) seems a bit more hardcore. The old games were the kind that you play and it would twist and break your balls and kick dirt in your face. I guess I'm in the camp that would love the game to be a remake with all the old sounds and music a bit touched up. Need to find time to try out the demo. Also, I first used Steam when it came out and it's generally been a very solid and dependable platform. I like Valve and Gabe Newell seems like a down-to-earth, smart and likeable person in his interviews and seminars. Aaand, Borderlands 2 is one of the funniest games I've played in a long time. The writing and acting in that game is top notch. So many great characters and scenes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 @ZBP: You might want to look at Xenonauts then, or perhaps UFO:AI. Those are indie games more akin to the original. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noxnoctum Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 How do you guys feel about the lack of TUs? I never played the original but have played similar games (JA2, Silent Storm) and always enjoyed the time units system and was worried it was a sign of dumbing down they removed them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger33 Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 How do you guys feel about the lack of TUs? I never played the original but have played similar games (JA2, Silent Storm) and always enjoyed the time units system and was worried it was a sign of dumbing down they removed them. It's not really dumbing down, it's just a different system. It takes away some of the flexibility but at the same time forces you to commit to a decision. You can't just creep across the map one step at a time. This creates a constant flow of hard choices, especially late-game when you have all sorts of synergistic abilities that you have to use effectively or get slaughtered. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 How do you guys feel about the lack of TUs? I never played the original but have played similar games (JA2, Silent Storm) and always enjoyed the time units system and was worried it was a sign of dumbing down they removed them. I don't miss them one bit. The new game's system is different, but provides no less challenge because it is a series of constant, difficult decisions. You still have this small squad that has to be maneuvered to best advantage while minimizing exposure. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boeman Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I spent hours on the original X-com and am now learning about this new reincarnation. I'm curious if the original strategy for the original still works which consists of: - Killing off all squad members with a natural low PSI resist by equipping them with dynamite and sending them off on a Kamakazie errand. - Trailing ufos with only vertical take-off troop carrier craft and landing on the drop site to capture all resources and equipment intact. - Positioning soldiers by the entrance teleporter pad and simply waiting for the enemy to come to you; making them easy targets that could be picked off piecemeal when invading large installations. - Producing laser tanks and reselling them for a substantial profit. - Creating expendable bases with just large radar facilities to create a large detection net. - Setting up depot bases that serve only as storage and manufacturing hubs. These are usually protected by the "concealment" base upgrade. - Deploying soldiers mainly as snipers around the troop carrier while hover tanks scout for enemy positions as they are immune to Chrysalid infection (those things SUCK!). - Abusing guided rockets Looking forward to trying out this latest from the XCOM franchise. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASL Veteran Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I spent hours on the original X-com and am now learning about this new reincarnation. I'm curious if the original strategy for the original still works which consists of: - Killing off all squad members with a natural low PSI resist by equipping them with dynamite and sending them off on a Kamakazie errand. I've got about 40 hours on this game and I never played the original, but this tactic is completely unnecessary. If you don't want someone to come on a mission then you just don't take him / her. - Trailing ufos with only vertical take-off troop carrier craft and landing on the drop site to capture all resources and equipment intact. Not possible at the moment. The only option to launch when UFO is detected is to launch an interceptor. Once the UFO has been shot down the game then gives you the option to send in a strike team. - Positioning soldiers by the entrance teleporter pad and simply waiting for the enemy to come to you; making them easy targets that could be picked off piecemeal when invading large installations. Not sure if you mean friendly or enemy installations. You currently only have one base and the aliens don't invade it. When assaulting enemy bases you will have to come to the aliens. - Producing laser tanks and reselling them for a substantial profit. No laser tanks are in the game as far as I can tell. At least I've never had the option to build one - Creating expendable bases with just large radar facilities to create a large detection net. - Setting up depot bases that serve only as storage and manufacturing hubs. These are usually protected by the "concealment" base upgrade. You only have one base - you can't build any others - Deploying soldiers mainly as snipers around the troop carrier while hover tanks scout for enemy positions as they are immune to Chrysalid infection (those things SUCK!). They have SHIVs in the game so yeah, you could do something like that in the game if you wanted to. - Abusing guided rockets Looking forward to trying out this latest from the XCOM franchise. They have soldiers with rockets so you can fire rockets at Aliens if you want to. There is usually a 90% hit chance although one of my guys managed to miss once! :mad: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Still trying - new video card did not help, verifying did not help, nor did uninstalling & reinstalling - have had various suggestions from Steam & 2K - 2K have my dxdiag & MSconfig32 files atm & am waiting to hear back from them... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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