For the 'ol X-Com fans... "UFO Extraterrestrials"

[F-ZeroOne]

Terror missions are tough. I just completed one against Sectoids - not exactly the greatest threat in the game - and consider myself lucky to have got away with one mind-altered trooper and one wounded (unfortunately, my ace autocannon gunner, who was shot in the back by the mind-controlled guy).

Mind you, "Burn everything!" appears to minimise casualties.

My casualties, at least...

[Lynx7725]

Heh, I just had a mission last night where I downed a Terror ship. Investigating it brought a whole shipload of Floaters and my first contacts with Reapers.

My most experienced Sgt dropped out of the transport and drew plasma fire left, right and center. Didn't survive, sadly. The other disembarked more successfully and with the newly developed laser rifles, quickly sent the sniping Floaters permanently away.

The Reapers charged in but couldn't attack, so my AC man coolly turned and autofired the nearest Reaper, which had charged right towards the barrel! (Thanks idiot... ) The other reapers were brought down by massed laser fire, which was very effective.

I kept this mission. I thought the loot was worth the death of a Seageant plus another gunner..

[Mr March]

I find early terror missions (during months 1-4) are just big write-offs. Your soliders are way too green to be effective enough to save anyone and the large number of aliens with heavy firepower is just ridiculous. I do whatever it takes to waste them and win. The collateral damage in my first few terror missions is unbelievably high. I bring grenades, high explosives, incendiary and HE ammunition for all my guns and I let the map have it. I barely move my units during the first 5 turns. I pull my team out of the Skyranger, postion around the landing zone, I lay a defensive smoke grenade and then let the ammo fly. Buildings are blown to bits, everything is ablaze and Gas Stations are fireballs waiting to happen. I hit fuel pumps the first moment I see them, I could care less who is inside. Ninety nine percent of the time, it's aliens cowering behind the pumps, trying to safely shoot at your soldiers thinking you won't risk an inferno by firing back at them.

This is X-COM, alien biatches!

The other ten UFOs I blew out of the sky this month guarantees I can do whatever I want during the alien terror missions and still come out smelling like roses at month end review

Good thing is, once you've got Hyper-Wave Detector, you never have to do a Terror mission again if you don't wish it. Just intercept the terror ships before they land.

I'll tell you what does annoy me about X-COM; the Alien Base assaults. I just completed my first. I figure, after allowing the first Alien Base to function for 5 months while I looted the Supply Ships that feed the base regularly, it was time to waste them. Funny thing is, I discovered a second Alien Base just a week before I assaulted the first. Anyway, Alien Base missions are difficult, but that's not what annoys me. What annoys me about Alien Bases is when they stack ALL the aliens around the insertion points and when there's nothing left to kill after the first 8-10 turns, the mission ends. The vast majority of the base remains completely unexplored because the aliens were stupid enough to bunch up around my soldiers who are tossing high explosives in every corridor.

The final Cydonia assault was much more fun as an Alien Base assault. There, you have to hunt down the aliens scattered throughout the base. That is, if you don't cheat and instantly go for the control center if you already know where it is, having played the game before

Edited April 28, 2007 by Mr March

[F-ZeroOne]

@*&%$!! Mind Control!

[hutch]

I got SOOOO lucky last night. I was playing and my hyperwave decoder picked up a small UFO, manned by ethereals, my first this game. So I shot it down, and got in close...and then the b@stards mind started mind controlling. However, I only lost one guy, and I recovered a LIVE ethereal leader!!!

I've already got Psi Labs and Mind Sheilds going up, and I'm researching the Psi Amp now. And have yet to go up against any more ethereals yet. Perhaps by the time I encounter them again, I'll have SOME sort of protection.

Also, I HEART shooting Mutons. Filthy animals.

[wwwmwww]

Have you see this yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFQZbdRNwGg

I hope the game play is better then their voice actors/dialog.

Carl

Edited April 29, 2007 by wwwmwww

[Mr March]

I just have to say something about some of the PSI-screening strategies I see on the internet. You know, the strategies that tell you to trash any soldiers that are mind controlled regularly or transfer them to teams that are non-PSI combatants, then recruit more soldiers to replace.

Talk about the lamest, most useless strategy that ever was. I have never bothered with this strategy beyond my first attempt years ago.

One, you invariably find out later in the game (once you have PSI lab) that on average 4-5 of any 10 man team is low-PSI and should be sacked.

Two, you've no way of knowing about PSI until that point so you'd have to go through 4-5 psionic alien missions before you could even filter out each individual low-PSI soldier.

Three, given the odds you've got a roughly 50/50 chance of any new recruit being low-PSI and hence another 2-3 psionic alien missions to discover this and then finally 1 or 2 more missions to test the third wave of replacement recruits.

Four, in the early-mid game I encounter only 1-2 psionic alien ships per month. Which means it takes 2-3 months just to detect all the low-PSI soldiers in a given team and another 1-2 months to replace those. This is all assuming you can get that one particular PSI-screened team to reach each psionic alien mission (which is impossible in the early-mid game) and this is all just for ONE team of 10 soldiers (to say nothing of your other bases and squads).

By the time all this happens, it's already month 6 or 7 and I've got PSI lab. Talk about a dumbass strategy and a major headache for very little gain.

Has anyone here ever done well with this strategy or experienced any appreciable gain for the amount of effort involved?

[Mr March]

Have you see this yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFQZbdRNwGg

I hope the game play is better then their voice actors/dialog.

That was absolutely awful!

This is not a good first impression at all. That was some of the worst voice acting I've heard in a long time and lousy CG animation that would give that new Robotech movie competition for Llama of the Year. I was cringing throughout the whole thing and talk about boring! The entire sequence in which the fighter craft scan the system felt like an hour!

The original X-COM animated intro is better than this. At least it had style and pacing.

Ugh!

Edited April 29, 2007 by Mr March

[Lynx7725]

For the guys out there who prefer the skirmish level game rather than the building aspect, here's a good download:

http://ufo2000.sourceforge.net/

I've just played it. Mucho fun, even if you are playing against yourself (No AI available here). Go in as a Blue/ Red team, and kit your team out as you liked it. The last game I had was 15 soldiers a side with personal armour, rifles and grenades in an 3x3 urban sprawl. Very fast action and much boom.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Lynx7725

[hutch]

"1st of The May"???

[Warmaker]

"1st of The May"???

"1st of The May on ESPN the Ocho!"

I just have to say something about some of the PSI-screening strategies I see on the internet. You know, the strategies that tell you to trash any soldiers that are mind controlled regularly or transfer them to teams that are non-PSI combatants, then recruit more soldiers to replace.

Talk about the lamest, most useless strategy that ever was. I have never bothered with this strategy beyond my first attempt years ago.

*snip*

Has anyone here ever done well with this strategy or experienced any appreciable gain for the amount of effort involved?

I never bothered special strategies taking into account Psi-Combat.

I use the K.I.S.S. method, "Keep It Simple Stupid."

In other words, blow the crap out of everything, and / or burn it, stay in as much cover just in case an alien gets by or one of your boys gets hit by the alien "Dr.Mindbender." Have guys standing by to cover / overwatch against any alien movements and sneaky attempts. If the alien looks special, or I just don't like the way he looks, I used to be paranoid that they had psi-abilities. Send a rocket his direction. Matter solved.

Hiccups due to mind control are actually pretty minimal, since the aliens are busy dodging fire, explosions, or shrapnel... or any combination of all 3. Yeah, the occasional trooper gets zapped by mind control, but not enough to make me hesitant.

I play the same in the tactical game. I only get alarmed if the aliens start packing more heat than usual.

We're X-Com. We kick a** and chew bubble gum but stocks of bubble gum are low or gone in some bases. But we have lots of ammo and guns. Lots 'o guns

Edited April 30, 2007 by Warmaker

[Mr March]

I never bothered special strategies taking into account Psi-Combat.

I use the K.I.S.S. method, "Keep It Simple Stupid."

Yeah, I don't know why that lame strategy keeps getting reprinted in every FAQ, walkthrough, guide and now the wiki. I feel like slapping whoever came up with that "solution."

[Noyhauser]

Agreed

I basically have a darwinistic approach to the matter. If he's weak enough to be constantly mind controlled, I'll shoot him on the spot, and deal with it that way. Not strong enough? Your problem.

Then there is the whole psi "baiting strategy" where you just leave some of your weakest soldiers unarmed and able to get psi controlled. At very least, you should just make sure the guy with no resistance isn't carrying the blaster launcher.

[hutch]

I basically have a darwinistic approach to the matter. If he's weak enough to be constantly mind controlled, I'll shoot him on the spot, and deal with it that way. Not strong enough? Your problem.

HA! It's funny you should mention this. That's pretty much how I feel about guys who go into a UFO, spot a Floater 3 squares away, and can't hit him with Autoshot. I'll usually go Autoshot again, to give them a second chance, and if they don't hit again, I only feel pangs of pain if they have a Flying Suit on. Otherwise my thought is pretty much "You deserved to die".

[Lynx7725]

Oooo UFO2000 is so fun. Have you ever seen a 15 vs. 15 trooper fight? Carnage. And I mean it in the good sense.

One rocket fired from the left flank missed its target only to hit the bottom of a building with 2 enemy snipers on the second floor, dumping the 2 onto the ground. Seconds later, another rocket fired from the right flank missed its target and carried on into the same building, killing both snipers very dead. I only caught this on the replay -- great stuff watching it happen!

Grenades banging off left and right, creating smokescreen for assault teams to advance under.. at which rocket teams would semi-randomly shoot through in a vain attempt to get them. Friendly fire isn't just common, it's a way of life when a friendly rocket addressed "To Whom It Might Concern" slammed into the wall next to you. Or when the rocket you just fired hit the tree in front of you and kills you dead..

What's truly remarkable is that all these took place around a gas station, and none of the pumps took a single hit...

The software isn't totally bug free -- I had it crash on me twice or trice already. It's still quite fun and it comes with different weapon sets for you to play with. The lack of an AI isn't too bad for solo play; the inherent randomness of the soldiers make it sufficiently random that it still can be enjoyable.

[Axelay]

WOW!

X-COM for Windows Mobile!

OK, I think I'm going to have to check this out. After all, it's free!

Well crap. After reading the forums on the website, it would appear that 1.25 is the last version of the game. It would seem that it had some pretty nasty bugs - non-arming grenades, disappearing Elerium, etc. I really had my hopes up that this would be a perfect port.

Edited April 30, 2007 by Axelay

[Mr March]

Saw this advertised on xcomufo.com. I've never been a portable gaming fan, so I didn't give it much attention. Sounds like I was better off

[ruskiiVFaussie]

I downloaded it a week ago now i think, and been playing when i can off and on.

Geez! This would be the first time i haven't had much to do for the first half of year.

Only one enemy base (unfortunately lost 2 guys but caught a Sextoy leader (without stun) so i gets psionics.

I spose i am expecting too much on the easiest setting hahah.

I will play the harder levels once i get used to playing it again.

All coming back to me though! Nothing like using an auto shot to kill two birds with 1 stone.

Like for instance, got a barn, and a sextoy inside behind the stairs.

No problem! Auto shot, first shot takes out the wall, sencond takes out the blocking stairs, next shot back of the neck!

muahhahahah 2 Rocket Launcher tanks kick ass for any mission, area effect weapons and take out the Cyberdiscs

like they were nothing at all, and of course mincing them before the kamakazi.

I love taking out gas staitions!

Edited May 1, 2007 by ruskiiVFaussie

[hutch]

I just got done taking out my first enemy base, after aquiring Blaster Launchers (I restarted over the weekend). The best is "Muton Soldier Has Panicked"

That's the best feeling EVER.

[Mr March]

I love taking out gas staitions!

I like any of the multiple explosions in X-COM, including Gas Stations, UFO Bridges and Power Generator rooms in UFOs or Alien Bases. THe chain reaction of explosions never fails to entertain

Here's a little trivia about my X-COM playing history: I've never captured a Cyberdisc or Sectopod "alive." I've only ever obtained interrogation information based upon researching alien medics. I know from all the guides I've read that players have captured live specimens, I'm just not sure how they do it exactly.

I just got done taking out my first enemy base, after aquiring Blaster Launchers (I restarted over the weekend). The best is "Muton Soldier Has Panicked"

That's the best feeling EVER.

Nah, the best feeling ever is "Ethereal Commander Has Panicked" followed shortly by "Mind Control Successful." It just doesn't get any better than that

Edited May 1, 2007 by Mr March

[Warmaker]

From my X-Com Apocalypse experience with capturing:

At around the mid-portion of the game you could acquire a sort of short ranged Stun Gun that doesn't work 100% of the time. It works against humans and aliens alike. If it works, the target becomes incapacitated for a varied number of turns, but they WILL get up given time.

The average "blue" humanoid-like aliens were easy to stun if you got a shot. Same goes with any humanoid-like ones, even the flying-psi-capable ones.

But the face-crawler-thingies that jump onto a person's face and take control were small and tremendously fast. Using the Stun Gun on them was quite difficult and usually failed due to misses.

Apocalypse did present an "Ace." Gas Grenades that incapacitate. Its effects were 50% immediately effective. If the targets lingered for another turn, they were usually down afterwards. Just like the Stun Gun effects, the targets will recover given time once the gas dissipates.

Once the targets are incapacitated, I usually have a nooblet trooper go in and disarm the opposition while other troopers cover him. This goes for alien and human opponents alike. It was a good way to ensure I captured strange alien artifacts for my scientists when I get back. It was also insurance just in case the mission "involves more fire and explosions than usual" afterwards, which may result in the destruction of alien / human equipment that could otherwise be seized.

It is also possible to incapacitate the enemy from normal fire, but it's of course not the reliable means to seize an NPC.

Another good piece of fun: Incapacitating your opponents, run in and seize all weapons, stand back in a firing squad. When they come to, they panic since they have no weapons. Then my X-Com troopers shoot them. If I get tired, and they still don't wake up, execute them. But usually, at the very least, I retain 1 captured specimen per alien type for research. The rarer types that are incapacitated are taken prisoner usually (like the flying psi-capable ones). The common ones like the blue humanoid-thingies, usually don't fare better. There's generally lots of them. My troopers will execute all "blue" ones except for 2. But even the "rule of 2" isn't a guarantee for survival. 1 will be observed by the scientists. The other 1 will eventually be "examined" on a cold slab

Another good piece of fun 2: Incapacitate your opponents, run in and seize all weapons and gear, have someone run to the middle of the enemy group, set a demo pack to go off in 2 turns, then run away. In 2 turns, that's when they start waking up. When they do, say hello to Mr.Demo Pack and their alien ancestors, and tell 'em X-Com sent ya.

Another good piece of fun 3: Just like the above two. Only difference is that I set fire to the area with the incapacitated enemy. I sit back, wait. If anyone wakes up and runs out of the fire (and usually have caught on fire and in panic), my troopers shoot them. Give them the "Aalya Secura Treament" of many shots.

Another good piece of fun 4: Incapacitate them as usual. Disarm them as usual. Go to a target, set a Demo Pack to blow in 2 turns, place the demo pack in the enemy's equivalent of a backpack. Run far away and seek cover. They'll wake up and then...

Edited May 1, 2007 by Warmaker

[Lynx7725]

Another good piece of fun: ( .. )

Another good piece of fun 2: ( .. )

Another good piece of fun 3: ( .. )

Another good piece of fun 4: ( .. )

:D

Did anyone ever tell you that you are one sick person?

[wwwmwww]

It's May 1st... who is going to offer the first review of UFO Extraterrestrials?

Carl

[Warmaker]

:D

Did anyone ever tell you that you are one sick person?

Only when I play video games

In real life affairs?... I'll do a Bill Clinton.

Define "sick."

[Mr March]

It's May 1st... who is going to offer the first review of UFO Extraterrestrials?

Carl

I have to admit that after that opening video, my enthusiasm has been sapped. I'll wait for the reviews and go from there.

[wwwmwww]

I have to admit that after that opening video, my enthusiasm has been sapped. I'll wait for the reviews and go from there.

I agree the opening video is so bad its actually funny... but I loved X-Com. It was the last PC game I actually had the time to play all the way through. And if the game plays as good as X-Com I'll have to get it.

If I get UFO:Extraterrestrials it will be the first PC game I've purchased in over a year and I'm now running Vista so I've been trying to figure out what the game requirements are. I don't see mention of requirements on the official site:

http://www.ufo-extraterrestrials.com/

Gamestop states: http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646414

Required

Operating System: Windows XP

Processor: Pentium 1.5 Ghz

RAM: 256 RAM

Amazon.com simply states: http://www.amazon.com/Tri-Synergy-18386100...7716&sr=8-1

Platform: Windows 2000

And I couldn't find it even listed at these places:

http://www.buy.com/

http://www.bestbuy.com/

http://www.compusa.com/

http://www.gamezone.com/

Not being an big gammer I'm not even sure I'm looking in the right places. What are the odds this will run with Vista?

Carl

Edited May 1, 2007 by wwwmwww

[Mr March]

I'm not sure about the Vista thing, but the game better run with some really low system requirements cause those graphics blow. If the thing crawls on even a mid-range system, I wouldn't even bother buying it.

[wwwmwww]

I find this article:

http://www.thelastoutpost.co.uk/games/ufo-extraterrestrials

It metioned this:

» What kind of computer specifications will be needed as a minimum to run this game?

» Pentium 1.5GHz, 256MB RAM and a standard graphic accelerator with 64MB RAM as a minimum.

But even more interesting I see this:

» Will there be a demo before the final release?

» Yes.

In the news section of the official site I see this:

July 2nd 2004

Currently we are working on more speed optimizations and tweaking the visual appearance of the demo for oncoming game exhibitions like ECTS.

Fido

So is there a demo out there one could download for this game? I'm eager to take a look. I also called the local Gamestop and they said they'd have the game in tomorrow. Knowing me I'll rush out and buy it but I would like to know what I can before I do.

Thanks,

Carl

[Mr March]

Aren't demos supposed to be released before the actual game?

Metacritic is only listing the GamePro review so far and I don't trust GamePro. I'm waiting for GameSpot and PC Gamer to present their reviews.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

You guys are forgetting one really important thing to do in the original.

a) Capture your first live alien, which happens to be a Sectoid Leader.

b) Prod and research the f'r till you get Psionics.

c) Do your first biopsy on a sectoid, which happens to be the leader

(and done whilst he was alive and kicking) haha

d) Pretend that you sent the discarded remains in a small squishy box with pink ribbons to the Muton leader.

With a thankyou card reading -

Dear Muton Scum,

Thanks for Psionics your moron!

See you soon.

Bestest Regards,

X-Com Ops.

Define sick? Define FUN! :evil:

And from a young age me and my mates called the Sectoids 'Sextoys'.

We were like 3 in the morning "Ohh great... Sextoys again, I'm so sick of those guys!"

Edited May 2, 2007 by ruskiiVFaussie

[Axelay]

Damn you all, you got the bug to bite me. I spent a significant chunk of my day setting up X-COM instead of working like I should have been. LOL.

So while I was playing with editing weapons once again, something occurred to me. Why not make proximity grenades be stun weapons? They'd be a lot more useful that way, and there's less likelihood of doing something truly stupid in case I should forget where I tossed one.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

How does one aquire this "editing" weapons thing.

Edited May 2, 2007 by ruskiiVFaussie

[Mr March]

I've never tried the X-COM editors. Not really a big fan. Maybe after I beat the game this most recent time, I'll try out XCOMUTIL just for a laugh. Its so much more fun building everything up. Once you get psionic soldiers, the revenge feels so good

And from a young age me and my mates called the Sectoids 'Sextoys'.

We were like 3 in the morning "Ohh great... Sextoys again, I'm so sick of those guys!"

I like the name

Edited May 2, 2007 by Mr March

[Mr March]

Damn, I just got hit with no less than 7 UFOs in the span of one day! I downed:

1 Large Ethereal Terror ship in Australia

1 Medium Muton Infiltration ship in Indonesia

1 Small Muton Retaliation ship in Europe

1 Very Large Muton Supply ship in China

1 Very Large Sectoid Infiltration Ship in Japan

2 Small UFOs (one alien base scout and one retaliation mission) both of which are so small that either an Avalanche Missile or a Plasma Cannon resulted in each craft's complete destruction.

It was wild. I had every base on the Geoscape sending out interception craft. Now there's five missions to do and I've got every carrier craft, except one, flying out to investigate the crash zones.

It's now mid October. I actually stopped building bases about two months ago, but then decided I need Hyper-Wave tracking in the Pacific Ocean. So I built a base in Hawaii.

My resources are just ridiculous. Seven bases, six of which are fully built with three hangars a piece and one squad of 10 experienced soldiers in each base (all outfitted in Power Suits and Flying Suits). Funding is $15 million per month and cash reserves are at $119 million. My PSI training is now into it's third month and I've now got some really adept PSI-Soldiers with PSI-Amps at all six bases, some of whom can even mind control Ethereals. Best PSI capable soldier is a 92 PSI Strength with a 57 PSI Skill. I've got two Avenger craft, two Firestorms and one Lightning (just for the heck of it, even though it sucks) plus one Hovertank/Plasma and two Hovertank/Launchers. I've got a stockpile of 3,353 Elerium spread across the six bases and before the day is over, I'll probably have another 100-300 more from all those downed UFOs

I'm ready to do the final Assault upon Cydonia and I've researched absolutely everything. I think it might be overkill at this point, but I really want to have a complete 10 man squad of hardened, experienced PSI soldiers before I launch the final assault mission. Right now, some of my squads are so psionically powerful with just 3 or 4 PSI soldiers that the UFO missions are almost becoming a cakewalk. But I remember the final mission is two parts and really hard, so this time I'm going in with nothing less than enough firepower and psionic ability to level that base.

Edited May 2, 2007 by Mr March

[Akilae]

Another in-the-spirit-of-X-COM game you guys can check out is UFO: Alien Invasion. It's open source and moving at a pretty fast pace. Currently in beta release, but everything looks friggin nice so far.