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

[Ladic]

k, I built a second base, but it only lets me build a limited number of rooms? I mean, I build a second hangar but I cant put a transport ship there? It only let me buy interceptors and I can't transfer them either.

[Warmaker]

I have yet to expand to a second base so I can't help you there just yet. Plus, funds are running low since my money is going to other more important things. Like Grenades

Hell, there were hordes of bad Master of Orion clones (and a lousy sequel) that came out for years before Galatic Civilizations II finally resurrected the sci-fi 4x genre. I guess we're still waiting for the champion of squad-based tactical games

Don't make me say it... especially since it was Official... Master of Orion III! Wow was that a disaster! I bought that d**n thing too out of blind loyalty

(Pounds head into wall x3)

[Southpaw Samurai]

Well, this isn't MOO3 bad, thankfully... although much of what made MOO3 bad was that it took everything that was great about MOO1 & 2 and did something completely different with those parts... almost always for the worst.

Despite the early lukewarm opinions here, I went ahead and bought it anyway and I can't really say much that hasn't already been said. It very much has a garage-made X-Com clone that spiffies up the ten year old graphics a bit, but actually loses parts of the original's complexity that made it compelling. Because all your troops are tunnel-visioned, near-sighted, hopeless shooters, most tactical options are limited. Taking a tank along in the beginning is still a viable option, but since it eats up half the space on the transport, you're left with a single four man squad which further limits things. Then you toss in the seeming lack of benefits to kneeling, cover, etc and you're reduced to next to nothing.

And it can get VERY frustrating early on as your troops head to the infirmary and all you get is one new guy in a blue moon... my last time out all I could field is three guys... let me recruit, darnit! It's not like the guys trickling in are well trained soldiers... I just had an entire squad miss an alien two squares away, all firing aimed shots... in many ways you're better off just spraying the baddies and hoping three 15-25% shots might hit over a wasteful aimed shot that's supposedly 40-60%, yet seems more like 10% in practice.... and don't get me started on the guy who 'threw' a grenade that somehow landed in his very own square with no obstructions.... this is something like 'XCOM:'Special' Forces' or something...

I'm an old XCOM/UFO:EU guy from the beginning who loved the original, thought the second was a cheap follow-up that at least allowed more of the same with very annoying aspects, originally disliked the third, but grew to appreicate it in its own right, and have since stayed away from all the attempts at reproducing the series... now I know why.

The game isn't horrid...just sadly sub par and at $40-50, I can't recommend this to someone looking to rekindle an old XCOM fixation, unfortunately.... at $20 or less, it might be worth it as a time waster as there are bits that do give off that old feeling... but they're few and far between.

And what's with the opening film? It starts off with three space fighters (I'd say your Interceptors, but currently my interceptors run out of fuel halfway around the planet... I don't think they could escape orbit if they wanted) dogfighting some UFOs and then coming across a whole invasion fleet... I suppose its sort of backstory, but it's more like an intro video for XCOM:Interceptor than this game...

[Mr March]

I KNEW IT! Those lamers at GamePro can't be trusted. They had the earliest review and gave UFO: Extraterrestrials 4.25 out of 5! Puhleeease!

GameSpot's review just came in, though oddly wasn't posted when I visited the site yesterday. The verdict: 5.2 out of 10. Wow, it's been a while since I've read a review that bad. Even as bad as Master of Orion III was, at least it managed to get 6.7 out of 10.

My favorite part of the review so far...

Shooting distances are wonky. In the early stages...you have to get within a couple of squares of an alien to have a better than 50 percent chance of hitting it. This leads to Police Squad-style shootouts where you're blasting away at each other across a few feet but still missing a good deal of the time (sometimes by laughable distances), or even worse, accidentally shooting each other or tossing a grenade into your own lap!

*chortle*

For those interested, here's the link: UFOE review on GameSpot. I must admit, even I wasn't expecting the review to be quite so bad. I thought the game looked like a safe 6 or more, but it appears the game is even more forgettable than that. Well, it's been real

Edited May 12, 2007 by Mr March

[Warmaker]

Looks like the Gamespot Review covered some of my gripes.

- Automatic / Uncontrolled Recruitment

- Awful Weapon Accuracy

If you check at Gamespot's Forum for the game you'll see some interesting topics like this one.

Basically, it seems there are fanbois who are bashing the reviewer for the negative review for UFOE.

I find it weird since I have always viewed X-Com enthusiasts as a united community, always looking for a worthy X-Com successor but always disappointed.

Anyways, when you look at that discussion, the fanbois are railing the reviewer but they're not providing any counterpoints to the review in favor of the game. Then again, that's the same behavior with games these days, right?

Edited May 13, 2007 by Warmaker

[Mr March]

I would never use the GameSpot/GameFAQs Forums as evidence of anything except the poster child of raging ridiculousness. Sadly while GameSpot has always been a quality website, their forums join the likes of IMDB, 4Chan, YouTube, et cetera as the worst popular forums currently operating on the internet, IMO.

Having said that, I would also say that by far, mediocrity is the hardest result for anyone criticizing a weak product. Quite simply, mediocrity represents the great majority and many have simply accepted it. It's all too easy to bash Postal or Deer Hunter when the vast majority despise such games. But mediocre games are hard to attack in the company of fanboys because mediocrity itself becomes a defense. Remember the famous words...

"It's not great, but it's not that bad"

It's almost as if mediocrity becomes some kind of victory. The fanboys cry "You see! The game isn't nearly as bad as the bashers exaggerate!" as if that excuses the game for being a weak product.

I wouldn't worry anyway. The sales will speak louder than any of these pitiful fanboys claiming UFOE is a great game. This baby is headed for obscurity faster that you can say "bargin bin." And I wish it wasn't so, cause we all just want a really good turn-based squad combat game. My hopes are on the next game.

Edited May 13, 2007 by Mr March

[Uxi]

Hmm... Warmaker, since kneeling didn't noticibly improve accuracy, can you still go prone and, if so, did that help at all? I'm imagining that there's no prone since you didn't mention it...

[Warmaker]

Hmm... Warmaker, since kneeling didn't noticibly improve accuracy, can you still go prone and, if so, did that help at all? I'm imagining that there's no prone since you didn't mention it...

That's the thing... there is no prone position!

[wwwmwww]

If you check at Gamespot's Forum for the game you'll see some interesting topics like this one.

In that forum I saw this:

Even in the rough release shape, this game deserves a 7/10. And then it's incredibly moddable. In less than a week, almost every concievable fault and oversight has been fixed by the modding community. That should tack on a point or two.

I haven't got the game yet but I think I may still give it a try. Is anyone here aware of where these mods are available at? Has anyone here tried them yet? How do they address some of the game's short comings?

Thanks,

Carl

[Mr March]

I'm gonna skip ranting about mods supposedly "saving" lousy games (for now). The mods being worked on so far seem to deal mostly with providing hot keys for the game (it doesn't support hot keys natively? wtf?) and extending field of vision. Your best bet for information on mods seems to be the main website forums for the game.

*EDIT*

With just a bit more searching I was able to find the big thread of mods for UFO:E. Here's the link:

The Big Mod Thread on UFO:E Forums

Edited May 13, 2007 by Mr March

[Lynx7725]

In the first place, why am I reduced to finding "open-source" mods for a game I paid money for? Shouldn't the game be good enough to stand on its own without the mods?

[Mr March]

In the first place, why am I reduced to finding "open-source" mods for a game I paid money for? Shouldn't the game be good enough to stand on its own without the mods?

Must...resist...urge to agree and rant why you're...absolutely right!

I'll let the game owners set the tone for this thread. Some spent money on this turd, so I gotta try being helpful to them.

[Akilae]

Why pay money to apply open source mods... when you can just get an open source game?

<shameless plug>

UFO: Alien Invasion

</shameless plug>

[Warmaker]

Looks interesting, I'll check it out when I get home.

[Ladic]

this is cool

[Ladic]

in the battlemap

[ruskiiVFaussie]

lol, just took out a battelship with 4 Intercepters, 3 armed with plasma and 1 with laser cannons, 1 barely survived haha, teach those f'rs to try an build a base on my shift.

Nothing better getting that feeling of blowing a Battleship out of the sky with plasma assisted earth tech! Those pilots deserve a freakin beer.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

in the battlemap

Ladic, you bought the game? Cool hah?

[Ladic]

not really, hehe.

Lets just say I got a Russian Version. lol

[ruskiiVFaussie]

Sweet good ol Russian 'releases' haha.

adding to my kill tally for today not only was the Battleship downed but a

couple of supply/harvesters (i think, as i don't have Hyperwave yet) and a small fry.

Deffinently the pilots had FUN! :edit: that's one after the other btw.

Edited May 17, 2007 by ruskiiVFaussie

[Warmaker]

Why pay money to apply open source mods... when you can just get an open source game?

<shameless plug>

UFO: Alien Invasion

</shameless plug>

Okay, I finally gave it a go and it's pretty fun so far. I'm still getting used to the interface. The team is still working on putting in features from what I've read.

But the tactical battles seem right so far. There's different ranges of engagement and situations for different weapons to be most effective. Compared to my foray in UFOE, it's nice to be able to shoot accurately further than 4 tiles! I was pleased to get into a tactical map with up to 8 levels of height / floors. I was receiving alien fire from a tall mansion's balcony.

The graphics aren't hi-tech by today's standards but they get the job done, esp. on the tactical maps.

Submachineguns. Assault Rifles. Sniper Rifles. Rocket Launchers. Flamethrowers. Pistols (and differing types / functions). Knives. Grenades. Shotguns. Grenade Launchers. Even better, it seems the dev team put in a variety of special purpose rounds for weapons like the Grenade Launcher and Rocket Launcher. The Gren.Launcher even has a Flechette Round which I need to try out.

Another neat little thing is that the Grenade launcher can fire single or 3 round "bursts." Also, they can fire "timed" on impact to allow a bit of a roll before exploding. They can also opt for an "Airburst" for more precise shots. The nice little twist to the GL is that they fire in an arc and you have to take into account ceilings, doorways, etc. that will obstruct the rounds as they arc across. Very nice since alot of games treat GL's like simple, direct LOS weapons (i.e. rifle).

For a free download, not bad so far. I'd love to see this developed further with more core features put in.

Edited May 18, 2007 by Warmaker

[Akilae]

For a free download, not bad so far. I'd love to see this developed further with more core features put in.

The controls are about the only main gripes I have, for some reason it just seems clunky. Then again, it could be that I keep seeing it and thinking X-COM, expecting X-COM controls :-p

But otherwise, it's fun and not too graphics heavy, so I know I'll be able to install it on my laptop for gaming on the go.

I think the main thing they're putting in now is the storyline, so a complete release shouldn't be too far off.

[Uxi]

That game sounds pretty good. Wish it could support multiple teams (say 2-6) with different colors or something and select between human and alien. My goal would be as I posted before: 2-6 friends as different human paramilitary forces with the aliens as AI. Then battle and try to take over countries, with successful raids. Add infiltration missions, etc so you can play as either human or alien.

[Warmaker]

Another little twist if you're lame-hearted, there's a campaign option to play as the Aliens I haven't tried it yet, however, but noticed it when setting up a game.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

hahahah I wanna be a sextoy!

[hutch]

hahahah I wanna be a sextoy!

Son, I've lived that life for years and it's fun at first, but in the end it's empty and hollow.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

lol. ahha.

That's a cool question though, which 'race' of the aliens would you prefer to use?

Etherals would be kickin.

[Mr March]

I don't really care for the Ethereals. The psionics are great but when I play them, they have pathetic armor, low health and their stamina is terrible.

In a combined arms squad, I'd love to play Chrysallids. With the right tactics, they could devastate all the other units in the game. Strong armor, plenty of health, acceptable stamina and oh so many time units. They make the most ideal scouts and the most devastating cqc units, particularly their tendancy to have plenty of time units whenever they bump into someone.

Edited May 21, 2007 by Mr March

[wwwmwww]

Ground Elevation... all the tactical missions I have ran showed no differences in Ground Elevation. Unless you get into a multi-storied building or such, EVERYTHING IS FLAT!

In addition, from the missions that I have played, the maximum number of floors and "elevation" is 2 (or 2 storied buildings and such). This is quite sad compared to X-Com: Apocalypse where we had a maximum of 8 or9 stories for buildings! We had apartment complexes and neighborhoods in Apocalypse. Not so in UFOE! I still have to see something like catwalks or other interesting places for units to walk and position themselves in.

I just picked up UFO:Extraterrestrials last Friday. The last PC game I had the time or the desire to play all the way through was the original X-Com. So I can't really comment about how the game lives up to today's standards but so far I'm enjoying the game and if I can find the time hope to finish this one.

Regarding the above...

Everything is not flat. There is certainly use of different ground elevations in this game however it is hard to see at times. When you drive your tank around you can clearly see it going up and down hills. After you know there is a hill there you can see a shading effect that is intended to make it look like a hill. However from walking the troops around it is hard to notice as the shading effect is subtle and there is no obvious indication when they are walking up or down as there is with the tank like thing.

Also so far I've had a few missions with 3 story buildings. If you click up from the 3rd story you can seen the top of the roof so the map I know has 4 levels atleast. I have yet to find a way to get anyone to the 4th level though. Maybe there is flying armor later on in the game. Also the buildings have these glowing spots that work like elevators. I have yet to come across a UFO that is more then one story but I'm sure they'd fit well in that setting. However why don't the human buildings make use of stairs? Or maybe even something that looked a bit more like real elevators?

Now a question... I just built my third base. I have yet to figure out if there is a way to station troops at anything but my main base. Can they? If so how? I also currently can't build labs or shops at anything but my main base. Again... why? Am I doing something wrong?

Edited May 29, 2007 by wwwmwww