X-COM Enemy Unknown

[Mr March]

Getting close to the end. I'm not sure how I did it but I've not lost a country yet and I have Satellites covering every continent. I must have got lucky in the first 3 months because there was so much yellow and orange for those early months. I also have at least one Firestorm stationed on every continent, armed with either a Plasma Cannon, EMP, or Fusion Lance. I've got everything researched and ready to go. The Temple Ship is looming on the geoscape. I think I want to wait just a few more weeks to get another month of revenue and purchase anything still outstanding from the Foundry. I suppose just before the end, i can sell everything if I need extra cash

[wwwmwww]

I'm a huge fan of the original X-com and didn't know of this remake until I saw this thread. Eager to give it a try I ordered the special edition off Amazon where it states:

• Special Edition Features include a fold out poster of the XCOM base- An art book detailing the conceptual journey of re-imagining the classic, a patch of the XCOM Viglio/Confido insignia and digital bonus items including multi-monitor desktops, soundrack and more.
  

Well what I got came in a DVD style case and does include the poster and the extra digital bonus. But there was no patch and more importantly I didn't get the 112 page hard cover art book seen here:

http://img.gameleade...com_special.jpg

Going back and checking the seller wasn't Amazon directly but the item was new and sealed. And there certainly wasn't room for a 112 page hard cover book in that DVD case. Was there more then one "Special Edition"? I'm wondering if the seller pulled a fast one on me or if this was an honest error.

Thanks,

Carl

Edited November 2, 2012 by wwwmwww

[renegadeleader1]

You got screwed Carl.

[wwwmwww]

You got screwed Carl.

Well the seller has contacted me and offered a partial refund if I want to keep the game. Or a full refund if I'm willing to return it. Is the Special Edition with the art book still available anywhere? Or is the book available seperately? I had hopes of starting the game this weekend but I would like to get the book if I can and don't want to have to buy a second copy of the game down the road if I can avoid it. If someone here has the art book and is willing to sell it let me know. I can easily get by without the patch.

Thanks,

Carl

[Mr March]

I don't know anything about the different special editions but they have all the details on the official website http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/.

Having the art book has no bearing on the game, so you can start playing it now. Even the Elite Soldier Pack has now been released as DLC on Steam. So even if you purchased a vanilla version, you can get the special edition pre-order bonus for an extra $5.

[Axelay]

I actually didn't know that I had preordered the "special edition" until I went to pick it up at the store. I am honestly wanting to get an OD British commando sweater and have the XCOM patch sewn onto it.

[Ghost Train]

This game is incredible. I'm finally getting the hang of things.... sigh wish I could crank out satellites faster lol, I have lost 3 countries failing to realize this. Well, it'll be more exciting with a high doomsday counter .

Despite this I have a fairly good roaster of operatives. I have a colonel of each class all packing plasma. I'm still stuck with using Carapace armor but armor has not been an issue for my troops yet. I dread my future encounter with psionic foes. I have yet to run into Ethereals, and Sectoid Commanders.

[Mr March]

Axelay

Hahaha, I'm not sure if that's such a great idea. I remember chuckling at the ridiculous sweater the guy was wearing in the briefings when I first played the game. I got used to it quick and it seems normal, but my first impression was it was kinda silly.

Ghost Train

I know what you mean. I didn't prioritize the base building or acquiring Engineers during the first month. I almost paid for it dearly in the 2nd and 3rd month. Nearly every country was yellow or orange. Only thing that saved me from losing a country this first playthrough was completing the Alien Base mission early. That provided time enough to turn the game around which I used to get engineers and satellites. This game isn't as difficult as the original X-COM, but it can be just as brutal and unforgiving.

Psionics, while still lethal, are not nearly as troublesome as they were in the original. You don't suffer anymore of that "mind-controlled-across-half-a-map" garbage from the old game. But it's still way too easy for your soldiers to be mind screwed and turn on you

[Ghost Train]

My employer gives everyone a holiday for election day so I did the patriotic thing- spend my day playing X-Com (and vote).

Thanks for the reassurance Mr. March. I didn't know that assaulting the Alien Base decreases the global panic level. My doomsday counter is up to 5, but all my remaining countries are stabilized,green, and with 100% satellite coverage.

I might try the base attack soon, my A-Team has everyone running Titan Armors, with supports carrying plasma rifles and assaults carrying Alloy shotguns. Planning to bring at least 3 squad members with arc throwers, want to try and capture the base's commander .

[Mr March]

Hahaha, very nice.

It's strange but I feel like every X-COM player I talk to developed advanced weapons at a point much earlier than I did. I did make the capture of aliens my priority in the early game and researched a lot of corpses and prisoners early. Maybe my tech tree progression was quite different than most. I didn't get most of the plasma weapons until the bottom half of the mid-game.

One thing I did do right was create a large base of skilled soldiers very quickly using 3 squads on rotation in the early game. I recommend this strategy, especially in the early game when soldier injury is more frequent and recovery times are long. Soldiers are dirt cheap and you can house like a hundred. So just recruit 20-30 and put your favorites on regular rotation immediately. Aim for 3 full squads of 4-6 with at least 2-3 of each class built up together. This strategy does thin out the experience, but by the time you reach mid-game you've got over a dozen experienced soldiers mostly at Major rank. With that, you can take on almost anything even if you only have a few advanced weapons. When I encountered the tougher aliens in the mid-game I had all the skills to wreak total havoc on them.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Mr March

[wwwmwww]

Finally finished the game. Its probably the first computer game I've played all the way to the end since the first X-Com something like 20 years ago. Anyways a couple questions... Has anyone installed the DLC Slingshot for this game?http://www.destructoid.com/xcom-enemy-unknown-slingshot-dlc-video-and-screens-239828.phtml I just purchased it and installed it and I'm curious do I need to start all over to see the new missions or can I just play from one of my saved games? And is there even a way to know its been installed correctly? I've tried loading a few saved games and jumped forward a few weeks and I haven't seen anything new yet. Thanks, Carl

[Mr March]

Apparently the DLC only works when playing a new game. I've not purchased it yet, but I'd like to give it a shot. Probably in the new year. So busy right now

[PetarB]

I haven't had time to play any games since 'FTL' came out.

I'm saving this one up for playing on Boxing Day. Great to see all the good reviews on it.

[Ghost Train]

Big xcom announcement at Gamescom tomorrow... sequel... DLC? The XCOM Enemy Within title has already been floating around.

... Oh yeah... and that other game came out, can't remember its name... X-Com decon...dece... defeca... decafeeinated?

[Keith]

I tested Decaffinated. It's a 3rd person shooter.

[Mr March]

More of this game can only be a good thing.

[Ghost Train]

X-COM Enemy Within turned out to be a "DLC" but from what I've gathered it's more of an expansion of the game's core features, and not necessarily a new side story like Slingshot.

More character customizations:

- Genetics Lab to give your soldiers enhanced abilities.

- Ability to set your soldier's language.

More gear/classes:

- New MEC class, basically an exoskeleton equipped soldiers.

- Grenade launchers / flame throwers

New enemies:

- At least 1 new adversary called the "mechtoid" - a third flavor of the sectoids.

Source:

http://www.gamespot.com/gamescom/xcom-enemy-within-launching-in-november-6413139/?tag=Topslot;Slot2

Edited August 21, 2013 by Ghost Train

[Keith]

Also tested that one.

[Mr March]

Giant Bomb has an interview with the lead designer of X-Com and this announcement has VERY broad implications for the game. It's not just DLC or an Expansion. Full 20-minute interview is here:

http://www.giantbomb.com/podcasts/so-what-s-xcom-enemy-within/1600-557/

Ananda makes it quite clear multiple times that X-COM Enemy Within is very extensive in scope as far as gameplaye, but it is NOT a different/expanded story. The DLC is an addition to the core game that you play as a new run-through of the same story. The pack features multiple new weapons, base facilities, alien enemies, soldier classes, research, resources, etc. It also includes new multiplayer material and many new maps for both single-player and multiplay. Ananda and his staff are only allowed to talk about a small part of the DLC at this time (the bits that Ghost Train posted) but he reiterated that the DLC extensively adds and expands on EVERY part of the game.

[Mr March]

Giant Bomb has an excellent Quick Look at the new upcoming X-COM Enemy Within DLC.

http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-ex-xcom-enemy-within/2300-8002/

Definitely purchasing this one.

[Shadow]

I'd like to see more of the original alien enemies make their appearance, like the Snakemen.

[Ghost Train]

I have just finished my normal difficulty playthrough of Enemy Within. This is the DEFINITIVE version of the game, and it's worth every penny. I also loved the overarching theme of the game, that of sacrificing your soldier's humanity (through gene mods and MEC enhancements) in order to defeat the aliens. It is best summed up in the new opening quote for the game:

"Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword." - R. Buckminster Fuller

[Mr March]

I purchased the DLC but haven't had much time to play it as yet. I know it's officially DLC, but labeling "Enemy Within" as DLC just seems like such a disservice IMO. The breadth of content is so great and the integration so seamless that it feels like a whole other game entirely. If only other game's DLC was this good.

[dizman]

I just beat Enemy Within recently as well and as Ghost Train said, it is the definitive version. It should really be called an expansion but most gamers only know what DLC is so that was probably the best way to market it. Bring on the terror from the deep sequel!

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

i like playing xcom because it makes my alienware m18x keyboard lights change color for each turn to match the enemy/allies etc. it's a cool feature.

(haven't played within expansion yet, large backlog of titles to run through)

Edited December 17, 2013 by davidwhangchoi

[VF-19]

I just beat Enemy Within recently as well and as Ghost Train said, it is the definitive version. It should really be called an expansion but most gamers only know what DLC is so that was probably the best way to market it. Bring on the terror from the deep sequel!

God no... That game is like being kicked in the nuts repeatedly with steel toed boots.

[dizman]

God no... That game is like being kicked in the nuts repeatedly with steel toed boots.

Aw come on, everyone loves when their entire veteran squad gets killed by just a few lobstermen.

It will be interesting to see where firaxis goes with the franchise, Xcom EU and EW have given new life to the strategy genre.

[Mr March]

I can only speak for myself, but I think I'm pretty much done with extreme difficulty video games. I know many video games today are far too easy but I just don't want to put myself through another Terror from the Deep, mostly because the "rewards" simply aren't worth it anymore (and honestly, never really were). No one cares if you're good at video games, outside of the competitive gaming circuits, and I'm no professional gamer. Games like X-COM Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within, Portal 1/2 and Battlefield 3/4 are the limit of how much challenge/frustration I want to endure from video games. And on the odd occasion I'm feeling particularly masochistic, there's always Super Meat Boy.

[anime52k8]

I feel like the idea that video games need to be extremely difficult is a weird, anachronistic holdover from the days of the arcade machine. constant death and ridiculous difficulty made sense when games had no real narrative or ending, and the whole point was to suck quarters out of you ad nauseum. But in a day and age where the whole gaming experience is driven by narrative, character depth and variety of activity/interaction, it kind of defeats the purpose of the game when less than 1% of the people who play it can actually experience all the game has to offer.

occasionally it's nice and satisfying to beat extra hard mode, but most of the time I just want to see if Issac saves the universe from space demons.

[Ghost Train]

I feel like the idea that video games need to be extremely difficult is a weird, anachronistic holdover from the days of the arcade machine. constant death and ridiculous difficulty made sense when games had no real narrative or ending, and the whole point was to suck quarters out of you ad nauseum. But in a day and age where the whole gaming experience is driven by narrative, character depth and variety of activity/interaction, it kind of defeats the purpose of the game when less than 1% of the people who play it can actually experience all the game has to offer.

occasionally it's nice and satisfying to beat extra hard mode, but most of the time I just want to see if Issac saves the universe from space demons.

It is definitely anachronistic. The current generation of gamers grew up in a world where everyone gets participation trophies for any sort of competitive event.

[Axelay]

Aw come on, everyone loves when their entire veteran squad gets killed by just a few lobstermen.

It will be interesting to see where firaxis goes with the franchise, Xcom EU and EW have given new life to the strategy genre.

LOL. My very favorite thing to do with all of the XCOM games was to tinker with the values of... well, just about everything. My guys were runnin' around with Gauss rifles which put the heavy sonic cannons to shame. And they could take different ammo types, too for high explosive and stun effects. SO much fun. And my blasters/disruptors could atomize small towns. I didn't mind the challenge of TFTD so much after I leveled the playing field a bit. I seem to recall the only thing which I didn't like about the game was the occasional "bug hunt" in a multi-level alien base. There would be one bastard cowering in a corner somewhere, and I'd have to go "quarter-in search-by-twos" until I found him. I did find Bradford's line in Enemy Within's fishing village special mission regarding "we should be thankful that it wasn't a cruise ship" pretty darned funny since I got the reference.

I just hope that Firaxis is already hard at work on a proper sequel. Enemy Within was SO much more a complete experience. Now I want more bases! And more soldiers per mission!

[Max Jenius]

I just beat this recently as well. Fun game, for sure!

[Mr March]

I think I'd have to agree with you anime52k8. I do think difficulty is a carry over from the arcade days, but it's probably also influenced from Japanese video games as well, since so many seem to traffic in brutal difficulty even to this day.

[dizman]

Sooo OpenXcom finally reached version 1.0! For those that don't know it is a bunch of fixes, performance tweaks, modern UI additions and easy mod support for the original 94 Xcom game. Get out there and destroy cydonia all over again! Here's their website http://openxcom.org/ and a trailer for 1.0.

[Mr March]

Wow, what a great trailer and what an amazing mod. I had no idea about this project. I still have to play through Enemy Within for the new X-Com game, but when I go back to the original X-Com, I think I can see myself adopting this version and forgetting the old DOS Box one I've been playing. Quality-of-life improvements indeed! Very impressive!