XCOM 2

Raes · Jun 29, 2015

Well, the air game in EU/EW was absolute shit, not to mention really fucking annoying. I've actually done enough restarts to have the RNG kill my fighter in the first ufo fight once. I know he said no Meld, but can't remember him saying no MECs. We better get MECs at some point since the enemy has them.

As for the cinematic stuff, he said it was just, like, the tutorial and a couple story missions, just like the first game. I really can't see them cutting out the console port to avoid the limitations that puts on them, just to turn around and give us less of a game than Xcom 1.

Mist · Jun 29, 2015

He said in the interview that we'd like the strategic layer stuff when they can start talking about it.

Jabberwhacky · Jun 30, 2015

I'm jealous of you guys going through the Long War. I'm trying my hand at Classic Ironman EW and I'm finding it a good level of challenge, can't really imagine LW.

Quick Q since it doesn't deserve an XCOM thread bump. I get my abduction missions, the US is at 5 panic, Egypt is at 4. I had planned to put a Satellite in the US by the end of the month because I want the bonus. If I ignore the US and the panic level is raised, do they immediately leave the council? I know normally it's at the end of the month when you get your report card, but I wanna verify that a 5-star paniced country that gets more panic-y doesn't peace out immediately.

Seananigans · Jun 30, 2015

AFAIK in vanilla EU/EW, countries will not leave until end-of-month. I believe LW introduced the possibility to lose them to alien operations mid-month, as well as the additional chance to lose red countries even if they aren't maxed at end-of-month.

Gavinmad · Jun 30, 2015

Im pretty sure that in both Long War and Vanilla, countries only leave the council at the end of the month. The only exception is the country that is scripted to leave the council in the first month of Long War.

*edit*

And infiltration missions, but if you're so far behind the aliens that they have the resources to run an infiltration mission, your campaign is probably lost anyway.

Seananigans · Jun 30, 2015

Gavinmad_sl said:
Im pretty sure that in both Long War and Vanilla, countries only leave the council at the end of the month. The only exception is the country that is scripted to leave the council in the first month of Long War.

*edit*

And infiltration missions, but if you're so far behind the aliens that they have the resources to run an infiltration mission, your campaign is probably lost anyway.

Shut up! They stole Argentina from me months ago with an infiltration mission, in the same month they had a terror mission planned AFTER the infiltration (lol). I just skipped the terror. I'm still doing ok! Quit doomsaying me.

And the chance to lose non-maxed red countries is LW-only, right? I don't recall that from Vanilla.

Krag · Jun 30, 2015

Seananigans_sl said:
But yes, the modders will make it what it needs to be if necessary. The problem is, they perhaps won't even be able to if stuff like air game and MECs aren't even in the game at all. Correct me if I'm wrong!

From what they have said about it, modders will be able to put anything in, so you don't have to worry about MECs possibly not being in the base game. Mods will be able to add pretty much anything, new models and all that is needed for different units included.

Gavinmad · Jul 3, 2015

Funny stuff, Firaxis dev even said it was going around the office yesterday.

Dandain · Jul 3, 2015

That was brilliant, thanks for the share.

Gavinmad · Jul 4, 2015

Feature that was cut early in EU development (I guess the Long War guys took a stab at getting it working again?). Unlisted video from the audio lead on EU.

Seananigans · Jul 5, 2015

To anyone else who is playing Long War B15: Are you able to send a second interceptor toward a UFO while the first one is heading back from its engagement? Or does it lock you out of the UFO button while your first is headed home?

I'm locked out (which makes catching fast ships tough at times), but in watching Beagle's B14 playthrough, he's always able to immediately send a second interceptor while the first one is still flying back home. Just wondering if this is an intentional B15 thing, or if I'm messed up somehow. Also don't recall how vanilla operated.

Mist · Jul 5, 2015

Seananigans_sl said:
To anyone else who is playing Long War B15: Are you able to send a second interceptor toward a UFO while the first one is heading back from its engagement? Or does it lock you out of the UFO button while your first is headed home?

I'm locked out (which makes catching fast ships tough at times), but in watching Beagle's B14 playthrough, he's always able to immediately send a second interceptor while the first one is still flying back home. Just wondering if this is an intentional B15 thing, or if I'm messed up somehow. Also don't recall how vanilla operated.

You'd need more than 1 interceptor within range to do that. One's on other continents aren't going to help.

Gavinmad · Jul 5, 2015

From what I remember, if you exit out of the Geoscape, then bring it back up, you can send a second interceptor out before the first one is back.

Seananigans · Jul 5, 2015

Mist_sl said:
You'd need more than 1 interceptor within range to do that. One's on other continents aren't going to help.

Wow, thank you for this insight.

Thanks Gavin, I'll try that. Although still confused why Beagle doesn't need to. I scoured the B15 changelog, but I didn't see anything about this in it. Perhaps it's a feature of a different mod he runs...

Gavinmad · Jul 20, 2015

I didn't feel like searching for the XCom 1 thread because I'm lazy as fuck.

Anyway, this will be the last time I shill for Long War, because the mod is now feature complete! There are still a couple voice packs in the pipeline as well as some bug fixes, but the mod is essentially done and all that is left is polish. So if you want to wet your beak on something while you wait for XCom 2, give Long War a try!

"Takes XCOM to a new level." - Jake Solomon, XCOM lead designer, via Twitter

"We're basically a 20-hour tutorial for Long War, and that's okay." -- Solomon, via IGN

"This mod is the absolute best way to play XCOM" - Wired

"This is a collection of profound and surprisingly careful changes ... It's like a free expansion pack ... " - Rock, Paper, Shotgun

"Terrific ..." - Kokatu

"Turns XCOM: Enemy Within into nothing short of a serviceable turn-based military alien invasion strategy wargaming simulator." - Polygon

Named by PC Gamer one of the 15 most brutal mods of all time and in November 2014 was the site's Mod of the Week.

Long War at XCOM Enemy Unknown Nexus - mods and community

Gavinmad · Jul 28, 2015

This is for XCom 2, don't neg me bros!

XCOM 2 Exclusive Class Reveal: The Sharpshooter - GameSpot

Tidbits about the Sharpshooter, and about customizing your gear.

Mr Creed · Jul 28, 2015

I'm not sure I like their design goal of making you overpowered towards endgame. I mean, that's the case with Xcom:EU/EW too, but I always enjoy the midgame more where you are behind in some aspects and struggling to make it. Once the aliens stop being ahead of your team and you psi/snipe/super-assault through hordes of them, it lose alot of charm.

Zaphid · Jul 28, 2015

Mr Creed_sl said:
I'm not sure I like their design goal of making you overpowered towards endgame. I mean, that's the case with Xcom:EU/EW too, but I always enjoy the midgame more where you are behind in some aspects and struggling to make it. Once the aliens stop being ahead of your team and you psi/snipe/super-assault through hordes of them, it lose alot of charm.

I think it's very much necessary, I want to play a game where I can win and just before the end have my victory lap. If they kept you struggling and then rolled the credits without any space to play around, I guarantee that would be the first mod. Look how often people want NG+, this is pretty much it.

Mr Creed · Jul 28, 2015

They could balance the difficulty settings to provide both game experiences, but that has not worked for EU/EW imo. Impossible is randomly ballbreaking early on and you still get over a hill at some point where you cannot really lose anymore. Although since they will have good mod support for XCOM2, maybe something like Long War comes out quickly.

I'd actually love a PVE XCOM online experience, where you run a base just like the single player game and the company provides regular, temporary content kinda like various mobile games. Think Puzzles&Dragons meets XCOM.

Gavinmad · Jul 28, 2015

XCom 2 is supposed to be a bajillion times more moddable than the first, so you should be able to get whatever gameplay experience you desire, instead of your options being base game or Long War and nothing else.

XCOM 2

Vyemm Raider

REEEEeyore

Molten Core Raider

Honorary Shit-PhD

Mr. Poopybutthole

Honorary Shit-PhD

Peasant

Mr. Poopybutthole

Trakanon Raider

Mr. Poopybutthole

Honorary Shit-PhD

REEEEeyore

Mr. Poopybutthole

Honorary Shit-PhD

Mr. Poopybutthole

Mr. Poopybutthole

Too old for this shit

Trakanon Raider

Too old for this shit

Mr. Poopybutthole