X-Com Enemy Unknown: Firaxis remake

[Derek B]

From my experience and what I read, classic is all about the initial 3 months. There are different ways to do it, but basically after the three month point, you want to have at least carapace and lasers ( maybe plasma if you are lucky) and a handle on the panic levels ( whether a lot of satellites, or the base mission ready to go). If you can get past the base mission with good equipment ( which you need to complete that anyway) and a good selection of sgt and above troops then you should be able to handle the rest of the game even with an occasional bad mission.

 

I think I'll be able to handle it, I've got a good grasp of tactics and a lot of patience. I think enemies have more health and better accuracy further up, but as long as I'm not running into a LOT of trouble at once I should be okay. I did just take down a base with 22 aliens in it without loss... hopefully I can translate that experience into something good on higher difficulties.

 

The 2K boards have had threads about corrupted savegames using ironman. I'd avoid it until it gets fixed.

 

Thanks for the info! I had a quick look at the steam community and didn't see any obvious threads about it within the first 150 or so... glad it's not just my computer that is going wrong. Any word on a patch any time soon?

[mitsukaikira]

I looked too but that board fills up so quickly it may have been purged. The only patch info I know of is that they are fixing the upper level camera views in multi-tiered UFOs so it doesn't automatically show the roof instead of the level your squad is on.

[eayragt]

I think my sqaud are showing disrespect fro Dr Vahlen. After getting the objective to capture an Outsider I sent a fairly experience squad to my next crash site with that as their main task. Most of the aliens stayed in the craft, leading to a very cautious approach, until we spotted the Outsider (and two floaters at the same time). Dr Vahlen comes on the intercom to suggest we try and capture it just as my sniper takes an overwatch shot. Perfect kill, Dr Vahlen doesn't have a chance to draw breath before ranting at my carelessness

 

And yes, I normally wait to move everybody before putting people on overwatch. I got ahead of myself.

 

Loving the game. At first I thought it was a little easy, but then I was doing "easy" missions. The last abduction site was rated "difficult" and I had more aliens to deal with than even before, leading to an embarrasing moment when I had two soldiers run out of ammo at the same time. Add to that a floater had just lifted off and landed right next to my sniper so he had to perform a "tactical withdrawal" (i.e. run away - dash to cover) meant that I spent a turn on the defensive big time. It was definitely a learning experience that showed I had picked up some bad habits early being a bit too blasé while the going was easy.

[d_w_w]

I finally picked the game up earlier this week. I've played about a single month so far. I'm finding it fairly challenging, though I think some of it has to do with how consistently I can play.

 

For example, if I can only play for 30-45 minutes and get a single mission in, I find that I make silly mistakes (like leaving a guy out where he can easily be flanked). If I get to play for a couple of hours, then the second or third mission tends to go much more smoothly, as my mind seems to be better focused on the nuances of the game.

[crownsy]

God, I hate beserkers and my squad at the moment.

 

So we run up on a berserker on a large alien UFO (landed) I dont have good shots at him, But i can get my guys to cover, with my sniper up top on a platform.

 

So I set it up that 4 of my squad guys are in cover with overwatch where the bersekerer will have to run by when my sniper tags him to bring him out of cover. She shoots, hits him for half his health. ONE of my 4 guys, who have 65% chance to hit once you take into account the reaction penalty, needs to hit with thier light plasmas for this to be a wrap.

 

Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss.

 

 

On the Aliens turn, The beserker bypasses the 4 dudes in cover, runs up the ramp, and (of course) Crits my sniper in her skeleton suit for 16 Damage.

 

My squad panics.

 

One moes down a teammate, thankfully not killing him, one of the others shoots the beserker, killing it and ending the missions.

 

Way to go A team, now i'm out my top sniper :/

[VBigB]

God, I hate beserkers and my squad at the moment.

 

So we run up on a berserker on a large alien UFO (landed) I dont have good shots at him, But i can get my guys to cover, with my sniper up top on a platform.

 

So I set it up that 4 of my squad guys are in cover with overwatch where the bersekerer will have to run by when my sniper tags him to bring him out of cover. She shoots, hits him for half his health. ONE of my 4 guys, who have 65% chance to hit once you take into account the reaction penalty, needs to hit with thier light plasmas for this to be a wrap.

 

Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss.

 

 

On the Aliens turn, The beserker bypasses the 4 dudes in cover, runs up the ramp, and (of course) Crits my sniper in her skeleton suit for 16 Damage.

 

My squad panics.

 

One moes down a teammate, thankfully not killing him, one of the others shoots the beserker, killing it and ending the missions.

 

Way to go A team, now i'm out my top sniper :/

 

If there's only one, I tend to not use overwatch. Essentially I lead them around from one soldier to the next and if you position your guys well, most of the shots will be high percentage.

 

Minor spoilers ahead

 

 

 

 

 

I'm actually having a really good classic ironman game. I may actually finish it this time. I think I'm in about the sixth month or so (I can't remember exactly as its been a few hours since I turned it off), and I've only lost one soldier. Overall I lost 3 countries but now have satellite coverage in the remainder of the world. I actually sacrificed both South American countries in the first month and lost India in the 3 rd month. Panic is nonexistent at this point and my squadron of new fighters can shoot down anything, ATM.

 

I waited a long time before I did the Alien base on this run. I was fully outfitted in Titan armour/plasma weapons and had a shiv with a plasma cannon. The problem with waiting so long is that the enemies in the base are also much tougher. Armored floater, cyber disks, mechs, zerkers, etc. but I managed to clear it with no casualties.

 

Anyway I won't be able to get back to this game until next weekend. Hopefully I won't forget how to play in that time .

[crownsy]

yea, I was kinda in a situation where i had to. He was to far away to really move my guys into cover and take a shot, so I moved them to where I knew he'd trigger overwatch in the open when he moved up.

[D-Lyrium]

I think I've finally lost my last gram of patience with this bloody game. It's great fun when it works, but there are just too many times when it doesn't. Have the patched it recently (and made it WORSE!?) or have I just had an unlucky play session where I encountered almost every known bug at once?

 

For starters, movement seems even more broken now. Some tiles are just impossible to click on (usually the edges of ledges and rooftops), and others your mouse has to be in a place that bears no correlation at all to where you actually want to move to, in order to highlight the correct square.

 

The Archangel suit is basically impossible to move in fly mode. You get no move/dashing borders at all, and are simply stopped from going any further at the correct distance with no indication why. Also, if an enemy takes a reaction shot against you while you're in the air, the game freezes on the cinematic for it for ages before returning to the game (he'll shoot (and miss in this case) and then I just stay there in the air for about 30 seconds, before it goes back to my turn).

 

Also, Mutons seem to be a lot more powerful now. Could they always do 9 damage in one shot, or have they 'balanced' it in a patch?

 

And then there's my old favourite, the completely undeserved cover save. Take a look at these beauties:

 

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542942345963634104/1255FB53F1AB2EA037099ABDAA6DF6840329ACA6/

- The left-most of the two guys in cover cannot see the Drone in direct line of sight in the open (he can see the Cyberdisc but not the drone), but he CAN see the Muton who is not only arguably out of line of sight behind a solid wall, but behind a stack of bricks too (35% shot chance!). The Muton thing is 'whatever', but how the HELL does it justify him being unable to see the drone? Friendly units don't block line of sight (the only one that does is an upgraded SHIV). The guy on the right can see it (he missed). A Squadsight sniper way out of picture can see the drone fine (68% shot chance because it's flying. It gets no other bonuses for her). So why can't the guy on the left?

 

He's not alone though.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=105811166&insideModal=1

 

- Pay special attention to the number of Alien icons on the right hand side. One. The Muton, highlighted. HE CAN'T SEE THE CYBERDISC, LET ALONE THE DRONE. I think "blindness" should be tested for in basic X-Com training. But seriously, what the HELL? The ONLY thing that guy can see, is the thing most difficult to see?!

 

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=105811078&insideModal=1

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=105811216&insideModal=1

- Yup. Point blank range, from behind. My guy is in cover behind the wall. The Muton is 'in cover' in the doorway. Now, as we all know, if my guy was shooting at someone outside the doorway, he'd step to his right, take the shot, and step back. Right?

SO WHY IS THE MUTON IN HIGH COVER?! THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO F****** SENSE. HE'S BEING SHOT AT FROM POINT BLANK RANGE IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. WITH A PLASMA RIFLE.

What makes this all the more infuriating is that my guy missed, and was killed the next turn.

 

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=105811108&insideModal=1

- This is a slightly earlier screenshot, as you can see by Balowi being in it (it's hard to tell at first glance, he's dead centre at the very bottom, hiding behind a doorframe between Run and Gun and Flush). There is nothing - absolutely freaking NOTHING - between him and the Muton, other than said doorframe. You guessed it, High Cover!

 

Absolute BS. I give up with this game.

[crownsy]

Wow, that sucks to hear man. I was worried I'd get shafted by going console, but It seems like the PC interface is awful.

 

I've yet to encounter any significant bugs, and I'm on play through number 3. Seems like firaxis dropped the ball on the pc version

[Dragonmack]

well, despite what they said, the interface is basically the console interface written for a pc. In fact, if you watched the demo vids, the designers like Jake and Greg were usually using controllers instead of mouse and keyboard.

 

And the different levels with a map is a total pain as well. Yes there are several bugs still in the game, although fortunately I haven't encountered most of them and there are a lot of things I wished they had added or improved. But even through frustrations, like clearing out an abductor ship on normal, only to find 3 sectoid commanders ( having never seen more than 2, even in the alien base) huddled together in the room. I wound one to half, go to use my "improved" arc thrower, which missed with an 85% channce to stun. That left 3 pissed off Sectoid commanders who proceeded to mind control half my squad. Only running 2 of my soldiers to point blank range to flank and kill a couple of the sectoid commanders salvaged the situation, and that was at the cost of their lives. Also lost one of my Major Assaults to a pack of Chrysallids in the same game because of the stupid mouse move to the wrong location due to the different heights.

 

But overall this is still a fun game that will hopefully get some more patching with the DLC's that are coming to stamp out the worst bugs.

 

So yeah D-lyrium, take a break from the game, let a patch or two come out, probably when the DLC does, and then see if that addresses some of your major concerns.

[D-Lyrium]

But overall this is still a fun game.

 

That right there is the game's biggest problem. ¬_¬

 

My brain subconsciously says "let's play X-Com!" (I did take a break from it for a week or so), and then while it's loading remembers "oh yeah, bugged to high hell" but by that point it's too late, and I have to play. And it's great fun for a while. You ignore the million little things that Firaxis were too lazy to tidy up before (or after) release, because DLC is more important than making a game that works, right? But after a while I just think... why? I have loads of other games.

 

And yeah, the multi-level thing is a nightmare, especially inside UFOs. The entire camera sucks, from the way you have to use keys to turn it in chunks (let me guess, it's the left and right shoulder buttons on a console, right? ) instead of the mouse to turn it freely LIKE EVERY OTHER PC GAME, to the fact that your mouse sensitivity goes to Over 9000 DPI when you're free-aiming something, to the countless problems with clipping through walls and bits of the map disappearing "to let you see underneath" even when you've specifically told the game to stay at a certain elevation.

 

Those are all niggles that I'm prepared to be annoyed by but deal with. After all, Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines is one of my favourite games of all time, and that's buggy as hell too.

 

But I refuse to put up with having no idea whether moving one of my soliders to a certain location will enable them to fire at the enemy that's right in front of them or not due to common sense and line of sight having very little correlation at all to what the game decides I can see. That's just unplayable, for me. And I don't use 'unplayable' often.

[James Casey]

I've not encountered many problems, but coincidentally I did find it annoying last night when (a rarity for me) I had two snipers up on the highest rooftop in a VIP rescue level. They couldn't see the Thin Man on the one-floor-lower building across the alley. The VIP couldn't see him. My Assault couldn't see him, my two Supports couldn't see him...

 

...my Heavy, standing in the middle of the alley at ground level, could, for reasons I couldn't begin to fathom.

 

I put it down to the level being in the middle of the night, but still, an odd arrangement.

 

I had a clean sweep of the level anyway, so it was only a momentary thing - one of my snipers scored a critical hit on that guy, and my heavy's rockets and grenades cleaned up most of the rest.

[Derek B]

I loves me some Xcom... having lost 2 games to some kind of bug with Iron Man mode, I've upgraded to Classic Difficulty and I'm playing with the autosave on, so that hopefully I end up playing just like Iron Man but with more backups so that I don't lose my game again.

 

Anywho, I'm continued naming my people after Cornellverse folks because it amuses me and I've been having some fun. I'm already taking more casualties than I did on Normal difficulty and I've noticed the Outsiders have more HP already... more of the aliens too I think, though I might be wrong... I'm pretty sure the aliens are capable of dealing more damage too, I'm being one hit killed pretty easily, though it could just be that they have some higher level weaponry to start with.

 

Strangely, with the extra aliens kicking about I'm pushing harder to kill things and so far I'm struggling to get a sniper up the ranks. I've lost 2 so far and now I've got a third at squaddie level... I had one Sam Keith to promote to Corporal after he laser pistoled what I thought was the last alien, only for one more to pop up from behind some trains, flank him and critical hit him to death. I was very not pleased.

 

But I'm still doing okay. Lost Egypt in my first month but otherwise I'm okay with nations. I realise the differences in difficulty now, with the Officer Training School needing to be built instead of starting with it. Money is already non-existent but I've got my school and upgraded my squad size. I've got 3 sergeants thanks to getting some good missions... Heavy Sgt Sam Strong is doing some good work, and I've got Assault Sergeant Sayeed Ali and Assault Sgt... damn, I forget the other one. Anywho, lots of people rising through the ranks, I just need to get a sniper up with squad sight so that I can camp him at the back and use him to kill things I don't like the look of. They're always great for dealing with Floaters when they reposition and for making the last ditch shots that need to be made when the frontline can't quite clear things out on their own.

 

One thing I really did only realise just now, after seeing dragonmack mention it in his diary, was that when a sectoid uses his psi ability to fortify/heal his team-mates... you can kill them both by killing the one doing the fortifying. Helpful to know, particularly useful on terror/abductions missions for getting twofers.

 

I imagine I'm going to start getting slaughtered pretty soon by time I get to Mutons... but it hasn't been a bad start, I just need better armour and to get that darn sniper to rank up more quickly. May need to get the "Wet Work" upgrade in the Officer Training school ASAP, which is one of the great benefits of being based in Asia.

[James Casey]

One thing I really did only realise just now, after seeing dragonmack mention it in his diary, was that when a sectoid uses his psi ability to fortify/heal his team-mates... you can kill them both by killing the one doing the fortifying. Helpful to know, particularly useful on terror/abductions missions for getting twofers.

 

I love this - but I've only got to use it once or twice. Unless you're flanking the pair, the booster always seems to hang back. Sensible tactics, I supppose, but I like my explosions and a rocket usually takes both anyway.

 

I was getting a bit geeky the other day, and noticed that a surprisingly low number of players have the 'killed X aliens with explosives' achievement, compared to some achievements I've not even had a chance to get yet. Certainly there's an attraction in stunning aliens to get their weapons (my Assault captain is running with a plasma gun of some sort, and I have a couple more captured and ready for my next misson). Nonetheless, launching a muton or two sky-high with a shredder rocket is incredibly good fun

 

What're folks' views on armour? I have a mix of carapace and skeleton armour for my soldiers right now. My sniper and support tend to have skeleton, with carapace for everyone else. I'm spending my alloys and elerium on Firestorms right now, but is the Titan/Archangel armour worth having? Or should I wait for the next level... whenever I might get it?

 

I'm still not sold on squad sight for snipers, but my one sniper who had that selected made my last VIP escort mission a doddle when he got on top of a tall building and Overwatched the team to safety. So far I'm alternating, depending on what sort of mission I have, but I lost my first soldier in two months on my last UFO assault because I took him instead of a mobile sniper who could have got close enough to kill the Mutons.

 

And finally, there's something endearing about Berserkers (probably not on the higher levels, I admit). For all their strength and health, an enemy who responds to being shot by charging at the soldier who shot him can be lead deeper and deeper into my team's ranks with my heavies and sniper blowing chunks off it on the way. Then my rookie with his arc thrower gets in close and zap. Very satisfying.

[Derek B]

I like me some rockets, but I don't tend to use much in the way of grenades except early on. I tend to set up my heavies with HEAT ammo so that when I find a cyberdisk I can send a rocket it's way and blow it up with one or two hits, usually complemented with my squad sight sniper on hand to double tap at it and any drones that somehow avoid the blast.

 

I don't like Berserkers... it's all fun and games until they end up actually hitting you, the first time I got clobbered by one was for about 15 damage, which I think was the first soldier I'd lost in ages in my previous game... at least it was about the time I lost quite a few in a few missions, Get the titan armour if you can, it gives something like +10HP and it might even be higher for whichever class it was that can get extra armour bonuses for heavier armours, I think that was the Heavy class. I like the Archangel armour too, had it on one of my squad sight snipers and gave me incredible coverage of the map with a view on almost everything in the terror missions/bridge type missions he was on. Not as great on UFO missions obviously, but still gives pretty good bonuses to defense/HP so is still worth it.

[Dragonmack]

Titan armor is definitely worth it, especially for front line troops like assaults and heavies who need to get close to do their damage. Plus the fact that it ignore thin man poison clouds and fire areas on the map are an added bonus.

 

And by the time you are facing the upgraded enemies, you really want as much health as you can get. Later on your soldiers can still get one shotted with Carapace armor, whereas with Titan Armor, they will survive to get revenge or to retreat to get healed.

 

I can't speak much to Archangel armor as I really haven't used it but it does have its advantages on a lot of maps with the sniper and squad sight. Couple that with an In the Zone Colonel Sniper and you can really do some damage.

 

But Skeleton and Ghost Armor work really well for Snipers too. It may not give you the added height immediately, but it can get you to the advantageous high ground spots. Also, keep in mind the Damn Good Ground perk doesn't give its benefits when floating in the air in Archangel armor, only when you are actually stationed on higher ground.

 

tl dr Definitely get Titan, get Archangel if you can afford it, fits your playstyle, but its not necessary like Titan is.

[mitsukaikira]

Titan armor on everything but snipers. They get Archangel. The HP bonus for Titan is just too big to lose out on. Titan + Chitin on a support is awesome; turns em into a brick wall healer.

[eayragt]

I guess people have lower explosive kills because they tend to damage enemies with explosives, and killing them with guns. That's the way I usually do it, at least with rockets. Alien grenades are still often used by new squad members or to finish off well covered enemies.

 

Although had my first XCom death via Alien thrown grenade. Or an alien grenade, plasma rifle (although in full cover) and second alien grenade in the space of 2 turns. Poor support guy who was filling in for my lack of assault troops (out of all my troops in month 4 I've only just got my third, and my second was my first death). I enjoy each time I suffer a death, as it is always either bad positioning on my part or good alien tactics. Never feel cheated out of a soldier.

[D-Lyrium]

Titan armor on everything but snipers. They get Archangel. The HP bonus for Titan is just too big to lose out on. Titan + Chitin on a support is awesome; turns em into a brick wall healer.

 

Not until he gets to Major, though. I've only ever gotten two soldiers to Major (an Assault and a Sniper).

[crownsy]

I lost my major assault last night, and I'll never forgive the sniper and two heavies involved.

 

So, this assault, through a bug I have been unable to replicate (but i think occurs when you rapidly hit RB and LB on xbox when viewing new recruits) was completely invisible.

 

Like, he was the inviable man. his armor existed devoid of any character model. I loved this bug, he was like the classic invisible man ported to xcom.

 

So his squad is clearing a late game UFO, a huge landed one. Everything is going alright, we've taken some chip damage from heavy mutons and heavy floaters, and one sectopod, but overall squads ok.

 

We run into TWO sectopods and 5 drones. awesome. So we start this fire fight, and It comes down to my assault, having killed one of the sectpods and all the drones, pinned behind half cover 1/2 way up a hallway. He has like 6-8 health left at this point. He fires, takes the sectopod down to 5-6 health, one shotable for any memeber of my crew left

 

First sniper goes. 68% chance to hit. Double tap misses twice.

 

Heavy #1 goes: something like 55% chance. clean miss

 

Heavy #2 is JUUUSSST out of rocket range, but has a 65% chance to hit. Miss.

 

RIP invisible assault guy. you made it through 15 missions and racked up 39 kills. You were the best of us.

[mitsukaikira]

Not until he gets to Major, though. I've only ever gotten two soldiers to Major (an Assault and a Sniper).

 

Ouch. I try to get a Support to Colonel before anyone else just for Savior. Of course, that means exposing him to a lot of incoming fire but at least he can keep himself alive.

[Dragonmack]

I lost my major assault last night, and I'll never forgive the sniper and two heavies involved.

 

So, this assault, through a bug I have been unable to replicate (but i think occurs when you rapidly hit RB and LB on xbox when viewing new recruits) was completely invisible.

 

Like, he was the inviable man. his armor existed devoid of any character model. I loved this bug, he was like the classic invisible man ported to xcom.

 

So his squad is clearing a late game UFO, a huge landed one. Everything is going alright, we've taken some chip damage from heavy mutons and heavy floaters, and one sectopod, but overall squads ok.

 

We run into TWO sectopods and 5 drones. awesome. So we start this fire fight, and It comes down to my assault, having killed one of the sectpods and all the drones, pinned behind half cover 1/2 way up a hallway. He has like 6-8 health left at this point. He fires, takes the sectopod down to 5-6 health, one shotable for any memeber of my crew left

 

First sniper goes. 68% chance to hit. Double tap misses twice.

 

Heavy #1 goes: something like 55% chance. clean miss

 

Heavy #2 is JUUUSSST out of rocket range, but has a 65% chance to hit. Miss.

 

RIP invisible assault guy. you made it through 15 missions and racked up 39 kills. You were the best of us.

 

As much as I hate to say it "That's XCOM baby!"

 

I have had those moments too where a string of better than 50% shots miss. Hell in the last diary mission, I missed 7 shots of 50% or better in a row trying to take down that last Cyberdisc. Then on top of that, an 80% arc thrower shot was resisted on the outsider, who proceeded to shoot up two more squad members before finally getting stunned. And don't even get me started on one mission where two mutons, one down to half health, took out a full squad because all of the sudden they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, while the mutons never missed.

[James Casey]

My new Firestorm with plasma cannon just shot down an Abductor UFO. I might build some more with EMP cannons, but the extra alloys were useful enough anyway - Titan Armour all 'round.

 

But the mission itself was a bear. Heavy Floaters, a Cyberdisc and around eight Mutons and a Berserker. All but the Berserker and two Mutons jumped on us in about the third turn, and while my team took a lot of shots to take down the Floater that flanked us, the rest unloaded on us at leisure.

 

It didn't help that all my squad was funnelled down one side of the ship, only about half in cover. No deaths, but my sniper got down to critical before healing, and I ended up with four injuries by the end of the mission.

 

I do wish that the last aliens would be a bit more aggressive in that circumstance, though. It took about 10-15 turns of slow progress to get from that ambush to the far end of the ship, where the Berserker and last two Mutons were waiting. The Berserker went down fairly fast (although he panicked one of my heavies) but having them come to hunt us might have been fun.

 

Next time: Alien Base

[Derek B]

VICTORY IS MIIIIIIIINE!!!!!!!!!!

 

I won't spoil anything for anyone with plot details and the like, but I've finally finsihed the game. After losing my first two saves on a Normal Ironman game I switched up to a Classic difficulty game with autosave but not Ironman, though I did my best to avoid any kind of reloading. As with my previous saves I renamed everyone after Cornellverse characters and had a lot of fun with them. Early on I kept getting blonde guys so I had all of the DeColt kids, but only one of them survived as Steve, Ricky and Jack went down early on. Alex on the other hand grew to be my top sniper, heading into the final mission with 34 missions and 81 kills to his name... not sure how many more kills he got in the last mission but it was a fair number.

 

I love psi powers too... will be weird when I start a new game and I don't have psi powers to help me out, I had three Colonels with top ranked psi powers on my last mission. Jennifer Heat (Heavy), Pablo Rodriguez (Support) and Jeremy Stone (Assault)... I love those guys. The only high ranked officer I ever lost was my other Colonel Heavy Sam "Sledge" Strong who I lost through overconfidence... was moving around a UFO, he was the last to move and I dashed him to a spot that saw him discover 3 Muton Elites and left him flanked. D'oh!

 

Anywho, I didn't quite leave the final mission unscathed, all 6 of my medipaks were used and my team still limped home, those of which even made it... Pablo Rodriguez, you will be missed. And if I play my own CV97 mod I will endeavour to make you the hero you became in this save, mind controlling aliens, taking names, healing wounds and kicking ass.

 

Incidentally, I finished the game on Dec 11th... which happens to be my birthday. That was kinda neat. Also, it seems I achieved most things in-game earlier than most other people did according to the stats the game gives you at the end. Yay for me I guess!

 

btw, does anyone play multiplayer Xcom? I figure I'm going to give it a try sometime soon but I've got no idea what I'm doing with it. I figure I'll end up putting a team together and just throwing myself into it, but would be great to play folks from here on there.

[James Casey]

I'd definitely be interested in playing against folks from here - I haven't tried it yet, but I'm intrigued by the possibilities.

 

I completed the base mission, even stunning the boss for the win. I've taken down a battleship with only one loss (my 'mobile' sniper, who got critical hit for about 30 points, Titan armour and all).

 

I've got my Squad Sight sniper in flying armour now, which helped in my last terror mission as he obliterated a Sectopod and a pack of Chryssalids almost on his own. I've also got psi powers on three troops, and am trying not to put them all in at once just in case I have a wipe...

 

Once at least one of them is amped up to full powers, I'll go for the final mission and see how I do. I'm tempted by an easy playthrough with the hero characters enabled from game start next time, though...