X-COM XCOM 2 + War of the Chosen Expansion Thread

[mediocrepoet]

So, I see gog is having a sale on Xcom-xcom 2 and bureau; are these games that good? I'll eventually peruse the 200+ pages but what's the low down on these compared to the originals?

I love the bureau. It's my guilty pleasure. I got it for like 2 euros or something back in the day, expecting it to be pure ass. Man, was I wrong. It's a mix between X-files, campy 50's alien movies, and Mass Effect. Wrote a short review about it recently.

I bounced off the Bureau pretty hard back in the day. Maybe I'll have to try it again, but it seemed pretty meh to me from what I played of it. It might be something that appeals more from a thematic than gameplay perspective from the sound of it. So maybe you'll get more out of it approaching it in the right frame of mind.

 

[gurugeorge]

So, I see gog is having a sale on Xcom-xcom 2 and bureau; are these games that good? I'll eventually peruse the 200+ pages but what's the low down on these compared to the originals?

I love the bureau. It's my guilty pleasure. I got it for like 2 euros or something back in the day, expecting it to be pure ass. Man, was I wrong. It's a mix between X-files, campy 50's alien movies, and Mass Effect. Wrote a short review about it recently.

Wow that's amazing, I remember reading about this game yonks ago, thinking it looked interesting and forgetting all about it. Thanks for the review, it convinced me (I have a similar love of 50s alien stuff, also I've just come off replaying Mass Effect) I've bought the cheapo GOG version.

See? This forum is still useful for actual gaming

 

[mastroego]

So, I see gog is having a sale on Xcom-xcom 2 and bureau; are these games that good? I'll eventually peruse the 200+ pages but what's the low down on these compared to the originals?

I love the bureau. It's my guilty pleasure. I got it for like 2 euros or something back in the day, expecting it to be pure ass. Man, was I wrong. It's a mix between X-files, campy 50's alien movies, and Mass Effect. Wrote a short review about it recently.

Wow that's amazing, I remember reading about this game yonks ago, thinking it looked interesting and forgetting all about it. Thanks for the review, it convinced me (I have a similar love of 50s alien stuff, also I've just come off replaying Mass Effect) I've bought the cheapo GOG version.

See? This forum is still useful for actual gaming

Anyway, XCOM2 + mods can be fun indeed but you'll have to work for it (selecting the right mod combo and such).
For regular XCOM you'll "just" add the Long War mod and Long War Rebalanced modmod and you'll be set. And it probably is the superior game anyway.

Be warned that LW Rebalanced is difficult and newbies should not feel ashamed for playing at the easiest difficulty setting. You'll be forced to quit anyway if you don't know what you're doing.
Also be warned that LW Rebalanced has been getting rebalances and updates non-stop all these years.
Basically you'll have to pick one version and then stick with it for a campaign, barring minor revisions and fixes.

 

[Alienman]

So, I see gog is having a sale on Xcom-xcom 2 and bureau; are these games that good? I'll eventually peruse the 200+ pages but what's the low down on these compared to the originals?

I love the bureau. It's my guilty pleasure. I got it for like 2 euros or something back in the day, expecting it to be pure ass. Man, was I wrong. It's a mix between X-files, campy 50's alien movies, and Mass Effect. Wrote a short review about it recently.

Wow that's amazing, I remember reading about this game yonks ago, thinking it looked interesting and forgetting all about it. Thanks for the review, it convinced me (I have a similar love of 50s alien stuff, also I've just come off replaying Mass Effect) I've bought the cheapo GOG version.

See? This forum is still useful for actual gaming

You will have to tell me if you liked it.

Edit:
And yeah, don't play the DLC first, even if it takes place before the main story. It has too many spoilers.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

Playing XCOM 2 again.
I forgot just how much the strategy layer pisses me off. There's no down time, it's just an endless stream of interruptions where you have to do the mission or you lose a region.
Even in the original XCOM you can ignore missions, provided they aren't Terror Missions.

I did discover though that Templars and Rangers can proc headshots with melee, which is hilariously broken. You can stack Momentum on Templars can cross the entire map.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

I actually don't dislike the Lost. In fact, I added to my list a mod that adds models variety and stuff, IIRC.

Lost have been very useful in my current Legend game. I'm not sure if it's due to a mod or not, but the AI derps out and tends to ignore me and go after lost instead. Seeing a Viper waste her turn constricting a zombie is great.

 

[Cael]

I actually don't dislike the Lost. In fact, I added to my list a mod that adds models variety and stuff, IIRC.

Lost have been very useful in my current Legend game. I'm not sure if it's due to a mod or not, but the AI derps out and tends to ignore me and go after lost instead. Seeing a Viper waste her turn constricting a zombie is great.

The problem with Lost is they ignore aliens and go straight for you. I have seen them run through 2 entire pods of aliens just to get to my guys. Meanwhile, the aliens get free headshots on them or just shoot my guys. It always end up with me having to fight both of them at the same time.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

Mods are essential and the steamworkshop is the better option for up-to-date + variety of mods (Nexus, AFAIK is very outdated or ignored... at least for x-com2)

Buying it on gog doesn't seem like a good idea.

You can run mods fine on the GoG version.

No really reason to load up on mods for the first blind playthrough, better to ditch it and then install if really needed. Outside of some QoL stuff maybe.

Yeah, but there's no GOG Workshop, is there? Steam Workshop is a great modding tool; it streamlines everything.
Without it you have to much around in the files, and things tend to go wrong.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

I actually don't dislike the Lost. In fact, I added to my list a mod that adds models variety and stuff, IIRC.

Lost have been very useful in my current Legend game. I'm not sure if it's due to a mod or not, but the AI derps out and tends to ignore me and go after lost instead. Seeing a Viper waste her turn constricting a zombie is great.

The problem with Lost is they ignore aliens and go straight for you. I have seen them run through 2 entire pods of aliens just to get to my guys. Meanwhile, the aliens get free headshots on them or just shoot my guys. It always end up with me having to fight both of them at the same time.

Yeah, I think that might have been on the mods I installed, to make the AI a little less biased against the player.
That's another problem I have with XCOM 2; a lot of the mechanics feel like they're just there to fuck over the player on the pretext of providing difficulty.

 

[Parabalus]

Mods are essential and the steamworkshop is the better option for up-to-date + variety of mods (Nexus, AFAIK is very outdated or ignored... at least for x-com2)

Buying it on gog doesn't seem like a good idea.

You can run mods fine on the GoG version.

No really reason to load up on mods for the first blind playthrough, better to ditch it and then install if really needed. Outside of some QoL stuff maybe.

Yeah, but there's no GOG Workshop, is there? Steam Workshop is a great modding tool; it streamlines everything.
Without it you have to much around in the files, and things tend to go wrong.

There's an alternative launcher if you really want one.

But there's not much mucking around, you just dump it in the mod folder and enable.

 

[Cael]

I actually don't dislike the Lost. In fact, I added to my list a mod that adds models variety and stuff, IIRC.

Lost have been very useful in my current Legend game. I'm not sure if it's due to a mod or not, but the AI derps out and tends to ignore me and go after lost instead. Seeing a Viper waste her turn constricting a zombie is great.

The problem with Lost is they ignore aliens and go straight for you. I have seen them run through 2 entire pods of aliens just to get to my guys. Meanwhile, the aliens get free headshots on them or just shoot my guys. It always end up with me having to fight both of them at the same time.

Yeah, I think that might have been on the mods I installed, to make the AI a little less biased against the player.
That's another problem I have with XCOM 2; a lot of the mechanics feel like they're just there to fuck over the player on the pretext of providing difficulty.

The only way you can get Lost to attack aliens is to ensure they don't see your guys. That means a Reaper in shadows remote detonating or claymore-ing aliens while everyone else remain hidden. Given that X2 always have a countdown, that is not something that you can afford.

One of the complaints I have with X2 is that they made this beautiful stealth mechanic, and then completely fucks you over if you try to actually use it to your best advantage.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

I actually don't dislike the Lost. In fact, I added to my list a mod that adds models variety and stuff, IIRC.

Lost have been very useful in my current Legend game. I'm not sure if it's due to a mod or not, but the AI derps out and tends to ignore me and go after lost instead. Seeing a Viper waste her turn constricting a zombie is great.

The problem with Lost is they ignore aliens and go straight for you. I have seen them run through 2 entire pods of aliens just to get to my guys. Meanwhile, the aliens get free headshots on them or just shoot my guys. It always end up with me having to fight both of them at the same time.

Yeah, I think that might have been on the mods I installed, to make the AI a little less biased against the player.
That's another problem I have with XCOM 2; a lot of the mechanics feel like they're just there to fuck over the player on the pretext of providing difficulty.

The only way you can get Lost to attack aliens is to ensure they don't see your guys. That means a Reaper in shadows remote detonating or claymore-ing aliens while everyone else remain hidden. Given that X2 always have a countdown, that is not something that you can afford.

One of the complaints I have with X2 is that they made this beautiful stealth mechanic, and then completely fucks you over if you try to actually use it to your best advantage.

Yeah it really is counterintuitive. I mean, I completed the primary objective, but I still have to kill everything on the map? Do the devs not know how covert ops work?
You don't waste time and soldiers clearing the town, you do the objective and get out.
The fact that doing that counts as a mission failure is some bullshit.

 

[mastroego]

I'm almost sure there's a mod to address that.

 

[Talby]

A great warrior fell today. Rest in peace, Sgt. Hideo Kojima. You will be missed.

 

[Ivan]

that voice

 

[Ivan]

forgot how much the og OST slaps. Can anyone pinpoint the first game track used in the Retro Ahoy video?

 

[Alienman]

It's number one in your playlist. But I think he use the Playstation version of that track.

 

[Consul]

So I recently reinstalled this title and was wondering if there is a mod that adds the flag of the Third Reich to the list of available flags? If that's not the case then maybe I will try to make such a mod myself.

 

[gurugeorge]

So I recently reinstalled this title and was wondering if there is a mod that adds the flag of the Third Reich to the list of available flags? If that's not the case then maybe I will try to make such a mod myself.

Obviously there's nothing official. I vaguely remember something circulating privately in Alt Right circles years ago, but you'll have to do it yourself now. I don't think it would be that difficult to mod in (there are a few mods that add flags of other nations, I'm guessing all you'd have to do is substitute the relevant image in, on your own copy of the mod, for one of the alt nations, and do a bit of Notepad++ work ).

 

[agris]

Any mods for this that remove the pod system and change the 2 ap system to something more granular?

is it too much to ask that they don’t also make the game retarded in the process?

 

[Ironmonk]

for pod system: yes

[WOTC] Yellow Alert Gameplay V2.0 (newer)
OR
[WOTC] Dynamic Pod Activation (older)

2ap system: no

 

[Parabalus]

Any mods for this that remove the pod system and change the 2 ap system to something more granular?

is it too much to ask that they don’t also make the game retarded in the process?

Just switch to Phoenix Point.

 

[agris]

Any mods for this that remove the pod system and change the 2 ap system to something more granular?

is it too much to ask that they don’t also make the game retarded in the process?

Just switch to Phoenix Point.

That’s a good point, but I really dislike the aesthetics of PP’s gobbledygook countries and factions. Backing away from using real nations was a limp dick move, and kinda kills the immersion for me. Makes the game feel more like a toy.

 

[ArchAngel]

Any mods for this that remove the pod system and change the 2 ap system to something more granular?

is it too much to ask that they don’t also make the game retarded in the process?

Just switch to Phoenix Point.

That’s a good point, but I really dislike the aesthetics of PP’s gobbledygook countries and factions. Backing away from using real nations was a limp dick move, and kinda kills the immersion for me. Makes the game feel more like a toy.

It is not like Xcom 2 does much with it.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

Yeah, the aesthetics aren't great. I don't know why they moved away from what we saw in the early previews. I remembered them being a lot grittier and more slanted towards realism than silly football gear.

The pandorans looked more like mutated humans too, giving a nice body horror dimension, which is what PP is supposed to have.