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

[Space Satan]

I suppose new terror missions will be X-Com operatives masqueradins as aliens and killing civilians to ignite an uprising and aliens trying to save them. D1P for me then

 

[GrainWetski]

The less people take from FiraXCOM, the better.

Imagine a world where every turn-based game only has 2 AP.

 

[ArchAngel]

I hope this time around we can take a medkit from a fallen ally and save that ally or someone else. Not being able to do that in XCOM: EU and EW pissed me off so much.

 

[whatevername]

I can sort-of dig a freedoom fighters vs the man taktikool strategy-lite. It just doesn't feel like an XCOM game to me anymore. I think firaxis would've been better served with coming up with a new IP for this.

It's much easier to sell a turd if you put a turd into a nice looking package (graphics) and write XCOM on it.

 

[Space Satan]

We can now swap genders and set nationalities to our liking – if you want an all-female, all-Portuguese team, you can do that.

Fug yeah.

“In XCOM 2, the idea is that you have the jump on the aliens. They’re already there, and they’re not hiding.” That means we’ll have the element of surprise: our small squads (still in the four to six range) will arrive unseen in enemy-controlled territory, at which point we’ll be able to scout out the alien positions and move our troops around the battlefield for as long as we’re able to stay out of hostile units’ detection radius and behind cover. Thanks to a new concealment system and waypoints that’ll allow you to precisely guide your troops’ movement within their two-move radius, setting up the battle will be a big part of what Firaxis intends XCOM 2 to be about. “You have a lot of control over when the engagement starts,” Solomon explained. “Of course, a lot of times you’ll blunder or do something wrong, like come around the corner and get revealed. ”
...aliens have up until now always seen us the moment we see them – and when they do, they “scamper” to cover and deny us the chance at a clean shot. In fact, the scamper is probably the most common complaint I’ve seen from other XCOM players, some of whom see it as an unfair advantage for the aliens. Those people will be very happy to hear that they’ll have the opportunity to cancel out that advantage in XCOM 2. “The first enemy that you get to jump on, obviously they don’t get to scamper anywhere,” said Solomon. That’s not all: “Enemies will get surprised, so that prevents them – some of them, based on some factors – from fully scampering into cover.”
With Firaxis’ new system, we’ll see maps drastically change each time we encounter them, drawing from a large pool of components like buildings, roads, and different types of terrain to create battlefields that look good, are more destructible than ever (including by fire that spreads, acid that melts through floors, and exploding barrels), and offer well-placed cover.
Inventory is set to be much more important this time around, too. “Loot is a thing now,” said Solomon. “One thing for the soldiers is that they have to make do with the things they’re recovering from the battlefield.” This doesn’t extend to the kind of on-battlefield inventory management X-COM: UFO Defense fans remember, but rather a sort of “backpack” into which you can throw loot items recovered from fallen enemies or allies.
If you don’t reach loot items within a few turns, they’ll explode into less-valuable weapon fragments

So far, looks promising

 

[Jaedar]

4 to 6 soldiers is decline.

Well, recline, since it was already shit.

I suspect 5th class will be psion.

 

[Starwars]

Sounds pretty promising overall. Looking forward to seeing more.

Really can't stand the artstyle they use though, ugh.

 

[Monad]

Honestly who gives a shit about the art style. You're getting procedurally generated maps and more destructible environments. Hopefully there is more open ended ness to the research and upgrades as well. I think the premise of the game lends itself well to that.

 

[ArchAngel]

4 to 6 soldiers is decline.

Well, recline, since it was already shit.

I suspect 5th class will be psion.

With mod tools coming with the game I think we can expect all kinds of cool hardcore or UFO mods fast.

 

[Galdred]

The less people take from FiraXCOM, the better.

Imagine a world where every turn-based game only has 2 AP.

Actually, it was already the case in Temple of Elemental evil, and every turn based DnD game.

 

[Metro]

I could never get into XCOM despite loving Invisibruuu, Inc.

 

[Zeriel]

Honestly who gives a shit about the art style. You're getting procedurally generated maps and more destructible environments. Hopefully there is more open ended ness to the research and upgrades as well. I think the premise of the game lends itself well to that.

Yep, those premises landed itself to it ever since the original UFO. Hell, it's not even a premise, it's a staple of the first games. Aesthetically, the first NuXCOM looked like it was art'd up by the same committee who decides the floats for pride parades.

Seriously, if your brain isn't wrecked from anime and other covert pedo shit, you might be hesitant to looking at it again for an entire new game.

I think you've kind of lost your mind. X-COM was cartoony. It was based off of comic books of the time.

They were trying to ape the original game's artstyle. The effect just works way better in 2D, plus the style it is copying has sort of gone out of vogue.

 

[Monad]

Honestly who gives a shit about the art style. You're getting procedurally generated maps and more destructible environments. Hopefully there is more open ended ness to the research and upgrades as well. I think the premise of the game lends itself well to that.

Yep, those premises landed itself to it ever since the original UFO. Hell, it's not even a premise, it's a staple of the first games. Aesthetically, the first NuXCOM looked like it was art'd up by the same committee who decides the floats for pride parades.

Seriously, if your brain isn't wrecked from anime and other covert pedo shit, you might be hesitant to looking at it again for an entire new game.

Yea I was mostly referring to the way that the new xcom kind of pushes you along with what are essentially quest makers which was one of the things that annoyed me about it in comparison to the original. The original did give you information as to what to do next but it was not a flashing "PRIORITY" sign.

 

[LESS T_T]

 

[rezaf]

With mod tools coming with the game I think we can expect all kinds of cool hardcore or UFO mods fast.

You're quite the optimist.

Civ5 promised "mod tools" (the SDK) pre-release, but it took Firaxis years to actually deliver. By that time, a ton of modders had moved on and those still playing had realized the inherent limitations of the game/engine.
Plus, I think (but might be wrong of course) there's something in steamlined games that puts off the very people that are the most likely to write expansive mods.
In any event, we never really got the kind of mods out for Civ4 for Civ5.

My mind still boggles at the thought of just how thoroughly Firaxis dropped the ball going from Civ4 (unparalleled, universally acclaimed full modding support including source-code modding) to Civ5 (no graphics modding for years, too-little-too-late SDK release) to XCOM (no modding support whatsoever, even actively preventing folks from sneaking in mods).

Bottom line: I appreciate them re-appreciating modding support, but I'll have to take it with a grain of salt until proven otherwise.

Also, I'm eagery awaiting the twitter conversation between Julian and Jake for XCOM 3 where Jake admits humbly accepting Julian was basically right on everything. Even the squad sizes.

 

[Luka-boy]

So the Snakemen redesign apparently included turning them into what looks suspiciously like Snakewomen.

The Internet reacts accordingly:

Spoiler

I'm sure there are also plenty of Twitter posts and RPS-like articles complaining about snaketits and sexualizing female snakes and male developers being degenerates, but those pics are more fun

Anyway, I'm a bit bummed about the new design. I liked it more with the bald round head and sharp incisors, when you could imagine they were called Snakemen because snakes is the Earth thing they most closely resembled and troopers started calling them that, not because they were literally humanoid snakes.

 

[Space Satan]

Viper - Strong, independent alien

 

[Jimmious]

What a bunch of bullshit, typical nerd reactions. Who gives a fuck if a snakealien has tits or penises or whatever? It's not like they actually exist. They can put 13 boobs and 5 asses for all I care, as long as the game plays well

 

[Morgoth]

Viper - Strong, independent alien

Manipulative, seductive... like a woman.

 

[Raghar]

I think Firaxis is trying to sell snake oil.

 

[Space Satan]

 

[Mangoose]

The main issue in XCOM for me was the way enemies spawned and shit. And maybe repetition of maps.

 

[Shaewaroz]

If they bring the time units back they get my attention, otherwise not interested. Fortunately now the PC version doesn't have to be compromised by consoles they, so they might consider including TUs. Don't want to get hyped since the last XCOM was a disappointment.

 

[ArchAngel]

If they bring the time units back they get my attention, otherwise not interested. Fortunately now the PC version doesn't have to be compromised by consoles they, so they might consider including TUs. Don't want to get hyped since the last XCOM was a disappointment.

It was already said they will still use 2 action system but they will let you use waypoints to more precisely guide the movement within those two actions.

 

[Shaewaroz]

If they bring the time units back they get my attention, otherwise not interested. Fortunately now the PC version doesn't have to be compromised by consoles they, so they might consider including TUs. Don't want to get hyped since the last XCOM was a disappointment.

It was already said they will still use 2 action system but they will let you use waypoints to more precisely guide the movement within those two actions.

Okay, thanks. That's also an improvement, but it still feel like a half assed compromise. Why won't they have at least the option for TUs? Or at least script it so that modders can easily implement TUs after the game's release.