X-COM: Classic Thread

I suggest getting it from Direct 2 Drive instead as it has no DRM, unlike the Steam version, and is slightly cheaper as well, if I remember correctly.

XCOM Apocalypse sure found some ways to make the aliens a little tougher. For starters, most of the aliens are immune or extremely resistant to mind-control, so you won't be able to use the cheap mind-control chain trick that you can see on You Tube clips for UFO Defense and Terror From The Deep very much. The Anthropods and Skeletoids are apparently the only aliens you can mind-control, but Your Mileage May Vary on how helpful that turns out to be.

There are three enemies in Apocalypse that qualify for Demonic Spider status: the Psimorph, the Megaspawn, and the Popper. The Psimorph is like the Ethereal, but it can also take a number of hits before it goes down. I don't know if you can even mind-control that thing. The Megaspawn is essentially a huge walking tank, which can dish out a lot of damage and take a lot of damage. You'll need powerful weapons to stand a chance. The Popper is essentially a suicide bomber that uses the Suicide Attack of running up to you and going up in a massive explosion that can cause a lot of death and destruction. You will need proper weapons to take down the little monster without it blowing up.

You can read more about them here.

edited 15th Sep '11 6:46:52 AM by TiggersAreGreat

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!

I recently started giving nicknames to my Soldiers, but so far I've only done it in TFTD. I gave them names like Hellhound, William-Wallace, and Lucifer's Cousin. The best soldier on the roster? Alpha 1.

Okay, fine! I'm going to do something I'm sort of good at!

I've almost completely transitioned from X-Com to UFO.

And before I go on, the UFO: After... Trilogy was based on X-Com, so technically, it fits under this topic.

Anyway, I've now expanded across nearly the entirety of Europe, and now I control North Africa and parts of the Middle East. However, my ongoing expansion has brought me into conflict with the Cultist, who have proven to be a greater threat than I realized. They now control most of Asia, Africa and North America.

The UFO is getting very close, ETA four days and counting. I've still got time to acquire more Middle Eastern provinces and the remainder of Europe, but I'll have to act swiftly.

As for Terror From the Deep, still no progress worth mentioning...well, except that I had managed to destroy an Alien Colony, but the victory there was offset by the loss of the entire strike force, Transport and all. Even though I managed to scrape up a few hundred points, I still got a Game Over at the end of the month (I was REALLY in a rut in that game).

Now it's time for a stumper. Would you rather be an alien from Enemy Unknown or its counterpart in TFTD?

They are as listed...

Sectoid/Aquatoid

Floater, Snakeman/Gillman

Muton/Lobsterman

Ethereal/Tasoth

Okay, fine! I'm going to do something I'm sort of good at!

I'd totally be a lobsterman.

"No, the Singularity will not happen. Computation is hard." -Happy Ent

Muton FTW. Camo-clad space apes.

Also, this is going to be a blasphemy, but I'd play a Rainbow Six-like tactical shooter in TFTD setting.

edited 16th Sep '11 9:31:45 AM by NotSoBadassLongcoat

"what the complete, unabridged, 4k ultra HD fuck with bonus features" - Mark Von Lewis

I would choose to be an Ethereal, if only to wear robes and use mind powers on people.

Personally, I don't think it's such a bad thing to have an XCOM game that has gameplay like Rainbow Six. A franchise should be able to reach out into other genres. If it didn't, it could end up self-destructing.

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!

What's that in real money?

I'll go with the Steam version. Steam's DRM is pretty non-invasive and I like the service a lot.

"Tyyr's a necessary evil. " Spirit

Heh. Wow, I'd almost forgotten how much I loved this series. Still have my copy of Apocalypse tucked away in the games drawer, although my copies of UFO Defense and Terror From the Deep seem to have gone the way of the dodo.

Tiggers, just wanted to throw this in- according to my rather fuzzy memory, you actually do find the red Muton (Muton Commander?) in UFO Defense/Enemy Unknown- he hangs out in the brain's throneroom. I think. Been a very long time since I played it- would love to do another playthrough if I ever had enough time to game >.<

... and now I'm wishing I could remember if I actually beat TFTD fairly, or if I eventually just cheated the snot out of it >.>

I actually have a CD with the first two X-COM games (and the demo for Apocalypse). Hell, I would like to play Apocalypse, but the neon/pastel graphics turn me off. It's pretty much like TFTD, but worse.

"what the complete, unabridged, 4k ultra HD fuck with bonus features" - Mark Von Lewis

D:< The graphics aren't bad even though everyone claims thaaaaaaaaaaat!

But dude, that style. Aliens made from coral and sponge, and everything in highlighter colors?! I'd gladly take Mass Effect palette instead. Or the new Syndicate one, as it's basically the same.

"what the complete, unabridged, 4k ultra HD fuck with bonus features" - Mark Von Lewis

D=<*still likes the artstyle in that game even though its retro futirish*

I like the style. Reminds me of the comic books of the time. But as always, Your Milage May Vary.

Also, anyone have any fond memories of the final mission? I just beat it again. Messed up really bad in the first part and got my blaster tank destroyed stupidly, and then my scouts kept getting killed when I rushed them forward like idiots. In the end, I just leveled everything with blaster bombs, but then I got to the second part with 4 people, 3 of which were armed with blasters. I had 30 shells. My tactics for that section can be described only as apocalyptic.

"Delenda est." "Furthermore, Carthage must be destroyed." -Common Roman saying at the end of speeches.

Might as well just start calling my rookies sacrifices for the captains. Oh well, I'm sure humanity can deal with 3 or 4 dead rookies every mission if I save the Earth.

EIGHT GLORIOUS SIDES

You mean the Cydonia mission on Mars in UFO Defense? Oh, that mission is pretty tough, as far as final levels go. It's even a two-parter, which really helps to make it stand out among all the other missions in the game. The first part is a little nasty, because you have a huge map with desert, pyramids, as well as mind-controlling Sectoids and Cyberdisks. You can either get everybody into the pyramid with the access and hit the abort button (if you can find that pyramid) or kill off every alien on the map (if you can find them all). The second part is pretty nasty in its own way, because it's like the alien base missions, only bigger and it has just about every single alien type stuffed in it (another thing that makes this mission different from all the rest). You can either kill every single alien in the base and shoot the Alien Brain in the special chamber (not an easy task) or just find the Alien Brain and shoot it (which may be easier or harder, depending on your perspective). I know there are tactics you can use to turn the entire mission into a joke, but the mission can still be a tough one and you deserve a medal if you beat it.

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!

You know, I never actually got around to playing Apocalypse, even though I have it as part of the X-COM Collector's Edition 2-disc set. I dunno why, just never really got that enthusiastic about it (even if optional the realtime stuff doesn't help; I'm not at all a fan of that genre, I like time to think about what I'm doing, even if a lot of decisions turn out to be 50/50/90*

).

edited 18th Sep '11 7:53:55 AM by Nohbody

All your safe space are belong to Trump

Actually, Apocalypse lets you choose between real-time and turn-based combat. I tried the real-time combat a few times. It is pretty freaky seeing everyone and everything walk, run, and shoot around as much as they want, and it is also overwhelming to try to handle everything that happens within a minute. All in all, I prefer turn-based combat. At least there, I can actually think about what you're doing and plot it out...like a game of Chess.

edited 18th Sep '11 9:20:42 AM by TiggersAreGreat

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!

Why I said "even if optional", I knew turn-based was available.

All your safe space are belong to Trump

I can only play Apocalypse in real-time. If I need to think, I'll pause it, but I just can't seem to get my head around the turn-based mode in that game.

@Tiggers: Even moreso in T'leth's case. Basically, it's Cydonia +1. Even harder, plus one extra level. Plus, you can use Save Scumming on the third level, so you have to either clear it or start all over from the second level...or die. If you can clear TFTD, give yourself ten billion medals.

Okay, fine! I'm going to do something I'm sort of good at!

^^ Having started with the original, turn-based is a familiar friend to me.

If it's something like just me directing myself (flight sims and such) I'm fine, but coordinating multiple characters in realtime gets beyond me fast. Your average game AI doesn't help matters any.

All your safe space are belong to Trump

I get the same problem in UFO: Aftershock. They always want to bundle up instead of set up a firing line, as if they all have the urge to cuddle before going up against certain doom...

(writes that tidbit down) OOOOH, THAT'S GOOOOD!

edited 19th Sep '11 5:27:54 AM by DemoralizedAnt

Okay, fine! I'm going to do something I'm sort of good at!

Ah yes, a firing line. I like making those. Only when I've got somebody guarding the enemy's closest exit though.

I think I need to start using Cherry Tapping in capture missions. My units are prone to overkill when I apply sufficiently lethal force, and do almost nothing when I don't. I think every soldier on my next capture mission will be armed with only Deagles and airguns.

Okay, fine! I'm going to do something I'm sort of good at!