Do you like Xcom 2 Terror from the deep?

[kharille]

I thought it was just more of the same with larger maps.  Larger maps would be nice for the original, especially when you got 26 soldiers to run around.  I read somewhere there were more ambush points for the aliens?  I remember the ship terror missions were just tiresome.

Also hated the live alien capture tech tree.  I remember I spent ages, built bases everywhere but couldn't get beyond aqua armour.

Now that I've read about its development, or watched Julian Gollop's presentation on youtube I'm angry that they created that sequel without much if any consultation of Julian.  Great way to take a great franchise and run it down.  This and the flight simulator, first person shooter and all....

[redrat9595]

Yes and no.

Yes, I liked it in the same way I liked UFO Defense. It was almost identical as far as the actual game went.

However, the similarity is really the biggest reason I DIDN'T like TFTD. Sure, they fixed a lot of bugs, made (sometimes annoyingly) bigger maps, and added reserve for kneel (WHICH IS AMAZING and should be implemented as an option soon in OXC), but if you handed me the right information, I could reskin the original so it looked like a passable TFTD. Even the UFOpaedia wiki is set up so that every alien/item has a corresponding alien/item from TFTD. I like it as an expansion, but the fact that it was marketed as a completely new game kind of annoyed me. There were very few new items. No real new aliens. And there were a few crippling bugs, especially the tech tree one. All in all, it was a good game, and difficulty-wise, it was ridiculous (in a good way). But the less creepy mood and the whole avoiding bugs thing made me go back to the tried and true UFO Defense.

[SupSuper]

It's a love-hate relationship.

On the love side, it feels more stylish and polished. The new plot, even if really contrived, made for a great atmosphere and it really shows they put real effort into remaking all the assets. New haunting music, new art style, cooler UFOpaedia, bigger and more varied maps, fixing and adding a bunch of little improvements (right-click doors etc), and so forth. They were clearly going for a "bigger and beefier UFO", and I find it more replayable for that.

On the hate side, the gameplay. I mean overall it's exactly the same as the original, and in that regard it's fine, but it feels all the stuff they did change was feedback taken "too literally", if you think about it. Explosive weapons too cheap? Let's restrict them! Laser weapons too easy? Let's give them ammo! Plasma weapons too powerful? Get rid of their auto shot! Small repetitive maps? Let's make them much bigger detailed multi-level ordeals! Half the tech tree is useless and easy to rush? Let's add a lot more intricate requirements requiring live alien captures and what not. Etc. This all probably sounded great on paper, but without a proper QA (a myth in the 90s) to put it through its paces, it actually turned out much worse, specially with all the crippling bugs that came with it too, and ended up overshadowing the good parts by far.

But I can't fault them too much for it, they clearly meant well, it's still sorta fun, and it's kinda my guilty pleasure.

[kkmic]

[...] it's still sorta fun, and it's kinda my guilty pleasure.

I always wondered what made SupSuper start this project 

[pmprog]

TFTD was the first version I played. So for me it's the "Go To Game" when I talk XCOM. I like it. Sure there were a ton of bugs, most didn't actually affect me because I never made it to the late game, whether because I lost, or started a new game, or played something else entirely.

I would really like to restart my LP, but there's so much going on in my life atm that I barely seem to have any time to do anything on the computer (apart from work).

Great way to take a great franchise and run it down.  This and the flight simulator, first person shooter and all....

You think TFTD ran XCOM down? I disagree, but that's my opinion (I probably wouldn't be here, on this board, if TFTD didn't exist)
As for the flight sim and FPS games, I commend them. Whilst the games didn't turn out exactly amazing, it showed at least they were willing to try and do more with the franchise than "Call of halo: metal battlegear 3", who will just remake the same game over and over and over and over and over and over...

[kharille]

You think TFTD ran XCOM down? I disagree, but that's my opinion (I probably wouldn't be here, on this board, if TFTD didn't exist)
As for the flight sim and FPS games, I commend them. Whilst the games didn't turn out exactly amazing, it showed at least they were willing to try and do more with the franchise than "Call of halo: metal battlegear 3", who will just remake the same game over and over and over and over and over and over...

I played the original and looked forward to the new version.  It was bad enough that it was not intuitive which weapons would work on land.  The torpedo launcher was annoying.  Its not like they added a flashing warning "Will not fire on land".  Then I got stuck and unable to get anything better than aquaplastic armour and gauss.

Just looking at the cover for the first person shooter I knew it was bad, but I was near biting my nails at what they did, what they put together and decided to sell whilst abusing the xcom franchise.

The flight simulator only held me for 10 minutes before I uninstalled it. 

I understand perfectly the anger at the new xcom game, nothing as fun as the original, but I'm a fan of early 00' firaxis products.  Its a fun game and death animations are fun. 

[AMX]

I actually liked TFTD more than UFO.
The technical improvements - from right-click doors to larger maps - made the original feel kind of feature-crippled by comparison.
I also found the naval setting more interesting, and of course it didn't hurt that it had a more extensive background (by virtue of being a sequel).

The added bugs were a downer, of course... 

[kkmic]

TFTD was the first version I played. So for me it's the "Go To Game" when I talk XCOM. I like it. Sure there were a ton of bugs, most didn't actually affect me because I never made it to the late game, whether because I lost, or started a new game, or played something else entirely.

I probably wouldn't be here, on this board, if TFTD didn't exist)

I actually liked TFTD more than UFO.
The technical improvements - from right-click doors to larger maps - made the original feel kind of feature-crippled by comparison.
I also found the naval setting more interesting, and of course it didn't hurt that it had a more extensive background (by virtue of being a sequel).

You guys got the words right out of my mouth (or from the keyboard, make your pick).


Once upon a time, I've heard about something called XCOM, that it was a great game, etc. etc. etc. However, I had absolutely no clue WHAT was it about. Absolutely none.

And someday I stumbled upon it on a CD I borrowed from a friend, and gave it a shot.

Since I didn't had the manual, I had no clue on HOW to play the game. But I gave it a shot...

And then disasters started to happen. One after another.
Bad monthly score - game over, aliens retaliating against my only (undefended) base - game over, MC capable aliens - so many failed missions, cryptic battlescape toolbar buttons - what does this to? awww, smucks!, and my worst nightmare... night terror missions - all of the above.

And in the end I finally won. Barely. On the easiest difficulty.


Yet, somehow, despite all these, the game kept me hooked. This is a dear memory of mine. An insane game, that I didn't knew how to play, that MADE me want to play it.

Kudos to Julian and to the devs.


And to SupSuper for having the will to start this project. I can't wait to play TFTD again without DosBox and the classic bugs.

[SupSuper]

You think TFTD ran XCOM down? I disagree, but that's my opinion (I probably wouldn't be here, on this board, if TFTD didn't exist)
As for the flight sim and FPS games, I commend them. Whilst the games didn't turn out exactly amazing, it showed at least they were willing to try and do more with the franchise than "Call of halo: metal battlegear 3", who will just remake the same game over and over and over and over and over and over...

I really got into Interceptor, it was very silly and campy. Clearly I'm not a good example of an X-COM fan.

[pmprog]

To be honest, I never got to play Interceptor or Enforcer. I just heard they were bad, so I can't really comment on how good/bad they were. But I get the feeling that people tend to complain a bit because they were less "XCOM"-y, but then what do they want, if they complain about TFTD being a reskinned UFO:EU?

Apocalypse was great, but on the verge of being too complicated in it's politics etc. One of the other things that bugged me was you can't change the movement/animation speeds, so even in turn base, you had to wait for your units to run/walk the whole distance

In that respect, I think the "new" XCOM game was an interesting blend to make it more actiony and less management, whilst still trying to preserve a bit of both.

And as I said, I am totally behind people that try and make more out of their IP than rehashing the same game every two weeks.
Take XCOM: Declassified (or whatever it's called), it's another attempt to make an FPS. Will it be a good game? I've still not seen anything to do with it yet so who knows, but I like the fact that they're trying.

It could be interesting to see an XCOM themed RTS, sort of Starcraft/C&C style gameplay. You pick human or alien.
Hmmm, I'm almost tempted to try and make it as a Starcraft 2 Arcade map Could have Scout UFO's as a unit, that allow picking up and dropping a single alien.

[SupSuper]

And as I said, I am totally behind people that try and make more out of their IP than rehashing the same game every two weeks.
Take XCOM: Declassified (or whatever it's called), it's another attempt to make an FPS. Will it be a good game? I've still not seen anything to do with it yet so who knows, but I like the fact that they're trying.

I guess you haven't been keeping up since it's been out for a month now. It's pretty average, surprised there's no thread or anything but I guess this community would've avoided it like a plague.
Still it's not offensively bad or anything, certainly no Enforcer, but it definitely shows its perturbed development. Is there any XCOM game that goes off without a hitch? Seems like a black hole for developers.

[Danny]

TFTD is absolutely brutal... XD

I just hate hate HATE the 2 part terrorsites!!!!
Too many stupid little cubby holes from which aliens WILL NOT MOVE!!!

Or the 2 by 2 units stuck in a room they can't get out off...
Now that was in the original too, like one small closet in the Battleship I keep finding Cyberdiscs... XD

[MKSheppard]

I still want the SVGA graphics promised me on the back cover of the US TFTD box. 

[clownagent]

"Terror from the Deep" is by far my favorite game of the series. The main reason for this is the very special atmosphere. It feels like a great mix of Jules Verne / Lovecraft / Abyss. The heavy diving suits, with which you can only walk and not swim, the creepy soundtrack, the screaming of a dying lobsterman, all of it is just priceless.

Though I have to admit the game is really difficult. In the last years I played exclusively TFTD, then a few weeks ago I started playing openXcom and something felt very wrong: It was so easy.
Why are those terror and alien base missions so short? Why do some of my soldiers survive more than 10 missions? You have access to all important techs after only 5 months? The Cydonia mission has only two levels?
Luckily, there are those Chryssalid terror sites at night, which bring back the very special TFTD feeling of total unfairness.

[pmprog]

I guess you haven't been keeping up since it's been out for a month now.

I haven't been keeping up with anything. I have no idea where OXC is these days. I've dozens of games on Steam and Humble Bundles that I've not either played or even installed.