Would a real-time (with pause) XCOM style battlescape work?

[Solarius Scorch]

@Solarius

You know what, my post came out a lot harsher than I had meant, I'm sorry for that. It just seems that the community can get extremely defensive about the purity of the game, and it was riding my nerves a little, since mods by definition have to mess with that purity a little.

Oh, absolutely no offense taken. My response was pretty harsh too, though frankly deliberately so, since recent weeks have seen a surge of really impractical feature requests which are either bad in themselves or unrealistic in terms of implementation. This seems to lead to the devs getting somewhat indifferent to new features, because so much people want so much stuff that often has little in common with the game itself. And that would be bad for modders.

I also wrote about XCom: Apocalypse and UFO: Aftershock because the OP author seemed to not have played them, and they both would probably fulfil his desire for such a game.

Having said all that, I would probably play the hell out of this RTwP version of X-Com, if it was done correctly; after all, Aftershock is my second favourite game ever! As I said, it's not a bad idea, it's just a huge project, practically a new game with same graphics. Off the top of my head, it would demand:

• Completely new AI.
• Completely new mechanics for most things (from how weapons are fired to how units move around etc.)
• Completely new interface, containing at least controls for time, but preferably other options like squad management and movement planning.
• Larger maps, because the game would be much faster. (This one is easy)

So if it ever happens, it will be a whole new product that would not only demand so much new code, but also a good game designer, because this new stuff needs to be invented professionally. If there is one person who would be willing to give it a try, they have my blessing and possible help. [/list]

[yrizoud]

Jagged Alliance (2 at least) uses an interesting system : the battles are fully turn-based, but as soon as there are no enemies in close vicinity, it becomes "real-time", so you can more interactively regroup your soldiers over long distances, sweep the map and scout the terrain. As soon as an enemy is detected (sighted, heard, or on the first gunshot), the system becomes turn-based again.

[Muukalainen]

The main devs should have a hard line and only add options that make the interface, moddability and playability better and options that allow high resolutions and hopefully someday .png pictures without palette madness. My opinion is that the vanilla Openxcom has already too much options and mods and it would be best to try and put most of them on the mod site instead. I don't understand why there is default mods like always day or always night? On the other hand I can really well understand mods like explosions working on many levels. Instant grenades again no, non-instant was very clear how they designed it and they could have done it to work instantly even in Laser Squad but they did not want to.

But I think this is now the best Xcom project and site that there is and it is gathering more people like me, that can do some coding. We can make those crazy ideas like real time mode if we want to and it will not take anything away from the main game as long as they stay as their own forked projects and mods. In that way there is no reasons to be against mods, just don't download them. But at the same time there is lots of reasons to be against the main project implementing new mods. Maybe the forum should separate these two different things more clearly?

[Falko]

you switch between mods, option and forks wildly in your post
e.g. "mods like explosions working on many levels" explosionheight is no mod but an option

how many easily available and frequently updated/maintained forks of openxcom are there?
i only know of the commendation/soldier diary - fork

do you want two additional subforums about forks (complete + in development)
+ two subforums about options (in game  + suggestion/development)

or is this a "it not 100% vanilla and i got confused by too much choice"-rant
[i admit the option/mod screens should get some GUI overhaul but reducing/removing existing options is not the way to got in my opinion]

[Solarius Scorch]

If it continues, the game will need an internal compiler to merge dozens of forks with various bits of code.

Which isn't really so bad. I guess at some point it may happen, if X-Com engine becomes a basis for various mods, total conversions etc.

[Muukalainen]

you switch between mods, option and forks wildly in your post
e.g. "mods like explosions working on many levels" explosionheight is no mod but an option

how many easily available and frequently updated/maintained forks of openxcom are there?
i only know of the commendation/soldier diary - fork

do you want two additional subforums about forks (complete + in development)
+ two subforums about options (in game  + suggestion/development)

or is this a "it not 100% vanilla and i got confused by too much choice"-rant
[i admit the option/mod screens should get some GUI overhaul but reducing/removing existing options is not the way to got in my opinion]

Yes, I think that was what I was trying to say. It is not very clear what is what and it might cause people to make unnecessary negative comments on mods that would not affect their lives. Though not saying that everyone should be a "yes man" either.

About the forks. I predict that in the near future there will be many. For years people have wanted to mod X-Com but the modding has ended on two words: "hard coded". Openxcom 1.0 is still quite new and as people get aware that the hard coded is no more a problem, I believe we will see lots of crazy mods/forks. Even something like this topic speculated about, real time.

About the forums. I do not want anything. I am not so familiar yet with this forum. I was just thinking that maybe it should be more clear what is a mod and what is going to be implemented as an option in the main game. I have been against some suggestions because I thought they were to be added on the main game as an option. But as mods I would not be against them.

And yes, it was a "rant" about being vanilla. I think the main non modded version not being vanilla is the biggest threat for Openxcom. I see that it complicates everything. Separate mods, mod packs and forks is the way to go and to keep things maintainable.

Yes for real time fork.
No for real time option.

[myk002]

If you're looking for a good game with real-time squad-based battles, check out Fallout Tactics.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_Tactics:_Brotherhood_of_Steel

It's not XCOM, but it's still a great game, and if you want to create a real-time version of XCOM, this would be a good game to study for ideas.

They have it on sale on Steam:
  https://store.steampowered.com/app/38420/

[Solarius Scorch]

And yes, it was a "rant" about being vanilla. I think the main non modded version not being vanilla is the biggest threat for Openxcom. I see that it complicates everything. Separate mods, mod packs and forks is the way to go and to keep things maintainable.

Give this man a glass of vodka!

If you're looking for a good game with real-time squad-based battles, check out Fallout Tactics.

Oh yeah, it's a decent game too. Not in my top three, but it's good. I somehow forgot about it...

[aceshigh]

Just to make it clear people, in no way I am suggesting a RTwP mod for OpenXCom, like so many posts above seem to have understood this topic.

If this was a mod suggestion, I would post it on the Suggestions board or some other board more about it. I posted it on General Discussion exactly because I wanted to discuss how would XCOM work in real time, or other game being as good as XCOM but in RTwP, etc. I don´t even think it´s possible to mod OpenXCom so much to the point where it becomes real time with pause.

[Solarius Scorch]

Just to make it clear people, in no way I am suggesting a RTwP mod for OpenXCom, like so many posts above seem to have understood this topic.

If this was a mod suggestion, I would post it on the Suggestions board or some other board more about it. I posted it on General Discussion exactly because I wanted to discuss how would XCOM work in real time, or other game being as good as XCOM but in RTwP, etc. I don´t even think it´s possible to mod OpenXCom so much to the point where it becomes real time with pause.

Ah, in this case I guess you deserve an apology and an actual response from me:

1) It technically is possible, as long as someone's crazy enough, experienced enough and creative enough.
2) It would be fucking awesome.

Nuff said.