I used to love storming UFOs but then I realized...

[Quixote]

...that aliens will always come out if you wait till turn 20.

That took away a lot of the enjoyment of the game from me, because it's hard to justify the risk of storming the UFO when you know you could just line up a firing squad outside and wait for the reaction fire training.

Maybe we could make it a toggle to choose if aliens will automatically know where the humans are after turn 20? In that case, there would always be a couple of aliens left in the UFO, and you would have to take the chance.

[Solarius Scorch]

I storm the UFO anyway. Otherwise it'd feel like cheating.

[kharille]

How did you find out?  On the wiki?

[Quixote]

How did you find out?  On the wiki?

Yes, I think so. Or by reading some posts here on the forum.

I used to play this game a lot on my friend's 386, and loved it. This remake is also great, but I feel I now know too much about the way the game really works, from reading online. Back in the day, most of the workings fo the game were shrouded in mystery, so we never really knew what could/would happen.

For example, we happily built a couple of missile defences each game, hoping some day they would get lucky and shoot down the attacking UFOs.

Often, stuff is better the less you know about how it's made... goes for movies too, I feel.

[Solarius Scorch]

I used to play this game a lot on my friend's 386, and loved it. This remake is also great, but I feel I now know too much about the way the game really works, from reading online. Back in the day, most of the workings fo the game were shrouded in mystery, so we never really knew what could/would happen.

For example, we happily built a couple of missile defences each game, hoping some day they would get lucky and shoot down the attacking UFOs.

Often, stuff is better the less you know about how it's made... goes for movies too, I feel.

Amen, brother. I couldn't say it any better.
For this reason, sometimes I wonder if the devs here shouldn't be more mysterious too... But I don't think it'd work nowadays.

[kharille]

Oh yeah, stacking radars.....

[Quixote]

For this reason, sometimes I wonder if the devs here shouldn't be more mysterious too... But I don't think it'd work nowadays.

I agree it would not work. People always share info, and in a weak moment after some whisky one night I would cave in and go read all about the game.

But I think what could be done is to introduce more random elements into the game.

For example, make it so that sometimes the aliens will come out after 10 turns instead of 20. Or that sometimes, they will never come out.

And make it possible for missile defences to sometimes, just sometimes score a critical hit, driving off the UFO. Or make it so that all damage to UFOs mean a chance that some of the aliens inside will get killed or wounded..

Prevent the player from "running the numbers". There are many options

[alienfood]

Award more points for an alien killed inside the ship.

[SupSuper]

...that aliens will always come out if you wait till turn 20.

That took away a lot of the enjoyment of the game from me, because it's hard to justify the risk of storming the UFO when you know you could just line up a firing squad outside and wait for the reaction fire training.

Maybe we could make it a toggle to choose if aliens will automatically know where the humans are after turn 20? In that case, there would always be a couple of aliens left in the UFO, and you would have to take the chance.

I'm not sure why you'd intentionally play in a way you don't enjoy.

The "turn 20 rush" is an intentional design feature to avoid the "dreaded alien closet" problem. It might seem "cheap" early game when you're just dealing with small UFOs, but that quickly subsides once you're dealing with multiple-entrance maps and much more stronger aliens with high reactions, so triggering a swarm of angry mutons and psi attacks is not in your best interest. Plus X-COM is not a "by the numbers" game, otherwise you'd always lose because numerically the aliens are always vastly better than you.

Amen, brother. I couldn't say it any better.
For this reason, sometimes I wonder if the devs here shouldn't be more mysterious too... But I don't think it'd work nowadays.

With a project like this it's impossible, as our community are mostly veterans that regularly challenge us on whether OpenXcom is "more accurate" or "less accurate" than the original, and we have to basically spell out every single mechanic to set the record straight (case in point ). If you enjoy the mystery you should've kept playing the game instead of trying to learn more.

[Quixote]

I'm not sure why you'd intentionally play in a way you don't enjoy.

Fair point, but I guess part of the fun of the game is also to try to figure out how to play it in the best way possible, taking less losses... it's just difficult to convince myself to go into the UFO when I know I don't have to.

[Solarius Scorch]

Frankly, I like Quixote's approach based on randomization. We can't avoid being exposed to information because we simply are in this community and want to remain here, so we can't isolate ourselves from knowledge. Making the game prevent us from "running the numbers" seems like the best option.

[Yankes]

Maybe UFO should take off if you dont destroy power source?
Another way is made alien more aggressive after some time, they could throw some grenades before leaving UFO

[Quixote]

How about this idea: Instead of aliens leaving the UFO after 20 turns, they should try to all get back inside.

When all aliens are inside, if there are no XCOM operatives inside as well, then the UFO will take off (if it has any intact power sources). The mission ends, you get points for all kills and artifacts recovered outside the craft.

If all power sources are destroyed, then aliens will try to get inside, then stay there to defend.

[Solarius Scorch]

I would actually prefer this as a player, since I could just storm the UFO and wait inside instead of hunting all the enemies hiding outside... Especially if we ever get bigger maps. Still, I think it'd be wicked.

[yrizoud]

When all aliens are inside, if there are no XCOM operatives inside as well, then the UFO will take off

They get an early pass for Cydonia!