shocking news: XCom: Enemy Unknown by Firaxis

[Volutar]

Actually they DO have destructable terrain.

Please point at signs of that.
I haven't noticed anything destructable in this remake.

[SupSuper]

You're making assumptions from 3 concept screenshots from something only announced last Thursday. I hate to be playing devil's advocate and didn't even wanna get involved, but at least wait more than a week and check your facts before jumping to the RUINED FOREVER bandwagon.

There's two interviews here:
https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/01/06/why-firaxis-loves-xcom.aspx
https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/01/06/first-screens-and-details-of-xcom-enemy-unknown.aspx
They've claimed there will be all the core elements, destructible terrain, line of sight, fog of war, permadeath, etc. I know this is just the developer's word but I still don't see you can discern the contrary from some still images so far.

Also:

I had two reaction, holy **** and oh crap.

Forget about them doing too much.  You'll be lucky if the remake has 70% of original features. 

This is a company that ruined the civilization series by making Civ V - the most thinned down version of Civilization and widely accepted as the worse in the series.

And they did it for one "compelling" reason - money.  If it's simple enough, then they can sell it on pc AND all the other TV console platforms.  And the more platforms, the more money.

This X-Com remake is already said to be released on more than on platform.  And you can BET it'll be shitty.

And if you want more prove that this remake is for simpletons, go search "CITIZEN SKYWATCH" on google.

This doesn't even make one lick of sense.

- So, Firaxis ruined the Civilization series (that they have founded)? Just like they did when Civ4 was first launched, and Civ3, and etc?
- And because XCOM: Enemy Unknown is multi-platform, this is somehow why Civ5 is "dumbed down for consoles", despite it being released before?
- Not to mention Civ5 isn't available on consoles, like every other title Firaxis has made (the sole exception being Civ Rev which was exclusively for consoles)?
- And this is somehow related to the Citizen Skywatch marketing campaign for the FPS XCOM being made in parallel by a completely separate company?

 ???You

[Daiky]

Great interviews.
A must-see I guess, before jumping to conclusions.

I like that lead designer's point of view, he *IS* really a fan like anyone of us. (no doubt he've also seen other fanmade projects, and maybe even openxcom)
But I so really hope he succeeds in implementing it right, and the producer and artists are really aware of what made the game so perfect.

Also I have learned that at Firaxis they have 3 people there from the old Microprose that have actually worked on the oldskool XCOM projects...

[Volutar]

They've claimed there will be all the core elements, destructible terrain, line of sight, fog of war, permadeath, etc.

From listed above I've found only "line of sight", "fog of war" and "permadeath" in articles, which is obviously essential, but isn't nearly enough. And I found no mention of destructible terrain. From screens there's no any.

[DiceMaster]

I guess there aren't targeting x-com fans but whole wider audience.

I think this is the reason why there is no good X-Com remake. Games changed dramatically since 1994 when the first X-Com was released. Modern wide audience don't want to play something hardcore and too complicated. While fans can't play something too simple and too modern. And this is the reason why I think that Firaxis will fail in an attempt to create a really good game.

[kkmic]

I second SupSuper. The game was just announced. And definitely things will change in the game. Let's not be that quick with conclusions.

The fans will make their voices heard. You can make your voice heard. There is an official forum with 11,000+ posts already. And I bet you that the developers will at least look at what the fans are talking.

[michal]

You have to read that:
https://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?117098-New-info-from-game-informer!

Many new informations, like:

No black blobs in Firaxis's XCOM. The guys in suits are called "Thin Men" and they can use weapons, jump large distances, and puke disgusting goo.

Sectoids and Mutons are in. Cyberdiscs and Thin Men are also mentioned. Evidently psionics are also in.

No action points. The game uses a move-and-shoot (or move-and-move) dynamic. They don't want people piddling around counting individual action points. Some will call this a concession to consolitis; others will call it useful streamlining.

So yeah, you only have one base. Building different bases has been removed, but you still buy satellite coverage (the new radar) and build hangars for interception in different countries. Your single base is like way more crazy awesome than any base from the original, though, and presents lots of opportunities for more decision-making in terms of digging deeper as well as what kind of expansion facilities you add on (see the screenshot of the "ant farm" that we put online Monday).

[Daiky]

Chris England - Xenonauts Project Lead :

I wasn't particularly unimpressed with what they were doing until I read the bit about only having 4 squad members. To me, that'll really kill things. The other stuff was alternative but not necessarily much worse - having a certain number of actions a turn and having units unlock abilities rather than just their stats increasing both seem cool to me. The actions thing is heavy streamlining, but it could work fairly well. It'd make it easy to manage a lot of soldiers...except you've only got 4. Hmm.

The one-base thing is a bit of a shame but not the end of the world either. I imagine there won't be standard base defence missions given the base view screen, but there'll probably be a set-piece mission where you defend part of your base on a preset map (I imagine the upper parts of the base have a preset layout). If that's true, it's losing a little something from X-Com but it's not fatal to the game.

Hexes? Yeah, ok. Reimagined aliens and setting? Okay, go on then. Scripted missions? Fair enough. Simplified combat system? OK. Ludicrously unrealistic art style? Fine.

But put them all together, it does seem rather like death by a thousand tiny cuts. And the big 4-soldier slash across the neck. What they're making may well be a good game, but it's not looking a lot like X-Com any more.

It strikes me as a fairly fundamental misunderstanding of what annoyed people about the FPS reboot - basically, that the game wasn't recognisably X-Com. This is much closer to the mark but it does seem to be a very dumbed-down console-style remake (although it may well be a very enjoyable game). But that heralds well for us, because it's just reinforces our core appeal.

Also, Cyberdisks turning bipedal? What's all that about?

[DiceMaster]

Funny news. One base, 4 man squad, two actions per turn. Excelent! Looks like game will be epic. Epic fail.

[Yankes]

where is place for causalities when you have only 4 men? in classic sometimes you lost 4 in first turn or some victories was archived by Cannon Fodder strategy

[SupSuper]

A video about the art direction and more screenshots: https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/01/11/the-art-of-xcom-enemy-unknown.aspx



See destructible terrain.

[hsbckb]

Funny news. One base, 4 man squad, two actions per turn. Excelent! Looks like game will be epic. Epic fail.

I can only accept the implementation of 4 soldiers if they have super hero's abilities. Please rename this game to Fantastic 4 or X-men.

[michal]

More screenshots:

https://forums.spacebattles.com/showpost.php?p=7105422&postcount=225

Mutons and sectoids are there too

[Daiky]

Those sectoids look scary.

[hsbckb]

Some new screen shoots from this source:

https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/153896/xcom-enemy-unknown-new-research-screen-update-01122012/p1