MasterZelgadis

Totally agree with that I could easily live with a timer that starts after detection. Although I like the concept, that you have to retreat after fulfilling your primary target, even more. This could easily remove the loot timer also, because then you would have to pick up the stuff you want to take with you (even bodies) and lose the rest. This would also support the aliens as an overpowered force, which at least in easy mode is not the case now. Time limit generates the stress here, but not the overpowered enemy. In missions without time limit (at least on easy) you can without problems even kill whatever reinforcements appear on the map, just to get more xp and more loot.

But they still have to see the target. They don't shoot on a point which they can't see by just receiving coordinates by a teammate. The only thing that does so is called A-10 (fart of death..*bbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt )

Ah okay, I have to admit, I still didn't manage to destroy the facility, because I simply can't get the resources to get there. A few missions removed 1 point, so I thought the facility would remove 1 point, too. If it removes a whole bunch of points, I find it ok to be so hard to reach. I didn't count, but It felt like most of the misisons have time limits (I count retaliation, too, because killing 1+ civilian each round where you have to rescue a minimum of 6 is a sort of timer, too. I admit, here the "story" fully legitimates the timer). But I can be wrong here. Time limits in games has ever been a thing I hated. Not because I want to crawl forward in overwatch, but because I want to plan my assault carefully and strike in the perfect moment. In most (again, can be wrong here, next time I count..) missions, I just can't do that. You said it yourself, concealment is not a great advantage, you didn't even use it later on. That's the design flaw here, because the concealment was announced as a new "killer feature" which would change the gamestyle completely. In reality it just doesn't do that. It's not a great advantage, but it is definitely an advantage in the first assault. No one knows you are there, so you can set the perfect ambush and kill one pod easily. You then have to manage the rest of them. In my opinion, this is how it should be. You should (in most cases) have all the time you want for the first ambush. But when you are revealed, the aliens could even more press the attack on you. Maybe then a timer could kick in. This is what I understand regarding guerilla warfare. Concentrate on your target, strike, and then pull back or be overwhelmed. If more missions would look like this, there would be no need for a timer. Actually I liked the mission, whare you have to get the avenger off the ground after an UFO attack very much. You had to concentrate on destroying the emp (or whatever it was) device and then get your arse outta there or be overrun. And again, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy playing it, I think it's a great game, I just hate time limits or getting railroaded through missions, where the announcement was "decide when to strike where"

The time limit is the only thing that I find disgusting. Why? They wanted to produce a game, where you are the attacker, you act, instead of react. So you have time to plan your initial assault. Good idea. The time limit kills this concept completely. I have to rush over the map, with the chance to trigger aliens after a sprint. Not much time to set an ambush and wait for the aliens to walk into. Also most of the time limits are so pointless. What does the enemy think? "Oh, no one is here, let's shut down our network anyways in 8 rounds, because....we can!!". Also the Avatar project progression forces you to do specific missions. Additionally the retailiation missions and the "choose one of three" missions. In the end, you are not a careful planning attacker. You still react to the events the game unleashes on you. To remove one point from the avatar project I have to assault an alien base, for that I have to make contact with the local forces. For that I have to make contact with an additional country, just to get the possibility to make contact to the country, where the base is. To do that I have to upgrade my contact cap, for that I need resources. All that spiced up with above mentioned random missions, dark events and what else.. Did I mention I play in easiest mode?? No, I don't have a choice, which mission I do. I am not the attacker. I react. Just like in XCom 1. Maybe even worse. Don't get me wrong, I still like the game, but I expected more from the highly announced guerilla style gameplay.

Every single part of this sentence is a big mistake on its own.. No TU left.. Out in the open.. No shield.. Please read the description of the difficulty level. It is for players familiar with the X-Com series seeking for a real challenge. Sorry, I don't want to offend you, but if you were "good at games" you wouldn't blame it on the game if it beats you. There are a lot of players that have no problem with the veteran setting, so the game can't be so unfair

You get oneshotted only if you make serious mistakes, or have really bad luck. But this happens very rarely. Again, why don't you try a lower difficulty?

Had two, + the shield carrier itself. All failed. Happens..

Or bring in shields I usually have 2 of them on my Charlie, but yesterday I got a bit unlucky, first two aliens in the mission vaporized both shields with their first shots. Got two half living pistol carriers for the rest of the mission, but managed to take out the rest of the aliens with only one casualty (a heavy I placed very silly at the UFO entrance, Alien came out, survived the reaction fire and killed him. You get instantly punished for such little mistakes in this game )

I usually place the smoke wall between me and the alien, so it has to shoot through the maximum of smoke covered tiles. Don't know if the hit chances get lower the more smoke tiles it has to shoot through, or the chances are lowered if there is at least 1 tile covered in smoke... Usually i place the smoke at the end of my turn, so I don't bother whether my hit chances are affected. Use smoke for covering yourself, smoking first and then shooting through it would make no sense I think edit: found it.. How smoke grenades work

Smoke lasts one turn? As far as i remember it lasts for 1 turn in full intensity and then degrades over a few turns. But that could also be just a graphic effect with the cloud losing complete effectiveness after the first turn. Nevertheless, after 2 guys missing their shots Don't try to get a kill with the third one, cover your guys in smoke for that turn and hope the alien misses or shoots into your cover. Don't get me wrong, you can be in full cover, with smoke and the alien suppressed and get one hitted nevertheless. That's part of the game, soldiers will die, so don't bother giving them individual names But you can do the best to avoid such situations. Talking about suppresison, that also helps a lot. Gunning them down with a heavy MG may not be accurate or even kill him, but he will get suppressed and generate much less points the next turn. Which can be the difference between a well aimed onehit or a missed plasma shot fired from the hip. Flashbangs help also.

Why don't you choose an easier difficulty then? You said you didn't play X-Com, this game is based on X-Com. And in X-Com this was kinda normal. The enemies are aliens capable of travelling space and invading a 1970s earth. Of course it is unfair. You have to adapt. Scouting too fast is deadly, keep your guys together to take down enemies with multiple guys, in case one (or two or x) miss their shots. Use cover. And don't take night missions. Your vision is reduced at night, but the aliens' isn't. Use heavy machine guns and stun grenades to suppress and use smoke to block line of sight. Not meaning to offend you, but from what I read it seems you are trying to play ArmA the Call of Duty style. Won't work. Ah, and could you provide us with a source from where you have the information, that no one is playing this? And did you consider, that maybe the pure existence of mods which make the game even harder could proof that the mistake is on your side rather than on the game's side?