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Xenonauts 2 Easter Update


Chris

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I buy into this series (and pretty much all xcom clones) for the game play not the graphics. If it looks right, it is easier to stay engaged for longer but IMO most of the enjoyment that comes from gaming is in those first play-throughs when you are trying to outsmart the game mechanics rather than marvelling at how the pixels are dancing. I was happy with the graphics two generations of consoles ago.

Anyway, after reading the development update I'm pretty convinced that X2 will have enough interesting elements to keep me playing it for a long time even if it is in 8 bit. It is good to see all of those threads from the forum brought together in a rethink of the standard geoscape/ground combat deal. To be honest, I can play xcom even if the game play doesn't make sense but I think this new approach to the strategy layer can only improve the game and immersion into it. It should set Xenonauts apart as more than just a reboot and affirm that you don't need Firaxis' budget to make something decent.

Especially I like the idea of the "super-hard mission that appears if you fall *too* far behind". I will definitely be nose diving my second play through in order to play the hell out of that mission. Also, having controllable local forces would be great, who doesn't love expendable troopers.

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I have left some ideas about introducing more factions into the game in the other thread, so here are some additions to that thought.

Once again - about factions

I reckon that game would greatly benefit from communication with various factions (by means of RPG communicaton style or whatknot), it could be applied to global scope or to battlefield scope directly.

Area of communication - well, like it real life - demands for tech, money (women...or not), high-skilled Xenonaut soldiers, you name it.

It's not a new thing - JA 1.13 is the best example, really. It would permit the player no to fel the "emptyness" of the planet when he plays against the aliens, but to have rather populated world where "life goes on".

Conflict of interests with other factions, missions issues by other factions (against aliens or yet another faction) for rewards, etc...

Any ideas? Any thoughts on that?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I cant believe I just find out Xeno2 is being developed today! It's ubber amazing news!!

Well, I hope I'm not too late to the party, since I would like to give a suggestions if it already hadn't be given.

I really would love to see some politics and factions ingame! Not sure if you guys ever played XCOM: Apocalypse, but I did, and while lots people on the internet seen to not like it, I did loved it. And one part in particular: the indepth faction relations it gives you. In XCom:Apoc you control only a city, not the whole world, and this city is divided between diferent factions, going from economical companies, equipment manufacturers, the police itself, aliens sympathizer and so on. While this cool system is added to XCom:Apoc, the game not really go deep into it. Being in good or bad relations with one faction or another don't change much, except some very particular cases (messes with the cop, and their vehicles becomes hostiles, messes with companie 'x', and it wont sell you their sutff). Relations changes not based only about how well I'm fighting or not the aliens or our trades, but if I keep causing too much collateral damage in firefights with the aliens, both in the map level by damaging their building or in the tactical level by imploding their building from inside, they will get anger! Also, aliens tries to infiltrate all factions buildings and structures, and I get a relation boost if I'm able to exterminate the pest before it become critical, but I get a relation penalty if I keep "invading" their facilities and not finding anything! This kinda o stuff is an awesome immersion in X:Apoc, even so it's kinda basic there.

But anyway! Xeno2 is not X:Apoc but with that faction system in mind, I ever wonder how in Xenonauts universe during Cold War the whole world seens to just sit and watch you do all the job and the Cold War itself seens to just fade away? I always wanted to have some diplomatic issues to deal with: shouldm't' I get closer to USA or the soviets? Or should I try to keep a better balance? What are the countries armies doing to protect themselves? They want my help and really help me or they want me off of their country because they are self-confidend or just don't want me to attract the aliens to their borders? Shouldn't the governments be willing to sneak-peek all that new technology I'm creating? Shouldn't I be able to sell some of my equipment and projects to them and buy something in return? Shouldn't the countries sometimes getting in conflict between them and, sometimes, forcing me to take some actions?

I thought it would be awesome if the Xenonauts could be a kinda of an international organization like UN (or part of UN), but not all governments are immediately involved or willing to cooperate. It would be cool if instead of starting trying to protect the whole world while everyone just decided to give me part of their money and troops, I actually have the feel of starting more modest and governments would be coming after me for help... or against me if they think I'm causing too much trouble! So, that way, the game could start with a very Cold War feeling where countries still aren't willing to trust each other and sometimes having bigger interested apart or WITH the aliens, but as time goes by and the alien threats increase and I prove my value, more countries tries to come after me asking for help: and that help is not only "build a base and it's you problem now", but start by cooperating with their army. exchanging equipment and technologies, paying me freelancers to deal with small aliens guerrillas in their territories or just to help their political faction to gain a upper hand against their rival... and sometimes even my help on a full scale war!! Imagine if country X decides to cooperate with the aliens or suffers from a coup from "fake" humans! It's up to you not to face only aliens, but also the worst part of mankind who is trying to cooperate with the aliens!!

So... any words about it? Can it be possible?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Chris (and the Dev Team). Could you guy us a very rough estimate of when EA will be purchasable? Obviously I would not hold you guys to it. But I am hoping you guys would be willing to give an estimate which is realistic in Goldhawk's opinion. Whenever I have money it has the tendency to burn a hole in my pocket. I wish I could purchase Xeno 2 from you guys right now. I don't mind not being able to play it. I just want to know I'll have it when it comes out.

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i have a few issues with the strategy ideas. first, the idea of 5 defensive perimeters does not make sense as the enemy is coming from space and can therefore strike anywhere at any time. Also, the intelligence idea suggests that at the start of the game we are already capable of breaking some alien transmissions whereas in X-1 we are told such a thing would take humanity longer than our planet's existence to accomplish. also the idea that interceptors are non renewable suggests that all plane factories in the world suddenly dropped what they were doing when the aliens attacked and destroyed their facilities. Also the idea behind the skills of the different aliens makes little sense. We know for fact that a group of Androns can easily take on an armoured division with plasma cannons, yet you say an armoured division can easily counteract them. Also the Harridan's ability suggests that no one will notice a UFO landing, disgorging a group of Harridans or the noise of the jetpack and sniper they use. I can understand them killing one soldier but no them being immune to a response.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Honestly just skimmed the overview to find out project status after looking at X1 in my steam library, but while I like most ideas, the idea I can't build more planes to throw at ufos makes the game a deal breaker to me, it feels like your enforcing a time limit on the game, and that's something I don't like.

If I'm doing well enough to hold them back I should be able to do whatever I want, in my case that would be research 100% tech, build all the best gear, then go steam roll the alien menice after I open the gates from my well crafted hopefully Impenetrable fortress of control zones.

 

To that end, I would of loved the idea of a Mission type to retake a fallen zone.

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On 7/5/2016 at 10:03 AM, Nurgle33 said:

i have a few issues with the strategy ideas. first, the idea of 5 defensive perimeters does not make sense as the enemy is coming from space and can therefore strike anywhere at any time. Also, the intelligence idea suggests that at the start of the game we are already capable of breaking some alien transmissions whereas in X-1 we are told such a thing would take humanity longer than our planet's existence to accomplish. also the idea that interceptors are non renewable suggests that all plane factories in the world suddenly dropped what they were doing when the aliens attacked and destroyed their facilities. Also the idea behind the skills of the different aliens makes little sense. We know for fact that a group of Androns can easily take on an armoured division with plasma cannons, yet you say an armoured division can easily counteract them. Also the Harridan's ability suggests that no one will notice a UFO landing, disgorging a group of Harridans or the noise of the jetpack and sniper they use. I can understand them killing one soldier but no them being immune to a response.

And you just said everything I typed better.

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You're assuming the aliens and the setting behave the same as in the first game there though, and I've already said that's not the case. Maybe the game will end up being something you're not interested in playing, but you'll only know that for sure when there's enough info out there for you to properly evaluate the game.

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28 minutes ago, Chris said:

You're assuming the aliens and the setting behave the same as in the first game there though, and I've already said that's not the case. Maybe the game will end up being something you're not interested in playing, but you'll only know that for sure when there's enough info out there for you to properly evaluate the game.

This post sounds like feedback to the bits of information which are out there should not be posted until you can "properly evaluate the game" :D. So what is this thread about ?

@Chris Why do i always get the feeling you are on your backfoot defending something when you post :D. Take it less personally and more like an enrichment of possibilities:).

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It's not really worth me writing a long explanation at this point of why particular aliens work in the way they do etc because most of the information isn't public yet and as soon as it is, most people will immediately understand why many of the assumptions made based on X1 are incorrect (there's some big changes). It's not too long until all that will arrive, but in the meantime I'd just caution against making too many assumptions based on Xenonauts 1.

Similarly, if Jasmine feels that having a time limit on the game through limited numbers of aircraft is a deal breaker then ultimately that's their decision - I can't tell them what to like and what not to like. Maybe the game will turn out to be something they don't want to play, and whilst I hope that's not the case they are entitled to feel that way if they want. But the mechanic might not turn out to be exactly what they think it is, or they might actually end up enjoying it once they see it in action. I'm just saying I suspect a couple of lines of text description is probably not yet enough to decide whether one of the mechanics / whatever is enough to ruin the game, and people should wait before making too many serious judgements about it.

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Hi Chris,

Is there any chance that the game will be designed to scale to arbitrary resolutions in a variety of aspect ratios? Xenonauts 1 wouldn't run properly on my Surface Book because it is a 3000 x 2000 (3:2 ratio) screen. I could still play it on my desktop PC which runs 1080p, but it would have been nice to run it on the go without having to change desktop resolution and stuff on my laptop.

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  • 2 weeks later...

chris i have only a wish....please make the soldier sprite look more like soldiers T-T!!!!...add more bandoliers, pouches, harness, accesoriess and stuff like that, one thing i always kind of dislike from X1 is the "plain-ish" uniform our soldiers have, they look more like stylish 007's grunts/henchmen and less like battle ready veteran warriors ready to fight :<....aside that i am really interested in the project and i wish you the best and i have to say im dying to see the game finished >:D!

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