XenoMask

Well, I might be wrong because I haven't seen concept art, but sprite does look like it has red hair. Though if its red spines instead its still odd choice since red and green contrast and I don't know any reptile with spines that are completely different in color from rest of body .-. I'm just kind of curious about it. Well, so if I asked from Chris or other developers, I could get info? Or is it something that we aren't told in case it leaks to people who don't want spoilers?

Do you know if there exists any info about them? Or are developers withholding info as it would be spoilers? Who I can ask about artistic choices anyway? I'm kind of curious at why it seems like reptile aliens have hair

No actual game does that, thankfully, but XCOM fans does. I mean, just check Desura review section for both Xenonauts and UFO: Alien Invasion, there are lots of players comparing them to original game. Well, Aftermath at least has interception.(When your fighter toucher ufo, it goes to pre rendered cutscene that either ends with your craft getting shot down or alien craft getting shot down. It gets kind of repetitive even though music is nice) And how were missions generated? Well, I'm not sure... I think they were random... But then again, so many things are seemingly random until you realize they aren't actually random. Anyway, there are multiple kinds of missions(like rescuing your pilot from fighter that got shot down) but... I need to play Aftermath again because I'm forgetting details

Thats pretty much my view on this matter, except I'm still annoyed by the "True successor" thing. It has nothing to do with XCOM Apocalypse(though I admit that it might be part of it as same people usually claim Apocalypse isn't true XCOM game.), its just that I can't see there being "true successor" to XCOM at all. Good games based on same idea yes, but not something that replaces XCOM. Anyway, its kind of funny how many XCOM clones there exist, yet not enough to count as its own subgenre. BTW, UFO: Alien Invasion is pretty great one, but it has problems resulting from the fact that its not finished game, hopefully by the time it is done problems that it currently have are fixed.

What aliens will be in the game? How many different types? Seriously, am I only one whose first question about game with aliens is that what aliens there are? .-. There doesn't seem to be any threads about alien types, nor it is asked in FAQs or answered on site.

I agree with OP, there is no real reason to create multiple bases beyond for having more radar cover. I mean, I sometimes create multiple bases because its cool, but I'll soon realize that I never use the other bases, its too expensive and it takes too long before those bases are usable because of building times. UFO: Aftermath solves the problem by not allowing you to create bases, but just choose whether you want military/research/forgot what third base type was whenever you choose an area and UFO: Alien Invasion solves it by giving you ability to build radars/SAM sites/UFO yards more you build bases so you don't even need that much bases for radar coverages. But yeah, XCOM: Enemy Unknown's solution to base problem is pretty much same as XCOM Apocalypse's solution to less complained problem about game world. I mean, in XCOM Apocalypse since you are playing in a city, you see alien crafts bombing city, beaming down aliens, etc and so it feels more personal.(that and different areas feel better because they are different kinds of buildings/places like schools, hospitals, sewers, etc while in first two XCOM only difference between areas you have mission at is whether they have jungles, cities, desert etc, but what country missions take place in didn't matter at all really as missions are randomly generated from few terrain types. Thats something UFO: Alien Invasion does little better because it does have more variables at what kind of places missions can take place in) But yeah, I agree that bases should get some sort of bonus depending on area/country/terrain they are located in, even if its aesthetically/fluff text wise only.

Wasn't it comfirmed that FPS XCOM had originally nothing to do with XCOM before 2K realized that they are making game about X-Files style FBI division and that they own license for XCOM?

I'm kind of amazed that you apparently played all three games despite liking none of them O-o Anyhoo, I personally like setting of first game(haven't played two sequels yet) though I agree that its aesthetically boring and generic and not even close to being as good as XCOM. I also agree on 3D graphics being boring compared to sprite graphics. I meant aesthetics. What did you people think I was talking about? .-.

Thing is, you can't just spend lots of money to create exact remake of original game just for fans. I like remakes myself, but thats because most remakes I've played are remakes of games I didn't have chance to play because I wasn't born or something. Thats one good thing about remakes, they give new players chance to experience original game again. But remakes with nothing new added don't really create reason for you to buy it again unless you are just THAT big fan that you are willing to buy same game again at high price. Also, it wouldn't really be commercially viable, if they would create exact remake of first game with few features added and if they failed to attract new audience, they could say afterwards "Well, clearly XCOM series has only cult fan base and won't print money for us so why bother with it?", publishers are interested in money only after all. Though yeah, I guess HD remake that is exactly the same as old game won't cost that much, but I doubt they see much of a point of doing that. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is remake of original game, but it mixes things up so that players of original game will have new experience and it will be more accessible for new audience. Though admitedly, original XCOM isn't THAT hard game to play no matter what people say and I prefer sprite graphics to 3D graphics ;P

Thats my point about why I liked UFO: Aftermath. It was clearly inspired by XCOM and it had some elements from it, but it was its own game. Really, thats only reason why XCOM fans call it horrible game, they played the game expecting XCOM game instead of another game that happens to be about combating aliens and researching them. Really, thats same reason why people dislike Apocalypse, they don't like art style change nor change to city focus instead of whole earth. Research, air combat and other stuff ARE part of gameplay of XCOM series. Without them they would be just another turn based strategy game where you happen to be fighting aliens. BTW, kind of funny that they ended up doing remake of JA 2 with Frozen Synapse style "Make moves then yours and enemy's turns are played same time" thing. Why developers think that turn based strategy games won't sell?.... At least they ended up doing XCOM: Enemy Unknown because of complainers at 2K's botched attempt to sell completely unrelated game as XCOM game Because if game is identical to first game with only few differences, what is the point? I mean, sure they could add gatling laser and alien reproduction items and half human hybrids, but if its original XCOM but few extra features that were cut from original game, couldn't you just as play the original game? "Strategy game in which you defend earth from alien invasion." Though admittedly, everyone who knows of XCOM will think "Wait a sec, isn't that basically XCOM?" And well, you haven't checked hard enough. UFO: Aftermath has pretty realistic ones.(You start with (http://www.gamershell.com/pc/ufo_aftermath/screenshots.html?id=61670) regular helmets and military armor(http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/ufo-aftermath/screenshots/gameShotId,51664/), though later you can get these weird armor with visors(http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/ufo-aftermath/screenshots/gameShotId,51926/) and later you will get alien version of armor(things that UFO series version of Grey use all the time in covers) and can develop your own heavy armor.(http://img.blesk.cz/static/old_abc/tistene_ABC/2008/23/30-sloupec01.jpg) I can't talk about UFO: Extraterrestrials(which is different series than Afterwhatever series to everyone who didn't know) because I haven't played it, but UFO: Alien Invasion(yeah, its not commercial, but still) has this(http://screenshots.en.sftcdn.net/en/scrn/52000/52681/ufo-alien-invasion-8.jpg) style and first you get from alien research looks like this (http://i25.tinypic.com/2s9ynuo.jpg). And Xenonauts uses too pretty realistic looking style considering that original XCOM had default be your agents wearing just jumpsuit then later getting skintight armor(Like Muton's one) with shoulder pads. Anyway, I agree with you that majority of XCOM clones are aesthetic(third UFO: Afterwhatever game does change style to more cartoonish looking oddly) wise generic and boring. Really, I cringe every time someone says they should make XCOM remake in 3d graphics/better graphics. People don't realize that its not graphics what are important, most important thing is aesthetics. Realistic aesthetic is kind of generic and boring anyway... Anyway, can I create a thread on suggestions section where I analyze XCOM games and XCOM clones I've played and suggest something new from what I've played?

I mean, I get it, this is fan remake of first game. But I fricking hate it when people are like "FINALLY true successor to XCOM series!", "I've been disappointed with XCOM fan games, but this one looks like it will actually be good" and "Finally good XCOM game after TFFD!" First point because of two reasons 1) Nothing can replace XCOM to me, to me only true XCOM game is good XCOM game with the name XCOM ( New game coming by Firaxis does change some features causing me being annoyed, but still better than FPS one and it does show promise in some respects) 2) I don't want to play XCOM clone games and comparing to original game, did everyone compare FPS when they were called "Doom clones" to Doom all the time? I want XCOM type games to be good on their own and not just because people are feeling nostalgic. Third point because my first and favourite XCOM game is XCOM Apocalypse(I still love original one, TFFD not so much because I don't feel like its true sequel) It feels kind of lonely with people hating it simply because they have nostalgia for first game, probably no helped by the fact that first sequel is basically expansion pack with all original weapon reskinned and slightly altered along with altered enemies to make game unbalancedly hard because developers didn't know about difficulty bug in original game. I've played other XCOM spiritual successors/fan remakes. I played UFO: Afterwhateverfirstgamewascalled and UFO: Alien Invasion. And I liked those. But not because I considered them "Worthy successors" but because they stand out as their own games. UFO: Afterwhatever series is essentially XCOM with Realtime with pause gameplay and conquering areas and such. UFO: Alien Invasion is freeware remake of first game(and its still in development), but with some many things changed/upgraded that it doesn't feel like its copy of original, it feels distinct enough that I don't feel annoyed. Though admittedly, if someone did remake of XCOM Apocalypse with all originally intended features in, I'd probably start worshiping that guy too Anyway, my point is that I feel like this game is ruined for me by people who keep claiming its "true/worthy/only successor" to XCOM series. Though people do that to UFO: Alien Invasion too so I'll probably get over it. There is that I haven't played Xenonauts much yet because loading times are too long at least last time I played. Also, game needs to be able to hold on as its own game, not just because fans want to play original game again. But considering that all XCOM fan games have so far felt like their own game(with exception of maybe Open Xcom and such games that are visually identical to first game I got no good words at those, if I want to play original XCOM, I play original XCOM.) BTW, why is it that all XCOM fan games have more realistic military style than original game? Original game was pretty much playing as G.I.Joes only with high casualty rate.