Hello all,
I got Xenonauts as a download from GOG.com.
Soon after downloading I found the forums and the references to the Community Edition, and the various mods constructed. I started a game and settled into the action and several things struck me as I navigated through the game elements and screens.
Reading about it before-hand, I recollect some of the general comments, such as "... a faithful recreation of the original XCOM: UFO Defense, some people say too faithful ..."
The graphics of the game were excellent, 2010-era artwork, as were the building, the creatures and the human team members. Once the navigation of the menus and terrain traverse were understood, as well as the ballistics (chance-to-hit algorithms), the game was on auto-pilot practically.
As is typical with these games, the funding mechanism of the governments of Earth are almost antagonistic or adversarial. So one relies upon UFOs showing up to fund operations. If there's any complaint in the operations structure there is almost too much taken out of the players hands, to the point of a click-and-shoot kind of game. The tactical actions are deadly and the player is well advised to hug the terrain, and be free with fire support. The "suppressed" response to automatic fire is a nice feature, and give an essence of authenticity.
Where the program breaks down is in little features;
a. There is no "overview" map that I've been able to find for the tactical landscape, showing team members;
b. If you "order" recruits or supplies there is no screen to show when they are arriving;
c. You can research enemy weapons, but unless picked off the battlefield you can't use them, they aren't in the inventory;
d. Alien gear is sold right away, and Alien bodies are removed - clean, antiseptic, like your mother is there to tidy up after you;
e. Laser or plasma weapons (as the ballistics) has unlimited quantities, never need to be produced, never need to buy; and each new weapon advance has ammo appear immediately, including aircraft weapons, no re-arming needed (unless you want to).
This is the simple, easy-to-use version of XCOM-1, where almost everything behind the scenes is done for you. The progression of enemy ships and types of Aliens, ranks, gear and motives is credible; XCOM-light. The world map screen is a Mercator projection, which allows zooming and easy scrolling. The new element of "Airstrikes" is nice, which prevents having to assault another meaningless scout-wreck with a team, and gets you a discount payment.
Having played XCOM-1 and XCOM-2 (TFTD) and XCOM-3 (Apocalypse) I find those have better game and campaign play, though in fairness I haven't reached beyond the mid-game of Xenonauts.
In 2014-2016 some group out of Sourceforge.net produced what seemed like a response to Xenonauts, UFO Alien Invasion in several versions. They used a spherical or globe map, rotatable and zoomable, like the XCOM 1 & 2, a much superior system to that used in Xenonauts. In UFO Alien Invasion in the 2.4 and 2.5 versions they had a scrollable (not a locked, 2D-isometric display) that allowed to zoom in. With that 3rd person tactical or 1st person shooter perspectives could be displayed - much better.
In my current game with Xenonauts, I got a team up on the second deck of a Cruiser, hunting for the Leader (which was advertised very helpfully at the outset). I tried to get the 8th team-member up on the deck and the game froze - no action. I reloaded, and got just one player on each lift - and the game froze. I had to shut the whole program down (Task Manager - kill program), and reload again. I ended up running up a guy, opening the door, another three tossed in "disable"-grenades, run them back down the lifts and wait. This rigmarole was continued until the other soldiers were killed and the leader stunned.
I don't know if I hit a "bug phase" in the game, or if this is something with CE version, or if it is something resident with the Alien Cruiser ship-type. As there were no future updates for the version I had, the only other option was Xenonauts 2, which is just a modernized version of the original (as some review stated).
To someone whose first experience is Xenonauts 1, they would have no other reference point and the game would play fine (minus the bugs). Even with the VERY dated graphics, I think XCOM-1 is actually a better game for the time spent. Xenonauts is likely going to Long Term Care just to see how the timeline ends, with the carrier and other components.
Sorry if this is a downer to those devoted to the game - it does have its nice elements - needing improvement.
