Dangermouth

Could we have a game that is ... "Fun"...? TFTD: I have played this for over 1000 hours. I finished it once but the third time round I just play it because the mechanics of the game are ... "Fun". Same with APOC, same with Fallout 4 on Survival, etc. I didn't realise JA2 could be completed by people so quickly because I was having too much ..."Fun" to even think about it. If you want a toggle and to restrict yourself to "this is how this game MUST be played" then you go ahead and follow orders. There is an option for six bases. Not much point having it there if you can't' 'choose' to make use of them. If your 'choice' means you 'fail' the game because it's so prescriptive then for this kind of game it's not a game: it's a process. Welcome to the factory. The game currently looks and plays like a bad version of X1 reskinned (and that is itself very unimpressive) with a few ideas taken from other, comparable games, with a heavy dose of the abomination that is Phoenix Point thrown in. What has been copied has been poorly implemented. Not in a technical sense, but in a design sense i.e. that someone thinks they can do better than what came before. There is also, of course, a marked lack of originality at all. No siree. My Steam review is unlikely to garner sales should things not change. Here is a recent frustration: I am on day 60 or thereabouts. The aliens have been doing their thing where I can only see the effects and we know that's what happens. I have only now just downed a scout. And I have a terror mission. I'm merrily fighting Wraiths with my starting gear because I have nothing else. The last playthrough I had 17 ground missions by the end of the year. So progress is slow and this affects everything else because you just watch your soldiers heal one atom at a time. I do hope this minimalist invasion is togglable to more than perhaps the occasional daytripping Sectoid on a bombing run. If the game is going to be 'enforced' to occur in a short timeframe then something has to happen or I might want to go out for a walk. And if I have fun in so doing then as a substitute for playing the game there is little for it to offer as a better proposition. The 'economy' is geared towards ...I don't know what actually. I have to build a helicopter that's a thing that is being produced already, I can't sell stuff of any value and I can't make stuff so I'm in effect a government world-wide sponsored gang so there's a demonstrable lack of thought there, etc, etc. I could probably spend hours on picking this apart but the point about customisation means you get the chance to play with the one hero you choose and be Rambo or you go and have some fun. This type of game has pretty much allowed this, even the ones by Altair which were a little departure from the norm.

Give anything arbitrary a toggle so some of us who like to play long term, with multiple bases, etc can do so without being railroaded into what essentially feels like a pre-determined, programmed process that isn't fun. Options for more ships/missions/different missions. If the game's fun it'll be played a lot on the tactical screen so the more, the merrier.

I was watching a Sebellian about to leave the Cruiser and CTD. V26.3.

Sorry, just the once. Probably not the best tester: I go missing for years on end :/

Thank you.

There was a horrible pause at 4% when I tried to load a game, but it did eventually load. The only other problem involves the relays: I did 2 and got the rep up to 70 and then it just vanished along with the relays so kinda back to square one with no chance of getting out of it. Unless you're only meant to go to them when the bombardment starts (?). I do like the MARS, but it got improvements (TU and a.n. other). Should it? It's also ranked captain!

In answer to Androns. Yes. Do please look at the human behaviour in the terror missions. I'm sure you're aware of it, just wanted to make sure it got some attention. Thank you.

Cruiser you can do by the following (takes 3 foxhounds out though) : Set them all to full speed and to head downwards at 90 degrees to where the cruiser is. Set the bottom one to then head out and release its payload, let the others move down because the cruiser turns slowly. Once 1 has been set, wait a couple of seconds, pause and set the second off. Then repeat for the third. As soon as the missiles are released, pause and set that plane to abort. That way you do actually hit with all 6 torpedos. The second time around repeat and you'll take it out. It isn't fun and it didn't give me any good research at the end of it. I've left the game for now and will return in a few months because it's just been very time consuming and the way the game is set you have to reload a lot (see ground missions, base missions, everything) or you just lose territory very quickly and then the game ends.

Yeah. You need to get the Foxtrots out early and lose a couple even to get the Carrier and Bomber down otherwise the clock is against you. At the moment it pushes you very quickly to have to deal with Battleships and I would have thought they were much closer to the end given I've probably done not even 25% of the research, etc.

Thanks. I have exhausted all research but I'll try the tactic you've suggested. I'd just lke to be able to get into the swing of things and see how the game goes. Only found a couple of bugs and they were ones that others have found anyway.

Oh and this one seems to have stalled too in terms of a release date. I believe the 'proper' beta will be out in the next 3 months (sorry, forgot to reply to the above in the above).

I haven't yet downloaded PP though I have a key as a backer. I've heard it has a few bugs even though it's 18 months late (from date of initial planned release) but what is so bad about it? It did have potential and I did very much like Apoc.

Try taking them on when you do an alien base mission. Big bangs, little space. I hope at some point we can take them out electronically. They shouldn't walk through the hull though, just as bullets shouldn't really make bit holes in it. So yeah, unless you've decided to stick with this model, it be changed please?

Thank you for the patch. Have now downed 6 or 7 destoyers and 3 observers. And still no research so the cruisers, harvesters and even bombers are killing me. 'enuff said.

I can beat that. Moved my troops out of the 'copter. Game over. This happens a lot, as does 78778899758917851550750495572897589157171895751854 aliens all rushing you at once. The screen was full of little red alien faces.

Second run through. Still can't find this phantom (sic) research. What do you have to do to get it? I attended every ground mission for those UFOs I could take down and it's early March and it's game over. That's just the air combat bit of the game, the rest is equally painful. (I'm being polite there although I'm not sure it deserves it).

I've just had this. Started in W Africa. Went off to the US for base 2 and part way through (some time after my first ground mission) this happened. It is painful: research dies, soldiers don't heal, can't manufacture. So I think it needs to be looked into please. If you can tell me how to get you a saved game, I'm happy to ping one your way.

Phoenix Point/Snapshot Games (rapidly going downhill) use XSOLLA. It isn't something I'd choose and they do seem to create their fair number of complaints. Just in case you weren't aware and wanted to look into them a bit more if that's important. That said, I have no idea of the overall proportion of complaints: otherwise satisfied geeks (aka we lot).

I assume you're aware of Phoenix Point? Seems it might try to cover some of what you've spoken about which to a degree is valid. I'd say you're both better at this type of game than many others and certainly me so your criticisms to some extent don't apply as we (the lesser player) need the wiggle room to make up for our ineptitude. That, of course, is where the ironman bit comes in in most games. I believe Julian Gollop (again) did something whereby the stronger players found greater resistance in one of the X-Com games as the game counted successes v failures and adapted slightly. You can correct the reliance on an alpha team very easily. You mentioned it, I came up with an answer immediately. I'll refrain from mentioning it, however, and it's not quite the same as a fatigue mechanic. Reading the rest of this, it would probably be better to start with an air war which eventually drops to a ground war. The NPCs could shoot down alien craft (eventually) and then a ton of research goes on and at first is painfully slow ("New Stuff! Wut?") then can proceed in leaps and then peaks and troughs e.g. once you have armour sussed you can research other armours relatively easier but going for weapons then takes you back to the long grind. Of course NPCs should have access to the improved technology as they've paid for the research. Then, while the air war never ceases (e.g. transports to bases), the bases (rather than being hidden) could be the staging posts for alien attacks/activity and as the good guys are able to do more they can then build new aircraft and air fights come back in and then it's a case of salvaging the precious new aircraft, possibly a couple of the crew etc. As you say, by changing the proportionate effect of the player on the game as a whole you do alter wholly how the game can develop. I'm surprised you didn't get into TFTD as it is great fun and bloody damn hard.

Strange post, as I've not posted for ages but I am following in the hope of getting in early on v2 of the game. I was very impressed with Chris when I saw him on youtube at Rezzed and so much so I thought I'd mention it. Lucid, intelligent and under 90 (sorry Chris, I thought you were old). Anyway, time to go back into the background and wait for the game updates. D

Sorry if this isn't the place for it, but just heard the news! Is there a signing up list so we can keep up to date with info? I'm likely to forget for a few years otherwise.

Hi. I didn't reply initially because the problem seemed to have gone. It's now back, however. I have moved experienced troops around to shepherd newbs and thus have to re-equip them. I also have better stuff to give them which is what I'm trying to do. I access the bases through the tab at the top and with some soldiers whenever I try to give them something better than they've got e.g. plasma/mag when I try to drag the item to its slot the game freezes for a second and then CTDs.

Think I've found a bug no one else has mentioned. 150 odd hours in on easy level. I interchange the Desura and Steam versions because you can. I have fitted one of my troops with a plasma shotgun equivalent. From time to time when I move them (and this is actually quite scary ) they suddenly become much bigger and take up a huge part of the screen as though the camera has zoomed in on them dramatically. Strangely enough though, on a separate matter, very few downed battleships are now empty and the ones with Androns in (great fun!) have up to 36 to kill on easy level. I'd actually keep that even though they're meant to be 20 max because it is just brilliant and makes a ton of much needed dough.

Dislike this intensely. I get to 'place' my troops i.e. get the first go, then there's hidden movement (and I usually end up with dead troops). Ignoring bad placement and the number of troops you can take, what exactly is the benefit of this plane? Currently with the others I get to go first and that's actually better than the option provided by the Valkyrie. In short, it sucks.

Currently I have to fight battleships, interceptors, carriers and cruisers. In December 1980 and still hanging in there. But. I'm pretty damn sure I've missed a load of research; sacked scientists ages ago cause they did nowt and didn't get the chance to capture a strikecruiser/dropship/bomber/any other UFO I've missed. I'd like these to reappear because: 1/ they should and even without the bug on battleships a bit of variety a la the last game would be fun; 2/ presumably it helps with much needed and otherwise inaccessible research; 3/ It helps to train troops; privates relative to colonels is an enormous leap. Otherwise there is (a presumably known CTD) small problem in that the valkyrie can't visit terror sites. On that point, the being able to position your troops is pretty crap, tbh, as you invariably put them in naff positions/you don't get the chance for a quick heal of troops before action/effectively it gives the enemy the jump on you rather than t'other way round. Anyway, back off to save Tel Aviv.