[I need to rename my starting base.]

Well, no. Mostly I'm saying, "please add this feature." But knowing the wordpad option might be there is nice.. if it works. I thought the care bear reference might be funny, though. (I really did try to name my base Cairo and leave off the o, though. Not making that up)

[I need to rename my starting base.]

I need to be able to rename my starting base.

I tried to type in "Cairo." It came out "Cair." I must've hit return too early. I can't find out how to rename it.

I eventually made a new game, but afterwards I thought about it. I could've named all my soldiers "Bair," and seen how effective they would have been at staring the enemies down.

It occurs to me that the ability to rename your bases might be in the game but cleverly hidden. It took me a while to find it in the old game as well. If this is so, good job, it's hidden. Perhaps too well.

[What Arbitrary Silliness]

Well, all right then. It sounds like I was wrong and this isn't a big issue.

I got my information from online reviews and the like. I'll get to sit down with a copy of the game this weekend. If I'm still upset, I may post some more about it. Thanks everyone for the responses.

Edit: Jean-Luc: Actually, saying that the UFO escapes into space is a really good solution, it explains what happened and doesn't feel as forced. And doesn't require a rewrite of part of the game this late in development. I was assuming they just went back to the geoscape, like in the original X-Com. It also means that if your interceptors chased the UFO away, well you don't get points for cleanup of the artifacts but you still feel like you accomplished something, however small, for your trouble. I like it.

[What Arbitrary Silliness]

In the game review that I saw, alien craft can escape a dogfight by reaching the edge of the map. That doesn't make any sense. The map is supposedly just an arbitrary screen showing the details of the combat, not an exit portal. Escaping by reaching the end of the map seems forced, arbitrary, and silly.

I am excited by this game, I loved x-com. But this one issue really bothered me. I think it should be fixed.

Some ideas on how to fix it:

UFOs can escape not by reaching the edge of the map, but by getting enough distance away from the interceptor and/or enough elevation.

Tactical bursts of speed could be added to the mini game, with whatever explanation, maybe afterburners, doesn't matter really. The mini game map would have to update if a ufo reaches its edge. With elevation being a valid escape, an elevation marker should be added, probably in small figures near each craft, and an entry should be added in the ufopaedia listing the maximum elevation of each of the defending craft types. Perhaps research could increase that number, perhaps not.

Or, if there's only one ufo on the screen, it would be possible to center the map on the ufo and have all other actions be performed relative to it. I think that would be too weird looking though.

Since this probably affects tactical missions as well, and the concept of shifting the map to accommodate fleeing aliens would be way too much work for too little gain (in my mind), mention somewhere in the dialogue that your soldiers can't stray too far from the mission field, maybe they have to stay close to the interceptor, or some machine with a satellite uplink, or something. Give a reason, so it doesn't seem so arbitrary. If you want to really go crazy, explain that the field is what the commander can see and issue orders to, and soldiers can leave the area, but they are on their own if they do so. A soldier leaving the field to pursue an escaping alien would be out of contact with a good chance of dieing or returning empty handed, but a small chance of apprehending the fleeing alien and returning with it. But that would take a lot of extra coding. Either way, give an explanation somewhere.

I can't look at the game until this weekend because I'll be doing homework (I WILL be doing homework, hear that, self?). I am basing my info on online reviews and footage from reviewers and cons. If it's out of date so that this is no longer an issue, my apologies.

Just, no unexplained arbitrary borders, especially in the dogfights, that say, "Oops, we know he was 50 feet away from your pursuing ships, but he gets away. He crossed the invisible line! Better luck next time!"

[pre ordering question]

Thanks, I'll take a look at it.

[pre ordering question]

Maybe I should be asking a different question. Is there a playable demo yet?

[pre ordering question]

I'm going to pre order. If I buy the standard version and decide I really like it, is there a way to give you guys 10 extra dollars and upgrade to the other, premium, pre-order option?