Mermel

Even easier... just use the 3D Models dirctly, no need to convert them into sprites at all. And if I think about it... isn't the isometric style of display Xenonauts uses kind of an attemp to turn 2D into 3D? No wonder it produces so much work in the end

Yes, in the beginning. As soon as you come to the animations severe nausea is around the corner. And as the whole gameplay of this one would work out 100% identical in both 2D and 3D, it was a bad decision in the end. Even going with 3D models for the units only would have saved a tremendous amount of work. Well... you learn.

I actually never understood why they didn't choose to go 3D. 2D is nice and all, but the game can be made in 2D and 3D without any change in gameplay. Plus 3D is easier to make by now. A lot easier

Actually, yes. I wasn't aware of TLR as a set concept. So NASA just entered TLR 3: Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept

theoretically you can reverse engineer more than a tech level ahead. Take the whole of quantum mechanics or a modern microchip as a more precise exampel. It is an obersvation of something happening. The why is still shrouded in mystery. Basically someone observed that electrons behave in a certain way, others made use of the observation. We use quantum effects on a daily basis, but why they work the way they do, we don't know. It was a long way of trial and error to get these things to work, but it clearly shows you don't really have to understand what is going on to use an effect. So, if you present someone with a device, which is a ready made solution, reproduction of that solution is possible as long as you can observe what is happening. The big point is knowing that it works, having a direction to work to makes all the difference in the world. As a real world exampel: NASA took the concept of the aculbierre drive to the lab last month. As crazy as it might sound, it is the concept of a warp drive, using a loophole in relativity to achieve speeds greater than that of light without violating einsteins laws. The theory is plausible and works on paper, but how a device that uses that effect might look like, how exactly you have to do it and if it actually will work in the end nobody knows. Now take the hyphotetical scenario of presenting NASA with a finished drive using that concept. It would bypass decades of research just by showing that it works and how a device like that would look like. Electricity is another exampel. The basics of research on electricity date back to as far as the 17th century. Now go and present someone there with a ready made electrical device, build around the start of the 19th century. Reverse engineering would be possible, the materials were there, what was lacking was knowledge on how it works. Even though intially a 17th century person couldn't come up with advanced uses for it, presenting a working concept of a device using electricity (And some sort of power source) would jumpstart technology for at least a hundred years, if not a lot more. Another scenario: Civilization goes down the *******.... radio and electrical devices would still be there anyway. It's not so hard to build them after all, once you know it can be done and have a glimpse on how it works, basic electricity can be produced with pretty low tech all around. So, to put it together: If you know it works and have a direction to look at, it all get's a big lot easier, even several tech levels ahead of you

Yeah... all those toggles. It's pretty mucha no go, like offering a cookie. Eat it, get fat, but it's so very tempting. You can't give players all the choices or a lot of them would end up having less fun with the game as they could have. If anything, make differences with difficulty level. Easiest showing the remaining AP of aliens. That's kinda toggable. You say you want an easy game... you get one.

Look above, with an inflation of approximatly 200%+ from the originaly monetary value from 1979 to 2007 a price of 50 million dollar is actually really pretty close to reality. I got 46 million dollar, but there are other aspects I won't calculate for this matter. So... reality is a gamebreaker And actually... current stealth technology is pretty much outdated and will be completly useless within the next 2 years in any western country and almost entirely on the globe within the next 5 years, as passive radar just made a huge leap forward (using scattered receivers picking up reflection of background sources). The mention that the technological use is too narrow is the basic point. And as for the cryssalids... yes, good scenario. Biological or chemical warfare from orbit might be just as good. Any conventional warfare with orbital superiority is pretty much unrealistic. To disable earths military all you need are some well placed and calculated asteroids. The population as a whole... not quiet as easy, but given the technology of the aliens, conventional confrontations within firing range of earths military are highly unlikely. edit: As for the budget... take the space race. America just threw money at the problem until it went away. The Budget was enourmeous to the point where practically anything goes. This was just a race. Thinking about a global economy throwing everything they have against an enemy threatening to kill you would also be quiet a gamechanger... no alien would come into the atmosphere until the biggest problems are asteroide or biowiped or eaten by zombifying killeraliens. It's good XCOM and Xenonauts are as they are. Reality doesn't provide a lot of awesome. Most efficient ways to do things are pretty far away from the awesome variations of problem solving

It's actually a quiet nice explanation. And too much realism would really hurt the game a lot. You could discuss for hours if an invasion in this scenario could actually be sucessful. But anyway. I guess I should read more lore and memorize it... or better not As for the gameplay... keeping track of literally thousands of fighters on the map and finding your own wouldn't be that much fun, so no option here either. The lore is good enough when I don't start thinking about it. But actually... I can barely remeber seeing any sci-fi movie or story that didn't cause any nausea in me as soon as started thinking about the explanations. I just hope the really large craft will be still scarce at the end of the campaign. Having to deal with a lot of the big ones doesn't feel like too much fun. Having them balanced in a way that makes you feel like "oh god I'm dead" when they first show up, bringing you joy when you down the first one and only goes to a point where you think "I can do that" whenever one shows up, is something I hope for. Edit: And 50 Million for a fighter in 1979 seems pretty close to realistic. 18 Eurofighters cost about 2 Billion Euro in 2007 which is about 2,5 billion dollar

Late 70's setting. Pretty close to perfect, I had set it a couple of years later in history for some more computing power, but that's really minor and no immersion breaker. Additional tiers of weapons plus laser not being available from the start. Really great. This with that giant alien fleet in orbit and just the starting screen with those super serious generals makes me feel like I lost the war already. It feels more threatening than the original xcom. Overwhelming alien force, no simple research project to bring your troops immediatly on an almost equal level of firepower with the invaders, it just feels great. Secondary victory conditions are a pretty neat addition as well, keeps you from searching the map for that last alien hiding somewhere. Brilliant! Alien fighters and the air combat do their part as well, makes the whole game feel more "round". On the bad/meh/not sure what to think of it side: A lot of alien fighters, but no air presence of earths military. I would appreciate more of the fightercraft and in addition to that, AI air combat from the rest of the world. In my head that sounds pretty immersive, feeling like you're in the middle of a fight. Gameplaywise... dunno, might be too hard to balance and maybe too random. Planned multi stage levels I really don't know what to think about it. Keeping those to only the biggest alien craft might actually be fun, given they only come once in a while. Elsewise it might slow the progress of the game down too much, breaking the flow of things. So, these are my thoughts so far. I havn't played into the game too much, as the unfinished state would spoil my first playthrough. It looks pretty awesome though, can't wait for the finished thing.