Xenonauts vs Xcom Enemy Unknown

[Dowly]

Xenonauts is my favorite of the two. Just too bad it's kinda being drowned under all the XCEU hype.

[XenoMask]

It seems to be missing a good portion of what made XCom special, particularly soldier inventory and large squads.

Umm, I can't say that Soldier inventory is special for xcom(Jagged Alliance for example has that) and large squads were pain in ass to the point where I move 4 or 6 soldiers most even in Xenonauts

I guess it would have helped if those games had "Move these units as squad/same time" option Apocalypse had if I recall right.

[alcari]

Well, yes and no (but more yes than no). Yes, "missions" will regularly pop up where you get to pick from 2-3 countries which one you want to assist. As the satellite network grows more complete, the globe becomes more playgroundy as you can pick up UFO signatures and shoot them down.

So, we get the geoscape we all know and love from the original, as well as special/storyline missions where you have to pick who to help? That does sound like a good thing to me. It seems like a great solution to get more of a storyline in there without needing walls of text through the research screen. We all know people hate to read :eyeroll:

[XenoMask]

From what I've seen, mission types are following: UFO Crash site mission, UFO Landing mission, VIP Escort Mission(which might be council request only, but I'm not sure), Bomb Defusing Mission, Terror Mission and Abduction mission(which's goal is to kill all aliens(in order to prevent them from abducting civilians), so its kind of like ufo missions without ufos or terror missions without civilians. I guess they replace ufo crash missions from original as most common mission type? I'm not really sure). Oh and alien base missions are in too even though people are asking about them a lot, there are evidence about them being in.

There seem to be "priority" missions like (MINOR SPOILERS: Don't read if you don't want to know anything) stunning an outsider(why? Spoilers: They apparently somehow help finding alien base.) which you need to do if you want to beat the game, but I don't know much about those, but I guess they fit into other mission types but with special objectives? Like stunning an outsider takes place in UFO mission.

[boredcanadian]

aww really.... just when I think the decision is made. What may I ask is UFO 2: Extraterrestrials?

[XenoMask]

Sequel to UFO: Extraterrestrials that was rather crappy XCOM clone with such features as units you can revive from death. Then some guy called Brian or something modded game to be identical to original mechanics wise and was made to be part of the team.

[Scrimpton]

I bought Xenonauts.

I won't be ...buying.. xcom EU, at least not at first.

[SyDaemon]

I've pre-ordered both. There's room in my XCOM heart for both flavours of saving the world from an alien invasion.

I've tried the XCOM demo and it actually reaffirmed my pre-order. The atmosphere was just as tense and the streamlined TU system made it much easier for me to visualise and plan my squad's placement. I did miss being able to control where each soldier is facing though, it didn't look like I was able to change that in XCOM.

All in all, I generally appreciate and understand the reasons behind the design changes made.

[resonansER]

Xenonauts vs Xcom Enemy Unknown... no chance. I think this two different games.

[ShockPilot]

I preordered Enemy Unknown, and will be preordering Xenonauts next week. Both are separate but the same. It's the same theme, but they play differently. One is more concerned with 3d style graphics, the other looks more clean and nostalgic. Both offer enhancements to make them relevant for today's gamers, which is good, because there aren't all that many strategy games that ring out these days.

I like some of the features of EU. Having a player versus player option is huge. I would like to see a co-op mode, but maybe some day in the future for that.

Anyway, I look forward to both, and I hope Xeno gets some good ideas from EU. Both will be great games, I'm sure.

[monoko]

Firaxis seems to be making "cosolized" games these days, xcom:EU just seems so 1 dimensional compared to the original and xenonauts.

[ElTee]

I'm passing on EU. The fact it greatly simplifies mechanics from the 1990s and included an 'action cam' does not sit well with me.

Personally, I'd expect an XCOM continuation to have: 1. Updated graphics 2. More depth and features, not less!

[XenoMask]

Okay, before I get annoyed again, I post something to calm myself down:

I own all three original xcom games, plus today I bought Interceptor and Enforcer(along with Apocalypse for steam, I already own it on cd but getting it work is pain and my dosbox setup stopped working for it for some odd reason) for sake of saying that I own every XCOM game.

I have preordered Xenonauts and XCOM: EU.

I have UFO Aftermath, Aftershock and Afterlight.

I have UFO: Extraterrestrials Gold and am not particularly interested in its sequel but will likely buy it at some point anyway.

I have played UFO: Alien Invasion and like it.

I haven't played Open XCOM, UFO: Two Sides, UFO: 2000 or any other fan version of original game that is mostly the same game with some own additions.

Any other XCOM clones I missed?

[phsjr]

But the options were there, whether you used them or not. You do not have that choice in EU.

I'm sure EU is going to be entertaining in its own right and I'm certainly going to buy it. But it's clear that Xenonauts is much more faithful to the original title.

Umm, I can't say that Soldier inventory is special for xcom(Jagged Alliance for example has that) and large squads were pain in ass to the point where I move 4 or 6 soldiers most even in Xenonauts

I guess it would have helped if those games had "Move these units as squad/same time" option Apocalypse had if I recall right.

[XenoMask]

Hmm, yeah, but there is that with smaller squads, you can't use rookies as canon fodder for your veterans. It forces you to play tactically in order to minimize casualties as losing one squad member isn't small deal anymore.

[boredcanadian]

Hmm, yeah, but there is that with smaller squads, you can't use rookies as canon fodder for your veterans. It forces you to play tactically in order to minimize casualties as losing one squad member isn't small deal anymore.

but that was half the fun. weeding out those who deserved to live from those who deserved to die. I always loved having a guy with like 43 firing accuracy earn a special place in my heart by taking 3 shots to the head and then reaction firing to get a kill. Thats how you become the type of soldier I will risk every other soldier to save, and that was made the game so much fun.

[boredcanadian]

In the game I am playing right now I have one guy I named Andrei Orlavski who refuses to die and wins missions on his own. Mans a tank. Which is funny because I named him after watching the 3rd Universal Soldier movie which went straight to dvd. Was a beast in the movie too.

[Bletchley_Geek]

Hmm, yeah, but there is that with smaller squads, you can't use rookies as canon fodder for your veterans. It forces you to play tactically in order to minimize casualties as losing one squad member isn't small deal anymore.

Well, the whole point - for me - of X-COM was to play "tactically", rather than approaching it as if it was a weird B-movie flick purchased from the Cash Converters trash DVD bin featuring an "Enemy At The Gates-like initial scene, changing Germans by Evil Aliens.

I always keep rotating my troopers because - Valar Morghulis, indeed - they eventually die, even if very experienced. So it's better to be sure you manage to "train" a good number of troopers, otherwise you'll be reloading your games quite often (and that's something that deprives me from the fun).

I do agree with the general feeling that squad size is quite small, that's also dependant on how big are the maps. In maps such as those in Xenonauts, a four-man squad is quite hopeless. Will see in a few hours, just pre-ordered XCOM:EU and will have a more informed opinion :-)

[XenoMask]

Anyway, I like original game about as much as everyone else(I just like Apocalypse more ), but I can see that some people have slightly rose tinted glasses because of their childhood nostalgia(kind of like how I like Apocalypse), but there is another thing.

OG is old enough game that you forgive it for its flaws(and stop considering them as flaws but as features) In modern AAA games you wouldn't anymore forgive bugs it had, gameplay frustrations(like the fact it didn't save equipment load outs) and some unfair parts of difficulty.

In case you haven't noticed, Xenonauts while being pretty faithful to original changes most of those "flaws" in part of its modernization, for example equipment loadouts are saved and enemies don't anymore kill you from the dark when you leave the dropship, though that might be AI issue. Heck, wasn't part of reason why humans don't have psionics the reason that they were overpowerered in original? I'll assume that they remove the issue were aliens can keep mind controlling one unit constantly and after mission ends that unit counts as MIA

[Peristarkawan]

XenoMask, I'm guessing the pistol is for the "click-click" moment for situations like, uh, the heavy has spent all his ammo on suppression, and there's a chryssalid bearing down on him ringin' the ole dinner bell.

Another reason for everybody to carry a pistol is because the aliens are easier to stun and capture alive (which is said to be a very important gameplay element) if you weaken them first. Heavy weapons are obviously not going to be ideal for this purpose, but if your soldiers are carrying sidearms then you can switch to those and inflict wounds in a more controlled fashion.

[SyDaemon]

I'm passing on EU. The fact it greatly simplifies mechanics from the 1990s and included an 'action cam' does not sit well with me.

Personally, I'd expect an XCOM continuation to have: 1. Updated graphics 2. More depth and features, not less!

To be fair to XCOM: EU, you can turn the action cam off.

As for new features, I kinda liked the abilities that promotions grant to each soldier to make them unique. Most soldiers in OG ended up being the generic super soldier in the end. The abilities serve to both offer fully realised tactical options as well as make each soldier unique.

Though I have to admit, with the inventory removed completely, I would miss those moments where my soldiers had to toss magazines to each other when some of them ran out. Felt really realistic that way. Doing that reminds me of the Starship Trooper scene where they were defending a doomed outpost and were going "I'm out!" and tossing mags around saying "my last one, make it count!"

That's why I've preordered both anyway.

[XenoMask]

Though I have to admit, with the inventory removed completely,

Well, its not COMPLETELY removed, just mostly Four slots, weapon, pistol, armor and extra item. Apparently one class has perk that gives them one more item slot.

[alcari]

The small squads are what really change things for me. In the original, I'd (try to) bring a squad of hardcore veterans and rookies. The rookies would get the shitty jobs such as being the first through the door, or holding a corner. The veterans would do the most shooting from mostly "safe" places, at longer range, while the rookies were on point, looking around for those damn psionics. Eventually, they'd become veterans as well.

I doubt i'll do this in the new game. I'll have to be more careful, and can't use new recruits as mobile cover, because one man down isn't a 1/14th reduction in your force, it's 1/4th, or 1/6th later on. That's a pretty solid chunk of firepower you lose there.

[Gazz]

You can use a SHIV for mobile cover. =)

[2late]

After seeing the very long gameplay footage plus just having recently finished the demo I can safely say the new x-com is NOT the game that us x-com fans have been waiting for. All my hopes lie with xenonauts now.

ps: is there a thread where I can see pictures / screenshots from the latest builds?

Edited October 2, 2012 by 2late