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xenonauts mentioned in xcom gamespy review


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That's not quite what was said, I'm afraid. The quote is...

So if this is Batman Begins, does that mean X-COM: Enforcer is Batman & Robin? That... actually makes a lot of sense. Anyway, I kind of hate to see the old Time Units go, but we're in luck: they're back in Xenonauts, an indie X-COM homage that sticks much closer to the original formula, is on the verge of a beta!
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Mentioned in Arstechnica's EU review as well:

In the end, this is not the X-Com that everyone was expecting. It’s more. It’s better. If you’re merely looking for a highly competent re-skin of the original X-Com, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Xenonauts from fledgling developer Goldhawk Interactive.

I know this reviewer acted on his own but Chris, when talking to these so called journalists, please be sure they understand that Xenonauts is not a reskin. It pisses me off so much when I see comments like this.

One could easily argue that Xenonauts add as much new stuff as EU if not more.

Air combat - Definitely beyond what EU has done

Truly collapsible buildings - EU has quite reduced capacity for terrain destruction

Directional cover - EU cover (just like its LoS) has 360 coverage (affected by flanking), non-cover terrain is practically irrelevant

Xenonauts' expanded weapon roster provides a lot of the activated ability functionality of EU (like suppression). Xenonauts uses its combined arms just as EU uses its ability combos.

Combat shields, flamethrowers, flashbangs, friendly npc combatants?

Point being that there's a lot of new things in this "reskin" that easily rivals EU in terms of quantity and quality and that's all in addition to the already compelling core x-com features.

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Hmm, I think we'll struggle to shed that label, simply because the changes that Firaxis have made in theirs always make the changes we have made pale in conmparison. Yes, it's not completely accurate but if we're getting fleeting mentions in the reviews of AAA games I think it's best to be thankful for that rather than annoyed they don't have their facts 100% straight.

But yes, I'll be trying to get some more coverage around beta time (or alpha-plus time) and I'll be sure to talk about the changes in more detail then.

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People on 2K forums are also under same impression, they don't find changes in Xenonauts to be that major.

The problem is the differences between x-com and x-nauts aren't obvious on the surface. If I found out about Xenonauts only like a month ago even I might think the same. If you just look at screenshots and nothing else reskin seems like the "logical" conclusion.

With the new EU the differences are immediately apparent via its visuals whereas with Xenonauts you need to trawl through the forum or be a long time follower to be truly familiar with, or even aware of them.

The ideal thing would be if, a little while after the beta release, some friendly reviewer agreed to an interview/article with a special emphasis on how xenonauts differs from x-com which would also allow for a lot of talk about specific features and the beta in general. Make it a story about how deficiencies of an old school game can be fixed/updated while also adding new things on top of it. It would be a great angle to look at this from imo.

Not sure how open game journalists are to 3rd party ideas/suggestions or if they always just do their own thing, take it or leave it.

Edited by Jean-Luc
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i read reviews like "no more carrying ammo", "can't pick-up fallen comrade's medikit to use" and "12 predesigned maps repeatedly appear in 70 streamlined missions" on XCOM-EU.

"simplified" or "dumbed-down", you name it.

while Xenonauts tend to "complicate" things, including deliberately putting pants for sectoid!

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"12 predesigned maps repeatedly appear in 70 streamlined missions" on XCOM-EU.

There should be 80 maps but maybe some have had bad luck with repetitions.

while Xenonauts tend to "complicate" things, including deliberately putting pants for sectoid!

Well, Sectoids' clothing was a bit too "streamlined" in the OG. :P

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i read reviews like "no more carrying ammo", "can't pick-up fallen comrade's medikit to use" and "12 predesigned maps repeatedly appear in 70 streamlined missions" on XCOM-EU.

"simplified" or "dumbed-down", you name it.

while Xenonauts tend to "complicate" things, including deliberately putting pants for sectoid!

1) Do you prefer to have cards that let you do everything or sub optimal cards to use in specific ways to overcome? Which one is harder and requires more strategy? Which one you prefer?

2) Original game creates random maps from set pieces that look the same. Are you saying that every farm DOESN'T look identical? 80 handcrafted(increased to 100 when counting varieties) has at least completely unique maps even though they will repeat eventually.(though in original they repeat all the time) At least different spawn spots and random enemy placement(and random enemies) will change things just as much as original. Though with different spawn spots it might take you while to notice its same map.

3) Simplified =/= streamlined =/= dumbed down.

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That... Doesn't answer to any of my three points actually :P

sorry, i thought saying old school has answered it.

1) i prefer micromanagement even up to the very last bullet.

2) i prefer random maps from a set of tiles, needless to highlight to me on how many trillion combinations they have as in Borderlands weapons, but good enough to let me know a farmhouse in the middle of the map will totally different strategy to the farmhouse randomized at the edges of the map, as compared to the fixed map where the burger restaurant is always at the same place.

3) absolutely, i totally agreed that they are not entirely equal. however, over-do on any other may lead to chain reaction to the others, vice versa.

well, it is just my personal preference, wish no offence to the others. :o

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There should be 80 maps but maybe some have had bad luck with repetitions.

I noted one of the maps in a vid linked by Xenomask was a flipped around version of the second map in the demo. It was an escort mission of some scientist instead of an eliminate the aliens mission like in the demo.

Not sure if they consider that a new map or a repetition.

No idea, which thread that was in and I'm far too lazy to wade through his posts to find it. :P

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I noted one of the maps in a vid linked by Xenomask was a flipped around version of the second map in the demo. It was an escort mission of some scientist instead of an eliminate the aliens mission like in the demo.

Not sure if they consider that a new map or a repetition.

No idea, which thread that was in and I'm far too lazy to wade through his posts to find it. :P

Like I said, thats one advance of random spawnpoints, maps seem different when from different angle. But yeah, its considered repetition even if experience is different :P

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Hmm, I think we'll struggle to shed that label, simply because the changes that Firaxis have made in theirs always make the changes we have made pale in conmparison. Yes, it's not completely accurate but if we're getting fleeting mentions in the reviews of AAA games I think it's best to be thankful for that rather than annoyed they don't have their facts 100% straight.

But yes, I'll be trying to get some more coverage around beta time (or alpha-plus time) and I'll be sure to talk about the changes in more detail then.

Definitely, I would have never known about this project if it wasn't for the 2k forums. Being mentioned but with the facts wrong is better than not being mentioned at all.

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Definitely, I would have never known about this project if it wasn't for the 2k forums. Being mentioned but with the facts wrong is better than not being mentioned at all.
I found this game because it was mentioned on Steam's XCOM forum. I'm really loving what I see so far and have even pre-ordered a copy.
Hmm, I think we'll struggle to shed that label, simply because the changes that Firaxis have made in theirs always make the changes we have made pale in conmparison.

Chris, I really hope you don't think Firaxis' changes were for the better. When I play XCOM: EU I feel like I'm playing X-COM Lite. Most of the actual gameplay that made the original great has been stripped out and replaced with things like "Click This Button To Get Your Next Mission" (scan button on the geoscape). They've even removed the passage of time itself or at least rendered it meaningless.

Also, it's designed to be something that can be completed in a couple of days (casually). I want a game with some real meat on it's bones! :D I played the first X-COM for about 3 years and I keep going back to it. I seriously doubt I'll replay XCOM: EU. What would be the point?

Anyway, sorry for rambling. I'm a little drunk and it's late LOL!

Edited by Par'Gellen
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Well, the great thing about Xenonauts is : we know what it gonna give us right at the first look.

It was 3 months ago for me, just succeed in getting one of my colleague hooked in Xcom. And then I take a look on the net and found out [yeah very late] that Firaxis is making a Xcom remake. I jumped to the ceiling with joy. Then go around find out about the new Xcom. 30 minutes later I got my hope crushed by the streamlined and dumbed down way of the game. Then in some review I saw people mention Xenonauts. Thought to myself "must be another failure attemp" but still going to the homepage for a look anyway. And then... OMG THIS IS IT !!! This is exactly what I have been wishing for.

It was love at first sight *O*

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