Multiplat XCOM 2

[bourbons]

the sheer amount of bullshit RNG.

The amount of times I've had my whole squad set up on Overwatch only for them all to miss, or even worse the amount of shots I've taken that are listed as 80+% hit chance when I'm like only 2 squares away and my soilders shoot wide with a shotgun.

That sort of sh*t costs you missions or gets soldiers killed unless you are willing to reload the previous save.

Not to mention trying to Hack/shutdown with my specialist. 70+% successful hack chances seem to somehow fail 80% of the time.....

Agree with the ridiculously low hit chances from 2 squares away though. Think automatic 100s at least from adjacent squares or a close flank should be a thing - levelling rookies would be my most frustrating thing with these games, f**k they're useless lol

 

[Agent93]

Love/hate.

I love the core of the game, the strategic elements, the combat.

Tick

I hate the timewasting elements, the move limits, the WOTC bullshit.

Unsure what you mean around move limits, but I found WOTC to be much better than vanilla XCOM2

I love the customization, the visible progress from a rookie to a colonel.

Tick

I hate the stress mechanic, the sheer amount of bullshit RNG.

The timers, the stress. That can get in the bin.
I'd love to know the programming around the RNG, because I save scummed a hack and received the exact same result 9 times in a row before I gave up.

I love the themes, the story, the mickie-mouse level of evil of the aliens and the campness of the storyline.

The propaganda!

I hate the glitches, the crashes, the limited save system and the massive, massive, massive load times.

My advice here is to get on the community QoL mods, helps out a lot. Also vanilla XCOM2 takes ages longer to load than WOTC for some reason.

 

[Dancing Potato]

Love/hate.

I love the core of the game, the strategic elements, the combat.
I hate the timewasting elements, the move limits, the WOTC bullshit.
I love the customization, the visible progress from a rookie to a colonel.
I hate the stress mechanic, the sheer amount of bullshit RNG.
I love the themes, the story, the mickie-mouse level of evil of the aliens and the campness of the storyline.
I hate the glitches, the crashes, the limited save system and the massive, massive, massive load times.

XCOM 2, the game, is one of my favourite things ever. XCOM 2 the bullshit is just the biggest time sink and aggravation I own.

My most hated element is how fast paced and irritating the map/overworld screen is. I can't get through a simple 5 day scan for some resources without 10 interruptions - my rookie level up is complete, the research is complete, my covert op is complete, the avatar project is increasing, well done on your progress and here's some other things to scan, construction is complete, debris clearing is complete, Chosen activity has increased, here's a new non time critical mission, also here's a new time critical mission YOU MUST DO RIGHT NOW, also have you seen my keys...

I just want to explore the map at my own pace. I can deal with the stress and turn restrictions in the missions. Just not on the map please.

 

[StFly]

My most hated element is how fast paced and irritating the map/overworld screen is. I can't get through a simple 5 day scan for some resources without 10 interruptions - my rookie level up is complete, the research is complete, my covert op is complete, the avatar project is increasing, well done on your progress and here's some other things to scan, construction is complete, debris clearing is complete, Chosen activity has increased, here's a new non time critical mission, also here's a new time critical mission YOU MUST DO RIGHT NOW, also have you seen my keys...

I just want to explore the map at my own pace. I can deal with the stress and turn restrictions in the missions. Just not on the map please.

Was largely my issue with it, thematically it acts like you are running towards imminent danger instead of away from it and you simply can't slow down to then see the scenery since you're running towards the fighting constantly.

So it's less of the strategy vibe and more of the micromanagement vibe.

 

[juss]

Just finished WOTC campaign.

The ending definitely does hint at "not all is well" and leaves it open for a sequel or another game in the franchise, but they could have just done that to leave the door open without ever intending to use it. Given WOTC is a 2017 expansion, 5 years later still no hint of an XCOM 3 doesn't fill me with hope

Re WOTC, once you have a reasonably strong Templar, Skirmisher, PSI Operative and a Medic to keep them alive, you can't really lose no matter who the other 2 are. Those first 3 are OP as hell in the field and have so much utility with their abilities.

 

[Quokka]

So what about the basis of Xcom 2, that the first one was just war games being played in the Commander's head?

Initially I didn't like it from a story point of view but I don't mind it so much now and I did like the switch to guerrilla warfare.

Without going off Earth it's probably as good as any reason to reset back to rookies and no tech.

 

[bourbons]

So what about the basis of Xcom 2, that the first one was just war games being played in the Commander's head?

Initially I didn't like it from a story point of view but I don't mind it so much now and I did like the switch to guerrilla warfare.

Without going off Earth it's probably as good as any reason to reset back to rookies and no tech.

It wasn't that it was all in the Commanders head from memory, the events of XCOM1 were real and happened - iirc I think the canon is that at some point the aliens 'won' against XCOM (probably when the base assault mission happened in my case lol, f**k they were tough the first few times you experienced them), captured the Commander and hooked him up to the matrix to leverage his brilliant tactical mind running combat simulations. Bradford, Shen and Vahlen escape and begin a guerilla resistance as the aliens conquer earth, set up Advent and begin assimilating the population - Vahlen disappears studying the alien rulers, Shen dies at some point and his daughter takes over, and XCOM2 begins when Bradford finally locates where the aliens are keeping the commander and frees him.

Its kinda brilliant imo as a way to somewhat codify whatever an individual's experience in XCOM1 was. Obviously it works if you got your arse kicked and never finished the game, but if you did finish it - yeah those late game missions were just simulations in the Commander's head after being captured at some point.

I actually love the meta story in XCOM lol, cutscenes in 1 with Vahlen, Shen and Bradford are gold (CLOSE RANGE??? ). My only real complaint with 2 is that Vahlen and Shen Snr aren't around (was sure you'd find Vahlen at some point but nup), and they changed Bradford's voice actor. But yeah the story is still good.

Always hoped for an XCOM3 that goes off-world, take the fight to the alien homeworld or something.

 

[juss]

Always hoped for an XCOM3 that goes off-world, take the fight to the alien homeworld or sosomething.

That'd be cool, and would give the visual designers a lot of creative freedom for landscapes, scenes, weapons, visuals, etc.

 

[Quokka]

It wasn't that it was all in the Commanders head from memory, the events of XCOM1 were real and happened - iirc I think the canon is that at some point the aliens 'won' against XCOM (probably when the base assault mission happened in my case lol, f**k they were tough the first few times you experienced them), captured the Commander and hooked him up to the matrix to leverage his brilliant tactical mind running combat simulations. Bradford, Shen and Vahlen escape and begin a guerilla resistance as the aliens conquer earth, set up Advent and begin assimilating the population - Vahlen disappears studying the alien rulers, Shen dies at some point and his daughter takes over, and XCOM2 begins when Bradford finally locates where the aliens are keeping the commander and frees him.

Its kinda brilliant imo as a way to somewhat codify whatever an individual's experience in XCOM1 was. Obviously it works if you got your arse kicked and never finished the game, but if you did finish it - yeah those late game missions were just simulations in the Commander's head after being captured at some point.

I actually love the meta story in XCOM lol, cutscenes in 1 with Vahlen, Shen and Bradford are gold (CLOSE RANGE??? ). My only real complaint with 2 is that Vahlen and Shen Snr aren't around (was sure you'd find Vahlen at some point but nup), and they changed Bradford's voice actor. But yeah the story is still good.

Always hoped for an XCOM3 that goes off-world, take the fight to the alien homeworld or something.

I love Bradford as a character green army jumper and all. Like you said I wish they hadn't changed the voice actor but grizzled Ranger Bradford kicking ass in the snake cave was still awesome.

 

[Duck Farmer]

XCOM 2 Collection currently $6 on Xbox store.

 

[Beerfish]

XCOM 2 Collection currently $6 on Xbox store.

That's a bargain

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Very addictive. And very good strategy game.

However, the difficulty spikes combined with lack of any real onboarding is some horrendous gameplay design.

 

[bourbons]

Very addictive. And very good strategy game.

However, the difficulty spikes combined with lack of any real onboarding is some horrendous gameplay design.

I find the early game much harder than the late game. Rookies are absolutely useless, getting through those first few months before you can level up a squad can be pretty horrendous. But then at some point mid to late game when your tech research and gear is finally up to scratch you start snowballing, in every run I've played the vast majority of my soldier deaths are in the first half.

Bit of a weird game/balance in that regard.

 

[juss]

Very addictive. And very good strategy game.

However, the difficulty spikes combined with lack of any real onboarding is some horrendous gameplay design.

It's a great game, I play on the standard/normal difficulty and it's tricky at the start but as bourbons said, eventually your team as you level up become ultra powerful and I find I can stomp pretty much every battle by the end game.

The War of the Chosen expansion adds a layer of difficulty but still beatable.

I imagine the harder difficulties would be quite brutal.

I'm really hoping they bring out an XCOM 3 because it's a terrific game.

Phoenix Point is probably the closest comparison, but has its own unique mechanics and is also very good and requires a high level of strategy, Im yet to beat that game but have only done one or two playthroughs. The difficulty scale is different to XCOM in the fact I actually find the game harder as it goes on rather than easier. Worth checking out once you're done with XCOM 2.

 

[StFly]

It's a great game, I play on the standard/normal difficulty and it's tricky at the start but as bourbons said, eventually your team as you level up become ultra powerful and I find I can stomp pretty much every battle by the end game.

The War of the Chosen expansion adds a layer of difficulty but still beatable.

I imagine the harder difficulties would be quite brutal.

I'm really hoping they bring out an XCOM 3 because it's a terrific game.

Phoenix Point is probably the closest comparison, but has its own unique mechanics and is also very good and requires a high level of strategy, Im yet to beat that game but have only done one or two playthroughs. The difficulty scale is different to XCOM in the fact I actually find the game harder as it goes on rather than easier. Worth checking out once you're done with XCOM 2.

As a legendary ironman player, you have NFI.

X-Com reboot, piss easy, miss a 100% no worries you have 14 others and easy tech runs to go 'I'll spend 4 hours mapping ways to own these mobs and map" Enemy Within shaves it a little but still doable.

X2, first 50% is "I have a shoe string, a paper clip and I'm missing half my face" on maybe your 47th retry just cause you had shitter luck previously.

But gee, when you reach that threshold of 'this is brutal" to "this is acceptable", you can just sing oh so sweetly your song of death to all xeno filth.

Legend ironman is generally;
You know the map in and out.
You know what spawns where when and how.
You have already accepted that "$40" new recruit is better than rookie #12 you used to scout ahead and lead back to your kill zone because you "hedged bets".
All this also took maybe 2 hours of "gameplay".

Don't be mad like me, it's not worth.

 

[netslave]

xcom ptsd is real

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

I’m not sure what that post is exactly.