Discuss and share all thoughts, idea's, experiances, and images about any of the X-Com games, here.
What is X-com? X-com is a game series startedby microprose in the 90's they created 3 of the primary games, which also ended up as the best in the series compared to other efforts by developers such as Enforcer and Interceptor. The 3 primary games were X-Com: UFO Defense, X-Com: Terror From The Deep, and X-Com: Apacolypse.
What is X-Com's Gameplay like? X-Com was a game about base management and defending the earth from Alien enemies in small-scale tactical maps which required tactics in order to overcome the alien hordes. This game also utilized destructible terrain/objects, aswell as interaction within the games environment in terms of other physical aspects (Fires, smoke, night missions, explosion splash zones being effected primarily by the terrain and area it explodes in). As you progress through the game you can buy and sell equipment or alien items/bodies you may recover and use a research tree to develop new technologies for use in the battlefield or to upgrade your current vehicles or give you an edge against the aliens with something like "Psionics".
If i'm new to the series, then why should i feel obligated to get one of these games? Well, it may be outdated in terms of graphics and OS, but with STEAM, you can now purchase these games with compatibility on Vista and XP. X-Com also has a gameplay style that requires extensive micro-management and some serious tactical thought into how you approach a mission, with mission types ranging from colony assaults, terror missions, base defenses, to recovering downed UFO's and more.
X-Com UFO Defense
Aliens visit earth, but not to share common interests and engage in global politics, but to assault Humanity and cause destruction and chaos. It is Xcom's job to defend the earth and root out this Alien incursion and put an end to them.
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Spoiler:
X-Com Terror From The Deep
40 Years later and the Aliens are at it again, only this time, they come from the depths of the ocean, now demonstrating newer, more lethal enemies both on land and at sea. Because of the games primary underwater environment, you will be forced to construct new tactics for battling this age-old foe, and thwarting them once more.
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Spoiler:
X-Com Apocalypse
50 Years later and once again, their at it. Again, using different Alien beings and weaponry although this time, your focus is on a single megacity which it is your job to protect and ensure that no Alien is hiding within your cities walls. With self-learning AI, this game surely suggests careful measures to be taken almost constantly and to prepare for the worst.
FYI, the UFO series is different to what you linked to.
UFO: Aftermath
UFO: Aftershock
UFO: Afterlight
The one you linked to isn't part of the UFO series.
Btw, Microprose also made X-Com Interceptor.
So far, I'm tentatively looking forward to 2K Game's upcoming X-Com game.
Bit of a change going FPS, but I enjoyed Fallout3 as much as its predecessors despite the changes.
Mind you, I look at it as less of a reboot/remake and more of a prequel.
FYI, the UFO series is different to what you linked to.
UFO: Aftermath
UFO: Aftershock
UFO: Afterlight
The one you linked to isn't part of the UFO series.
Btw, Microprose also made X-Com Interceptor.
So far, I'm tentatively looking forward to 2K Game's upcoming X-Com game.
Bit of a change going FPS, but I enjoyed Fallout3 as much as its predecessors despite the changes.
Mind you, I look at it as less of a reboot/remake and more of a prequel.
Actually UFO Defense and Apocalypse were developed by Mytho's games. TFTD was developed by microprose, but they were basicaly making the same game just with different graphics to cash in on the games first success while the rights to the series still belonged to Mythos (but it's still a good game). Interceptor was when mythos had to give Microprose the rights and which started the downward spiral of the series.
I liked to play UFO: Enemy Unknown aka UFO Defense with a friend back when it was released in the 90s. We were both kids then and at that time the game seemed rather scary, especially as it was quite difficult.
A few years later I played X-Com:TFTD on my own PC, I liked that one as well, although the under-water scenario took some getting used to. It had the same brilliant gameplay and dense atmosphere though (you never knew what kind of alien might lurk around in the corner in those terror missions).
The early X-Com games were also a delight to play because things could go so awfully wrong. In one of the first missions I played in Enemy Unknown an alien shot the first two guys to leave the transport plane, so the noob with the rocket launcher panicked and killed the rest of the team. Friendly fire could become quite a problem.
X-Com Apocalpyse was a great improvement over the other games with much nicer graphics, an innovative setting, lots of great research options and maps that could be dismantlet with expllosive and incendiary weapons. I played it a couple of months ago using a virtual windows installation.
I never played Interceptor, but from what I know that game must have sucked anyway. Not so sure what I think about the new game, it probably won't have a lot in common with the earlier games except for the name.
I liked to play UFO: Enemy Unknown aka UFO Defense with a friend back when it was released in the 90s. We were both kids then and at that time the game seemed rather scary, especially as it was quite difficult. A few years later I played X-Com:TFTD on my own PC, I liked that one as well, although the under-water scenario took some getting used to. It had the same brilliant gameplay and dense atmosphere though (you never knew what kind of alien might lurk around in the corner in those terror missions).
The early X-Com games were also a delight to play because things could go so awfully wrong. In one of the first missions I played in Enemy Unknown an alien shot the first two guys to leave the transport plane, so the noob with the rocket launcher panicked and killed the rest of the team. Friendly fire could become quite a problem.
X-Com Apocalpyse was a great improvement over the other games with much nicer graphics, an innovative setting, lots of great research options and maps that could be dismantlet with expllosive and incendiary weapons. I played it a couple of months ago using a virtual windows installation.
I never played Interceptor, but from what I know that game must have sucked anyway. Not so sure what I think about the new game, it probably won't have a lot in common with the earlier games except for the name.
I can't stop lolling at your avatar
But back on topic.
When things go "terribly" wrong, it's best to reload a save instead of just dusting off and acting like nothing happened or continueing the mission with 4 men left. Unless it's a VERY serious mission (capturing a live alien commander, assaulting a colony, defending a major city from a terror attack), then you should try and push on.
I keep using screen capture to get screens but forget to paste them. I'll try to remember today during a terror mission that occurred right before i got off last night.
P.S. Interceptor was very different, it was basicaly a space flight combat sim with basemanagement thrown into the mix.
Signature removed because david and goliath
Last edited by bud389; June 6th, 2010 at 09:38 AM.
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