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This one, unlike the other one, looks like it'll be a remake.

Cool. I wonder if it'll be a full fledged AAA game or one that focuses on gameplay instead?

Ah, good. I patiently await the return of Patrick Stewart.

I think it'll be a AAA release if only because X-COM is one of those titles that anyone who is played PC games for any length of time knows about.

It is basically the perfect developer though.

I'm wondering if they'll keep the unforgiving difficult, or soften it up. Maybe they'll just include a customization system that allows on-off permadeath, etc.

dogma wrote:I think it'll be a AAA release if only because X-COM is one of those titles that anyone who is played PC games for any length of time knows about.

It is basically the perfect developer though.

I'm wondering if they'll keep the unforgiving difficult, or soften it up. Maybe they'll just include a customization system that allows on-off permadeath, etc.

I'm fine with the original difficulty level, and I'd be willing to put up with something as unforgiving a game as TFTD was, but in this day and age, it would boil people's brains.


Also, I'm hoping that someone on the dev team has read a few of the amazing Let's Plays that used X-COM.

Nerivant wrote:I'm fine with the original difficulty level, and I'd be willing to put up with something as unforgiving a game as TFTD was, but in this day and age, it would boil people's brains.

Quite true. I really hope they won't dumb it down too much just to cater to a larger audience, though. "Lowest common denominator" is killing originality and uniqueness left and right. Most of the time it's an indy developer that keeps the old spirit alive, though. Still, Firaxis is one of the better "established" companies in regards to that, so maybe we're in luck this time.

And thanks for the link, OP - I hadn't heard about that one yet. The original UFO retains a special place in my gamer heart. Just give me my ammo-less laser rifle and I'm ready to bust some Silicoid ass!

Wait, they are remaking X-Com. Like, how it was before?

There is only one reaction for this



Also, what is AAA?

CthuluIsSpy wrote:Also, what is AAA?

A level of "industry standard" describing the amount of money that went into a project - which is usually proportional to the degree of "shinyness" (fancy cinematics, expensive voiceovers, etc) used to lure in more players, often at the expense of the actual core gameplay, which is in turn dumbed down to be "accessible to a wider audience".

Basically ... C -> B -> A -> AA -> AAA ... it's like the system they use to classify the credit status of nations. I'm sure you've heard it in the previous days or weeks, as stuff like upgrading/downgrading various countries in combination with the ongoing financial crisis was all over the news.

In terms of video/computer games, AAA = Hollywood prime project. Think Transformers or the new Star Trek movie. AAA movies or games do not have to be like that, but the above formula often hits true, so one might say there exists a certain ... stigma regarding this.

UFO Enemy Unknown needs modding to update it, and combine with Terror from the Deep so that the original campaign is simultaneous.

Update all that with new graphics and I will be happy.

However 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' is something far too many computer designers forget.

A lot of fans seem to not realize how broken their games are though.

Melissia wrote:A lot of fans seem to not realize how broken their games are though.

Tell me about it. TFTD is so ungodly broken its not even funny.
I'm looking at you, research system

The original Enemy Unknown makes realize how much I love hot keys.

More info.

What tedium and uninteresting mechanics?

How about that it took about 8 separate commands to move, duck, and shoot?

Not to mention that your elite operatives did not know how to reload their weapons.

dogma wrote:Not to mention that your elite operatives did not know how to reload their weapons.

Well, that does make sense. It does take time to load weapons, and if it was automatic it will take the soldier's chance to move.
What would you rather, run away from the crysalid (bloody OP thing that is) with an empty gun, or reload and get eaten?
However, spending TU to open the inventory and drag and clip to the gun was a bit annoying. The FO system was better...but then again FallOut was released like 4-5 years after Xcom so go figure.

CthuluIsSpy wrote:
What would you rather, run away from the crysalid (bloody OP thing that is) with an empty gun, or reload and get eaten?

I would rather have an option called "automatic reload". Or, honestly, reload as an action that used no TU that was performed automatically.

"you absolutely can lose the game if you screw up too badly"

Please, please, please let them include a difficulty setting where you lose if you screw up even a middling amount.

dogma wrote:I would rather have an option called "automatic reload". Or, honestly, reload as an action that used no TU that was performed automatically.

Which is where we get to dumbing down the game, as it removes the somewhat difficult yet exciting mini-choice posed by CthululsSpy's scenario. In fact, why do we even need ammunition when reloads are automatic and don't use points, right? Let's remove that as well. I'm sure there are players out there who don't want to bother with micromanaging their soldiers' inventory.

No, thanks.

Ahtman wrote:How about that it took about 8 separate commands to move, duck, and shoot?

I didn't mind that, tbh. The only reason it was that much was because most actions had to be confirmed, and I prefer this to the alternative of potentially wasting TPs because of a mis-click, as small as the chance might be. That said, I'd agree that this is an area that could perhaps be customized via options?

Yeah, I liked the micromanagement of TPs. Lead to interesting questions like "Do I have enough time to get to the door, open it and fire a burst or am I just going to be standing in the doorway like an donkey-cave looking at an alien?"

Lynata wrote:

Ahtman wrote:How about that it took about 8 separate commands to move, duck, and shoot?

I didn't mind that, tbh.

Tbh, I don't mind that you don't mind.

There's also the fact that removing the TU requirement for reloading weapons will basically ruin the laser rifle's uniqueness.
What made it a popular choice, even after researching plasma, was the fact that it didn't need to reload.
Removing ammo and manual loading will just make it like any other gun.

You do know that if you basically want the same game, that it still exists and that you can play it. I'm not sure I would want to play the same game over and over and for one welcome change.

Ahtman wrote:You do know that if you basically want the same game, that it still exists and that you can play it. I'm not sure I would want to play the same game over and over and for one welcome change.

Yep, I still have it on my computer.

If they would take the exact same engine, slap new graphics and optimize it for modern computers, throw in a new storyline and new missions, I think they'd make a bajillion dollars.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Which brings up the point that I am surprised the game industry hasn't gone the way of the movie industry in just rehashing old properties. X-Com, Master of Magic, Final Liberation, etc would all be great games with just updates to bring them in line with modern computing and way cheaper than making a whole new game.

pretre wrote:If they would take the exact same engine, slap new graphics and optimize it for modern computers, throw in a new storyline and new missions, I think they'd make a bajillion dollars.

They'd also be boring, talentless hacks ruining a good game series via stagnation.

Melissia wrote:

pretre wrote:If they would take the exact same engine, slap new graphics and optimize it for modern computers, throw in a new storyline and new missions, I think they'd make a bajillion dollars.

They'd also be boring, talentless hacks ruining a good game series via stagnation.

I disagree. I think that most of the time when they reboot these kind of games they ruin the interface in the process of making it modern. I would much rather have a sequel to X-Com that maintains all of the core elements than some modernized piece of junk.

pretre wrote:

Melissia wrote:

pretre wrote:If they would take the exact same engine, slap new graphics and optimize it for modern computers, throw in a new storyline and new missions, I think they'd make a bajillion dollars.

They'd also be boring, talentless hacks ruining a good game series via stagnation.

I disagree. I think that most of the time when they reboot these kind of games they ruin the interface in the process of making it modern. I would much rather have a sequel to X-Com that maintains all of the core elements than some modernized piece of junk.

And I feel that if all they change is the graphics, they're just lazily regurgitating the same crap over and over again, there's no fun in buying the same game more than once.

It's why I haven't bought starcrapped 2, it's just a the same game crapped out with marginally improved graphics really, despite the game it's a sequel to being over a decade old.

Melissia wrote:And I feel that if all they change is the graphics, they're just lazily regurgitating the same crap over and over again, there's no fun in buying the same game more than once.

It's why I haven't bought starcrapped 2, it's just a the same game crapped out with marginally improved graphics really, despite the game it's a sequel to being over a decade old.

Note that I didn't say just upgrade the graphics.

pretre wrote:If they would take the exact same engine, slap new graphics and optimize it for modern computers, throw in a new storyline and new missions, I think they'd make a bajillion dollars.

Emphasis.

So you just want an expansion pack? That'd be fine if they don't price it like a full game.

Melissia wrote:So you just want an expansion pack? That'd be fine if they don't price it like a full game.

Yeah, I'd pay $20/$30 for an X-Com 'expansion' if we want to call it that. Is that what they charge for expansions nowadays?