XCom2 opinions

Okay, all you rat bastards that already have the game… Living up to the hype?

If you really arent dying for playing it now, id say wait for a couple of patches; it has alot of technical and optimisation problems. As for gameplay it delivers, even if most of the missions are time based, which is crap imo

It's disappointing to hear that there are a lot of time-based missions. I'm not a big fan of those at all.

Well in the first part of the game, maps are small so it might not be such an important issue but later probably maps get bigger so the timing thing becomes very annoying; still even at the beginning you feel rushed towards the objective, dont have much time to try different tactics or to explore.

One thing i really like is the soldier customisation, its far better and bigger than in the previous game.

And no to get very spoilerish but probably everyone interested in the game knows the aliens won in the first game, but the beginning of xcom2 is kinda stupid

Timed missions were my least favourite part of Xcom EW. It totally kills the tension you get by having the choice to stay put or push on.

When folk say "most" are timed, what are we talking? 90%? 80%?

Did 12 or 13 missions, maybe 8-9 needed done on a specific number on turns; anyway http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile…/?id=616857663 or http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile…/?id=616964599

Thanks for that info - I hate time-based missions, so I'll pass. A major benefit of turn-based for me is taking time and experimenting - if I'm on the clock, even if its not 'real-time', that annoys the hell out of me. I wasn't that keen anyway so it's no great loss…back to Dragon's Dogma

Originally Posted by porcozaur
Did 12 or 13 missions, maybe 8-9 needed done on a specific number on turns; anyway http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile…/?id=616857663 or http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile…/?id=616964599

Yeah thanks.

That's a bit wank in my book. I can understand how it encourages risk, so wouldn't mind it around 50% of the time. But surely that's too much, and cuts in to the tension?

I get the feeling that those who are praising it will soon become a bit sick of it at that kind of ratio.

Would love to hear if anyone who's playing the game thinks otherwise?

I wonder if time based missions can be modded out

Originally Posted by Warlod
I wonder if time based missions can be modded out

check 3 posts above

The timed missions can be a bit frustrating but by no means should you ignore this game based on that alone. I tell you , the sheer fun factor of this gem is extremely high.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
The timed missions can be a bit frustrating but by no means should you ignore this game based on that alone. I tell you , the sheer fun factor of this gem is extremely high.

I'll definitely get it at some point, but it's killed some of the enthusiasm I had for it.

Like I say, I don't mind them, I just want a fair balance of them, not for 3/4 missions to be time based.

This Metacritic review has really put me off it……



"XCOM 2 is challenging, but for the wrong reasons. Most of it comes from the randomness that exists as its core mechanic, from the level design (procedural), to hit chances, to turn limit sizes, to world map events. Whether you'll like it or not depends on what you want out of it.



Personally, I'd prefer a more tightly designed game that is harder than this (more enemies in maps +bigger maps +more "puzzle-y" encounters), but without the timers and stress and RNG everywhere. I'd rather have developer-designed maps and missions with tough encounters where you need to utilize the terrain and your equipment in the right way, rather than proceduraly generated missions with a turn limit that is barely enough for you to sprint to the objective and destroy it, and then pray as the 4 pods that you aggroed along the way rain down on you from the ceilings and wipe out your entire squad while your overwatches miss. Only to go back to the world map and see the Avatar gaining its 3rd ping in the same week due to RNG dark events.



XCOM 2 is overwhelming in a way that makes you feel helpless. Because you are. Better read some Reddit threads and restart the whole thing, doing only the absolutely most optimal things. Why do the rest of the options exist again?



You can mod out all the crazy 8 turn limits and massive random spikes in Avatar progress though. Great. What you are left with then is an extremely easy game. Guess why. Because that's what it is. An extremely easy game, made hard only through RNG rigged to screw you as a core design philosophy. The encounters themselves are easy and the maps are poorly designed, like everything procedural. There's no actual depth. There are no "damn, I'm a genious" moments as you lure an overwhelming force back to a well fortified position with half of your squad lying in the perfect ambush. The game gives you no time to think. No time to strategize. No time to have fun."

Does that mean the game is not a strategy any more that puts up your braincells to the test but - roguelike?

If you aren't paying attention to line of sight issues, and perhaps not knowing how accurate your troops are, you can really run into some trouble. I don't think an alien hardly ever missed me when they had a clear line of sight and proximity, but having a healer along will mitigate a lot of that damage. Also, you'd be amazed what simple/easy missions can wack some time off that avatar project, I even ran a few missions short-handed just because I wondered if it might shave some progress off the project.

I often complain about games being too easy, Xcom two listened to me, looked me in the eye and said, "what's up, son"?

Fundamentally the issue is that most pods have 90% of health that your squad can do in damage, ie at most one guy can miss *if* another crits. Anything else (eg 2 miss) and chances are you're looking at a world of hurt - just one hit taken usually means weeks off duty, sargeants rather than colonels in the next mission which means even more chance of failure, etc. There is literally no margin for error even on one difficulty above 'easy' and you have to be very clever with your use of abilities.

That or save scum, each turn, every turn. Which is not too much fun. And unlike EU/EW does not ease up mid/late game to reward your strategic layer successes. Last fight in the game is the hardest - sort of Alpha Protocol Brayko or Redbeard of Avadon … with extra chilli.

And all the above assumes you are "in sync" with the pod discovery. If one or more of your soldiers have finished their move (especially out of cover) when you see the enemy, then it's almost certainly back to save game menu, or again weeks at the infirmary.

No idea why playable MECs or gene implants were removed.

But for anyone that liked EU/EW enough DNA is there, and loads of mechanics improved on, if you can swallow your pride and play on 'easy' or read the power guides on reddit to min/max some of the frustration away…

This is a game that I need to resist buying for a year or 2. Bet it will be great after all the dlc's pathches and mods. And probably will be 75% off

Originally Posted by Warlod
This is a game that I need to resist buying for a year or 2. Bet it will be great after all the dlc's pathches and mods. And probably will be 75% off

I'll be doing the same. It seems the initial launch is very problematic on some machines.

Well I leave this one to those with a masochistic streak. Maybe it's a sign of aging but I like to play games for entertainment and not frustration.

A question for game owners. Is the random seed still set and cannot be cheated via load (much like the original one)?