Games Inspired by X-COM

[evilcommiedictator]

#2820

I thought for those who liked the style of X-COM: UFO Defense, it would be worth mentioning the other games that are a similar style (but not with the X-COM license or developers)

The big one for me is Xenonauts (2014), which resembles most of the original X-COM, with updated 2D graphics, easier management systems and slightly more developed air combat. You can now equip your soldiers with riot shields to actually have cover for once!
This will be followed up with Xenonauts 2, currently in early access. Being made in 3D, builds can be downloaded online. Set during the apex of the cold war, you need to save humanity from itself as well as the alien threat!

I know that games like “UFO: Alien Invasion” have been mentioned in other threads, I haven’t played them, so I’ll let others talk about them

[Mgoddard]

#2822

Pathway is a more recent game that I get X-Com vibes from.

It has gandom generation of maps and events but the turn based strategy sections look neat.

[Canageek]

#2823

I was actually introduced to X-COM by UFO: Alien Invasion. I would have been playing it in high school, I think. The graphics at the time where a lot better, as was the UI. Plus: Free, and I didn’t have a lot of money in high school, and GoG and Steam were not around yet. That said, in 2005 or so, the graphics where not bad. They have aged poorly in the last decade though, as 3D models do, while the X-COM graphics are still charming 2D work.

The biggest flaw is that you can’t do damage to buildings or UFOs. Also now that OpenXCom has fixed up the UI, I’m noticing some rough spots.

On the plus side, they got someone who is pretty good at writing to do the UFOpedia entries, and those are quite nice. They give much more of sense of weight and background as to why you are the only ones responding, why you don’t have a network of bases and whatnot.

It also cleans up some stuff like having to assign research through each base, instead making research assignments a global issue.

[Canageek]

#2824

I helped kickstart Xenonauts so actually have a copy, though I’ve never played it. I kept saying I’d finish X-COM first….

[Canageek]

#2826

Oh, UFO:AI also has a much more sensible ship design, where troops leave it from either side, like a military helicopter, instead of by a ramp at the back. However, a big issue I have is that its got some very complex maps (which is good), but you get less people then in X-COM (I want to say eight or ten) instead of 14, so it is harder to actually cover your back and have a team cover unexplored areas and whatnot.

They did a cool thing with overwatch though. I never could figure out exactly how it worked in X-COM, but in UFO:AI you save a set number of TUs based on the type of fire you want to do. Then if an alien is in your field of vision for more then that number of TUs (eight for snap shot, for example), your troop takes that type of shot.

[evilcommiedictator]

#2830

For overwatch in UFO Defence and TFTD, overwatch is based on a solder’s reaction stat, as opposed to an explicit skill. Xenonauts I think is the same.
Having more troops on the field really makes it easier to send out rookies intentionally to die, which is kinda lost in the newer xcom games sadly

[Canageek]

#2836

Thanks. My big issue was in X-COM you can use sensible tactics like sweeping the map slowly, with cleared areas entrances being watched so aliens don’t move back into them.

The other thing I learned about X-COM (2016) vs X-COM (199X) is that in the old ones all aliens on the map are active, if you can see them or not. So in some maps (Terror missions) it makes sense to move around and rush as civilians are getting killed and turned into aliens. However, in the modern one, encounters don’t activate until you see them, so you should keep your forces bunched up, so you only see one encounter at a time.

[Evil Taco]

#2840

Terror mission civilians are one of the few reasons for being very active in the original.. well, apart from blaster launcher fire and psi attacks.. the later I’ve set to LOS only in OpenXcom, so there goes that reason!

This time around I’m learning there’s not really much reason to enter UFOs, it’s better just to wait outside for the aliens to come out. ..or is it?

[Canageek]

#2849

Well, not the exact right thread, but I’m finding there are lots of aliens that never leave. Or do they come out after 20 turns when the map is revealed to them?