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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 16:45:17 GMT -5
Post by Discoalucard on Feb 1, 2007 16:45:17 GMT -5
A few days ago, someone e-mailed me and suggested I write-up an article on X-COM. (Known as UFO: Alien Unknown to the European folk.)
It's been a long time since I played X-COM. Back when I was in junior high, I think. I really enjoyed it, but in general, it kicked my ass pretty hard. A few years later when Final Fantasy Tactics came out on the PSOne, I called up one of my friends and basically told him "It's like Final Fantasy mixed with X-COM!"
Anyway, for those not familiar with the game - it was a PC title in the mid-90s, apparently the spiritual successor to a bunch of turn based strategy games for the Spectrum. The idea was, aliens were invading, and you were put in charge a multinational corporation in charge of stopping them. Whenever a UFO was detected, you'd send out a squadron of soldiers to defeat them. Your success or failure in these missions will determine how much funding you can get from nations that pay your bills.
These segments were all 3/4 overhead tactical scenes, and they were TOUGH. Before you get armor, most of your guys get killed in one shot. Furthermore, a vast majority of your weapons are projectile based, and your guys can't aim for crap. There are three different type of aiming option with different damage and hit percentages, but it still seemed to be based way too much on chance.
This was my first real strategy game of the type, and I know I sucked at it. I might be better nowadays. I don't know.
The other big problem I had was keeping up with the technology curve. As you progressed through the game, the aliens would get more powerful weapons and abilities. In order to not fall behind, you needed to capture them or their weapons and research them, which usually gave you access to new equipment. Capturing live aliens was pretty tough if I remember correctly. It got rough when the psychic aliens came into play, because they could possess one of your squad members who was still sitting in the dropshop, and proceed to murder all of his comrades in a single turn.
But the scale of the whole thing was incredible. There was a lot more at stake than just single battles. Plus at atmosphere was amazing, Very dark and creepy.
The first two games got PSOne releases (second one only in Europe) although I've never played them. The US version was released around launch and is pretty rare. However, Namco published a GBA game called Rebelstar: Tactical Command about a year or two ago. It's made by some of the same people and it's basically just like X-COM, although stripped of most of the simulation elements in favor of squad-based tactical missions, and more RPG-like character development. It's also very good - it was a great deal at $20 when it came out, it's probably cheaper now.
There was a third game called X-COM Apocalpyse. I bought it years ago for a dollar. I never played it. There was also a flight-simmish thing called X-COM Interceptor which I also never played. After that, there were more Laser Squad descendents, which I also know nothing about except they're kinda X-COMish.
Anyone else have any stories? Or any interest in an article?
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 17:00:36 GMT -5
Post by ReyVGM on Feb 1, 2007 17:00:36 GMT -5
New articles for obscure games is always a plus, so yeah, do it if you get the time
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 17:41:40 GMT -5
Post by Weasel on Feb 1, 2007 17:41:40 GMT -5
X-Com Apocalypse is known around strategy circles as being the most unnecessarily complicated X-Com game ever. Not only are there the squad-based combat scenes (in both turn-based and optional real-time variants - the scenes are also much more complex architecturally, with at least one building where you must use hover lifts to rise several floors), but you must also manage your bases, reputation with the city, X-Com's relationship with the local companies (some companies will actually start hating you, and may show up in the middle of any of your missions). If I recall correctly, my dad had progressed a fair chunk into the game and ended up in a mission that didn't involve aliens at all - his X-Com units had been sent into a corporate headquarters to dissolve a hostage situation, which ended up with the building mostly demolished due to the enemy's insistence on using incendiary rockets and ammunition.
On that note, that must have been my favorite part of X-Com - the ability to demolish the environment. Why bother with flank and clear tactics on a farmhouse when you can order one of your guys with a rocket launcher to blow down all the walls with a single shot, leaving a small crater in place of the farmhouse?
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 17:42:28 GMT -5
Post by Discoalucard on Feb 1, 2007 17:42:28 GMT -5
Is X-COM really all that obscure though? I mean, it was like Game of the Year back in 1994 or so. I haven't done any research for fan sites, although the Wikipedia entries are surprisingly slim.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 18:35:17 GMT -5
Post by vysethebold on Feb 1, 2007 18:35:17 GMT -5
Okami got a lot of game of the year awards yet in a couple of years I think the game will be obscure due to it's low sales numbers. Just because a game got a lot of acclaim at the time does not mean it isn't obscure. I mean just think of Jet Set Radio, ICO, and Beyond Good and Evil. I think obscurity lies in attention of the buying public and sales.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 18:49:16 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2007 18:49:16 GMT -5
A few days ago, someone e-mailed me and suggested I write-up an article on X-COM. (Known as UFO: Alien Unknown to the European folk.) UFO: Enemy Unknown, actually. ;D And yes, an article of X-COM series would be nice. I've mostly just played the first game in the series. Nice intro it has.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 19:47:34 GMT -5
Post by Discoalucard on Feb 1, 2007 19:47:34 GMT -5
Gah I should've remembered that, I actually own the European version of the game (got it cheap at a computer show when I was young - man, that was the way to go to great brand new games for $20.)
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 20:14:05 GMT -5
Post by Neo Rasa on Feb 1, 2007 20:14:05 GMT -5
X-COM is probably one of my favorite games ever.
Despite the loading times, the PSX port is quite good and even has decently mixed music compared to the very simple midi most people had available on their PCs when the original game came out. Takes up pretty much your ENTIRE PSX memory card though. It supports the PSX mouse which is pretty cool.
If you do an article make sure you include the horrendous X-Com Interceptor and the fun yet short and easy X-Com Enforcer: Take THIS To Your Leader. There was also a very simplified X-Com Play By Email game.
X-COM: UFO Defense came out in late 1993 and was released in Europe (as UFO: Enemy Uknown) in early '94. An Amiga port was also released in the US in '94.
The email game was published by Hasbro Interactive in 1999. It was one of many such items released as full retail products that included Battleship and other simpler/more classic games. Graphically it provides a simple overhead map of the situation, with you and an opponent controlling aliens emailing turn actions/results back and forth.
Ironically this is the only implementation of being able to control the aliens in the main series, something that was originally planned for X-COM: Apocalypse.
X-COM: Enforcer is a Crusader-ish 3D action game (3D graphics that is) that was announced in the late nineties. Atari finally published the thing in 2001 both in Europe and the US. There's a site out there detailing regional difference that's pretty interesting as well as weapon upgrades/content missing from the final game.
Prior to this, Atari brought out the terrible X-COM Interceptor in 1998. I believe this one actually only got officially released in the US.
The most prominent influence on the original X-COM is Laser Squad. A PC/Commodore 64 game from the early eighties made by Krisalis Software Ltd. Very advanced for its time, even having area damage calculated for explosive weapons. It's also the namesake for the freeware successor to X-COM, Laser Squad Nemesis.
The biggest black dog of these is the 2003 game UFO: Aftermath. It was hyped as being a true successor in tone to the original X-COM but fails on various levels.
If you're going to include influences and successors make sure you mention Rebelstar: Tactical Command from Codo Games. They also made the Laser Squad Nemesis.
The atmosphere in X-COM and intensity is second to none. Only Jagged Alliance 2 comes close. I've never played a game so extremely difficult that manages to be as fun as X-COM is. The amount of sheer strategy required to succeed and the consequences of failure are not duplicated in any other game software that exists.
The research tree is so wonderful in it. Ambitious players could try to capture and look into some advanced weaponry early on. The most brilliant thing about the game is that around the halfway point, you have to not only make things for yourselves, but begin mass production of alien weaponry and equipment to sell so that you can be self-sustaining.
The way in which you would start to care for every individual soldier on your team despite their having no character development at all is incredible. You can name every individual soldier, and they each have a bevy of stats that increase based on their accomplishments in combat.
Despite that, the game NEVER becomes easy. There is no point in the game where you get too powerful because your success is almost entirely based on your ability to plan ahead and keep your guys under cover and safe.
A far cry from it, but another game probably worth mentioning due to how similar it is to X-COM and how goddamn awesome it is is Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate. Though despite being set in the freaking Warhammer 40,000 universe it STILL doesn't feel as epic as X-COM. That tactical globe and pulsating soundtrack goes a long way.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 20:55:05 GMT -5
Post by Weasel on Feb 1, 2007 20:55:05 GMT -5
The one thing that really killed me about X-COM, though, was the cancelled FPS title, X-COM Alliance. It was to be a Rainbow Six-style tactical action game using the Unreal engine. There were a few in-depth previews in the gaming magazines of the time, and a video trailer was also released, but Microprose ended up canceling it shortly before they folded/were acquired/whatever happened to Microprose. Sometimes I really miss their stuff.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 21:01:19 GMT -5
Post by MRSKELETON on Feb 1, 2007 21:01:19 GMT -5
If X-Com gets an article if I can get help I might consider pitching/roughing a Sydnicate article.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 21:29:33 GMT -5
Post by kal on Feb 1, 2007 21:29:33 GMT -5
I see an X-Com article as being a great idea, remember that this site is not just about unknown games but I felt also about preservation of games and series that were something but have since fallen from grace.
How many modern gamers can honestly pick out what X-Com is, it was 1994s game of the year which was well over a decade ago. Plus if anything tactical shooters in it's style have become more obscure over the years with real time engines being more plausible and with the recent surge in popularity of the JRPGs like FFTA, Diseaga, Fire Emblem etc (not mentioning the elder ones like Ogre etc) it's unlikely X-Com will make a true re-emurgance anytime soon.
Also Terror From the Deep is totally X-Com 1.5.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 22:09:02 GMT -5
Post by Neo Rasa on Feb 1, 2007 22:09:02 GMT -5
Agreed, Terror from the Deep is cool but it really is just X-COM with a different coat of paint. That's not a bad thing but it was disappointing to most when first played. Especially since you don't have ANY of the cool weaponry/technology you researched from the original game despite it being a VERY direct sequel (like, one year later...). It was cool that you find out that the aliens call their capital T'Leth and that you fight Cthulhu/Dagon type stuff at the end. Few games go that route.
While Atlus has been relatively prolific with the genre, turn based squad games are few and far between at this point. I'd definitely call it an obscure genre with even with the Fire Emblem series being very popular.
With that in mind I'd say an X-COM article is definitely appropriate. In addition, since X-COM is the most beloved of this sort of game, readers will be more open to trying out other games in the genre that articles are done on once this happens like the older (i.e., FREAKING AWESOME) Warhammer licensed games or the Jagged Alliance titles.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 22:16:36 GMT -5
Post by Discoalucard on Feb 1, 2007 22:16:36 GMT -5
Jagged Alliance also kicked my ass. A lot. I just remember it being a great tactical game with a similar huge sense of scope. I played a demo of it over and over, but once I got on the island and all I had were the crappy mercenaries? Yeah.
I have the second one - bought it twice, for odd reasons - but haven't played it yet either. It's getting a DS port though, which is awesome.
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X-COM
Feb 1, 2007 23:20:16 GMT -5
Post by steven on Feb 1, 2007 23:20:16 GMT -5
Never played it, but a quick story
My brother and his friends, who loved the whole Warcraft boom at the time, talked numerous times about pooling together a cash fund to buy X-COM. They never did, but I remember sitting there watching their enthusiasm and it's something that has stuck with me. Living room, at night, all lit up... their eagerness filling the room... innocent days those were
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X-COM
Feb 2, 2007 0:06:31 GMT -5
Post by Discoalucard on Feb 2, 2007 0:06:31 GMT -5
OK this thread needs pics: This is the title screen (of the European version, anyway.) The intro is really cool, but only in motion, because it's done kinda like an animated comic book. In stills, it's a bit dull looking. This is the Geoscape. I set my base up in America just because. And this is my first base, UFO Killer A. It already comes equipped with a handful of soldiers, scientists, equipment and stuff, including two interceptors (to shoot down UFOs) and one troop transport. This screen just shows you all the names of your soldiers. The backgrounds in these screens are all really, really cool, even though it's hard to make out the details when they're this small. The equipment screen. Right now I only have rifles, some kind of cannon on one of my guys, and a crappy pistol. Each guy also starts with an extra clip of ammo and a grenade. Equipping any of these also takes time units. My first battle. This screen is why X-Com is so goddamned scary. You can only see enemy movements if they're in any of your soldiers' line of sight. Otherwise, everything is hidden, and all you see is this screen. You can hear their footsteps, you can hear them opening and closing doors. Occasionally one will pop into view and you'll get a glimpse of them for a split second and hope TO GOD that they don't notice you - and if they do, pray that they have lousy aim. You can conduct autopsies on fallen bad guys. I think capturing floaters is how you can create various hovering equipment. There's a lot of background detail in the technology, detailed in the UFOpaedia. (It's a British game, hence the spelling.) Uh...I walked right through the front door of a grounded UFO and found four aliens. I tried to shoot one, and it hit, but one of the others got off another attack and killed my guy instantly. See, if your character has remaining time units at the end of a turn, you can set them to "snap shot" (I think that's the term) so they'll automatically attack if they see an enemy, regardless of whether it's your turn or not. The enemy, alas, can do the same thing. I brought in a couple squads to try to gun these guys down, because I didn't want to use explosives in fear of damaging the UFO power source. But I lost like three guys so I decided to reload my games. You can save any time during battle, but in order to reload, you need to abandon the mission, see the fail screen, and get back into the Geoscape. This vaguely discourages constant saving and loading just to get perfect shots off, but it definitely makes the difficulty more manageable. Plus, it's no big deal to lose most characters, especially if they're rookies - while you lose points at the end of the mission (which affects how much money you're ultimately given each month), soldiers are cheap to replace. Anyway, after reloading, I toss a grenade in and it kills all four aliens. The level ends, and the power source thankfully wasn't damaged. Another mission, in the Southwest USA. It's been a long time, but this game is still awesome.
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