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  • Subject: X-Com Frustrations
Subject: X-Com Frustrations

I can only please one person per day.

Today isn't your day.

Tomorrow isn't looking too good either.

So I finally got X-Com: Enemy Unknown as an early birthday present (mine is on Dec. 26) and have been trying to play it for the last few days.

I'm no stranger to strategy games. I've bent many an RTS and TBS to my will. Civilization except on the hardest difficulty (where the computer is allowed to cheat) poses no challenge to me.

And though I didn't get to play the original X-Com, this new one shouldn't pose too much of a problem, right? Apply real-life squad tactics, use my head, take it slow, exploit LoS, everything will be fine. A few people may die, but hey, that is what happens in desperate battles, right?

Except I can't bend the rules of bull-blam!- to my will. The things that happen are the most aggravating things...and always against my favor.

Even uninjured SGTs. panic if a fly farts nearby them (though ironically, they seem to have better aim when panic'd than normally). Even with good LoS, height advantage and flanking, my soldiers couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if they were inside it. They die if the aliens use harsh language.

Meanwhile the aliens pull off impossible shots (I've seen an alien on Overwatch hit a Dashing' soldier through a wall, a tree and a car window before), are unshakable and can take a good deal of damage.

I feel like I'm losing not because of bad tactics....but because a RNG is saying "F#$%@ you. I don't like you." I know its supposed to be a hard game.......but it feels like its hard not because of tactics, planning and strategy but because of random chance and BS.

  • 12.17.2012 11:40 AM PDT
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the will to win is the will to destroy

you'll get through it bro i did nothing worse than thin men getting crits on your recruits

  • 12.17.2012 11:41 AM PDT

"I will show you how a true Prussian officer fights!"

"And i will show you where the iron crosses grow..."

- "Cross of Iron"

Welcome to X-COM!

  • 12.17.2012 11:42 AM PDT
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the will to win is the will to destroy

also just thought i would say about the chance of hits on the game are complete bull-blam!- most of the time i could reload a save numerous times with a guy who missed a 99% hit rate and he would miss every reload.

  • 12.17.2012 11:43 AM PDT

On the Left

Godshatter: I can go all the way with someone without being attracted to them.
CamCamm: How does that work?
Godshatter: I'm easily aroused by anything that moves. It's a curse.
Brain says 'No, that's ugly', body says 'ugly is fine with me'.

Is X-Com similar to Company of Heroes?

Ive been wanting to get xcom.

  • 12.17.2012 11:45 AM PDT

"I will show you how a true Prussian officer fights!"

"And i will show you where the iron crosses grow..."

- "Cross of Iron"


Posted by: Razgriz Berkut
Is X-Com similar to Company of Heroes?

Ive been wanting to get xcom.


No, it is turn based strategy.

  • 12.17.2012 11:46 AM PDT
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the will to win is the will to destroy


Posted by: Razgriz Berkut
Is X-Com similar to Company of Heroes?

Ive been wanting to get xcom.
get it bro what i find it fun to do is name the soldiers after people you know

  • 12.17.2012 11:47 AM PDT
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Writer's Corner
6/15/2011 11:39 PM: bobcast [2597260] issued a 3 day ban expiring on 6/18/2011 11:39 PM.
Reason: A Bungie.net Forum Moderator has banned you for violating the code of conduct and/or rules of the forum in the thread below
http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=61704535
Inappropriate. Went a little to far with the butt hole tearing.

Games that challenge you to think differently are the most fun?

  • 12.17.2012 11:48 AM PDT

Gamertag: AC Mobius

RIP Derek Farley

Use your soldiers' classes to your advantage. Assault's "Run & Gun" is amazing. Use Support for Overwatch and healing. Also, Sniper's are really OP with Squad-Sight and Double Tap.

  • 12.17.2012 11:49 AM PDT
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the will to win is the will to destroy


Posted by: Ninebreaker999
Use your soldiers' classes to your advantage. Assault's "Run & Gun" is amazing. Use Support for Overwatch and healing. Also, Sniper's are really OP with Squad-Sight and Double Tap.
having your assault guys with the reflex upgrade allows them to clear the way if enemies are on overwatch for you other units to close in for the kill also having a heavy with the i think it is called bullet storm upgrade allows them to shoot twice in a turn if they do not move so i shoot the once and if they miss use suppression

  • 12.17.2012 11:52 AM PDT

I can only please one person per day.

Today isn't your day.

Tomorrow isn't looking too good either.

Holy crap!

Whomever decided an RNG should decide the outcome of your actions is an ass. I think in 10 hours of playing I've only made 1 actual tactical error that lead to a death - the rest has been because a freaking RNG has said "Screw you!" and squad wiped me.

Like just now on the "Slingshot" mission. Bring 4 veterans and good gear. Move up slowly (not even past the first wall), staying in formation for Turn 1. A thin Man drops in the graveyard and one directly to my back and slightly to the left. Thin Man in graveyard no threat - it has bad LoS, is in bad cover, I have multiple angles on it. Focus on Thin Man behind me.

Target with LMG w/Holo Targeting. 60% to hit - miss, but now is Holo Marked.

Fire nearly point blank with shotgunner - 98% to hit - miss!

Fire at him with Support - 75% chance to hit - MISS!

Fire at him with Sniper - 95% to hit - MISS! Again!

Well, now I have to get Zhan to cover.....except the graveyard Thin Man gets a miraculous reaction shot critical kill. Chan goes down.....and my Support guy freaks, axing my Sniper with a critical hit! Alien turn........one-shots my LMG, causing my Assault to freak and axe my Support.......then second Thin Man poisons my Assault, and Squad wipe on Turn 2 less than an hour into a new campaign.

I made no tactical mistakes. I damn neared followed the book on small unit movement and combat. Had well-trained soldiers, none of whom had been injured before. Brought medkits and frags, gave a SCOPE to the Sniper.

But a RNG decided "No, none of that matters". Doesn't matter that the enemy made -blam!- tactical decisions - they still won. I don't even want to do the math to figure out the statistical probability of what happened occurring, because I think seeing the number would make me cry.

I'm having a hard time classifying this as a "Strategy" game. It seems more like a "Game of Chance/Gambling" game. If my decisions are all going to be undone by an RNG......why have me make any decisions?

  • 12.17.2012 5:51 PM PDT
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Posted by: Raptorx7
Welcome to X-COM!

  • 12.17.2012 5:54 PM PDT

I can only please one person per day.

Today isn't your day.

Tomorrow isn't looking too good either.


Posted by: AK 47625714

Posted by: Raptorx7
Welcome to X-COM!


If this is supposed to be X-Com, then I'm not so sure about how this series got so popular.

Unless my memory deceives me......RNGs are pretty high up on the list of things that gamers hate and shun games for.

  • 12.17.2012 6:08 PM PDT