Is *anybody* playing this game on hard??

[Texashawk]

...If so, I salute you, for you are a better man (or woman) than most here... [:'(]

THawk

[LarryP]

Heck no! I'm playing it at the other end. [:D]

[moses]

I've been trying to play on normal level and it seems incredably difficult. I just sent 8 troops against a shot down enemy scout. In old X-COM this would be 2 or 3 weak enemy soldiers and I could 4 out of 5 times finish the mission without loss.

Well 7 of my troops are now in the hospital and I very nearly lost the mission entirely. My last troop faced offed against the last alien and got lucky.

I now have one healthy trooper and a tank to face whatever comes next.

In both my previous two "practice starts" I lost several troops just getting off the transport. Maybe I should drop down to easy.

[Hanal]

"Easy" is no bed of roses either...this is fun stuff!

[Peter Fisla]

I play on Normal settings...and I use the vehicle as recon. Infantry follows... So far the only casulaties are my vehicles...I do loose them roughly about every second mission.

[Hanal]

I leave the vehicle behind and take 8 soldiers (provided I have 8 available that is) as I would rather have 8 pairs of eyes than 5.........

[Texashawk]

Wow... frankly, I can't imagine not using the tank at this point.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: Peter Fisla

I play on Normal settings...and I use the vehicle as recon. Infantry follows... So far the only casulaties are my vehicles...I do loose them roughly about every second mission.

Same thing I do. Vehicle out front, troops behind and the side rear.

[Hanal]

ORIGINAL: Texashawk

Wow... frankly, I can't imagine not using the tank at this point.

Arming 2 of your soldiers with rocket launchers somewhat helps compensate for the lack of a tank....

[Texashawk]

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

ORIGINAL: Texashawk

Wow... frankly, I can't imagine not using the tank at this point.

Arming 2 of your soldiers with rocket launchers somewhat helps compensate for the lack of a tank....

Hmmm....

"Did you see somethin'?"

"Not sure. Could have just been a deer or somethin'."

"Don't matter. Fire anyway - can't be too careful!!"

ROOOOOAAAR..... BOOM!!!!!

*walk over to the blast cloud*

"Hmm... yeah, it was a deer. Poor little bugger."

"Gotta do what ya gotta d..., hey, did you see somethin'?"

...

Yeah, I could see this. [:'(]

THawk

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

ORIGINAL: Texashawk

Wow... frankly, I can't imagine not using the tank at this point.

Arming 2 of your soldiers with rocket launchers somewhat helps compensate for the lack of a tank....

I DO love those rocket launchers! It's a good thing that going into inventory does NOT cost movement points as those rocket launchers need reload each shot. That was a good decision the developers made.

[Steel Angel]

ORIGINAL: Texashawk

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

ORIGINAL: Texashawk

Wow... frankly, I can't imagine not using the tank at this point.

Arming 2 of your soldiers with rocket launchers somewhat helps compensate for the lack of a tank....

Hmmm....

"Did you see somethin'?"

"Not sure. Could have just been a deer or somethin'."

"Don't matter. Fire anyway - can't be too careful!!"

ROOOOOAAAR..... BOOM!!!!!

*walk over to the blast cloud*

"Hmm... yeah, it was a deer. Poor little bugger."

"Gotta do what ya gotta d..., hey, did you see somethin'?"

...

Yeah, I could see this. [:'(]

THawk

There's a bit of wisdom regarding this style of game passed around on the Penny Arcade forums: A sufficient quantity of high explosives will compensate for any lack of skill.

I'm starting to get enough soldiers in my ranks combined with enough veterans that I can see myself replacing tanks with the rookie redshirt brigade every now and then. They might not be able to hit crap with a rifle, but they can at least toss grenades around.

[Erik Rutins]

I've had pretty good luck going with 8 soldiers instead of 4 soldiers and a tank, actually. It can help to build experience but I wouldn't do it for very tough missions.

[Walloc]

I've found there is a gap in where ur troops are around first corporal and before u start to seeing cruisers. In that gap had time to train all my troops up to corporal+. Once troopers are up there they start to kick ass in smaller battles. 75%+ on burst shoots when crounching will kill most in a single burst.

[PhoenixD]

ORIGINAL: Steel Angel
There's a bit of wisdom regarding this style of game passed around on the Penny Arcade forums: A sufficient quantity of high explosives will compensate for any lack of skill.

I'm starting to get enough soldiers in my ranks combined with enough veterans that I can see myself replacing tanks with the rookie redshirt brigade every now and then. They might not be able to hit crap with a rifle, but they can at least toss grenades around.

Works better in X-Com though, as you've got the Autocannon to play with. On the other hand, UFO ET's booms are quite a bit bigger, and reloading is free.

Redshirt brigade? How do you do THAT? I've gotten...I think 2 replacements the entire game!

[GalacticOrigins]

The thing about the tank is that it has 101 AP and can really recon well. Also, if lost, it does not sit in sickbay for 10-25 days. Early on, the tank is very nice to have.
 
I have not tried easy. I am on normal, and it is rather not too difficult. I just took out an enemy base, and my tech is rather low. I used rifle and shotgun, 1 missile launcher, and some grenades. Only one wounded (my missile launcher, one of my sergeants, although my commander, she is higher rank). On this mission, I did not take the tank. Since all my CPL's are in the hospital, I had 3 rookies, 2 privates, 1 private first class, 1 sergeant, and 1 sergeant first class. LOTS of enemies [8D]

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

I've had pretty good luck going with 8 soldiers instead of 4 soldiers and a tank, actually. It can help to build experience but I wouldn't do it for very tough missions.

I'm interested...how would you know what a very tough mission is? Are you given a list of mission, graded? And you choose?

Might still get this....even contemplating (I know) Gamers Gate.

Is there NO-WAY Matrix will sell this title?

[Hard Sarge]

I think what he means by easy vs tuff, is size of the ship or if it is a base attack
 
 

[White Haven]

I've encountered no way to tell in advance what type of aliens will be in a given mission, and that's presenting some nasty surprises from time to time, but for the most part, if you're assaulting a landed alien Battlecruiser, you're going to know you've been kissed. [;)]