Matrix Games Forums

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

THawk

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

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.

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

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.

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.........

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

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.

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....

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

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.

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.

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'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.

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!

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]

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?

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

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. [;)]