Author Topic: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation  (Read 9126 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline NGTM-1R

  • I reject your reality and substitute my own
  • 213
  • Syndral Active. 0410.
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
I take it back. Andromedon Shells are in fact bull****.

I hacked one to shut it down. So. Easy to take out. Got a bunch of 75% shots off my snipers with pistols, 85% off my supports, 100% shot on my still-stealthed ranger.

Guess what. They all missed. Including the 100% shot. Are you ****ing with me, game? Is this something you forgot to mention? Can't shoot an Andromedon that's shut down?
"Load sabot. Target Zaku, direct front!"

A Feddie Story

 
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
XCOM 2 has fairly exacerbated the problem that the biggest challenge of the game is managing pod activation, now that the aliens have some very hard-hitting attacks of their own. Your strategy is always to eliminate a pod before it gets a turn in and to move as little as possible to avoid triggering new ones.
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

  

Offline General Battuta

  • Poe's Law In Action
  • 214
  • i wonder when my postcount will exceed my iq
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
XCOM 2 has fairly exacerbated the problem that the biggest challenge of the game is managing pod activation, now that the aliens have some very hard-hitting attacks of their own. Your strategy is always to eliminate a pod before it gets a turn in and to move as little as possible to avoid triggering new ones.

Yeah :( It's especially egregious early game when you don't have any 'oh ****' buttons like mimic beacons. I'm thinking about trying an All Pods Active mod...

 

Offline Snarks

  • 27
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
I'm hoping one day there will be an overhaul mod that makes pod management a thing of the past. I'd prefer it if aliens reinforced themselves dynamically, rather than either all pods active or pod management. Speaking of which, Conceal Rangers are incredibly useful for pod management if you find yourself triggering too many pods. Their Conceal ability once upgraded is activated even on missions where the rest of your squad isn't concealed.

 
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
The concealment system almost gives you a way of managing it but between its fragility and the turn limit forcing you to limit prep work on most missions, it only gives you a turn or two of tactical leeway. Maybe if Conceal had a 2- or 3-turn cooldown or battle scanners had more uses?

Dodge is also complete bull**** and it just weighs optimal tactics even more heavily towards grenades rather than guns.

The geoscape is an improvement on EU's but still has the massive problem that neither the aliens nor, really, the player have much strategic agency; the player just draws cards and Advent's just the deck.

XCOM 2 has done a good job of refreshing Enemy Unknown's gameplay and smoothing out awkward corners and I've enjoyed it a lot but I'd have liked to see it try harder to punch out of the limitations of the template.
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline Scotty

  • 1.21 gigawatts!
  • Moderator
  • 211
  • Guns, guns, guns.
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
Dodge replaces high defense on late game enemies so that lower rank soldiers can actually do damage instead of facing 20% hit chances against airborne heavy floaters.

It's incredibly frustrating, but I prefer it to not hitting anything at all.

 

Offline General Battuta

  • Poe's Law In Action
  • 214
  • i wonder when my postcount will exceed my iq
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
The ease of modding is really commendable. Not everything is actually easy (a lot of it is apparently super hard!) but I hope we'll get something like Long War here even if I never did play Long War.

 
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
The Long War devs are apparently going to focus on small mod packages from now on, which honestly sounds great. I never liked how Long War added a bunch of complexity and HP bloat to the tactical layer, and the way it swallowed the Enemy Unknown modding scene whole meant nobody else ever really tried to do it differently.
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline NGTM-1R

  • I reject your reality and substitute my own
  • 213
  • Syndral Active. 0410.
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
Avenger defense mission: launch two blaster bombs from my Grenadiers with WAR suits.

Then go home.
"Load sabot. Target Zaku, direct front!"

A Feddie Story

 

Offline NGTM-1R

  • I reject your reality and substitute my own
  • 213
  • Syndral Active. 0410.
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
Having just hacked a Sectopod, I do not understand how the aliens manage to lose with these things. It's shrugging fire from three Codices and a pair of Heavy MECs.
"Load sabot. Target Zaku, direct front!"

A Feddie Story

 

Offline crizza

  • 210
Re: XCOM 2 - It could just be another simulation
Why the heck are Vipers able to pull my soldiers through solid walls? :D