X-COM: Enemy Unknown

[Panzadolphin56]

I found capturing Mutons and the bodyguard variant a cost-effective way of getting expensive plasma weaponry pretty easily, though obviously it can be risky. If you don't want their weapons though you shouldn't bother capturing them (unless for research), because for some reason you can't sell them on the grey market alive or dead on the grey market, or atleast I couldn't. Which seems odd, would have thought a live alien to study would have fetched a decent price.

[space man spiff]

Guhh I"m currently in a mission where I have to investigate a supply depot. I'm in a defendable position, however there are two Spider-Mechs, An Etherial and a whole buttload of Muton, Bersekers and Muton Elites. I wish I had brought more heavy's with me...

[Char Aznable]

The Second Wave game modifiers came out as free DLC today, for those who have the cajones:

http://www.destructoid.com/download-...w-241980.phtml

I don't have them. The cajones.

[space man spiff]

I mean I was already looking for an excuse to do a second playthrough of it so this just makes it better for me.

[Stevil]

Hey, I'm barely getting through Classic without those options!

[Panzadolphin56]

I played Normal with a few of them before it was officially released and it worked really well. Just sort of gave it that extra edge and kept me on my toes.

[Stevil]

I would switch on the random soldier stats and injury degradation, just to make it more like the original, but those other options are just...oof. I'll get my achievements first, then worry about no funding and the like another time.

I wouldn't have minded so much if it wasn't for a crash site mission, last night. I went through the Battleship for the first time (since I rushed through Normal and missed it) and everything was fine until I entered a room with 3 Sectopods, 4 Mutons & Elites and countless drones. It would have been a lot worse without my Heavies.

I also didn't know that Sectopods can leap on to really high surfaces to flank you...My only rookie shit bricks when that happened.

[space man spiff]

Just beat it for the first time. The last mission while good was not nearly as nightmareish as I thought it would be. I know I was on the normal difficulty so I'm sure the more harder ones are quite insane I just thought it would be a little more crazy. I'm sad it is over, I think after taking a break with another game I wil be happy to try it again on the original setting or something, or maybe get the DLC.

[Char Aznable]

Yeah, I also had a pretty easy time with the last mission (on normal difficulty). Using two snipers with double tap, a heavy with upgraded rockets, and the psi storm special ability allowed me to rip through the final encounter without much trouble.

[Stevil]

Sniper + Archangel Armor + Plasma Sniper Rifle = Overpowered and Loving It.

The last mission feels like a victory lap, which is a bit disappointing, but considering the shit you go through, I'm glad that the game gives you a break at the end.

[Abomination]

I'm about 8 hours in and I feel like I probably screwed up somewhere. The fights are stupidly difficult, since I can't afford to buy weapons or armor to people and I'm losing council members left and right. I basically focused on keeping my A-team alive and not level other characters, but...that didn't work. So I'm now stuck with newbies that just keep getting killed.

[Stevil]

Your guys are always going to get injured from the usual random shot, so sticking with one group is impossible once the heavier aliens start popping up. When you buy the extra squad slots, it's always handy to have 4 Vets (Sgt. and up) and 2 Squaddies/Rookies.

Tip for starting up:

Build an uplink
Build 2-3 satellites (these give you the all important monthly funding)
Research laser weapons
Don't be afraid to make up petty cash on the grey market (sell bodies not equipment)
Make two medikits (trust me, once you get two Support guys with levelled up abilities, things are way easier) and an arc thrower - give that to the Assault guy.

Save after a mission, do your base management, save at the start of a mission, and save during a mission if you thought you could do better. It's not like you're playing Ironman mode just yet, so don't be afraid to save and work out everyone's strengths and weaknesses.

Panic goes up because you're not using satelittes - put one over a country with high panic and it'll lower the level for a while - and because of the three mission choices (one goes down, the other two go up).

[Abomination]

Yup, I've started doing all that...I'm thinking it just might be too late. I didn't realize Satellites were so important at first. The game just keeps on throwing new and improved aliens at me, whilst my team is still a mess that I'm desperately trying to get leveled up/geared.

I'm at the point in main plot where I'm supposed to assault an alien base using the Skeleton Key, and I simply can't do it. I just keep scanning around and hoping to get an easier mission before everything falls apart.

[Panzadolphin56]

Yeah, it's probably a good idea to have atleast a couple of satellites in reserve at any time. If you're having troubling losing countries then it might be a good idea to save them and only use them when you're at risk of losing a country. Countries only leave either because their panic level is at max and they leave at the next council review, or because an alien attack pushes their panic above five bars and they immediately drop out, so if you hold off using satellites till right before the council review or right before an attack it can save you losing a country.

Also, if you do let panic build up in a country, and you can't lower it through missions, occasionally you'll get a request for a satellite from a country if they don't have one, and you'll get money and lower panic for something you would have done anyway. So again, another good reason to save them.

Also, also, worth pointing out that some of the key missions (like the base assault one) lower panic globally.

[Stevil]

Oh yeah, I know exactly where you are, because around that time they throw a terror mission your way (sometime before and after). It's the first tough segment of the game because that's when they introduce the Cryssalids.

I wouldn't worry too much about armor (it helps, but if you're not dashing and putting one or two people on Overwatch, you'll be okay - wait until you get Skeleton or Titan), but you should have at least some kind of laser weaponry by this point. Can't believe I managed to get through the base with normal guns.

Man, all this talk is getting me fired up for Impossible! Hnnnngh, let's fucking do this!

[Abomination]

Just finished the game, it did get quite a bit easier when I got all my satellites and the panic levels in control. Out of my original crew of Jonathan Holmes, Jim Sterling, Tara Long and Max Scoville, only Jonathan and Max survived all the way to the last mission

Spoiler!

Jonathan was the one who became my psionic-psychic-mentalist-man, so he nobly saved the Earth by sacrificing himself. Very apt ending, I think.

[Char Aznable]

Just finished the game, it did get quite a bit easier when I got all my satellites and the panic levels in control. Out of my original crew of Jonathan Holmes, Jim Sterling, Tara Long and Max Scoville, only Jonathan and Max survived all the way to the last mission

Spoiler!

Jonathan was the one who became my psionic-psychic-mentalist-man, so he nobly saved the Earth by sacrificing himself. Very apt ending, I think.

Damn, dude, that was a pretty quick turnaround. Within two days you went from feeling hopeless to kicking alien ass. Nice work.

Every time I read one of these posts it makes me want to play XCOM again. I need to continue my Classic playthrough.

[Abomination]

Damn, dude, that was a pretty quick turnaround. Within two days you went from feeling hopeless to kicking alien ass. Nice work.

Every time I read one of these posts it makes me want to play XCOM again. I need to continue my Classic playthrough.

Yeah, once I got through that Skeleton key mission the panic levels went down enough for me to get some satellites up. And my lack of understanding some of the game mechanics (I didn't realize that you could equip your fighter planes with cannons, or that you could level up your group through training) caused me inadvertently grind, which meant all my guys got leveled and I could buy all the best stuff.

I'll definitely have to play through it again at some point, once I'm done with my backlog.

[Stevil]

Played online for the first time.

Had a fairly basic 4 man group. One sniper, one heavy, one support, one assault. Basic armour, a couple of laser weapons, but other than that, my group was easy prey if I didn't use their abilities well. But I go with what I know and leave out the aliens.

Jump in, get into overwatch, and I'm taking down 2 floaters with 50-60% chance of hitting them. It's a fluke, has to be, I set up around the crypt and catch out the flankers. They're just Sectoids, so now I'm guessing that this guy has at least 6 aliens and I've bumped off 3. Move forward, no injuries, and I know he's going on Overwatch. I don't make any dashes, just nice easy cover-to-cover.

Flank the last two Sectoids, wipe them out with a grenade, move up and he's used up the rest of his points for a Plasma Sniper/Archangel solider. He takes down my sniper, but I've flanked him with the other 3, and again, I'm hitting with really low numbers. I don't want to risk another loss, so I set up my Heavy and fire a missile in his general direction.

His last guy crashes to the ground and I win first time for the achievement. I felt pretty proud of that. Felt like I knew exactly how to play the game and proved it, but I don't want to ruin my perfect run of 1 win/0 losses now!

[Flamoctapus]

Bought this today. Pretty damn fun so far, but I already feel... Nervous I guess. Some beginner tips would be great!