XCOM: Enemy Unknown

[HopAlongBunny]

A more complete tech-tree:



Much thanks to xdude whoever he/she/it happens to be :)

[Monk]

A more complete tech-tree:



Much thanks to xdude whoever he/she/it happens to be :)

Looking at the full tech tree i'm wondering how effective a full rush to light plasma would be that skipped lasers entirely. I spent a LOT of time slogging through laser tech in my current game, but if I focused on containment right out of the gate and gave half the squad arc throwers, stocking up on Light Plasma Rifles wouldn't be that hard. It would just require clever tactics and a bit of RNG luck. Hm. This demands some experimenting on my next play through!

[HopAlongBunny]

Looking at the full tech tree i'm wondering how effective a full rush to light plasma would be that skipped lasers entirely. I spent a LOT of time slogging through laser tech in my current game, but if I focused on containment right out of the gate and gave half the squad arc throwers, stocking up on Light Plasma Rifles wouldn't be that hard. It would just require clever tactics and a bit of RNG luck. Hm. This demands some experimenting on my next play through!

I've done that on Normal. You miss the lasers a little bit, esp for your sniper. You save time and more importantly resources "skipping ahead". On Normal I can't see bothering with lasers, it might not work on higher difficulty.

[Sir Moody]

in Normal you can easily skip right passed lasers

in Classic you cant afford to wait

All enemies except Sectoids have ramped up health and accuracy - you need them dead NOW - and your soldiers have reduced accuracy bullet weapons just wont cut it after the first month

Similarly in Normal you never need to use anything but light plasma rifles (for the +10 aim buff) but in classic as soon as the trooper has leveled enough not to need the bonus (captain and up in my experience) they should swap to a full plasma rifle for the extra damage (elite mutons have 14 health and come in groups of 2 or 3)

From my own experience Normal is cake walk - Classic is a true challange

[TinCow]

From my own experience Normal is cake walk - Classic is a true challange

It is startling just how much of a difference there is. The numbers on my save games tell me that I tried Classic Ironman 37 times, with probably only about 5 of those going beyond mission 2, and only two beyond month one. In every case I lost important soldiers when I could not afford to do so, to the extent that I didn't think it worth continuing.

For attempt 38, I did Normal Ironman. I'm now many months into this game, my first on Normal Ironman, and have only lost 3 soldiers, all rookies, and have multiple Colonels. Satellites everywhere with terror levels low, and only lost two countries early on. Half the missions I go on no one even gets hit. I've gotten myself into serious trouble which, on Classic, would almost certainly have led to 3+ deaths, and emerged without any casualties. Indeed, of my 3 deaths, 2 occurred on a single mission when nearly all of my vets were wounded, forcing me to assault a landed UFO with a veteran sniper and 4 rookies. I finished the alien base assault mission almost effortlessly.

It's kind of amazing that I can do this well this easily on Normal Ironman, but can barely get off the ground on Classic Ironman.

[Monk]

It's kind of amazing that I can do this well this easily on Normal Ironman, but can barely get off the ground on Classic Ironman.

Agreed. I really think there needs to be a difficulty between classic and normal, something like "Normal+" or "Advanced" difficulty. Not quite Classic but not quite normal either.


Just got back from the UFO raid from hell. 3 sectoid commanders, 3 elites, 1 berserker and 2 mutons. I was feeling pretty cocky so I had rotated in two rookies to help clear it, boy was that a mistake. Had to gun one down because it was mind controlled (and I couldnt get a shot on the commander) and the other got turned into paste by a Berzerker. Poor rookies

[Sir Moody]

don't mourn them - that is what they are for

seriously however you should rotate rookies into your ranks early on to build up a solid core of troops - later it really isn't possible since they will panic CONSTANTLY

if you spend the first few months rotating in rookies you should be able to take a few hard knocks and be able to replace losses without having to fall back on rookies

on my own campaign - classic of course (I got bored with the Normal one so never finished it) - I am now able to start the final mission - its November and I only lost 9 men - only 2 higher than captain (a major and a captain - the major (my sniper) died in what I like to call the "mission from hell" - an abduction which saw me facing 9 Mutons and a Berserker ... at once - frankly I am amazed he was my only loss)

playing classic takes a completely different mindset - in normal you can easily push forwards and rarely have to stop - in classic you have to play a LOT more defensively - often you move a single unit forwards to the limmit of his first move - spot enemies and then retreat and move the rest of the unit into "crossfire" positions where they over watch - if done correctly the enemy will not see any of your men and thus will charge after you - right into the waiting crossfire

there is no feeling worse in classic than rushing a soldier forwards only to expose a Sectopod... those guys are just EVIL