Xcom 2

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I didn't even have districts get near their own anarchy because I always had someone (Axiom) doing the spec ops that reduces them by 1 every 5 (IIRC) days plus the little bonuses for having X field teams.

[Ian]

I have them hit it fairly often because I didn't want to waste somebody on doing a spec-ops for that but it's so easily manageable anyway that it wasn't even really an issue.

[phonics]

By the time you get to the endgame of Chimera Squad even on whatever the 2nd hardest difficulty is called (Expert?) it's fairly straightforward. And I don't think I've had the city crisis meter thing get even to half way.

Yeah this is my experience. I know how hard it must be for Firaxis because having to restart XCOM 1+2 because of shitty starting build orders was mega annoying but this straight line power level sucks too.

[Ian]

Were utlity items free to use in their previous XCOM games? I can't honestly remember but I think my last few single-encounter missions I haven't taken any damage by the time I've spammed my grenades and abilities that stun opponents and whatnot.

[phonics]

Once you bought them then you just equipped for free.

[Ian]

I worded that badly, I meant did they cost an action to use in a mission?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

IIRC there are skills to negate it.

Some grenades ended your turn completely though but there were skills for that too.

[Ian]

That being the case all those thing being free to use as you please and to still have all your actions left is a bit OP especially for single encounter missions.

Abuse that, a motile inducer or two and Team Up and you can mop up what should theoretically be a strong encounter in short order.

Also, unrelated, but I loved the alien cage fight arena I came across earlier.

[hfswjyr]

Finished it last night.

Yep, I agree with all the above. Having a bunch of free action points and powerful skills made the last third of the campaign a breeze. Towards the end I was working on making sure everyone in the squad was maximum level with all their training complete, which meant sending out the newbies. Still easily completed with zero city anarchy.

I was sort of hoping the final final battle would have had a whole bunch of "boss" monsters from the three chapters. But instead, it was just a hitman.

[Ian]

Just finished it too.

It's a bit cheap in a game all about prepping for what's ahead that it chucks a couple of extra encounters on the end of that to what you'd been told to expect. I assumed something like that was coming so I was very sparing with my 1-use stuff.

Also Patchwork by the end is ludicrous. Using the AOE zap thing and the one you can use once per turn with the chain effect I was stunning groups of 6+ enemies at a time at the back end of the Sacred Coil mission and that final story quest.

Good game though. Difficulty curve needs some work to keep the challenge up but I'd still agree that there are things from this that I'd definitely want to see in XCOM 3 in some capacity.

[Lofty]

So Chimera Squad is worth waiting for a sale on? Just reinstalled XCOM 2, havent got any DLC yet. My elite MILF squad is cleaning up, Lisa Ann averaging 2 xenos a mission: truly the GOAT.

[Ian]

So Chimera Squad is worth waiting for a sale on? Just reinstalled XCOM 2, havent got any DLC yet. My elite MILF squad is cleaning up, Lisa Ann averaging 2 xenos a mission: truly the GOAT.

Yeah, I'd say so. I liked it a lot and there's stuff I'd like them to include in XCOM3 whenever we get that.

[Lofty]

I'm on a massive XCOM hit at the moment, been playing 2 on the PS4 but also squeezing in some EW on the iPad when the wife is watching tv. Doing a practice run to get familiar before going for Impossible Ironman on EW, following some nutter's guide which boils down to 'fuck off all the new tech just build SHIVs and throw as many grenades as you can' :D

[Ian]

Simultaneous XCOM2 and EW runs. Madman.

You not got War of the Chosen yet?

[Lofty]

Nah only seen it priced at £35 so hanging on for now.

[Ian]

Ah fair enough.

If you haven't looked into it much and in case this affects the price you'll be prepared to pay for it at, War of the Chosen is like.... not quite XCOM3 but XCOM2.5 at least. There's way more extra stuff added than EW added to EU and it feels pretty different in the missions.

[Lofty]

Ah fair enough, at a glance it just seemed like factions and mega twats spawning in missions randomly. Still the complete DLCs cost a total of £50 right now while Chimera Squad is £16 on steam.

[Lofty]

You were right about simultaneous runs being madness, burning out pretty hard on the fun factor. Gonna stick with 2 for now because feel like I have got quite far.

[Ian]

Yeah I love XCOM and XCOM-likes but running two games simultaneously would be a bit beyond me. XCOM 2's great though.

I really just wish we'd get some news on XCOM3. I wanna know what they're working on.

[Lofty]

Having just completed 2 on veteran, is it not heavily implied? Restarted on Commander Ironman, only on second retaliation mission already lost two soldiers.

[Lofty]

Just unlocked predator armour, had magnetic and gauss weapons, things going well. Sent me A team on a supply raid, accidentally aggro two pods after the map starts with the camera facing the map corner rather than the actual game area. Butcher the two pods with only a trooper remaining, move a soldier five yards and suddenly another pod aggros and I lose my best Grenadier, best Sniper and best Assualt in one round. Restarted :D

[Ian]

Yeah the really high difficulties are too unforgiving for me to find it fun. Especially when the game lies about percentages.

[Lofty]

Glanced at my bank account post payday and decided I have enough to justify spunking for the War of the Chosen and all DLC stuff. I think I got the base game free on PS Plus anyway so not the end of the world. Not doing an ironman for a while though :D

[Ian]

War of the Chosen is bangin' so I imagine you'll enjoy it.

[Lofty]

Yeah I have only just managed to sneak a little bit in this afternoon but already liking the little touches like the changes to how status effects are shown to you, as well as the promotion info.

[Lofty]

Yeah now I am into WOTC a bit more, christ, it's the same game except it totally isn't! Definitely worth the money for the amount of extras and changes.

[Ian]

it's the same game except it totally isn't!

Yeah, XCOM 2.5 is definitely the best description for it.There's so much stuff layered onto it that just calling it an expansion doesn't really do it service.

[Lofty]

Just nailed a Sectopod in one overwatch hit on a facility mission, god bless the repeater.

[Ian]

Lofty Chimera Squad is under £8 on Green Man Gaming just now, FYI.

How's your WotC run going?

[Lofty]

Good shout that. Killed two of the chosen but yet to encounter the third. Think my killing the Assassin first really helped as my top ranger is now an absolute machine with the assassin weapons and basically rapid fired the hunter to death in the kill mission. Just have to actually bother skulljacking a codex to move the story on now :D

[Bernanke]

For you Xcom fans, Aliens: Dark Descent is getting great reviews:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWgYo55oOQk&ab_channel=FocusEntertainment

[Ian]

The reviews I've read have been pretty mixed and it's got either bugs or stuff that just doesn't work properly needing patched. Steam sale job for me.