--Mogwai--
10th May 2007, 20:27
ok so as someone pointed out in another thread you can pick up this amazing game for $2.49 (which comes to about £1.50 inc. tax) on steam.
its an absolute classic - but if youve never played an XCOM game before, all the options can be a bit daunting at first. i certainly had a bit of a trial and error game before, so i figured i'd make a 'helpful tips' thread. nothing cheating and certainly not a case of 'this is the best/only way to play', just some basic pointers to get started.
placing the first base -
doesnt matter too much where you put it, but try to avoid being surrounded by land as the early missions are underwater. the countries close to your new base will benefit from your protection and in return give you more cash... USA is the richest, but has no other countries nearby, asia and the middle east have clusters of countries but a lot of land around, the north/south poles cover a few countries each but none too thoroughly etc etc.
building facilities -
the bases are customisable, and the layout you choose will matter later if you piss of the aliens enough that they attack your home. to begin with though, building extra living quarters and general stores is advisable otherwise you'll run out of space to store your loot real quick. wide array sonar is a good call as well, until you can research an improved one. as for anything else, just whatever you feel like.
purchasing-
your team of aquanauts is entirely customisable, upto 14 can go on a mission at one time, equipped with whatever you like. the only real 'essential' is the coelecanth (tank, basically). its good to begin with, excellent for scouting the map and with lots of armour to take hits that your rookie troopers would otherwise succumb to. (they count as equipment not crew but take up 4 crew spaces - add them as a piece of equipment when youre loading your triton sub). as for weapons, anything works, so long as theres a tactic behind it. you already start with a mix of basic rifles pistols and heavy weapons, - make sure to buy more if you recruit more aquanauts! watch out for ammo types as well, make sure to check that you have the right ammo for any guns - (seems obvious i know, but so frustrating when you forget).
recruitment -
you start with 8 aquanauts, 10 scientists and 10 technicians. you can only take 14 aquanauts maximim on a mission to begin with, but 14 is better than 8. technicians build you items that you have researched, so you wont need any more until you start bringing home l33t alien loot. scientists research said loot (amongst other things) and to begin with you have the option of guass tech. (far better guns that the basic harpoons you start with), medi kits which essential later on - not so hot when your whole new-recruit team dies in one hit or a 'motion sensor' which is suprisingly useful during missions. after missions your team will bring back alien artefacts (like alien guns or ship parts for example) so you'll want more scientitst around to advance you on the tech tree, the exact number depends on your budget and living space.
dont forget! -
once youve ordered your new equipment and troops, make sure to click 'equip submarine' in your base options to add the new crew and equipment to your trition, otherwise it'll get left behind.
during missions -
its a good idea to always set the 'reserve time units for [shot type] option' when youre moving your guys, far better in xcom to be safe than sorry. you can always toggle them from turn to turn if you know an areas clear. keep your guys spread out, cover and advance blah blah blah.
itd be impossible to go over absolutely everything available to you at the start of the game in one post, hopefully others will chime in with suggestions/questions
its an absolute classic - but if youve never played an XCOM game before, all the options can be a bit daunting at first. i certainly had a bit of a trial and error game before, so i figured i'd make a 'helpful tips' thread. nothing cheating and certainly not a case of 'this is the best/only way to play', just some basic pointers to get started.
placing the first base -
doesnt matter too much where you put it, but try to avoid being surrounded by land as the early missions are underwater. the countries close to your new base will benefit from your protection and in return give you more cash... USA is the richest, but has no other countries nearby, asia and the middle east have clusters of countries but a lot of land around, the north/south poles cover a few countries each but none too thoroughly etc etc.
building facilities -
the bases are customisable, and the layout you choose will matter later if you piss of the aliens enough that they attack your home. to begin with though, building extra living quarters and general stores is advisable otherwise you'll run out of space to store your loot real quick. wide array sonar is a good call as well, until you can research an improved one. as for anything else, just whatever you feel like.
purchasing-
your team of aquanauts is entirely customisable, upto 14 can go on a mission at one time, equipped with whatever you like. the only real 'essential' is the coelecanth (tank, basically). its good to begin with, excellent for scouting the map and with lots of armour to take hits that your rookie troopers would otherwise succumb to. (they count as equipment not crew but take up 4 crew spaces - add them as a piece of equipment when youre loading your triton sub). as for weapons, anything works, so long as theres a tactic behind it. you already start with a mix of basic rifles pistols and heavy weapons, - make sure to buy more if you recruit more aquanauts! watch out for ammo types as well, make sure to check that you have the right ammo for any guns - (seems obvious i know, but so frustrating when you forget).
recruitment -
you start with 8 aquanauts, 10 scientists and 10 technicians. you can only take 14 aquanauts maximim on a mission to begin with, but 14 is better than 8. technicians build you items that you have researched, so you wont need any more until you start bringing home l33t alien loot. scientists research said loot (amongst other things) and to begin with you have the option of guass tech. (far better guns that the basic harpoons you start with), medi kits which essential later on - not so hot when your whole new-recruit team dies in one hit or a 'motion sensor' which is suprisingly useful during missions. after missions your team will bring back alien artefacts (like alien guns or ship parts for example) so you'll want more scientitst around to advance you on the tech tree, the exact number depends on your budget and living space.
dont forget! -
once youve ordered your new equipment and troops, make sure to click 'equip submarine' in your base options to add the new crew and equipment to your trition, otherwise it'll get left behind.
during missions -
its a good idea to always set the 'reserve time units for [shot type] option' when youre moving your guys, far better in xcom to be safe than sorry. you can always toggle them from turn to turn if you know an areas clear. keep your guys spread out, cover and advance blah blah blah.
itd be impossible to go over absolutely everything available to you at the start of the game in one post, hopefully others will chime in with suggestions/questions