The X-COM Topic

2012-11-17 09:46:42 pm

No with the Cyberdisc my squad came into that last room of the base and spotted it and a Drone alongside the Commander. We retreated away from the edge of the balcony and let them come to us so that nobody would get hit by MC and the disc flew up right on top of us and all 3 of them missed overwatch from a few tiles away. (Close enough where you'd expect at least 1-2 of them to hit easy being high ranked soldiers) Because it was already active it landed right next to my Major and annihilated her at point blank range.

It's funny you mention that about weapon fragments though because even over alloys that seems to the be one thing I never have enough of. Maybe I just research too many things that use them all at once? I already rely heavily on explosives to get the job done and apparently you do too, but it sounds like you're not having the same problem I am. I can't think of what I'd be doing differently to have that kind of difference though.

And yeah, my strategy is a bit different from the sounds of things, but still effective. Send in my assaults/fast supports/SHIVs first since they can cover the most ground the fastest while keeping the heavies and snipers in the back in case something gets activated so I can use rockets and squadsight from a safe location. I probably don't pull back as often as I should and move forward a little too quick at times, but this time around at least I was dealing out a lot of firepower when my main squad was still alive so I didn't really have too many issues in most scenarios.

It mostly depends on what types of aliens are coming my way and how many though. Berserkers, because of the ability to kite them when they get hit, get priority over pretty much everything else unless someone has an awesome shot on a high threat target like a Cyberdisc or I get lucky and the thing can't reach my squad for whatever reason. Sectopods are an entirely different matter where I try to take out as many of its allies as I can before having the whole squad focus fire on it because I don't want to get distracted and have everything else surround me as I flail about trying to take it down with limited mobility.

No with the Cyberdisc my squad came into that last room of the base and spotted it and a Drone alongside the Commander. We retreated away from the edge of the balcony and let them come to us so that nobody would get hit by MC and the disc flew up right on top of us and all 3 of them missed overwatch from a few tiles away. (Close enough where you'd expect at least 1-2 of them to hit easy being high ranked soldiers) Because it was already active it landed right next to my Major and annihilated her at point blank range.

It's funny you mention that about weapon fragments though because even over alloys that seems to the be one thing I never have enough of. Maybe I just research too many things that use them all at once? I already rely heavily on explosives to get the job done and apparently you do too, but it sounds like you're not having the same problem I am. I can't think of what I'd be doing differently to have that kind of difference though.

And yeah, my strategy is a bit different from the sounds of things, but still effective. Send in my assaults/fast supports/SHIVs first since they can cover the most ground the fastest while keeping the heavies and snipers in the back in case something gets activated so I can use rockets and squadsight from a safe location. I probably don't pull back as often as I should and move forward a little too quick at times, but this time around at least I was dealing out a lot of firepower when my main squad was still alive so I didn't really have too many issues in most scenarios.

It mostly depends on what types of aliens are coming my way and how many though. Berserkers, because of the ability to kite them when they get hit, get priority over pretty much everything else unless someone has an awesome shot on a high threat target like a Cyberdisc or I get lucky and the thing can't reach my squad for whatever reason. Sectopods are an entirely different matter where I try to take out as many of its allies as I can before having the whole squad focus fire on it because I don't want to get distracted and have everything else surround me as I flail about trying to take it down with limited mobility.

tomatobob

2012-11-18 05:09:33 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Quote from Prime Hunter:

No with the Cyberdisc my squad came into that last room of the base and spotted it and a Drone alongside the Commander. We retreated away from the edge of the balcony and let them come to us so that nobody would get hit by MC and the disc flew up right on top of us and all 3 of them missed overwatch from a few tiles away. (Close enough where you'd expect at least 1-2 of them to hit easy being high ranked soldiers) Because it was already active it landed right next to my Major and annihilated her at point blank range.

Oh wow, I didn't know things could spawn that close to the Commander, both of my runs at the base have seen me met at the door by a Disc and Floaters. All kinds of bad luck. Sad

My Overwatch thing failed that test.

Quote from Prime Hunter:

It's funny you mention that about weapon fragments though because even over alloys that seems to the be one thing I never have enough of. Maybe I just research too many things that use them all at once?

That's probably it, my first game saw an issue with Weapon Frags. This time around I've slowed down a bit, prioritizing armor and UFO components after I got lasers, only going for things that take Frags one at a time usually late in the month. I only just got the Firestorm researched (75 Frags iirc) and haven't even completed construction on a Foundry, which I think is the biggest drain on those. To an extent I think it's more about knowing what you need and going for that, laser weapons and Light Plasmas will last you a long time so there's no need to rush heavier plasma weapons. I did miss out on a couple UFOs because of poorly equipped Interceptors, though, maybe I should actually put Laser Cannons on them. I don't know. I don't know what to do with Laser Cannons if I can't sell them lol.

[quote="Prime Hunter"]No with the Cyberdisc my squad came into that last room of the base and spotted it and a Drone alongside the Commander. We retreated away from the edge of the balcony and let them come to us so that nobody would get hit by MC and the disc flew up right on top of us and all 3 of them missed overwatch from a few tiles away. (Close enough where you'd expect at least 1-2 of them to hit easy being high ranked soldiers) Because it was already active it landed right next to my Major and annihilated her at point blank range.[/quote]
Oh wow, I didn't know things could spawn that close to the Commander, both of my runs at the base have seen me met at the door by a Disc and Floaters. All kinds of bad luck. :sad: My Overwatch thing failed that test.

[quote="Prime Hunter"]It's funny you mention that about weapon fragments though because even over alloys that seems to the be one thing I never have enough of. Maybe I just research too many things that use them all at once?[/quote]
That's probably it, my first game saw an issue with Weapon Frags. This time around I've slowed down a bit, prioritizing armor and UFO components after I got lasers, only going for things that take Frags one at a time usually late in the month. I only just got the Firestorm researched (75 Frags iirc) and haven't even completed construction on a Foundry, which I think is the biggest drain on those. To an extent I think it's more about knowing what you need and going for that, laser weapons and Light Plasmas will last you a long time so there's no need to rush heavier plasma weapons. I did miss out on a couple UFOs because of poorly equipped Interceptors, though, maybe I should actually put Laser Cannons on them. I don't know. I don't know what to do with Laser Cannons if I can't sell them lol.

tomatobob

2012-11-18 05:35:06 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Quote from Prime Hunter:

I probably don't pull back as often as I should and move forward a little too quick at times, but this time around at least I was dealing out a lot of firepower when my main squad was still alive so I didn't really have too many issues in most scenarios.

Yeah that's been what's gotten me in trouble 99% of the time, thinking I've got things under control and wind up triggering three more alien squads and not even killing the first one. I think it can work, just more susceptible to bad luck than running away. Or maybe it requires a better player than me to pull off. :v

I also like to rotate Rookies and such into the lineup so I feel like I have to take it slow or they all die.

tomatobob

2012-11-21 08:14:09 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Oh god the Overseer mission on Classic. Had to fight a Sectopod in the tiny hallway between an engine room and the bridge, praying that the bridge wall doesn't go down and send the Elites and Ethereal after me. And my reward for it is setting up to breach the bridge door and watching anothter Sectopod walk right through the door the second the Alien turn starts. It was very nearly the first time a video game has made me cry. How the resulting mess didn't trigger the bridge crew I'll never know. What I do know is Sectopods should not be hanging out inside those smaller UFOs, it's nerve wracking.

Went on to finish up the game after that because I learned that Ethereals can reflect shots back at you sometimes and I wasn't sure I was prepared to put up with that after that Sectopod debacle. Had a nice little moment in a Terror Mission that popped up while waiting for the Gallop Chamber to finish where a Heavy Floater squad suppressed two of my people and jump one over behind my Sniper, knowing that was a planned tactic and not random chance made me unreasonably happy. A lucky crit allowed me to get out of that cleanly but it was a fun little scramble to maintain control over the situation. The AI in this game is pretty cool. Classic mode is pretty cool.

Oh god the Overseer mission on Classic. Had to fight a Sectopod in the tiny hallway between an engine room and the bridge, praying that the bridge wall doesn't go down and send the Elites and Ethereal after me. And my reward for it is setting up to breach the bridge door and watching [i]anothter[/i] Sectopod walk right through the door the second the Alien turn starts. It was very nearly the first time a video game has made me cry. How the resulting mess didn't trigger the bridge crew I'll never know. What I [i]do[/i] know is Sectopods should not be hanging out inside those smaller UFOs, it's nerve wracking.

Went on to finish up the game after that because I learned that Ethereals can reflect shots back at you sometimes and I wasn't sure I was prepared to put up with that after that Sectopod debacle. Had a nice little moment in a Terror Mission that popped up while waiting for the Gallop Chamber to finish where a Heavy Floater squad suppressed two of my people and jump one over behind my Sniper, knowing that was a planned tactic and not random chance made me unreasonably happy. A lucky crit allowed me to get out of that cleanly but it was a fun little scramble to maintain control over the situation. The AI in this game is pretty cool. Classic mode is pretty cool.

Prime Hunter

2012-11-21 11:17:46 am

That Sectopod scenario sounds like a total nightmare. I'm extremely thankful that I've never encountered them inside one of those smaller UFOs before, or seen two together on any mission other than that room in the Temple Ship where I can just use Psi Rift and be done with them.

But I want to know, how many times did you have to restart Classic before finishing it? Most of mine would end because of screw ups in the early months where I got so far behind and couldn't take on the aliens anymore since they completely outclassed my squad. The RNG was against me in quite a few of those games, but I'll admit that I screwed up and playing poorly just as often in both the strategic and tactical sections.

I know you'll get completely decimated like I did, but just to see how much of a difference it is you should try playing a game of Impossible at least once even if you never go back to it afterward. Those Sectoids were beastly, but it also gave me one of the most satisfying battles I've had because of the tactics I had to employ to survive it. Felt extremely awesome to flank a set of Sectoids by going through the back alley to open a door and see 3 of them hanging on the wall ready to ambush my previous position. Impossible brought out the best in my abilities but was incredibly brutal at the same time so I'd never want to put myself through a whole game unless I get really good at Classic.

That Sectopod scenario sounds like a total nightmare. I'm extremely thankful that I've never encountered them [i]inside[/i] one of those smaller UFOs before, or seen two together on any mission other than that room in the Temple Ship where I can just use Psi Rift and be done with them.

But I want to know, how many times did you have to restart Classic before finishing it? Most of mine would end because of screw ups in the early months where I got so far behind and couldn't take on the aliens anymore since they completely outclassed my squad. The RNG was against me in quite a few of those games, but I'll admit that I screwed up and playing poorly just as often in both the strategic and tactical sections.

I know you'll get completely decimated like I did, but just to see how much of a difference it is you should try playing a game of Impossible at least once even if you never go back to it afterward. Those Sectoids were beastly, but it also gave me one of the most satisfying battles I've had because of the tactics I had to employ to survive it. Felt extremely awesome to flank a set of Sectoids by going through the back alley to open a door and see 3 of them hanging on the wall ready to ambush my previous position. Impossible brought out the best in my abilities but was incredibly brutal at the same time so I'd never want to put myself through a whole game unless I get [i]really[/i] good at Classic.

tomatobob

2012-11-21 05:16:02 pm

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Quote from Prime Hunter:

That Sectopod scenario sounds like a total nightmare. I'm extremely thankful that I've never encountered them inside one of those smaller UFOs before, or seen two together on any mission other than that room in the Temple Ship where I can just use Psi Rift and be done with them.

For real, I had no idea there could be two of them. having one juts waltz on out of the room I was about to enter was just icing on the nightmare cake. I was literally one turn away from triggering Sectopod, two Elites and an Ethereal all at once.

As for restarts? I think four Ironman games, this is the one where I dropped Ironman and played like I normally do: Drop a save at the start of a mission and a couple during if I feel like I'm about to do something completely idiotic. Which came up less over time as I figured out how Classic worked. Those Ironman games ended much like you describe: too many Rookies/Squaddies, not enough firepower, failed Terror Missions and rampant panic. The last Ironman attempt saw me getting Lasers and Carapace Armor pretty quickly but I was too unprepared for Classic Mutons and opted to hang it up after the first Muton squad I saw pretty much ended a mission before it started. That's about where I learned I need to retreat more often, before anything happens instead of after things have turned bad.

On the plus side starting in Africa is a lot of fun, money stops being a problem so fast thanks to All In and starting there meant I could pretty much ignore it panic wise since I already had the bonus and other counties pay more.

And yeah, I'll be taking a little look at Impossible at they very least just to see what madness lies there. I mean my basic assault rifles were failing to kill Sectoids on Classic so I can only imagine what they do on Impossible. Besides disappoint me that is.

[quote="Prime Hunter"]That Sectopod scenario sounds like a total nightmare. I'm extremely thankful that I've never encountered them [i]inside[/i] one of those smaller UFOs before, or seen two together on any mission other than that room in the Temple Ship where I can just use Psi Rift and be done with them.[/quote]
For real, I had no idea there could be two of them. having one juts waltz on out of the room I was about to enter was just icing on the nightmare cake. I was literally one turn away from triggering Sectopod, two Elites and an Ethereal all at once. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/1o7Zt.gif[/IMG]

As for restarts? I think four Ironman games, this is the one where I dropped Ironman and played like I normally do: Drop a save at the start of a mission and a couple during if I feel like I'm about to do something completely idiotic. Which came up less over time as I figured out how Classic worked. Those Ironman games ended much like you describe: too many Rookies/Squaddies, not enough firepower, failed Terror Missions and rampant panic. The last Ironman attempt saw me getting Lasers and Carapace Armor pretty quickly but I was too unprepared for Classic Mutons and opted to hang it up after the first Muton squad I saw pretty much ended a mission before it started. That's about where I learned I need to retreat more often, before anything happens instead of after things have turned bad.

On the plus side starting in Africa is a lot of fun, money stops being a problem so fast thanks to All In and starting there meant I could pretty much ignore it panic wise since I already had the bonus and other counties pay more.

And yeah, I'll be taking a little look at Impossible at they very least just to see what madness lies there. I mean my basic assault rifles were failing to kill Sectoids on Classic so I can only imagine what they do on Impossible. Besides disappoint me that is.

Prime Hunter

Edit history:

Prime Hunter: 2012-11-21 05:50:44 pm

2012-11-21 05:50:21 pm

Then I highly suggest you prepare for disappointment in that case. Sectoids can't even be killed by a grenade anymore if they're at full health on Ironman thanks to having 4HP. That 1 extra HP does more than you'd think in the early game especially when every single Sectoid becomes a sharpshooter and they love to spam Mind Merge and give their buddies more HP and an even higher crit chance pretty much every turn.

I think in the 2-3 chances I gave it before going back to Classic ended after two months for me. Things can go sour almost immediately but I'm not surprised really given that it's called Impossible for a reason.

tomatobob

2012-11-21 06:03:23 pm

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Does that mean Thin Men get 5 HP? lol

I can't even count the number of times my guys did 2 damage to Sectoids with those assault rifles on Classic. I bet I could manage 1 damage on Impossible!

Prime Hunter

2012-11-21 06:04:52 pm

Not sure. I thought at one point I heard that they have 6HP but since I play with the enemy health bars off I couldn't tell you what it actually is. I only know the Sectoids because I remember people talking about that and the fact that grenades no longer kill them instantly.

Prime Hunter

Edit history:

Prime Hunter: 2012-11-21 06:18:21 pm

2012-11-21 06:13:46 pm

Oh lord, Impossible is nuts! Thin Men AND Floaters apparently get 2 more HP than on Classic. They also don't limit the number of "heavy" units they can bring on a mission either. This list I just found suggests you could see up to three Sectopods at once, for example!

tomatobob

Edit history:

tomatobob: 2012-11-21 08:33:08 pm

2012-11-21 08:32:57 pm

One shall stand, one shall ball.

tomatobob

Edit history:

tomatobob: 2012-11-21 08:36:54 pm

2012-11-21 08:35:50 pm

One shall stand, one shall ball.

So far Impossible feels like it goes either really well or you all fucking die. No in between and it can change at the drop of a hat. I redid the very first mission four times. The successful attempt went almost flawlessly, the others saw shockingly fast squad wipes.

Not looking forward to Terror Missions at all. Like sort of scared actually.

Quote from Prime Hunter:

Oh lord, Impossible is nuts! Thin Men AND Floaters apparently get 2 more HP than on Classic. They also don't limit the number of "heavy" units they can bring on a mission either. This list I just found suggests you could see up to three Sectopods at once, for example!

Prime Hunter

2012-11-22 02:21:41 am

You'll never guess what just happened to me on my assault of the Overseer... aiwebs_029

We get close to the ship and set off a set of 2 Elites, one of which I MC while the other I use Psi Panic on, leading him to critically wound the only guy carrying a medkit with his panicked action. d'oh!

The MC'd Elite rushes into the front of the UFO and sets off another set of 2 Elites. I move a SHIV up to try and distract one of them, but it misses a shot and blows a hole in the ship leading to the bridge. 'Clang' 'Clang' comes a Sectopod right into that spot from the other side of the hole on the next turn, which I stupidly make wider with a Shredder Rocket in my attempt to soften it up before I take it down, setting off the Ethereal and his two Elite guards. Sectopod goes down shortly after that thanks to my two SHIVs and the 2nd set of Elites follows close behind him. I think I rocketed one of them to also take out the MC'd Elite at the same time because I didn't want that to become a problem.

Almost immediately, 'Clang' 'Clang' comes Sectopod #2 along the same path the 1st one took. gah

But I still have the Ethereal and his Elites to deal with as well. I got lucky with one and took him out when they first showed in 1 Plasma shot because of the Shredder while the other has been sitting on the opposite side of a wall where one of my Assaults is now hiding to try and get a better angle on the bridge. Ethereal decides to MC my other Assault and moves her point blank with my Heavy after he gets a lucky shot off to down Sectopod #2. (Thank you Heat Ammo!) I lost one of my 2 SHIVs to that Elite, who was blown away by the other one as a response. It then plays decoy with the Ethereal, who I'm pretty sure can't do a thing against it being mechanical, and after another turn or so my two remaining soldiers take him down. The remaining four mop up Sectopod #2's Drones to finish the mission.

Everything from your Overseer story decided to show me firsthand what it feels like. Apparently I need to keep my mouth shut around this game. It listens... Anxious

You'll never guess what just happened to me on my assault of the Overseer... [aiwebs_029]

We get close to the ship and set off a set of 2 Elites, one of which I MC while the other I use Psi Panic on, leading him to critically wound the only guy carrying a medkit with his panicked action. :doh_orig: The MC'd Elite rushes into the front of the UFO and sets off another set of 2 Elites. I move a SHIV up to try and distract one of them, but it misses a shot and blows a hole in the ship leading to the bridge. 'Clang' 'Clang' comes a Sectopod right into that spot from the other side of the hole on the next turn, which I stupidly make wider with a Shredder Rocket in my attempt to soften it up before I take it down, setting off the Ethereal and his two Elite guards. Sectopod goes down shortly after that thanks to my two SHIVs and the 2nd set of Elites follows close behind him. I think I rocketed one of them to also take out the MC'd Elite at the same time because I didn't want that to become a problem.

Almost immediately, 'Clang' 'Clang' comes Sectopod #2 along the same path the 1st one took. :gah:

But I still have the Ethereal and his Elites to deal with as well. I got lucky with one and took him out when they first showed in 1 Plasma shot because of the Shredder while the other has been sitting on the opposite side of a wall where one of my Assaults is now hiding to try and get a better angle on the bridge. Ethereal decides to MC my other Assault and moves her point blank with my Heavy after he gets a lucky shot off to down Sectopod #2. (Thank you Heat Ammo!) I lost one of my 2 SHIVs to that Elite, who was blown away by the other one as a response. It then plays decoy with the Ethereal, who I'm pretty sure can't do a thing against it being mechanical, and after another turn or so my two remaining soldiers take him down. The remaining four mop up Sectopod #2's Drones to finish the mission.

Everything from your Overseer story decided to show me firsthand what it feels like. Apparently I need to keep my mouth shut around this game. It listens... :uh_orig:

Prime Hunter

2012-11-22 02:32:15 am

Things would've turned out a lot different had the 2nd Sectopod not missed an almost point blank shot at the Assault after she ran up and failed to kill it. Or if that same Assault, the one who was later MC'd, had hit my Heavy at point blank when he triggered her Close and Personal ability while moving closer to the Ethereal to finish it off and free her from his control.

tomatobob

2012-11-22 04:37:47 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

On the plus side you at least had Mind Control on your side! But yeah seriously, the Overseer UFO is no joke on Classic.

HEAT Ammo really is too good, they should have found something a bit more useful to go along side it at that level to at least make it feel like a choice. When a dude pretty much never hits anyway a skill that allows them to shoot a second reaction shot if the first hits isn't really useful. Especially when the other option is "Take down half of a Sectopod's health in one shot".

Also apparently an Ethereal's Psionic attack can very much take out a SHIV, they have no Will score and the attack's damage increases is the target fails a Will save. Better a SHIV than a soldier though.

tomatobob

2012-11-22 04:47:02 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Up to the Terror Mission on Impossible. I don't know if I want to do it. That country will leave if Idon't, but it'll leave anyway because I literally can't win. I can field at best two Laser Rifles and my Heavies, Shotty Assaults, and Snipers can't even down a Floater alone without a crit never mind what a Chryssy'll take. And I only have a four man squad. And literally every shot that hits one of my dudes crits.

I'm sure I could do it but Impossible is clearly for people more persistent than me. Maybe I'll keep this one going on the side and come back now and then when I need a little humbling.

Prime Hunter

2012-11-22 10:29:37 am

Yeah I was thinking about that afterward regarding the SHIVs and Psi attacks. I should know better because I just mentioned Psi Rift is my weapon of choice against those two Sectopods you run into on the Temple Ship, so obviously some Psionic abilities do work on mechanical units. (Rift might be the only one though and only Ethereals and the Volunteer get that.) Guess I got lucky since the Ethereal kept backing up and away from my SHIV in that battle.

And you're not playing with Ironman right now, right? Could always try it anyway just to see what kind of carnage awaits with your current setup.

tomatobob

2012-11-23 01:55:19 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Yeah I'm not actually insane so I didn't go Ironman. I've been reloading like crazy. I just sat and stared at the Terror Mission marker for a while before quitting. I'll probably give it a shot at some point, but it just sounds depressing.

Would love to just give it the ol Land and Leave but they found a workaround for that. Sad

Prime Hunter

Edit history:

Prime Hunter: 2012-11-24 12:36:13 pm

2012-11-24 12:35:43 pm

Well that's one way to deal with an Ethereal: Pull off a mind control attempt at 42%, have him use Rift on himself a turn or so before he turns back, and then put him in position for my Sniper to finish him off after he mind control's someone else on his 1st turn back. Cool

tomatobob

2012-11-25 12:04:16 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

I have never actually MC'd anything. Sad

tomatobob

2012-11-25 12:08:05 am

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Also this wouldn't post last night so let's try again, STORY TIME: This Classic Ironman game is awesome.

I was on an Abuction and got that map with the road construction going on. Figured I'd take a different approach this time since I usually end up with a protracted ineffective shoot out from behind the backhoe to the other side of that pit since there's really no good cover on the way to the other side of the map. Then I usually end up drawing in more aliens trying to force my way across cause I'm tired of plinking away and getting plinked back and it becomes this awful stupid mess that only ends when I set off every explosive I have and my Sniper(s0 finally downs what's left.

So I started left this time trying to skirt around the edge of the map and get some flanking action going on The Hell Pit. Instead I get behind the cars out on the edge and trigger a couple Thin Men who then refuse to move after I back into cover resulting in a several turn Overwatch stalemate. So I send my Assault forward a couple times to try and find them and he manages to avoid the second reaction shot when he finally catches up (I was betting that only one Thin Man would see him, whoops!) and then I move him to get around the side of the machine they're using as cover because I am a compete idiot.

Two more Thin Men, Four Floaters and two Sectoids all pointing their guns on the one dummy who ran into all of them. The Assault and my Sniper take a down a Floater each while my Heavy and Support hang back behind the car not being stupid like the Assault. Only three or four of the aliens left fire and he gets tagged once so I'm feeling a little pessimistic about his chances but pull him back a bit hoping the Thins Men will hold back and I can juts draw the Floaters back toward the Support and Heavy, who just dropped a rocket on the truck the Sectoids were hiding behind. One Floater advances and get hit but shockingly not killed by the Sniper on Overwatch and the one of the original Thin Men misses and the other spits poison cause he's an ass. The Sniper takes care of a Thin Man that followed the Floater and the Assault retreats again, into throwing range of the Support who hits him wit ha smoke grenade. The Floaters keep coming, one lands near the first set of Thin Men and another lands by a street light and flanks the Assault, everyone misses and a couple cars explode scaring me a bit. Support takes out the flanking Floater and the Sniper gets the other while as Assault rejoins the squad, the Thin Men stay put because they are asses. everyone pulls back some as I patch up and reload and then move behind that blasted backhoe because there's only a three Thins left and one of them is in perfect position to be flanked from that position and it's also the only good cover left besides what's left of that truck on the right that I need to use the backhoe to reach anyway. Once in position we drop two Thins and glare angrily at the third who is behind half cover and somehow will just not die until I take this thing full circle and my Assault finally flanks him and puts him down. I get out with two people out for about two weeks and a Sniper who gained the almost perfect nickname for her performance during that mission in "Ice". Only "Money" could have been better, I don't know if that's in there though. And I found that all my female Snipers seem to get the same voice and it owns because sometimes when they miss the shout "DAMMIT!" and sound just as mad as I am that they missed. I don't think any of the male voices have an equally pissed sounding line and that's a little disappointing, I like it when games get me.

My first "How the hell did I get out of that?" of Enemy unknown.

Also this wouldn't post last night so let's try again, STORY TIME: This Classic Ironman game is awesome.

I was on an Abuction and got that map with the road construction going on. Figured I'd take a different approach this time since I usually end up with a protracted ineffective shoot out from behind the backhoe to the other side of that pit since there's really no good cover on the way to the other side of the map. Then I usually end up drawing in more aliens trying to force my way across cause I'm tired of plinking away and getting plinked back and it becomes this awful stupid mess that only ends when I set off every explosive I have and my Sniper(s0 finally downs what's left.

So I started left this time trying to skirt around the edge of the map and get some flanking action going on The Hell Pit. Instead I get behind the cars out on the edge and trigger a couple Thin Men who then refuse to move after I back into cover resulting in a several turn Overwatch stalemate. So I send my Assault forward a couple times to try and find them and he manages to avoid the second reaction shot when he finally catches up (I was betting that only one Thin Man would see him, whoops!) and then  I move him to get around the side of the machine they're using as cover because I am a compete idiot.

Two more Thin Men, Four Floaters and two Sectoids all pointing their guns on the one dummy who ran into all of them. The Assault and my Sniper take a down a Floater each while my Heavy and Support hang back behind the car not being stupid like the Assault. Only three or four of the aliens left fire and he gets tagged once so I'm feeling a little pessimistic about his chances but pull him back a bit hoping the Thins Men will hold back and I can juts draw the Floaters back toward the Support and Heavy, who just dropped a rocket on the truck the Sectoids were hiding behind. One Floater advances and get hit but shockingly not killed by the Sniper on Overwatch and the one of the original Thin Men misses and the other spits poison cause he's an ass. The Sniper takes care of a Thin Man that followed the Floater and the Assault retreats again, into throwing range of the Support who hits him wit ha smoke grenade. The Floaters keep coming, one lands near the first set of Thin Men and another lands by a street light and flanks the Assault, everyone misses and a couple cars explode scaring me a bit. Support takes out the flanking Floater and the Sniper gets the other while as Assault rejoins the squad, the Thin Men stay put because they are asses. everyone pulls back some as I patch up and reload and then move behind that blasted backhoe because there's only a three Thins left and one of them is in perfect position to be flanked from that position and it's also the only good cover left besides what's left of that truck on the right that I need to use the backhoe to reach anyway. Once in position we drop two Thins and glare angrily at the third who is behind half cover and somehow will just not die until I take this thing full circle and my Assault finally flanks him and puts him down. I get out with two people out for about two weeks and a Sniper who gained the almost perfect nickname for her performance during that mission in "Ice". Only "Money" could have been better, I don't know if that's in there though. And I found that all my female Snipers seem to get the same voice and it owns because sometimes when they miss the shout "DAMMIT!" and sound just as mad as I am that they missed. I don't think any of the male voices have an equally pissed sounding line and that's a little disappointing, I like it when games get me.
 
My first "How the hell did I get out of that?" of Enemy unknown. :smile_orig:

Prime Hunter

Edit history:

Prime Hunter: 2012-11-25 09:48:18 am

Prime Hunter: 2012-11-25 09:47:20 am

2012-11-25 09:47:10 am

Quote from tomatobob:

My first "How the hell did I get out of that?" of Enemy unknown.

Haha, that does sound awesome. That Assault actually survived that mess? The RNG was looking out for you this time from the sounds of things, especially with all of those missed shots that took out cars nobody was hiding behind. While you did have some trouble overall things turned out to be in your favor. Of course, that just means you owe it later on and you'll run into a ton of trouble on a seemingly easy mission. You know it's going to happen.

Also it sounds like you're starting to understand why I hate those Thin Men so much. I had one mission where I think 3 of them used their poison on me in the same turn, which meant none of my guys could shoot straight afterward and it allowed them to survive and pick me off because of it.

Prime Hunter

2012-11-25 12:53:16 pm

Just finished my 3rd game, 2nd on Classic. My volunteer flushed the main Ethereal out into the open so my Sniper could get a better shot at him to take him down, and the game ended like it's supposed to. But then once the scene with the Skyranger flying in front of the falling debris was over, the cutscene that pops up when you lose started playing and the game treated it as a defeat!

Guess the council had been infiltrated beforehand and the surviving aliens weren't happy with X-COM for taking out their main ship, so they cut us off immediately. laugh new

(I've seen this bug be reported in the past but this was the first time it had ever happened to me.)

tomatobob

2012-11-25 11:48:36 pm

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Quote from Prime Hunter:

Haha, that does sound awesome. That Assault actually survived that mess? The RNG was looking out for you this time from the sounds of things, especially with all of those missed shots that took out cars nobody was hiding behind. While you did have some trouble overall things turned out to be in your favor. Of course, that just means you owe it later on and you'll run into a ton of trouble on a seemingly easy mission. You know it's going to happen.

To be fair he did have Tactical Sense so the number of enemies onscreen boosted his defense, and a lot of them double moved for cover on that first turn instead of firing when he was most vulnerable, and the other guys were so far away they weren't really in danger of their cover exploding on them. But yeah the RNG had my back, he should have died at least three times and the poison was one turn from killing him when he made it to safety. My Sniper only had ~70% to hit on the first turn and the Support that got a kill on one of the pursuers couldn't have had much better, and in this game those shots are almost a guaranteed miss.

And yeah, I fully expect that I will get owned by Heavy Floaters when they show up. They always give me trouble and given my luck here I will get owned by them when there's just two and they are the only enemies on the map. I have accepted this.

Quote from Prime Hunter:

Also it sounds like you're starting to understand why I hate those Thin Men so much. I had one mission where I think 3 of them used their poison on me in the same turn, which meant none of my guys could shoot straight afterward and it allowed them to survive and pick me off because of it.

Yeah, I get it now, fuck Thin Men. It's really the poison and annoying tendency to Overwatch instead of move that gets me, they will just sit there and poison your dudes and piss you off instead of making an active attempt to kill you. And when they do shoot they probably crit because they are huge dicks. I hate them and love them.

[quote="Prime Hunter"]Haha, that does sound awesome. That Assault actually survived that mess? The RNG was looking out for you this time from the sounds of things, especially with all of those missed shots that took out cars nobody was hiding behind. While you did have some trouble overall things turned out to be in your favor. Of course, that just means you owe it later on and you'll run into a ton of trouble on a seemingly easy mission. You know it's going to happen.[/quote]
To be fair he did have Tactical Sense so the number of enemies onscreen boosted his defense, and a lot of them double moved for cover on that first turn instead of firing when he was most vulnerable, and the other guys were so far away they weren't really in danger of their cover exploding on them. But yeah the RNG had my back, he should have died at least three times and the poison was one turn from killing him when he made it to safety. My Sniper only had ~70% to hit on the first turn and the Support that got a kill on one of the pursuers couldn't have had much better, and in this game those shots are almost a guaranteed miss.

And yeah, I fully expect that I will get owned by Heavy Floaters when they show up. They always give me trouble and given my luck here I will get owned by them when there's just two and they are the only enemies on the map. I have accepted this.

[quote="Prime Hunter"]Also it sounds like you're starting to understand why I hate those Thin Men so much. I had one mission where I think 3 of them used their poison on me in the same turn, which meant none of my guys could shoot straight afterward and it allowed them to survive and pick me off because of it.[/quote]
Yeah, I get it now, fuck Thin Men. It's really the poison and annoying tendency to Overwatch instead of move that gets me, they will just sit there and poison your dudes and piss you off instead of making an active attempt to kill you. And when they do shoot they probably crit because they are huge dicks. I hate them and love them.

Prime Hunter

2012-11-26 08:40:33 pm

Pretty sure that losing the 1st mission over and over on two different maps while trying to play Impossible is a sign I'm not ready to try it again.