[X] My Assistant

[X-Kalibur]

They're nerfing squadsight. Motherfuckers. >_<

It's not that much of a nerf though. Just killing crit unless you headshot. And improving Snap Shot along side that means you'll have a sniper for outdoor missions (squad sight, HOOOO!) and one for terror/abduction missions.

Personally, I hope they remove the bloody obnoxious artificial difficulty of higher difficulties. Lowering my soldier HPs? Fine, I can deal. Not capping max active aliens? No problem! Giving them all a bonus to hit and crit that is flat? Fuck right off.

[Wounded Ronin]

Because GW is a gigantic bag of dicks.

Why don't they simply trademark "People Doing Things"?

[ShadowDragon8685]

It's not that much of a nerf though. Just killing crit unless you headshot. And improving Snap Shot along side that means you'll have a sniper for outdoor missions (squad sight, HOOOO!) and one for terror/abduction missions.

It's a huge nerf, because a lot of Snipers' damage potential comes from the huge critical hit bonuses of their weapons and the huge accuracy of their class.

The regular sniper rifle has a +25% critical hit chance. The laser sniper has a +30, and the plasma sniper has a +35%. One out of four to greater than one in three shots for snipers is a critical hit based on their weapon stats alone, irrespective of any other modifiers such as catching an enemy out in the open, such as elevation.

The sniper rifle's base damage is 9, same as an alloy cannon or the plasma LMG. But it will consistantly outperform the plasma LMG, because (a) Snipers can actually hit things, whereas Heavies can't reliably shoot something in melee range, and (b) critical hits make their damage more often 18 than 9. My colonel snipers typically have a critical hit rate of greater than 50% - that's not "random getting lucky" rates, that's "MMORPG statistical damage buff" rates.

So it's a massive, massive nerf.

Personally, I hope they remove the bloody obnoxious artificial difficulty of higher difficulties. Lowering my soldier HPs? Fine, I can deal. Not capping max active aliens? No problem! Giving them all a bonus to hit and crit that is flat? Fuck right off.

Yeah. Making the computer into a cheating bastard is just asinine.

[X-Kalibur]

I get what you're saying, and you'll still be able to attain your crazy crit levels with the sniper rifle through squad sight with headshot. It's a reasonable balance mechanism. Especially with snap shot having it's accuracy penalty reduced to -10 from -20. I feel like it's all going to be related to them wanting to speed up the gameplay from move up with single action, overwatch if no aliens, repeat.

[Tanegar]

I feel like it's all going to be related to them wanting to speed up the gameplay from move up with single action, overwatch if no aliens, repeat.

Le sigh. Why does every game have to be fast-paced? I'm perfectly fine with move-overwatch gameplay.

[X-Kalibur]

You can still play it slow, you'll just potentially be missing out on some new materials. Many times I've had much better luck being gung-ho (even on impossible) and pushing my luck by sweeping around and attempting to flank from many positions. At least once I (yet again) get skeleton armor. I really love that stuff... until ghost armor.

[ShadowDragon8685]

I get what you're saying, and you'll still be able to attain your crazy crit levels with the sniper rifle through squad sight with headshot. It's a reasonable balance mechanism. Especially with snap shot having it's accuracy penalty reduced to -10 from -20. I feel like it's all going to be related to them wanting to speed up the gameplay from move up with single action, overwatch if no aliens, repeat.

Yeah, but only with headshot, which means your chance for critical hits is going to go from ~65% twice a round to ~50% once every two rounds.

That's a very steep nerf, and you're right - it is part of their "Stop being a coward and do something risky" gameplay push. I'd like to find the guy who had this idea and strap a rifle over his shoulder and send him to Baghdad circa '08 and tell him to go ahead and "Be risky" and "Push quickly" if he still thinks it's a good idea.

>_<

They made a game where doing anything other than "single move into cover -> shoot/overwatch/pull back" is a stupid, stupid idea, and now they want you to do things which are stupid, stupid ideas. Well, sod that.

Le sigh. Why does every game have to be fast-paced? I'm perfectly fine with move-overwatch gameplay.

Yeah, me too.

You can still play it slow, you'll just potentially be missing out on some new materials. Many times I've had much better luck being gung-ho (even on impossible) and pushing my luck by sweeping around and attempting to flank from many positions. At least once I (yet again) get skeleton armor. I really love that stuff... until ghost armor.

"Sure, you can still play the game the way you used to, but you'll be missing out on half of the point of the new expansion 'cause you'll never get any Meld because you're not willing to risk your team getting horribly raped by taking a chance on where the aliens will be. Oh yeah, your guardian angel just got beat in the cunt with the nerfstick, too."

[X-Kalibur]

Yeah, but only with headshot, which means your chance for critical hits is going to go from ~65% twice a round to ~50% once every two rounds.

That's a very steep nerf, and you're right - it is part of their "Stop being a coward and do something risky" gameplay push. I'd like to find the guy who had this idea and strap a rifle over his shoulder and send him to Baghdad circa '08 and tell him to go ahead and "Be risky" and "Push quickly" if he still thinks it's a good idea.

>_<

They made a game where doing anything other than "single move into cover -> shoot/overwatch/pull back" is a stupid, stupid idea, and now they want you to do things which are stupid, stupid ideas. Well, sod that.



Yeah, me too.



"Sure, you can still play the game the way you used to, but you'll be missing out on half of the point of the new expansion 'cause you'll never get any Meld because you're not willing to risk your team getting horribly raped by taking a chance on where the aliens will be. Oh yeah, your guardian angel just got beat in the cunt with the nerfstick, too."

But they are adding more options to be able to move and stay in cover. Such as assaults who take up close and personal rather than LR being able to move up, free shot, and then take their second move into cover, almost like having a run and gun. One class is supposed to get the option to add cover to an area. All classes being able to have multiple item slots (which to me just means everyone gets a scope and grenade...)

[X-Kalibur]

I suppose if they gave us a real skyranger to take into the fights, loaded up with 12 soldiers (or 8 and a tank) it would be a much different story.

[ShadowDragon8685]

I suppose if they gave us a real skyranger to take into the fights, loaded up with 12 soldiers (or 8 and a tank) it would be a much different story.

Or, hell, here's an idea, eliminate the fog of war where it doesn't make sense. Where it doesn't make sense meaning "Anywhere we can have real-time satellite and drone imagery."

Where are our drones, huh? The aliens are 100% inept at jamming radio-frequency commo, or they'd jam our signal to XCOM Command. So why don't we have MQ-9 Reapers in the air offering fire support?

[X-Kalibur]

Or, hell, here's an idea, eliminate the fog of war where it doesn't make sense. Where it doesn't make sense meaning "Anywhere we can have real-time satellite and drone imagery."

Where are our drones, huh? The aliens are 100% inept at jamming radio-frequency commo, or they'd jam our signal to XCOM Command. So why don't we have MQ-9 Reapers in the air offering fire support?

The fog of war is a hold out from the old XCOM games. I don't really have a problem with it. Maybe the pods in abduction/terror missions send out a field that distorts vision over a long range.

[Sengir]

I suppose if they gave us a real skyranger to take into the fights, loaded up with 12 soldiers (or 8 and a tank) it would be a much different story.

I want the Ground Control 2 dropship (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[X-Kalibur]

Some narrated gameplay footage for you all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkeJhlkQgpE

[X-Kalibur]

The pre-order is up on steam for a slight discount for anyone who is intereted. (Also Thief 4, but that's for another thread)

[CanRay]

Get my Cyborg on when that comes out!!!

[X-Kalibur]

Get my Cyborg on when that comes out!!!

While I'm excited for the MECs, I'm more excited for the implants. Allowing all of my people to either run further or leap tall heights without the grapple (allowing for easier cover too) will be awesome.

[Remnar]

I should probably download and actually play this game at some point. Got it as a gift but the 10 GB download and my monthly download limit aren't friends. Maybe in November.

[Fabe]

Is Enemy within going to be like a second campaign or does it just add to the existing one?

[tasti man LH]

Add to the existing one.

It works like the DLC for Civ V in that they get folded into the main game. The original campaign (as far as I know) isn't going to be changed too significantly in terms of the story.

[Fabe]

Add to the existing one.

It works like the DLC for Civ V in that they get folded into the main game. The original campaign (as far as I know) isn't going to be changed too significantly in terms of the story.

OK I'm close to finishing the game as it is as was hoping the new DLC would extend the game past that point. Looks like I might be better off starting a new game.

[tasti man LH]

Yeah, you'd have to restart a new campaign for the new content in Within to kick in.

Also, new trailer.

Looks like we got a new set of enemies, HUMAN ones, a group called EXALT. Also, they're implying the return of Base Defense Missions.

[X-Kalibur]

Total Biscuit has a review up with 2 missions and shows off some stuff. It's interesting and I'm super excited now. Less than 2 weeks to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vbj0C1KKwE

[tasti man LH]

Total Biscuit has a review up with 2 missions and shows off some stuff. It's interesting and I'm super excited now. Less than 2 weeks to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vbj0C1KKwE

Hah! The one case where the cybered characters dominate everyone!

Imagine what the debates would be like if SR had a CyberRun problem instead...

[X-Kalibur]

I like how the MECs can take a ton of damage but they are going to end up taking a lot of down time as a result.

[tasti man LH]

Interesting that TB mentions how easy that MECs make missions when you first get them, when I saw in a different hands-on preview from Kotaku (this was several months back, but w.e.) mentioned how their two MECs got easily taken out. Then again, they were fighting aliens, so I dunno...

But yeah, the MECs and the gene mods seem...a little bit TOO good, in my opinion. Well, we'll see how things pan out, epecially when you start to hit late-game...