XCOM2 pluses AND minuses

[firsTraveler]

Overall XCOM2 is a significant improvement over XCOM.

 

+ Overwatch, it's so much better I doubt I'll ever be able to stand playing Long War again. Is there any chance XCOM can we patched to work like this?

 

- No air war

 

+ Modular weapons

 

- Crysilids that "burrow" into, well, anything. They dont seem very adapt at digging.

 

+ Sectopods and spheres demoleshing everything.

 

- No tanks

 

+ MODS!

 

- generic near future architecture. Is there any chance that maps can be made of real locations?

 

+ except for the commander you don't have to research Psi abilities at all

 

- No flight armor

 

+ AWC and Gureilla Training School

 

 

[firsTraveler]

- troops don't wear helmets - and why don't the missing helmets have built in air filters?

 

+ DLC

 

- 1st DLC seems to be an appearance pack

[Perraine]

My physical retail copy of the game, came with a "Resistance Warrior Pack" ... No idea what it actually does, but I have multiple "Helmet" options available in the character customization window.

 

** Overwatch is missing perks from several classes, so it could be better, but the larger map sizes and the more realistic LoS mechanic do make it much, much more fun.

** Agreed no Air to Air battles is a bit of a let down. Would have really liked a flight sim mode (take control of an Interceptor, or the Avengers retro-fitted guns or something)

** Agreed mods for weapons are a great addition.

** If they actually stayed "hidden" until you got near them, it would have better (like "rescuing" a civilian, only for it to turn out to be a Faceless, adds to the "excitement".

** Agreed, plus I also like that they gave them an "Achilles Heel" = EMP for Gatekeepers, and Acid for Sectopods.

** Well, you can "hack" enemy mechanical units, so It sort of makes up a bit for that.?

** Agreed, the maps, even though random, do seem "generic" Plus the 'Future City" architecture is just plain WRONG. It should have been like "Aeon Flux" (the movie) but instead it comes across more like "The Jetsons" (the cartoon)

** I DON'T like the fact that I can't train my favourite Ranger Col. in Psi abilities, however I DO like that there is no "No Talent" or "Gifted" mechanic any more.

** AWC and GTS firstly could really have been rolled into one (Officer Training School?) and they become almost completely obsolete after a very short period in game time, so they REALLY need to have their functionality increased.

...

 

+ Combat is now WAY more tactical, and requires a greater level of "strategy" to beat the game on higher difficulties. The skills (perks) and their various interactions between classes is particularly fun.

 

- SHUT THE F**K UP CENTRAL ... And Tygan, and Chen!!! For the love of <insert favoured deity here> Stop stealing the focus all the damn time, and repeating the same damn speeches constantly! ... I KNOW ALREADY, I've played the game before!

 

+ Character Customization, Character Customization, Character Customization ... Yipeeeeeeeee

 

- No "Second Wave" options. (Including telling Central, and Tygan and Chen to STFU! and let me play)

 

+ Character Pool is a brilliant addition - But sadly no "Import XCOM:EU/EW option :(

 

- Main campaign and the "doomsday timer" feels slightly, ho hum, and really is to easily "beatable" by judicious timing of site raids and research. Plus no "Cheering, clapping and back slapping cutscenes, when you take down an enemy site.

 

+ Did I mention Character Customization?!?!?

[UhuruNUru]

+ XCOM SDK

Big - Steam only, I want all games on GOG or I should say, with an offline installer, at least somewhere, anywhere.

Currently that's just GOG, anywhere as long as no online client is required for the SPG mode.

Bolt-on multi-player (or SPG campaign within or added to MPG's, which is often what I think of MMO's) is irrelevant to me and a complete waste of resources.

The forced updates of all but GOG's Galaxy make the clients unsuitable for modding, and no SPG needs any online client.

Dev updates are great but mods need time to catch up before I update my game, Steam has just updated and now I can't play until all my mods have been updated.

Unless I start another campaign without them, I can't play because it's updated and will likely have broken some of my mods.

I've just checked and many mods have updates, but it's been over a day since I started the game, so not sure all are after the update.

 

Regardless of whether a game has a MPG mode or not, the SPG mode needs no client, but it's not that the game is on Steam that's the issue.

I'm all for more consumer choice, it's being exclusive to Steam (or any store), I have an issue with. I choose the store(s), I want to use and the publisher must now sell me the product. where I choose to shop, I'm done with all online clients for SPG games/modes.

SPG and MPG don't mix well, i want one or the other, both are never good, one always gets the most attention, just make that one, the SPG for XCOM.

I doubt anyone bought this just for the multiplayer mode, if they did, they deserve much better as well, but most, like me will never play the multi-player much, if at all.

 

XCOM 2 has squeezed in as the last Steam only game, I will buy. My requirement is simple, I insist on a game installer to download.

GOG is my store of choice, but the installer is the only requirement I have, if I can install the game, I will buy it. Unless it's a store exclusive, I will not buy from stores that attempt to restrict my choices.

The days of my accepting key sales as good enough are over, it's the forced online clients, I have an issue with, that's what I will not accept in future, where the key is bought is irrelevant.

 

When I have said this elsewhere, others assume it's just words, but I switched from consoles to PC because of the exclusives they tried blackmailing me with, I have ignored console only releases for over a decade.

Now I will ignore online client ones as well, Steam opens on my library and I haven't looked at the store at all, it's going reasonably well, games I want to play exist on Steam, but I now simply ignore them.

It's only been just over a month since I made this decision, but I'm not out to start any campaigns, I make this decision for myself, though I know how to limit Steam's interference with my mods, I can't stop it.

Modding GOG games is much easier, GOG provides the base game and leaves all the decisions to me, even the client is optional, in every aspect, including the option not to use it.

I update game and mods together when they are all ready to update and can still play, without updating anything until the mods are ready.

 

I will get the DLC for existing library games, but I now destroy every Steam game, when I can get the games offline installer. XCOM 3 will have to meet that requirement, like every other new game.

[firsTraveler]

- MOD install system doesn't really work

[davidlallen]

Since some mods at steam workshop have more than 100,000 current subscribers, perhaps not everybody agrees it "doesn't really work".

[JarnoMikkola]

Since some mods at steam workshop have more than 100,000 current subscribers, perhaps not everybody agrees it "doesn't really work".

Well, the vanilla game mod launcher, instead of being just arranging alphabetical, could be a little more rudimentary better organized, like for example the one in the Nexusmods site. Not that I have actually used it, but I can clearly see that there could be problems with mods that utilize the same file.

Not that there's any thing wrong with it being just base tool to build things up from.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Jarno Mikkola

[firsTraveler]

- The end game keeps teasing that you'll get to make a momentous choice - spoiler - you don't