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[Aptus]

So the impending release of Firaxis-Com has led me on a hunt to play an X-Com-like and I do not have the patience to wait. I have played the first one and tftd quite recently and could never really get into Apocalypse (but I intend to some day). The other UFO series (the AfterXYZ games) I have never been able to get to run properly, especially not on my current system so sadly they are not an option. I bought the Xenonauts Alpha but that game is quite too early in the build for me to actually enjoy it as a game (but damn does it have promise.) Then I read about this one which is available on steam.

So, UFO: Extraterrestrials, has anyone played it? Is it worth it or should I just replay X-Com once more? :p

[azurelao]

its pretty good. id suggest getting UFO:ET Gold, though. that one has fixes and adjustments in it that make things a little more x-com like.

its sort of mixed, and you cant support your forces by just manufacturing stuff, but that makes it so that you actually have to do missions.

theres a bunch of tech, and quite a few fun vehicles.

also, you can set it so that your soldiers can either be really, really vulnerable, and die when wounded, or rather tough and just go to the hospital.

[Sharp]

So, UFO: Extraterrestrials, has anyone played it? Is it worth it or should I just replay X-Com once more? :p

UFO: ET is shit to be totally honest. It's a poor clone of XCOM with even less features then the original. If you have played the original then you will be horrified.

If you can still play the original then good god man just play that, or play Open XCOM, or UFO: AI isn't too bad either. Or give Apoc a whirl.

[Silent_Thunder]

Another good alternative is Xenonauts, but that's still in alpha, so there's quite a few bugs, and the endgame isn't in yet, so it's more of a quick fix of X-Com than anything substantial yet.

[Aptus]

Wow Sharp and Azurelao those be some differing opinons :p

Open XCOM, or UFO: AI isn't too bad either. Or give Apoc a whirl.

Hmm, never even heard of 'Open X-com' or 'AI' (guess that is UFO: Alien Invasion from a google search.) Maybe I should try Apoc again, I quite liked the idea of it but I hated the real time combat (It also felt like it forced the RT combat against certain enemies that just became a pain on turnbased).

Another good alternative is Xenonauts, but that's still in alpha, so there's quite a few bugs, and the endgame isn't in yet, so it's more of a quick fix of X-Com than anything substantial yet.

Yeah I know, I already have the alpha, it shows a lot of promise but so far it just feels too unfinished to be an enjoyable gaming experience, it is an alpha after all.

[jocan2003]

So, UFO: Extraterrestrials, has anyone played it? Is it worth it or should I just replay X-Com once more? :p

UFO: ET is shit to be totally honest. It's a poor clone of XCOM with even less features then the original. If you have played the original then you will be horrified.

If you can still play the original then good god man just play that, or play Open XCOM, or UFO: AI isn't too bad either. Or give Apoc a whirl.

I dont understand in how there is less feature o.O, i would like to know because i got gold and with some tweak i manage to get the full BMAN mod with all aliens and all that and i love it, i find it pretty close to the original XCOM. When ppl ask me about xcom and what they should play next i always tell them to play extra-terrestrial always as it a game that has the same spirit literaly. Some call it rip-off some call it clone, i prefer to say its XCOM remake using better graphics. If you want to compare, ET has more xcom than the next xcom itle about to hit shelve.

Funny how this year 2 game using older game as *inspiration* had other company made better *successor* than they did. I.E.: Torchlight 2 has more in comon with D2 than diablo 3, and UFO: ET has more in commong with X-Com than the next title coming in.... Something is wrong somewhere o.O

[Nirur Torir]

I didn't much like it, but it's worth a download if you're in need of more X-COM. It's on Gamersgate's VOID service, where you can play it for free for watching ads.

[sluissa]

Another good alternative is Xenonauts, but that's still in alpha, so there's quite a few bugs, and the endgame isn't in yet, so it's more of a quick fix of X-Com than anything substantial yet.

Xenonauts has its share of missing features and problems as well. Some of which might be added/ironed out by release, but many of which, I don't believe they will.

I still pre-ordered, but I'd suggest giving the forum a good read, paying attention to the dev direction before committing.

UFO:ET though, I'll agree, it's lacking in a lot of ways. Not a terrible game, but it does try too hard to be X-Com and ultimately falls short, just making you want to go back and play X-Com instead... I fear that's the fate of every x-com remake... you either end up with a completely different game that misses the mark, or you just don't live up to the original.

[Comp112]

There is always UFO: TTS

Pretty much original Xcom with a ton of tweaks. It can be a pain to find though, so if you want a link to a copy, hop into DFC and ask me or someone else there for it.

[ConscriptFive]

UFO:ET is alright.  The big shortcoming was the lack of random maps and destructable terrain.  You end up getting tired of using the same tactics and same optimized patterns of attack eventually.

However, I highly recommend using Greyfiend's mod.  It changes a lot of stupid things (lots of balancing), and adds some new dynamics that make the game much better than even the original XCOM in some ways (AI hearing checks and supply & demand economy!)  It's still actively maintained at version 3.92 apparently.

http://ufogr.com/index.php?lang=en;action=features

[Sonlirain]

ET probably has the WORST ending in the history of games.
After many ingame months you finally discover what happened to earth and send a strike team to liberate the homeworld and... LOOOOOOOL You mad?

However it has a TON of HWPs (not quite but close since they act the same but are considered to be manned) so if you loved those in X-Com then ET has something for you.

Also the weapon tiers are a bit different as it is divided by generations that are usually direct upgrades over the previous ones but spaced apart far more than in the first UFO games.
It starts normal with humans having normal projectile weapons coupled with lasers and aliens using chemicals and plasma weapons.

The aliens however do not stop at plasma guns and after going through the cycle of pistol rifle heavy they go further by using other types of weapons. And along with the aliens your scientists think out ways of making guns that are far better than any "heavy Plasma Cannon" you encountered in Generation  1 or 2... for example by combining 2 different technologies into one gun.

[Sharp]

Wow Sharp and Azurelao those be some differing opinons :p

Open XCOM, or UFO: AI isn't too bad either. Or give Apoc a whirl.

Hmm, never even heard of 'Open X-com' or 'AI' (guess that is UFO: Alien Invasion from a google search.) Maybe I should try Apoc again, I quite liked the idea of it but I hated the real time combat (It also felt like it forced the RT combat against certain enemies that just became a pain on turnbased).

I thought some enemies were a pain on real-time Tbh real-time needed a bit of modwork, especially for snipers as the bullet (laser) travels slow(er then the speed of light, much slower) so in real-time it's a pain hitting anything that isn't moving towards your agents or standing still. J'ordos made some awesome mods for Apoc though to tweak it for more fun.

As for UFO:ET, I don't think I had gold version, but basically after playing it for around an hour it just felt like XCOM with less stuff, some might argue non-important stuff like personnel management and purchasing/selling crap, but the horrible voice acting and similar but not quite gameplay just turned me off. Why play with that crap when I can just play the original

But I dunno maybe gold version and mods makes it much more fun.

[Virtz]

What I remember most from ET is that the engine was really awful. Like despite using 2D sprites for people (which was something no one did anymore by that time, and before that it was used to render thousands of units, not ten), they couldn't get it to perform nor look decently. It may seem like a minor thing, but it really rendered the game unplayably slow while looking like crap. It just felt really horribly coded.

[pazuzu]

I loved the xcom games, also the UFOafterwhatever series.
I still play xcom1 and Xcom apocalypse.

UFO:ET was pretty decent i thought, but it's the only one i don't go back to play again.
The HWPs and aliens were pretty awesome, also the weapons and armour gfx were good.
The weapon progression seemed silly to me, very linear kind of upgrades. You won't find yourserlf using old tech like laser rifles or heavy plasmas once you research the next tiers of guns, because they are all the same but with 20 more damage each tier. zzzz.

The UFO after-series was much better, but different.

Xcom apoc on the other hand, took me many plays to even get used to the art style and the realtime battles, but i'm glad i did, because i think now its easily the best of the series. Its just... Ugly.

I really like UFO:AI too, but i think it still needs a lot of work, like most xcom remakes.
X-Force was a pretty good one too, but the english translations and lack of continued devopment killed it i think. Maybe someone who reads German can check out their page and see if they're still even making it.

But yeah, Apocalypse.
Hah or even Xcom:interceptor... It's not as bad as ppl say.

[ConscriptFive]

...
But yeah, Apocalypse.
Hah or even Xcom:interceptor... It's not as bad as ppl say.

Apoc was great game which can get super-sandboxy if you unofficially go to war against the other city factions.  The balance was super-screwy though.  The battle difficulty was balanced to be challenging in turn-based, but was way too easy when you switched to realtime.  You can just set up a firing line with toxin guns, and watch as the aliens get machine-gunned down rushing you.  The headcrabs posed no threat whatsoever in realtime, as you teammates had plenty of them to shoot it, even while it was attached.  You could also exploit teleporters to do cheap hit and run attacks.

I haven't played it in years, but supposedly Karadoc's mod fixes alot of these balance issues.  The Megapol mod might also be interesting.
http://www.strategycore.co.uk/files/x-com-apocalypse/mods/

Though be warned, Apoc is known for having one of the worst endings in PC-gaming history.

It is funny you gave props to Interceptor but not Enforcer.  Enforcer was just such a shitty and pointless DOOM-clone.