None of those things were particularly difficult or particularly hard to figure out. I never used strategy guides either.
Ehhhh, something about that makes me doubt your being truthful. Just given how I saw the game go. Something must have informed you.
Hello blaster bombs!
Well this is why you need some good ranked people with armor. In the early game it is worth save and reloading your first few missions just so you have experienced characters who have a chance of not being instant killed.
JUST to make the game a bit easier.
...
Oddly enough when things come down to it the game actually relies on luck. In that you hit the end game the second you take down a large ship. Though given how the game handles the difficulty curve it could actually end the game too if you manage it too early.
Well, yeah - if you played badly, you were going to lose. Obviously
You would be surprised how easy the game is to lose when you don't have the mindset on how the game expects you to play, or when you expect more depth from the game then there is (for example expecting some parts of the alien craft to be useful). "Ohh I should research this, I may need it" (Game: "No, you didn't need that... you ACTUALLY should have skipped it") "Well I should build this!" (Game: "Nope it was a trap we set in the game. The time required to construct it is SUPPOSED to give reason why hunting aliens is required and is in fact a plot element and not a gameplay element. sorry you thought you needed it though")
Though I guess at this point I need to PROVE the game is tougher then you think... but can't ohh well
I think the biggest problem for people came from not knowing when they were outmatched.
Ohh you knew you were outmatched the largest issue is EVERY SINGLE OTHER GAME in existance makes you fight through that. Xcom is the ONLY game that makes you consider your options.
It is one of the main reasons why the game is nearly impossible for some people. Because the fact that "losing" and intentionally chosing to fail is something that goes against almost any other game in existance.
HECK I've played games where if you don't do the most suicidal missions one after the other the game becomes unwinnable.
The other is that the game really does have a true sequence of events you need to follow.
"The armor and weapons are secondary, I used to take out sectopods with heavy plasma, not easy, but not hard enough to carry lasers."
I said unlucky... I actually used tanks because they let my guys live and could take the early vollys of grenades. The unfortunate part is I love tanks...