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[EuchreJack]

One other advantage of keeping firearms generic is that when somebody plays the game 10 years in the future, it won't look as severely dated.

Nothing shows the age of a video game/tv show/movie like making a big deal about something being advanced that is now obsolete.

I think I know why you might start out with only 4 guys, it might be you don't start out with a Skyranger-esque craft, and you only have access to the interceptor.

Interceptor is a jet fighter. It cannot carry jackshit.

Actually it could carry 6 guys.

That is still more than the current 4 that is supposed to be the limit. That means your argument is partly incorrect.

Perhaps the pilot and co-pilot stay in the Interceptor this time, bringing the total down to 4.  I wouldn't be surprised if the new game doesn't penalize the player for losing a mission by taking away their only troop transport.  Only the truly hardcore awesome old games could do stuff like that.

[Vibhor]

Perhaps the pilot and co-pilot stay in the Interceptor this time, bringing the total down to 4.  I wouldn't be surprised if the new game doesn't penalize the player for losing a mission by taking away their only troop transport.  Only the truly hardcore awesome old games could do stuff like that.

Damn, stop posting stuff like that. You are making me less psyched.

[sluissa]

The interceptor only carried 6 with the unofficial (and optional) xcomutil changes.

It was never meant to be a troop transport at all in the vanilla game.

[Kilroy the Grand]

One other advantage of keeping firearms generic is that when somebody plays the game 10 years in the future, it won't look as severely dated.

Nothing shows the age of a video game/tv show/movie like making a big deal about something being advanced that is now obsolete.

The us military has been using the m16 since the '60s, because there hasn't really been anything to replace it.

[sluissa]

That's not quite true. It's just that nobody wanted to pay for a replacement. Or the possible replacements for one reason or another, practical or political, weren't deemed a good enough upgrade. It's not as if weapon makers have just sat back and went. "Welp, that's the perfect weapon, no way we could ever top that."

[LoSboccacc]

You need some fact checking. There is a lot of research going on, both internally and in the private sector (oicw, xm* programs)

Xm8 is good enough, but there just was no war at that time. The afghanistan started and spec ops quickly switched to scar.

[dogstile]

the spess mureen rifle that the original X-Com seemed to start you with.

I pity the spess mahreen that got stuck with that crappy semi-auto zip-gun.  It couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from ten steps away, and had the penetration power of a stiff breeze.

I actually dislike the idea of a videogame namechecking real guns, because it turns their forums into a giant sperglord turf war over people who insist they know how the gun would really handle, completely ignoring the cartoony presentation of the setting.

And well shit, people are already doing that with the vehicles. Christ people, its a game about aliens, just ignore it and have !!fun!! when it comes out.

[Dohon]

Some more concept art over at Gameinformer. Clicky click.

Would be fun to actually have SCAR's in the game. I would love to actually handle one myself. But then again, I would love to try each gun in existance. Me love me boomsticks.

[Sirus]

Would be fun to actually have SCAR's in the game. I would love to actually handle one myself. But then again, I would love to try each gun in existance. Me love me boomsticks.

Mods.

[Aqizzar]

I don't think I can legitimately call myself a prophet for predicting the arrival of gunwank.  Anyone could expect it, really.

Some more concept art over at Gameinformer. Clicky click.

glowing Sectoids
Mutons are like Orc SEALs
Aeon Flux inspired design process

Not_sure_if_want.jpg

[Sirus]

Personally, would rather have Mutons wear power armor instead of green spandex. Would look much more imposing.

Glowing Sectoids I'm iffy about, but I love the design they've got going for the Thin Men.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Aye, I like the way that the Thin Men look overall. Sectoids look okay, but I've always kinda imagined them as sleek, like an Aquatoid stole the skin from a dolphin or something. I don't like how they tried to make them scary and menacing though. Sectoids were never scary, or even slightly frightening to me. Their entire purpose was to act as meatshields and to build a sense of false confidence for when the Snakemen to smash to pieces.

The only design choice that I hate is the Mutons. The whole tribal theme seems counter to elite military force. A tribal theme seems to imply a lack of tactics and organization, unless you consider the headlong charge to be a viable military tactic. Yes, I know that not all tribes did the whole headlong charge, but the Muton's are inspired by orcs, a fantasy race who's entire existence is to charge head-first into the enemy and turn them into a tasty goo.

[Mephansteras]

I'm ok with all the designs, I think. We'll need to see how they play out in game, but I don't have any real objections to them.

Also, they said in the article that they made them look more tribal and then decided they looked too much like orcs, and then changed them to be more bestial. So I don't think they're really inspired too much by orcs, then just come out a bit like them.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Making them bestial isn't much better than making them orcs. Mostly depends on how bestial and what beasts they draw inspiration from.

After thinking about it for a while, I'd have liked to see the Mutons as a sophisticated and almost gentlemanly force, like the Three Musketeers but with more plasma. Not raw power, but an iron fist in a velvet glove. The only reason that they're killing you is because their superiors have ordered them to. In another time and in a different place they would have enjoyed swapping war-stories with you. Admittedly they'll never go in that direction, but it could have been neat.

[Criptfeind]

orcs, a fantasy race who's entire existence is to charge head-first into the enemy and turn them into a tasty goo.

Ehh.... Fantasy is very wildly varying on such things you know? The fantasy I read they are not really like that at all.

And... For the post above this. That would feel so so wrong to me I am having issues even responding.

They are suppose to be the top troops of a horrid conglomerate of aliens come to wipe out all life from the planet.