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[Urist McSpike]

The rookies actually get the best weapons for me, because I don't want to research the extra laser weapons (figure I'll just jump on over to plasma) and the vast majority of my team can't use assault rifles.  I have one assault, one support, a bunch of snipers, and a few heavies.  So really, rookies are a valuable asset.

I think this might be a mistake.  You seem to be able to get the laser research out of the way pretty fast (not sure if my Europe start boosted research, or just lab costs), and the weapons are a good upgrade, with a flat +2 damage bonus (+1 for pistols).  I skipped laser pistols, and eventually gave my snipers the plasma pistols for backup.

In general, I try to bring one rookie along per mission, to get them some xp (if they live).  Tossing them a nano-weave vest, or something else that boosts health is pretty nice.

Honestly I don't mind the UI much, but I hate that I can't shoot things other than enemies. If an enemy is hiding behind explosive cover, I want to explode it!

I remember one of the dev videos where they talked about this - basically, it was too hard to get the AI to use this tactic, so it would have been a big advantage for the player.  Plus they said something about the targeting system, about how the original game used tile targeting.

[forsaken1111]

My current standard team makeup is:

2 Support(Laser Rifle, Laser Pistol, Skeleton Suit, Medkit)
2 Assault (Laser Rifle, Laser Pistol, (Arcthrower if I need live capture, else SCOPE), Skeleton Suit)
1 Heavy (Heavy Laser, Rocket Launcher, Grenade, Skeleton Suit)
1 Sniper (Laser Sniper Rifle, Laser Pistol, SCOPE, Skeleton Suit)

Why skeleton suits? Because its all I have researched at the moment. If I don't have an experienced soldier of one of those roles, I sub in a rookie with the same equipment (where possible, you obviously can't give sniper rifles/heavy lasers to rookies).

The rookies actually get the best weapons for me, because I don't want to research the extra laser weapons (figure I'll just jump on over to plasma) and the vast majority of my team can't use assault rifles.  I have one assault, one support, a bunch of snipers, and a few heavies.  So really, rookies are a valuable asset.

I think this might be a mistake.  You seem to be able to get the laser research out of the way pretty fast (not sure if my Europe start boosted research, or just lab costs), and the weapons are a good upgrade, with a flat +2 damage bonus (+1 for pistols).  I skipped laser pistols, and eventually gave my snipers the plasma pistols for backup.

My first live capture was a sectoid so I got the 50% research credit for beam research. This made lasers incredibly fast to research, and I already have all of my interceptors equipped with laser cannons.

[Microcline]

Let's have a moment of silence for Col. Neo "Grumpy" Nivek.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

He was a member of my original four, and my first psionic.  He gave his life in operation red stallion, my first encounter with etherals.  He had 50 confirmed kills over the course of 23 missions.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(;_;)7

[AlStar]

Bad: Soldier gets shot, starts to bleed out.
Worse: That soldier was the only one with a medkit.

On the alien base mission, down two soldiers because my sniper's orb-o-vision was thrown just a little too far to the left, so when I ran one of my troops into the room I thought was empty, we triggered a bunch of floaters and a bunch of Mutons. He died, and then my support chick took a Muton blast to the face. Three turns of bleeding later and we lose her too. Everyone's been shot at least once and after the Mutons and a three-pack of Chrysalids we're out of heavy ordnance... but even so, I feel cautiously optimistic - I don't think there's much left to the base.

[forsaken1111]

Bad: Soldier gets shot, starts to bleed out.
Worse: That soldier was the only one with a medkit.

Precisely why I always take at least two medkits.

[USEC_OFFICER]

(;_;)7

Also: You know what would have been cool? If the photos in the memorial were the actual troopers who died, and not just random grunts.

Bad: Soldier gets shot, starts to bleed out.
Worse: That soldier was the only one with a medkit.

On the alien base mission, down two soldiers because my sniper's orb-o-vision was thrown just a little too far to the left, so when I ran one of my troops into the room I thought was empty, we triggered a bunch of floaters and a bunch of Mutons. He died, and then my support chick took a Muton blast to the face. Three turns of bleeding later and we lose her too. Everyone's been shot at least once and after the Mutons and a three-pack of Chrysalids we're out of heavy ordnance... but even so, I feel cautiously optimistic - I don't think there's much left to the base.

You know, nothing prevents you from scrolling and finding out where the alien base ends. Of course the actual base parts are just shadows, but given how you can still see the background to the place it's pretty easy to tell where the base ends.

[AlStar]

You know, nothing prevents you from scrolling and finding out where the alien base ends. Of course the actual base parts are just shadows, but given how you can still see the background to the place it's pretty easy to tell where the base ends.

I ment more along the lines of - "there's not much base left that I haven't cleared, so I'm pretty sure/I hope that there aren't 3 more groups of Mutons sitting around" rather then "I don't know how big the place is."

Precisely why I always take at least two medkits.

Honestly, probably a good idea. Grenades just aren't powerful enough at this point - an extra medkit would've been more handy.

I can't wait till I unlock the 6th place on my squad - give me that much more flexibility with items.

[forsaken1111]

Just so you are aware, the aliens DO move around. Just because there is an unexplored area doesn't mean the aliens are sitting there waiting for you. Just be glad that they have no battlefield comms and don't call in other alien squads.

[Anvilfolk]

(;_;)7 for Grumpy.

[kilakan]

Just so you are aware, the aliens DO move around. Just because there is an unexplored area doesn't mean the aliens are sitting there waiting for you. Just be glad that they have no battlefield comms and don't call in other alien squads.

You sure about that?  Cause I do believe I have seen aliens call for help or something before and other groups suddenly charge in.

[forsaken1111]

Just so you are aware, the aliens DO move around. Just because there is an unexplored area doesn't mean the aliens are sitting there waiting for you. Just be glad that they have no battlefield comms and don't call in other alien squads.

You sure about that?  Cause I do believe I have seen aliens call for help or something before and other groups suddenly charge in.

I think if one alien retreats past another group, that group will 'activate'.

[Mephansteras]

I can't tell if I'm at the tipping point of disaster or just over the edge.

Last night things were a mix of good and bad.

Good: Got through my first Terror mission ok, although I lost two good soldiers (including my only decent sniper) to some poor decisions. But we won, and then pulled off a flawless UFO capture (it was grounded already, so undamaged).

We then finished the first Laser research, but were out of money to actually build any.

Bad: Mutons...we were not ready for Mutons yet. My entire squad of leveled troops was wiped out. We just couldn't deal enough damage. *sigh* Turns out selling stuff to make Laser Rifles would have been a good idea after all.

Also, several nations left the council due to panic because the game didn't give me any abduction missions before the end of the month, and the Terror and UFO missions were all in areas already well in hand.


Current Situation:

We just downed a medium UFO. A squad of my few remaining soldiers, with a single Assault squaddie and 4 rookies, is going in. We still do not have any laser weapons. The Assault gets my one suit of Carapace Armor and a Scoped Assault Rifle. I'm hoping she lives through this. I saved and went to bed right after the start of the mission, so no idea what I'm facing yet.

If we win this...I think I can recover. I can sell all of the stuff gained on this mission to build laser weapons and maybe some more Carapace armor. I may also be able to get another satellite up to bring one of the panicked countries back under control. I do have a new uplink center being built which will finish in a week or so.

If we fail...we're dead. No question. It'll just be a matter of time. I'm not quitting, though. This is Ironman and I'm seeing it through. Besides, gotta see the You Lose screen at least once, don't you?

Tonight...tonight I get to find out.

[Urist McSpike]

My first live capture was a sectoid so I got the 50% research credit for beam research. This made lasers incredibly fast to research, and I already have all of my interceptors equipped with laser cannons.

Funny Easter Egg on the lasers...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The first time you build a Laser Rifle, you get a video of one of the engineers test-firing it at an X-Com: UFO Defense sectiod silhouette.

[Neonivek]

Honestly the 50% research credit intentionally makes research reasonable.

[Man of Paper]

Keep the epic stories coming! I have to live through you guys until next week. And I've already had three straight nights of XCOM related dreams (though one was an XCOM/ARMA 2 DayZ combo, and was awesome)