Out of Pod Experience

Akita T, I'd like to read your detailed comparison of Jagged Alliance:Back in Action to JA2 1.13 like you did XCOM in this thread



Btw you can bind a button for ToggleDebugCamera and then you can look around freely with the mouse, I just haven't figured out how to move the camera. Copy the relevant parameters from defaultinputwhatever.ini to inputwhatever.ini in the documents.

I rather like the game but I don't have naything to compare it to as the original series passed me by.

Base building, soldier progression and the research is good fun but the fact is the combat is always going to get repetitive because of how the missions play out; I've discovered only three variations on missions so far - Terror, Abduction and ViP Rescue.

I was extremely proud when I got my first Psi-Operative even if the first power is as useless as trying to Overwatch with an epty rifle, then my first Powered Armour and I was actually in shock when my first personal recruit, a Swedish Sniper of Colonel rank got topped (I confess, I stopped playing that run through after that.. I was a sad panda).

For me, as I said, I rather like it because I had no preconceptions when I came in as to how the game should be whereas people who have played the previous games will do.

The one thing I found funny though was the Abductor-class ship that managed to find a flat bit of land on Japan to land on.

JA:BiA is total crap, just wanted to see your reaction in case you played JA2 as you did XCOM.


Everyone who's got a rifle can use a pistol for overwatch when the rifle is empty. The first psi power is not useless, it's awesome.

Excellent write up from Akita that really really showed how an older game plays much better that its current incarnation. To date, the original XCOM has no equal.

UFO Extraterrestial Gold Edition came close but even with the Bman mod, there were still (fundamental) flaws that changed the whole recipe to passably edible. The Czech devs have been working on a re-iteration called UFO 2 Extraterrrestial for the past few years, with release to be rumored near end of 2012 but I won't hold by breath for it ... nor hope for it much. The first game was (and still is) plagued with game design and balancing issues that results in inferior gameplay. You get the feeling its banal and forgettable experience. There's no way in hell it's going to make me replay the game.

Next up the line (afaik) in terms of a serious commercial contender is Xenonaut. From what I've seen playing the v16 Alpha briefly for the first time, that game has a LOT that it needs to fix. From the stupid file count (80k!!! which triggers my comment: WTF! are you insane?) on the art assets (which I understand seems to be a limitation of the engine) to the feel of the UI and tactical combat makes me want to kill the game and delete it off the HDD. I did just that after a few hours, patience wearing thin. Granted it's Alpha, if what I'd seen make it through to the final release ... the gameplay will be pretty poor. Xenonaut's designer never really used this opportunity to enhance & expand the XCOM style concepts (while preserving its essence), opting instead to do a clone copy (which atm is a pretty poor clone).

Talking of JA2 1.13, I enjoyed that game. The sheer details in the weapon attributes and the quirks that is built into a particular weapon to distinguish it from the huge list of models available makes for a less straight forward tactical game. Coupled with the varied vest webbing/belt/backpack inventory space, you have the sheer possibilities to squad fitting. Wanna move fast, use light vests with no backpack. Wanna carry lots, use the biggest backpack available (and the games penalizes your movement). Making a sound matters because the enemy can hear you. Sight range is variable with equipment. Weapons can be fitted with several accessories (trigger unit, LBR stock, scope, sight etc.) to fit the scenario. There are lots and lots of good concepts from JA2 1.13 and if that was fused somehow to XCOM, it could end up with a beautiful game. Alas, no one is up to that challenge.

Pure turn-based tactical game that plays close like XCOM will not likely ever see AAA development because more often than not, it'll get mangled and streamlined in the process to appeal to the current mass market. You've seen this happened with XCOM: EU, which by all accounts seems to be an enjoyable game by itself .... but worthy of a classic? Not by a longshot. Looks like we're going have to rely on indie devs to bring out the deep old-school games.

I'm still holding hope, that Xenonauts can at least get close to the old XCOM feel and manage to fix some of the problems like psionics. From what I've seen it seems nice and the design goals are good. In it's current status it certainly has issues, but as you said it is still in alfa and one of the missing feature before the beta can even start is a new UI.

Im with Akita on this

once you've completed it (the modern remake) theres nothing really there to make you want to play it again, and again, and again ......... and it's completed in a few days if you play casually, 1 if more hardcore gaming.

the original kept me entertained for months.
the original had options that I chose.



The remake is prettier, but it's by no means better.

I did miss the incendiary grenades and ammo types. Overall it felt like the game was restricted and moved along too quickly. I guess it's all in the name of accessibility and pleasing the casual gamers.

After finishing it today I looked up some mods that might make me play it one more time. The Warspace Extension looks like it could enhance it's replayability. It enables the "Second Wave" feature that never made it into the final game (future DLC?), ability to intercept UFO's before they do their missions, panic levels tweaked, a marathon game time option, etc.

Top 25 list of mods.

I have to agree with Akita on many of her concerns.

Whilst it is a good looking game and it is fun to play, their is limited replayability as it is so linear.

I also played Jagged Alliance 2 which is excellent. My favourite was Nails, angry biker dude with a shotgun. :)

It just seems to me that PC games are getting overly simplified. Maybe this is because of the amount of console ports, maybe it is because of lazy developers.

I want to be challenged when I play a strategy type game, and unfortunately nothing in recent years has done that for me.

That being said, props to Firaxis for trying to remake an iconic game - even if they haven't quite managed it....

Tried a few of the mods, played on the third difficulty too, but it's just not worth it. There's just not enough fun to be had.
Uninstalled it a few days ago. Including deleting all saves. This iteration of the game is dead to me, for now.
If anybody ever makes a radical total conversion, I might consider revisiting it, but until then, farewell XCOM-2012, I want to say it's been a pleasure, but it would be a bit of a stretch... moderately entertaining for a short while, sure, but that's about it.

P.S. On the other hand, dusting up the old UFO and loading up XComUtil to fix the buggy stuff and add some challenge, now THAT's what I'm talking about !
It's sad when a decades-old game with some player-made changes beats a brand new and radically better looking remake in terms of gameplay enjoyment AND ESPECIALLY RE-PLAYABILITY.

More like "pretty good, but with limited replayability, and you'll want all the fanmods you can get" for the fist and "fairly disappointing due to not really improving much from the old game and cutting a lot of nice stuff out" for the second... but yeah, generally, what you said.