UFO: Aftermath

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
The battle ended as soon as it started, with my sole adversary already KO'd and being carried around by one of my grunts.

Could be a hidden feature, you know

[Kropotkin]

Hard to ever get up at the level of fun of X-COM. They have failed with the sequels imho.

For me, it's interesting to know what kind of troops you're going to operate with. Either a 'role-playing' kind of game with soldiers that last or the 'WW2 Red Army' kind of battles where troops die on every mission as in the original game. I would like it to be the latter, but perhaps with more wounded and less dead.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Kropotkin
Hard to ever get up at the level of fun of X-COM. They have failed with the sequels imho.

For me, it's interesting to know what kind of troops you're going to operate with. Either a 'role-playing' kind of game with soldiers that last or the 'WW2 Red Army' kind of battles where troops die on every mission as in the original game. I would like it to be the latter, but perhaps with more wounded and less dead.

That's one thing going for Apocalypse, your soldiers could last longer and you could equip them outside of combat, give them each specific roles, ect. I had one soldier that lasted through my entire game in Apocalypse only to die on the alien homeworld. (But I couldn't stop myself from save/loading to bring her back) She was a damn good agent too, you can really tell the difference in skill levels.

[sabrewolf]

btw: after several postponing, the UFO:AM should be in sales as of tomorrow (02.10.2003). at least that's what pcgames thinks:

http://www.pcgames.de/index.cfm?article_id=228760

[Stuie]

I'm definitely taking a wait-and-see attitude with Aftermath. I've read that you cannot enter buildings in terror missions; that's a big turn-off. One of the best parts of X-Com was sneaking in and out of buildings to bag the aliens.

There are indoor missions - but they are strictly indoors; there apparently is no mixing the two.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Stuie
I'm definitely taking a wait-and-see attitude with Aftermath. I've read that you cannot enter buildings in terror missions; that's a big turn-off. One of the best parts of X-Com was sneaking in and out of buildings to bag the aliens.

There are indoor missions - but they are strictly indoors; there apparently is no mixing the two.

If thats accurate, then that is a turn off. I loved shooting through floors and closing doors and everything. Much more enjoyable and tense. What lurks in that building, behind that bale of hay?

[DrSpike]

Interestingly, this game is "a blend of real time and turn based action". Last time around they gave a choice, and most hardcore X-Commers went for TB.

[Raion]

The official site is here:

http://www.ufo-aftermath.com/pages/headquarters.html

And it is more outdoorsey, so entering buildings just is not needed.

But you can enter UFO's and protect your bases, when there is a threat.

Otherwise, since Freedom Ridge got muddled through, and they could not use it, I guess, they started over, and ended up with a pretty nice game, as far as I am concerned.

Rated 8.8 out of 10 from one place.
Well, its all there at the site, and some of the beta ratings.

Won't be in the USA till about Oct. 13, 2003.
Came out first in Europe.
Since Mythos got cancelled, a while back now, and Altar took it over, after all that hassle with it.

Looks good to me!
But it will be different, and harder, I think, as the aliens are better.

[Kropotkin]

Originally posted by Osweld
That's one thing going for Apocalypse, your soldiers could last longer and you could equip them outside of combat, give them each specific roles, ect.

Obviously that's good. In the first game you couldn't really decide who was to jump out first from the lander etc. That way you'd risk you best soldiers in that sometimes critical phase before you've established yourself. Meanwhile, the one in the rear that got the heavy stuff, was a weak rookie that could hardly cope. Yeah, it's nice with vets, but I'd like to see many wounded and dead. With more choices I'd put the rookies in the first line and save the vets for more specific jobs. When it came to storming the alien ship you could often do that. As the first one that got in was bound to be shot sooner or later I always tried to use some loser for the job of opening the door.

I don't like a game where a soldiers experience is so important that you can't afford to lose them. This quote from the site "It is very important that you do so, in fact, as a group of random, average soldiers who are good at everything and excellent at nothing will get chewed up as the opponents become tougher. You need to create a solid team with a good group of interlocking skills to win. " points in that direction.

[Kropotkin]

Just looked at a few more of the pics. Bah, more of that 'modern' graphics. It's like the first impression of HoMM IV all over again

I wish game designers spent more time on the game itself instead of graphics that's just slow the machine down.

[asleepathewheel]

What's up with that biomass crap.

And do I have a nice supply of apple seeds to combat it?

I will have to wait on the players' reviews of the game, don't want a MoO3 experience again, soon anyway.

[Raion]

Actually the little I know about it, the reviewers seem to think that they compensate for it.

Afterall XCOM was cancelled, and it did not work, so, this game had to be different.

Anyway, in Apocalypse, I get tired of loading up the troops with weapons, taking it off, for some raids, and putting it back on, so UFO:Aftermath is also different in some different respects, but also they had to make it different to avoid paying a license fee.
They made that part easier, I think.
The graphics look better in UFO:Aftermath than a picture on the Internet.
And MOOIII, I own, and I still can not get into that game, but I will. I also own Civ III, and will also play that game, some day (I think its from playing CivII so much).
But I also own Homeworld, and I will not even look at Homeworld II, although some players will like it.
I also own XCOM Collector's Edition, but UFOefense still hangs up, every now and then.
So, any game lately, except for Pirates when it comes out, just seems like more graphic stuff, and less game.
At least in UFO:Aftermath, one can treat it like a turn-based game, and it seems to do pretty good in the AI, and they compensate later on, in the game, for all of the other stuff with the agents, but then again, if I had to wait for XCOM, well, it may never be done.
So, UFO:Aftermath, is different, but similiar, and reviewers doing the beta, say the graphics look real good, and they did not miss some of the other stuff.
Its more strategic in scope from the original XCOM.
Its been all discuss on their forum -- Messages link there on the main page.
So, what else, can one do.
They also had a screen shot at one of the places that showed a laser (?) type weapon, and the aliens are just better.
It will be different though!
More game - y, someone quoted.
Not sure what that means yet.
But, it seems to work good also, which is something that some other games, have not done lately!
Makes me wonder, what happened to games.
So, most people there, did not want super graphics, but wanted a -- game!
And they do discuss that at the -- Messages forum there.
I also want a game, and this game, at least the reviewers seem to get lost in it.
Click on one of the == vote for the game, and maybe HappyPuppy.com -- lists some of the other reviews of the alpha and beta of the game.
One reviewer of the beta gave it a 8.8, and only cited the camera controls as being awkward.

[Raion]

Oh, I don't think the player has to hunt for the last alien, either, but then, I have to review about that.

It has more depth to the game, than UFO: Defense has to it -- for a game.

Waiting to see.
No doubt, some people will like it - dispite what shortcomings it has - because it has other things in it, and some players probably will not, I guess!
It is more game, than graphics though!

[Raion]

The aliens killed off most of humanity, and are transforming the planet with the biomass - so you are a resistance force -- although there are others also around the Planet -- and missions are many to choose from later on - but one can not do all of them, and the computer resolves some of the ones, so it is much what the player does in the game - to win, before the biomass ends all life here on Planet Earth!

[Raion]

The aliens came back with a vengence after UFO: Defense and did not negoistiate (sp?) with humanity anymore, after you killed the aliens in UFO: Defense.