Because no one uses the Other Games Forum: X-COM

[Guynemer]

Unless choosing it will definitely flip some countries into outright panic, always, always, ALWAYS choose the mission that gives you engineers. If none of them do, go for the one that causes the most manageable panic problems.

When in doubt, **** Europe. Their bonus is ****ing lame, and trying to keep a four-country continent happy is enough of a headache even when the bonus is good (Asia).

[Al B. Sure!]

Not by the end of your first month, but you can get one or the other well before you're totally outclassed by the aliens. If you don't have either by the time you're fighting mutons, you're doing something wrong.

How the ****?!

I had default gear well after I started facing Mutons.

You saw my research order. Do I just focus on the weapons then, avoiding interrogations and autopsies, or only the autopsy that helps armor (floaters, I think)? How can I afford the weapons when I can build them? I had so little cash.

[Al B. Sure!]

Unless choosing it will definitely flip some countries into outright panic, always, always, ALWAYS choose the mission that gives you engineers. If none of them do, go for the one that causes the most manageable panic problems.

When in doubt, **** Europe. Their bonus is ****ing lame, and trying to keep a four-country continent happy is enough of a headache even when the bonus is good (Asia).

My base is in Europe.

[Guynemer]

THIS IS WHY YOU FAIL.

Your base should be in North America (only for the USA cash, no other reason) or Africa (best bonus) or Asia (good bonus, you don't have to cover four countries to get it). NEVER EUROPE.

[N35t0r]

My build order for sat. uplinks was: Uplink (first month), Uplink (second month), Nexus (second/third month), replace third uplink by a nexus (third month). That's 2,+3,+3,+6,-4,+6. or 2->5->8->10(14)->20 sats on each step. I didn't know what would happen if I had more sats than uplinks, so I din't launch more than 10 sats after building the first nexus. That gives you enough sats to cover everything. If you lost two countries, the last uplink-> nexus isn't needed. Or, you can end up with three nexus, for more space.

I had two steam vents on columns 4 and 6 of the second level, so my first power plant went on the first vent, then another powerplant, a thermo generator on the last vent, and then I replaced the first power gen for a thermal gen. I think starting with a thermal generator, or building it as your second power source, is not cost-effective.

[Guynemer]

How the ****?!

I had default gear well after I started facing Mutons.

You saw my research order. Do I just focus on the weapons then, avoiding interrogations and autopsies, or only the autopsy that helps armor (floaters, I think)? How can I afford the weapons when I can build them? I had so little cash.

Go straight for carapace armor from the get go. Don't be shy about selling off excess corpses.

[snoopy369]

And what happens when I fail the difficult missions?

If I had chosen China and even succeeded, then I would have lost Brazil or whatever country it was I did intervene in.

Then send your satellite up in China.

[Al B. Sure!]

Then send your satellite up in China.

Is it possible to build a power plant, a satellite uplink, and more satellites within the first month? I don't know but it's cutting it close, right?

[Al B. Sure!]

THIS IS WHY YOU FAIL.

Your base should be in North America (only for the USA cash, no other reason) or Africa (best bonus) or Asia (good bonus, you don't have to cover four countries to get it). NEVER EUROPE.

But Europe just feels right for an international alien-fighting organization.

Fine. I'll try North America.

[kentonio]

THIS IS WHY YOU FAIL.

Your base should be in North America (only for the USA cash, no other reason) or Africa (best bonus) or Asia (good bonus, you don't have to cover four countries to get it). NEVER EUROPE.

Meh, I always play in Europe.

How the ****?!

I had default gear well after I started facing Mutons.

You saw my research order. Do I just focus on the weapons then, avoiding interrogations and autopsies, or only the autopsy that helps armor (floaters, I think)? How can I afford the weapons when I can build them? I had so little cash.

Your research order is half your problem. There's little point in interrogating aliens so early, and your Officer Training facility is far more important than Alien Containment in the early game. As Guy says go straight for carapace armour, or alternatively go straight for beams. You can actually fit xeno biology in and an autopsy or two without screwing yourself, but you should probably avoid that until you get used to optimising your early game. The sooner you have 5/6 troops with decent armour on missions the sooner you'll stop losing important team members to unlucky single shot hits, and you'll be able to keep up with Difficult/V.Difficult missions. If there's something you urgently need like satellites or armour you can afford to sell off a few bits of expensive **** like flight computers. Better to avoid if possible, but it's not the end of the world, you'll get plenty more later.

Oh and adapt your tactics for terror missions, seriously.

[Guynemer]

NEVER EUROPE

BAD ALBIE

NO BISCUIT



Seriously, their bonus is completely ****ing useless. NA's is only slightly less so, but you start with a lot more cash and more month cash thanks to USA coverage. It helps in building those Uplinks early.

GET ENGINEERS. And do not--repeat--DO NOT build any satellites until you get more engineers. 4 or 5 more engineers will knock the sat price down noticeably, saving you more money. Finally, DO NOT LAUNCH ANY SATELLITES UNTIL THE MONTH IS ALMOST OVER. That is when countries will decide to leave; you can determine which countries are most in need. Obvious exceptions apply obviously.

[kentonio]

Is it possible to build a power plant, a satellite uplink, and more satellites within the first month? I don't know but it's cutting it close, right?

First month the uplink is irrelevant, you start with a spare satellite slot anyway and you're not going to be able to afford uplink and 4 satellites. You also shouldn't need more than one extra satellite to stop any countries leaving. Second month is when you really need that uplink and another 3 satellites up.

[N35t0r]

How are you in the postion to have to choose between two countries to lose in the first month?

[kentonio]

Finally, DO NOT LAUNCH ANY SATELLITES UNTIL THE MONTH IS ALMOST OVER. That is when countries will decide to leave; you can determine which countries are most in need. Obvious exceptions apply obviously.

Yeah this also. Very much this.

[N35t0r]

I think I left most/all of the interrogations/autopsies (except those with research bonuses for what I was going to research, if possible) until the third month, when I covered south america.