XCOM: Enemy Unknown

YouSavedMyLife

How do you use MECs during a battle? I got one MEC in my squad then my squad got wiped out during her first mission and i had to restart. Do you just stand them out in the open and let them take all the hits? Do you put them in cover at all (not true cover)

degrassinoel

personally it's a combination of both with how i play.

I use them to scout out the enemy, and hold that area while every other class supports the MEC/MEC's. The way i see it, It's effectively a tank, it wont hold up to a lot of punishment but it can be incredibly effective if it's used like that.

Cover - ie: standing beside a wall/tree full cover is always beneficial for MEC's as the enemy have no line of sight to hit it with. if you can use terrain to your advantage like that, you probably should. It's worth noting that on maps with cars, you can indirectly damage or kill enemies with collateral damage on mec's - shoot the car with CD and it'll do damage or kill whatever is hiding behind it provided you have enough ammo to hit it. Same goes for walls and other terrain obscuring line of sight. Even if it's just a wall or other non-exploding terrain, you'll do a set amount of damage (very low) as well as clear the field of cover

Grimebox

I've been racking up the kills with the MEC's punch ability. They are very mobile so getting up close is not a problem

degrassinoel

i frapsed another mission this evening - i wont embed it because it's a major spoiler, but it's an hour long and it's a great mission. it's in HD too link

really enjoyed my first playthrough on normal, doing a second on normal with some second wave options, and loving it just as much, man MEC's are great craic altogether!

uberpixie

degrassinoel wrote: »

really enjoyed my first playthrough on normal, doing a second on normal with some second wave options, and loving it just as much, man MEC's are great craic altogether!

that particular mission is pretty epic, I was amazed I lost no one...

MECs for ftw. I played my first play through on Normal with a few second wave options, mainly random starting stats and random level ups. True some troops turn out to be a bit crap, but you do end up with Heavies who can actually hit and some troopers who turn out to be ninjas....

MECs are currently saving my ass on my second play through on Classic. Not sure how long this play through will last though, already down x3 countries...:(

YouSavedMyLife

Lost another squad again tonight in my first UFO landing mission. Missions where going very well up till this one. Even the start of the mission went very well with a big hill overlooking the landing site giving a massive advantage. Whats funny is that a group of 3 floaters wiped out 3 of my team. FLOATERS, of all things floaters!

Classic Ironman btw

Grimebox

If your playing on ironman and you lose all your soldiers on an essential mission, you do not have to restart the entire game thank god! You can just repeat the mission

ShadowHearth

I am giving up on classic ironman. It's just not fare. My soldier - 25% hit. Enemy. From opposite position - 6damage crit and a "**** you, that's why". I am not even talking about 81% misses at point blank range...

I almost uninstalled it today after getting shot on my first turn from other side of the map... I don't want to do it on normal again as it was too easy... But classic looks like just a piss take.

degrassinoel

play normal ironman to get used to the changes SH, it's worth it just to see the MEC's become godlike

Gbear

They should invent padded user friendly environments for playing this.

I don't think I've ever played a game this frustrating, and that's when I constantly reload a previous save if some absolute bull**** goes down.

Iron man was not designed with me in mind.

It's a bit of a funny one. Playing without saving is far more rewarding but it's just too frustrating to play without hulking out.
I'm not sure if my brain is the problem or the game doesn't have enough of a middle ground.

degrassinoel

the problem i have with classic and impossible is the starting difficulty is far too high, one death can be catastrophic on the first few missions

Grimebox

I wasn't researching anything for so long........... I didn't realise. I have about 15 things to research now

Cravez

Grimebox wrote: »

I wasn't researching anything for so long........... I didn't realise. I have about 15 things to research now

Build Laboratories adjacent to each other to grant bonus to research. I generally go with a European country starting off as building labs/workshops are cheaper which means I have many engineers and scientists early on. Early on go for Engineers as an abduction bonus and then scientists.

Patser

Bitch slapping a Mectoid or Berserker with a MEC is great fun, the little animation makes it really worthwhile - and then I get an achievement called 'Someone your own size'! Love it.

Sephiroth_dude

I Like the exalt missions but there fecking hard.

Quatermain

I wish I had those Exalt rifles when my guys signed up. They're almost better at dinging carapace armour than the blasted plasma guns.

Grimebox

Exalt weapons are identical to XCOM weapons unless I'm missing something. I also find them very very easy (on normal impossible). Easy relative to other missions I'm doing

Nody

So I'm looking at picking this up in the Christmas sale (most likely) and on Steam there's three DLCs; Enemy Within (which I'd love to pick up and play a bit later as it's suppose to be awesome) but what about the Slingshot Pack (one mission only?) and the Elite Soldier pack (customization only?)? Are they worth picking up or is that a case of if it's free then consider it but if not ignore them kind of deals?

degrassinoel

Nody wrote: »

So I'm looking at picking this up in the Christmas sale (most likely) and on Steam there's three DLCs; Enemy Within (which I'd love to pick up and play a bit later as it's suppose to be awesome) but what about the Slingshot Pack (one mission only?) and the Elite Soldier pack (customization only?)? Are they worth picking up or is that a case of if it's free then consider it but if not ignore them kind of deals?

Slingshot adds new customisations, a new high ranked heavy soldier and a set of three counsel missions.
Elite soldier pack is just customisations afaik

if you're getting XCOM: Enemy unknown - try get a copy through steamtrading for cheap or a trade. XCOM was a part of the prepurchase for at least two recent games and a lot of people still have it in their steam inventory.
If you do manage to get one that way, do yourself a massive favour and fork out the 30 quid for XCOM:Enemy within (DLC) it adds so, so much to the game. Cannot recommend it enough.

Mickeroo

Started this last night (the xbox version), enjoying it so far. Only playing on normal difficulty though

Cravez

Slingshot also gives you access to some high tech earlier in the game (fusion core) if you complete all 3 missions. The fusion core gives allows you to research the Fusion Rocket Launcher for your heavies and Fusion Cannon for your aircraft.

Cravez

Mickeroo wrote: »

Started this last night (the xbox version), enjoying it so far. Only playing on normal difficulty though

Ironman? :P

Mickeroo

Michael Cravez wrote: »

Ironman? :P

What is Ironman exactly? I thought it was just the highest difficulty setting before I started playing but it seems to be something else?

Quatermain

Mickeroo wrote: »

What is Ironman exactly? I thought it was just the highest difficulty setting before I started playing but it seems to be something else?

Basically, you set it for that campaign. The game then gives you one save file for that game that constantly saves and forbids you from reloading. Simply put, every single choice you make is permanent, and you can't save scum because you can't reload. The ultimate grim challenge.

Mickeroo

Quatermain wrote: »

Basically, you set it for that campaign. The game then gives you one save file for that game that constantly saves and forbids you from reloading. Simply put, every single choice you make is permanent, and you can't save scum because you can't reload. The ultimate grim challenge.

Oh I'm already much too emotionally attached to my personnel to do that.

Quatermain

Mickeroo wrote: »

Oh I'm already much too emotionally attached to my personnel to do that.

I know the feeling. I also know one or two people who refuse to play it any other way.

Grimebox

Quatermain wrote: »

Basically, you set it for that campaign. The game then gives you one save file for that game that constantly saves and forbids you from reloading. Simply put, every single choice you make is permanent, and you can't save scum because you can't reload. The ultimate grim challenge.

You can go back to the start of your turn if you force close the game and restart :pac:

ShadowHearth

I gave up on it after so many times restarting damn game on Ironman Classic. I think I might go later on swtich to Normal Ironman.

ancapailldorcha

Quite far in and just lost almost all of my best guys. Starting to hate this game now.

degrassinoel

focus your hate on the aliens!