Guest ragnarok13 Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 Hi, everyone! Xcom 1 is one of the best games ever, also Xcom 3. Anyway, I read about the remake and how many new things are being suggested for integration. Since the original game is soooo good, I would suggest the remake to be strictly a remake of original, at beginning, that is. Graphics are being made, the geoscape looks awesome, and I would like to mention here, that the original mission graphics rock as well. Should you find that redoing mission graphics would be too much/too hard, it would probably be best to use the original ones (if legal, of course - maybe this could be achieved by requirement to install the remake over the original, from which the mission graphics would then be loaded by the remake - the remake would only act as an unofficial expansion ). A finished remake would actually be the same as original UFO Defense, but with serious improvements: 1. no more bugs2. improved graphics (an understatement ) - if original mission graphics would be used, at least the resolution should be made larger (resulting in a huge view of the battlefield - that would be awesome, even though it wouldn't have a serious impact on the gameplay - it would mean less scrolling!)3. CPU speed - independent programming (the game would finally work right even if later run on 5 GHz CPU)4. after the remake release, it would be additionally tweaked, so it would support the following: 4.1. a game launcher, that would be a window with a bunch of boxes, for enabling later add-ons (like new weapons, craft, aliens ETC.) 4.2. a directory to copy add-ons into (files with special extension), they would automatically be detected by the launcher (when run) and could be enabled there, since appropriate boxes would show up Note that I don't even consider 4. (and 4.1., 4.2.) neccessary. I would just like to see the original made to work as it should again , but the extras possible would make up for all of you that actually want an expansion . If correctly done, all that would be left to do, is bunches of add-ons, such as map-sized alien craft, personal shields (as seen in Xcom 3) and placment of satellites for planet observation (points on planet, just like bases, but satellites would actually hang above that spot in orbit, they would act as long range radars - for detecting UFOs)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stewart Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 Dont worry I believe that has been the consensus for quite some time now. However, there may be --slight-- additions to V1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xcen Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 Yeah so far we are aiming for the remake without the annoyances that were in the orginal games (such as the innability to see a soldier's stats during the equip screen, for instance). (like you said ;P) We plan on integrating multiplayer and other stuff on further releases, but that won't be until many years I too think we should use plugins style add-ons... that is yet to be discussed as the focus is on the remake right now. However, we need to design new aliens and weapons since we can't take too much of what has already been done in the original, due to copyright laws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangsta Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 sure as for bugs since this is an open source project I don't think there will be a lockdown to get rid of all the bugs before each release. Instead a release will come whenever the version is fairly stable and new features might take priority over minor bugs. With that said we know all those annoying things about x-com 1 and am sure we won't implement them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slythe Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 I'm finding out about this project a little late, although I'm a huge fan of X-COM. I haven't read through all the posts here, but I agree completely that Xenocide should just be a remake of the original with some added 'tweaks' and no major additions. I've compiled a list of some minor features that I think would benefit the game immensely; none of them represent major overhauls. - I find using the 'alien activity in areas' graph to be extremely helpful in the early game when you have minimal radar coverage. The first ufo will appear somewhere in the world within the first 2 days, but the odds of it being close enough to your short range radar at your starting base are slim. If it's not on the other side of the world however you might be able to get an interceptor over there to detect and down it, thus giving you a quick jumpstart in the game. This same tactic can be used effectively within the first two months or so, unfortunately this requires constantly clicking back and forth between the geoscape and the static graphs. What would be very helpful is the ability to have a constant real-time view of the graphs of your choice, say on the left side of the geoscape screen. - a screen that shows total income and expenditure for all bases rather than having to go from base to base to see their monthly upkeep costs individually, so you'll know exactly how much over or short you'll be at the end of each month. - the ability to open doors without passing through them. To compensate I'd allow reaction fire from the aliens once the door opens if applicable. This feature would change the dynamics of combat however. - a graphical overlay on the geoscape showing the radius of each base's radar coverage, to let you know which areas are lacking coverage. - implementing some of the useful functions that xcomutil does such as automatic renaming, rearming and reordering of soldiers. - as the game is currently, if you select a graph then select some or all of the buttons representing areas or countries, then complete a mission and go back to the graph, everything becomes deselected again. This is annoying. It should save it's previous state. - remove any exploits currently existing in the game, such as transferring people before the end of the month to avoid paying for them, not having to possess even a single item of a particular type to do research on it, etc. - the option of eliminating any aliens that are in containment in order to make room for others. - the ability to 'check' whether it's possible to throw or shoot to a specific spot before having to commit yourself to it. This would especially be useful for throwing grenades before having already equipped and armed them. This could possibly be done with an added toggle button that would indicate yes or no as you pass the mouse pointer over each specific spot on the map. - the ability to access soldiers stats from the equip screen, as was previously mentioned. - At the end of a mission when you get the 'Not enough equipment to rearm' message, it would be helpful if it also listed an inventory of which items you've used that didn't get restocked due to them not being at your base, so you can be sure to repurchase them. - I guess it would also be nice if some elements of the game were balanced a little better, for example making the fusion cannon a more viable alternative as a craft weapon, or altering the way psi is used somewhat so that it's not so completely overpowering during the endgame. I assume there are more tweaks that would improve the game but I can't think of them at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stewart Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 As for eliminating aliens, how 'bout trading them for MIAs? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 they'd be so shot up with bug juice that I wouldn't want them back. Besides, the aliens probably ate them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interfectum Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 I just wanted to say kudos. X-Com: Ufo Defense was probably the best game ever, and its about damn time someone updated the graphics and fixed minor interface issues. So, Kudos! - Interfectum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatal_Error Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 what is kudos? * about the off-topic talk* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drallop Posted February 6, 2003 Report Share Posted February 6, 2003 Ragnaroks right, this should be a pretty strict remake. So far I think the new geoscape is absolutley excellent. I'm just wondering how they plan to implement the UFOs. While they are making it so swanky and nice, perhaps they should change the UFOs from being plain old red squares. Then again, red squares isn't really that bad, and i guess if the ufo was drawn to scale with the world, it would be pretty tough to see. Also, I'm sure there are tons of artists who can redo the base structures. Not completetly change them, just make em more sharp. For the mission graphics, this is a tough part, because if you change all the mission graphics, it might change the whole feel of the game. I think its absolutley mandatory if its a remake, to keep the missions dark and spooky like they are in the original. If that means not changing them at all, I'm ok with that. Updated interfaces throughout the game I think we can expect. Maybe add more, and more detailed soldier pictures. XCOM 3 kind of failed horribly in this department, having like one soviet looking model to dress up with the armor and weapons. I think they would be able to add really nice special effects in the missions, like better smoke, better fire, better explosions, and better gunfire. Perhaps even better death animations, or at least alternate ones (not that i'm getting tired of the ol'spin-around-and-fall one) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eix666 Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 what I think that there should be 2 games (the same base engine, graphix etc), first try to finish a bug-free remake (no big changes, mostly eliminated bugs, killer graphix etc), then if u'r not too fed up with it, start to improve that remake, make it a new game...so in the end there would be 2 versions, a strict remake, and a new game with more-or-less same gameplay, but brand-new ideas, improvements etc...so diehard Xcom fans would have something to play with, and people new to the series would have a perhaps better and updated version... well thats my 2cents worth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consequence Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 Is There a estimated release date for this game? Im getting sick and tired of waiting!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatal_Error Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 HEY!! be patient! it'll take at least one year to get as far as a FULL beta version unless some miracle occurs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red knight Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 HEY!! be patient! it'll take at least one year to get as far as a FULL beta version unless some miracle occurs :: a year if a miracle strike us all.... GreetingsRed Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatal_Error Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 :: a year if a miracle strike us all....yeah well i wanted to give him a bit hope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obijuan Posted February 24, 2003 Report Share Posted February 24, 2003 what about paying foreign companies to do your research???? yuo could focus on weapons research and give the alien corpses to some corporation so they can make the autopsy.... and you´d have to pay for the results i dont know.... maybe some more interface with countries and corporations, asking them to train or heal your agents , asking for a loan, or requesting permission to bulid a certain weapon or over a certain location??? sounds stupid but a think it would add lots of posibilities( i know that would require much more programing!!) but think about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordT Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Yeah it sounds stupid... now stfu or i will decapitate you again! Sorry for the off-topic but i just had to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellsheep Posted March 4, 2003 Report Share Posted March 4, 2003 the idea with add-ons sounds great, like in the RPG Morrowind, but some smaller changes should be done in xeno, like remaning of interceptors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red knight Posted March 6, 2003 Report Share Posted March 6, 2003 what about paying foreign companies to do your research???? yuo could focus on weapons research and give the alien corpses to some corporation so they can make the autopsy.... and you´d have to pay for the results i dont know.... maybe some more interface with countries and corporations, asking them to train or heal your agents , asking for a loan, or requesting permission to bulid a certain weapon or over a certain location??? sounds stupid but a think it would add lots of posibilities( i know that would require much more programing!!) but think about itRemember that you are helping humans with that... aliens power will be diminish and debalance the game... A good game must be balanced to be fun... if it is too tough, everybody will lose interest (remember games are intended to be finished anyways, except some genre like Sims)... if its too easy everybody will complain about it... for instance i had even hear complains about a game be too short... GreetingsRed Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianMonk3y Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 What I do see though is that a lot of people just toss out ideas which could possibly change the game hugely, and possibly strip the game of it's simple but flawless design and execution. I have been playing the original game since it came out, and I continue to play it on my 486/66 every once and a while. I love the idea of a graphically-updated game, and I think that it should first start off by remaking the game, and adding additional content later. If too much stuff gets planned, chances are that it will take a whole lot longer to get completed, and it might lose the whole feel of the game. However, I would support the addition of some of the existing x-com mods which have more variations in tile-sets and UFO layout. Maybe the possibility of being able to switch HWP guns from one platform to another... One other nice thing would be to set people as certain classes, and have the user define what weapons to give to each class. In the original, your weapons were given out in a specific order, with the HE guns being given out last, after the rifles and pistols... This lead to sometimes getting low TU/strength people recieving heavy weapons, and forcing the player to rearrange every gun for every mission. Just my $.02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie Posted March 23, 2003 Report Share Posted March 23, 2003 I think we shoudl try to keep it simple and mostly the same for first release, or at least as much as we can. I mean we could always release updates, or "mods" that make the story longer or different if we want to. Just what i been thinkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeVeR Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 I agree with what CanadianMonk3y and rookie posted. Xenocide shd focus on remaking first before moving on. Since Xenocide will be a hit for X-COM fans, "mods" would surely be available for with many fans each making their own unique mod for others to d/l and play. However I have a question here, is is possible to add in the real-time option? For me, I think it's real cool to be able to play all the X-COM titles in real time. Turn-based option sure have its advantages and cool points but I think having real-time also gives the game a whole new option and perspective to play from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[[Micah]] Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 (edited) First, please make sure you have all read the Xenocide Faq:http://www.xenocide.us/xenofaq.html The first full public release of Xenocide (v1) will be as close to the original UFO Defense as possible (without infringing on copyrights). This means there will be no real time. There will be no huge addons. There will be no siginificant changes to the gameplay system. Please simply imagine it as UFO Defense with a serious facelift. V1 will probably be modable but it is up to others to create the mods. Also, The Laboratories are for discussing your ideas for future versions of the game. So please feel free to throw out whatever crazy idea you want, just don't criticize other peoples' crazy ideas Edited May 4, 2004 by RustedSoul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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