Need Serious Help With X-com: Tftd

[aenemic]

maybe this should be posted in the x-com: tftd forum, but since it isn't technical support I need I thought I'd put it here instead.

 

ok, so this is the second time I try this game. I played it a lot when I was a little kid many years ago and I always thought it was extremely hard but still very fun. a few days ago me and my friend were talking about old games and memories came back about this one. so I decided I'd find it again and give it a try.

 

well, guess what? those pesky aliens still kick my donkey. well, not really. I don't have much trouble in battle (except when facing a horde of lobsters...) but the rest of the game just doesn't work out well for me.

 

I keep my first base for a while and build the necessary things: solar arrays, living quarters, storage space etc. and I keep my troops well equipped. but I can go weeks without one single USO spotting. so all I do is research and build my base, and eventually add a couple more bases. then all of a sudden a Large USO appears that my tiny Barracuda's can't even scratch. and the sponsor get all upset and soon it's game over. same story every time. what am I missing? I'm researching best I can. I shoot down all small USO's I spot (the very very few) and I always take care of terror sites as well as crashed and landed USO's. like I said, battle works out well for me. I know my tactics and I always go out of combat victorious (thanks to the Save function...).

 

I've checked around for a good beginner's guide or something but haven't found anything. Kasey Chang's strategy guide is very useful and full of good advice, but it doesn't give me exactly what I want.

 

maybe I just suck at this game, but that'd be sad since it's one of my favorite games ever. could you please just give me some advice on how to start out? what should I do to keep the sponsors happy? how do I detect more USO's? when should I build the second base? and third? and fourth?

 

all advice you can give will be greatly appreciated, cuz I really wanna learn how to handle this game. thanks.

[[dipstick]]

Well, not that I have played it much, but I think you need to build bigger radar?? Or maybe try researching stuff that may get you bigger ships???? I am clutching at straws here....!

[j'ordos]

perhaps you could try xcomutil, it has a feature called "improved starting base" or something so you start out with a long range sonar array...

It is however not normal you lose that easily

 

Perhaps a higher difficulty so there are more USO's (that way you can probably shoot down more too ) or a lower one...

 

or scout for alien bases. If you destroy one you get a lot of points.

Edited July 9, 2003 by j'ordos

[aenemic]

a long range sonar array is one of the first things I build, so that's not the problem. and I try to have as many scientists as possible and research best I can. what I guess I need is bigger interceptors with bigger guns, so I can take down those big USO's.

 

I've been thinking about trying a harder setting. I still play Beginner. I think I should at least accomplish that before I move on. but like you said, higher difficulty setting might get me more USO's. at the same time, they will probably be bigger and the aliens will probably be a lot more. so it will still be harder.

[aenemic]

oh, by the way - does it help having several sonar arrays in one bas or is one all I need?

 

and another thing, where is a good place to set up the first base? in the strategy guide I read that on the east cost of USA is good. tried that, but it gave me barely any USO's at all. should I stay awat from land as much as possible?

[miceless]

You know what, ive been playing this recently and ive noticed similar things. Im hardly getting any UFOs at all. I shoot all the ones i do get down, but there arent very many. Im doing ok in research and seem to be keeping afloat, but apart from that i seem to be making little progress.

 

More than one sonar station can be useful, but I found that I got transmision decoders very quickly anbd never got round to building more than one of each sonar. Im assuming that you only need one decoder, and that they make sonar obsolete. Maybe im wrong?!

 

I put my first base on the east coast of the USA, and my second just south west of england. I have a third base near Japan, but its not operational yet.

 

I do have sonic weapons on my interceptors, but apart from that they suck. I havent found much to be able to upgrade them yet. Still figuring out the tech tree.

 

Ill let you know what i find out, if you want me to.

[aenemic]

yeah, sure. like I said, all help is greatly appreciated.

 

I think it's too easy to "lose" in this game. I mean, ok if you have like a whole bad year or something. but as soon as you've had 2 or 3 bad months, it's game over. it never really gives you a chance to recover if something goes wrong. you always have to be at the right place at the right time and play all cards perfectly to succeed. that's the impression I get.

[j'ordos]

Well, I put my bases right in the middle (sort of) of the oceans. My first one is usually located dead in the centre of the North Atlantic Ocean, second usually eastern or western North Pacific, it depends. Subsequent bases are found in correspondence with alien activity, in the middle of South Atlantic, the middle of Indian Ocean, ..., but NEVER close to shore. I always found that works very well, for your sonar has ocean in every direction around it that way (nobody ever wondered though why your sonars could detect airborne targets? )

I had trouble finding enough targets once and that was when trying to put my bases near coastlines... :whatwhat:

[miceless]

I think it's too easy to "lose" in this game. I mean, ok if you have like a whole bad year or something. but as soon as you've had 2 or 3 bad months, it's game over. it never really gives you a chance to recover if something goes wrong. you always have to be at the right place at the right time and play all cards perfectly to succeed. that's the impression I get.

Two bad months in a row ends the game, yes.

 

You certainly have to do quite well to keep afloat, but it depends. I know that a single bad Terror site can ruin a month, but Ive recovered from complete losses several times. Its only when you make several mistakes that you die.

 

Thats what I mean right now. I do ok, and every so often I do really really bad, but I still seem to keep afloat. Basically, the research and what fighting I do seems to be enough to keep me going. I dont seem to be going anywhere fast, but at least im still in charge.

 

i think how you do at the start is very imprtant. If you start badly then you are in trouble. You dont have to do really well at the start, but you cant afford to do really badly either.

 

I must say, im having more fun playing this game of TftD than I have had in many of my XCOM games. Its the feeling of being just on the edge of failure i think.

[aenemic]

yeah, you pretty much said it.

 

I think I'm gonna start from scratch yet again. this time I'll be even more careful. and I'll make sure to locate my bases in the middle of the water

[miceless]

I'll make sure to locate my bases in the middle of the water

Im not so sure thats a good idea. My bases are on coastlines. The USOs dont only fly over water, and if your near the coast you can protect the countries that fund you better.

[j'ordos]

I've had no trouble defending those countries, I even finished the game this way (victorious, before you ask ( :: ))

[aenemic]

heh, I just noticed there is a forum for strategy in X-COM2. sorry bout that. but when I first checked this forums and I wasn't logged in, only the technical support forums appeared.

[miceless]

heh, I just noticed there is a forum for strategy in X-COM2. sorry bout that. but when I first checked this forums and I wasn't logged in, only the technical support forums appeared.

Dont worry, one of the mooderators will tidy things up. *cough* *cough*

[j'ordos]

If it ain't in "XCom1 General" there's nothing I can do about it, if that's what you're insinuating :whatwhat:

[[[Micah]]]

Aenemic: There are three subforums in the TFTD forum: General, Strategy/Tactics, as well as Tech Help.

[miceless]

If it ain't in "XCom1 General" there's nothing I can do about it, if that's what you're insinuating :whatwhat:

Me, insinuate? Never!

[tgfx]

The key here is location location location....

I build my base close to US and canada or japan or asia.

[Cpl. Facehugger]

I build my base near florida, or the east cost of the us. That way, I can protect the most wealthy country with my 1st base. Then comes europe, then japan. Those usos never get a chance! I also like to put a base in striking distance of the indian ocean and the gulf of mexico as these seem to be alien hot spots (on veteran anyway.) and research all the sonic weapons asap because then you get the tftd equivelent of the plasma cannon.

[[dipstick]]

Failing that, screw TFTD and get XCOM 1 - much easier!

[Cpl. Facehugger]

Awww, But the challenge is the best part! (Except for those flying chryssalids :cringe: .

 

Besides, I find that many of the tactics I had to learn in tftd work really well in xcom too, like the "artilery" strike, where I have a high accuracy guy with torp/gas cannon and use rookies as spotters.

 

You should get xcomutil though, it makes the game more balanced. Too bad it doesn't fix the fuc-ked up research tree.

Edited September 6, 2003 by Cpl. Facehugger

[[dipstick]]

To be honest, I haven't really seen a problem with the research tree as yet - but I have stopped playing it since I met an alien activity site IIRC I have the disruptor launcher - which is a MUST if you want to protect your troops. I used my disruptor guy as emergency covering fire, and not one of the aliens was standing after I see it . Saying that, I have not been able to build new craft yet

[Jonaleth Irenicus]

OK, REALLY important things about success:

 

-Placing your first base. VERY IMPORTANT. Most defend placing it near US, in the Caribbean or somewhere, probably close to the shore (that's how I start the game anyway). Some people say Europe is better, since it ends up covering more countries.

 

-Placing your seconds base. Again, very important. The thing to look for is go to the graphs, see where aliens are active more, and place your second base there. That way, you will disrupt the alien activity before it gets out of control.

 

-Weapon of choice. I have found the following order is good: Gauss Pistols, Gauss Rifles, Sonic Rifles, Thermal Shock Launchers, Sonic Pulsers. After that, research until you get sonic oscillartors (craft weapons) and equip your barracudas with them. Two barracudas, if you have luck, can shoot down large subs with cautious attack and run away. After oscillators, get Gauss Cannon and start producing it (to make money). Do not research things in between unless you need to (sonic pistols, etc...).

 

-DO NOT RESEARCH LIVE DEEP ONE TERRORIST. This is the main reason why players can't get Ion Armour late in the game. It also prevents you from getting X-Com craft and other stuff. Leave it until all your research is done.

 

-Following that, do all you can to get a live deep one terrorist as soon as possible. You will not be able to do it in first terror site mission, but you will get another chance later.

 

-Never fear. If you see a touched down sub, RUN FOR IT. If you manage to crash a large sub at the beginning of the game, GO FOR IT. Your rookies can manage it if you are careful. If a terror site shows up at night, go for it. Do not resort to tricks or cheats to pull it off. You see less at night, SO DO THEY. That means they will have to take more time to kill civilians (yes, I have fared better at night missions because of this).

 

-Lobstermen are vulnerable to stun, so use Thermal Shock launchers on them (almost all the time if possible).

 

-Do you have MC technology? Use molecular control ıf you do.

 

These are good general tips. If you could say what part of the game challanges you the most, I could be of more help.