15 replies to this topic

[Rodriguez]

Sorry if this got already discussed somewhere else, but i think that one big "flaw" of the original X-COM: Ufo Defense was that there were not many different alien types. Iam not talking about, like, 50 or something, but couldn't we be all creative, superiour, and really sick in our heads by adding two, three, maybe four new aliens?

Some who require totally new tactics. Something like a Megaspawn in X-COM3, or stuff? I'd totally fall for more different aliens to catch, to research, to bring more story in. Not to mention all the new tactics it would require, so people get something *new*, too, not only a graphically enhanced and bugfixed X-COM1.

Another idea:
It personally bugged me, besides that it makes no sense, that there were those alien combinations. Like, Sectoids/Cyberdisk, Snakeman/Chryssalids, Muton/Reapers .....

Wouldn't it be tactically harder, strategically more interesting, if you'd have like ...

Imagine a Terror mission:
A city gets attacked. The aliens drop out of the ship, or get beamed down, however, they are there.
Sectoids mind control the humans to get into the transporter beam / shuttle / whatever, while some reapers cause havoc. Snakeman and Mutons are standing everywhere, guarding their weak, grey comrades, for the case X-COM arives. Some Chryssalids wander around, infecting this or that human, to get the alien army bigger ...

X-COM lands. A tank rolls out, immediatly encountering a Reaper. Lucky us, its a laser-gatling tank (...)! It fires at the Reaper, which lights up and is on fire within a few seconds, roaming and running around in panic. Hearing the noise of their big hairy friend, the snakemen and mutons get in closer formation, protecting the sectoids, who abort the mission and try to bring the last humans to the mission point X, per mind control. The chryssalids are the first one to attack X-COM, they are easy replaceable - and not weak either.

... imagine all the tactics you'd need... the strategies ... the total new use and need of other weapons, the enhancement of the tactical part of X-com to adrenaline pumped fun.

What do you think? And sure, iam aware of what effort it would be to implement this - but i personally think it would make the tactical part about 200% better than in the original.


Edit:
Same applies for bases. Why shouldn't there (and i mean, its a BASE! There HAS to be more than 2 races of aliens, dammit!) be all aliens crossed over, doing what ever they are best in? Sectoids, Ethereals in the command center, Snakeman and Mutons as guards - Floaters as scouts, heavy Aliens like cyberdisk and reapers in the entrance parts of the base...

- (Stun)Rod

Attached Files

•  Unk_ALien.jpg   51.99K   10 downloads

Edited by Rodriguez, 13 August 2003 - 05:25 PM.

[j'ordos]

I think the plan is to make V1 with the same aliens as the original xcom, maybe a little tweaked, but basicallly the same. But after that? The plans are being made to incorporate TFTD as well, there have been a few proposals for new aliens in the laboratory, but that's all v1+ I'm afraid. I would love all that you proposed here, but it'll have to be done through a mod or future version

Don't let that stop you from thinking about it however, but for now I'll move this topic to the laboratory.

[Rodriguez]

you might also check this one out ....
Needs DivX or XVid, cant rememer to what it was encoded when rendering...

Attached Files

•  bionoidwalk.zip   159.57K   44 downloads

[Rodriguez]

Yeah, but J'ordos, i know that from the point of a coder, its easier to implement stuff while you're at it, rather than adding it when stuff is coded and working.

So it would surely be worth a bigger discussion, specially since the effort wouldn't actually be much bigger - the basic AI's for all aliens most likely will be the same, just modified for each type and their special abilited a guess.

There also would be the option of leaving "empty slots" open, so to say everything already prepared for adding new aliens, including a interpreter for AI scripts - that way it surely would be sh...load more work.

Edit:
Btw, you can count on me on the Record breaking try, under one condition:
Someone tell me when 7 GMT is in germany, since iam too lazy and i *HATE TIMEZONES!!!*

Edited by Rodriguez, 13 August 2003 - 05:34 PM.

[j'ordos]

it's 8:00 in germany then.

Adding new aliens would require more models, scripting, balancing,... Definately a lot more work. Leaving everything prepared to add new aliens is because the game will be moddable I guess.

Edited by j'ordos, 13 August 2003 - 05:49 PM.

[Rodriguez]

Great, i dont get critics/comments on my idea, just for the record break try time request,

[Rodriguez]

And whatcha think about the sketch & .avi?

[Rodriguez]

*I'am* a 3d modeller.

check the avi

Edited by Rodriguez, 13 August 2003 - 05:50 PM.

[Rodriguez]

, i wasn't offended But yeah, guess you mistake me with someone else. I once said iam not very good at making textures, tho

Anyway, no replies on the avi yet?

Edit:
Not really, i suck at organic stuff and char models. Iam rather good at buildings, weaponry, low and high poly. Cutscene animating (as long as it doesnt include un-boned, unscripted organic chars).

And of course, my little renderfarm here could do this or that if there's to be a intro or Cutscenes

Edited by Rodriguez, 13 August 2003 - 05:59 PM.

[Vaaish]

The creature in teh animation seems a little rigid for lack of better terms. the walk animation is smooth for hte most part but when the leg extends and the operation of the joints just seem too mechanical for an organic creature. I know it;s tough to get right and even more so for a human since we see them every day.

[warhamster]

The sketch reminds me of the ORGG in Magic the Gathering. hehe

[miceless]

I like the sketch. That thing looks mean!

As for the avi, i agree with Vaaish, the movement looks a bit mechanical.

But still, they both rock! I have no art skills at all so I cant do a thing even comparable to that.