X-com, Ufo, Apocalypse Version...

[faramir_doc]

hi everyone, i have just joined the ufo serever, and i started reading and there were some things i did not udenrstand, most of all the ufo versions there are. i mean i would like, if possible, someone could explain easily all the x-com, ufo there are...

until now i have played and finished Ufo: enemy unknown, 'and i'd like to know if is taht x-com, or maybe x-com is a different version, and also some info about that apocalipse..

 

it's a little bit repetitive, but is the best i can do at this hour in the morning.

 

(another question: does evberybody of the person that write in this forum play in lxnt.info or there is another server with more people currently running on??? and how do i enter if it is???)

 

thx to everybody who kindly helps me,

[nappes]

UFO: Enemy Unknown (known as X-Com: UFO Defense in the U.S.) is the original, first game in the series, and is considered the best by most fans (me included). It was followed by numerous sequels, of which only two, X-Com: Terror From the Deep and X-Com: Apocalypse, bore any resemblance to the original. The rest were mediocre action games that are best forgotten.

[Guest Azrael]

The order of the games is:

X-Com: UFO Defense> Aliens attack from Mars. Turn-based squad combat strategy.

X-Com: Terror From the Deep> Aliens attack from underseas. Turn-based squad combat strategy.

X-Com: Interceptor> Aliens attack from another dimension, in space where the Humans are slowly expanding, space fighter simulation. Released after Apocalypse, but chronologically, the events in this game happen before.

X-Com: Apocalypse> Aliens attack from another dimension the modern city Mega-Primus, a project of a self-sufficient city on Earth, planet devastated after two Alien Wars on it. Turn Based and Real Time strategy game, in my opinion, the very best of them all.

X-Com: Enforcer> Not really an X-Com game, doesn't fit the storyline, the game style, nothing. Bad arcade game.

[Kratos]

Just because people who post in the ufo2000 forums doesn't mean they play ufo2000 constantly because they could be helping develop this game. But many who post here play on the lxnt.info server as well as the lxnt.info:2001 server, which is the beta server for beta versions of the game only. If you don't see much on one server, then the other server may have alot of players on it. Edited August 10, 2005 by Kratos

[faramir_doc]

thanks!!!!

[Ubersquid]

first post so first of all: hi everybody, i really like that remake

 

what wonders me though is that ufo:aftermath never gets mentioned in the history of the ufo series. a quite new remake of the first game. it has apocalypse style real time combat but geoscape and bases and all that. quite nice graphics too

[Guest Azrael]

It's never mentioned because UFO: Aftermath was done after the X-Com series, and they are on different storylines. Also, Aftermath was done by Altar, while X-Com was done by Microprose (rights now bought by Atari, just to collect dust). And it's not exactly a remake, I'd say it's a game inspired by X-Com, as it has similarities but it's not similar enough to be called a remake.

[Violazr]

Welcome to the forum Hallu... erm Ubersquid!

 

 

I heard Fallout Tactics was rather X-Com like as well.

I only played the RPGs - really good stuff.

[Exo2000]

It's never mentioned because UFO: Aftermath was done after the X-Com series, and they are on different storylines. Also, Aftermath was done by Altar, while X-Com was done by Microprose (rights now bought by Atari, just to collect dust). And it's not exactly a remake, I'd say it's a game inspired by X-Com, as it has similarities but it's not similar enough to be called a remake.

 

Aftermath is a great parellel storyline for X-COM, IMO. It's a nice "what if they just glassed us from orbit" situation. There's only really greys when it comes to the aliens, but you have the mutants as well, which adds variety. Aftershock (the sequel) is set to kick donkey.

[ShellTox]

Hi

 

Well i have Fallout 2 & Fallout Tactics, and they are good games but in my opinion, they don't even compare to ufo.

For the ones who don't know the Fallout series, heres a short summary:

 

In Fallout people were forced to live in Vaults (This is some kind of bunker), because the world was beeing destroyed by years of nuclear wars...etc

Nedless to say, the Vaults weren't enough for everyone -» so the ones who stayed outside were terribly mutated and so on...

 

But one day, when it was safe, the Vault doors opened and people start living outside the Vaults, in a world completly devastated, where technology is a distant dream, wiht few tech artefacts that survived all those years. Supersticion & magic is present in some tribes, and in one vision, the shaman of your vilage see a saviour of all people (Guess who.....Correct ***YOU*** weee). And the game begins.... you will have to make a great journey through deserts, strange city's, abandoned military bunkers, etc.....

 

The end of this game is always different, cause your journey will be influenced by your actions during the game (killing the poor civilians, pickpocket anyone you want, but if you are uncovered, you'l better load , etc )

And if you search the web for a walktrough for the game, hardly you will find two equals... and even now there are quests in the game to uncover...

 

But returning to the topic, the only thing that is similar to ufo, are the combats.

You have 7 (if i'm not mistaken) green circles, that represent TU's, firing your weapon (old pistols, rifles with some ribbon glue), requires some....., using you inventory too,....

And even this, doesn't approximate ufo.

 

But its a good game with a post nuclear winter environment

[Serge]

Well, here comes my personal impression about the games discussed.

 

X-COM and its twin TFTD are the best games in the series. Its engine was ahead of its time, introduced a lot of interesting features which are missing from even some modern games from that genre (full terrain destruction, multiple floors, night missions with good lighting), had very good atmosphere and gameplay.

 

I did not play Apocalypse too much as my computer was too slow to run it at the time it was released. Now it is not very compatible with modern hardware/software and I did not bother struggling with the bugs trying to run it. But from my past experience playing it at my friend's home, it had worse graphics than the original X-COM, they added some unbalanced real time mode, ridiculously large maps. I never liked its concept of big city and the story was not very convincing.

 

UFO: Aftermath was way too boring, I did not manage to force myself to play it more than a few hours, just erased it from my HDD and never looked back. I will give Aftershock a try, but don't expect too much. I just have an impression that they only make these games to earn money, UFO: Aftermath does not seem to have a 'soul' put in it

 

Fallout is an excellent RPG, but its combat engine is oversimplified and is inferior to X-COM. But it is good as it is

[Blood Angel]

TFTD was better, but harder. Xcom had 1 type of terror mission, which was 1-mission based. TFTD had 4 types of terror mission, 2 of which were 2-mission (Cargo ship and Artifact-site.). Edited September 1, 2005 by Blood Angel

[Guest Azrael]

I did not play Apocalypse too much as my computer was too slow to run it at the time it was released. Now it is not very compatible with modern hardware/software and I did not bother struggling with the bugs trying to run it. But from my past experience playing it at my friend's home, it had worse graphics than the original X-COM, they added some unbalanced real time mode, ridiculously large maps. I never liked its concept of big city and the story was not very convincing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't say that

[Serge]

Don't say that

I did add a disclaimer that it is just my personal impression, sorry. The only thing that I really liked about it was buildings collapsing, that's an interesting feature in its engine. The story, weapons and aliens did not impress me at all.

[Neithan]

TFTD was better, but harder. Xcom had 1 type of terror mission, which was 1-mission based. TFTD had 4 types of terror mission, 2 of which were 2-mission (Cargo ship and Artifact-site.).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I dont agree...Xcom is much better in my opinion than TFTD. I somehow dont like the TFTD grafics (terrible color matching). But the worst of all are the missions...extremely long esspecialy bases and terror sites. The underwater alien that makes zombies is unbalanced cos it can 'fly' in the water. I hate that alien .

[Hobbes]

I prefer UFO to Apocalypse but the former was the first game of the series I played (I've been wanting to play UFO for years but couldn't get it), and I've just recently started playing a new game. Here's what I think (*spoilers*):

 

Positive:

- The terrains. Their style might not look familiar because of the futuristic design, but they offer a lot more diversity. Plus, they have 9 levels to UFO's 4, and it really adds a feeling of realism, in the sense that the different levels/buildings seem more adequate to real dimensions. Not to mention how you can destroy them

- Real-time. It takes a while to master it, but it adds a new gameplay and more reality. It also makes some really tense movements as you watch your squad trying to take out a Popper running at them.

- The organizations/politics. It is a pain when Transtellar becomes your enemy, or the police is constantly raiding your bases but it can make things more unpredictable.

- Some weapons. Shields/Teleporters/Cloaking devices add a lot of diversity.

- The sound, especially the sounds that the aliens make. They add a lot of tension, together with the moans your soldiers make when they're injured.

 

Negative:

- The aliens. It looks more as if you are fighting some mad genetic experiment that has gone out of control. This applies also to the UFOs and alien dimension buildings.

- Toxin C and Alien Gas. Once you get them, the aliens are toast and you've practically won the game. The same with the advanced X-COM craft.

[ShellTox]

In one thing you are right Hobbes, the aliens. Specially the big blue one

i looks like we just went out of a party with some sort of costume

[JoeJoe]

My fav part of Apoc is the fact that you can create a gang type of organization where the economy is effected by what you do.

 

I would love to see an online game with that type of structure.

[Exo2000]

My fav part of Apoc is the fact that you can create a gang type of organization where the economy is effected by what you do.

 

I would love to see an online game with that type of structure.

 

I actually had quite a few thoughts about an Apocalypse style MMOFPRPG. That is, Massively-Multi-Player First-Person Role-Playing Game.

 

I won't go into details, but suffice to say the topic (of an Apoc MMO) has always held my interest.

[sir_schwick]

I thought Apocalypse had real potential to use much better technology. However I think its failing is the fact that combat lost its 'realistic tactical' element. In Enemy Unknown, once everyone had Plasma weapons it was pretty much one-shot and you are dead. Missions played a lot more like a turn based RB6 against aliens then a turn based Serious Sam. However in Apocalypse you could stand in tremendous fire and there was not much tension, just clean up. Also, the graphics did look a bit like crap.

 

I would like to see a UFO Defense that incorporated the organization(governments) and modular vehicle components, but on a global scale.

[JoeJoe]

I didnt think the graphics were bad.

 

I always played the battles in realtime and they got pretty intense very often. I didnt like the turn based play in Apoc, it just didnt feel the same as it did in UFO, and those little things that suck your brains reallly annoyed me.

 

I agree, a game w/ the orgs and vehicle stuff would be awesome!

[Llyr]

about the ufo-versions:

 

http://commanderx.xcomufo.com/chronology/games.html

Edited November 23, 2005 by Llyr