New Game - No Reloading

[steve_b]

Here ye! Here ye!

 

I have just started another game of X-com (after about 15 years) and I am not saving and reloading. I'm only using one save-slot.

 

It is really hard not reloading after a bad mission, but I figured if I actually made a public proclamation then I would be much more likely to stick to it.

 

I make sure to immediately save after one of my soldiers dies. Less temptation to do any shenanigans that way.

 

I am getting my a$$ kicked. Just lost 5 guys in a mission, and now am off to a night terror mission with only 7 men. (Mental note: keep better track of number of soldiers at the base). But I have to say this makes the game more exciting, and less monotonous. I remember the last time I played I was a bit of a save-a-holic and that constant saving/reloading was monotonous. 10 save-spots weren't enough if ya know what I mean...

 

So please wish me luck, and I will check in every so often with a status report - and each time I have to tell the world that I did not give in to the temptation -- or face the humiliation.....

[[NKF]]

Good luck - it's a good experience, both for learning and just to see how far you can go.

 

Perhaps you might consider instead saving in the Geoscape before any mission, then make it a strict policy to never use the save button in the Battlescape (unless you need to stop playing). This way, if you do fall to the temptation, you have to start over from scratch on a new map with a fresh batch of aliens.

 

Do keep separate saves for the Geoscape and Battlescape. This helps avoid any glitches in the battlescape that might cause you from not being able to complete the game.

 

- NKF

[steve_b]

Good news and Bad news and Good news:

 

Good news - I actually had 8 guys, not 7, and I was wrong - it wasn't a night mission.

 

Bad news - I still lost 4 of my guys.

 

Good news - Despite losing half my force, I did NOT give into the temptation! I saved the game AFTER I lost my 4 guys.

 

Glitches? What do you mean?

[[NKF]]

This game, great though it is, is riddled with bugs. And that's not just the evil extra terrestrial kind! Lots of memory leaks caused by bad ancient coding practices (or perhaps even compiler inefficiency) and whatnot can happen that will cause the game to crash at any time.

 

In the battlescape , you can sometimes play up to a point and the game will crash no matter what when it tries to do something that it wasn't meant to handle. If you'd saved game just prior to this, it'll crash every time you reload. Putting you in an endless cycle that you can only break out of with the help of a game editor to kill off all the aliens. Or reload from a separate save prior to the battle - which, if you're as inconsistent as I am - could be several game months back!

 

It can happen in the Geoscape too, but it's much more common in the battlescape. That's why I advised keeping your Geo and Battle saves separate slots. Avoid using just the one.

 

- NKF

[SaintD]

Here ye! Here ye!

 

I have just started another game of X-com (after about 15 years) and I am not saving and reloading. I'm only using one save-slot.

 

Good luck in this game. I just won my first superhuman, no reloading game. I actually had it nearly won over a year ago, but I shelved the game for a while. I just loaded it up last night and headed to Cydonia. My squad was heavy on the MC. Still lost a two tanks and a couple of troopers due to cyberdisks that were in the dark. Once I got some flares out, the mission went fairly smoothly. For that added touch of irony, I made the base commander shoot the brain.

[steve_b]

Congrats on the superhuman win and thanks for the well wishes.

 

Things are going pretty well. I still seem to lose more guys on those pesky night missions -- so I'm shooting tons of Incendiary ammo all over the place. OK, it's a bit more expensive than the electro flares, but it's a lot more fun! and hey ... I might even hit something! :-)

 

One thing I got lucky on: Snakeman Base + Daytime Supply ship = Yummy!

 

P.S. to NKF: Thanks for the warning. I now have 2 save slots. ... and I am making a habit of saving just BEFORE I hit the end turn button. That way there is nothing I can do if something bad happens (besides going back to the Geoscape save slot which I won't do). Again, every thing I can do to help resist the temptation is good. I know I'm weak and may cave.....

[SaintD]

Congrats on the superhuman win and thanks for the well wishes.

 

Things are going pretty well. I still seem to lose more guys on those pesky night missions -- so I'm shooting tons of Incendiary ammo all over the place. OK, it's a bit more expensive than the electro flares, but it's a lot more fun! and hey ... I might even hit something! :-)

 

One thing I got lucky on: Snakeman Base + Daytime Supply ship = Yummy!

 

P.S. to NKF: Thanks for the warning. I now have 2 save slots. ... and I am making a habit of saving just BEFORE I hit the end turn button. That way there is nothing I can do if something bad happens (besides going back to the Geoscape save slot which I won't do). Again, every thing I can do to help resist the temptation is good. I know I'm weak and may cave.....

 

You will get used to no reloads before long. Night missions? I typically do what I can to avoid them. I don't cheese out on terror missions, but I don't take on night missions that can easily be avoided.

[steve_b]

You are right -- doing no reloading is now no problem. It was fairly easy to kick the habit.

 

Anyway, It is early September now. I was ready to go to Cydonia last month, but am waiting for my friend to be ready to go. Yes, waiting in real time. He's going a bit slower than me. I think he's already into the next February (2000).

 

I decided that I really hate Psi-Amps. Not only do they make the game too easy, it's not even that fun.

 

See alien. Mind contol Alien. Alien throws away gun. (Maybe alien locates other alien). Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

 

Of course if I could break the psi addiction like I did the reloading addicition then I would be fine.

 

... and if I wasn't on beginner I probably wouldn't be saying that the game is too easy (even with Psi). heh heh

[oldfan]

Here ye! Here ye!

 

I have just started another game of X-com (after about 15 years) and I am not saving and reloading. I'm only using one save-slot.

 

It is really hard not reloading after a bad mission, but I figured if I actually made a public proclamation then I would be much more likely to stick to it.

 

I make sure to immediately save after one of my soldiers dies. Less temptation to do any shenanigans that way.

 

I am getting my a$$ kicked. Just lost 5 guys in a mission, and now am off to a night terror mission with only 7 men. (Mental note: keep better track of number of soldiers at the base). But I have to say this makes the game more exciting, and less monotonous. I remember the last time I played I was a bit of a save-a-holic and that constant saving/reloading was monotonous. 10 save-spots weren't enough if ya know what I mean...

 

So please wish me luck, and I will check in every so often with a status report - and each time I have to tell the world that I did not give in to the temptation -- or face the humiliation.....

Playing without load/save is much more challenging, and in my opinion it translates into more fun. I actually started playing again after a long time (saw this game somewhere and bought it for old times sake) but this time on superhuman difficulty. Boy, this is difficult (especially since the beginner difficulty after load bug is fixed) not to mention that I'm using a mod which disable selling alien artifacts and manufactured goods (well, you can still sell them for $0) - only government funding. However, I do advise on saving on more than one slot just in case your computer crashes or a power failure which will result in corrupt saved game files. This can be quite annoying if you invested many hours into a good game.

[Sorrow]

You are right -- doing no reloading is now no problem. It was fairly easy to kick the habit.

 

Anyway, It is early September now. I was ready to go to Cydonia last month, but am waiting for my friend to be ready to go. Yes, waiting in real time. He's going a bit slower than me. I think he's already into the next February (2000).

 

I decided that I really hate Psi-Amps. Not only do they make the game too easy, it's not even that fun.

 

See alien. Mind contol Alien. Alien throws away gun. (Maybe alien locates other alien). Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

 

Of course if I could break the psi addiction like I did the reloading addicition then I would be fine.

 

... and if I wasn't on beginner I probably wouldn't be saying that the game is too easy (even with Psi). heh heh

Well, I think that it could be solved by making the research of PSI much longer - after all, it's a completely alien concept .

[steve_b]

Well ... Cydonia came and went. Cydonia was MUCH easier than I remembered.

 

Now I am in the midst of a Veteran game. Still no reloading -- and I am trying to do it without researching Psi.

 

I almost reloaded once ...

 

...send power-suited guy up elevator shaft ... guy gets shot in the back and dies ... I figure that it's now safe to send up another guy since the bad guy must have used most of his TUs ... send power-suited guy up elevator shaft ... guy gets shot in the back and dies ... I figure that it's now safe to send up another guy since the bad guy must have used most of his TUs ... send power-suited guy up elevator shaft ... guy gets shot in the back and dies ... I figure that it's now safe to send up another guy since the bad guy must have used most of his TUs ...

 

No - I am not having finger twitches and accidentally doing multiple cut & pastes. That's what happened. I almost sent the 4th guy up but got cold feet.

 

But I just had a good laugh and didn't reload.

 

... and yes, I do have 2 save files just in case one gets corrupted. Thanks for the advice!

[[NKF]]

I don't know why, but I too often fall into the habit of sending on guy to his doom, then repeat the thing with several more before realizing what's happening. I call that the lemmings effect.

 

- NKF

[oldfan]

I don't know why, but I too often fall into the habit of sending on guy to his doom, then repeat the thing with several more before realizing what's happening. I call that the lemmings effect.

 

- NKF

I thought it was the "lemmings syndrome", which I read, by chance, yesterday in one of your posts.

 

Yes, it is very annoying when you realize that. One HAS to be patient to avoid that. Sometimes, after killing many aliens, you think to yourself, oh well, there is only one more hiding somewhere inside the UFO. You go inside and spot one but your soldier gets killed. You say, oh well, the last alien used all of his time units. You send another one of your guys inside which get killed. You end up realizing there are three more aliens inside.

 

Yesterday I started ANOTHER game which currently goes very well. I'm using government funding only and no selling of aliens artifacts (using UFO Extender mod) which gives the game a totally new dimension. You really have to spare soldiers as you don't have a lot of cash, especially on the first month. I'm also using my interceptors for reconnaissance which proves to be highly effective as I discover UFOs many times outside my radar range and sometimes even inside my radar range (it increases the chances) when matching its search to the UFO activity graph. This is very important as a high score in the first month will increase your funding when you need it most.

 

But back to the topic, one needs to be patient. I found out that in most of the tactical missions, securing the landing zone is the most dangerous part. Usage of smoke grenades is VERY helpful. I also use two other tactics which are highly effective:

1. Heavy usage of proximity grenades. I tend to throw these near houses, corners, UFO door, and to places I don't have much firepower aimed at which could be a potential threat. More than a few times an alien comes and triggers an explosion. This is very important as it can:
   
   • Serve as a warning
     
   • Kill the alien
     
   • Injure the alien which seems to have a MAJOR impact on its firing accuracy
     
   • Seems to change the alien's path. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it is bad. It is good because sometimes the alien may score a hit and changing its route (retreat) may save one of my men. It is bad, sometimes, because a lot of times the alien actually walks into an ambush.
     

[*]Rocket launcher is EXTREMELY useful on farm lands. After spreading out my men, I usually use four missiles from a far range to take down a house. I use two "pairs" of missiles for each floor: the first one destroys the outer wall and the second one goes inside. Yesterday I seemed to have killed two aliens like this and I haven't even seen them (just heard their death cries ).

 

However, proximity mines and rocket launcher can be very dangerous. The most annoying thing with a proximity mine is that you forget you threw it and then have one of your guys step on it.

So check the map constantly and remember where you threw them. I now use rocket launcher ONLY when the terrain around the soldier firing the launcher is clear. It is very annoying having an accuracy of above 80% to hit a tree which is five tiles away which happens to be in 20 angle degree less than your intended target. I mean, that is a huge miss, but it can still happen.

 

Another neat trick I found is has to do with the smoke grenade. A lot of downed UFOs have a part of their ceiling destroyed. I can throw a smoke grenade or two, with spaced intervals, and I believe it contributes to the aliens' smoke inhalation. This can help take them down (unconscious) easier since even if your shot is not lethal, the alien may become unconscious more easily. This is especially useful when camping out outside the UFO. If you aren't patient, though, you can always throw heavy explosive inside. The smoke grenade is just my observation but I could be wrong. If anybody knows whether aliens inhale smoke or not, please let me know. On the other hand, this can be a double edged sword. When securing the landing zone and moving under the cover of smoke, your troops can inhale quite a bit. A non lethal shot can cause your troop to become unconscious.

 

Yet another good tactic is planning the direction troops with explosive ammunition are coming from (rocket launcher, missile tanks, autocannon/cannon explosive rounds). It is important to come at an angle which will allow a missed shot to hit an obstacle (wall, tree, whatever) which is near the alien. This can result in a missed shot to actually kill/stun the alien.

 

............

............

..........|

S.....A.|

..........|

..........|

..........|

............

............

.........T

 

. - empty tile

S - soldier #1

T - soldier #2

A - alien

 

As you can see from the layout above, soldier "S" may miss the alien but hit a wall behind it which might score a kill, damage, or stun.

Soldier "T", on the other hand, is unlikely (and in some scenarios, completely impossible) to hit an obstacle near the alien if he misses.

Again, this is quite simple when you think of it but I often overlook it.

Edited October 1, 2009 by oldfan

[Zombie]

I thought it was the "lemmings syndrome", which I read, by chance, yesterday in one of your posts.

<_>

 

Yes, it is very annoying when you realize that. One HAS to be patient to avoid that. Sometimes, after killing many aliens, you think to yourself, oh well, there is only one more hiding somewhere inside the UFO. You go inside and spot one but your soldier gets killed. You say, oh well, the last alien used all of his time units. You send another one of your guys inside which get killed. You end up realizing there are three more aliens inside.

Not just patient, but also, cautious. Defensive play helps too. I used to have trouble with the lemmings syndrome but grew out of it after adopting a defensive plan. If you do find it necessary to send a soldier in to a tough situation where aliens are near, at least give him/her a high explosive set to go off on turn 0 (dead man's trigger). If the soldier is killed by reaction fire, the explosive drops to the ground, detonates, and kills the alien. Problem solved. When assaulting the command center of an alien base, remember that you don't actually have to go upstairs. Just stand below and toss high explosives through the ceiling. If you don't like explosives, a few stun bombs will preserve the loot and might even net you an alien commander.

 

Yesterday I started ANOTHER game which currently goes very well. I'm using government funding only and no selling of aliens artifacts (using UFO Extender mod) which gives the game a totally new dimension. You really have to spare soldiers as you don't have a lot of cash, especially on the first month. I'm also using my interceptors for reconnaissance which proves to be highly effective as I discover UFOs many times outside my radar range and sometimes even inside my radar range (it increases the chances) when matching its search to the UFO activity graph. This is very important as a high score in the first month will increase your funding when you need it most.

As long as you do a decent job on the end-of-month terror mission, score shouldn't be a problem. But patrolling over areas with high alien activity is always a good idea.

 

But back to the topic, one needs to be patient. I found out that in most of the tactical missions, securing the landing zone is the most dangerous part. Usage of smoke grenades is VERY helpful. I also use two other tactics which are highly effective:

1. Heavy usage of proximity grenades. I tend to throw these near houses, corners, UFO door, and to places I don't have much firepower aimed at which could be a potential threat. More than a few times an alien comes and triggers an explosion. This is very important as it can:
   
   • Serve as a warning
     
   • Kill the alien
     
   • Injure the alien which seems to have a MAJOR impact on its firing accuracy
     
   • Seems to change the alien's path. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it is bad. It is good because sometimes the alien may score a hit and changing its route (retreat) may save one of my men. It is bad, sometimes, because a lot of times the alien actually walks into an ambush.
     

[*]Rocket launcher is EXTREMELY useful on farm lands. After spreading out my men, I usually use four missiles from a far range to take down a house. I use two "pairs" of missiles for each floor: the first one destroys the outer wall and the second one goes inside. Yesterday I seemed to have killed two aliens like this and I haven't even seen them (just heard their death cries ).

The aliens have a high probability of showing up inside structures on a farm landscape so copious use of explosives never hurts. Of course, there could be a lot of structures on a map and you'll need an appropriate amount of extra rockets to take down all those walls. If you have Laser Rifles, those work great to take down walls as well. It just takes more time and a lot more shots to accomplish it. Once you create a hole big enough, then you can send in a rocket to catch any aliens hiding further back. Sometimes you will not even need to use rockets if you are close enough. Just get inside the building and toss a high explosive through the ceiling. Heck of a lot cheaper than using all those rockets plus it leaves the lower part of the building intact which is great for providing cover. It's best to keep the explosion away from the stairs though, just in case you need to get up there for some reason.

 

Another neat trick I found is has to do with the smoke grenade. A lot of downed UFOs have a part of their ceiling destroyed. I can throw a smoke grenade or two, with spaced intervals, and I believe it contributes to the aliens' smoke inhalation. This can help take them down (unconscious) easier since even if your shot is not lethal, the alien may become unconscious more easily. This is especially useful when camping out outside the UFO. If you aren't patient, though, you can always throw heavy explosive inside. The smoke grenade is just my observation but I could be wrong. If anybody knows whether aliens inhale smoke or not, please let me know. On the other hand, this can be a double edged sword. When securing the landing zone and moving under the cover of smoke, your troops can inhale quite a bit. A non lethal shot can cause your troop to become unconscious.

Aliens are not affected by smoke unless they are under your control. Throwing a smoke grenade on top of the aliens does more harm than good anyway since it gives them the upper hand with LOS.

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

I thought it was the "lemmings syndrome", which I read, by chance, yesterday in one of your posts.

 

Yes, it is very annoying when you realize that. One HAS to be patient to avoid that. Sometimes, after killing many aliens, you think to yourself, oh well, there is only one more hiding somewhere inside the UFO. You go inside and spot one but your soldier gets killed. You say, oh well, the last alien used all of his time units. You send another one of your guys inside which get killed. You end up realizing there are three more aliens inside.

Not just patient, but also, cautious. Defensive play helps too. I used to have trouble with the lemmings syndrome but grew out of it after adopting a defensive plan. If you do find it necessary to send a soldier in to a tough situation where aliens are near, at least give him/her a high explosive set to go off on turn 0 (dead man's trigger). If the soldier is killed by reaction fire, the explosive drops to the ground, detonates, and kills the alien. Problem solved. When assaulting the command center of an alien base, remember that you don't actually have to go upstairs. Just stand below and toss high explosives through the ceiling. If you don't like explosives, a few stun bombs will preserve the loot and might even net you an alien commander.

 

Yesterday I started ANOTHER game which currently goes very well. I'm using government funding only and no selling of aliens artifacts (using UFO Extender mod) which gives the game a totally new dimension. You really have to spare soldiers as you don't have a lot of cash, especially on the first month. I'm also using my interceptors for reconnaissance which proves to be highly effective as I discover UFOs many times outside my radar range and sometimes even inside my radar range (it increases the chances) when matching its search to the UFO activity graph. This is very important as a high score in the first month will increase your funding when you need it most.

As long as you do a decent job on the end-of-month terror mission, score shouldn't be a problem. But patrolling over areas with high alien activity is always a good idea.

 

But back to the topic, one needs to be patient. I found out that in most of the tactical missions, securing the landing zone is the most dangerous part. Usage of smoke grenades is VERY helpful. I also use two other tactics which are highly effective:

1. Heavy usage of proximity grenades. I tend to throw these near houses, corners, UFO door, and to places I don't have much firepower aimed at which could be a potential threat. More than a few times an alien comes and triggers an explosion. This is very important as it can:
   
   • Serve as a warning
     
   • Kill the alien
     
   • Injure the alien which seems to have a MAJOR impact on its firing accuracy
     
   • Seems to change the alien's path. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it is bad. It is good because sometimes the alien may score a hit and changing its route (retreat) may save one of my men. It is bad, sometimes, because a lot of times the alien actually walks into an ambush.
     

[*]Rocket launcher is EXTREMELY useful on farm lands. After spreading out my men, I usually use four missiles from a far range to take down a house. I use two "pairs" of missiles for each floor: the first one destroys the outer wall and the second one goes inside. Yesterday I seemed to have killed two aliens like this and I haven't even seen them (just heard their death cries ).

The aliens have a high probability of showing up inside structures on a farm landscape so copious use of explosives never hurts. Of course, there could be a lot of structures on a map and you'll need an appropriate amount of extra rockets to take down all those walls. If you have Laser Rifles, those work great to take down walls as well. It just takes more time and a lot more shots to accomplish it. Once you create a hole big enough, then you can send in a rocket to catch any aliens hiding further back. Sometimes you will not even need to use rockets if you are close enough. Just get inside the building and toss a high explosive through the ceiling. Heck of a lot cheaper than using all those rockets plus it leaves the lower part of the building intact which is great for providing cover. It's best to keep the explosion away from the stairs though, just in case you need to get up there for some reason.

 

Another neat trick I found is has to do with the smoke grenade. A lot of downed UFOs have a part of their ceiling destroyed. I can throw a smoke grenade or two, with spaced intervals, and I believe it contributes to the aliens' smoke inhalation. This can help take them down (unconscious) easier since even if your shot is not lethal, the alien may become unconscious more easily. This is especially useful when camping out outside the UFO. If you aren't patient, though, you can always throw heavy explosive inside. The smoke grenade is just my observation but I could be wrong. If anybody knows whether aliens inhale smoke or not, please let me know. On the other hand, this can be a double edged sword. When securing the landing zone and moving under the cover of smoke, your troops can inhale quite a bit. A non lethal shot can cause your troop to become unconscious.

Aliens are not affected by smoke unless they are under your control. Throwing a smoke grenade on top of the aliens does more harm than good anyway since it gives them the upper hand with LOS.

 

- Zombie

 

Well, I consider throwing explosives to the upper floor or shooting a rocket there as plain cheating since in real life you'll be dead too.

 

"Aliens are not affected by smoke unless they are under your control. Throwing a smoke grenade on top of the aliens does more harm than good anyway since it gives them the upper hand with LOS" - what is LOS?

[Zombie]

Well, I consider throwing explosives to the upper floor or shooting a rocket there as plain cheating since in real life you'll be dead too.

It's more of an exploit than cheating really. If you would stand a safe distance away when shooting at a ceiling in real life you wouldn't get killed. May get injured if it collapses on you though.

 

what is LOS?

LOS = Line Of Sight. If I ever use LOF or LOFT, those stand for Line Of Fire and Line Of Fire Templates. Sorry, I sometime use technical abbreviations but forget who the audience is.

 

- Zombie

[oldfan]

Well, I consider throwing explosives to the upper floor or shooting a rocket there as plain cheating since in real life you'll be dead too.

It's more of an exploit than cheating really. If you would stand a safe distance away when shooting at a ceiling in real life you wouldn't get killed. May get injured if it collapses on you though.

 

what is LOS?

LOS = Line Of Sight. If I ever use LOF or LOFT, those stand for Line Of Fire and Line Of Fire Templates. Sorry, I sometime use technical abbreviations but forget who the audience is.

 

- Zombie

Well, from personal experience ( ), I can tell you that quite a lot of shoulder held infantry rockets (and deployed ones as well) are not even armed until they are a few yards away from the launcher. Not to mention that if you fire them while somebody is standing behind you or inside a closed room can vaporize the person standing behind and totally incinerate the room. Not to mention shrapnel. But yes, I do agree it is more of an exploit than a cheat.

 

P.S.

Personal experience means as a person who served in the military in a combat unit, not as the person standing behind the rocket launcher. ROFL

[Sorrow]

Missile and rocket launchers are usually or rather always misrepresented in computer games, especially in tactical wargames.