How to stop fear in countries

[Jon.Topps]

Fairly new to XCOM. I had a bunch of abductions pop up near the beginning of the game, which caused a lot of fear. I had a choice between which place to help, and each time I'd pick the place with the highest threat level, so that I could hopefully not lose any countries. However, I still lost one country.

Is there any other way to lessen the threat level? Any way I can fight against fear so that countries don't back out?

[rincewind]

You must launch satellites, that would lower the panic, and stop any abduction for taking place there. But, only for the next month.
If you put a Sat on the beginning of the month, you can have a last abduction taking place there.

To launch sats you must build them, an build facilities calle sattelites uplink which increase the max number of sattelites possible. Be sure to construct them near each other, as you get a bonus.

[Jon.Topps]

Okay cool, so satellites limit fear, good to know.
The hard part with my game was that I got a few abductions in the same place, all in a row. I was quite early game, so I didn't have enough time to build more sats sadly. I'm guessing I just had bad luck this game.

[木易十七]

Engineer and satellites are very important in beginning of the game. Launch sats in the end of month, pick the place with the highest threat level. Some missons can also reduce panic, even global , don't miss them.

[New Moon On Monday]

Originally posted by Jon.Topps:

Fairly new to XCOM. I had a bunch of abductions pop up near the beginning of the game, which caused a lot of fear. I had a choice between which place to help, and each time I'd pick the place with the highest threat level, so that I could hopefully not lose any countries. However, I still lost one country.

It is difficult to play through a game losing zero countries, and attempting to keep them all is not necessarily the best strategy.

It is more important to prioritize continents over individual countries.

While each individual country gives you some resources, continent bonuses give you big boosts which can be especially critical in the early game.

When you have to make a choice in abduction missions, the panic not only increases in the countries you do not help, but the panic spreads throughout the entire continent of those countries. If you already have a full continent that is red-lining, it may be best to just let that continent go and focus on the continents you can keep.

If you are just choosing the country with the highest threat level, you could be in the position of saving one country from red-lining at the cost of brining 2-8 countries to red-lining.

When you get an abduction mission, you have time to delay making the choice to go view your panic map to help you make the decision. Look at your panic map then make the choice.

When you have only partial satellite coverage over a continent, the countries protected by the satellite are still at risk. Even though you are preventing abduction missions in that particular country, the panic level can still rise based on rising panic in neighboring countries on that continent. But once you have an entire continent covered by satellites at the end of a month, you have pretty much eliminated the panic problem on that continent.

There is still the possibility of EXALT-based panic, or a satellite getting shot down if you can't protect them yet, or an abduction mission occuring if you did not have the satellite up at the beginning of the month (though it's a good idea to save your satellite deployments for the last day of a month). But eliminating the abduction problem for an entire continent makes your panic management much easier.

[rincewind]

And don't worry, losing some countries is normal. Try to keep the countries in the continent whose bonus looks more interesting to you.
Also, you always got the continental bonus from the continent where your base is placed.

Those are the continental bonus.

North America:

"Air and Space": All aircraft and aircraft weapons cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain.

South America:

"We Have Ways": Autopsies and Interrogations are completed instantly.

Europe:

"Expert Knowledge": Labs and workshops cost 50% less to build and maintain.

Africa:

"All In": Monthly XCOM funding increased by 30%.

Asia:

"Future Combat" - All projects in the foundry and the Officer Training school cost 50% less.

Remeber also, that if you lose eight countries is Game Over.