Suggestions for a new player

[Warmarine]

Hey, I just got this from the Bohemia Humble Bundle and foudn thsi game to be pretty damn good. However, I find myself that even with the tutoiral, I'm a bit unclear as to what I should do as a first time player.
Also, any chance we be seeing other UFO games on steam? I see that there's 2 other games before this one and seem a bit interested in them

[Dwane Dibbley]

Dont worry, this isnt like XCOM remake where you were under retarded pressure since start (at higher difficulties). Take your time, kill aliens and research as you like, ur not in hurry. All u have to do are critical missions when they popup.
Also, if u like this game, you should definitly play Aftermath and Aftershock first (if you dont mind old graphic).

[Warmarine]

Sweet, thanks man.
Btw, know any good places to get Aftermath and Aftershock (Yea, I don't mind the graphics, I played XCOM UFO defense alot)

[Gavener]

i died of thirst twice, i am trying to go north but need more fuel i kept making mines, was it cause i used fast time?

[drotmalac]

A few tips for new players of UFO:Afterlight:

At the beginning you are in a bad condition, you have only a handful of decent weapons and a practically useless set of spacesuits, you own a few territories and only minimal available resources.
You don't have to wait for things to happen, you will be attacked in the fist days by Martian drones, they will cut your water supply, be prepared.
As you got control after the tutorial you must begin with four things (time should be paused until you give your orders):
- You have no mines on your available resources, load the techbay with 2 people and send your rower to build mines first priority fuel, than metal. You can queue multiple tasks.
- There are a few territories available capture them by sending the science rower to build geosondes, priority is also territories with fuel, then metal. Queue here also multiple targets, 2 people are enough for now, you may want to send more men to get things faster, crew can be changed at the base, delete all tasks and the rower will return home.
- Get the workshop up and running with 4 technicians, you need batteries 20 at least for lasers, a pair of science lasers, medikits, with medipacks, and tool kits, with suit repair packs you need two of both devices, and about 10-20 packs to load them, after this you may need 10 demo charges.
- Begin researching with 4 scientists, you will need firearms, and better space suits first, so begin with those. Then you will also need training ground and grenades, read the descriptions actually all research is needed, you can any time change the queue by dragging one from below to the top.
Unpause and let's go.

By the time, the first attack you should have a few laser batteries and 3 science lasers. and at least one fuel mine running, so your UFO Should be able to reach the destination.
Equip you squad, it is a good idea to enhance the rifle with the accelerator in the store, give the rifle, and the reticulan laser rifle to soldiers with good aim, use the reticulan pistols, and the science lasers with the other 5, one science/soldier character should also get the medikit, and medipacks, and one tech/soldier the tool kit, and the suit repair packs. You only need 1-2 ammo, and 2-3 "ammo" for medikits and tool kits, the rest is reserve. That should be enough to kill of the drones at the pipeline. Secure the entire pipeline later, research reservoir, to avoid getting thirsty.

At the civil engineering you only need technicians, if you build something, you got a couple of scientists, and technicians in reserve begin with their training, to enhance their abilities, Rotate your specialists, swap the trained wit the untrained ones at the lab and workshop, keep on training. Let your rovers go back to the base, swap the crew to keep them trained. Trained techs and scientists are faster in the lab, in the workshop and also with the rowers. There are specific skills, which enhance rower driving, and building, also for specific workshop tasks, and science tasks, it is better to have specific skills on high(major) level than someone with many basic skills. Try to manage people with specific skills to the specific tasks (this is the hard part)
When you got the training grounds begin to train your soldiers fist two things you will need: mayor suit wearing, for all, since you need this to equip heavy space suits, which are better armoured, and have better environmental protection, train heavy equipment with your strongest, do not use all skill points, as you get more training options with time, reserve your soldiers with best aim to be snipers in the future, and your fastest as skirmisher with the katana.

As you progress the basic projectile rifle will be available first make at least 7 of those (you will only need 7 of anything, including space suits, they are only assigned to the squad, when they are out on a mission, you don't need 100 guns, since you can take 7 of them on a mission), you will also need at least 50 ammo cartridges. You can trade some of the equipment wit the reticulans for reticulan lasers and ammo for them, but you got time to produce them if needed. Ally wit the reticulans when you meet them (They will be south from your base), you get a few weapons, a soldier and a scientist, they stay until you are allied with them, Swap sides, to the other reticulan party, when they arrive, they give more personnel, tough you loose the other two.
Before the second reticulans, the beastmen will begin to attack (Even if you don't do the mission triggering their arrival) Research hyperspace gates, and close them as soon as possible, this will reduce the number of attacks from them.

With your squad use projectile rifle and reticulan lasers mixed, note that you cannot make ammo for reticulan weapons, use them as long you got ammo, swap with your own projectile rifle if you're out. By this time grenades should be available give all your men 2-4 or more of them, Remember to replenish your ammo for projectile weapons, and grenades, it takes some time to manufacture them.
Usually your soldiers can hear the enemy long before they see them, get the grenades and throw them at the approaching question marks, grenades are cheap, don't wait for effect, let it rain you can throw the next after the first one, especially if you got multiple targets, the grenades kill weaker enemies, and temporally disable stronger ones, approach and finish the job with your rifles.
Again: remember to replenish your ammo at the workshop, it is life and death.

Early game your best choice of combat is throwing lot's of grenades and auto burst with your rifles, concentrated fire kills enemy faster, kill 'em one after the other, move in groups, your tech should repair the damaged suits, your medic should heal injured soldiers, ASAP, it is the only way to go in worst environment your suits can handle (Tough it should be avoided if possible)
Remember: you have limited number of soldiers never ever ever ever loose any of them, you get no replacement.
The only replaceable squad members are the drones, you get drones either by manufacturing them, or repairing salvaged Marian ones.

At this point you should get the picture what to do and how to do it, keep your staff trained, always produce enough ammo, use the best weapons available, chose the optimal people for the job and train/equip them them accordingly, you will need trained scientists, technicians, snipers, medics, tech soldiers, heavy weapon specialists, grenadiers (Later with the grenade launcher, just for fun). You got a few soldier in spare, take them on easy missions, to train them up a bit, it is sometime good to have a well trained spare should one of your main squad members be to injured to go on missions.
You will have to learn to fight your enemies, change the squad's equipment to match the enemy and the task.

There is no best weapon or equipment, it depends on your play style, a good mixture of weapons is usually a good choice. As you progress the enemy will get stronger, with heavier guns, you are also outnumbered most of the time. The enemy AI is lame, you can try mods to enhance them, or just have fun shredding them to pieces.

Mid-game you will learn to optimize against your enemy. Martian drones are weak against lasers, your drones are immune against reticulan mind control etc. You want to build up a dome, at your base, build additional lab and workshop, secondary labs can go on trivial and simple tasks with 1-2 scientist, like interrogations and autopsies, secondary workshop with 1-2 technicians should be dedicated for ammo production. Get radar, upgrade, also upgrade mines, and don't forget your base, always build all available additions, by diverting tech's form the Workshop, if you lack resources, search for them and claim more territories with resources you need, remember when you got 2 mines does not mean you got 2 resources. Advanced stuff needs lot's of resources.

Get the Gatling guns as early as possible, use them with your heavy specialists and drones, those are the best mid-game weapons available, either they rip apart weaker enemy quickly, or with the high rate/continuous fire they suppress and pin down tougher ones, they are useful in late-game too. You can also enhance your own lasers, and projectile weapons, rifles with accelerator, recoil compensator and gyro-stabilizer, loaded with AP ammo can be very effective.

Late-game many weapons become available, Beastman guns are good, and got real nasty ammo types, you might want to try Martian weaponry too.

Have fun playing.

[komninosm]

Do Aftermath and Aftershock have the same real time with pause tactical ground battles as Afterlight?
An Apocalypse fan.