UFO Defense has ruined me.

[ToxorAxiom]

Alright, since I bought the game on GOG and not Steam, I'll get this confession off my chest here.

I'm 40 years old, and I cut my teeth on XCOM EU first. It was the one that got me interested in the series. It was fine and I loved the concept, plus the mood and music, but the whole THAT'S XCOM, BABY! bullsh!t meme mechanics of the reboot got me feeling worn out by the end. (I can't even continue it on revisit, Long War or not.)

It did get me interested in the original, though. Thing about me is, I don't care what year a game has been made. Sure, not all that's old is gold, but if it's good, it's good. One thing that piqued my curiosity while researching the original X-COM was how many people, especially old-school games journalists from the Web 1.0 days, considered UFO Defense to be the best game they've ever played in their lives. Not in a "10/10 MASTERPIECE" way you get with new release hype nowadays, but genuine gaming veterans, all swearing fealty to this old DOS game that's 10 years my junior.

That was it. I just had to find out how good this game was.

But, man... talk about intimidating! I bought it, installed OpenXcom, started the game and then kept stopping out of fear and lack of knowledge. Guys dying left and right, confused on what to do, invasions like mad and countries dropping from the project like flies. So, one year ago I started deep reading and doing research on this game, from longplays and tutorials to the 135-page Instruction Manual, the Official Strategy Guide and especially the UFOpaedia. I was seriously daunted by the sheer scope of it all. I couldn't believe this was a DOS game. I never felt this intimidated by a game before in my life. (And I'm practically a Souls vet!)

Flash-forward to now, I've spent the last couple of months playing this game, and... something's happened to me. Whenever I've stopped to try playing anything else, I end up quitting out of frustration at the lack of freedom and control given me. That alone pisses me off so much, that I can't do what I want to do the way I want to do in any other game. Add to that the comparatively, absolutely glacial paces of other titles and their bloody emphasis on storylines, and I'm just over it all! Even in other turn-based strategy games, this is especially egregious. (Phoenix Point was a disappointing slog to trawl through before I gave up, even with the TFTV mod.)

I haven't said it yet (and maybe I'm afraid to admit it), but I can't shake the feeling that this is the best game I've ever played in my 30+ years of gaming. I think X-COM: UFO Defense has ruined me. It truly is... a masterpiece. No hyperbole. Nothing else compares. Nothing comes close. I knew it in my old gamer gut from the first time I watched that opening cinematic over a year ago. "There's not going to be anything else like this."

And honestly, I don't think there ever will be.

[Alpharius]

I'm 42...I think.

X-COM: UFO Defense is in my top 5 of All-Time. You're not wrong in your assessment :)

[trooperrob]

have you tried x-com apocalypse.
Xcom was good, but battles in realtime, now that .....

[ToxorAxiom]

Originally posted by trooperrob:

have you tried x-com apocalypse.
Xcom was good, but battles in realtime, now that .....

Not yet, mostly 'cause I've fallen out with RTS games over the years. It's a genre I respect, but don't engage in anymore. But I did pick it up on GOG and intend to check it out one day if the mood strikes.

[Starving Poet]

Apoc is great fun until you get to the end-game. Entropy Launchers are the worst in a "this isn't fun anymore" way.

[trooperrob]

with pause - you can pick up the brain suckers if the land too close to you - before they activate.
also stun weapons can work.

[CptTiki]

Xenonauts comes AWFULLY dang close to re-capturing that original high from TFTD, back when i was 10. i'm still ruined... but they've done a good job of getting the feel, and updating - with the eerie music.. no cigar - but closer than EU reboot ever got.

[SmaSh]

i never write in discussions but i feel that i have to. What you wrote is 10000 true. I have always played UFO Defense, TFTD and Apocalypse. Then i played Xcom EU. i recall the live stream they used to do and hype it up. I remember the Thats Xcom baby! No its not Xcom. its not the same. It never will be.

It doesn't come close to UFO Defense. Like you said, You are forced to do things like they want. It is nothing compared to UFO Defense where you do WHATEVER YOU WANT!

You should try XCOM TFTD. This is one heck of a game. I always play UFO Defense on Superhuman. TFTD is way harder than UFO Defense. TFTD is the sequal and the same as UFO Defense but underwater.

What you wrote is exactly how i think about this series.

[ToxorAxiom]

Originally posted by SmaSh:

It doesn't come close to UFO Defense. Like you said, You are forced to do things like they want. It is nothing compared to UFO Defense where you do WHATEVER YOU WANT!

It's so true. The freedom and agency you're given in UFO/TFTD is so unbelievably alien to gaming, it was intimidating as hell for me the first time! Since when do strategy games, let alone modern ones, give you this freedom? It seems so bloody simple; just give us the ability to do what we want!

Honestly, going back to the XCOM reboot recently felt like someone yelling at me, "Get back in your cage!" It didn't take long for me to give up on it in frustration, even with the Long War mod.

Give me freedom, or I give up gaming!

[Draescan]

I sadly missed its original launch but Xcom EU/EW along with Xcom2/WotC convinced me to look into the history of the series and I've been loving every second of it so far.

I've always been the kind of person who isn't intimidated by complexity so long as logical conclusions can be drawn in the operation of mechanics. This game has, thus far, proven to be a lovely dose of mechanical complexity, micromanagement ( despite the complaints I've heard about that buying individual clips and grenades is annoying, I disagree ) and arguably most importantly, the freedom to ♥♥♥♥ up.

People without a love for games and what once was always scream " NOSTALGIA " but this is so dismissive of the genuine appeal and charm that a lot of games from the 90's and early 2000's offered. It's not just nostalgia, although I'm sure some people experience that phenomena. The freedom to screw up, the lack of explicit ( as in detailed ) direction pushed onto the player ( this in particular bothers the heck out of me about games today ) and the " learn by mistakes " style just is not given the appreciation nor respect it deserves in the modern market. Thankfully we have the ability to go back and play awesome games like this.

Feel that despite its age this thread is still so necessary even today ^_^

[ToxorAxiom]

Originally posted by Draescan:

I sadly missed its original launch but Xcom EU/EW along with Xcom2/WotC convinced me to look into the history of the series and I've been loving every second of it so far.

I've always been the kind of person who isn't intimidated by complexity so long as logical conclusions can be drawn in the operation of mechanics. This game has, thus far, proven to be a lovely dose of mechanical complexity, micromanagement ( despite the complaints I've heard about that buying individual clips and grenades is annoying, I disagree ) and arguably most importantly, the freedom to ♥♥♥♥ up.

People without a love for games and what once was always scream " NOSTALGIA " but this is so dismissive of the genuine appeal and charm that a lot of games from the 90's and early 2000's offered. It's not just nostalgia, although I'm sure some people experience that phenomena. The freedom to screw up, the lack of explicit ( as in detailed ) direction pushed onto the player ( this in particular bothers the heck out of me about games today ) and the " learn by mistakes " style just is not given the appreciation nor respect in deserves in the modern market. Thankfully we have the ability to go back and play awesome games like this.

Feel that despite its age this thread is still so necessary even today ^_^

Great post! I wholeheartedly agree.

[Empiro]

The old X-Com games had an odd charm and appeal that's hard to put your finger on. Xenonauts tried its best, but while on paper it should be as awesome as X-Com, it just doesn't manage to capture whatever magic those games had.

In a way, X-Com was both deep and complex and not very complex at all. There are a lot of choices, but only a few of them are actually good / viable. Once you know what they are, the game is actually pretty easy and pretty simple (because you're only using a few of the options). I could never beat the game as a kid, but now, I can pretty easily beat the game on superhuman.

Because of its simplicity though, it allows for lots of fun mods like X-Com Files. I think those mods add a ton of replayability and challenge to X-Com that makes the game way better.

[Happy347]

Also interesting retake on XCOM is X-Force: Fight for Destiny, not sure if it is still alive, but they also had a lot of freedom, also regarding to content creation. It was not so hard to create your own tiles, script a map, etc. There were also some gamesets, which basically changed whole gameplay completely.

[Kalon]

I do miss the days when games were games instead of "narrative experiences". Games don't hold your hand or force you to do something (well, point and click adventures do but those are arguably not games). A good game just presents you with a problem and tools and lets you solve that problem. That's what I love about classic xcom. You can literally start, from mission 1, with a f*ing tank with a rocket launcher turrent. You can outfit everyone in the squad with explosive rounds and autocannons and just level the entire map like the movie predator when they just cut down the forest with a minigun and small arms. You can just blind fire in the general direction that aliens MIGHT be, until you run out of ammo. You can prime a bunch of grenades and give them to a rookie to suicide bomber if you know aliens are holed up in a building or to breach the first room of an alien vessel.
I 100% agree with OP...I tried to play XCOM 2 and it was just so frustratingly "on rails" that I went back to play some classic xcom. It my xcom organization and if I want to bring 12 dudes armed with rocket launchers, then f*ing let me...

[Nebgama]

Enemy Unknown sucks everyone knows that

[-=kirito*48=-]

Originally posted by ToxorAxiom:

Alright, since I bought the game on GOG and not Steam, I'll get this confession off my chest here.

I'm 40 years old, and I cut my teeth on XCOM EU first. It was the one that got me interested in the series. It was fine and I loved the concept, plus the mood and music, but the whole THAT'S XCOM, BABY! bullsh!t meme mechanics of the reboot got me feeling worn out by the end. (I can't even continue it on revisit, Long War or not.)

It did get me interested in the original, though. Thing about me is, I don't care what year a game has been made. Sure, not all that's old is gold, but if it's good, it's good. One thing that piqued my curiosity while researching the original X-COM was how many people, especially old-school games journalists from the Web 1.0 days, considered UFO Defense to be the best game they've ever played in their lives. Not in a "10/10 MASTERPIECE" way you get with new release hype nowadays, but genuine gaming veterans, all swearing fealty to this old DOS game that's 10 years my junior.

That was it. I just had to find out how good this game was.

But, man... talk about intimidating! I bought it, installed OpenXcom, started the game and then kept stopping out of fear and lack of knowledge. Guys dying left and right, confused on what to do, invasions like mad and countries dropping from the project like flies. So, one year ago I started deep reading and doing research on this game, from longplays and tutorials to the 135-page Instruction Manual, the Official Strategy Guide and especially the UFOpaedia. I was seriously daunted by the sheer scope of it all. I couldn't believe this was a DOS game. I never felt this intimidated by a game before in my life. (And I'm practically a Souls vet!)

Flash-forward to now, I've spent the last couple of months playing this game, and... something's happened to me. Whenever I've stopped to try playing anything else, I end up quitting out of frustration at the lack of freedom and control given me. That alone pisses me off so much, that I can't do what I want to do the way I want to do in any other game. Add to that the comparatively, absolutely glacial paces of other titles and their bloody emphasis on storylines, and I'm just over it all! Even in other turn-based strategy games, this is especially egregious. (Phoenix Point was a disappointing slog to trawl through before I gave up, even with the TFTV mod.)

I haven't said it yet (and maybe I'm afraid to admit it), but I can't shake the feeling that this is the best game I've ever played in my 30+ years of gaming. I think X-COM: UFO Defense has ruined me. It truly is... a masterpiece. No hyperbole. Nothing else compares. Nothing comes close. I knew it in my old gamer gut from the first time I watched that opening cinematic over a year ago. "There's not going to be anything else like this."

And honestly, I don't think there ever will be.

what you mean by that "countries dropping from the project like flies." maybe i know what you mean by that but i want to know if you got the same feeling and problem i exp from it ?