The lights are on
In the world of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, players will need much more than brute strength and Rambo tactics. Would-be generals will need to implement precise coordination between all of their elite soldiers. Take note as we walk you through some sample tactics, this time we explore flanking.
[This feature was written with the assistance of XCOM: Enemy Unknown producer Garth DeAngelis]
If you missed part one, read it here.
XCOM HQ has been getting reports of alien activity circling the skies over a small American town. Our team lands near a gas station and pushes forward into a fog-enshrouded battlefield.
In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the player doesn’t control one hero. An entire squad is at their command, and it’s crucial to leverage squad and combination tactics to counter the alien threat.
One simple way to do this is by flanking your enemy. Flanking is a simple technique that always gives the aggressor the advantage. But taking the time to get behind a target has its risks…aliens could be lurking in the shadows or waiting to react to a player’s actions for a high percentage shot. However, the player can mastermind creative squad combinations, which will increase their odds against these devious alien tactics. In this example, an Assault squadmember moves to high cover to survey the fog-enshrouded battlefield.
...but a few Sectoids emerge!
The Heavy soldier moves into cover to prepare to support the Assault unit, scoping out the revealed Sectoids.
Our Heavy foregoes a standard shot on an individual Sectoid, and instead unleashes a devastating area Suppress ability. This won’t kill the aliens, but it will pin their movements and reduce their offensive capabilities.
As our Heavy distracts the Sectoids our Assault soldier is free to move about. She now plans her flanking maneuver.
Notice that her chance to hit the Sectoid is at 65%. This is because he countered our Suppression by Mind Merging with an unrevealed cohort. This alien ability has increased the Sectoid’s health and made him tougher. So let’s increase our odds of taking him out by going for the flank…
Our Assault unit plans her route to the coveted flanking spot…
…and she makes a run for it!
The Sectoid suppressed by our Heavy is still penalized, so his shot misses and our Assault unit makes it safely to her destination.
The flanking position increases the Assault’s chance to-hit to 91%.
Mission accomplished.
For more battle tactics, read part one here.
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These are nice but I still want to see gameplay.
Sweet. You should record the tactics and show us some of the gameplay.
man im am digging me some XCom. can't wait!!
I want to see this gameplay in real time.
GI is really pushing this. I'll be honest though this looks like a 30 dollar game. That doesn't mean I think it is going to be bad or even below average. The exterior quality and movement engine look quite simple to use to create the game. I think the hardest part about making this game was coming up with the idea and doing all the calculations for damage. If this is a disked 60 dollar game I will be surprised. But if this is a DLC, it will open a new door for the DLC world. Because if it is, this would have to be the biggest push for a DLC in GameInformer history. And it got a cover. (which to me was a let down because I like the new simplistic crisp covers of the new GI style and I feel like that just wasn't as good.)
To those of you ticked about the apparent small squad limit. Keep a few things in mind.
The squadmates have a lot more powers and flexibility in this game than they do in the original X-Com.
This stops you from just throwing away a rookie to use up the overwatch. When your people aren't meat shields they're not expendable. There will no doubt still be loses, but it won't be from you pushing someone in front of the bus so often.
Cover actually seems like a more... reliable affair in this game. So you could probably keep your people safer using the environment until they blow it up.
Honestly to me, and I love the original and all, it's six of one half a dozen of the other. I'm trading numbers for skill. Sure you could have skilled numbers in the mid to late game of X-Com: UFO Defense, but most of the bulk was probably unarmed weak-minded rookies meant to eat up psyonics and overwatch.
Cant wait I just wish there was game play trailer though.