X-Com: Enemy Unknown Let's Play

I was more just interested. If you want to play a game later we can.

So... I assaulted the Overseer's UFO today. Fun times.
I have a previous save I can resort to if necessary, but so far I haven't reloaded yet, even though my best soldiers went down...

Oh geeze. I feel for you man. Colonel ranked Sniper? They get too close or just a run of back luck?

Both pretty much. I had her spaced away, but still had to get in close since we were near the UFO. Even worse is I had to watch her bleed out since my only support had died earlier...
Luckily though, I have a couple other psi soldiers, and they're a godsend. Almost garunteed 5 damage vs Mutons, AND a debuff? Yes, thank you.

Hell of a way to go, bleeding out.

Since I have your attention, obviously the skill trees are split between Offensive and Defensive, and it is an offensive skill no doubt about it, don't you think Gunslinger is more effective in the hands of a Squad Sight Sniper than a Snap Shot one?

Not really, I mean a snap shot could more benefit from the scouter thing to pop corners, but who would choose snap shot anyway?

Actually I do. And I have to agree on the battle scanner for Snap Shot Snipers.

But I still say a Squad Sight Sniper needs Gunslinger, since if you have to move them for anything they're defenseless unless you pull out the pistol. Gunslinger Sniper with a Plasma pistol are very deadly. Throw in the pistol upgrades and they can almost survive by themselves if they get surrounded.

I'll probably actually get the pistols now that I upgraded the arc thrower capture rate. That 2 damage was useful when enemies were at 4 health.

So, what kind of builds do you go for on all of your soldiers? All offensive, defensive, or try to keep them mixed?

Somewhat mixed. I read one of the guides posted, and I agreed with most of it, so I use that path. It's mostly defensive, but also some offensive.

Sounds like a good method.

Honestly I need to experiment more. Heavies and Snipers are usually split. All depending if I go Holo-targeting or Bullet Swarm/ Snap Shot or Squad Sight.

Support and Assaults I tend to go defensive. Well, for Supports I usually have them all as Medics. You'd let them be able to heal up to 10 points, use a medkit three times, and be able to revive soldiers to the point where they can still fight/run away... or not.

And no matter what, all my Assaults have Close Combat Specialist. Damn handy during Terror Missions.

Yea I always have my supports go medic. And really, I greatly prefer squad sight to snapshot. And yes, CCS is universally applicable. As well as Rapid Fire.

With a high enough aim, plus SCOPE, Damn Good Ground, Archangel armor, and Opportunist, Sniper with Snap Shot can be very useful. Not knocking Squad Sight, it's a godsend at time.
Killing the "final boss" thanks to my Sniper having Squad Sight and Double Tap.

An Assault with Flush is very useful if you want to set up shots for an "In the Zone" Sniper.

I think I've have one or two Support not go the medic route, but I don't think they got used as much. I know it's for balance, but the fact Supports can only get two smoke grenades max... when that's the first skill they "learn" how to do, kinda bugs me.
Same goes for Heavies and those rockets. I'm chill with how they can't move and fire that rocket at the same time, but they get 2, three if you get and count the shredder rocket, max. And I guess the fact they carry two grenades in the same slot just adds to the explosions..

I generally don't take the extra grenade. I'll be giving them a SCOPE anyway, plus the extra radius on the rockets is nice. Also I'm thinking of having a support with stim smoke instead of dense, for the psi soldiers. Wonder how much will I'd need to take control of an Ethreal...

It takes a lot, and even then it's up to luck. But very satisfying if you pull it off.

Unless you're like me and the Ethreal was the last alien on the map. Then you get that awkward few turns when you just gather your troops around it for when the mind control ends so you can open fire.

Just last night I was assaulting a supply barge and the Ethreal and its Elite bodyguard were the last ones left in the control room. I was ready for a showdown, but for some reason the bodyguard immediately chickened out and ran out of the room, letting my two assaults run in and clean up with rapid fire. The guy didn't even try to flank or anything, he just ran right back in later and died without getting a shot off.

Funny, last time I attacked a Supply Barge was the opposite. Skyranger dropped us off right in front of the damn thing, and literally everything was waiting for us.
Three floaters, Five to six Heavy Floaters, six Mutons, three Chryssalids, two Sectoid Commanders, and a Cyberdisk with two Drones.

I ended up reloading that one because while I only lost one man, that was just too crazy to not try again.

Yea, I hate it when I get dropped into an ambush. I had one where I got dropped in front of the gas station, and had around 4 squads of Mutons all waiting inside. My poor SHIV... My saving grace on that one was my psi sniper who got on the roof thanks to his skeleton suit. Picked off the floaters up top so I didn't have to deal with them either.

Stupid question but are SHIV's worth it?
I know they have decent aim, can take a beating, and all, but can't really replace top rank soldiers.

I just never get around to actually using them.

Mine's fun to use, but yea, it's basically for the lulz. Soldiers are cheaper and a heavy can pretty much fulfill the same role, only better.

I used an Alloy SHIV for scouting and a bit of extra firepower once I got the plasma cannon on it. Never used one without at least a laser, though. It's indispensable when you have a wounded team member. They are more durable and can be repaired.

I love them.

I have a Hover SHIV. Do alloys have more health than a hover?

Aonee wrote:I have a Hover SHIV. Do alloys have more health than a hover?

Never used anything flying but captured drones, but I think so.

I think all of them have the same health, just that Alloys can be used as cover. Funny enough, apparently the AI can go stupid, having the aliens use your SHIV for cover.

So, back up and fire away at the poor thing that's no longer in cover.

No, I know that the alloy at least has higher health than a normal. I tried looking it up on the wiki but it only gave health for the Alloy...

So, I finally finished preparing. I made the chamber like Science wanted, got the suit, and sent a guy in. After that, there wasn't much left to do but suit the team up and send them out.

...I sent 6 out, and got two back. They were all good men (and woman), and I know they all earned their spot on the wall. The alien threat is gone, but I have to wonder at what cost...

On a side note, are there multiple endings to XCOM?

Aonee wrote:
On a side note, are there multiple endings to XCOM?

No, it always ended the same way every time for me. It just gives you a score at the end.

So other then the Volunteer, how'd the others go?

Run of bad luck along the way? The Sectopod room? The Ethreals mind controlling them in the last room?

A rift took out my relatively low health medic, then one of my assaults got struck down by Ethreal lances, and my heavy was mind-controlled and teleported to the ether.

Ooooo, nasty. Yeah sounds like you got it rough.

I know I lucked up in my game. Got a man just far enough in to see the leader, launched a rocket into his face and Double Tapped him with my Sniper.