[360/PC/PS3] XCOM: Enemy Unknown

[Blackjack]

Still some chatter out of E3, though I don't know if there's much new beyond what's already been said...

XCOM: Enemy Unknown designer Jake Solomon talks about the pressure of satisfying fans while making your dream game
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/xcom-enemy-unknown-designer-jake-solomon-talks-about-the-pressure-of-satisfying-fans-while-making-your-dream-game/

Of those scarce few recent games, like Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars and Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles, what have you guys at Firaxis carried over? What have you guys learned from modern turn-based strategy?

I think what we all really liked about Valkyria Chronicles was the camera. We took that camera. We also looked at how Bethesda did V.A.T.S. in Fallout 3. Those two games had a pretty big impact on how the camera evolved, so instead of it just being top down to being behind the shoulder when we can, having these little action moments when we can. Ghost Recon, we didn’t take much from that, but it just heartening to see that [Gollop] had done some of the same things we did with classes and abilities and smaller squad sizes.

Nobody’s had the big, big strategy layer with the combat as well. Typically when people do this it’s mostly combat with a very light strategy layer on top so we’re out there on our own with that very big strategy layer and a very involved tactical layer as well.

Also some fun stuff about how making this has been his dream his whole career, so he's really not certain what he'll do once the game is done and released.

[Blackjack]

A tactical discussion with XCOM: Enemy Unknown producer, Garth DeAngelis
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/21/a-tactical-discussion-with-xcom-enemy-unknown-producer-garth-d/

I encountered a few binary choices in the first hour alone. For example, should you research better weaponry or better armor? Since you can only research one project at a time, research in one area automatically forgoes research in another. It's possible to go back and research skipped projects, says DeAngelis, but that, in turn, means ignoring the new technology unlocked by research you've already completed.
...
The kinds of equipment gained through research mirrors the original X-COM in many ways, says DeAngelis. "We're following the same basic class structure of ballistic weapons, laser, plasma, that's all in there, and then we have a few of our own variations just like we did with the aliens but, for the most part, fans can expect to see some of the things they liked about the original."
...
Enemy Unknown simplifies the process of detecting UFOs this time around: instead of forcing players to establish entire bases throughout the world just to detect alien incursions, Enemy Unknown allows players to deploy satellites that serve the same purpose.
...
Enemy Unknown also keeps you personally invested by constantly reminding you that you are the commander, and you're making all the decisions. Characters talk directly to the camera, and thus directly to the player. There is no avatar here, not even a placeholder hero that publisher 2K could slap on the box (think Skyrim's "dude with horned helmet" or the standard Commander Shepard).

Even just 3-4 months from release, they won't talk about multiplayer, but since they don't say "it doesn't have any," everything suggests it's something they're still working on. 

[CeeKay]

Even just 3-4 months from release, they won't talk about multiplayer, but since they don't say "it doesn't have any," everything suggests it's something they're still working on. 

perhaps it'll be in DLC or post release patch.

[ydejin]

Cross-posted on Qt3

Full 15 minute playthrough of the scenario they've shown screen shots from before (Gas Station with Sectoids and Mutons).  The main difference is this demo isn't a sequence of clips cut together, but an actual start-to-finish playthrough of the entire level with someone (presumably from Firaxis) doing a narration of what's going on.  Unfortunately the resolution isn't that great (480p), but XCom junkies (like me) eager for their next fix of XCom news will probably enjoy it.

[CeeKay]

new interview with producer Garth DeAngelis and designer Jake Solomon.

[Lockdown]

You know... short of Homeworld 3 being released (yeah, right), I'm not sure there is a game that could have me more excited than this.  I simply can not stand waiting for it's release.  October is going to be so, so awesome.

My very first soldier will be CK - and he will go down in flames gloriously.  I will of course AAR the whole thing for everyone to enjoy along with me.   

[USMC Kato]

You know... short of Homeworld 3 being released (yeah, right), I'm not sure there is a game that could have me more excited than this.  I simply can not stand waiting for it's release.  October is going to be so, so awesome.

My very first soldier will be CK - and he will go down in flames gloriously.  I will of course AAR the whole thing for everyone to enjoy along with me.   

Be careful what you wish for. In past XCOM games, the one character that I expendable became the most badass. I kept sending him first in every fight and through every door but his damn luck kept him alive. Eventually he became the highest ranking XCOM member

[CeeKay]

I plan on having teams using the famous couples of GT:  Kato and Hark, Teggy and Pug, Raz and TiLT; as long as they survive Devil and Lockdown will always be the rear guard

[TiLT]

You know... short of Homeworld 3 being released (yeah, right), I'm not sure there is a game that could have me more excited than this.  I simply can not stand waiting for it's release.  October is going to be so, so awesome.

My very first soldier will be CK - and he will go down in flames gloriously.  I will of course AAR the whole thing for everyone to enjoy along with me.   

Be careful what you wish for. In past XCOM games, the one character that I expendable became the most badass. I kept sending him first in every fight and through every door but his damn luck kept him alive. Eventually he became the highest ranking XCOM member

I've had that happen multiple times. I'll give one of my newest recruits the name of someone I dislike and send him first into a crowded UFO. Against all odds, he'll survive and become a central part of my squad. I have a love/hate relationship with those characters.

CeeKay, just give me a rocket launcher and place me in the back! I promise not to ever go berserk.

[USMC Kato]

I plan on having teams using the famous couples of GT:  Kato and Hark, Teggy and Pug, Raz and TiLT; as long as they survive Devil and Lockdown will always be the rear guard

Just outfit Hark with grenades, one in each hand.
Maybe a pistol in his backpack so he can shoot himself in case he gets captured

[Blackjack]

Gamespy pointed out this pic of the Elite solders included as preorder bonuses:
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/xcom-enemy-unknown/1225540p1.html

Here's a cropped image:

From left to right: female Hyperion Armor, Reaper Armor, Heavy Carapace Armor, female Hyperion Armor again, and the original X-COM soldier with flattop haircut in Reaper Armor. 2K notes that some of these have been color customized, a feature included in the Elite Soldier Pack.

The Elite Soldier Pack is purely cosmetic and will be included in all pre-orders and be available as paid DLC post-launch.

[CeeKay]

I think I shall name the blonde one.... Kato.

[Blackjack]

Apparently a brief (30-sec) new story trailer came out, along with specifying Oct. 9 (what's the obsession with Tuesday release dates?) as the release date:

XCOM Enemy Unknown Story Trailer and Release Date Confirmed
http://thecontrolleronline.com/2012/07/xcom-enemy-unknown-story-trailer-and-release-date-confirmed/

YouTube link:
http://youtu.be/pzaTW4pvhKw

Very short and frantically edited. JJ Abrams would approve... if it had more lense flare. 

As I suspected, the marketing creedo at least in trailers is "do everything possible to disguise the fact it's a turn-based tactical strategy game, or else we'll scare everybody away!"  

[USMC Kato]

I think I shall name the blonde one.... Kato.

 

Every rookie that goes on point will be Ceekay. If Ceekay dies (oh yes he will die gloriously) every replacement I get will be nicknamed Ceekay!

[CeeKay]

I think I shall name the blonde one.... Kato.

 

Every rookie that goes on point will be Ceekay. If Ceekay dies (oh yes he will die gloriously) every replacement I get will be nicknamed Ceekay!

what, you don't want to be the one with the Guile-like haircut?

[Blackjack]

Here's the official pre-order page, with links to pre-order pages at various pre-order partners [for boxed versions] (Gamestop, Amazon.com, Walmart, Best Buy, Target):
http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/retail.php

Pre-Order now and receive the Elite Soldier Pack DLC, free in limited launch copies of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The Elite Soldier Pack includes:

    Classic X-COM Soldier: Players will instantly receive a new recruit in their Barracks inspired by the original X-COM: UFO Defense. The khaki jumpsuit and blonde, flattop hairstyle will return in its full glory, modernized with the rest of the XCOM universe.

    Soldier Deco Packs: Players can customize their soldier with several aesthetic upgrades to armor suits including the new Hyperion and Reaper soldier armor kits.

    Complete Color Customization: A variety of colors and tints for all armor sets in the game allow players complete control to customize their squad's look.

A bit more clarification at the forums:
http://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?124998-The-Official-Preorder-Information-Thread!

The Editions
First here's a roundup of the different editions of the game:

    PC Special Edition (physical) - In the US, this is the only physical version being sold. It will also be available in most international territories from major retailers.
    PC Standard Edition (physical) - Only available in certain international territories as a lower-cost alternative to the special edition.
    PC Standard Edition (digital) - Digital copies of the game will be the Standard Edition.
    Xbox 360 Standard Edition
    PlayStation 3 Standard Edition

To double-clarify: in the US, if you buy a boxed copy of the PC version of the game from any retailer, it will be the Special Edition because that's the only version we're making a box for. If you buy it digitally (from Steam or any other digital retailer) it'll be the Standard Edition.

Our International teams are currently working to make sure our retail partners in all other countries have XCOM: Enemy Unknown available for pre-order. However, we are not quite there yet! Keep in mind that just because a store doesn't have the game listed yet, doesn't mean you won't be able to pre-order from them.

The PC special stuff (only with boxed version):

What's included in the PC Special Edition?
In addition to the game, the PC Special Edition includes:

    Fold out poster of the XCOM base
    Art book detailing the conceptual journey of the re-imagining of the classic
    Patch of the XCOM "Vigilo/Confido" insignia
    Digital bonus items including multi-monitor desktops, soundtrack, and more

The poster of the base might be useful but I think the rest I could live without.

[Lockdown]

Thanks for the heads up.
Do you guys have any guesses on what they are going to announce for multiplayer features?  We all know mp is going to be worked in somehow, but afaik they are still keeping it hush hush.  Any guesses?

The only mp tbs game with tactical-like combat I remember is Gladius for the xbox and ps2.  If memory serves, you had one person host - who did all the moving around and such, and the other person was given control of some of the squad in tactical combat portions of the game.  I'm hoping this is a bit more sophisticated than that, but I'm not really sure how they would do it.  Of course, if you join a "campaign" together, and each own your own base and ships and soldiers, well, that would be cool as heck.  OTOH, if they just have tactical maps for deathmatches against other people's squads, well, that would not interest me all that much.

[Blackjack]

Thanks for the heads up.
Do you guys have any guesses on what they are going to announce for multiplayer features?  We all know mp is going to be worked in somehow, but afaik they are still keeping it hush hush.  Any guesses?

Lockdown, my guess is some form of co-op. I posted an interview a while back here where the interviewer was telling Jake Solomon that co-op seemed like it would "make sense" for multiplayer. Solomon apparently paused -- as if the guy had hit a nerve -- and then just said "yea, it would." Seems like a hint to me.  

Here's some new stuff -- some site called StickSkills.com posted what it claims is the Official Achievements list for XCOM: Enemy Unknown:
http://stickskills.com/2012/08/01/official-achievements-for-xcom-enemy-unknown/
*I've pasted it in spoiler codes below; both in case anyone doesn't want to see the list and because it's just too looooooooooong for a regular paste-in post here.

Spoiler for Hiden:

Launching this October, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is set to bring quite a bit of nostalgia to your system of choice.  Firaxis Games is handling the re-imagining of the classic strategy title, and hopes to expand upon the legacy of the series with a brand new story.
While you’re counting down the days until the release of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, we’re bringing you the official achievements for the game.  There are quite a few secret achievements for the game, and you may have a tough time earning all 1,000 gamerscore with this one.

No Looking Back (100 points)
Beat the game in Ironman mode on Classic or Impossible difficulty.

Humanity’s Savior (30 points)
Beat the game on any difficulty.

Earth First (60 points)
Beat the game on Classic difficulty.

Our Finest Hour (90 points)
Beat the game on Impossible difficulty.

Lone Wolf (20 points)
Clear a UFO crash site with one soldier on Classic or Impossible difficulty.

Bada Boom (10 points)
Kill 50 aliens with explosive weapons.

Welcoming Committee (20 points)
Kill 150 aliens.

Pale Horse (50 points)
Kill 500 aliens.

Shooting Stars (35 points)
Shoot down 40 UFOs.

As A Scalpel (25 points)
Earn the “Excellent” rating in every performance category on a terror mission.

Ain’t No Cavalry Comin’ (50 points)
Have a soldier survive every mission in a full game.

Edison (25 points)
In a single game, complete every Research Project.

All Employees Must Wash Hands… (10 points)
In a single game, complete every Autopsy.

Eye in the Sky (5 points)
Launch a Satellite.

All Together Now (10 points)
Get satellite coverage over every country on one continent.

Hunter/Killer (15 points)
In a single game, shoot down one of each alien craft.

Man No More (10 points)
Build a suit of powered armor.

We Happy Few (10 points)
Complete a mission without losing a soldier.

The Hardest Road (10 points)
Advance one of your soldiers to Colonel rank.

Worth Every Penny (20 points)
Acquire 1000 credits in one month.

Oppenheimer (20 points)
Staff the Research Labs with 80 scientists.

One Gun at a Time (20 points)
Staff the Engineering Department with 80 engineers

Skunkworks (20 points)
In a single game, complete every Foundry project.

You Have 5 Seconds to Comply (10 points)
Build a S.H.I.V.

Theory… (10 points)
Build a Laboratory.

…and Practice (10 points)
Build a Workshop.

Wet Work (10 points)
Complete a Very Hard abduction mission in five turns or less on Classic or Impossible difficulty.

A Continental Fellow (50 points)
Win the game from each of the 5 starting locations.

What Wonders Await (5 points)
Complete a Research Project.

Up and Running (5 points)
Build a base facility.

Combat Ready (5 points)
Build an item.

Drums in the Deep (10 points)
Gain access to the lowest level in your base.

Happy to Oblige (15 points)
Fulfill a Council request.

Tables Turned (10 points)
Shoot down a UFO.

And So It Begins… (15 points)
Complete the tutorial mission.

Secret Achievements
Secret Achievement (25 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (25 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement (10 points)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Even most of the achievements sound like a lot of fun.  

[TiLT]

Multiplayer is now official.

The article is very nonsensical ("you might be wondering why we did this, and that's because *wanders off into something completely unrelated that explains nothing*") and makes multiplayer sound very dull to me, and it completely fails to tell me why I should be excited about it. Then again, I'm not at all the target market for that kind of thing.

[Harkonis]

Didnt' get that feeling at all.  They explained the why pretty clearly.  (also I'm excited about this and the details about how it is going to work are exciting)

I think you might be right that it's just being out of the target demographic that's causing the issue this time.

[Turtle]

Yep, sounds pretty reasonable and limited in scope. If there's a solid TBS game underneath, multiplayer is just icing on the cake.

I could see players having some fun setups. It's honestly been about time that someone had classic TBS multiplayer like this. Fallout Tactics doesn't cut it anymore.

[Blackjack]

Thanks for the heads up.
Do you guys have any guesses on what they are going to announce for multiplayer features?  We all know mp is going to be worked in somehow, but afaik they are still keeping it hush hush.  Any guesses?

Lockdown, my guess is some form of co-op.

PPPPFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTT!  

You guys already know I'm an idiot most of the time (this is your cue to say "all of the time!"), so you probably knew I was wrong.  

Maybe when Solomon paused in that interview it was an "Oh shit! Why didn't we think about co-op?" moment.   Or, just a red herring. Well played...
==========
Blue's pointed out a couple other MP previews as well:

http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/xcom-enemy-unknown/1225695p1.html?RSSwhen2012-08-10_050000&RSSid=1225695

http://kotaku.com/5933613/xcom-enemy-unknowns-multiplayer-mode-is-one-giant-violent-toybox
==========
All I can say from my Frozen Synapse pvp experience is I suck at this kind of thing in MP, and after getting whipped a few times I lost interest in the MP. In theory I would've kept playing it and getting better, but I just didn't feel I was evolving. 

[Lockdown]

OK, after reading that article I've completely changed my tune.  I love the way they are going to do it.  Still would have preferred a co-op mode, but the way they implemented "versus" sounds perfect (and fun) to me.  Thumbs up.  

[Blackjack]

Joystiq offers its "co-opinion" (don't get excited, it's just two guys alternating their opinions, there's no co-op) from trying the multiplayer:
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/20/co-opinion-xcom-enemy-unknown-multiplayer/

Richard Mitchell: Both of us played single-player before, so we had some idea of what we were getting into – but multiplayer is an entirely different beast. Using a pool of points, players "purchase" the units that will comprise their team: XCOM soldiers, aliens, or a mix of both.

The standard match has a pool of 10,000 points and a turn time of 90 seconds. For this press demo, we had a whopping 20,000 points and 120 seconds. It sounds like a lot of time, but it wasn't – more on that in a bit.

What units did you pick? (Keep in mind, folks, I had no idea what I was going to face on the field, and neither did Alexander.)

Alexander Sliwinski: I believe in the power of humanity! Actually, no, it's mostly that I'd never played an XCOM game prior to the E3 demo, and I had no idea about each race's powers. So, I went with three human soldiers, two Thin Men and then spent a massive 7,300 points on an assault gunner with an alloy cannon. I figured I'd wipe out any alien scum you threw at me.
=========

Richard Mitchell: I went with a mix of what looked cool. Although I also read the info on each unit to see what their abilities were, which turned out to be boon for strategy, but we'll get to that later. I went with a Chrysalid, a Thin Man, a Muton, a Cyberdisc an XCOM shotgunner and an XCOM sniper with a sweet plasma sniper rifle and a grappling hook.

Once the selections are made, each player's squad is dropped onto the map and the fun begins. I don't know about you, but I found it to be pretty tense almost immediately. Fog of war was in full effect, and I had no idea where you were or what units you had. Also – probably because this was my first time – that 120 second turn went by very fast.
====
Richard Mitchell: Did I mention my sniper had Squad Sight, which gave her the ability to see anything that any member of my squad could see? So, yeah, a pull of the trigger and even your mighty soldier went down (in a very slick, dynamic cinematic, no less).
======
 And then came the Chrysalid.

You hurt him on a previous turn, but I managed to rush the spider-like beast past your defense, slash down one of your soldiers and do something to his corpse. Now, tell everyone what happened next.

Alexander Sliwinski: You're taking too much pleasure in this moment. So your bug (by the way, the only good bug is a dead bug!) put a stupid egg in my guy before I blew its antennae off. Not that it helped because my dead soldier was then reanimated as a zombie and I had to put a shotgun to his head. This is the part where things started going terribly bad for my group of meatsacks.

Sounds like fun.  

[Blackjack]

Few new screenshots (Aug. 17):
http://www.gamershell.com/pc/xcom_enemy_unknown/screenshots.html
*fwiw, these are supposedly PC screenies.

[Blackjack]

Apparently a multiplayer demonstration video (Solomon narrates while he plays it, I think) debuted at Gamescom Aug. 20:
http://games.on.net/2012/08/latest-trailer-for-xcom-enemy-unknown-stars-multiplayer/

Here's YouTube link:
http://youtu.be/jLQBog8qG9I
*A little under 4 mins long. Begins at the multiplayer set up screen, and then a couple minutes or so of combat.

[Blackjack]

Anudder new trailer: Casualties of War:
http://youtu.be/oz5ePZTXLOI

If you don't want to sign in to YouTube/Google, try the Blue's News link (embedded vid):
http://www.bluesnews.com/s/134696/xcom-enemy-unknown-trailer

"Shouldn't we say somewhere it's a turn-based strategy game? The trailers make it look like a third-person shooter or Starcraft."
"WHAT? Are you crazy? You'll scare them away!!!"  

[Blackjack]

Gametrailers did a couple lengthy Original Interview videos earlier this month:

Building the Battlefield interview  (9+ minutes long)
http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/e8pr3t/xcom--enemy-unknown-building-the-battlefield-interview

Multiplayer and Beyond interview (15+ minutes)
http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/vtfq1w/xcom--enemy-unknown-multiplayer-and-beyond-interview

[ydejin]

1 hour+ of play with Jake Solomon and Casey O'Toole (lead programmer).  Skip forward to about 3:55, as almost the first 4 minutes are all title screen (originally this was a livestream).

Hat tip to TurinTur and Bateau over on Qt3.

[jztemple2]

1 hour+ of play with Jake Solomon and Casey O'Toole (lead programmer).  Skip forward to about 3:55, as almost the first 4 minutes are all title screen (originally this was a livestream).

Oh, wow . Very cool. And very turn based strategy, also very cool.

Somebody is going to wait to license this engine for a WW2 or modern combat TBS, unless they are all nuts.

[USMC Kato]

1 hour+ of play with Jake Solomon and Casey O'Toole (lead programmer).  Skip forward to about 3:55, as almost the first 4 minutes are all title screen (originally this was a livestream).

Oh, wow . Very cool. And very turn based strategy, also very cool.

Somebody is going to wait to license this engine for a WW2 or modern combat TBS, unless they are all nuts.

I thought the same thing about Silent Storm's engine when that game was released.  This new XCOM game's engine looks incredibly sexy though, can't wait.

[Blackjack]

Yeah, Silent Storm even had editing tools if I recall, but they didn't seem to do much to make them user-friendly or promote mod projects. Nothing much came of mod talk. I loved the game but ultimately found the difficulty a bit too frustrating. I'm still pissed that Silent Storm won't run on my Vista 64-bit system (my original disc; I've not tried the $9.99 version offered by GoG).

Gamespy points out an hour-long gameplay preview from Firaxis on TwitchTV:
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/xcom-enemy-unknown/1225915p1.html
*Demo starts at the 3:55 point in the video.

In the latter of the two missions, you see many AI-controlled civilians which the player gets credit/rating for rescuing.

I think they're playing it on a PC (because later on a couple guys are tapping on keyboards and fiddling with a mouse), but it seems like they're using an XBox360 controller (and the prompts indicate that).

Virtually none of the ads/marketing I've seen ever use the phrase "turn-based." It simply seems a "pariah" marketing term today that nobody wants to touch with a 6-foot pole. Most of the ads I've watched seem determined to make you think it's some sort of third-person shooter, that it's Mass Effect or something.

[Lockdown]

The funniest thing about all these videos to me is how often they talk about how hard the game is; yet I don't recall ever seeing more than one guy die in any given mission.

[TiLT]

The funniest thing about all these videos to me is how often they talk about how hard the game is; yet I don't recall ever seeing more than one guy die in any given mission.

Even losing one guy out of four on a mission is pretty bad, but keep in mind that they are playing on Normal difficulty in these videos. For us old-school people, we should play on Classic, which is more appropriate for our skill levels.

[Scoop20906]

You can also tell it is a more advanced squad too. In the original at some point you squad gets enough experience to where it can hold its own but the early missions were meat grinders. I expect more of the same with the new game.

Friggin cant wait.

[Blackjack]

The funniest thing about all these videos to me is how often they talk about how hard the game is; yet I don't recall ever seeing more than one guy die in any given mission.

Remember that (if I remember it right?) you only get to take 4-6 soldiers on missions now. It's not like when you were scurrying 12-16 or more guys around and you might even sacrifice a few like they were "Star Trek red shirts." Everyone's important.

Also, I think these are devs playing who know everything like the back of their hands. I suspect really mediocre players (me  ) might not breeze through stuff.

And I don't know what point in the campaign these missions are. I suspect they wouldn't show off levels that are later in the game. Then again maybe this is random stuff.

We'll see though. For me there's this fine line between "challenging" and "I'm tired of being face-planted, I'm done with this game." The latter has happened to me in some mmorpgs (SWTOR the latest), sometimes arcade-action stuff (several games I've bought on Steam I got stuck on early and lost interest), various FPS games etc. Outside of a few hands-on demos for gamer journalists etc., they haven't done any mass beta testing with "real" players. How will we do when we finally get our hands on it? Will be interesting to see. 

For multiplayer, Solomon has talked about how they can adjust the points pool limit on the fly (no patching of the game necessary) for online play, in response to how MP matches go. That's not really an option with the SP game, though I assume there are multiple difficulty levels.

[TiLT]

And I don't know what point in the campaign these missions are. I suspect they wouldn't show off levels that are later in the game. Then again maybe this is random stuff.

According to what they said in the video, the first mission they showed is about 1/3 into the game, not long after they've researched laser rifles. The other one is a bit later in the same game. Both missions were part of a regular playthrough that someone at Firaxis had done, so I assume they were random. The guys who played it at least said they had no idea what was coming since they hadn't played those save games before.

[Blackjack]

Thanks, Tilt. I'm afraid I've only peeked at the video at work (w/ sound off) so I've been out of the loop on the audio.

Hey, in case GT sent anyone to PAX Prime, this might be of interest. 

XCOM: Enemy Unknown Fans at PAX Can Dress as The Thin Man to Skip the Demo Line
http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/27787/xcom-enemy-unknown-fans-at-pax-can-dress-as-the-thin-man-to-skip-the-demo-line

2K Games announced a special offer to aspiring cosplayers that will let them demo XCOM: Enemy Unknown first at PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington. Anyone who attends the conference dressed as "The Thin Man" will be able to skip the entire line. All they have to do is don their best "Thin Man" costume to pick up a 2K Community VIP badge at 2K Games' booth.

The special pass will not only give them early access to demos of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but they can also use it to skip the line for the Borderlands 2 demo and Saturday's XCOM: EU panel.

2K Games also promised "some sort of cool prize" for the day's best "Thin Man" costume.

*I'm tall enough (6'4" or so), but perhaps not quite in shape enough to portray The Thin Man anymore. 

If I stumble on any photos/articles about the cosplayers, I'll share it.

[jztemple2]

Hey, in case GT sent anyone to PAX Prime, this might be of interest. 

XCOM: Enemy Unknown Fans at PAX Can Dress as The Thin Man to Skip the Demo Line
http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/27787/xcom-enemy-unknown-fans-at-pax-can-dress-as-the-thin-man-to-skip-the-demo-line

OK.... I guess I don't see the tie-in to the character "Clyde Wynant " from the 1934 movie "The Thin Man" but maybe this isn't the reference they mean?

[TiLT]

There's a live stream of the game going on right now at PAX. They'll be showing off the mouse and keyboard interface for the first time today, among other things. They'll be playing on the same maps as in the previous stream, but this time using mouse and keyboard as well as playing on Classic difficulty. They did mention the size of the maps just now, and said that there are various sizes in the game and that the ones we're looking at here are on the small side compared to others.

Right now they are playing a two-player multiplayer game using regular controllers.