Jason
chasing a bee
<strong>[ Interview ]</strong>
The gents at Taktikzone offer up <a href="http://www.taktikzone.de/index.php?GameID=117&content=interview2" target="_blank">this interview</a> with Chris England on the state of the next big X-Comalike, <a href="http://xenonauts.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Xenonauts</strong></a>.
<blockquote>In terms of totally-new stuff, we've tried to expand the game and bring in mechanics from more modern games where we thought it would help. We've added an entirely new air combat model to replace the one-dimensional air combat in X-Com, and bring some extra skill and strategy (and variety) into the game. In the ground combat, we've added a cover system so it's a bit less luck-based about whether your troops will be shot dead at the end of any turn. We've also incorporated the Jagged Alliance 2 aiming system into the game (ie, right click to make a shot more accurate at the cost of more APs) as I thought that was a significant improvement.
We've also made lots of small tweaks across the board - UFOs will attack in waves, so the game won't be so stop-start as it was at the end of X-Com. You can customise what weapons your vehicles carry into battle. Aliens now come in multiple 'ranks', as well as different species. There are alternate victory conditions on most missions, so you can win a battle by capturing the enemy UFO and holding it for a number of turns, instead of having to hunt down every last alien. There's probably more that I've missed, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
</blockquote>There are also previews to peruse at <a href="http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/116/1164344p1.html" target="_blank">IGN</a> and <a href="http://www.howtoplayblog.co.uk/2011/xenonauts/" target="_blank">How To Play</a>. Expect screenshots of the ground combat in an upcoming issue of PC Gamer.
The gents at Taktikzone offer up <a href="http://www.taktikzone.de/index.php?GameID=117&content=interview2" target="_blank">this interview</a> with Chris England on the state of the next big X-Comalike, <a href="http://xenonauts.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Xenonauts</strong></a>.
<blockquote>In terms of totally-new stuff, we've tried to expand the game and bring in mechanics from more modern games where we thought it would help. We've added an entirely new air combat model to replace the one-dimensional air combat in X-Com, and bring some extra skill and strategy (and variety) into the game. In the ground combat, we've added a cover system so it's a bit less luck-based about whether your troops will be shot dead at the end of any turn. We've also incorporated the Jagged Alliance 2 aiming system into the game (ie, right click to make a shot more accurate at the cost of more APs) as I thought that was a significant improvement.
We've also made lots of small tweaks across the board - UFOs will attack in waves, so the game won't be so stop-start as it was at the end of X-Com. You can customise what weapons your vehicles carry into battle. Aliens now come in multiple 'ranks', as well as different species. There are alternate victory conditions on most missions, so you can win a battle by capturing the enemy UFO and holding it for a number of turns, instead of having to hunt down every last alien. There's probably more that I've missed, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
</blockquote>There are also previews to peruse at <a href="http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/116/1164344p1.html" target="_blank">IGN</a> and <a href="http://www.howtoplayblog.co.uk/2011/xenonauts/" target="_blank">How To Play</a>. Expect screenshots of the ground combat in an upcoming issue of PC Gamer.