randomness
Re: randomness
TBH, I don't see the point of a carbon copy. The original already exists, and is good. New graphics etc. wouldn't make it that much better, just a bit more pleasant. Anything that changes anything important, such as UI, has to be considered more carefully than these sorts of projects generally do it.
The XCOM remakes changed the mechanics, but it FEELS like memory of the old game feels through the lense of nostalgia. It's amazing how they managed to do that with what is a different game. Playing it, I could see exactly how dated the original was, design-wise. Still fun on its own terms though.
The XCOM remakes changed the mechanics, but it FEELS like memory of the old game feels through the lense of nostalgia. It's amazing how they managed to do that with what is a different game. Playing it, I could see exactly how dated the original was, design-wise. Still fun on its own terms though.
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Re: randomness
It seems like a remake on modern systems, fixing things like the 80 item limits, resolution problems and a whole sort of other bugs that were fixed with OpenXCOM. Not to mention adding and rebalancing the aliens, weapons, base building and things of the sort.Endoperez wrote:TBH, I don't see the point of a carbon copy. The original already exists, and is good. New graphics etc. wouldn't make it that much better, just a bit more pleasant. Anything that changes anything important, such as UI, has to be considered more carefully than these sorts of projects generally do it.
It needed to get made.
Like, look at this:
Oh, and it was in 3D. That's amazing.
Someone really should make a remake, the website doesn't exist (Tried it through Strategycore to no avail, and according to the wikipedia article on XCOM and the license, the game was canceled in 2012.
I wonder why.
This soundtrack is amazing, I may grab the mod and port it into OpenXCOM at some point.
It presses all the right buttons, and creates an "Out of action" mixed with "Work with what we can"
On topic however, it was a noncommercial remake that included stuff by fans for fans, meaning the copy was intended to exist to copy the game's feel, UI and things of the sort, while fixing, rebalancing and creating things fans wanted for the game.
Essentially, it was the ultimate XCOM game.
Y U NO DEVELOPMENT?
I have to recommend OpenXCOM if you're playing the original, and a few patches for the remake (Not long war though, Long War is horrific).The XCOM remakes changed the mechanics, but it FEELS like memory of the old game feels through the lense of nostalgia. It's amazing how they managed to do that with what is a different game. Playing it, I could see exactly how dated the original was, design-wise. Still fun on its own terms though.
OpenXCOM brings in Widescreen support, is open source, bugless, moddable, comes with options to make your campaign easier or harder, fixes the AI and also introduces a simple skirmish mode if you want. It's also easy to install.
Long War is still too early in the balancing phase of development and a pain to install, I'd suggest staying away.
Last edited by Phoenixwarrior141 on Mon Mar 09, 2015 4:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: randomness
Oh man. I love it so much when modern games manage that. Quite the magnificent feat.Endoperez wrote: but it FEELS like memory of the old game feels through the lense of nostalgia.
I do remember one other game managing this, and being extremely impressed by that fact, but it's been long enough since I played its modern variant that I don't even remember what game it was.
Such a shame.
Also a shame I never played all this XCOM stuff in the past so I can't share the nostalgia about the current topic.
EDIT: A quick skim of my steam list did nothing to jog my memory of what the other well-revamped game was. Starting to wonder whether it was revamped at all or just had aged very well...
Re: randomness
Phoenixwarrior141 wrote:Like, look at this:
Oh, and it was in 3D. That's amazing.
That is more detailed, but worse. It is a LOT prettier. But...
The background behind the planet is now dotted with bright stars. They are too eye-catching, too saturated and bright for a background piece. The background should be toned down so that the planet itself is the focus.
The buttons on the right are lighter than in the original, the text is slightly smaller in comparison to the button, and there's a bright overlay across all of it. That overlay makes it hard to read the text on the button.
The world rotation buttons are now a bright neon green that doesn't exist anywhere else on the screen, with a purple-and-black gradient background that doesn't exist anywhere else on the screen. It ends up looking separate, instead of a part of the whole. In the original, it had a background similar to the planet's (tying them together), with the purple gradient in the corner being slightly brighter than the other nearby areas so that while it ties them together, it also catches your eye. The planet rotation icons were the color of green landmasses, while the arrows were better at showing rotation instead of just a direction; they were properly curved.
It is prettier, yes, but it works worse. As I said, this stuff is hard, and unfortunately, fan projects and amateur projects get lots of this stuff wrong. :/
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Re: randomness
I disagree.Endoperez wrote:
That is more detailed, but worse. It is a LOT prettier. But...
The background behind the planet is now dotted with bright stars. They are too eye-catching, too saturated and bright for a background piece. The background should be toned down so that the planet itself is the focus.
Any experienced X-COM player would not need to be on the geo for any period of time.
Partially because the contrasting would make my eyes bleed (Not even joking there) if I stared at it too long, partially because UFO contacts simply aren't common enough to need to focus on the empty geoscape for any period of time and partially because you're busy in the menu screens banging your head against the armor of your troops .
The geoscape being "worse" isn't possible, there are menus that take you straight to UFO contacts and you'll be spending most of the time in the battlescape and base menus anyways.
X-COM doesn't have a lot of ongoing shit at any given time, unless Cydonia's Fall changed that (Which according to all research they simply had no plans to) there was no reason for Earth to be in focus.
And any experienced UFO Defense player would have no such problems, the original had horrific problems with contrast and speed on the geo but we powered through.
Taking an extra second to read the buttons (Or if this game looks at all familiar, use muscle memory) isn't bad in X-COM. I also had no such problems reading the buttons.The buttons on the right are lighter than in the original, the text is slightly smaller in comparison to the button, and there's a bright overlay across all of it. That overlay makes it hard to read the text on the button.
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Re: randomness
I WANT IT
I REALLY DO
Re: randomness
I'm saying the UI is worse when you objectively consider readability, color theory and contrast.
I gave examples of problems in geoscape, but similar symptoms likely infest the whole game.
What an "experienced X-com player" needs is irrelevant, because clearly they don't need the graphical update either. If they did, they couldn't be experienced X-com players! What they prefer is the more important question.
How are they using the more detailed world map, any way? Do horror missions blot out the lights in destroyed cities permanently? When setting up bases & radar coverage can you see overlays of the funding nations' borders? Are alien-allied nations represented somehow? That's the sort of technical limit that lets devs explore new territory while leaning on the original's design. Remaking old graphics isn't that interesting.
Urgh, that logo and font, yikes.
I gave examples of problems in geoscape, but similar symptoms likely infest the whole game.
What an "experienced X-com player" needs is irrelevant, because clearly they don't need the graphical update either. If they did, they couldn't be experienced X-com players! What they prefer is the more important question.
How are they using the more detailed world map, any way? Do horror missions blot out the lights in destroyed cities permanently? When setting up bases & radar coverage can you see overlays of the funding nations' borders? Are alien-allied nations represented somehow? That's the sort of technical limit that lets devs explore new territory while leaning on the original's design. Remaking old graphics isn't that interesting.
Urgh, that logo and font, yikes.
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Re: randomness
The UI is an exact rip from the original, at worse it might be harder to read or focus on. At best, the new colors may make no difference and do nothing. And we can all get on with wishing this game existed.Endoperez wrote:I'm saying the UI is worse when you objectively consider readability, color theory and contrast.
I want to reiterate, nothing special happens on the geoscape. Nothing at all.
The event markers exist for a reason you know.
Actually they seem like they don't, a few screenies I found show they had no such problems. It seems like a purely cosmetic change for something that looks a tad cooler.I gave examples of problems in geoscape, but similar symptoms likely infest the whole game.
And that's okay.
I think you missed the point I was trying to make. No X-COM player who played the game for any extended period of time would ever have a problem with the Geoscape, nothing happens to make the problems with the coloring a major incident or issue.What an "experienced X-com player" needs is irrelevant, because clearly they don't need the graphical update either. If they did, they couldn't be experienced X-com players! What they prefer is the more important question.
As for "they don't need the graphical update", that's irrelevant. Wanting your game to look like something that's playable (And better yet, in 3D so it's okay to look at) or better to look doesn't mean you are less experienced, I played OpenXCOM for god knows how long, and I want a game that is easier to look at for extended periods of time.
I have never seen fat sprites so hard to look at, so mindbogglingly hard to stare at for continuous periods of time since this morning's episode of The View.
(THAT WAS A REFERENCE CALM THE FUCK DOWN)
I assume that there would be some more site destruction, the UI would look more futuristic and things of the like. As stated before, the game never reached fruition so we have no idea.How are they using the more detailed world map, any way? Do horror missions blot out the lights in destroyed cities permanently? When setting up bases & radar coverage can you see overlays of the funding nations' borders? Are alien-allied nations represented somehow? That's the sort of technical limit that lets devs explore new territory while leaning on the original's design. Remaking old graphics isn't that interesting.
I'll defend the font, but not the logo.Urgh, that logo and font, yikes.
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Re: randomness
Also, in conclusion:
Re: randomness
That was kinda my point... Readability.Phoenixwarrior141 wrote:The UI is an exact rip from the original, at worse it might be harder to read or focus on.Endoperez wrote:I'm saying the UI is worse when you objectively consider readability, color theory and contrast.
SNIP
I want a game that is easier to look at for extended periods of time.
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Re: randomness
And it has that, at least enough for the game concept at hand.
Re: randomness
It has nice visuals, but some design problems.
It could be cool though. Reminds me of this and another, a bit newer 3D "lion simulator".
It could be cool though. Reminds me of this and another, a bit newer 3D "lion simulator".
Re: randomness
did you even bother to click the left mouse button?
Re: randomness
Yes, several times.rodeje25 wrote:did you even bother to click the left mouse button?
I just now discovered the problem. I had found the jump, but not the run. I had clicked various buttons several times, trying to discover what I'm missing, but didn't hold it down, because you don't have to hold down space or LMB or the movement keys to see what they do. I probably hadn't tested it while moving, but if I did, the speed boost on a single click might go by unnoticed and the running sound only comes in with a delay, so even that might go by unnoticed.
I also spent more time testing the game controller than the mouse+keyboard, and I still have no idea how I'm supposed to activate run with the controller.
As I assumed, there is a functionality in the game I didn't discover, that isn't indicated in any way.
The default walking speed made me think this is a stealth game, because I associate walking slowly with stealth, in video games. It was, in fact, a game in which you run all the time. Run should have been the default mode of movement, since walking is unnecessary.