I just got the original X-COM (UFO Defense, et al) on Steam. I've played quite a bit of Enemy Unknown, but I think it wouldn't hurt to get some tips from more experienced players.
Any tips for the original X-COM?
- Thread starter optimusjamie
- Start date
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Tip 1, get Open Xcom, lest it drive you mad.
Tip 2. Original Xcom is pretty brutal on your soldiers, don't expect many to survive long. You should start every mission by throwing a smoke grenade out of the Skyranger then having one of your low value troops (one with low bravery, low accuracy or both) walk out. There's a decent chance he'll be killed there and then. Similarly whenever you breach an alien ship or basically do anything dangerous don't send your useful vets in.
Tip 3. Even your better troops will struggle to hit the broad side of a barn. Using grenades and/or a heavy/autocannon with high explosive or incendiary rounds is a good way to make sure everything within a wide area of your target dies.
Tip 4. Or just prime a grenade and run at the aliens.
Tip 5. Priming a smoke grenade in the pocket of all your soldiers can save their allies lives. What happens is when they die the smoke grenade goes off immediately giving immediate and invaluable cover.
Tip 6. Try not to start missions at night if you can help it. Night is not your friend.
Tip 7. You don't have to shoot aliens directly, it's possible to blow holes in the walls/floor or catch the enemy in an explosion if you can get an elevation advantage.
Tip 8. You can sell various items for more than it costs to produce them. This is an invaluable source of money.
Tip 9. Spoiler-ish. Aliens will attack your base at some point and come through the main elevator and hangars. With the stock base design this is a nightmare. It may be worth demolishing certain elements of the base to make it more defensible.
Tip 2. Original Xcom is pretty brutal on your soldiers, don't expect many to survive long. You should start every mission by throwing a smoke grenade out of the Skyranger then having one of your low value troops (one with low bravery, low accuracy or both) walk out. There's a decent chance he'll be killed there and then. Similarly whenever you breach an alien ship or basically do anything dangerous don't send your useful vets in.
Tip 3. Even your better troops will struggle to hit the broad side of a barn. Using grenades and/or a heavy/autocannon with high explosive or incendiary rounds is a good way to make sure everything within a wide area of your target dies.
Tip 4. Or just prime a grenade and run at the aliens.
Tip 5. Priming a smoke grenade in the pocket of all your soldiers can save their allies lives. What happens is when they die the smoke grenade goes off immediately giving immediate and invaluable cover.
Tip 6. Try not to start missions at night if you can help it. Night is not your friend.
Tip 7. You don't have to shoot aliens directly, it's possible to blow holes in the walls/floor or catch the enemy in an explosion if you can get an elevation advantage.
Tip 8. You can sell various items for more than it costs to produce them. This is an invaluable source of money.
Tip 9. Spoiler-ish. Aliens will attack your base at some point and come through the main elevator and hangars. With the stock base design this is a nightmare. It may be worth demolishing certain elements of the base to make it more defensible.
Destroy all the scenery with the unlimited ammo laser rifle, instead of just walking around unseen corners into hidden aliens. Laser rifles are very good in most situations and come early in the research tree. A couple lasers will even come in handy after you already got heavy plasmas.
Open UFO doors with the soldier with the highest reaction score, so you get a chance to shoot before the alien behind the door.
That is until you can simply blow holes in the side with a blaster launcher and destroy interior walls with heavy plasmas.
Let susceptible soldiers who are attacked by alien psionics, drop all their weapons on the ground, so they become harmless if mind controlled. Aliens tend to go for the same few soldiers each time. Cattle prods are still okay for them though, as aliens cannot use them. Cattle prods are underrated but are still useful.
The psi-attacks will train up the targeted soldiers' bravery scores quickly as they panic for the rest of the mission. Stalling the mission can be very worthwhile. Just make sure you don't kill the last alien before they snap out of mind control, or you'll lose these hardened soldiers.
Open UFO doors with the soldier with the highest reaction score, so you get a chance to shoot before the alien behind the door.
That is until you can simply blow holes in the side with a blaster launcher and destroy interior walls with heavy plasmas.
Let susceptible soldiers who are attacked by alien psionics, drop all their weapons on the ground, so they become harmless if mind controlled. Aliens tend to go for the same few soldiers each time. Cattle prods are still okay for them though, as aliens cannot use them. Cattle prods are underrated but are still useful.
The psi-attacks will train up the targeted soldiers' bravery scores quickly as they panic for the rest of the mission. Stalling the mission can be very worthwhile. Just make sure you don't kill the last alien before they snap out of mind control, or you'll lose these hardened soldiers.
