Xcom by any other name...

[Confidingtripod]

O.k I'll start by saying that I was disgusted by the Xcom(ugh) trailer as an FPS but I've been thinking about other game's Halo wars for example and noticed that these games are just whoring the title, so before you say "Yes, thats what were annoyed about" think about whether or not you would actually look foreward to the game had it been called "fighting black blobs in suburbia" or something, I actually looks like an... interesting, if nothing else, game which if you ignore the blatent abuse of a classic's name would actally have been recieved better.

In contrast, look at the bioshock infinite trailer, they continued with the same style but technically bears a totally new idea, based on the same core principle, but if they had NOT called it bioshock we would have complained about it being too similar...

I just feel that maybe if we could get them to rename the new Xcom it would simply be a tribute rather than an insult.

The bioshock bit was more to hammer home the point of what a different name can do.

 

[Woodsey]

As I've said before, using the name XCOM is pointless.

It either means nothing to some (like myself) because its too old, or it means everything to others who are expecting something entirely different from a game with XCOM in the title.

 

[Daedalus1942]

O.k I'll start by saying that I was disgusted by the Xcom(ugh) trailer as an FPS but I've been thinking about other game's Halo wars for example and noticed that these games are just whoring the title, so before you say "Yes, thats what were annoyed about" think about whether or not you would actually look foreward to the game had it been called "fighting black blobs in suburbia" or something, I actually looks like an... interesting, if nothing else, game which if you ignore the blatent abuse of a classic's name would actally have been recieved better.

In contrast, look at the bioshock infinite trailer, they continued with the same style but technically bears a totally new idea, based on the same core principle, but if they had NOT called it bioshock we would have complained about it being too similar...

I just feel that maybe if we could get them to rename the new Xcom it would simply be a tribute rather than an insult.

The bioshock bit was more to hammer home the point of what a different name can do.

Well, actually, aside from the name, and the ink blobs, it's in the exact same setting and in all honesty looks like it could be quite a decent little fps title.
-Tabs<3-

 

[Hiphophippo]

I could care less what it's called, looks like a pretty cool game.

 

[Veylon]

Could well be a good FPS, didn't look too bad anyway. However, I'm a fan of the X-COM series and this is entirely unlike X-COM. What's this fifties nonsense? And where are my disposable footsoldiers? It's as far away from the core concept as a Haloville where you tend power generators or the Medal of Honor dating sim.

The big point, or one of the big points, of the original series is that much happened at the choice of the player. Whether to shoot down an enemy ship and collect the wreckage or follow it and hope to take it intact. Which countries to defend, which missions to take or ignore, which ships to challenge and which to avoid. Which weapons to research and use and which to neglect. The player was expected to make important decisions regarding strategy and not simply handed out a laundry list of stuff to do on each map.

Take that Elerium they've been touting. In the original games, getting your hands on Elerium was a constant challenge. It was needed for the best weapons and equipment. The late-model ships burned the stuff. And yet, it could only be acquired by raiding UFOs and Alien Bases. You had to skip missions or take them on with lesser gear or else risk running out. Ditto with top-level equipment; every piece had to be manufactured at considerable cost (Elerium!) or pried from the cold dead hands of alien warriors.

Those are the sorts of things that defined X-COM. I don't see the new game handing over to players the agonizing choices regarding scarce supplies or trying to decide whether to use a precious Blaster Bomb to blow through an alien bulkhead or sacrifice somebody to go through the door. And on the subject of Blaster Bombs: the old games had fully destructible terrain. You could set buildings on fire and break down walls and doors with rockets and grenades. Can we hope to incinerate aliens with exploding gas stations in this game?

 

[King of the Sandbox]

Could well be a good FPS, didn't look too bad anyway. However, I'm a fan of the X-COM series and this is entirely unlike X-COM. What's this fifties nonsense? And where are my disposable footsoldiers? It's as far away from the core concept as a Haloville where you tend power generators or the Medal of Honor dating sim.

The big point, or one of the big points, of the original series is that much happened at the choice of the player. Whether to shoot down an enemy ship and collect the wreckage or follow it and hope to take it intact. Which countries to defend, which missions to take or ignore, which ships to challenge and which to avoid. Which weapons to research and use and which to neglect. The player was expected to make important decisions regarding strategy and not simply handed out a laundry list of stuff to do on each map.

Take that Elerium they've been touting. In the original games, getting your hands on Elerium was a constant challenge. It was needed for the best weapons and equipment. The late-model ships burned the stuff. And yet, it could only be acquired by raiding UFOs and Alien Bases. You had to skip missions or take them on with lesser gear or else risk running out. Ditto with top-level equipment; every piece had to be manufactured at considerable cost (Elerium!) or pried from the cold dead hands of alien warriors.

Those are the sorts of things that defined X-COM. I don't see the new game handing over to players the agonizing choices regarding scarce supplies or trying to decide whether to use a precious Blaster Bomb to blow through an alien bulkhead or sacrifice somebody to go through the door. And on the subject of Blaster Bombs: the old games had fully destructible terrain. You could set buildings on fire and break down walls and doors with rockets and grenades. Can we hope to incinerate aliens with exploding gas stations in this game?

This.

Also, being able to train, name and assign my own teams was a big part of the immersion for me. I mean, show me anyone who's ever played XCOM and I'll show you someone who's named their team members after their friends.

Hell, I once had a whole squad made up of the starting line-up for the 1982 Chicago Bears.