X@COM (now at R9.3 + MODS + A ROOKIE'S TALE TC)

[Kyzrati]

So... we need more "faithful" X-COM remakes to fight off the ridiculous FPS thing they've decided to turn the game into... The series just gets worse and worse! X-COM may not be a pure roguelike, but it certainly shares a lot of RL characteristics, so I suppose an ASCII version is close enough to be called an "X-COM RL."

Mine is tentatively named "X@COM." Seems fitting enough...

Just started not long ago, so not much to see yet, but you can check progress on the blog.

[Skeletor]

Good! I loved X-Com games, I hope you keep this up.

[Psiweapon]

Wow! I love x-com too!

You know, I started learning english in earnest with "Ufo: Enemy Unknown" as the version I got was named (european name, right?)

If you make an x-com themed RL or a full blown RL-interface version of x-com, I'm sooo going to play it!

I guess you probably are actually *opposed* to the idea, but if at any point you consider making a tiles version...

And yes, X@COM seems a fine name for me

[7h30n]

Feels good, my senses are already sharpening! Atmosphere really feels like X-Com.
UFO:Enemy Unknown is my favourite game, I was thinking about making a similiar game after I finish my current roguelike. Psiweapon up for some tiles version?

Have you seen Xenonauts? Looks pretty good!

I won't mention 2Ks XCom because my disgust would burn the internet alive.

[Z]

A previous thread that is a bit relevant

Just posting to recommend things that I have already recommended in that thread

[Kyzrati]

Thanks for the responses--I was pretty sure there'd be some interest out there

A previous thread that is a bit relevant

Just posting to recommend things that I have already recommended in that thread

I read that post some weeks ago when I was contemplating this project, actually.

Have you seen Xenonauts? Looks pretty good!

Definitely seen Xenonauts. I happened across it a long time ago when it was just in the concept stage. Looks quite promising already!

For my own game I figured going for a real "console" feel would work pretty well with X-COM. Probably one of the biggest problems/differences I see is that unlike X-COM, walls take up an entire cell instead of fall between them. Currently that's how I'm implementing them anyway (as with any RL), and if so then "X@COM" won't really work with tiles... I'm not sure anyone would bother to play a tiled version anyway, since there's already a number of graphical alternatives out there. Might as well go for something unique. Using ASCII means I can fit the entire map in the window (no scrolling), give it a "console" feel, and games can actually play out very, very quickly...

[Psiweapon]

Quite nice console rendition of an UFO battlefield... You now only need to choose characters to represent TVs, boxes, gas pumps, and all that kind of stuff that got blown up nicely with laser rifles and autocannons.

It'll be like X-Com meets Dwarf Fortress!

I'm sold, hands down  

*produces a microphone*

Sir, sir!

Will you be using the same aliens as the classic first? I'm guessing so, since in the blog you've posted a screenshot with an avenger ship.

Will we be able to access the ufop@edia? What about governmental funding, or base design?

Will primed explosives stay put while they are in your inventory? this was extremely important for my tactics.

What about 4-tile units?

Any statements?


edit: omg I can see that hill! 

[NON]

Will primed explosives stay put while they are in your inventory? this was extremely important for my tactics.

Off-topic: I remember playing UFO2000 multiplayer using Skype. Attempting that tactic (walk around with a primed 0-turn grenade in hand), only to discover that they changed it so they blow up in your hands too. That was both hillarious and infuriating.  

On-topic: Kyzrati, I replied over at r.g.r.d.

I saw later that you have a sort of first person (or from the side?) perspective as well? Sounds awesome if you can see what is what. Do you have any screenshots of it?

[Kyzrati]

Quite nice console rendition of an UFO battlefield... You now only need to choose characters to represent TVs, boxes, gas pumps, and all that kind of stuff that got blown up nicely with laser rifles and autocannons.

Well now... that is a very debatable issue. Should I really go the ASCII icon route? If I did that, the map wouldn't really have use for letters, now would it. I don't think using letters for objects would be too much of a problem, lc for half-height objects you can see over, uc for full-height objects that block your LOS/LOF. I would definitely like to hear lots of opinions on this topic, though it's definitely too early to require a final decision.

I'm sold, hands down   

Good, I'll be charging you for a copy, then

*produces a microphone*

Sir, sir!

Will you be using the same aliens as the classic first? I'm guessing so, since in the blog you've posted a screenshot with an avenger ship.

Will we be able to access the ufop@edia? What about governmental funding, or base design?

Will primed explosives stay put while they are in your inventory? this was extremely important for my tactics.

What about 4-tile units?

Any statements?

edit: omg I can see that hill! 

Your responses:

• Same aliens--basically I'm using the first game (UFO Defense) as the base
• I plan to (as long as there is sufficient support in the long run) go all the way with this--everything including geoscape, ufop@edia (w/ASCII pics, hopefully), and all. Just thought I'd start with the battlescape since it's the most difficult part, and one that may prove the game is a bad idea
• As for primed explosives, there will be many minor modifications that will make things operate the way people expect/want them to, as necessary. The game will start as more or less vanilla X-COM, but I'll fix it up according to the general consensus on how it should be done.
• 2x2 units would definitely be in there, though I haven't actually coded them yet (I did just start, after all...)

I saw later that you have a sort of first person (or from the side?) perspective as well? Sounds awesome if you can see what is what. Do you have any screenshots of it?

It's just a simple side-view, which could look confusing at first, but I think it'll be essential for checking your LOF to different levels. That's probably just about all it's good for, really.

I did implement it already (mindlessly simple...), and I'll put up some shots soon. I suppose that'll go along with the initial weapon firing test, which is what I'll be working on next.

[Z]

OK, I think I should elaborate more about my feelings about this.

Long time ago (about 25 years), there was a game named Rebelstar. It featured a group of soldiers (about 15 soldiers accompanied by 3 battle droids) aiming to break into a fortress and destroy the computer leading an army of robots. Also featured very clean graphics. Many people like ASCII graphics because it is very easy to recognize all the relevant information, contrary to graphical games; but Rebelstar's graphics were, IMO, even better at this regard. Especially cool was the targetting system, where each icon was replaced by a circle (or another simple geometric shape) and each shot was a straight line, and the first geometric shape that the line crossed was hit. (Walls were inside tiles, not between tiles like in X-COM; but geometrically, some of them were lines that were just a few pixels wide.) I think you could also play against a human (who controlled the robots then), but I have not tried it. There was also later games Rebelstar II and Lasersquad using similar ideas.

A main problem about all of these games was that they featured only a limited number of short missions (Lasersquad had about 6, and other two had just one). Thus, you could have fun with these games only once (although maybe it would be great fun to play against a human). I wanted to play more.

The man who created these games has later created X-COM, a very well known game nowadays. Although it no longer had the main problem mentioned above (it had a long campaign consisting of many tactical missions), there were many other changes which I did not like. The main one seems to be that the gameplay was 3D now. Graphics were replaced by an isometric view (IMO extremely ugly), cool targetting mode disappeared.

Well... now I would like to play a game with the same spirit as Rebelstar, but better. X-COM did not do it, and X@COM is not planned to have that spirit either. It seems I would have to make it myself...

[Skeletor]

Are the environment elements destroyable in Laser Squad and Rebel Star like they are in the X-Coms?

Well... now I would like to play a game with the same spirit as Rebelstar, but better. X-COM did not do it, and X@COM is not planned to have that spirit either. It seems I would have to make it myself...

That would be awesome!

[Z]

Yes, some of them are destroyable in RebelStar (walls are not, but doors and some obstacles are).

[Kyzrati]

Well... now I would like to play a game with the same spirit as Rebelstar, but better. X-COM did not do it, and X@COM is not planned to have that spirit either. It seems I would have to make it myself...

It would probably be lots of fun (and not too hard to code, either!); oddly enough, though, there are quite a number of X-COM remakes, while it doesn't seem like there are any *popular* modernizations of RebelStar/LaserSquad (not that I know of, anyway). Why is that?

I remember there were some attempts (even professional ones), but, to put it harshly, they sucked.

I've never actually played RebelStar, but I do remember LaserSquad. I guess they're good for what they are: relatively simple tactical strategy games, but I like my games with a lot of depth. Not only the literal 3D kind, of course--3D gameplay definitely adds to a game's depth by giving you more options.

In X@COM, I'm trying to make something that a fair majority of potential players will like. If there's no player base, then I wouldn't bother with it, but I'm waiting 'til I put out a very simple playable version (maybe ARRP 2011?) and get some feedback before deciding what to do. Any kind of input is appreciated, though!

[siob]

this?



looks pretty awesome. apparently, he did lots of variants on the game before finally moving on to iso view.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebelstar

[Kyzrati]

You can apparently play all those original games online at http://www.lasersquad.org/index.php