Community MetaSteam | September 2020 - An Offer You Definitively Can't Refuse

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Readher

Resident Cynic
Jun 23, 2020
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Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Alpha Stage 2 has just went live. I didn't back with Alpha/Beta access since it seemed to expensive, but I'm really looking forward to the game. Kingmaker was amazing once the bugs were fixed, literally everything I was looking for in a new cRPG and what none of the other attempts (PoE, Tyranny, TToN) managed to achieve.

 

Swenhir

Spaceships!
Apr 18, 2019
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Vanilla XCOM2 falls pretty much in the same trappings of the first one after a while but I offers much more variation and the combat is much deeper (it's actually quite astonishing how much the concealement start changes the game). It's a great game nonetheless.
But WotC... WotC turns a great game into a godly one. XCOM2+WotC is easily one of the greatest games ever made.
Thank you for at least attempting to explain. I'm not sure what about WotC is so great though.
 

Stevey

Gromlintroid
Dec 8, 2018
2,781
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I have been buying Julian Gollop's games since the 80's, so for 30+ years I followed and supported his work.
After what he did, and the way he did it, and handled things, you can be sure he won't see a further dime from me.
They were insanely shitty about the whole thing, especially during that whole AMA they ran to explain the deal, where they basically downplayed and almost looked down on the people who had backed, or that pre-ordered the game directly from their website.


Well, maybe because I don't like rewarding shitty people? :thinking-face:
I must have missed all this, because I have no idea what you're talking about
 
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kio

MetaMember
Apr 19, 2019
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Thank you for at least attempting to explain. I'm not sure what about WotC is so great though.
When it comes to words, I'm not the most gifted guy but I'll give it a shot. Mind you that the last time I played was almost 2 years ago so I'm sure I'm forgetting some things.

The easiest way to describe WotC is that it's XCOM2 on steroids. It takes everything great about the base game and improves it, either by tweaking it mechanically or deepening how it affects the overall game structure on a micro and macro level. For instance, instead of hiring staff with credits you now need to perform special missions in order to save/recruit them, effectively changing the managment layer of your fighting squad, the pacing of the game and the meta progression of your base and researchs.
On top of the changes it adds a lot of things, and I do mean a LOT, to a point that the game geniunelly fells more like XCOM3 rather than XCOM2.5. Some of the highlights are the fatigue system that effectivelly punishes you if you use your super squad in every mission, forcing you to rotate your guys every mission and have a more diversified roster, new mission types and map variation and new enemie types. To even the odds there's also 3 new classes that are unlocked by progressing through the story and are tied to your relation to the new neutral factions.

The biggest change however are the Chosen. They are 3 new bosses, each with different characteristics, strenghts and weaknesses that can appear in any of your missions at random, completely changing the strategical layer of the combat and the execution of your main objective. They also change the way the story unfolds since it becomes more your fight against them and eventually against the big bad guy instead of your fight against and unseen and unknown force.

After playing WotC I believe it's impossible to go back to vanilla XCOM2, even though it still is a great game. WotC is just bigger and better.
 

ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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Thank you for at least attempting to explain. I'm not sure what about WotC is so great though.
It's complicated to explain.

WotC changed the game. It is still X-Com 2 at heart, but more like an extended directors cut.
People are calling it X-Com 2.5 for good reasons.

One thing I love about X-Com 2 are consequences. People want games with multiple endings, they want to feel like the decisions they were making had an influence on the world they were playing in. X-Com 2 is achieving this feeling. Don't get me wrong: The story will end the same. But X-Com makes you feel like everything you did counted.

It's not just as simple as taking the wrong skill or developing the wrong weapon. There is no wrong skill, not really.
Missions in X-Com 2 are merciless. Sitting in overwatch and letting enemies rush at you, like in X-Com 1 is impossible.
You have critical mission objectives and in many cases you'll be working against time limits. It's pressure in a turn based game. You have all the time you want to solve the combat puzzles, but you better do it efficient.
This forces you to plan, stay active, fight for battlefield control and most importantly: it provokes mistakes. This is a crucial part of the game that I feel many people are afraid off. Consequences only have meaning if failure is a possible, even likely outcome.
Worst thing you can do in X-Com 2 is to use one of the mods that expands round limits and save scum your way through it. It completely destroys the feeling of the game.
X-Com 2 is hard, it can even seem unfair at times and you'll loose missions, you'll misjudge situations and I soldiers will die. You will maybe even loose your first rounds (who am I kidding, you will loose).
This creates memorable moments, little stories in the game itself that feel meaningful.

WotC took this approach and build upon it. It introduced more story missions, more mission types, new classes, it made the game longer, you are literally getting hunted down by your enemies this down. It generates a certain feeling of unavoidable dread while building upon the mechanics of the main game.
It also makes the experience more personal. You are fighting the choosen and you'll learn to hate them.

X-Com 2 is awesome because you are afraid to loose.
 

Swenhir

Spaceships!
Apr 18, 2019
3,534
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Thank you both for replying in such depth!
The easiest way to describe WotC is that it's XCOM2 on steroids. It takes everything great about the base game and improves it, either by tweaking it mechanically or deepening how it affects the overall game structure on a micro and macro level. For instance, instead of hiring staff with credits you now need to perform special missions in order to save/recruit them, effectively changing the managment layer of your fighting squad, the pacing of the game and the meta progression of your base and researchs.
This sounds really awesome to begin with.
On top of the changes it adds a lot of things, and I do mean a LOT, to a point that the game geniunelly fells more like XCOM3 rather than XCOM2.5. Some of the highlights are the fatigue system that effectivelly punishes you if you use your super squad in every mission, forcing you to rotate your guys every mission and have a more diversified roster, new mission types and map variation and new enemie types. To even the odds there's also 3 new classes that are unlocked by progressing through the story and are tied to your relation to the new neutral factions.
That's also extremely cool. Indeed, I had my go-go squad in 1 and I just rolled with them till the end.
The biggest change however are the Chosen. They are 3 new bosses, each with different characteristics, strenghts and weaknesses that can appear in any of your missions at random, completely changing the strategical layer of the combat and the execution of your main objective. They also change the way the story unfolds since it becomes more your fight against them and eventually against the big bad guy instead of your fight against and unseen and unknown force.
And that is really, really nice :).

X-Com 2 is awesome because you are afraid to loose.
I'm only quoting this one out of your post because I want to acknowledge what you said, and also convey my feeling that being afraid to loose, if excessive, isn't the best feeling. If the consequences can be recovered from, I can roll with it, but usually games punish you for anything less than perfect. I hope XCOM2 gives the player room to fail without robbing them of the ending they'd like?
 
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ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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I hope XCOM2 gives the player room to fail without robbing them of the ending they'd like?
Oh of course. You need to pile mistakes to get a game over screen. Just don't expect to end every single mission with a perfect happy end.
 
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PC-tan

Low Tier Weeb
Jan 19, 2019
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California
  • and now Sony is claiming that subscription services are bad and unprofitable for true blockbuster games.
When did this happen? Proof or it didn't happen. I guess they just can't do the same thing that MS is doing AND taking a loss on their consoles at the same time.
 

ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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Swenhir

Spaceships!
Apr 18, 2019
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Oh of course. You need to pile mistakes to get a game over screen. Just don't expect to end every single mission with a perfect happy end.
Thanks. And also, your explanation was great! Thanks for taking the time.
 

Hektor

Autobahnraser
Nov 1, 2018
5,812
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Time to reinstall PUBG


You have WHAT?

Listen up young man,

you drop whatever you are doing and go play X-Com 2 or I swear I'm going make you watch anime. And I'm talking about the nasty stuff that doesn't make any kind of sense and kills brain cells like Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Warned, reported, blocked, sued, and i would suggest you not to leave the house for the rest of the year
 

Dragon1893

MetaMember
Apr 17, 2019
1,572
3,847
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[UWSL]Finished FF7R, the game has its ups and downs, especially in the first half (the sidequests are pure filler and Jessie is a horrible character), but I ended up loving it. The second half is a fantastic ride and even the sidequests were enjoyable because they seemed to have more thought put into them. They did a great job with most of the cast and the battle system is one of my favorites ever. And that ost...[/UWSL]
Man, I already miss the characters, can't wait for part 2.
Would be nice if the PC version fixed some technical issues but I doubt it.

Now I'm going to concentrate on finishing Cold Steel 3 on PC, the game is huge.

I hope I can afford Panzer Dragoon, I'm a huge fan of the series since the Saturn days and I want to support it. I don't have a Switch and I've been itching to check it out for myself.
 
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prudis

anime occult member
Sep 19, 2018
10,281
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The Kingdom of Beer and Porn
twitter.com
Talking about XCOM-likes, has anyone played this?


It showed up in my recommendations recently.
its more of a xcom-like mixed with darkest dungeon .... also the "timeline of action" mechanics makes it imo play a bit differently than standard xcom-like (with the way reaction and initiative.-modifying skills are done )
really loved what i played of it , pretty much since beta -.D
Its can be quite annoying for some people who dont like rogulike mechanics , but iitc lates patch adressed that a bit.
 
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Deleted member 113

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I keep hearing of people funding game purchases by "farming" and selling cards on Steam, but man, selling cards on Steam is sloooooooooow!

I started using Idle Master for the first time almost 3 weeks ago. So far, I was only able to get about 1300 cards (I have around... 19000 left! There are days I got 100+ cards, but on others, I barely get 30 or so. At this rate, I should be done by Christmas 2021 :grinning-face-with-smiling-eyes:).
Of those, I sold less than half (with, like, one fifth or one forth of the cards left being cards for removed games, that I can't sell). And I have almost 670 or so cards left in the marketplace, that remain unsold for 1 or 2 weeks, not even at 0,04€.
It's hard selling any cards for 0,05€ (meaning, you get 0,03€) or more. So far, I made around 40€, but that was because I got a foil card that was sold for more than 5,50€. I got a few other foil cards, but no one touches those, not even at 0,09€.

I was hoping to get enough money to buy Star Wars: Squadrons by the end of the month (which should be doable; I'm currently approaching 25€, since I recently bought Operencia with some of the funds), and then raise funds for Cyberpunk 2077. But yeah, it ends up being a bit of work, and it's hard selling cards currently on the Steam marketplace, people sure aren't buying them as they used to. Oh, and that "quick sell" option on Idle Master should be renamed "list it, and look at it staying there unsold for 2-3 weeks". :giggle:
 

QFNS

Plays too many card games
Nov 18, 2018
1,217
2,960
113
Talking about XCOM-likes, has anyone played this?


It showed up in my recommendations recently.
I haven't seen it but Giant Bomb did a quick look of it that made m put it on my wish list. So it looked promising. Though I think that QL was maybe a couple months ago so maybe it has gotten updates since then.

The system seems cool though. I don't full gethow you can feed your characters to others yet but it seems interesting
 
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gabbo

MetaMember
Dec 22, 2018
3,518
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Same, why wouldn't you?
I keep hearing of people funding game purchases by "farming" and selling cards on Steam, but man, selling cards on Steam is sloooooooooow!

I started using Idle Master for the first time almost 3 weeks ago. So far, I was only able to get about 1300 cards (I have around... 19000 left! There are days I got 100+ cards, but on others, I barely get 30 or so. At this rate, I should be done by Christmas 2021 :grinning-face-with-smiling-eyes:).
Of those, I sold less than half (with, like, one fifth or one forth of the cards left being cards for removed games, that I can't sell). And I have almost 670 or so cards left in the marketplace, that remain unsold for 1 or 2 weeks, not even at 0,04€.
It's hard selling any cards for 0,05€ (meaning, you get 0,03€) or more. So far, I made around 40€, but that was because I got a foil card that was sold for more than 5,50€. I got a few other foil cards, but no one touches those, not even at 0,09€.

I was hoping to get enough money to buy Star Wars: Squadrons by the end of the month (which should be doable; I'm currently approaching 25€, since I recently bought Operencia with some of the funds), and then raise funds for Cyberpunk 2077. But yeah, it ends up being a bit of work, and it's hard selling cards currently on the Steam marketplace, people sure aren't buying them as they used to. Oh, and that "quick sell" option on Idle Master should be renamed "list it, and look at it staying there unsold for 2-3 weeks". :giggle:
I remember the first time I used idle master - the farming was the easy part. Selling the cards is kinda soul crushing ( i ended up with like $60ish at the time).
Now I might get 10-15 as older games get or update their card drops, and I then I have to sell them for pennies. Now I just hoard steam wallet funds. No game is good enough for it!
 
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