Alien "Pods" or packs question

#1 Posted by Lokar36 (29 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

I have been watching most of the video coverage for this one and i have it preordered and i'm ready to roll next week. Something is the footage keeps coming back to me, it looks like the aliens just sit dormant in small 2-4 man packs until discovered by the player. As a big fan of the original i can say this was not the case back then. I cant help feel that one of the most dynamic elements (all of the unseen alien movement) seems to have been dropped.

Can anyone else confirm this either way? Having the aliens only start moving around the map after discovery is a bit of a letdown.

#2 Posted by Chaser324 (3807 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

There are quite a few videos where the developers say that there are in fact enemy patrols. I saw a video of one of the "panic" missions a while ago where you could tell by the sounds during the alien activity segments that the aliens were tracking down civilians and transforming them.

Moderator

#3 Posted by Ravenlight (7013 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

@Chaser324 said:

There are quite a few videos where the developers say that there are in fact enemy patrols. I saw a video of one of the "panic" missions a while ago where you could tell by the sounds during the alien activity segments that the aliens were tracking down civilians and transforming them.

Yeah, the panic/terror missions shown seem to have the aliens taking a much, much more aggressive role.

#4 Posted by Dredlockz (311 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

Yeah, they are on patrol, and of course they are not always on cover if they don't need to be. So when they spot you they go into cover. And even after being spotted, they could retreat to a position where you can't see them, and sneak around back there.

#5 Edited by Tennmuerti (6807 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

They have also shown videos where some aliens are simply on patrol (like around a landed UFO) and might not even notice a squad that just seen them and move on. (or a patrol will join a fight at a bad time and flank your ass)

And like others have mentioned during some missions you are racing the clock as aliens are turning the human population before you even see them, you can catch them in the act, or get rushed by civilians they are turning. All this is happening according to game mechanics even if you aren't directly seeing it, aliens are actively moving and seeking out civvies you are trying to save.

So yes unseen alien movement is still very much present.

#6 Posted by Lokar36 (29 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

So after watching some more videos it looks like they only patrol in panic missions. In the latest demo they did with gamespy of an alien abduction mission. the aliens just seamed to be sitting there when they were discovered. I also noticed the alien movement segment of the battle lengthened considerable when the aliens were discovered but not visible. This makes it seam like there is no enemy movement before engagement on most missions. I know they have said the aliens patrol but I'm wondering if that is difficultly dependent or if it only occurs in panic mission types because the aliens are actively killing civilians.

#7 Edited by Tennmuerti (6807 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

@Lokar36: Like I said above they showed video with a patrol during UFO landing/crash mission.

They caught a far away glimpse of it and next turn the patrol moved back into the fog on their patrol route.

#8 Posted by Ravenlight (7013 posts) - 7 months, 14 days ago

Just pretend they're patrolling their asses off when you can't see them.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

The classic tactical turn-based combat returns in this modern re-imagining of X-COM: UFO Defense.

Comment and Save