I'm not sure if I'm playing the game wrong or what. But I just cant seem to keep any countries happy. I'm a few hours in and I've already lost three countries and the rest are in the red/yellow. Even though I've won every single batttle I've waged and hardly even lost any soldiers. I'm trying to build satellites as fast as possible, but it's slow going and not much money is available. I'm playing on Normal and while the combat is challenging and fun, the meta game with the countries is totally kicking my butt big time. Am I doing something wrong or is there another way to keep countries happy apart from satellite coverage? Do you have to constantly be building sat's and sat rooms as soon as the game starts and mostly nothing else? I hardly had enough money in the beginning to buy decent gear. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

I do really like the game, I think the combat is very tactical and fun. Not to mention the good writing. But soon I won't have enough money or countries to do anything.

Have you been accomplishing primary objectives? Completing those and doing the "story" missions they unlock always soothes tensions around the globe in my game, lowering panic levels in all countries.

Dude. I have the exact same problem right now. I've lost China and Japan and I lost Japan because a UFO was flying over their territory and I didn't have an interceptor to dispatch (mind you, this was a couple of hours in the game and I had barely any money to buy gear and excavate my base). I'm now in a mad dash to build satellites and uplinks but like you said, that takes time AND I'm in the process of upgrading my soldiers weaponry. Some input into keep countries happy would be welcomed.

@SeanFoster said:

Have you been accomplishing primary objectives? Completing those and doing the "story" missions they unlock always soothes tensions around the globe in my game, lowering panic levels in all countries.

I have done all of the story and primary objectives up to assaulting the first alien base. Which I surmise will be very difficult. So I stopped there and decided to research and build up my gear. When it became available I still only had base gear (no lasers or better armor). Is this something I should do somewhat quickly?

I'm also having the same problem!

@MosaicM80 said:

@SeanFoster said:

Have you been accomplishing primary objectives? Completing those and doing the "story" missions they unlock always soothes tensions around the globe in my game, lowering panic levels in all countries.

I have done all of the story and primary objectives up to assaulting the first alien base. Which I surmise will be very difficult. So I stopped there and decided to research and build up my gear. When it became available I still only had base gear (no lasers or better armor). Is this something I should do somewhat quickly?

I was in a similar situation going into the Assault the Alien Base mission, things were quite grim and victory in that mission turned the tide for me (for awhile anyway...) I didn't find it TOO difficult, just take your best guys and take it slooooooow. I'd only move up several spaces at a time, making sure everyone was in overwatch mode at the end of each turn.

@SeanFoster said:

@MosaicM80 said:

@SeanFoster said:

Have you been accomplishing primary objectives? Completing those and doing the "story" missions they unlock always soothes tensions around the globe in my game, lowering panic levels in all countries.

I have done all of the story and primary objectives up to assaulting the first alien base. Which I surmise will be very difficult. So I stopped there and decided to research and build up my gear. When it became available I still only had base gear (no lasers or better armor). Is this something I should do somewhat quickly?

I was in a similar situation going into the Assault the Alien Base mission, things were quite grim and victory in that mission turned the tide for me (for awhile anyway...) I didn't find it TOO difficult, just take your best guys and take it slooooooow. I'd only move up several spaces at a time, making sure everyone was in overwatch mode at the end of each turn.

Will try that. I think I may restart and play a little differently next time. Build a few more sat's if I can and try to go into the Alien Base mission sooner rather than just hold off. I don't want to go down to Easy because the combat I feel is pretty good at Normal. Heck, I might be able to handle the combat on Classic, it's just the country meta game that's bugging me. Appreciate the thoughts!

Part of it is a bit of luck with council missions, which reduces global panic, and the locations of abduction missions. But you need to get a few more (3 is a good idea) satellites up as early as possible, launching one over another country and saving the other two until either right before a council meeting or when a country goes in the orange. Don't be afraid to sell sectoid and thin man corpses post research projects to make a little extra cash. They are only used for consumables for air combat, and you don't really need them in normal. Maybe on classic or impossible.

Also, while I wouldn't suggest rushing for it, don't put off doing any story missions. Some of them also give global panic reductions.

@MosaicM80 said:

@SeanFoster said:

Have you been accomplishing primary objectives? Completing those and doing the "story" missions they unlock always soothes tensions around the globe in my game, lowering panic levels in all countries.

I have done all of the story and primary objectives up to assaulting the first alien base. Which I surmise will be very difficult. So I stopped there and decided to research and build up my gear. When it became available I still only had base gear (no lasers or better armor). Is this something I should do somewhat quickly?

It's quite possible to do the first alien base with only base equipment (I did). Though how easy it is depends on what map layout you get and what your party load out is. I managed to get that one layout that had a long corridor all the chryssalids would come down in, so two grenades brought all of them to 2 hp.

I might be wrong but I built intercepters in regions where I had none; even without satellite coverage, the panic levels dropped in the countries of those regions from 4 to 1. I'm playing on easy though. Question is..do any defence actions in the region lower the panic levels? Or at least temporaraly until you have more effective measures like SATs?

@Turambar said:

Part of it is a bit of luck with council missions, which reduces global panic, and the locations of abduction missions. But you need to get a few more (3 is a good idea) satellites up as early as possible, launching one over another country and saving the other two until either right before a council meeting or when a country goes in the orange. Don't be afraid to sell sectoid and thin man corpses post research projects to make a little extra cash. They are only used for consumables for air combat, and you don't really need them in normal. Maybe on classic or impossible.

Also, while I wouldn't suggest rushing for it, don't put off doing any story missions. Some of them also give global panic reductions.

@MosaicM80 said:

@SeanFoster said:

Have you been accomplishing primary objectives? Completing those and doing the "story" missions they unlock always soothes tensions around the globe in my game, lowering panic levels in all countries.

I have done all of the story and primary objectives up to assaulting the first alien base. Which I surmise will be very difficult. So I stopped there and decided to research and build up my gear. When it became available I still only had base gear (no lasers or better armor). Is this something I should do somewhat quickly?

It's quite possible to do the first alien base with only base equipment (I did). Though how easy it is depends on what map layout you get and what your party load out is. I managed to get that one layout that had a long corridor all the chryssalids would come down in, so two grenades brought all of them to 2 hp.

I had no idea that sectoid and thin man corpses were only used for consumables! In fact I rarely even bothered with the grey market because I was afraid of not having enough materials to build stuff. Now I clearly have to take a harder look at it! Maybe that is how I need to make more money. Oh and chryssalids can go die in a fire.

China don't care.