🚀 go-pugleaf

Okay, I've just realised that a few messages I meant for the ng have
been sent to various people...so I've tried to rescue what I meant to
post.  Here's one:


     Subject: 
            Re: New X-COM Beta Test
       Date: 
            Tue, 29 Sep 1998 20:40:39 +0100
      From: 
            "Shaun Green (Greenish9)"
<gree...@greenshb.globalnet.co.uk>
        To: 
            Joe Schulte <ki...@earth.execpc.com>
 References: 
            1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5



One line (or two!) at the bottom:

Joe Schulte wrote:
> 
> Jakob (imma...@pacifier.com) wrote:
> 
> : This post was funny...
> 
> : >Are we talking something based on the first X-com, or the (IMO) terrible
> : >Apocalypse. Assuming we're talking about the classic, here....
> : >
> : >: *An inventory that is easier and less time consuming to use,
> : >
> : >Defaults. Don't arm guys based on what is loaded into the transport first.
> : >I want to be able to assign Bob to a skyranger and equip him with X, Y,
> : >and Z.
> 
> : You mean like in the "terrible Apocalypse"?
> 
> Yes, like in the Terrible Apocalypse. I didn't say that the game didn't
> have any redeeming features, did I?
> 
> : >Unless I change that, I *always* want him to be equipped with X, Y, and Z.
> : >
> : >: *Higher screen resolutions and SVGA graphics + maybe zoomable tactical
> : >: screen
> : >
> : >And on that, spooky environments. Hunting aliens in a farmstead was
> : >nothing special - doing it at night with spooky music, crickets, and the
> : >like was sometimes almost frightening.
> : >
> : >Meanwhile, running around a mall with neon everywhere and bright red suits
> : >was just, well, bad.
> : >
> : >: *A prone position for my poor troops!!
> : >
> : >Crawling and the like would be good, too.
> 
> : You mean like in the "terrible Apocalypse"?
> 
> See above, smart ass.
> 
> : >Maybe make them able to hide?
> : >Base their chance of detection by an alien on cover, range, lighting, etc.
> : >
> : >: *Audio Speech along the lines of "Arrrrgghh! I`m hit!!!" when a soldier
> : get
> : >: shot by a gut
> : >:  splattering Plasma gun blast! Instead of "Xavier Harrison has died from
> : >: fatal injuries"
> : >
> : >And when someone just plain dies (instead of bleeding to death), TELL ME
> : >that "Xavier Harrison has died", don't just have him drop and have him
> : >replaced by "corpse". Sometimes I'm not sure who just got bagged, and I'd
> : >like to know.
> 
> : You mean like in the "terrible Apocalypse"?
> 
> See above.
> 
> : >: *A really cool ending FMV movie!
> : >
> : >I'd happily miss out on this for a good game.
> 
> : <snip>
> 
> Nothing witty to say here?
> 
> : >Sounds good to me, but this'd take the game in whole new directions (the
> : >stratgic play, not the deathmatch kinda thing). It'd be incredibly hard
> : >for X-Com to win a game like this, IMO. The aliens wouldn't have too much
> : >trouble discovering the general location of the X-Com base. Once that
> : >happens, they can either avoid it or swamp it.
> 
> : <snip>
> 
> : >More stuff that is a good idea, but isn't really necessary. Making the
> : >terrain less blocky would be nice, but besides that, I loved how the
> : >modular terrain worked in X-Com. A lot of "the same" without becoming "the
> : >same old same old".
> : >
> : >Also, PLEASE make sure terrain features are fully destructible. There have
> : >been times when it would have been too costly to take a bunch of aliens in
> : >a barn out.
> 
> : You mean like in "terrible Apocalypse"?
> 
> : >So instead I just set the thing on fire, or started systematically taking
> : >out the walls.
> : >
> : >Making it so that a building could collapse after losing enough of its'
> : >bottom structure would be nice, too.
> 
> : Ah, and that would be similar to the gravity in "terrible Apocalypse"?
> 
> : Personally, I liked the game...
> 
> Good for you. Your point?

His point - and mine - is that Apoc. was not "terrible" - it was an
excellent, fun and well-thought out game.  All games have their
fallacies - UFOs dumb aliens (gosh, XCOM are here.  Lets walk up top
them and be shot, shall we?) for a start.

Greenish_9