Let's Replay X-COM UFO Defence #03: The First Mission

The first month may be one of the slowest in terms of things going on in the world, but it's in many ways the most crucial. It's the time that you start building new facilities for your base, begin research and get your initial squad ready for combat out in the field. Your radar systems may not be detecting the aliens but trust me, they're out there; the aliens are fast at work from day one, working to spread terror, seed doubt and ultimately wrest control of Earth from humanity. We can't let that happen and with a solid foundation of good choices, we'll be starting our efforts on the best possible footing.
Even the best possible footing only goes so far however and the first mission of any play through reminds you of that. Even though it's the easiest mission you're going to have, you have to treat it with the care and respect that the alien menace is due. Carelessness costs lives even at this early stage and not just the lives of your soldiers, but perhaps the entire human race as well.
The initial videos for this let's play were recorded in one long recording session so I could maintain by uploading schedule around a family funeral. As such, any advice given cannot be acted upon until video 7.
Twitter: / kikoskia
Patreon: / kikoskia

[@RCooper555]

Barry is REALLY powerful! Especially against LIVING THINGS!

[@abok6]

I love just the fact that I can understand a joke made six years ago by a fellow nerd, I will never have the chance to meet, that is totally unrelated to a game that I'm currently watching but still funny as hell

[@rollymaster16]

if you hold control when the game tells you 'no line of fire' it will shoot regardless of line of fire

[@henrywalsh]

Kiko - Auto-shots with laser pistols always have a higher chance to hit due to the multiple shots.

[@SilencerGDA]

Since you are not using Extender accuracy, remember to kneel it give great bonus to acc. Use few soldiers to scout and then just fire aimed shots from way back.

[@iwp112Gaming]

Wow you really love xcom! (like me) and you do Crusader as well! Awesome channel... I subbed! 😀

[@K-o-R]

My favourite, if not exactly safe, tactic is to get right up in their face and triple-tap with the laser. Especially because the first hit usually kills them, and the other two shots make the soldier look vindictive.

[@joshuarobinson1689]

All those wide shots are just like how I remember

[@WuffyWolffoot]

So lucky.. a grounded UFO for the first mission? So many materials! Much research potential!

[@Arisorio]

It is pretty worrysome that the aliens always do one of their first mission DIRECTLY next to your base.

[@Arashmickey]

They totally knew Kiko was starting a new let's play.

[@englishnature7850]

For the dark missions i used to load up the auto cannon with incendiary rounds, then light up the whole map. Everything would burn and you would hear civilians dying. lol

[@gimok2k5]

I think OpenXCom added the option to rightclick on arrows so you go to the maximum or minimum setting respectively. It's something you're not told outside of their own Wiki, however.

[@bigmclargehuge7343]

So happy to see Kikoskia back to XCOM. Also glad to learn about OpenXcom. Will have to look into getting this in the future!

[@XarboyMkII]

It's generally always worth doing auto-shots if you have the turn units for it. 3 15% shots use more ammo, but they statistically have a better chance to hit than just one 25% or even a 35% shot.

[@Kikoskia]

There's upsides and downsides to every kind of shot. What snap shots have that auto shots don't is the smallest expenditure of TUs, allowing you to better relocate if you need to take cover or the target you're shooting dies. There's certainly times with auto shots and even aimed shots, though I tend not to use them too much.

[@dr_kav2k]

Another downside to auto-shots with non-laser weaponry is very high ammo usage.

[@zapcatzach]

10 Auto-Shot bursts have a higher change of hitting than 10 aimed shots. The downsides of Auto-Shots are practically non-existent when you compare the downsides of Aimed or Snap. UFO Defense is a very "Spray and Pray" oriented type of game. Snap shot is useless as it barely has a TU bonus over Auto and you only fire one, inaccurate shot (In TFTD SS is incredibly good but that's a different story). To be honest you should never be using Snap Shot in UFO Defense unless you have no other options. Aimed shot's only good utility is shooting a single, relatively accurate shot to avoid hitting squad mates in front of you.

[@zapcatzach]

Ammo consumption is not an issue as by the time you research Heavy Plasmas you'll have quite the surplus of HP Clips and it's super cheap and fast to produce your own (which you never even have to do honestly).

[@Shaewaros]

I actually like it that kiko is not always using burst fire, since it gets old really fast. I actually think OpenXCOM should decrease the accuracy of AUTO (if they haven't already) so it would be used primarily in close quarter combat.

[@jarrad2000]

I was worrying there wouldn't be another video today. Pleasant surprise

[@nikokontio3084]

That battle start was so tense to watch. Thanks Kiko.

[@user-yv2kv6rm4b]

Really happy to see you playing this game again!

[@JStankXPlays]

Kiko, I know you love to use your mouse for things but you can go into the options and assign WASD keys for geoscape rotation and battlescape panning. You can also use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out for both! Oh man, I am so excited to watch this!

[@AsterothRayet]

MVP Barry established

[@obscuracrimepodcast]

The LUCK AT THE BEGINNING😳

[@sharkforce8147]

silly kikoskia. everything exploding violently is exactly what X-com is all about =D

[@LuderSatan1]

I miss Helicopter Pig from the last lets-play.

[@Arashmickey]

I miss Helicopter Pig too, please bring him back! Wesker, Rainer, Bacatta... very excited to see the old gang lose it all over again.

[@commander9087]

I miss Fingus.

[@MrEvilKick]

No one lies about their accuracy, like Gaston! Don't be too harsh on him, he REALLY wanted to be an Xcom soldier!

[@sicor94]

Barry, the master marksman!

[@DirtyDandtheCrew]

sicor94 3 kills already! Now he'll die next episode for sure.

[@sicor94]

Worse, he will bleed out in the last turn.

[@Shape430]

Move over sub zero, we have a new MVP for this LP

[@DinnerForkTongue]

DirtyDandtheCrew *she

[@TehCubey]

So, Barry and Sub Zero are women, Angel is a man. Must be an alternate universe.

[@legion999]

No, see, it's just a different Angel. This is the vampire guy.

[@murygordyH]

Sub Zero is always a woman in X-COM!

[@ShadowWolfRising]

'Darling Violetta starts playing'.

[@TheGreenLing]

They are code names so dont depend on gender. A woman name Barry would be ludacris!

[@percher4824]

Ludicrous*

[@xXJAKMACKXx]

You playing a survival campaign in a flight sim would be hilarious

[@Kikoskia]

It would also be very short.

[@xXJAKMACKXx]

@@Kikoskia hence the hilarity 👍Have you heard of caves of qud? That'll be another short run lol

[@blackmendosa]

@@xXJAKMACKXx Don't make him deal with Golgotha, that place sucks.

[@mam162]

Wow--what are the odds of a UFO landing right next to your base on tiny little Dominican Republic? This could have ranked right up there with spawning into rock at the start of Minecraft that one time.

[@sandro5535]

Optimal team combo. The one named Gaston, great accuracy, strong, fit, handsome but no mental capacity. Next Kraden who is smart, knowledgeable and planner. Lastly named Rainer ...

[@eirianrobotto]

Fun. Love aliens

[@Masupups]

“And SO, everybody kept trying to shoot this alien, and they all kept failing!” X-COM in a nutshell

[@tokiwartooth4404]

I like the rocket tank for scouting and clearing terrain obstacles. That's also 2 squads of 5 soldiers to work with. Not too many, not too few.

[@solaufeinxarrin2178]

wish for a terror of the deep, lets replay too. Want to hear, if your trawler song has improved a little...

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Hopefully after Enemy Unknown? I didn't even know the TFtD part of OpenXCom was done yet :3

[@exhibit6802]

This could've easily gone a lot worse than it did up until now, my compliments that you didn't lose any of the 4 soldiers that were being fired at lol

[@DragDenDFO]

"so I could maintain by uploading schedule around a family funeral" Oh, my condolences, Kiko...

[@dori_khan]

Glad to see an X-COM playthrough, kind of over-explaining some stuff here though, running through the accuracy and time unites for every single shot type and telling me that a reticle is changing from red to golden is slightly over the top Looking forward to the series though

[@Kikoskia]

Not everybody has played or seen the game before and for them such explanations can be helpful.

[@Edgewalker001]

But... If it's on the ground when you find it, it's not really an UFO is it? XD

[@mishking9547]

It once knew flight and it landed, did not crash so still possible capable of flight, hence still considered a UFO ^_^

[@lokalnyork]

Neither it's Unidentified, we know what it is.

[@anders630]

I'm sure Sandstar would be very capable using psionic abilities, I surely hope he's on his way.

[@TonyBone21]

Man Kiko and I have very different load outs for the starting soldiers. I would load them up with the light flares (can't remember what they are called) and at least a couple of grenades. On non-terror missions you can light the way and blow down walls to open. The auto-cannon is pretty crap except for creating light out incendiary ammo on burning fields. To each his own though. Just so excited to be back here with Commander Kikoskia!

[@iwp112Gaming]

Kikoskia using aimed shots? What is this world coming to? (just kidding 😋) Actually glad to see you aiming and kneeling, well done! Also grenades and auto cannons with explosive ammo is very useful because you don't have to be so accurate.

[@percher4824]

Oh goodie, I was expecting horrific failure and misery. Nice to know I'm the only to have such bad luck as to miss literally every shot and die turn one.

[@michaelmccarty9569]

8:26 Heh, Kiko just gave his heaviest weapon to his weakest soldier! Overburdened at 34/21; Awesome Possum's not going anywhere.

[@iwp112Gaming]

Also if you hold ctrl you can run (go further for less time units, at the expense of stamina) and holding ctrl when firing overrides line of fire and forces the soldier to fire

[@Xzorsh1]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Damn. That's got to be some of the best worst starting turns I've ever seen in an XCom round on any I've witnessed. Four aliens right off the bat, AND yet still mowing down the first few instigators.

[@Zonra64]

You really should build an other living quarters right of the start, you will need the space as soon as possible. Always put getting a fully stacked lab as a high priority myself but almost regardless what you prioritize you will need more living space asap.

[@amiserable]

Xcom! awesone Lp Kiko - ty. wow, that has to be the worst first mission I've seen, also, you're rooks did an amazing job! great start really

[@emilysong2000]

I've noticed that you're not keeping a running tally of new X-Com recruits and X-Com fatalities in the video descriptions like you did in the previous UFO Defense LPs. Is it so that the viewers could avoid potential spoilers before watching the videos? Would adding the new recruits and fatalities to the descriptions end up making the descriptions too lengthy? Or is it a bit difficult to keep track of who joins and who dies? I'm just a bit curious...that's all.

[@dr_kav2k]

There's now the Memorial that helps keep track of it.

[@veagervictory4747]

Thank you for coming back to a game I love you playing. Odd question but are there any games you don't have but wish to have? Daniel

[@Scrubwave]

Man, I always use "need line of sight for PSI" now.

[@TheGreenLing]

I hope we see Keith return eventually!

[@kaijin2k11]

Radars in the OG were bugged and didn't stack. OpenXcom fixed it : )

[@BirdRaiserE]

Barry MVP, trailed closely by Angel. Holy cow, 3 kills already? Geez Barry, did those aliens say something about your mother?

[@blackmendosa]

Nope, just getting that vengeance for all the previous Barry clones.

[@rollymaster16]

6:30 they're building the first base :)

[@MultiVince95]

Brilliant

[@Shaewaros]

You should try using smoke grenades at the start of tactical missions to conceal your units. That way enemies don't interrupt and kill your units when they rush out from the Skyranger. I'm also rather surprised you don't want to use grenades. They really help your units stay alive since you don't need to spot enemies and risk being interrupted when you use grenades. 1 unit with rocket launcher cannot be everywhere where some explosive firepower is needed.

[@Kikoskia]

Experience has told me that a team armed with grenades is one mind control away from blowing half the team up.

[@Shaewaros]

Do enemy units in OpenXCOM have mind control capability starting from the very first missions? I haven't played it enough to know, to be honest. If so then being cautious is of course a wise choice. Are you planning on experimenting with smoke grenades or motion scanners? To me they really enrich the tactical depth of XCOM a lot. Also the motion scanner screen makes XCOM feel much like the movie Aliens with it's blinking dots, which is kinda cool. :)

[@michaelmccarty9569]

Shaewaros Only Sectoid leaders and the Ethereals have Psi ability, so there's no threat from that this early.

[@enkayeff]

Don't shy too far away from the grenade use as it is cutting out part of the experience and you are limiting some of your available options. The aliens gladly use them. If you know you're up against aliens with psi you can always drop your grenades immediately. Grenades are also a great way to let inaccurate soldiers participate in the battle and let them gain some much needed stat boosts.

[@CanisExMachina]

I really would if you would a larger weapon variety. Just to make the game more interesting.

[@yellow6100]

Still better than new xcom

[@michaelmccarty9569]

9:00 Two words: Smoke grenade.

[@BotanicalCreature]

Auto Shot = best shot

[@Alex2Buzz]

God d---it kiko they're *time* units!

[@Kikoskia]

It's all the same thing in the end.

[@Alex2Buzz]

True, however, my point stands.

[@LLmsn941]

I love how the elite troopers from xcom can't shoot a 1 m by 60 cm target at 15 m. "Elite"

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Lucas Almeida XTREM 1337

[@Ixnatifual]

Interestingly, one of my soldiers once missed a 100% shot in Firaxis’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

[@Altronza]

Still think a reversed version of this game, or a multiplayer versus, version would be awesome.

[@dr_kav2k]

You may be interested in UFO2000 then: ufo2000.sourceforge.net/ It's a Battlescape versus mode, essentially.

[@Waggendaily]

Yall need to stop backseating, this ain't Kiko's first rodeo with this game.

[@dr_kav2k]

There are some things changed in OpenXcom that Kiko is not yet familiar with. That said, gotta be respectful with any hints.

[@tokiwartooth4404]

1:50 - Space used -> [+x.x]:50 How do I turn this feature on?