Let's Replay X-COM UFO Defence #09: Another Cry for Help

Hopes for a much needed reprieve for our troops along with a quiet period to research further advances in science are a vain one in UFO Defence, for the aliens never stop. They're always sending UFOs to the planet for one reason or another, to further their own sinister and yet unknown goals. One of those UFOs each month is a terror ship whose purpose is singular and deadly, landing in a densely populated area and seeking to cause as much devastation and death as possible. The first time this happened, X-COM flew over there as quickly as possible and engaged in a long and drawn out battle with the aliens and while they were victorious, the casualties were high for both X-COM and the civilians.
This time however is going to be different. The squad is equipped with better weapons and actually have armour to defend themselves. They're more experienced than before and are using better tactics. What's more, they have the assistance of the heavy weapons platform Tanky, a stalwart and so far impervious vehicle that has killed many an alien. Each of these things individually wouldn't make much difference but together, they combine to make X-COM a far more effective fighting force, that much better at pew-pewing the aliens into oblivion.
If those tactics will negate the ruthless cunning of the aliens and bad luck remains to be seen.
Twitter: / kikoskia
Patreon: / kikoskia

[@exorphitus]

Noooooo Onnnnneee... Snipes like Gaston! Aims down sights like Gaston! In a Terror Attack no one saves lives like Gaston! Gaston : "This time I'm a much more effective soldier!" My what a guy that Gaston!

[@eirianrobotto]

So tense. The music helps with the vibe too.

[@Runarisu]

Well, that explains why Russia was unhappy with you, they had an alien base.

[@Kikoskia]

It would certainly explains things.

[@dr_kav2k]

On the plus side, reduced funding means they haven't been infiltrated - that's a "regularly established" base.

[@SinbadNaiver]

That or Clinton just decided to piss off russia about the Xcoms. XD

[@forestsnowfall]

kiko, so far this may be my favorite LP you've ever done.

[@supastar4784]

I bet that alien base personnel is all like, " It is not fair! why we have to build base here and not in Hawaii! " "Well, it could have been worse, like the last time when we built base in Antarctica! "

[@SinbadNaiver]

Иван Терентьев ouch...now that's cold....XD

[@sharkforce8147]

when moving, the numbers at each location are how many TU you will have left after you move somewhere. when the last number is 0, that usually means you can't afford to move there (although it is possible that it means you can only just afford it)... certainly, when the TU on a given tile is less than 4, you definitely cannot move onto the tile beyond that... i think it is up to 6 required if you need to turn before moving. not sure when you'll be able to act on that, but hopefully you see this and eventually get a chance to use it :P also, i believe smoke is best used for hiding inside of it. that usually allows you to see out of it (somehow) to see and attack aliens, while still giving you full protection. yes, it will give you some stun damage. but that is relatively unlikely to matter, and is certainly much less likely to matter than getting plasma straight to the face ;) of course, you need to be careful to not use up all of your available smoke/fire tiles (unless of course the open X-com mod fixed that, after 2 smoke grenades or rockets you wouldn't get any more :P )

[@dr_kav2k]

Yes, such technical limitations are fully mitigated by OpenXcom.

[@stephenjennings6594]

A suggestion for if you play this again. Switch your fighter armourment from stinger missiles and cannons to avalanche missiles. Avalanche missile have a longer range the stringer missile and have a bigger punch.

[@gimok2k5]

If I am not mistaken, it takes less TU to take something from your leg to the respective hand than it takes from taking from the belt - so putting the grenades and flares there might be a good idea in the future. Could save that one or two TU you may need to use the item in question.

[@TehCubey]

It's technically true but the difference is miniscule - getting an item out of a shoulder slot is 3 time units, legs and belt are 4. Only the backpack is significantly slower, it's for items too big to fit anywhere else.

[@timedraven117]

Press down Shift and then click to have your guy start sprinting.

[@Arashmickey]

Ah, the early phases of the war, when civilians are friendly harmless victims wearing nothing but their own skin and clothes. btw. that was a pretty good deployment out of the skyranger, and that armor is looking good, they're much less a ragtag bunch than before!

[@davidkettlewell]

You can open the door without walking through it ! Right click on the space behind it :)

[@obliviousmode575]

About time Kiko! I’ve been waiting to see more of this let’s play. I had to see the new Avengers movie while I waited for your next uploads! For making me wait here are spoilers! Ripley dies and Herbie goes bananas! Keep me waiting and more spoilers!

[@SinbadNaiver]

obliviousmode575 then who shot first in the movie? ...Oh wait...oops...wrong movie.

[@arnarholt8922]

XCOM!!! Waited what seems like forever lol.

[@deltasaves]

finally some new XCOM!!!!! 430 AM was never better

[@emilysong2000]

Nobody takes down a distant Floater like Gaston...II!

[@K-o-R]

"We're losing civilians left and right, Commander! We have to get these people out of here!"

[@TehCubey]

Bradford plz, you don't exist in this continuity.

[@gimok2k5]

I am just waiting for someone to instruct Kiko "to exercise restraint when using explosives".

[@K-o-R]

_Ze bodies, Commander._

[@sharkforce8147]

"exercise restraint when using explosives" sounds like something a person under the influence of alien mind control would say. you should probably lob some armed high explosives at them, just in case.

[@GrieverRing]

I really like this series. It would be great if there could be uploads. :D Of course, I understand if you have other plans. Thanks for this though!

[@oz_jones]

This is a revisit, so that means (usually) two episodes on Sundays

[@Ciekawostkioporanku]

Sadly - the Tank gains no EXP.

[@XH1927]

At least until you get blaster tanks X-)

[@MrBullterrier]

"We could take cover behind this heavily armoured tank, but I think this wilting shrubbery will provide more cover." X-COM has got to be the only place in the universe, where that makes sense... I'd say these people have way bigger problems than aliens.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Yahtzee wasn't kidding when he said the original X-COM was about as easy to control as a nuclear submarine. You can see the devs polished the game a lot but the ideas were hopelessly rough and overcomplicated, and the subpar UI doesn't help. Thank god for Kiko making it entertaining! Also, Kiko... you do know by the point you're at right this moment (because I dunno how much you've recorded in advance) that this Angel is male, yes?

[@Kikoskia]

I'm well aware of that, yes. The names I give to the soldiers are done so irrespective of the genders of the soldiers in question much like in my previous let's plays of this game, mainly because it's not always obvious from their original name alone. It's also simply a way to have characters from my previous let's plays as soldiers in X-COM.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Kikoskia I know, dude, just messing with you a bit :P

[@Kikoskia]

Fair enough.

[@BirdRaiserE]

Worse still, this is OpenXCOM, which means this improved UI wasn't even here when it was out.

[@iiMoriko]

woah, unexpected revisit.

[@jarrad2000]

I've played a lot of X-Com and TFTD. However, I've never really understood the reaction shot mechanics. Do the soldiers shoot automatically if there are time units left, or only if you also press the "reserve the units"? And if that's the case, is it for all units or only the ones where the reserve button was active? I've had a lot of trouble with units that have explosive weapons taking a reaction shot, missing and killing my own units instead.

[@dr_kav2k]

There's a chance of a shot during any visible enemy action. That chance is modified by reaction skill and proportion of remaining TUs: a unit that didn't move has a much higher chance than a unit that only have enough TUs left for a shot. That's why reaction fire on very first turn is so intense: aliens start with full TUs. If you want the gritty math details, see www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/Reaction_Fire

[@jarrad2000]

Thanks. More complicated than I thought. So it might be better use up all TUs of soldiers/tanks with explosive weapons, I guess

[@TehCubey]

The math isn't too complicated (it's just remaining time units multiplied by the reaction score and then you compare those), but the only thing to remember is - on the first turn aliens have full TUs so they will reaction shot a lot. On subsequent turns they usually moved so if they're out in the open, they have little TUs remaining and usually won't reaction shot. Kiko was worried for no reason in this particular example.

[@jarrad2000]

TehCubey That's true, I just didn't imagine they'd put that much effort/complexity info this topic.

[@Ixnatifual]

They take a shot as long as they have the time units for it. If they have high reactions, they are more likely to shoot before the alien does. Assuming they are in line of sight.

[@RudolfFahrenheit]

Oh, you're already calling the tank Tanky? I know you can't actually name it like you can name soldiers, but I was about to suggest Marcie.

[@thethegreenmachine]

Why didn't you shoot down the terror UFO before it landed?

[@Kikoskia]

Terror ships are exceptionally fast. I likely couldn't have reached it in time with one of my interceptors and even if I had, it wouldn't have stood much of a chance against the UFO. There will come a time when I can take on ships of that size but now isn't that time.

[@TehCubey]

Terror ships are impossible to take down until you get better fighter weapons. Kiko could try sending two interceptors armed with Avalanche missiles (which are already available, and much better than the weak Stingray + cannon combo) and hope they all hit, but what'd most likely happen is that the terror ships arrive at location before he intercepts them anyway.

[@oz_jones]

+TehCubey besides, the interceptors usually get shredded to bits by the weapons of terror ships.

[@TehCubey]

Only if you get close. Avalanche missiles and plasma beams (once Kiko gets them) outrange every alien UFO except the biggest battleships. The UFOs never get closer during interceptions, being totally fine with getting pelted with missiles outside of their range.

[@SinbadNaiver]

Kikoskia AKA before the 3 latest episodes were out then u took out 4 frickin UFOs afer that which turned out to be a fleet for a base settlement. ^^' youch.