Firaxis to revisit X-COM in Civ IV: Beyond the Sword
by Tony Carnevale 
{ Apr 12th 2007 at 1:00PM }
Firaxis' Tim McCracken recently updated the official Civilization IV site with details on a very intriguing scenario in the coming Beyond the Sword expansion. The scenario, "Afterworld," is "a tip of the hat to the Gollop brothers and the original X-COM team." "Afterworld" sounds like a squad-based, sci-fi scenario that is heavy on combat and light on everything else. "There are no leaders. No cities. No technologies. It's not the typical game of Civ. It's Afterworld."McCracken doesn't say much more, but Firaxis doing an X-COM homage is enough to make many gamers drool. More than we usually do, we mean.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Apr 12th 2007 1:15PM
*Ahem*
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
Mike Schramm @ Apr 12th 2007 1:20PM
I was on the fence about the expansion, but that pretty much sells it.
Taylor B @ Apr 12th 2007 1:25PM
I'm assuming this is due to ... IGN's top games of all time list?
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Apr 12th 2007 1:30PM
Seriously, Taylor...
WTF?
Just because you have never played X-Com doesn't mean that the guys at Firaxis have never played it. I'm pretty sure they don't give a crap about any IGN list.
Do yourself a favor, and pick up the GBA title Rebelstar: Tactical Alliance. Almost nobody said anything about this game, but it's by the creators of X-Com, and it's pretty damned good. You should also be able to find it dirt cheap.
RYAN @ Apr 12th 2007 1:35PM
"firaxis to revisit X-COM"
this statement lead to my immediate need for new boxers. Thanks a bunch guys.
Taylor B @ Apr 12th 2007 1:42PM
Randomguy,
I think you're taking my comment out of context. Regardless, look at the list, http://pc.ign.com/articles/772/772285p3.html.
Months later you see #2 paying homage to #1. Now, this could be completely unrelated. Of course, but humor me if you must. But for a game that's vintage 1994, to me it seems odd to see any recent news regarding it.
Or not, you're welcome to blow a blood vessel.
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Apr 12th 2007 1:54PM
I'm telling you that it's completely unrelated.
X-Com was a huge game back in the day, and Civ IV isn't even Firaxis' best game, critically speaking, it's Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. (A Civ game set in space.)
I don't think they just looked at IGN's list and said, "Hey, let's pay our respects to a game other people think is the best PC game of all time!"
Assuming that IGN is the catalyst for this decision would be paying a huge disrespect to the high regard that people hold this game on its own account. I didn't even know about IGN ranking it number #1, but if you asked me to name a tactical RPG on the PC X-Com is the first name off my tongue, and off the tongue of many other gamers in my age range. It was good, it was widely known, and I don't think it took IGN to make the folks at Firaxis realize that they could put in an homage to it.
As a side note, the IGN list is worthless. No Master of Orion, no Alpha Centauri, and it doesn't include the real best PC game of all time, Star Control 2.
pete @ Apr 12th 2007 1:56PM
never played, what is it rpg, rts, fps, the list goes on. and websence wont let me visit ign or any other site really to look into it my self. im thinking rts. anyone, anyone?
peace
aurorous @ Apr 12th 2007 2:11PM
X-com is the best turn based strategy game ever made. you have fighter planes that shoot down UFO's flying across the earth. then you send in a transport of soldiers to hunt the aliens and recover the UFO. As time goes on you can research and manufacture the alien tech and use their own weapons against them until finally your research leads you to their main base of operations for final showdown.
It was the peak of turn based strategy and every game afterward just missed the mark, then warcraft came out and real-time strategy became all the rage.
Croz @ Apr 12th 2007 2:18PM
I seem to recall an X-Com scenario being included in the Fantastic Worlds scenario pack for Civilization 2, along with a few other scenarios based around other Microprose franchises.
dvdguy @ Apr 12th 2007 2:35PM
Does Firaxis have rumble?
Mike @ Apr 12th 2007 2:39PM
The only reason X-COM won that on IGN was because it was the "sample entry" for the voting method. A lot of people...myself included...went and added X-COM to my list but never bothered to dig around and vote for other games, giving X-COM a massive advantage out the gate.
Not that I'm knocking X-COM. I loved the first two and still hope either of them wind up on the DS. That would make for some sweet, sweet stylus action.
Crono @ Apr 12th 2007 2:40PM
Seriously, anyone who hasn't played X-com:UFO defense (or whatever it was called in your region), go download dosbox now and visit your favorite abandonware/bittorrent site NOW.
Sit down and spend about 3 days figuring out how to play. Then you will know that everything you ever thought was a great turn based strategy game was absolute garbage and you've stumbled upon the holy grail of the genre.
DO IT NOW!
CowboyGA @ Apr 12th 2007 2:54PM
As much as I loved X-Com back in the day, Jagged Alliance was better. Exact same gameplay, exact same style, but better controls. The downside - No rockets you can control as they go.
Are there any relatively new turn-based, 3/4 view, tactical strategy games? That entire genre disappeared when I blinked. Sad.
Josh @ Apr 12th 2007 2:57PM
If you want to play this on windows, go here.
http://www.abandonia.com/games/38/download/UFOEnemyUnknown.htm
Just sayin. I don't think its piracy.. is it?
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Apr 12th 2007 3:08PM
CowboyGA:
As I said in an earlier post, Rebelstar: Tactical Alliance is in the same vein as X-Com, and actually was created by some of the X-Com team.
http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/927210.asp
HaloBreaker @ Apr 12th 2007 3:13PM
Silent Storm and games based off it's engine are about the only thing close to a good Tactical TBS that you're going to get. The game goes from WWII to a WWII scifi setting, it bothered most the people looking for a WWII game but for gamers like us just added a twist. Only problem is sometimes the AI will take WAY TOO LONG on it's turn, I've had it never return to me a few times. The comments that your team and the enemies make get repetitive after the first fight.
But overall it's a good play through and on a modern system you can run the detail up very high giving the game some awesome special effects. Especially since the environment is 100% destructible. I set up a couple bomb traps in a house I knew enemies were in, but couldn't get to with out being killed, launched a rocket into the side of the house and blew about 75% of the building away. The chain reaction took out some key points in the house crumbling it instantly, killing anybody in those areas. Pretty cool stuff.
CowboyGA @ Apr 12th 2007 3:36PM
Thanks, guys.
And if any of you care, the Wiki for Jagged Alliance states that Strategy First will be developing Jagged Alliance 3 (again). If they actually follow through, it should mean that the genre will get another boost in 2008.
Crono @ Apr 12th 2007 3:51PM
100% destructable environments is what made X-COM tactical sequences what they were.
I just had a thought about Lucasarts new engine for Force Unleashed (i think). They make everything in that game out of materials that have unique material properties (mass, density, elasticity). A remake of X-COM using this engine would be the total shiznite!
Thanks for the abandonware windows like, BTW. I looked all over for it a few months ago, but with no luck.
VendettaUF @ Apr 12th 2007 5:41PM
If you guys like X-COM, I highly suggest you all check out the UFO: Aftermath, UFO: Aftershock, UFO: Afterlight games published by Cenega. UFO: Afterlight just came out and really kicks ass. Spiritual successors to the X-Com games IMHO.
The production values weren't that great in Aftermath but they have gotten progressively better until now in Afterlight they are really nice.
Rubang B @ Apr 12th 2007 5:13PM
Download this game. Play this game. Shoot down a UFO over a city. Go into the city. Wait until the aliens are in the gas station. Shoot a rocket at the gas pumps. Use psi-ops to develop mind control. Control the aliens. Make the aliens shoot rockets at the gas pumps. Watch out for the aliens that can turn you into zombies. If you have a guy on your ship named Wolfgang, give him the best weapons and armor. Wolfgangs are good luck. This is the best game ever. This is the Citizen Kane of turn-based strategy. I would trade all the Fire Emblems and Famicom Wars in the world for a new X-Com.
X-Com was going to be a huge franchise. Hasbro bought MicroProse, ordered them to make an RTS and an FPS at the same time, and wanted to start making action figures. Then they suddenly changed their mind, and fired the whole team. We must destroy Hasbro. MOVE OUT!
rodan32 @ Apr 12th 2007 6:36PM
Blaster Bombs ftw! I also have an inordinate fondness for incendiary weapons.
Rubang B @ Apr 12th 2007 7:30PM
I've got 3 words for you: HOVER PLASMA TANK.
@15, Josh, thanks for linking to that abandonware site. The last time I beat this game must've been in the LAST MILLENNIUM. I immediately downloaded the game, unzipped it, started it up, opened a base, and sped up the timer until the first UFO appeared. It landed right by my base! This 13 year old taste of perfection is why I was late to work today.