Thoughts on OpenXcom
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- This topic has 7 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 5 years ago by
Canageek.
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sirskidParticipantJune 18, 2019 at 12:39 am #2606I suppose using it goes against the spirit of the club and should maybe be avoided for review purposes
However if anything about the original version of the game keeps you from enjoying it (technical issues, resolution) then I don’t see any harm in using OpenXcom. I think if you adjust the options you can make the game play pretty close to the original.
Evil TacoParticipantJuly 7, 2019 at 7:11 am #2616You can indeed turn off improvements in OpenXcom granularly.
There’s bug fixes, there’s UI improvements, and there’s enhancements that improve/change gameplay aspects.
For my money, if you just use bug fixes and UI improvements, you’re basically playing the same game.
I believe many of the fixes have also been introduced to the DOS original by fanmade patches over the years. So you can get a lot of the bugfixes at least, to play in actual DOS environment too! 🙂
July 21, 2019 at 9:18 pm #2670I agree with Evil Taco. The tool tips alone make OpenXcom so much more accessible for those playing a digital version with no manual to reference for what the buttons do! This made me feel much more at home in the game.
August 4, 2019 at 2:15 am #2705The mousewheel alone is reason enough to use it, given how much verticality is in the game I’d argue!
August 6, 2019 at 2:50 pm #2726I’ve tried the original DOS version, but because I’m completely new to the game, the lack of tooltips was really a big hassle. So many unmarked buttons!
I’m now playing Openxcom and I’m having a much better time. I think the game is similar enough to still be in the spirit of the club tbh. It’s not like it’s completely different, it’s just a little more convenient.
Evil TacoParticipantAugust 6, 2019 at 3:03 pm #2727I’m playing OpenXcom as well. You can really customize how much you want the original changed; you can toggle a lot of UI improvements on and I would still maintain it is very much the same game.
I will freely admit I toggled a ton of gameplay changes on, as there’s a lot of smart stuff that I feel like will make the game even better. I’ll try to try the original on the DOS machine as well this month..
CanageekParticipantAugust 10, 2019 at 3:59 am #2741I’ve played a decent amount of the original in DOSBOX and the OpenXCom version. From what I can tell, you are basically playing what X-COM would have become if they’d been told to do an HD remake two years after the original.
That said, I’m not into playing exact copies. I use filters, I use patches, I want the best game possible. I just like a lot of the ideas and concepts of older games.
Features I quite enjoy:
-Easy resolution changes.
-Can swap in music files. I use the MT-32 versions recorded on real hardware (which you could have used with the DOS version if you where very rich) or the UFO: Cydonia’s Fall soundtrack.
Links to the music you can easily swap in. Also includes versions made to sound like a ton of different sound cards. https://openxcom.org/downloads-extras/ (I wish there was a mod to randomly swap between them, as boy does the music get repetitive. Swapping between Soundblaster, Adlib, MT-32, etc would help a little).-Autosaves
-Scroll wheel usage
-It sends craft on the actual shortest route around the globe.
-Fixed a LOT of inventory issue (though I still find the limits on how much you can hold kinda silly. I’ll make a thread about this.)
-I use the explosion height mod (So explosions are round instead of flat. I’ve foozled myself with it a few times)
-SoldierName mod, which I think adds more names from more cultures to show it is a global effort.
-Celebreate Diversity Mod, that might be the one to add more names? Or might be adds more accurate national boundaries to the map and flags to the game?
-BasicArmorPediaUFO: Ads basic armour to the UFOPedia as it was missing
-Improved Handobs: Accurately shows what your troops have in their hands, rather then a generic ‘not gun’
-Extra explosions: Makes lethal explosions look different to those from small launchers.
-I’ve started using Expanded Terror Reworked as I got a bit bored of seeing the same maps all the time.
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