by strategic layer i mean the ability to pick and choose your battles instead of following a linear storyline chosen for you like in gears tactics or even silent storm technically.
i'm trying to find a new one. my current list is pretty short (ranked in order from best to worst):
>jagged alliance 2
>xcom (original game)
>xenonauts
>xcom (remake)
>battletech
>xcom 2
>wh40k: mechanicus
>wh40k: daemonhunters
there are probaby some more obscure/indie ones that im forgetting.
Tactical Nexus might what you're looking for
phoenix point is bad xcom if you just want a longer list
Silent Storm
They've started calling them XCOM-likes. Phoenix Point and Empire of Sin are some of them.
>battletech
Their strategic layer feels unimportant for the campaign, it's almost impossible to go bankrupt with the funds the story-missions throw at you. Maybe it's better in career mode.
i also forgot to mention one more:
>phantom doctrine
which is unique because it revolves around the cia/kgb during the cold war and has mkultra in it, but some of the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired.
i looked that up and it just looked like some puzzle game, unless theres another one with the same name.
i saw that but it looked really weird and spacey. one of my biggest gripes with xcom2 is that it feels all over the place, like theres no cohesive vision and its not based in any sort of familiar reality or even lore. it just seems to make things up as it goes that often make no sense.
>Empire of Sin
i tried that before, but it felt so off. i think using something like a tommygun is an ability instead of a weapon. like you dont get a gun and then use it you have a "skill" where you just pull a tommygun out with infinite ammo and shoot. its been a long time so i dont really remember, but it felt offputting.
yeah ive never even tried playing the campaign a single time. ive only ever played career mode which seems to have a nice strategic layer since the map is vast, you are free to go where ever you want and you have relations with different factions that can change. there also seems to be some economic aspect to it where border areas/warzones are more lucrative yet more dangerous than interior/peaceful zones. i think prices for parts fluctuate depending on this too.
it can get repetitive but at least you feel like you have a sense of agency and arent being told what to do constantly or guided on a path.
Redpill me on xenonauts, why haven't I heard of this game before?
its kind of old now, but its pretty much a 1:1 with xcom with shittier graphics and more grounded in reality. i think the campaign starts in 1979 or something so the soviet union still exists and everyone is using barely post-vietnam era weapons like m16a1's or fn mags. your dropship is just a chinook and your interceptors are f-16s/mig-31s. i enjoy it a lot just for this reason. it makes it feel like the x-files or something.
even though the cth seems off it at least has some form of ballistic calculation beyond just hitting an enemy i.e. bullets can miss and hit something behind an enemy, sometimes extremely far away. environments are destructible and fires that get started can spread and sometimes burn down entire wheat fields or buildings or whatever.
you can also build multiple bases around the world and theres radar coverage. in urban areas there will sometimes be cops or local soldiers or civilians, some armed. sometimes local forces will down a ufo without you having to intercept it. i dont remember if these things were in the xcom remake.
That seems interesting
I've never played an xcom game before so I'm wondering if I should get it
It's based on og X-Com as an alternative to the 2013 XCOM and its derivative-games. Most people seem to prefer NuCom over og X-Com so naturally Xenonauts is less talked about. There is also OpenXcom sharing that niche space.
For XCOMs and XCOM-likes, the best place to start is still 2013's XCOM:EU/EW. After one cycle or two, you should know enough if you want to branch out to
>OG X-com and derivatives + mods
>XCOM2 and other NuCom derivatives
>XCOM Long War mods
Is Xenonauts for someone who likes XCOM EW with Long War?
i've never played xcom with long war mod, but xenonauts does have a lot of mods for it. beyond this i noticed that a lot of the game variables are in plain text and its pretty easy to edit to your liking.
i feel like the invasion comes on way too fast in xenonauts for the funding that youre given. i enjoy a slower-paced, more mysterious invasion myself. i also find it weird to have so many female soldiers for that time period. i was able to change both to my preference by just editing a few lines of text.
it's for people who liked OG x-com and want some more
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is pretty good. Mission structure is similar to Battle tech (story missions plus other optional missions) and a pretty good resource management strategy layer.
There are some good rogue likes too (Crying Suns, and Into the Breach).
You can also go the Heroes of Might and Magic globe route (Age of Wonders, etc) which does have tactical battles but is mainly a 4x game.
You can try Omerta. It's not very good, but it's at least in a different setting.
>You can try Omerta. It's not very good, but it's at least in a different setting.
I do remember some anons recommending it over Empire of Sin
Your list is almost universally stuff involving guns and (short) ranged combat as well as mission/instanced based encounters. This is a big departure both in setting and especially visuals to those, but there is a game series made by one dude that I feel does fit the criteria.
Alvora Tactics, Voidspire Tactics and Horizon's Gate.
You can manipulate the environment in a lot of unique ways in and out of battle, work your way around some battles to avoid fights, or even set up a few things in advance to ambush/overwhelm the enemy and end the fight the moment "battle mode" starts. There are a lot of means to pick and choose and influence your fights before actually starting said fight, and the variety of items and abilities at your disposal again have environmental and tactical purposes, and not simply getting in range to an enemy and attacking. A whole branch of Classes in Horizon's Gate even give you skills and abilities that do everything and more you could do in Jagged Alliance and X-COM games.
The former two are semi-linear in that you start in a hub area which branches out. You do have a endgoal to work towards, but some flexibility in how you go about it.
The latter third is open and you can do whatever you want on the high seas. Amass a fleet, build up a huge crew of custom characters, construct settlements, join with one of several nations, be a trader or a pirate. There is a main story objective but it can be ignored entirely or completed and you can keep playing.
So i should get XCOM Enemy Unknown and play that and then move on to Xenonauts?
Twilight 2000
but it's actually ass
No, play OpenXCom and OpenXCom mods.
Battle Brothers. It’s like turn-based meth, long as you’re willing to power through the noob crushing rng. Also more of a medieval spin on things, not sure how you’d like that considering you listed exclusively modern-future settings.
you should get OpenXcom and play that then move on to xenonauts, seriously XCOM and Xenonauts are very different
>openxcom
also there are mods that give you brand new experience. xpiratez, xcomfiles, or that wh40k one.
Seconding Battle Brothers. My favorite turn based tactics game I have ever played. Controlling a mercenary company should be a much more common setting in games.
Which weapon shop is this?