Interface gets stuck

[Bomb Bloke]

So I've started playing the new XCOM. Thus far I've collected a great long list of bugs and dubious design decisions, but overall I'm having good fun with it.

 

I'd told myself I wasn't going to post about it or read what anyone else had to say about it until I'd finished a playthrough. However, this particular recurring bug is frustrating me no end (it just hit me when I was staring at an alien who was 1) probably the last enemy on the map 2) never encountered before and 3) about to be captured on my next turn), and if there's any possibility of a workaround, I want to know about it.

 

The problem is this: Every now and then, usually when trying to put a unit into overwatch/hunker down mode, I'll click the ok button and nothing'll happen except for a "negative"-type noise playing. After that, I can usually right click to dismiss the confirmation panel, but then, that's about all I can do... The game keeps running, animations and music keep playing, I can rotate the battlefield all I like and view tooltips, but the ONLY other button that works is the "unit info" button (which shows me an entirely blank panel with a red alien head symbol up the top if I try to open it).

 

In rare situations I can mash hotkeys to break out of this (for example, switch unit/overwatch/fire/end turn/whatever). Best I can make out it's most likely to trigger when I'm trying to perform an action that would've ended my turn (hence there's no one to switch to). I can't even bring up the game menu in order to quit - I have to end task.

 

I've dug around a bit but haven't found many other reports of the same behaviour (most people are complaining about outright crashes, of which I've only had one, maybe two). But this hits me every few missions, and as I typically only ever save at mission start, it readily wastes great chunks of playtime on every instance it occurs.

 

I suspect it might have something to do with the latest patch, on the basis that if it'd existed beforehand there probably would've been more reports.

 

So! Anyone know anything about it? Any info on how to avoid it, or - dare I hope - break out of it, would be appreciated.

[Sunflash]

I have yet to run into this one BB. But a point of note: I almost always use hotkeys for all my unit actions.

[Hobbes]

I have yet to run into this one BB. But a point of note: I almost always use hotkeys for all my unit actions.

 

I think I've seen this bug but it's rare. If you are playing Ironman or have auto-save enabled then it's a matter of reloading. And I also only use hotkeys for those actions.

[Bomb Bloke]

I've got it solved... More or less. At least, I've figured out how to trigger it on demand, which should help me avoid it.

 

It goes like this: Take a soldier without max ammo, select an action (eg overwatch) but don't confirm it. Instead, click the weapon graphic to trigger a reload.

 

You'll either move to your next unit, or the aliens will have their turn. Either way, you'll eventually end up looking at a soldier with the action confirmation screen still open but the ok button is greyed out. Trying to confirm the action does nothing. You can dismiss the panel, but when you next try to perform a non-movement action the panel won't appear again and the interface sticks.

 

At this point, you've got a few choices. Saving the game isn't one of them (you can open the menu, but clicking save gives you a "not now" message). Trying to change units probably won't work, but give it a try, it might save you. If you're lucky enough to have a non-heavy unit selected, change weapons and you're free.

 

If, on the other hand, you try to end turn that'll take you into "complete lock" territory. At that point you've got one option - quit the game.

 

So, to avoid the bug, never ever reload a weapon while an action confirmation window is open. If you do, try to change weapons (or units, if need be) as soon as possible in order to avoid a complete interface freeze.