Edge

I tried the rename method to no avail. I, too, am suffering from the corrupt savegames. It's really annoying, as I was on a roll and doing really well, and now, it looks as if I'll have to go back VERY FAR in my game and do a lot of things over again which I shouldn't have to. I do hope that the game devs are looking into this ferverently, as it's not good to have a new game out there that is unfinishable due to buggy save games. Don't tell me that "I finished the game without a problem" because it doesn't help me, nor does it help the others with the same issue I am experiencing. If you didn't have the same issue, I am honestly, truly, and sincerely happy for you. If you finished the game without issue, you are not frustrated, angry, and feeling helpless because this incredible game that has captivated your imagination and has vampirically stolen a weekend (or more) of your life is now not allowing you the satisfaction of completion and finality. I am distraught. Ok, so perhaps that's a bit strongly worded, but if you're a gamer, you know what I mean. You know the pain. I have tried many things: new drivers, saving at different points in the game, using unique save game names, saving over old games, quick-save, and sometimes combinations of all of the above. The bottom line is: late game brings save game bugs. I do hope that this is addressed quickly. I must save the earth, and I was bloody close to doing so!!!

Yes, I too hate the ambushes set up by the aliens when you arrive to their UFO's. A bit unfair, if you ask me... there's nothing you can do but fight your way through one of the walls of resistance and set up a counter-attack. In the Marines, we call that a "Hot LZ."

Or... he's like my son. Then again, my son is nine...

With the bio armor my troops have, I can sustain a rocket shot and laugh at them as I blast back a concentrated volley of well-aimed fire (if outside) or seven well-placed bursts (if indoors). This way, they never get off a second shot, and I smoke 'em before they ever even had a chance to THINK about a second rocket. Of course, if I'm crouching around a corner and surprise them in ambush, they don't even get a chance to fire off the first rocket... use that cover, and use the element of surprise!

I have to admit that I am nearly finished with the game. For those that have gotten through it (and not to spoil too much for those who haven't gotten that far yet), let's just say I have some "Retribution" to pay to the aliens. Anyway, I've found that while it's nice to have a large variety of guns, nothing has worked as well for me as Steyr-Augs on four troops with the other two using the Advanced Alien Laser Gun. Outdoors, with this combo, I can clean out anything. Also, I make sure all my guys stick together, as the aliens will come to you and not use very difficult tactics... sheer numbers vs their rockets. As for indoors, six troopers with MP7's and one with the Advanced Alien Laser Gun have been wreaking HAVOC on the aliens. I set up really nice ambushes, and crouched, the aliens nearly walk right up to us (stepping over the dead bodies of their comrades [which should have clued them in to something]) and we SMOKE them with the MP7's (that seem to SHRED right through them). The point of all this is that I haven't had to use any elaborate or intricate mixes of exotic weapons to get the job done: I've used mostly two types of rifles and one type of pistol for indoor use. Sure, this took a while to get to, as we don't get the Steyr-Augs all at one time, but you know what I mean. The only mission giving me a hassle is surviving the ambush that is my attempt at "Retribution." NOTHING seems to work there... unless I want to accept losing a handful of troops (which I don't accept). Anyone else have a winning load-out that they would like to share? What works/has worked for you?

I have personally found that while kneeling doesn't add to accuracy, it DOES make the aliens have to come around objects/corners, making it easier to set up nice warm reception parties... I mean ambushes for them where all your team members can get a bead on the alien instead of just one or two of your team being able to see them around a corner. At least that's my experience so far...

LOL... welcome to UFO: AM!!!

NOW... I have finally gotten the perimeter of the biomass more or less contained, and I am able to watch the biomass recede. As soon as the Queen's Lair is researched, I guess we'll be on our way.

SPOILERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For those of you that have gotten far enough, when the Reticulans offered to save the human race by allowing them to go to a safe place and offering immortality, has anyone said "yes?" I said, "No" only because I want to continue fighting, but also because I don't really trust them. I figured they would take advantage of our surrender and just wipe us out... but that's just me. Anyone accept their offer? If so, what happened?

...and just in time, too! I was down to less than half of my original bases, but still have enough of a foothold on earth to still be able to make a difference. I think if I would have lost another three or four bases, I would have been behind the "power curve" and would therefore have been unable to turn the tide. This game is tough, but I now feel like I am past the hump...

I am assuming that this is a game you bought online? Otherwise, I don't know of a single game retailer that won't take back product because of bad media for exchange.

I think I may be behind the power curve... nearly all of Europe, Russia, most of Asia, and all of South America are gone to biomass. I've captured many UFO's, but have never gotten biomass material. I will try again tomorrow, but if it doesn't pan out, I'm going to have to start a new game, because I'm so far behind now. At one point, I had nearly the entire world under my control. Now, I've got just over half... and it's not looking good. On the bright side, my elite team is very effective, and rarely even suffers injuries anymore. Gotta love that alien bio armor!

I definitely agree with prone. I would also add: 1. Crouched while walking. 2. Prone movement. 3. Ability to have development continue without having to re-select each time one item is complete. Good when making a "run" of items.

OK... the gatling gun is just sexy. I love the sound of it, and I love the effect it has on the aliens. SHIBBY!

After working throught the initial shock of the "shift," I've found that the game balance works its way back to what is considered acceptable as long as research continues, and enough missions are done by my own team and not delegated. The game makes you work for your victories, and really makes you think. I was worried before: now, I'm just challenged by it, and have vowed to defeat it.

Well, I thought the same until I got the bio armor, and now, it appears that the aliens attempt to psi-control my troops, but there are many more "misses." I love it when they try... because they aren't able to control us as much anymore, and they waste their time while the rest of my team continues to tear through their armor, eventually killing them.

I have fired three lousies... I don't like having them around, as I know that I will never use them.

I have to agree that the degree of difficulty has gotten so insanely harder that I, too, am wondering if I will be able to finish it. If I want an easy game, I want an easy game, dammit. I don't want to start easily only to have my ass handed to me because someone thinks that you shouldn't have an easy game all the way through. If I wanted normal or insane difficulty, I'd have signed up for it from the start. With that said, I like to play games through first on normal or easy to get a feel for the game, to learn how to best utilize my men, weapons, armor, etc, and THEN I play it on the more difficult levels. This game has done that for me: I don't have to start over and play on a more difficult level. I'm already there. OK... on to the task at hand: getting through the game after the "shift" (to harder difficulty). I, too, am finding it's more difficult to survive, and now, I look forward to bringing my guys in limping to the sick bay. I used to like bringing them back uninjured... now, they BARELY make it back. I am using heavy armor anda mix of rocket launchers/MP7's/Steyr Augs and STILL, I get my ass handed to me. On base defense, I've found that the aforementioned startegy of getting all your guys into one big room and wait for the masses is sound, and it has worked for me. Unfortunately, this is not the case in UFO's, as basically, every time you enter one, you are ambushed (and rightly so, but GOOD LORD is it tough). I've not found ANY good strategy for entering UFO's, and am waiting to read one here. I apologize for my uncharacteristic rambling, but the "shift" has got me a bit perturbed, perplexed, and pooped.

I've been putting all my bases on the INTERIOR of my re-taken territory as either research or development (depending on what I am emphasizing more at the moment) and the PERIPHERY bases (those that are on the border of the re-taken/alien controlled frontier) are all military. This has appeared to have served me well to date. My research times are sub-12 hours, and my production time on most anything is under 8 hours. Also, I can intercept any alien UFO that comes up, and can get to any hot spot within a 12 hour helo ride.

I have to admit... I started off using all alien tech until "The Shift" (you know, when the game went from being a stroll in the park to being incredibly difficult). Then, I went back to the earth-based tech. Using the Steyr Aug and the HK G11 coupled with the heavy armor (slow, but worth every inch of protection), and I am once again invincible. Sure, I miss the high-mobility of the other suits of armor, but there's a lot to be said for devestatingly accurate and effective firepower coupled with very effective armor (that looks cool, btw). Starship troopers, anyone? So far, on the mission I've tested this load-out on, it's worked extremely well (better than I expected, truth be told). I will continue to test this load-out and will report back with my results.

No-go. There is a check of sorts to ensure that the saves aren't edited at all after they are created by the game. The game gives them a version of 1.000000, and my edit changed it to version 1.000980. Oh well... would have been nice to "personalize" my game that much more; it gives me that much more reason to be careful. I hate to see friends and family members die moreso than I do anonymous people that I didn't know prior to the game's arrival.

I use function and rank. Yes, as a former Marine, rank was such a big deal... so I promote based on how I use them and perceive tham as little people in my world... and then I add their function. SSgt: If they have nothing after their rank, they are an assault trooper HM1 (ANY Navy rank is a Corpsman [medic]) Cpl-HW: Heavy Weapons Cpl-Gr: Grenadier LCpl-Sn: Sniper Cpl-Sc: Scout It's my way, and I like it.

Kill them quickly. Close the distance, use auto, use conventional (non-alien) weapons, and use support/cover fire. Use your spacebar a lot, and keep as many people firing as possible while your other fellows are closing the distance to get in that high-damage shot. I get through most base missions without a reload, even AFTER the "holy crap" pucker factor induced by the rockets/psi controllers.

I found that in the .vfs files, the names are changed for our players. I am going to test changing the names in there... as I REALLY like customizing names, NOT just callsigns. I am not reverse-engineering the game, looking in code, or anything like that. The .vfs files can be opened in notepad, and many of the variables that the game saves to keep track of your progress is in this file. Sure, you could go in there and boost stats (CHEATERS) and give yourself weapons (CHEATERS), but all I'm interested in is name changing. I think it's too bad that we couldn't do that ourselves. It seems like it would have been such an easy thing to implement.

This post containes spoilers... don't read it if you don't want to find out something that is well into the game. For those of you that have gotten there, how in the HECK do you get past the aliens with those rocket launchers?!?!?! That mission was UNUSUALLY tough, and SHOCKED me!!! I had a team of seven that WALKED through other missions as if U.S. Marines were walking through a caveman settlement, and then WHAM! Within 5 seconds, all 7 were dead, and I was sitting there scratching my head, wondering where we went wrong. I know... spread out... slower advance... draw them out into the intersecting fields of fire that we have set up laying in wait for them... yadda yadda yadda... but GOOD LORD! To go from not even getting a scratch to getting smoked in less time than it takes to chew a bite from a burrito is a SHOCKING jump! GREAT JOB, ALTAR!!! (It's too bad I didn't save in a few missions... I had to go back quite a ways in time to bring my team back... and do it right the next time!)