For anyone complaining about the computer part honestly need to try it before complaining about it. Having played this I was skeptical at first but the app works so well for the game. It isn't a gimmick the game needs the app to function it honestly could not be done without using the app. You play this not the video game because you want to play a board game with people. It is the same argument of playing any board game over a video game. This is a board game and feels like a board game the app is just a component.
Also Tom's point about the alpha gamer was a huge plus as well with the time element. Anyone who doesn't like coops because someone plays the game for everyone this does not allow for that.
Played this game for the first time yesterday, just me and one other guy. We spent a lot of time understanding the nuts and bolts of the game mechanics through the tutorial game, and after a round or two, we took off from there. And we won!
my group would hate this game, made me anxious just listening to you while the timer was going. You gave me a great feel for how the game feels to play tho so thanks Tom.
Good review. I agree with the main points: the game is a lot of fun, the app works well (in fact if you tried to play this same game using a timer and decks of cards it probably wouldn't be nearly as fun, the app enhances the experience) and it does a solid job emulating the global strategic overview portion of XCom (which was actually the part of the game I liked back in the day more than the tactical missions). One thing Tom left out of the review was showing off the Science Officer's Tech cards and the other asset cards for the various roles. Not that I expected him to describe them all in detail of course but those asset cards and tech are EXTREMELY important in this game, it's probably impossible to win the game without making good use of your assets and tech and without the science officer watching for useful tech to research. Given how important that stuff is to winning the game it feels like it should be mentioned as something you need to be aware of while you play. Oh yeah, and watching Tom try to review the game while actually doing a timed phase was kind of funny, I swear he sounded a little panicked by the end. No wonder he hasn't beaten the game yet, just reviewing it was stressful! :)
Never has having my butt handed to me been so much fun. Ran another session just see if we learned anything from the first run. Nope, died, but later, so there is hope for us.
I've got no real issue with the concept of boardgames and apps integrating when it is in a unique and interesting way, but this (and pretty much every other example so far) leaves me completely cold. I agree with the points on tutorials (it could have stopped my copy of Robinson Crusoe gathering dust on the shelf for six months before we finally cracked the Z-Man instructions). This however just seems to me like an average game with an awful timed aspect. Golem Arcana seems like a miniatures game that would be way better as a full strategic computer game. Alchemists is probably the only one that seems to have found a legitimate reason for integrating an app rather than just shoeing one in as a gimmick. The game itself doesn't really grab me ( a bit too abstract and dry for my taste), but at least it achieved something with an app that only an app could have achieved. I feel an app should complement a boardgame, not dominate it. And no matter how slick and cool this one looked, it ultimately came across to me as little more than a glorified egg timer/arrow spinner combo. Those mechanisms are not improved at all by being animated and having background music in my opinion.
Well I'll just say you're entitled to your opinion and you're wrong. :) Yes, it's theoretically possible to make a similar game with an egg timer and encounter decks, but the app streamlines the whole process so much and keeps things moving along so smoothly it would simply be a much worse experience without it. Absolutely no question, this game is better because the app does all the behind the scenes grunt work for you. Saying it's just a glorified timer with music is really underestimating how much it improves the game.
9 лет назад
An app is very useful for several reasons. No fiddling with cards, charts, etc. to resolve an action. The app takes care of most of it. The app can randomize the initial board setup without having to roll dice, look at charts, or shuffle and draw randomizer cards. You can add a timed element. An app can handle hidden information that might get spoiled if a human had to take care of it. This is also good if you want to make a game that a person can play solo as well. An app can handle triggered events depending on the board state. The app can have a tutorial to teach the game as you play it. I'm probably missing more. You can have all of this and have the game still be a game that needs physical components and a board.
Doug Rosengard "Well I'll just say you're entitled to your opinion and you're wrong. :)" Well, that does seem to happen a lot if I'm honest :) I guess any timed game would have been a hard sell to me. It's a shame though because this honestly looks as though it was on it's way to being half decent without the app element in my opinion. If the naysayers are correct (which I highly doubt) and the technology will be redundant in a few years, then I'll look forward to picking this up for next to nothing and playing the inevitable app-free, non-timed variant that will come from the BGG crowd. What will probably happen is that I'll just sit back and wait for something similar that is free of the gimmicky tech, or integrates it in a way that is truely innovative and groundbreaking.
Sean Thompson "The app can randomize the initial board setup without having to roll dice, look at charts, or shuffle and draw randomizer cards." But I like that stuff!!! Why on Earth would anyone want to get rid of cards and dice? Isn't that why we are here?? Apps can connect you with your gamer friends and strangers in other continents, organising gameplay over huge distances. Apps can image your game area and work out distance between components/line of sight on the fly. The app can save a game state so that you can stop a game, clear the table to eat, and then give you a step-by-step set up procedure to return to where you left off. An app can organise and maintain hidden elements on a board and notify you when they are triggered. It can also allow the person holding the device see these elements if they have unlocked the power to do so. These are all useful propositions that enhance gameplay over current capabilities. Moreover, electronic ink can physically change your board state in a fraction of a second, instantly visible to everyone. Components can light up or make noises in response to actions. There are countless innovative and exciting ways to integrate technology into games. A timer with a sound track, or an electronic die, or a randomizer deck replacement just seem like half-baked ideas to me, and smell a little like bandwagon jumping.
I own this game, and have tried to have friend play it multiple times. The tutorial is confusing, and I do end up having to basically tell people what to do in the game.
I certainly liked the idea of a cooperative xcom board game, even more so since each player represents a crucial part of xcom. But Im also really disappointed that this game, not only requires you to have an iPhone or iPad of some kind prior to buying it in order for you to play it, but also the time factor turns me off to this game almost entirely. While I guess I can't nock it till I try it, the video game was all about TAKING YOUR TIME so that you could make the correct decisions and see if it works out. If there was any pressure, it was never from a lack of time, more specifically: doing things within a certain time frame while under pressure. The other thing that Im disappointed in is the reliance on an electronic device for a table top game. Call me old fashion if you want, but if I wanted to play a table top game, everything I need to play it should already be in the box. While I will admit that technology can add to the experience of a game (the video game is proof of that), and while it certainly does here, I can't help but feel that there could have been better ways they could have done this. Unless I get a free trial of some kind, and thoroughly enjoy it, I think I'll stick to the video game.
My concerns with the app are not so much, how do I play this game in 20 years, but does it allow for customization? I love messing with rules for my board games. If I think a rule doesn't lend itself to making the game fun in our group, we just change it. Can you still do that in a game like this?
If you guys are looking for a tactical board game that feels like old good X-COM, check out "Galaxy Defenders". It's much closer than "Level 7: Omega Protocol" IMO.
The app is the future of gaming. It's bound to happen, so there's no point complaining. I'd like to see app or messenger based games of the Love Letter / Coup weight, so if for example, you're on a train with your friends, you can all play a game together on your phones.
Completely disagree. I don't think apps are the future of board gaming. I think they are an inclusion to certain games, but in no way do I see them being in a huge amount of games. Pretty much, this style of game is about all I can see an app being really necessary. This game takes advantage of the timed element. I like timed games (like Escape), but only once in a while. If all games wanted you to use an app, just because they didn't want to print cardboard or paper, I'd be out of the hobby.
KabukiKid Interesting though, isn't it. I guess, ultimately, economics may play a part, and at some point in the future it might be more profitable/economical for a big company to produce an app (or, more likely, a web app) rather than a printed game. IOS boardgame apps are already common (although frustratingly rare on Android). Also, the incursion of apps for the running of games is happening in Ultimate and One Night Werewolf, though they are not necessary to run the game, but they will become an ever more regular feature of those sorts of games. The long term future probably has shared gaming experiences being run either virtually, with some sort of descendent of google glasses and Microsoft surface on the tables, blurring the lines between board and video games. I do agree with you though, something important will be lost by these changes. All the more reason to protect the games you own! Sleeve those cards people! You may be holding a valuable antique of the future!
KabukiKid Even if apps didn't provide value over straight up cardboard components, companies will bow to the fact that the marginal cost of providing the app to another customer is basically zero.
Matt Rodda Complete aside, but I like your go icon!
9 лет назад
This game screams expansion! I would like to see mini tactical maps that you could fight on. Maybe expand gameplay a bit on the soldier classes (like equipping new tech). It wouldn't be too hard to make the expansion a stand alone game or part of the main game. It would give the players a choice on game length and complexity.
The tutorial has been dubbed the "Kobyashi Maru" scenario by my group--the no-win scenario. We've won the game twice on Easy. Haven't tried it on Normal yet.
Beyond my issue with hybridizing board games with electronic devices in terms of the general desire to unplug, there really are some major concerns. It strikes me that when a game is dependent upon an app, it is effectively only playable as long as the company supports it. Can they guarantee that 10 or 20 years down the road that I will definitely still be able to get this app? To say nothing about other concerns, such as the desire to play board games when the power goes out (which absolutely does happen). If by chance my tablet wasn't charged, I can't play? Perhaps this last point can be seen as somewhat extreme, but a board game should be self-contained. These concerns shouldn't exist at all. But see, all of this goes to a larger point in gaming: Board games aren't meant to have the kind of longevity they once did. It's here, you play it for a couple of years (if even that long) and then move on to buy the next product. Say what you will about the game, but can you really see any of the games today having the lifespan of a Monopoly? 112 years later, who will even know what XCOM was? To say nothing of the ability to use it's app. The current bubble of board gaming is absolutely a problem. There are hundreds if not thousands of games released every year, and how few, if any, have the staying power to last a century? Now you can argue that not every game has to be about that, but I don't really care to feel like I am somehow under the thumb of the publisher because they care more about the short term than in ensuring the value of their game over the long term. I am absolutely sticking to games that don't require me to use an app. Otherwise, I might as well just give up board gaming and devote all of my time to video games once again.
I've talked about my concerns with apps and games before (immersion, compatibility, support, and control problems), but the thing I thought about right away here was: where's the potty break button? About the app itself, this looks to have great immersion, and addresses compatibility with the browser option. Support only time will tell, but the fact that control over the game is stripped away from you really galls me--I don't see any meaningful way to tweak the gameplay for house rules and custom scenarios, since everything is so dictated by the app. I just don't like the idea of playing a game that takes so much control away from me and my friends as players and owners of the product. And as I've said before, once an app is REQUIRED to play a game, you don't really own the board game, you're leasing it for as long as they support it.
Ben Vara Nah, the app.exe will still be around on the internet long after you're dead. There is always someone who saves stuff like that and the fact that it runs perfectly using WINE (windows emulator on linux) means it will ALWAYS run perfectly on WINE. I'm still playing computer games from the mid 80s on my windows box, nuff said.
I liked the idea of a cooperative XCOM board game. The fact that you need a tablet or similar kills it for me though, completely ruins what a board game experience is to me. If they make a tactical combat XCOM game without the need for an application then I'll be all over it.
I see what you mean but it's only the same exact thing mechanically, it's a whole different feeling to pull a cardboard card compared to hitting "next" on a screen. For me, using an app in the way XCOM does it means that the board game loses the elegance of having different components working together where the players are part of every step to create a unique experience. I don't mean that you need to have control over every step, but I find it fascinating to be directly part of everything that happens and where a well designed game will in a sense use the player as a cog in the machine to create a challenge. For example, in Pandemic during the infection phase, the game will tell you where to place the disease tokens and then it leaves it up to the players to see if there's an outbreak or not, and in turn if additional things will happen. Even if you can't make a decision during this part of the game you're still part of it by placing and moving tokens. That's one aspect of board games I really enjoy. You can't have the exact same experience in a computer game and I don't think you should, it's two different beasts. That's not to say you can't make a computer game into a board game (or vice versa), but you'd have to reconstruct it - like the Gears of War board game, it's still about shooting baddies in the face, but in a completely different manner. That got a bit long winded but I wanted to try to explain my point of view. I use my phone on occasion while playing board or card games to check up rules and similar, and that's enough for me. Another thing that comes to mind with the XCOM board game needing a tablet is that the iPad version of XCOM doesn't require a board. Might as well just play that instead. 😛
1/3 chance of success is same as Arkham/Eldritch horror but it feels much more random since you tend to roll less. dice. On the other hand, you do get to reroll a bunch of times. By the way, wewon the first time playing this game. But we were literally one step away from Earth getting taken over by Aliens.
I don't really mind apps in games but the thing is, I haven't seen a good game with apps. I like games with elegant and streamlined rules and those games don't need apps in the first place.
Ehh, not for me. I can see the appeal for these real time games but for me and my play style it doesn't work. I like to talk and enjoy my time too much to be that focused on the game. Besides these games are trying to create a tense and stressful atmosphere which is the opposite feeling I want when playing games. This one in particular looks brutal. I was personally hoping for it to be more "Omega Protocol" ish, with turn based fighting like the game. But hey, this seems decent for those that are into this style.
The timed phase is in the wrong stage of the game. 20 seconds to draw 2 cards and keep 1 is hardly building tension. The dice rolling phase should be the timed phase. 20 seconds to stop the aliens invading the base. It just doesn't feel like Xcom, its not a bad game it is just not very good. The app isn't an issue, it is just like having a DM or ruler keeper.
I don't understand this reaction. I can go online and play immediately or download ported or emulated versions of TONS of video games from my childhood. Why would this be any different. If it were an apple only app, MAYBE, but its available for android, downloadable executables for both windows and mac AND available in the browser. Virtualization will ensure that even if all the platforms die, you will be able to play this app freely 100 years from now. Kudos to Fantasy Flight for doing this right.
trimpy100 I liked the ShutUpandSitDown take on this: That boardgamegeek already has in its database the game's box size measured to the millimeter, somebody certainly will archive the windows installer.
As anyone who had been rendered unable to play a game they liked because the company turned off the servers knows, you are at the mercy of the company as far as continued functionality of the electronic components. Who knows when the app will break due to an upgrade of the various OSes and the company will no longer feel like providing a new version of the app. At that point the game become worthless cardboard.
Elliot Jenner The app works on linux using wine just fine for me so I wouldn't worry about it being unplayable in 20 years. If you have a laptop and linux and a copy of the EXE (which lets face it isn't going anywhere) then you're good to go.
+Elliot Jenner There's also a basic web site version that doesn't require any special hardware. For as long as they have a web site, I guess they could go out of business.
I'm okay with apps for board games, those can be really handy and help mitigate clunkyness, structure gameflow better, keep in timeframes, etc. BUT as long, as you don't NEED an app to play the game. It should be optional. If a board game has mandatory app usage, I have 3 issues with it. First - it isn't a board game anymore, by definition. It's some sort of abomination. Second - many people play board games to escape from technology overload in modern society, and this is just a sl.app in their faces. And lastly... If I need to have an app in order to play a game, why not go all the way and just make entire game an app? Why do I even need cardboard and pieces if I already have game logic programmed in my pad? It looks like programmer went "ok, I'm tired for today, don't feel like finishing this one. Let's make players move pieces and roll dices by themselves and pretend it's all cool and gimmicky and not just lazy and stupid" It looks like interesting game and all, but man.. If you are making a board game, make it a friggin BOARD GAME! Fix it. Add those damn stacks of cards if you must, or whatever. It's been used for years and it works. People can handle it, and if they don't want to that's fine, they have a cool app! But if a game has those mechanics in it, those should be in the box.
This game looks like a nightmare to me. First you need a tablet or phone to play the app. Right there I'm out. I'm playing a board game to get AWAY from technology. Otherwise I would be playing a computer game which I do every other day of the week except board game night. And only one person gets to use the tablet at a time. So everybody gets to stare at the back of a tablet as one person gets to see all the cool graphics, whizzing timers, and techno wizardry. I also hate that I need something else outside the box to play the game in the box. When you order a steak at a restaurant, they generally come with steak knives. Second, TIMERS!!! OMG I hate timers in games. Its 2015 people, why are we still using timers to create tension in games. Whats next, roll and move? The X com computer game didn't have any timers in it. It was a turn based game! How is it the computer game makes a better board game than the board game? The only game I like with a timer is RoboRalley and it only comes into effect so the last player doesn't take all damn night to pick his moves. That is a timer done right.
You first part of your reply doesn't make much sense. You don't like the concept of needing a tablet to play the game, yet you don't like that only one person gets to use it/look at it. First off, the app is not intrusive at all into the board game. It is simply a too, to propel the game along. I have played this game...never played the videogames BTW, and it was a ton of fun. Now your second complaint is very valid. If you don't like timed aspects to game I can certainly respect that. But it has nothing to do with being 2015. It is a mechanism of the game. Its like saying ''its 2015 people, why are we still using dice''. The timed part of the game is a mechanism designed to insert pressure into the game. At adds tension along with forcing each player to really have to focus on their own job at hand. It also helps remove the alpha gamer syndrome from a game that would certainly be prone to it.
ryan peddle How is it not intrusive? Its got music, a countdown clock, tons of graphics, and it literally tells you what you have to do in the game. Just having the timer in his hand made Tom speed up his whole rundown of the game. I'm pretty sure that is the definition of intrusive. It being 2015 has everything to do with the mechanic. Timers are an antiquated mechanic. Replace every timer in this game with an old school egg timer and see how cool it is. IMO timers suck and this is just a dressed up egg timer. Also your point about dice in 2015 is actually serving my argument. If you notice, a huge number of games DON'T use dice anymore. Dice ARE an outmoded concept for most games unless you are specifically introducing a random number generator. Actions, and action points have replaced dice for most strategy games, and cards have more variety and detail when introducing randomness. Pandemic, Lords of Waterdeep, Dominion, 7 Wonders, All Modern classics, none have dice. I suppose it could cut down on alpha gamer syndrome. But I can't say I have ever been concerned with it in the first place. My personal view is that the whole 'alpha gamer' problem is self created. If its your turn and somebody tells you what to do, you don't have to do it. Its YOUR turn.
bkLEGION3000 I have to say the App really adds to this game. The experience is totally different from most board games. I love the time limit and the fact that tense music is playing whilst you make snap decisions. It's a really great game and I'm sure I'll still be playing it in 10 years.
+bkLEGION3000 Have you played Castles of Burgundy, Alien Frontiers, Robinson Crusoe....wow...they all have dice. You don't like XCom...thats fine. But your reasons make no sense to me other than you don't like timers. I like timers. I like the pressure. this is the reason I like games like Space Alert and XCom. we obviously agree to disagree.
The amount of BS that you have to endure in the videogame remake, on the higher difficulty settings, is beyond anything. The game feels extremely cheap because of it. The original X-com felt a lot more fair in comparison, even if you sometimes just ended up with an unlucky dice roll, and it offered a lot more freedom in how you played, too. Glad you guys are fans of the old X-com. The new one is fun enough if you play it casually on the lower difficulty settings, but it doesn't hold a candle to the classic one.
For me, the dice completely ruined the game. Being able to lose the game in the first round due to some bad luck with the die just completely turned me off to it. Thankfully my flgs let me return it.
John Johnson I find the dice a perfect fit for xcom. How many times in the game have you had a 95% shot hit probability, it's failed and you've been wiped out next round.
I was waiting for Tom to component drop his ipad. Disapointed.
Lol
Nice review...so, the big issue is: What should be the name of ZEE's and TOM's show? hmmm...Miami Lice?
Miam-Zee Dice
Would've liked to get Zee's opinion on this one since he seems to be a fan of the cooperative genre.
For anyone complaining about the computer part honestly need to try it before complaining about it. Having played this I was skeptical at first but the app works so well for the game. It isn't a gimmick the game needs the app to function it honestly could not be done without using the app. You play this not the video game because you want to play a board game with people. It is the same argument of playing any board game over a video game. This is a board game and feels like a board game the app is just a component.
Also Tom's point about the alpha gamer was a huge plus as well with the time element. Anyone who doesn't like coops because someone plays the game for everyone this does not allow for that.
Do you think the game would be as playable with a computer than with a Pad ?
yes, I use computer when play it.
VinceYT2408 Yeah I play it on a laptop running linux and it feels pretty cool having a lappy there. You feel more important somehow :-D
Played this game for the first time yesterday, just me and one other guy. We spent a lot of time understanding the nuts and bolts of the game mechanics through the tutorial game, and after a round or two, we took off from there. And we won!
my group would hate this game, made me anxious just listening to you while the timer was going. You gave me a great feel for how the game feels to play tho so thanks Tom.
Good review. I agree with the main points: the game is a lot of fun, the app works well (in fact if you tried to play this same game using a timer and decks of cards it probably wouldn't be nearly as fun, the app enhances the experience) and it does a solid job emulating the global strategic overview portion of XCom (which was actually the part of the game I liked back in the day more than the tactical missions).
One thing Tom left out of the review was showing off the Science Officer's Tech cards and the other asset cards for the various roles. Not that I expected him to describe them all in detail of course but those asset cards and tech are EXTREMELY important in this game, it's probably impossible to win the game without making good use of your assets and tech and without the science officer watching for useful tech to research. Given how important that stuff is to winning the game it feels like it should be mentioned as something you need to be aware of while you play.
Oh yeah, and watching Tom try to review the game while actually doing a timed phase was kind of funny, I swear he sounded a little panicked by the end. No wonder he hasn't beaten the game yet, just reviewing it was stressful! :)
Never has having my butt handed to me been so much fun. Ran another session just see if we learned anything from the first run. Nope, died, but later, so there is hope for us.
I've got no real issue with the concept of boardgames and apps integrating when it is in a unique and interesting way, but this (and pretty much every other example so far) leaves me completely cold. I agree with the points on tutorials (it could have stopped my copy of Robinson Crusoe gathering dust on the shelf for six months before we finally cracked the Z-Man instructions).
This however just seems to me like an average game with an awful timed aspect.
Golem Arcana seems like a miniatures game that would be way better as a full strategic computer game.
Alchemists is probably the only one that seems to have found a legitimate reason for integrating an app rather than just shoeing one in as a gimmick. The game itself doesn't really grab me ( a bit too abstract and dry for my taste), but at least it achieved something with an app that only an app could have achieved.
I feel an app should complement a boardgame, not dominate it. And no matter how slick and cool this one looked, it ultimately came across to me as little more than a glorified egg timer/arrow spinner combo. Those mechanisms are not improved at all by being animated and having background music in my opinion.
Well I'll just say you're entitled to your opinion and you're wrong. :) Yes, it's theoretically possible to make a similar game with an egg timer and encounter decks, but the app streamlines the whole process so much and keeps things moving along so smoothly it would simply be a much worse experience without it. Absolutely no question, this game is better because the app does all the behind the scenes grunt work for you. Saying it's just a glorified timer with music is really underestimating how much it improves the game.
An app is very useful for several reasons. No fiddling with cards, charts, etc. to resolve an action. The app takes care of most of it. The app can randomize the initial board setup without having to roll dice, look at charts, or shuffle and draw randomizer cards. You can add a timed element. An app can handle hidden information that might get spoiled if a human had to take care of it. This is also good if you want to make a game that a person can play solo as well. An app can handle triggered events depending on the board state. The app can have a tutorial to teach the game as you play it. I'm probably missing more. You can have all of this and have the game still be a game that needs physical components and a board.
Doug Rosengard "Well I'll just say you're entitled to your opinion and you're wrong. :)"
Well, that does seem to happen a lot if I'm honest :)
I guess any timed game would have been a hard sell to me. It's a shame though because this honestly looks as though it was on it's way to being half decent without the app element in my opinion. If the naysayers are correct (which I highly doubt) and the technology will be redundant in a few years, then I'll look forward to picking this up for next to nothing and playing the inevitable app-free, non-timed variant that will come from the BGG crowd. What will probably happen is that I'll just sit back and wait for something similar that is free of the gimmicky tech, or integrates it in a way that is truely innovative and groundbreaking.
Sean Thompson "The app can randomize the initial board setup without having to roll dice, look at charts, or shuffle and draw randomizer cards."
But I like that stuff!!! Why on Earth would anyone want to get rid of cards and dice? Isn't that why we are here??
Apps can connect you with your gamer friends and strangers in other continents, organising gameplay over huge distances. Apps can image your game area and work out distance between components/line of sight on the fly. The app can save a game state so that you can stop a game, clear the table to eat, and then give you a step-by-step set up procedure to return to where you left off. An app can organise and maintain hidden elements on a board and notify you when they are triggered. It can also allow the person holding the device see these elements if they have unlocked the power to do so. These are all useful propositions that enhance gameplay over current capabilities.
Moreover, electronic ink can physically change your board state in a fraction of a second, instantly visible to everyone. Components can light up or make noises in response to actions. There are countless innovative and exciting ways to integrate technology into games.
A timer with a sound track, or an electronic die, or a randomizer deck replacement just seem like half-baked ideas to me, and smell a little like bandwagon jumping.
I own this game, and have tried to have friend play it multiple times. The tutorial is confusing, and I do end up having to basically tell people what to do in the game.
Ananda Gupta was the lead designer on XCom Enemy Within. Really love the new series on PC.
I certainly liked the idea of a cooperative xcom board game, even more so since each player represents a crucial part of xcom. But Im also really disappointed that this game, not only requires you to have an iPhone or iPad of some kind prior to buying it in order for you to play it, but also the time factor turns me off to this game almost entirely.
While I guess I can't nock it till I try it, the video game was all about TAKING YOUR TIME so that you could make the correct decisions and see if it works out. If there was any pressure, it was never from a lack of time, more specifically: doing things within a certain time frame while under pressure.
The other thing that Im disappointed in is the reliance on an electronic device for a table top game. Call me old fashion if you want, but if I wanted to play a table top game, everything I need to play it should already be in the box. While I will admit that technology can add to the experience of a game (the video game is proof of that), and while it certainly does here, I can't help but feel that there could have been better ways they could have done this.
Unless I get a free trial of some kind, and thoroughly enjoy it, I think I'll stick to the video game.
How does this compare to Space Alerts for anyone who has played both?
My concerns with the app are not so much, how do I play this game in 20 years, but does it allow for customization? I love messing with rules for my board games. If I think a rule doesn't lend itself to making the game fun in our group, we just change it. Can you still do that in a game like this?
We won the Tutorial the first time we played it, three players and one playing two characters.
Me to, I haven't lost a game yet, so not sure what Tom and Sam did wrong to get beaten.
Jim Ferguson For as much as Tom loves board games, his strategies are usually crazy, zany, and off the wall.
If you guys are looking for a tactical board game that feels like old good X-COM, check out "Galaxy Defenders". It's much closer than "Level 7: Omega Protocol" IMO.
The app is the future of gaming. It's bound to happen, so there's no point complaining. I'd like to see app or messenger based games of the Love Letter / Coup weight, so if for example, you're on a train with your friends, you can all play a game together on your phones.
Completely disagree. I don't think apps are the future of board gaming. I think they are an inclusion to certain games, but in no way do I see them being in a huge amount of games. Pretty much, this style of game is about all I can see an app being really necessary. This game takes advantage of the timed element. I like timed games (like Escape), but only once in a while. If all games wanted you to use an app, just because they didn't want to print cardboard or paper, I'd be out of the hobby.
KabukiKid Interesting though, isn't it. I guess, ultimately, economics may play a part, and at some point in the future it might be more profitable/economical for a big company to produce an app (or, more likely, a web app) rather than a printed game. IOS boardgame apps are already common (although frustratingly rare on Android). Also, the incursion of apps for the running of games is happening in Ultimate and One Night Werewolf, though they are not necessary to run the game, but they will become an ever more regular feature of those sorts of games. The long term future probably has shared gaming experiences being run either virtually, with some sort of descendent of google glasses and Microsoft surface on the tables, blurring the lines between board and video games. I do agree with you though, something important will be lost by these changes. All the more reason to protect the games you own! Sleeve those cards people! You may be holding a valuable antique of the future!
KabukiKid Even if apps didn't provide value over straight up cardboard components, companies will bow to the fact that the marginal cost of providing the app to another customer is basically zero.
adammarquis Yes, exactly, once you have one app, you have an 'infinite' number for no extra cost.
Matt Rodda Complete aside, but I like your go icon!
This game screams expansion! I would like to see mini tactical maps that you could fight on. Maybe expand gameplay a bit on the soldier classes (like equipping new tech). It wouldn't be too hard to make the expansion a stand alone game or part of the main game. It would give the players a choice on game length and complexity.
What is the opening music for Miami dice?
Id love to see a play through of this can you play this on a live stream
Why was there a commercial?!?
The tutorial has been dubbed the "Kobyashi Maru" scenario by my group--the no-win scenario. We've won the game twice on Easy. Haven't tried it on Normal yet.
I played the tutorial with two family members who'd never played, and we actually won.
Beyond my issue with hybridizing board games with electronic devices in terms of the general desire to unplug, there really are some major concerns. It strikes me that when a game is dependent upon an app, it is effectively only playable as long as the company supports it. Can they guarantee that 10 or 20 years down the road that I will definitely still be able to get this app? To say nothing about other concerns, such as the desire to play board games when the power goes out (which absolutely does happen). If by chance my tablet wasn't charged, I can't play? Perhaps this last point can be seen as somewhat extreme, but a board game should be self-contained. These concerns shouldn't exist at all.
But see, all of this goes to a larger point in gaming: Board games aren't meant to have the kind of longevity they once did. It's here, you play it for a couple of years (if even that long) and then move on to buy the next product. Say what you will about the game, but can you really see any of the games today having the lifespan of a Monopoly? 112 years later, who will even know what XCOM was? To say nothing of the ability to use it's app. The current bubble of board gaming is absolutely a problem. There are hundreds if not thousands of games released every year, and how few, if any, have the staying power to last a century?
Now you can argue that not every game has to be about that, but I don't really care to feel like I am somehow under the thumb of the publisher because they care more about the short term than in ensuring the value of their game over the long term. I am absolutely sticking to games that don't require me to use an app. Otherwise, I might as well just give up board gaming and devote all of my time to video games once again.
Not sure if you're still on RUclips or not. But if you are, I can say the XCOM app still works fine. Now I just need to get the board game.
I'm a huge fan of video games, and even I am a little unnerved about the idea of having to use an app to play a board game.
I own this game. The app is.. sort of a GM to keep every game fresh, and throw curve/soft balls at you when things are going too good or too bad.
I've talked about my concerns with apps and games before (immersion, compatibility, support, and control problems), but the thing I thought about right away here was: where's the potty break button?
About the app itself, this looks to have great immersion, and addresses compatibility with the browser option. Support only time will tell, but the fact that control over the game is stripped away from you really galls me--I don't see any meaningful way to tweak the gameplay for house rules and custom scenarios, since everything is so dictated by the app. I just don't like the idea of playing a game that takes so much control away from me and my friends as players and owners of the product. And as I've said before, once an app is REQUIRED to play a game, you don't really own the board game, you're leasing it for as long as they support it.
Ben Vara Nah, the app.exe will still be around on the internet long after you're dead. There is always someone who saves stuff like that and the fact that it runs perfectly using WINE (windows emulator on linux) means it will ALWAYS run perfectly on WINE. I'm still playing computer games from the mid 80s on my windows box, nuff said.
I liked the idea of a cooperative XCOM board game.
The fact that you need a tablet or similar kills it for me though, completely ruins what a board game experience is to me.
If they make a tactical combat XCOM game without the need for an application then I'll be all over it.
I see what you mean but it's only the same exact thing mechanically, it's a whole different feeling to pull a cardboard card compared to hitting "next" on a screen.
For me, using an app in the way XCOM does it means that the board game loses the elegance of having different components working together where the players are part of every step to create a unique experience.
I don't mean that you need to have control over every step, but I find it fascinating to be directly part of everything that happens and where a well designed game will in a sense use the player as a cog in the machine to create a challenge.
For example, in Pandemic during the infection phase, the game will tell you where to place the disease tokens and then it leaves it up to the players to see if there's an outbreak or not, and in turn if additional things will happen. Even if you can't make a decision during this part of the game you're still part of it by placing and moving tokens.
That's one aspect of board games I really enjoy.
You can't have the exact same experience in a computer game and I don't think you should, it's two different beasts.
That's not to say you can't make a computer game into a board game (or vice versa), but you'd have to reconstruct it - like the Gears of War board game, it's still about shooting baddies in the face, but in a completely different manner.
That got a bit long winded but I wanted to try to explain my point of view. I use my phone on occasion while playing board or card games to check up rules and similar, and that's enough for me.
Another thing that comes to mind with the XCOM board game needing a tablet is that the iPad version of XCOM doesn't require a board.
Might as well just play that instead. 😛
we played the tutorial (lost) then played 1 game on easy and won pretty easily. I hope it gets harder.
1/3 chance of success is same as Arkham/Eldritch horror but it feels much more random since you tend to roll less. dice. On the other hand, you do get to reroll a bunch of times. By the way, wewon the first time playing this game. But we were literally one step away from Earth getting taken over by Aliens.
I don't really mind apps in games but the thing is, I haven't seen a good game with apps.
I like games with elegant and streamlined rules and those games don't need apps in the first place.
WE like slapped the tutorial around. Hope we did not play it incorrectly.
loosing at the tutorial is very XCOM-ish
I can very well imagine it beeing unbeatable just to screw with the players xD
If you need a computer to play a board game, why not just play the computer game?
Cool!
And very well made video.
Ehh, not for me. I can see the appeal for these real time games but for me and my play style it doesn't work. I like to talk and enjoy my time too much to be that focused on the game. Besides these games are trying to create a tense and stressful atmosphere which is the opposite feeling I want when playing games.
This one in particular looks brutal. I was personally hoping for it to be more "Omega Protocol" ish, with turn based fighting like the game. But hey, this seems decent for those that are into this style.
no iPad included in the component drop huh ;)
Am I the only one that expected an iPad during the component drop?
Realtime combat in Xcom? I don’t think so.
The timed phase is in the wrong stage of the game. 20 seconds to draw 2 cards and keep 1 is hardly building tension. The dice rolling phase should be the timed phase. 20 seconds to stop the aliens invading the base. It just doesn't feel like Xcom, its not a bad game it is just not very good. The app isn't an issue, it is just like having a DM or ruler keeper.
Using an app and a timer element, not for me or my game group. I will stick with the old ways of playing board games.
How ya gonna play this game 20 years from now?
Exactly! I'll easily be able to find a digital port, but who will be making replacements for all the plastic & cardboard? It's too risky
***** Lol !
I don't understand this reaction. I can go online and play immediately or download ported or emulated versions of TONS of video games from my childhood. Why would this be any different. If it were an apple only app, MAYBE, but its available for android, downloadable executables for both windows and mac AND available in the browser. Virtualization will ensure that even if all the platforms die, you will be able to play this app freely 100 years from now. Kudos to Fantasy Flight for doing this right.
trimpy100 I liked the ShutUpandSitDown take on this: That boardgamegeek already has in its database the game's box size measured to the millimeter, somebody certainly will archive the windows installer.
As anyone who had been rendered unable to play a game they liked because the company turned off the servers knows, you are at the mercy of the company as far as continued functionality of the electronic components. Who knows when the app will break due to an upgrade of the various OSes and the company will no longer feel like providing a new version of the app. At that point the game become worthless cardboard.
Elliot Jenner The app works on linux using wine just fine for me so I wouldn't worry about it being unplayable in 20 years. If you have a laptop and linux and a copy of the EXE (which lets face it isn't going anywhere) then you're good to go.
+Elliot Jenner There's also a basic web site version that doesn't require any special hardware. For as long as they have a web site, I guess they could go out of business.
I'm okay with apps for board games, those can be really handy and help mitigate clunkyness, structure gameflow better, keep in timeframes, etc.
BUT as long, as you don't NEED an app to play the game. It should be optional. If a board game has mandatory app usage, I have 3 issues with it. First - it isn't a board game anymore, by definition. It's some sort of abomination. Second - many people play board games to escape from technology overload in modern society, and this is just a sl.app in their faces. And lastly... If I need to have an app in order to play a game, why not go all the way and just make entire game an app? Why do I even need cardboard and pieces if I already have game logic programmed in my pad? It looks like programmer went "ok, I'm tired for today, don't feel like finishing this one. Let's make players move pieces and roll dices by themselves and pretend it's all cool and gimmicky and not just lazy and stupid"
It looks like interesting game and all, but man.. If you are making a board game, make it a friggin BOARD GAME!
Fix it. Add those damn stacks of cards if you must, or whatever. It's been used for years and it works. People can handle it, and if they don't want to that's fine, they have a cool app! But if a game has those mechanics in it, those should be in the box.
Can it really be true....
Nice gameplay, but i would prefer it be themed with counterterrorrist against a global terrorist group with situations and stuff.
This game looks like a nightmare to me. First you need a tablet or phone to play the app. Right there I'm out. I'm playing a board game to get AWAY from technology. Otherwise I would be playing a computer game which I do every other day of the week except board game night. And only one person gets to use the tablet at a time. So everybody gets to stare at the back of a tablet as one person gets to see all the cool graphics, whizzing timers, and techno wizardry. I also hate that I need something else outside the box to play the game in the box. When you order a steak at a restaurant, they generally come with steak knives.
Second, TIMERS!!! OMG I hate timers in games. Its 2015 people, why are we still using timers to create tension in games. Whats next, roll and move? The X com computer game didn't have any timers in it. It was a turn based game! How is it the computer game makes a better board game than the board game?
The only game I like with a timer is RoboRalley and it only comes into effect so the last player doesn't take all damn night to pick his moves. That is a timer done right.
You first part of your reply doesn't make much sense. You don't like the concept of needing a tablet to play the game, yet you don't like that only one person gets to use it/look at it. First off, the app is not intrusive at all into the board game. It is simply a too, to propel the game along. I have played this game...never played the videogames BTW, and it was a ton of fun.
Now your second complaint is very valid. If you don't like timed aspects to game I can certainly respect that. But it has nothing to do with being 2015. It is a mechanism of the game. Its like saying ''its 2015 people, why are we still using dice''. The timed part of the game is a mechanism designed to insert pressure into the game. At adds tension along with forcing each player to really have to focus on their own job at hand. It also helps remove the alpha gamer syndrome from a game that would certainly be prone to it.
ryan peddle How is it not intrusive? Its got music, a countdown clock, tons of graphics, and it literally tells you what you have to do in the game. Just having the timer in his hand made Tom speed up his whole rundown of the game. I'm pretty sure that is the definition of intrusive.
It being 2015 has everything to do with the mechanic. Timers are an antiquated mechanic. Replace every timer in this game with an old school egg timer and see how cool it is. IMO timers suck and this is just a dressed up egg timer. Also your point about dice in 2015 is actually serving my argument. If you notice, a huge number of games DON'T use dice anymore. Dice ARE an outmoded concept for most games unless you are specifically introducing a random number generator. Actions, and action points have replaced dice for most strategy games, and cards have more variety and detail when introducing randomness. Pandemic, Lords of Waterdeep, Dominion, 7 Wonders, All Modern classics, none have dice.
I suppose it could cut down on alpha gamer syndrome. But I can't say I have ever been concerned with it in the first place. My personal view is that the whole 'alpha gamer' problem is self created. If its your turn and somebody tells you what to do, you don't have to do it. Its YOUR turn.
bkLEGION3000 I have to say the App really adds to this game. The experience is totally different from most board games. I love the time limit and the fact that tense music is playing whilst you make snap decisions. It's a really great game and I'm sure I'll still be playing it in 10 years.
+bkLEGION3000 Have you played Castles of Burgundy, Alien Frontiers, Robinson Crusoe....wow...they all have dice. You don't like XCom...thats fine. But your reasons make no sense to me other than you don't like timers. I like timers. I like the pressure. this is the reason I like games like Space Alert and XCom. we obviously agree to disagree.
The amount of BS that you have to endure in the videogame remake, on the higher difficulty settings, is beyond anything. The game feels extremely cheap because of it. The original X-com felt a lot more fair in comparison, even if you sometimes just ended up with an unlucky dice roll, and it offered a lot more freedom in how you played, too. Glad you guys are fans of the old X-com. The new one is fun enough if you play it casually on the lower difficulty settings, but it doesn't hold a candle to the classic one.
I bought this and was heavily dissapointed
and.....
For me, the dice completely ruined the game. Being able to lose the game in the first round due to some bad luck with the die just completely turned me off to it. Thankfully my flgs let me return it.
I agree with you, the dice rolling is so stupid in this game and really doesn't carrying the theme of Xcom
I agree but Xcom as a game is centred around RNG and deciding whether a risk is worth it or not, so it's kind thematic.
John Johnson I find the dice a perfect fit for xcom. How many times in the game have you had a 95% shot hit probability, it's failed and you've been wiped out next round.
+Will E-S About 5% of the time! ;)
This is way too fast paced for a board game.