Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Unofficial Tabletop X-Com Game Given Away

Posted by simoniker on from the crt-therapy dept.

eebe writes "It's a common complaint that modern games are never as good as the games we all played when we were younger. Sequels never seem to do the original justice, and remakes never get finished. What Paul and myself have done is take one of the best games of all time, X-Com: Enemy Unknown (UFO Defense for the Americans) and turned it into an unofficial, freely downloadable / printable tabletop war game, 'X-Com: Tactical'. What better way to spend an evening sending your Chrysalids against your friend whose troops are only just walking out of the Skyranger?"

36 comments

  1. A remake or a squeal... by djsmiley · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I can't decide which this is....

    Crappy remake??

    Crappy Sequel??

    HELP! Im surrounded by crap games of the 21century, please send me back to the land before Xbox! ^_~

    --
    - http://www.milkme.co.uk
    1. Re:A remake or a squeal... by UltimaL337Star · · Score: 3, Insightful

      X-com came from a land very much long before the xbox

    2. Re:A remake or a squeal... by qball36 · · Score: 1

      Have you played it yet? If not - how can you call it crappy? If you have played it, send us suggestions on how to improve it, so it won't be crappy anymore. -Paul "Ask yourself: if the clowns attacked us in force tomorrow, would you be ready?"

    3. Re:A remake or a squeal... by ACPosterChild · · Score: 1

      WHAT???

      XCom was one of the best damn games ever!

      Aliens, weapons research, individual team members that improve and you get to know, global defense, taking the fight back to the alien home world.

      I need to find my floppy backups and see if I can get it running again... :)

  2. formula by Sparr0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    1) Make cool game
    2) post story on /. with link to site
    3) put micropayment donation links on site
    4) Prof^H^H^H^H^H wonder why the payment counter stays at 0

    1. Re:formula by kubrick · · Score: 1

      5) Get sued
      6) Prof... er... Loss

      --
      deus does not exist but if he does
  3. Interesting notion... by N473 · · Score: 0

    ...taking a video game and converting it into a board(??) game. I have seen many go the other way, but correct me if I am wrong, I am not aware of any previous video games gone board games.

    1. Re:Interesting notion... by Vaevictis666 · · Score: 4, Informative

      There's quite a few actually. Warcraft3, Civ, Age of Empires to name a few. Ask around at your local comic book / game shop, I'm sure there's others.

    2. Re:Interesting notion... by Nasarius · · Score: 4, Informative

      Doom, Diablo 2 (included with the Collector's Edition), and Civilization, just offhand.

      --
      LOAD "SIG",8,1
    3. Re:Interesting notion... by Torgo's+Pizza · · Score: 2, Informative

      Which is interesting in that Age of Empires is loosely (very loosely) based on Civilization, which in turn was based on a board game called "Civilization". So it really has gone from board game, to computer game, back to board game. I know this from working on Age of Empires and with Bruce Shelley myself.

    4. Re:Interesting notion... by der_joachim · · Score: 1

      IIRC, the computer game Civilization was based on the board game. Please correct me if I am wrong.

      --
      Geek runner, motorcyclist and professional know-it-all
    5. Re:Interesting notion... by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      yeah... uh, how about
      Pac-Man!!!
      wow.... that's just freakin cool

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    6. Re:Interesting notion... by Necromancyr · · Score: 1

      Civilization was a boardgame first (not exactly like the video game). Then S.M. made the game based on it, then they made the next board game. Convoluted, no?

    7. Re:Interesting notion... by wikthemighty · · Score: 1


      ...and eventually got remade into another board game, "Sid Meier's Civilization" ...

      --
      "There are people who do not love their fellow human being, and I _hate_ people like that!" - Tom Lehrer
    8. Re:Interesting notion... by xC0000005 · · Score: 1

      There was also a computer game of the ORIGINAL civ - incunabula, complete with trade cards and everything. I used to play it on my 286. Like the much better Civ, it had a fatal flaw though related to ships. Once you knew that bug, the game was considerably less fun to play.

      --
      www.voiceofthehive.com - Beekeeping and Honeybees for those who don't.
  4. Does disclaimer permit infringement? by cybermancer · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The X-Com concept, trademark and copyright belongs to Infogrames Interactive. We do not intend to infringe on any IP owned by Infogrames. This game is fan work and was designed for fun not money.
    Interesting notion since it appears that the game is made up of graphics, concepts and characters from the game how they don't intend to infringe any IP owned by Infogrames. Curious if they even bothered contacting anyone for permission or if they are operating on the better to beg forgiveness then seek permission premise.

    I see this a lot, where someone obviously creates a derivitive work, but then puts a little disclaimer on it and hopes for the best. Now IANAL, but someone could create something like this for personal use without muich worry, but it would seem that distributing it online, with a contributions link, would be crossing the fair-use line.

    Whatever the outcome it looks like a lot of effort was put into this, and it may actually be fun to play. I wish them the best, and hope they don't need a legal defense.

    --
    "Anything is possible with enough programmers, time and pizza." (Substitute caffeine for time as needed.)
    1. Re:Does disclaimer permit infringement? by reinard · · Score: 2, Interesting

      While you're probably right, the game is so old, that I highly doubt there is any financial loss for Microprose caused by this activity - quite to the contrary this may actually re-generate some interest in the game and cause some sales.

      So while you're right, they may be betting on Microprose realizing they only have to gain from it.

      --
      Reinard
    2. Re:Does disclaimer permit infringement? by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      Can you still buy it from Infrogrames(Atari). They didn't even have the much later Magic games last time I checked their list of software. I have all three tactical games, and love them (X-Com and Covert Action were my first computer games-before I owned a computer). And they are still two of my favorites.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    3. Re:Does disclaimer permit infringement? by August_zero · · Score: 1

      For sure, I think i will be grabbing it before the lawyers hit the place, though I am not sure I will ever be able to convince anyone to play the game with me.

      What the world really needs, is for that x-com mod for silent storm to make its way into the world....

      --
      On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
    4. Re:Does disclaimer permit infringement? by eebe · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I grant you that some of the images come from the game. Most of these are also freely available on websites around the world.

      Maps were entirely created by hand by Paul. You can't just cut and paste an isometric image into a topdown view.

      Legalwise it wasn't really an issue. We just wanted to play the game. If Infogrames has a problem then we will deal with that then, but I really don't think a game that they no longer sell would cause them to much grief.

      --
      - Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are now master of your own fate.
    5. Re:Does disclaimer permit infringement? by qball36 · · Score: 1

      Actually, everything that goes on the table (ie, isn't the manual or the website) was drawn by us.

      Really, if they ask us, the website and manual can be tweaked in 5 mins and we'd be happy to comply. Considering how difficult it was to even find out who owns the current copyright to the game...

      -Paul

    6. Re:Does disclaimer permit infringement? by qball36 · · Score: 1

      Check that - record sheets and counters use images -based- on graphics from the game. We didn't use ones I did by hand for logistical reasons. :)

      -Paul

  5. wait a second by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I read the rules after my first post of excitement and my opinion has changed a little.

    Don't get me wrong, I applaud the effort here, but these guys need to think about how to design a board game a little rather than just use the same mechanics that the PC game used. This is just all too complicated to be entertaining, having to keep track of time units for individual units? All of these opportunity fire rolls and intricate stat tracking? No way is even the most hard core diehard X-Com lover going to be able to tollerate this long enough to get through an actual game.

    The best model for an x-com table top game would be the sometimes out of print games workshop game "necromunda" it was a squad based game, hand to hand and fire combat, it covered movement, line of site and all of that far simpler than these rules do. Hell the game even featured an xp and skill advancement system and used 3d terrain. It would simply be a matter of generating stats for the x-com weapons and units, and it was a hell of a lot easier to play.

    I mean really, I want to love this thing, but I just can't look past such bad game design.

    1. Re:wait a second by eebe · · Score: 1

      Keeping to the game mechanics was, I grant you, one of our goals. Remaking 40K with Xcom units did cross our mind, but where is the fun in designing that. Plus creating miniatures would have cost a bundle.

      I may be a little biased with what I say, but the learning curve is not much more steep than most tabletop RPG's. If you can figure out how D&D or paranoia works then the rules to this aren't that much more difficult.

      --
      - Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are now master of your own fate.
    2. Re:wait a second by qball36 · · Score: 1

      If you've never looked under the hood of the X-Com game engine, you'll not realise just how much complexity there is. The 'engine' in X-C:T is vastly simpler.

      You would have much more trouble with ripping off 40K rules wholesale than with making rules inspired by a game no longer being sold. Games Workshop has a colourful history of pursing people who use their material, even for personal use.

      -Paul

    3. Re:wait a second by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you are happy with the system, that is all that really matters. People like myself that would rather come up with another way to adapt the X-Com experience will; your efforts do not prevent me or anyone else from doing that so realize that I am not trying to be hostile even if that is how this is about to sound.

      I play warhammer 40k, Paranoia and many others like D&D and even Shadowrun, and your system is far more complex than any of those games. Complexity can be a good thing, but needless complexity is the kiss of death to a game. A game should only be as complex as it needs to be to capture the feel you are going for. Simplicity is the golden rule.

    4. Re:wait a second by eebe · · Score: 1

      This is off topic, but if you like paranoia. I have made a paranoia muder mystery which is online.
      babylon.alphacomplex.org/~evan/para.html

      --
      - Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are now master of your own fate.
  6. The best part... by baywulf · · Score: 2, Funny

    My eyes have full screen anti-aliasing when I remove my glasses. No more jaggies!

  7. XCom - an excellent basis for gaming! by MegatronUK · · Score: 1
    It's good to see a remake of the XCom game in boardgame form... I've wanted to see one for years.

    My own wargame system, of which Target: Earth is the first in the series (to be printed this summer, hint, hint ;-), is based very much based on the tactical-simulation-like mechanics of XCom - Time units, detailed RPG-like stats (but using D10 for simplicity), flexible unit actions (not the unrealistic move-shoot-charge of others) and highly customisable infantry and vehicles; as opposed to the more game-like Warhammer titles from Games Workshop (which bore me, even though I have spent a fortune on them in the past).

    Plus, I've set it in a near future Earth (latter half of the 21'st century) with big stompy anime-style robots and powered armour... not some depressing eons away hell-hole full of goths and spiky bits .. not that I have anything against goths ;-) ... that means people can use those cool gundam and macross models in an actual game, rather than collecting dust on a shelf :-D

    Anyway, I'll have to give this XCom boardgame a whirl; it may well be too fiddly as-is, but its no-longer the computer game and can be modified with your own rules and interpretations (personally, I'd like to see it without a tile-based map and using conventional gaming scenery with rules for elevation/difficult terrain etc).

    Now I'll need some new figures.... where do I find some nice minis for the aliens? ..... :-)

  8. Xcom lives by Jon+Peterson · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Two of the original X-com developers have created a little game with very similar game-play, primarily to be a turn based network game. It's not nearly as grand in scope as X-com but if you liked the battles, you'll like this:

    http://www.lasersquadnemesis.com/

    --
    ----- .sig: file not found
    1. Re:Xcom lives by Robmonster · · Score: 1

      Yes,

      Laser squad nemesis is fantastic. Check the link in my sig for more informtion and a link to a video of LSN in action.

      As a gamer who doesnt get a great deal of time to game anymore I find it fits in with my free time perfectly.

      Beware though, it can be fiendishly difficult, especially playing people in the upper echelons of the league. (I've always wanted to use the word echelons...)

      The best bit though is that you play against a real live human.

      If anyone wants to get going with a free game against me then check out my sig.

      RM

      --
      I have no sig yet I must scream.
    2. Re:Xcom lives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'd think that someone with such a low ID would have figured out basic HTML in all this time...

  9. Space Hulk by wikthemighty · · Score: 1


    Remaking 40K with Xcom units did cross our mind

    Games Workshop allready did a boardgame which plays very much like X-Com, it's called Space Hulk.

    --
    "There are people who do not love their fellow human being, and I _hate_ people like that!" - Tom Lehrer
    1. Re:Space Hulk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spacehulk is years older than X-com. Centuries even

    2. Re:Space Hulk by BackwardEngineer · · Score: 1

      Is there any way to get Space Hulk other than Ebay? Sounds like a really good game to get into.

  10. "Sequels never seem to do the original justice" by BTWR · · Score: 1
    "Never" is a stong word. Many sequels meet/beat their predecessors:

    Zelda III: A Link to the Past

    Final Fantasy II and III (aka IV/VI)

    Super Mario Bros 3/Super Mario 64

    Grand Theft Auto 3

    NHL '94

    Metroid Prime/Super Metroid

    Civilization II

    King's Quest V/VI (my personal favorites)

    Worms 2

    Command & Conquer: Red Alert

    Day of the Tenticle (Maniac Mansion II)

    Warcraft II

    Sim City 2000