After Hours

Dinosaur sightings: XCOM UFO Defense

By // December 13, 2006, 4:20 AM PST // markwkaelin

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  • Throughout the storied, yet relatively short, history of computer gaming, there have only been a few games to capture the imagination of players and achieve a significant audience that were not part of the pre-release publisher hype machine. These games were unexpected gems that remain fan favorites even after their time in the spotlight has faded.

    One of my favorite games in this category is XCOM UFO Defense from Microprose, which was released in 1994. This game mixed resource management strategy and tactical squad-based strategy into a single game. The game was tremendously addicitive and often frustrating in that fun way games, good ones, can often elicit.

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  • The graphics on the box tend to exaggerate the sophistication of the actual game graphics, but the box cover art does draw you in.

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  • Save the Earth from an Alien Terror --- where do I sign up!

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  • The box contains a single CD-ROM of course, but it also includes a user manual, a special installation supplement, a registration card, and an advertisement for a strategy service. There were several hack programs available for XCOM. You have to fight aliens the best way you can, even if it means some minor cheating.

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  • The manual is very important, not only because of the important instructional information, but because the copy protection scheme depended on it.

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  • Each page had an eight digit code located in the footnote section. The game would ask for one of those codes, chosen at random, when you started it. There are close to 100 pages in the manual.

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  • Microprose was a dominant publisher in the early 1990s with several very successful game titles. However, they could not sustain that success and were swallowed up by the competition eventually.

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  • The opeining movie was in traditional comic book style and did a good job of setting the mood.

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  • Alien hordes attack.

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  • Earthlings tremble with fear.

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  • Casulties are inflicted. By the way, the music is wonderfully cheesy here.

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  • Earth scrambles to form a response.

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  • The alien evil doers are spotted.

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  • The must be stopped so the XCOM UFO Defense unit is established.

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  • And then dispatched. This is the basic idea for gameplay in XCOM. Seek, hunt, destroy --- what could be better than that?

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  • But first you have to enter the code numbers. Good thing I hung on to that manual all these years.

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  • Annoying to be sure, but I think I like this better then having a clandestine program installed in the Master Boot Record.

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  • How refreshing --- a game with just a few simple choices.

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  • XCOM UFO Defense is a tough game even for strategy experts. I suggest you check your ego and avoid the superhuman category.

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  • The first step is to choose a place for your first base. Near populated areas is a good idea since protecting alien incursion from those areas will earn you more funding.

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  • You could have several bases by the end of the game, so think of good names.

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  • This is the screen you will see when an alien ship is spotted. Be careful what you send.

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  • As one of your first tasks, take some time to build you base.

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  • Get an overview of your current position. What do you need and how much do you have to spend.

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  • Your troops are green --- make sure they are well equipped at least.

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  • Consider upgrading your Interceptors --- they will likely have to shot down your first alien encounter.

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  • All equipped? Now we wait for someting to happen.

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  • An alien ship has landed --- time to go to work.

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  • Send in the assualt squad.

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  • Make sure they have ammo and grenades --- things could get nasty.

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  • Time to enter into the fray. I hope you are well prepared.

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  • I think this is one of the most appealing features of XCOM. When you enter into a mission, there is nothing happening. You have to first find the hostile aliens before you can subdue them. The anticipation draws you into the game in a subtle way. A part of gameplay often lost in FPS games.

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  • Tactical squad techniques are a must. Interlocking fields of fire, covering fire, leaving enough movement points for return defensive fire, and having your men squat at the end of each turn are just some of the sound techniques you employ.

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  • Now the aliens move. Yes, this is a turn-based game. Remember this is 1994 --- games don't have to be all about how fast you can push a mouse button.

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  • Some movement was spotted --- time to engage the enemy.

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  • Ah, there he/she/it is. Unfortunately, your rookie soliders are very green. Most of the shots they fire in early missions will miss, but the experience will come in handy later on when larger ships start to appear.

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  • Finally got him. This about two complete moves later.

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  • The dead alien is under the rectangular box. However, there are four more bad guys lurking in the darkness. Several moves after this point I lost three men on one move. Revenge will be mine.

    I told you XCOM UFO Defense was addictive.

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Throughout the storied, yet relatively short, history of computer gaming, there have only been a few games to capture the imagination of players and achieve a significant audience that were not part of the pre-release publisher hype machine. These games were unexpected gems that remain fan favorites even after their time in the spotlight has faded.

One of my favorite games in this category is XCOM UFO Defense from Microprose, which was released in 1994. This game mixed resource management strategy and tactical squad-based strategy into a single game. The game was tremendously addicitive and often frustrating in that fun way games, good ones, can often elicit.

© CNET Networks --- TechRepublic.com
Mark W. Kaelin

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About Mark Kaelin

Mark W. Kaelin has been writing and editing stories about the IT industry, gadgets, finance, accounting, and tech-life for more than 25 years. Most recently, he has been a regular contributor to BreakingModern.com, aNewDomain.net, and TechRepublic.