OK, so you've changed my mind a bit...
I want to make clear some things, before stealing this topic completely.
- I don't have anything against your story, setting nor do I minimise the importance of the effort you have made until now. I got used with the setting, and maybe after I'll find out more about the story, will even like it. I'm not saying that dislike your story or setting - it's OK with me, at the moment I'm neutral about it because I haven't read it. I don't know if I could have came up with something better.
- I don't think that somebody wants to shift the direction of this project into something else - an X-Com with orcs, or something cartoonish. I'm not trying to convince other developers of changing anything, except adding some more features. It's up to you and them if those features fit with your setting or concept. Things like destructable terrain are not even possible due to the engine...
- Now, concerning realism - I certainly don't want a foolish game, anime soldiers, x-men, or huge guns.
How about a compromise - I want something plausible, even though it might be slightly unrealistic. Plausible instead of just plain realistic. That is my "philosophy", and don't wish to argue with you about realism in video games.
I wasn't refering to the realism of the story, but to the combat system which will be the core of this game. I also made some comments in a talk on the wiki about reseach pointing out some things that are quite plausible in my opinion, like some alien techs being to advanced for our scientists to understand in a couple of months, or some alien weapons to be unsuitable for human use.
- I don't want anything unreasonable so, I'll tell everybody in short what is my general wishlist:
* a wider choice of (human) weapons and equipment in the game (some I proposed on the wiki)
* several human weapon types adapted from alien technology, instead of relying completely on alien's weapons
* an enhanced combat system (include the crawl mode for realistic sniping if it isn't to late)
* a more intuitive skill system (e.g. split the close combat system in pistols and martial arts, optionaly removing the sniper skill)
* sounds for actors dying and footsteps
* a wider selection base for soldiers, better soldiers available as player advances to each stage
* the option of saving the game while in missions
It's just what
I would like. Maybe some people don't want all these, and some others are with me. It doesn't matter. You and your team should judge if any of these requests are OK with your design, and if they are, try and implement them. If not.. there is no big deal. If you don't want developers to listen to ideas from the public, then close these topics. Anyway, if an idea is good, while fiting to the story, and might be quite fun, I think it's worthwile to have a little setback and implement it.
- I didn't want to be rude when called your story unimportant. I was pointing out the fact that in a strategy game like this one, the story is always secondary, while in adventure or RPG games, is almost everything. Maybe you got me wrong, or I was wrong, but anyway, I appologise.
Concerning the critical strike, I'm glad that we agree, and hope the developers will make close quarters combat more effective. Maybe there could be an option to aim for the head, legs or torso like in Fallout or Jagged Alliance 2.