I am really happy with your work so far and eagerly await it's completion. Thank you very much.
I tried to get the mac version working on my main computer but it was beyond me. Macs are so good they are useless.
2.4 works very smoothly on my laptop windows machine. I had to change many settings on the mouse pad to keep from accidentally issuing commands, but turning on confirm commands also helped greatly. I seldom use the laptop so it is hardly surprising, using keyboard commands helps navigate as well.
Is there anyway to make the game utilize my entire screen?
I am currently at 1 year with 2.4, full campaign normal difficulty. I will post my game on the thread asking late game saves in a day or so. Here are my early observations.
GEOSCOPE SCREENI experienced a lag spike in geoscope arial combat. The Saracen armed with Sparrowhawk and TR - 80 launchers vs Alien Fighter, lag spike every time, if I replace both weapons with plasma weapon the lag is gone.
The base and craft icons are hard to discern. Craft flying over Antarctica are practically invisible because of glare. The earth is portrayed in realistic tones, perhaps the icons should be larger and more "Cartoony" to make them really stand out.
In the original XCOM, when you completed a research project the UFOpedia page popped up. I think that would be a good feature to implement. It is a reward and is useful to help players understand and integrate new technologies. I played a year of in game time when I discovered the mailclient.
The UFOpedia reports, while well written, are long and don't easily impart useful information. Each should be prefaced with salient info in the form of a list
http://www.giantbomb.com/x-com-ufo-defense/61-196/all-images/52-177505/large_scout/51-388343/UFOpdeia pages should say which type hangar an aircraft requires, wether an item is usable by units or not, damage / protection etc.
BASE SCREENUsing the standard UI. Back base / Forward base button should be next to each other on the far right of the top bar of the base screen. The Rename base button should be next to the name, not next to the Forward base button. The rename base button is hard to seen, i recommend a Pencil icon, it's yellow easy to see and familiar to people in association with that use.
Research and production are very similar functions but each screen works in a different way, research you allot scientists to a project, but engineering you just create a project and workers automatically begin working. Either system is perfectly acceptable but I suggest using one for both to increase cohesion.
What is Production limit?
On the disassembly page, there is a number in an unnamed column, usually number 1-6, which I don't know what it means, example...
UFO - Harvester (100%) 4
I agree with others who have said the alien materials requirements on alien ships is too high.
I hate to bring this up, because it is a useful exploit, but transfer is useless. Buy / Sell is instantaneous, as soon as I sell something it is available on the market, as soon as I buy something it is in stores. No delivery time. So why transfer anything but Antimatter (which can't be sold), if I simply sell it from one base, then buy it at another, I have transferred my goods instantly.
TACTICAL SCREENHaving no save option in Tactical mode is hardcore and forced me to alter my gameplay. I like it, it's a challenge.
Using the standard UI, in the upper left corner where the portrait and name are, under the name should be a red square for each enemy unit visible to his LOS. Clicking on each red dot center screen on enemy unit visible to the selected friendly unit.
I would like to see the circles under units feet obscured by their bodies.
I have only been on the tactical map (London or something) once. At the very top of the ramp leading from the drop zone was bugged and I was unable to move my cursor there or send a unit to that location. I could walk over it just couldn't stand there.
I read somewhere you may be removing sniper/close/heavy/explosive skills from the game in 2.5. In my humble opinion that is bad, the distinctions are a fun element you have added to the game which deepens character development. Let us not forget, XCOM was best because it worked on multiple levels, not only strategic and tactical but also an element of role play with your soldiers and their growing prowess.
I read somewhere that XCOM was an elite unit, but the recruits are sorely lacking. Each recruit should be at least three bubbles in one weapons skill.
I think units progress too slowly. I don't usually let units die, so one death is a retry. That being said, the units at my first and second base have done a considerable number of missions in a year of service, yet they have hardly progressed. In fact, Mind is by far the skill which has seen the greatest increases, due to the amount of first aid they apply. Late game, I hire rare new recruits with higher skills than most of my veterans.
OVERALLThe music is very good, it reminds me of a more sophisticated version of the original music mixed with the terminator score. Very well done!
The game play is fun and even in this incomplete form I will play until a new version comes out.7/10 stars so far, and rising!