XCOM’s reboot could have dropped the -apkrig turn-based combat concept
If you are a fan of UFOs and the original X-COM, you will surely remember the mania caused in 2012 by the release of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The developers from Firaxis Games managed to capture almost perfectly what the veterans wanted, and at the same time to reach completely new players who did not have the honor of previous games. The Enemy Unknown rating has skyrocketed, and both the Enemy Within expansion and the direct sequel from 2016 have benefited from popularity. , until the rough idea reveals what the developers consider to be the best at the moment.
Here’s the very original pitch doc for my first swing at XCOM, likely 2005 or so. Found it cleaning out old work junk. I use the phrase “Esprit de corps” in the doc so no wonder this version got canned. pic.twitter.com/dCIIDkw5DD
— Jake Solomon (@SolomonJake) February 6, 2021
This is the concept of Enemy Unknown, which Solomon thought about long before the game actually started. As the designer stated on his Twitter, during the cleaning of his office, he discovered a paper from 2005, which was supposed to be one of the first designs. It explicitly mentions the sequel to X-COM and describes the basic elements that the game should stick to if colleagues and the publisher agreed. The sight of an unrealized proposal is interesting in perhaps all respects, but one of the things surpasses all the others. Solomon was thinking that the game could give up the turn-based concept and handle duels in real time. The dynamics of the whole game would change dramatically and it would be extremely interesting to watch the acceptance of players and critics in retrospect, aware of the circumstances.
The design also includes ideas for the involvement of RPG elements that were not included in the game and several ideas of the pages of the story, which manifested themselves later.
On the other hand, it’s nice to see that many of Solomon’s original ideas have found their way to the final version. The construction of the base, although the designer planned more, missions with elements of random generation, administration of a strike force and a popular element of the final death of a soldier, which must be replaced by a fresh recruit. The design also includes ideas for the involvement of RPG elements that were not included in the game and several ideas of the pages of the story, which manifested themselves later. In particular, the fight against other people who secretly cooperate with aliens, got into the new XCOM only in the Enemy Within data disk and is also included in the recent Chimera Squad. Also interesting is the point that Solomon made almost the most – namely that the reboot of the game could bring at least one million units sold, which, according to estimates, was many times surpassed.
