Buggiest Game Ever?

[Methane]

I loved the two previous games, and when I heard UFO:AM was out - I rushed to buy it. My son, who first started using the computer at age 8 by playing UFO couldn't wait either. We both bought a copy.

 

I think we should have waited a little longer. After all this time, it feels like the game has been rushed out in the same way that Windows 98 was - full of bugs and with little regard for the user - as if a quick injection of cash was needed and fixes could come later.

 

Having worked our way through the myriad bugs in installing, setting up and then playing, we like the game - to an extent. The game play is a little static and doesn't have the excitement that the earlier games did. Tactically it seems that the best way to get through any situation is simply to maintain a tight group, blow any vehicles up before you move, then move around slowly in a bunch, shooting anything that appears. Not really that exciting after 40 or 50 times.

 

We've got to the stage now where we send in one soldier to try and clear a base, just to see if we can. And most times we can.

 

But with the game now terminally jammed up once again as we wait for yet another patch - this time to fix the 'stackwalk 126' error, I'm not sure if we're going to be bothered to get back to it after the wait.

 

Personally I think a 7x% score by PC Magazine was very generous for what is the buggiest game I have ever come across since Sierra's Mars sim-type game.

 

 

The question is not whether I am paranoid. The question is whether I am paranoid enough!

[StormLord]

It is strange that you are having so much trouble with bugs, since I'm having very few crashes and sometimes some graphics glitches, but I have not noticed anything major.

 

It is also strange that you find the game so easy, since I have yet to find a tactic that is effective against those big rockets that the aliens can fire. Their mind control capabilities and warp weaponry are also quite formiddable.

 

But if you're having bugs I can understand that you have not gotten to the difficult parts yet.

 

 

In my opinion this game would have been a worthy addition to the X-Com series if it was an addition.

 

Having played all four (4) X-Com games I know what I'm talking about.

 

I'd give this game 80%.

[Slaughter]

I have had the game crash on me one time, and that was due to corrupt files. Not really the game's fault. But I've noticed others have trouble. A shame it is. But believe me, most people have no problems, so after all you belong to a minor group. Not that it will make you feel any better. Hope there will be a new patch soon, I'll tell you when I know something.

[Punisher]

I am happy to say I have no problems with the game bugging. try the game on a harder level. If you are taking bases with only one Joe then you defintly need to up the difficulty. I give the game a strong 90. Lots of weapons to play with. Mind control that alien and make him shoot himself with a rocket is great!!!!!. Well hopefully it will get better for you. Just keep trying when it works it's a blast. Since I have not been able to play any of the X-com games on my computer I have been jonesing for this kind of game. UFO:AM has DEFINITLY filled the spot.

[*Satis]

re: rockets.

 

I've found that standing off at long range, nicely spread out, is handy. Keep a close eye on the alien and proceed at the slowest setting.

 

As soon as the alien fires, I hit pause. By moving the camera around (fantastic feature IMO) it's normally possible to see in what direction it's heading. Bearing in mind that the rocket travels pretty slowly, a reasonably fast squad member at a decent range can often get out of the way before it hits. Even if they don't, they might just make it clear in time to get a medikit out.

 

*Satis

[rocksk]

Have you get the patch 1.2?? I had not had any bugs too.

 

What widow are you using, I am using widow XP. I down the refresh fame to 60Hz. It played fined.

 

As for the game looks and play too easy is because you are early in the game. later on normal difficulties, you will have more fun killing aliens and not some mutated monster.

[Azxel]

runnin on Win2K here and only had crashes when i try to save during an "xp exploit". no game bug for me so far.

[Raion]

I have had a couple of fluke crashes. Three to be exact. All were the same, and read the same with Win2K. I think now that it has something to do with loading data from the CD, and moving the mouse in commands with squaddies, and the game just got hung up, partily from what I was doing~~changing commands, and reading in data from the harddrive at the same time.

 

Other minor bug, is after an intercept screen or sometimes after a tactical mission, the music will stop and only sounds will be heard. This can be remedied by going back to the System Menu screen and hitting the Play command again.

Also I see that I have some other programs on my computer that automatically want to work when they want to~~ time to take off some programs or change the settings.

 

This kind of computer annoyance by programmers is worse then the squaddies voices in the game. It is my computer, not Microsoft's nor their computer.

This kind of example of programming is part of the problem with computers nowadays!

 

I expect my computer to run the way that I want it to, not the way that they want it to.

 

Well back to the game, and other work I have to do!

[Methane]

My game crashes every time at the same place - after a mission as its returning to a strategic view. I went through the error-corecting and th reply was - wait for the next patch. I have reinstalled with both patches a dozen tmes, fiddled with resolution, setups, even got into my Nvidia settings and fiddled with them. I'm exhausted with fiddling! I want to play - not fiddle about!

 

I'm using XP with a 2200 athlon, plenty of ram etc.

 

I have about 35 bases on tough setting and the mission strategy is always the same - 2 sniper, 2 Steyrs, a grenade launcher and a couple of advanced laser rifles. I also use bio armour for most of my squad.

 

The strategy that always works for me is high speed stats. That way as soon as they spot an alien they hit him with everything then sprint away before any rockets get close. Sometimes I end up spritning towards another one, but the same thing - heavy firepower and sprint fast.

 

Took me a while to get it down pat, but now...

 

In the bases, 1 guy with a steyr, bio armour and a plenty of warp medical packs. Again - fairly basic.

 

I'm hoping it gets harder - as I'm already researching the queen.

[Methane]

For those who think I am in a minority when complaining about bugs - I can understand it. Your game works fine so you don't check out the official or unofficial support or faq boards - which are packed so full they are heaving. When the support website is set up to automatically reply that the next patch should be awaited, then there has to be something worng with the pre-release game and code checking!

[Raion]

Went down a notch in graphic card acceleration (there are 6 total in Win 2K Prof which is base for WinXP) and even upped the sound card to Basic acceleration (Live with old drivers but newer ones than when bought) and no crashes except the music stopping after an intercept which is handled by hitting the system menu screen and just clicking on play again to start the music.

 

Now there may be some other bugs, and code needs to be tightened up. But the game runs fine with 1.2 patch.