Play Nice

I’m a huge fan of xcom. I was a huge fan of it before it was xcom and it was laser squad. I followed it when It had shit graphics, when it went underwater, into outer space, when the aliens took over and more recently when it rebooted. Xcom have done a admirable job recreating the feel of the game. It oozes xcom. Actually Fantasy Flight have spoiled us with their production values. Every other new game is now FF benchmarked by default. 
I spoke about xcom when it came out but it had been a long time since we played it last and last Thur we had a quick crack at it again. 

Xcom is one of the new app driven games from Fantasy Flight. It’s a co-op game but it’s one of the better co-op games however that doesn’t make it a really good game. Ever stick a battery in a battery tester and it just makes it into the green good zone? That’s xcom. You can’t fault the game but it’s just not exceptional and more importantly having played it a few times I don’t have any urge to run out and buy it. 

The problem I have is you’re competing with the app. It’s tense it’s exciting but there just isn’t the same sense of achievement as beating a human. Imagine if Fantasy Flight’s Battlestar Galactica game didn’t have a traitor in it. Would you play it if everyone was really working together and it was a set of rules you were playing against? Red November anyone ?

What if Fury of Dracula had an AI for Dracula or the hunters? Would you play that? Being able to point at you’re opponents and laugh at them when you beat them is what it’s all about. A smart phones not the same 
Xcom has the potential to be a magnificent game but it requires more human. What about a mechanic where the aliens are easier but one player is secretly an Advent agent working with the aliens? What about an expansion with a human playing the alien invaders? Fantasy Flight stop this coop madness. I don’t want to play coop I want to play a proper board game. If you want to add AI I have no problem with that but please don’t make it coop as a result. I don’t play nice with others. 
Huzzah!
Vic