XCOM 2

There is a mod mentioned in the link above that does a pretty complete overhaul of the game, I will try that one out later on though. It's this one, Long War 2, which takes up almost 3GB!

Is this the Epic Encounters (a tough but very fun mod for Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition) mod equivalent for Xcom 2?


I want to play the vanilla experience with mods that do less overhaul but make sense and look good now that I'm starting to understand the game.

Then I'll play the mods that change a lot of things.

I've liked similar games, like Gears Tactics, which for me is the best Gears, but Xcom 2 is on a whole different level.
 
I've also increased the font size in the game a bit, using this tip, since I play on a small monitor.


Back inoto the Long War 2 mod, a little extra info about it.

Features include:
1) A much longer campaign, running for 100 to 120 missions on average
2) Infiltration mechanics that require you to send out multiple squads at once
3) Manage resistance Havens and have resistance members scrounge for supplies, gather intelligence or recruit more people to your cause
4) Nine soldier classes: Sharpshooter, Shinobi, Ranger, Assault, Gunner, Grenadier, Specialist, Technical and Psionic (plus Sparks for DLC owners), each with unique secondary weapons
5) Two new weapon tiers, lasers and coilguns
6) Dozens of new enemies and smarter battlefield AI

7) ADVENT strategic AI that tries to counter your moves

Long War Studios' / Pavonis Interactive's mods SMGPack, AlienPack, LeaderPack, Toolbox, PerkPack, and LaserPack are already integrated into this mod (with different settings and functionality) and should NOT be activated when playing campaigns.
 
this Reddit post also has some interesting info on the best mods.


Most specifically the Core Collection mod:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2165341111

And the mod Long War of The Chosen, another complete overhaul of Xcom 2 which they say is much better than Long War 2.

This also weighs 3GB and while Long War 2 was last update back in 2017, Long War of the Chosen was last edited much more recently.


Covert Infiltration also seems to sound fine but maybe not for rookies.
 
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If I had to follow a strategy to start playing with the best mods that improve the game, I would first subscribe to ALL of the Core Collection mods. Some of them even fix bugs of the game.


And then I'd go one by one looking at other places for the best XCOM 2 mods to see if there are any extra ones that might interest you.

In the Workshop you can clearly see whether you are already subscribed to a certain mod or not by clicking on the Workshop link provided by the page.

And then over time, when the main campaigns are completed I'd probably go with Long War Of The Chosen complete overhaul or similar.
 
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quick note: many mods of the Core Collection are meant for the WOTC expansion. So when you launch the original XCOM 2 executable the game won't launch. You just have to use the new Mod Manager and disable all the mods that have the [WOTC] text in them. With that the original version runs totally fine.
 
Newbie tip: when moving instead of using all the turns to move (if you "dash" you use all your turn moves) keep yourself within the solid blue line instead of going to the yellow zone so you still have a second move 'cos you can spot an enemy in the first move that otherwise could kill you if you didn't see them first.

Use full cover if you can.

I subscribed to Core Collection via Steam Workshop and it adds a lot of interesting stuff. I disabled the extensions defined with WOTC 'cos they are meant for the expansion of Xcom 2 and the original Xcom 2 won't start if those are enabled.

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Aside from Core Collection mods... some extra good mods.

These are all from the vanilla version which is what I'm playing now but they have their WOTC versions, which I'm going to play later -can't wait- when I complete vanilla Xcom 2.

Even More Maps! to make the environments more varied when you play the game -the maps of the campaign are random, and with this the game has more variety of environments and stuff-.


Show Health Values.


Perfect Information


Stop Wasting my Time


Overwatch All/Others


Got the info about them from this video, the mod Always Show Shot Breakdowns mentioned in the video has been integrated into Perfect Information nowadays.

 
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I'm pissed off, I'm screwed. I get destroyed in a mission. I got into a mission marked as difficult, Advent Blackout, and I can't complete it. I'm really screwed. It's an important mission in the campaign, apparently, and there are some big robots that throw grenades, really hard.

It was my fault. The only thing that can work is playing cat and mouse with them and placing my sniper on a roof. But I doubt I'll win even then, because to get them where I want I'll risk the lives of the others. Also, if you stay on the roof and alone, the enemy ends up breaking the roof. 😭 Screwed.
 
well, I think I am going to accept the challenge and being defeated. It's impossible for me not to lose this mission. Hope I can save my scout Jane Kelly and my sniper. They are my best choice in most missions. This is the mission -dunno if some campaign scenarios are fixed, most are random).

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It's not only the giant robots, there are also some turrets on the roof where my sniper is, so I am going to help her survive with my scout on the roof.
 
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Mission update: This has been worse than ever.

I managed to save 2 of 4 soldiers, the scout and the sniper, but both were wounded. I was recovering them and all, but the problem is that I have people in the infirmary, and for the next mission I only had a rookie recruit and Jane Kelly and a Moderate difficulty mission was urgent. With 2 soldiers it's also impossible.

Solution: (the only one I see, otherwise goodbye campaign) Lose the previous scenario (I have a save file) and instead of saving two, try to save my 4 characters, otherwise I see no option. Harder than 5 hard ones. 😭
 
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By the way, the Wikipedia article on Xcom is very good. There are even open source projects for the series, such as OpenXcom, based on the original, and many others. Also games clearly inspired by Xcom like Xenonauts and Xenonauts 2.

The funny thing is that I have almost all the Xcom games. I got the classics on sale a few years ago, and now Xcom 2 with the War of the Chosen expansion. And I started with this one, I don't regret it, it's a real addiction, in a positive way.

 
the new versions of some of the mods -aside from the Core Collection mods which are meant by default for the Xcom War of the Chosen expansion- that work with the vanilla Xcom 2, but for the Xcom WOTC expansion.

Even More Maps! WOTC


Stop Wasting My Time WOTC


WOTC - Extended Information! An improved version of the vanilla mod called Perfect Information, now with new features and improvements for WOTC.


With all the Core Collection workshop items, which are meant for WOTC, and these workshop mod items, you are off to a great start in Xcom 2 War of the Chosen, the game's expansion. It might be better even for newbies to start with WOTC instead with the vanilla game, 'cos of the improvements.
 
I don’t really find the time to test and compare games within a genre anymore to see if I like them as much as the original -Xcom 2 in this case-, which is why I really appreciate when expert people on a genre comment on videos like the video above.

Because they praise some games that I already own but have barely played, and games like Warhammer 40000: Chaos Gate Daemonhunters, which they describe as Xcom 2 in the Warhammer 40000 universe and better than Xcom 2. (we’ll see if I feel the same way, if I ever get it)


Another one I saw mentioned in the comments on the video, which sounds good, is Classiffied: France '44.


The comments on that video -and there are still a few left to read- have increased my wishlist of games quite a bit.

Also this one..., and there are many other games mentioned.


From the Warhammer 40K series, Warhammer Mechanicus and Warhammer Rogue Trader are also mentioned.


 
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aiso King's Arthur Legion IX looks really really good.


Regarding new releases, the game I'm hyped the most this year is Menace, which looks like what Xcom 3 could be....

 
aiso King's Arthur Legion IX looks really really good.


Regarding new releases, the game I'm hyped the most this year is Menace, which looks like what Xcom 3 could be....

try Wasteland 3.
 
First serious mission in Xcom 2's War of the Chosen campaign. Two dead soldiers who will be remembered as heroes.

Normal difficulty, the default one, I didn't want to increase it because I don't know how to play well.

A machine, she defeated 4 aliens, thus dispatching half the alien troops, without taking damage. It's no coincidence that she was my favourite recruit in the original campaign. I played the stage with great evasiveness, and it worked.

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some of the games recommended by people in the comments of this video are very similar to Xcom 2. Some of them look so very interesting.


(some people define it as an even better game than Xcom 2)





(they say the experience is even better with the Roguetech mod)




(from the creators of Battle Brothers, perhaps what Xcom 3 might be some day?)
















(I have it, most similar to Divinity Original Sin games)


(nominated as the best game of the year for the Steam Deck in 2024)























 
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