“I remember various proposals and designs that were extremely detailed and immensely deep, which also meant, in practice, they could feel a bit cumbersome,” he told me. You can customize your squaddies’ physical appearances, too, which seems to be an effort to generate that personal attachment.ĭeAngelis revealed that Firaxis “had larger skill trees” in their original plans for the game. You choose between two different abilities for many of these promotions up the command chain. Firaxis has built a new skill-progression system for the four predefined soldier classes, with each military rank bringing a new perk for you to play with. You know in your heart that the next rookie off the Skyranger won’t develop in just the same way.Įnemy Unknown, though, takes a different approach. So when you lose that veteran who shot a Sectoid from across the map, you realize that you’ll never have another sharpshooter quite like him. Your commands translate into their actions, which ultimately you have no control over. You guide them by ordering them to walk far or take a shot or throw a grenade or carry some heavy equipment. And as your teammates grow on their own before your very eyes, you develop this parental attachment to them. A soldier who covers a lot of ground will slowly build up his number of Time Units, a stat that governs how many actions he can take during a turn. A soldier who shoots his gun will have a chance of increasing his aim stat at the end of the mission. The original strategy games in the X-Com series operate under similar rules. Now I understood why I felt so emotionally invested in these virtual characters: Their deaths truly felt like I’d lost someone whom I couldn’t ever replace. But they were always in peril any wrong decision could leave them as nothing more but a meal for the undead. You’ll end up with a go-to forager and a dependable zombie killer, both of whom reached these heights of skill not just through the stories that shaped them but from what feels like their own wills. Over time, your remaining survivors grow into their jobs organically. Sending out someone to look for food, for instance, increases his scavenge stat leaving another behind to guard your fort likewise increases his combat stat. As the game progresses, the people under your care develop into roles through their actions. Then earlier this year, I played Sarah Northway’s Rebuild, a zombie apocalypse/city management sim where you try to hold together a group of wary survivors. Three top investment pros open up about what it takes to get your video game funded.