Making the Game Harder
This page is intended for players who finish the game frequently on the highest difficulty and would like to keep the challenge alive.
Naturally it is quite easy to handicap yourself while playing the game: using only conventional weaponry, no armor, fighting only on night missions, etc. However, the idea here is not to go those extremes but to identify a number of exploits/cheats/tactics that make the game easier.
Feel free to try any of these ideas (or all of them!). Some may make the game very hard but not impossible to win.
Don't use game exploits
All strategy guides for UFO have plenty of mentions to Exploits. Their influence on Battlescape/Geoscape varies, here's a list of those that you should avoid and their consequences.
Alien Inventory Screen
Although you are not supposed to be able to access an alien's inventory screen when you mind control it, there is a way to do so. This allows for nasty things like priming grenades and dropping them at the feet of the alien. Another thing to consider is to stop using Psionics all together (see below).
Faulty Collision Detection
A full description can be found on here. This exploit allows you to bypass map chokepoints (such as UFO doors) which can be used by the aliens to ambush your soldiers.
Free Wages/Manufacturing/Fuel
These exploits are commonly used to prevent your finances from going negative at the end of the month or to keep your planes flying for free. The Free Wages avoids having to pay your scientists/engineers/soldiers' salaries. Most of your monthly expenses are made of those, so having to pay for your 250 scientists makes financial matters more hard to deal with.
Excessive Firepower
Heavy Plasmas
Don't equip the majority of your squad with Heavy Plasmas. If it sounds too easy, then don't use alien weapons at all.
Blaster Launchers
To put it simply: the weapons are too powerful and thus the temptation to overuse them too great. Completely destroying a map is fun at start but butchering the aliens gets boring after a while. Either do not use the weapons or only bring 1 on each mission.
Enlarged Squads
Restrict your squad regarding soldiers and tanks. Never use more than 14 plane slots to bring units into a battlefield (the capacity of a Skyranger). The logic behind this is that you can easily outnumber the aliens, especially if you are facing small UFOs thus assuring victory. Also, smaller squads allow for quicker play (you don't have to move 26 units each turn) and they make your soldiers more memorable, since you'll remember more their heroic achievements (or stupid deaths).
Load up your Skyrangers with as many HWPs
Instead of bringing 14 units into a battle you'll get just 5 (3 HWPs + 2 Soldiers) or 8 (2 HWPs + 6 soldiers).
Rank-based equipment
Only give the best stuff to officers. Squaddies has to use personal armors and laser rifles; rookies don't get armor at all. Advancing in ranks earns the privilege to use newest equipment. So Sergeants can use Power Suit, but not Flying Suit. Even better, only give Flying suit to your Commander.
Commando missions
Use as few men to complete ground missions as possible-without HWPs, of course. Even two or three-man teams can be effective if used properly. The logic behind this is that either way, aliens are probably too busy carrying out their mission or repairing the UFO to notice the dropship approaching (as evidenced by the fact that if you go against psionic aliens, you are safe from psionic attacks as long as none of them sees you, adding an extra difficulty: you have to kill every alien from behind and with one shot so they won't turn around and see you). Plus, micromanaging a three-man team is easier than managing a fully loaded Avenger. You have the advantage of surprise, use it!
Iron man
If you are confident in yourself, use only one soldier. Knowing when to retreat and switch weapons at the dropship is essential, but try not to get wounded. Without friends with medkits around, fatal wounds are truly fatal. Get your popcorn out people and enjoy the show!
Avenger
This awesome craft is very overpowered. So build only ONE, and only when you are going to Cydonia. Battleships suddenly become very tough if faced with Firestorms...
Tech levels
Limit yourself to certain "tech levels". Here's an example:
- Level 1: Coverall, genuine Earth equipment
- Level 2: Personal Armor, Laser weapons
- Level 3: Power Suit, light alien weaponry
- Level 4: Flying Suit, heavy alien weaponry
How does it work? Simply limit yourself to stopping at a certain level. Or limit yourself in the speed of advancement, i.e. one level per a half year, etc. The latter example would mean you won't get to use the best equipment for two years!!!
Alternatively, allow yourself access to only a few high-power research topics, under the grounds that they're so complex that understanding them fully takes years. (Exceptions are made for end-game requirements, of course). Research topics that are high-power(AKA game-breaking) would include anything associated with Psionics, Plasma Rifle, Heavy Plasma, Blaster Bomb, the advanced aircraft(in particular the Avenger), the Plasma Beam/FBL, Hovertanks, and the Power and Flying Suits.
No Psionics
Psi-Amps completely unbalance the game towards the human player. Even 1 Psi-Amp is bad enough for the aliens, but to bring a squad full of psi-trained soldiers will mean that all the aliens will be mind controlled during the first turn (including even Cyberdiscs or Sectopods). Once you start, the uncertainty and the risk will go down, and so will the fun.
The same applies to Mind Probes since those devices can be used to screen aliens for their rank or to check if they will reaction fire.
Finally, the use of Psi Labs should be restricted to screening troops but not training them, since they can't use Mind Probes or Psi Amps. A harder setting would be not to use them at all and only find out during a fight who are the psi weaklings.
Funding Nations Only
Rely entirely on the Funding Nations to run your war. Details here.
1 Mission X-COM
A more hardline version of Funding Nations Only, detailed here. In short, one Battleship mission, properly executed, can provide all the research needed to complete the game. The focus is on intercepting that Battleship and completing the game with only the spoils from that mission.
Base Limitations
Base Defense
Don't play base defense missions.
One Base
Build only a single base. This severely limits your efficiency, as you can only build a maximum of 35 base modules. Aircraft and radar coverage will be quite limited.
For a real challenge...
Build that single base in Hawaii.
Genuine Earth tech
Don't build modules requiring alien tech, ie. PsiLab, HW Decoder, Plasma/Fusion Defence.
XComUtil's Features
XcomUtil is a game enhancer that was actually designed to make the game harder, although many of its features can be used the other way around. There are 2 ways to use XComUtil, both of which can be used to increase the difficulty, the XcuSetup installation program and the XComUtil command.
XcuSetup configuration
When you run XcuSetup to install XComUtil a number of queries will be asked regarding which features you'll want to implement.
- Do you want to use the improved starting base? (No)
With the improved starting base you start with an Alien Containment already built, your radar is upgraded and you'll start with additional scientists and engineers. It will also be designed to maximize defense.
- Do you want to use the alternate starting base? (No)
This retains the optimal defensive layout but doesn't add the extra facilities/personnel.
- Do you want to use the improved Tanks/Weapons? (No to both)
- Do you want to use the new laser weapons? (Yes)
With this option chosen your lasers will require Elerium to be built (supposedly to act as power cells). This also prevents you from building plasma weapons (but not clips), thus preventing you from selling Plasma Pistols and Plasma Rifles since the aliens will stop using those. It also makes Laser Cannons and Fusion Launchers a lot less attractive to sell because of the time required to build them and the Elerium/Alien Alloys necessary for their construction. Be prepared for the blow on your finances...
- Do you want research help from captured aliens? (Yes! Yes! Yes!)
To make the game REALLY hard try this feature. First, it will increase the research times of most items tenfold or more, especially regarding the alien technologies. Instead of having to wait days or a week for a certain technology the time will increase to months. With a little bad luck you will be stuck to lasers and no armor when the Mutons and Ethereals start showing up. Second, the only way to speed research (other than having 250 scientists on all bases) is to capture live aliens, forcing you to bring a few Stun Rods for all missions. It is not required to have an Alien Containment present to receive the research help but remember it only reduces the time of the research being done at your starting base.
Financing solely by funding nations
Do not sell any alien equipment, corpses or UFO components. Do not sell manufactured Equipment. Only genuine earth technology (like rifles or avalance launchers) or researched aircraft (since they don't bring in money) may be sold. This not only adds some realism to the game (seriously, who would pay 334,000$ for some metal ball that lets you know the stats of your wife? And which government on earth would allow the possession of plasma weapons to other nations, or even civilians?), it also makes it significantly harder. In february for example you have around 6,000,000$ to cover base maintenance, wages, crafts, manufacturing and losses on the battlefield. This leaves not very much! Building new bases, hiring more engineers or just building a second laboratory is almost impossible. But it is definitely more fun than having worldwide radar coverage and 16 interceptors by the end of march.
Recommendations of Scott Jones
Scott T Jones, the original maker of XcomUtil, placed some interesting scenarios on the XcomUtil site. Here they are.
Xenophobe
Don't try to capture or interrogate any aliens and sell all alien artifacts immediately. You can not win this scenario in the normal sense, since you can never go to Mars. You simply play it until you don't want to play it any more.
Bean Counter
This scenario takes its name from the beaurocratic "bean counters" who drive us crazy with their constant cost cutting measures. You are not allowed to destroy anything, since that wastes profits. You are not allowed to shoot down any UFOs, since that destroys valuable artifacts that can be sold. You cannot use any explosives or any weapon that uses a clip or ammunition, since those would have to be replaced. You are only allowed to use reusable items, like lasers, flares, stun rods, and psi-amps.
Explosive
Limit yourself to only explosive weapons. This scenario forces you to learn tactics that protect you from your own weapons. It is virtually the opposite of the Bean Counter scenario.
Photophobe
You must not fight any battle in full daylight. If you land at a battle and an aura of light isn't visible around your soldiers, you must leave immediately. This scenario is very interesting and teaches you how to fight at night. It is much harder to win, but it can still be won because it is dark on Mars.
Technophobe
Sack all of your scientists and engineers at the start of the game. You must sell all alien artifacts immediately. If you cannot buy the item, you cannot use it.
This scenario forces you to learn how to use conventional weapons against the aliens. You can not win this scenario in the normal sense, since you can never go to Mars. You simply play it until you don't want to play it any more.
Neo-Pacifist
You are a Pacifist and cannot directly take the life of any living thing, even an alien. You cannot shoot down any UFO, because aliens might be killed. You cannot use any weapon that can kill an alien, even via reaction fire. Aliens who die during interrogation or because of lack of space in the alien containment facility are someone else's problem, so your conscience is clear.
The only lethal weapons that you can use are grenades, but you must still give the aliens a chance to escape. In this way, the alien causes its own death. For example, an alien next to an armed explosive with a long fuse can save it self by moving away, while an alien next to an armed Proximity Grenade can save itself by not moving away.
Even with these restrictions, the game can still be won by mind controlling an alien on Mars and having him stand next to an armed Proximity Grenade which was placed next to the master brain. Once this is ready, you release your control and wait for the alien to move, ending the game.
Single-Base Hawaiian
Games where you only have one base are not that different from normal games, unless that base is located in Hawaii. This scenario is very difficult and requires a different strategy. The challenge is that you have almost no radar coverage over any significant land mass. You must keep Skyrangers constantly on patrol over areas that are likely to have alien activity. Since combat is rare, you can not afford to skip any battles. This scenario teaches you how to use the graphs to gather information about areas in which you have no radar.
No Skyrangers
This scenario takes away your large, long range troop carrier, the Skyranger. Ideally, you should also eliminate the Lightning and the Avenger (except for the assault on Mars). This is quite difficult because you do not have enough men to allow for mistakes and the short range of your ships forces you to miss some terror sites. This requires at least version 6.0 of XcomUtil.
Just how exactly he plan to do that??? Without Skyrangers, you can't get enough tech to build Lightnings.--amitakartok 12:42, 15 November 2008 (CST)
Shootdown
This scenario is an even harder variation of the No Skyrangers scenario. It not only takes away your large, long range troop carrier, but it also demands that you shoot down every ship you assault. This is extremely difficult, because you almost never capture any Elerium from ships that have been shot down. The lack of Elerium forces you to attack UFOs with Interceptors armed with Laser Cannons to minimize the damage, but this maximizes your chances of losing the Interceptors.