Controls (Apocalypse)

Xcom agents can be controlled somewhat automatically in their actions and reactions to hostiles depending on the settings you choose. To see what each button does, please consult your manual.

Agent Attitude Settings and Tactics

Safe Mode = Blue

The agent will seek cover first (even so far as to break line of sight with the foe) then engage in combat sporadically. This is a very similar attitude when panicking. Avoidance is paramount. This mode can sometimes be unhelpful because they will ignore your movement commands.

This mode is primarily used if you want the unit to avoid combat. This mode may not be used often with agents, and is quite redundant even with non-combat units under your control.

Cautious Mode = Green

The agent will position themselves behind an object, if one is available, and start firing if allowed to do so. They will sometimes run from an explosive (which is VERY BAD if a Boomeroid is closeby). Your agents are aware of nemy positions as they shuffle for a position to fire, but they won't try to break line of sight. The best aspect of using this mode is that its an equal balance of avoidance and offence.

In real-time combat, if the agent is next to a corner and is under fire from an enemy, the agent will perform an automatic strafing manoeuvre. The agent will sidestep behind the wall for cover, and then sidestep out again every so often and return fire. This is extremely useful in places like wide doorways or when you are near any pillars.

This mode is a good all-rounder that is probably used mainly for its real-time combat sidestepping feature near corners.

Agressive Mode = Red'

Your agents will not seek cover or from grenades, your agents will fire towards hostiles even though there might be neutral security forces in the vicinity, your agents will happily run through a swarm of gunfire. In short, they obey your every command.

This is most common option which is used when fighting against enemy forces. You do not want your soldiers to stop firing when stationary. Offence is the best defence. If you have a defensive line outside the Alien craft on either side of the door, the last thing you want is for your Agents to get up and shuffle around for a position as the aliens bear down on them. This delay will get them killed. DON'T do the blue chicken dance.

The only time your agents will move of their own will is to escape fire or stun gas, but will shortly return to their original positions as soon as the gas or fire has cleared. It may help to move your troops to defensive positions manually instead of relying on the computer to do it for you.

This mode is best used when you want full control over the units you're currently controlling. It is by far the most popular and most players select it automatically and do not change it for the rest of the battle.

Agent Speed Settings and Tactics

Note: If set to walk or crawl, an agent that has no weapons will run if they see an enemy, but resume walking/crawling once any visual contact is lost.

Crawl

The agent will drop to the ground and will start to crawl. You need at least 2 free tiles in order to crawl. If in a confined situation, the soldier will kneel in place.

Going prone reduces your size as a target and improves your weapon accuracy. However you will move very slowly, and you will not be able to look over small obstacles like low walls.

In Turn based, TU movement consumption will be at its highest.

Walk

The agent will walk to your waypoint, or walk (usually, but will run sometimes) to a postion when seeking cover. An agent can fire a weapon when walking (which could be a good thing), but at reduced accuracy. Stamina does not drain when walking, nor does it recover. The only two reason to use walk fuction is to fire on the move, and to conserve remaining stamina if you need to make a run for it.

Your walking speed will vary depending on your speed and encumberance levels.

In Turn based, TU consumption and Stamina are consumed at the normal rate.

Run

The agent will run until tired. Your soldier cannot fire their weapons when moving. Running is very dependant on Stamina. The more your Agent has, the longer they can run. Once they run out of stamina, they will default to walking until they regain some stamina.

In Turn Based, the TU consumption is reduced, while Stamina consumption is increased.

Walking and running in Single File

When walking in the single file mode, the agents may, for reasons unknown, vary their movement from a sluggish walk that is slower than the normal walk speed or may even sprint towards the nearest agent or (for the leading agent) waypoint in varying bursts. This is frustrating, therefore you cannot rely them to walk or run normally when in single file.

If you must rush everyone to a particular location in a hurry, break out of single file and go to formation and either move in formation or manually order your troops.

Formation and Single File Squad movement modes

The formations control how groups of agents move in the battlescape. There are only two modes, formation and single file.

Formation

The selected agents will move to the next waypoint and stop in a chequered formation. They will attempt to move at their best possible speed depending on how tired they are and what movement modes have been set. This can cause faster soldiers to outdistance slower soldiers.

This is the default setting and most players never switch away from this mode.

Single File

The group of selected agents will dynamically form a chain, no matter how jumbled up they are, and the unit closest to the waypoint will form the lead unit. This is a very clever manouvre that can show you how coordinated your agents can be.

The biggest failure of this mode is that agents will move awkwardly at varying speeds, from sluggish crawls to quick sprints for no apparent reason, so the run and walk settings may not have much effect on these agents. Some players ignore this mode completely simply because of this.

Note that once a group has been formed (after ordering a selected group to move), the chain will remain even after the group is unselected. If you select the leading agent, all units that are behind the lead will automatically follow without having to be given orders to do so.

You can break the chain in the middle by selecting an agent in the chain and then moving it off. In a way, this can be used to create mini chains of single-file squads. See the next section for a more practical use.

This mode fails because of the awkward movement, but is a great way of micromanaging small groups. You can use it to make an agent from a different squad follow a member from another squad automatically. By walking and using aggressive, these units can walk around and automatically use reaction fire on any enemies attacking the leading unit.

Combining Single File and Formation Mode

By using single file mode, you can link agents from any group with agents with another. For example, you can get six agents from another squad individually attach themselves to members of the main squad of six agents by making the agents in the first squad the lead unit in mini single-file formations.

Once the units are attached, you can select your main squad and then go back to formation mode. Your main squad will now be able to move about in formation, and the soldiers in the other squad will automatically follow the main squad and basically hover around the primary squad. Note however that because the soldiers are made up of mini single-file formations, your leading units may have their speed affected as if they were in single file.

You can also make longer mini-chains, however this can lead to a big mass agents getting in each others' way.

to be continued...