Unused Features (EU2012)

All of the code/data on this page is taken from legacy code present in the following game files:

• XComGame.INT
• XComStrategyGame.INT

There are differences between these files on the demo and the latest patch. Demo code is listed in italics.

Various stages of development and features can be extrapolated from the data: for example, the number of entries relating to the lost "Pyro" class, seen only in early concept art, suggest that their development did go quite a bit farther than just the planning stages, and that some measure of programming into their abilites was in progress before the class was dropped entirely.

Additional Continent and Bonus

Most likely for Australia - probably dropped for game balance/design.

• ContinentBonusNames[eCB_Panic]="\"Tireless Diplomacy\""
• ContinentBonusDesc[eCB_Panic]="The rise of panic is slowed worldwide."

Soldier Status

Additional soldier status while in the Barracks?

• m_arrSoldierStatus[eStatus_Fatigued]="Tired"
• m_arrSoldierStatus[eStatus_Exhausted]="Exhausted"

Soldier Attitude

An uncertain modifier: since the player, as the Commander, dictates nearly all but automated and Panic actions of a Soldier (and neither two Attitudes seem like they would be involved in Panic), how they would have worked in play is unknown for certian. The possible application may have been for a soldier to either stay in cover and attack as a Professional, or attempt to blitzkreig as a Brash soldier.

• m_strAttitudeProfessional=PROFESSIONAL
• m_strAttitudeBrash=BRASH

Staff Monthly Costs

As in the original game but it seems that it was later dropped.

• m_strSalary="Staff Salaries"

Game Objectives

Most likely there was a requirement for a certain number of Shards before being able to research them and unlock the Alien Base. It may be also possible that there was more than 1 Alien Base present during the game.

• GameObjectiveNames[eObj_ObtainShards]="Obtain More Outsider shards."

Transfer Jets to Nation

The same way that nations offer credits for the transfer of satellites, the same happened for interceptors.

• m_strLabelFCFinishedJetTransfer="A Jet transfer has successfully taken place in <XGParam:StrValue0/>. Return to the Situation Room to claim your reward."

Extra aircraft weapons

The Stingray was a craft weapon from the original game. The UFO weapons may be used in the Overseer.

• ShipWeaponNames[eShipWeapon_Stingray]=Stingray
• ShipWeaponNames[eShipWeapon_UFOPlasmaI]="UFO Weapon I"
• ShipWeaponNames[eShipWeapon_UFOPlasmaII]="UFO Weapon II"

End Game Stats include Playstyle

Additional end game stats. Seems to be determined regarding a player's priorites while playing.

• m_strPlayLabel="Playstyle:"
  • m_strSummTitle="Game Summary"
  • m_strCombatTitle="Combat"
  • m_strSpecialistsTitle="Science/Engineering"
  • m_strResourcesTitle="Resources"
  • m_strLossTitle="Game Summary"
  • DAYS="Days"
  • PCT="%"
  • m_strWin="Victory"
  • m_strLose="Defeat"

• • m_aPlaystyleDesc[ePlaystyle_PerfectHero]="Immortal Hero"
  • m_aPlaystyleDesc[ePlaystyle_Underdog]="Underdog"
  • m_aPlaystyleDesc[ePlaystyle_Science]="Genius"
  • m_aPlaystyleDesc[ePlaystyle_Combat]="Warlord"
  • m_aPlaystyleDesc[ePlaystyle_Money]="Magnate"

Theses lines of code suggest that there was a complex player analysis planned instead of the Player/World results screen seen at the end of the full game: Immortal Hero may have been for a campaign completed without a single KIA, or with long strings of victorious missions, Underdog for heavy losses, Genius for high numbers of Scientists and Engineers, Warlord with large number of item/weapon builds, and Magnate for high levels of reascources/credits.

Different Research Path

Additional steps to rech Alien Materials, Alien Weapons and New Fightercraft

There are separate entries for Alien Alloys and Alien Materials, so it seems that there was an additional step for researching them. The same happens with UFO Flight, which was a research topic on the original game (UFO Construction) necessary before researching New Fighter Craft.

• TechTypeCodeName[eTech_UFOFlight]="UFO Flight"
• TechTypeNames[eTech_AlienAlloys]="Alien Alloys"
• TechTypeSummary[eTech_AlienAlloys]="\"The alloys used in the fabrication of the alien weapons and technology are like nothing we've ever seen. Light, flexible, and considerably stronger than any known material.\""
• TechTypeSummary[eTech_AlienWeaponry]="\"These fragments are all that remain of the powerful alien weaponry we've encountered so far. Still, there is much that we could learn from them while working to advance our own weapons systems.\""

Individual Research for Laser weaponry

Instead of the grouping of Laser Pistol and Laser Rifle into Laser Weapons, Laser Sniper Rifle and Scatter Laser into Precision Lasers and Heavy Laser and Laser Cannon into Heavy Lasers, all of them seem to have been separate research topics.

• TechTypeSummary[eTech_Laser_Pistol]="\"The alien weapons recovered so far are remarkably advanced, so much so that we hardly know how to study them, let alone use them. However, just from our initial examination, we've already gained important insights into portable laser technology.\""
• TechTypeSummary[eTech_Laser_Rifle]="\"Based on our research into the alien weapon fragments, we believe it's possible to develop rifle-class laser weapons with greater range and damage output. Our early prototypes have been encouraging, if a bit... inconsistent.\""
• TechTypeSummary[eTech_Laser_Shotgun]="\"Although much of our efforts have been focused on harnessing laser weaponry for precision firing, we've theorized a number of other interesting variations. One of our more promising concepts is a hand-held weapon that generates a wide field of fire at close range, but rapidly diffuses over longer distances. This could prove to be a devastating close-combat weapon.\""
• TechTypeSummary[eTech_Laser_Heavy]="\"Our experiments with extreme density power packs and enhanced optics have led to weapon design capable of dwarfing the output of our previous lasers. In addition to this heavy-class weapon, we may be able to adapt this technology for fitment on to our fleet of interceptors.\""
• TechTypeSummary[eTech_Laser_Sniper]="\"With our continued advancement in the field of laser optics, we believe we've devised a power pack capable of generating a single focused beam that remains effective even at extreme range with minimal blooming.\""
• TechTypeSummary[eTech_Laser_Cannon]="\"We've finally developed a plausible blueprint for an oversized lens that would allow for us to fabricate a vehicle-mounted laser weapon. Although it would obviously be too large for tactical use, we believe it would be ideal for one of our interceptors.\""

Unit Weapons and Items

Weapons and Equipment

Bait Grenade most likely is another name for Flash Bang Grenade. Possibly some kind of area-of-effect, accuracy-reducing item, akin (but in reverse application) to TK Field and Smoke Grenade

• [XGAmmo_BaitGrenade]
• m_aItemNames[eItem_FlashBang]="Flash Grenade"
• m_strPenaltyFlashBang=Flash Bang

Hand to Hand combat?

• [XGAmmo_PlasmaBlade]
  • m_strWeapon="Plasma Blade"

For science missions?

• [XGAmmo_ScienceDevice]

There are separate entries for Stun Rod (from the original game) and Arc Thrower.

• [XGAmmo_Stun Rod]

Battle Scanner seems to have been an item rather than an ability at one point.

• m_aItemNames[eItem_BattleScanner]="Battle Scanner"
• m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_BattleScanner]="Battle Scanners"

Additional Grenades

• m_aItemNames[eItem_NeutronGrenade]="Neutron Grenade"
• m_aItemNames[eItem_SectoidGrenade]="Sectoid Grenade"
• m_aItemNames[eItem_FloaterGrenade]="Floater Grenade"
• m_aItemNames[eItem_ThinManGrenade]="Thin Man Grenade"
• m_aItemNames[eItem_PsiGrenade]="Psi Grenade"
• m_aItemNames[eItem_PsiAmp]="Psi Amp"

Armor

Each advanced armor seems to have had several different versions, each with unique abilities. Note that the 3 versions of Carapace Armor are listed as "Level 2", and the Golem, Titan, Ghost, and Archangel were all "Level 3". For refrence: the Assault's Extra Conditioning ability gives bonus health to armor level. In the full game, the starting Body Armor adds 1 health, Ghost Armor is actually onsidered a "Level 2" armor and only gives 2 health, and the Titan and Archangel give 4.

• [XGArmor_LevelIIHeavy]
  • m_strName="Heavy Carapace Armor"
  • m_strNotes="The Heavy Carapace Armor allows a soldier to withstand heavy damage while wielding two weapons at once. Inventory and mobility, however, are severly restricted."
    • Implies that either equipping a pistol, on top of the primary weapon, was origionally to be "unlocked" thusly, or that two primary weapons could have been dual-weilded somehow. But then an Assault with two shotguns would be Contra 3, not XCOM.
• [XGArmor_LevelIILight]
  • m_strName="Light Carapace Armor"
  • m_strNotes="The Light Carapace Armor is extremely light and flexible, while still offering a significant defense against alien weapons. A soldier in this armor can climb almost any surface, though they cannot carry as much gear."
    • Almost certainly the concept for the Skelton Armor, which gives 1 less hit point than Carapace, and contains the grappling hook.
• [XGArmor_LevelIIMedium]
  • m_strName="Carapace Armor"
  • m_strNotes="The Carapace Armor is both stronger and lighter than our conventional armor, allowing soldiers to carry more gear even as they withstand greater damage."
• [XGArmor_LevelIIIHeavy]
  • m_strName="Golem Armor"
  • m_strNotes="The Golem is impervious to damage."
  • m_aItemNames[eItem_ArmorGolem]="Golem Armor"
• [XGArmor_LevelIIILight]
  • m_strName="Ghost Armor"
  • m_strNotes="The Ghost is capable of vanishing from sight."
• [XGArmor_LevelIIIMedium]
  • m_strName="Titan Armor"
  • m_strNotes="The Titan armor provides an excellent defense against alien weapons."
• [XGArmor_LevelIIIMediumAir]
  • m_strName="Archangel Armor"
  • m_strNotes="The Archangel is capable of flight."
• m_aItemNames[eItem_ArmorGoliath]="Goliath Armor"

Alien Artifacts

Additional alien artifacts present during missions.

• [XGArtifact_MummyPod]
  • m_strName="Mummy Pod"
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_MummyPod]="Mummy Pods"
• [XGArtifact_Technology]

m_strName="Alien Technology"

• [XGArtifact_CommunicationsDevice]
  • m_strName="Alien Communication Device"
  • m_strHelp="Using this loot will give +2 to the soldiers TAC for the remainder of combat. If not used, loot can be disassembled for parts back at HQ.
• [XGArtifact_AlienSalvage_Food]
  • m_strName="Alien Salvage Food"
• [XGArtifact_AlienSalvage_Technology]
  • m_strName="Alien Salvage Technology"
• [XGArtifact_AlienSalvage_Entertainment]
  • m_strName="Alien Salvage Entertainment"
• [XGArtifact_MedicalStation]
  • m_strName="Alien Medical Station"
  • m_strHelp="Using this loot will fully restore a soldier's hit points. If not used, loot can be disassembled for parts back at HQ."
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_MedicalStation]="Medical Stations"
• [XGArtifact_Alien_Beacon]
  • m_strName="Alien Beacon"
  • m_strHelp="Use this beacon to deactivate the power core."
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_Alien_Beacon]="Alien Beacons"
• [XGArtifact_Interact]
  • m_strName="Alien Console"
  • m_strHelp="Hack this console."
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_Alien_Console]="Alien Consoles"
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_Alien_Interact]="Alien Interactions"
• [XGArtifact_Salvage]
  • m_strName="Alien Salvage"
  • m_strHelp="Take this salvage back to your base."
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_Alien_Salvage]="Alien Salvages"
• [XGArtifact_UFO_I]

m_strName="UFO Hull Section"

• [XGArtifact_UFO_II]
  • m_strName="Hyperwave Transmitter"
• [XGArtifact_UFO_III]
  • m_strName="Plasma Cannons"
• [XGArtifact_UFO_IV]
  • m_strName="UFO Power Core"

[XGArtifact_UFO_V]

• • m_strName="Psi Link"
  • m_strName="UFO Hull Section"
• [XGArtifact_AlienIntelligence]
  • m_strName="Alien Intelligence"
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_AlienIntel]="Alien Intel"
• m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_CommStation]="Comm Stations"
• m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_Alien_WeaponsLocker]="Alien Weapons Lockers"
• m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_FogPod]="Alien Fog Devices"
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_Alien_Storage]="Alien Storage"
  • m_aItemNamesPlural[eItem_Alien_Bomb]="Alien Bombs"
• XGAlienLoot]
  • m_strAlienDeviceDefused=Alien Device has been defused!
  • m_strSFXBoom=... (BOOM) ...
  • m_strSelfBlowSingular=Turns until alien device self-destructs: <XGParam:IntValue0/>
  • m_strSelfBlowPlural=Turns until alien device self-destructs: <XGParam:IntValue0/>
  • m_strFoundAlienDevice=<XGParam:StrValue0/> found an Alien Device!

Item Properties

This property may actually be used with the Total Loss option of Second Wave

• m_strArmorExplodeFragments=<XGParam:StrValue0/> armor explodes into fragments!

Skirmish Mode

• [XGBattleDesc]
  • m_strSkirmishOpName="Tactical Skirmish"
  • m_sLocation="%sCITY, %sSTATE %sCOUNTRY"
  • m_aCities[0]="Animosa"
  • m_aCities[1]="Liberty"
  • m_aCities[2]="Grapevine"
  • m_aCities[3]="Gallop"
  • m_aCities[4]="Kearney"
  • m_aCities[5]="Neosho"
  • m_aCities[6]="Oxford"
  • m_aCities[7]="Enid"
  • m_aCities[8]="Hayes"
  • m_aCities[9]="Woodall"
  • m_aCities[10]="Goodland"
  • m_aCities[11]="Excelsior Springs"
  • m_aCities[12]="Lexington"
  • m_aCities[13]="Empire Falls"
  • m_aStates[0]="Missouri"
  • m_aStates[1]="Iowa"
  • m_aStates[2]="Kansas"
  • m_aStates[3]="Nebraska"
  • m_aStates[4]="Minnesota"
  • m_aStates[5]="Michigan"
  • m_aStates[6]="Wisconsin"
  • m_aStates[7]="Oklahoma"
  • m_aStates[8]="Arkansas"
  • m_aStates[9]="Texas"
  • m_aStates[10]="Colorado"
  • m_aStates[11]="Utah"
  • m_aStates[12]="Idaho"
  • m_aCountries[0]="U.S.A"
  • m_aCountries[1]="U.S.A"

Battle Results

• m_strUFO="UFO Intercepted!"
• m_strTerror="City Defended!"
• m_strActI="Alien Base Destroyed!"

*m_strActII="Alien Destroyer Neutralized!"

• m_sAliensKilled="Aliens killed:"
• m_sXComKilled="XCOM Casualties:"
• m_strPanicReduced="Panic Level Reduced by"
• m_strPanicUnchanged="Panic Level Unchanged."

*m_sBonusShortMission="Mission completed in 10 turns:"

• m_sBonusNoCasualties="No XCOM Casualties:"
• m_strBonus="Bonus!"
• m_strPaniHelp="Shooting down UFOs is the easiest way to reduce panic."
  • Replaced with a straight grading in the Mission Results after loss/victory, and most mssions don't concern the number of turns taken. There is an achievement for completing a Very Difficult abduction mission in 5 turns in Classic/Impossoble difficulty: but like all achievementss it does not affect gameplay.

*m_sArtifactsRecovered="Total Alien Artifacts Recovered:"

• m_sArtifactTip="The Engineering facility can break down Alien Artifacts into parts."

Inventory Item Slots

Several of the Unused Armor descriptions suggest that an individual soldier's inventory size used to be modular, and/or had body-part-specific item slots, similar to the origional game.

• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RightBack]="Right Back"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_LeftBack]="Left Back"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RightHand]="Right Hand"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_LeftHand]="Left Hand"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_Grapple]="Grapple"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RightThigh]="Right Thigh"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_LeftThigh]="Left Thigh"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_LeftBelt]="Left Belt"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_LeftBoot]="Left Boot"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RightBoot]="Right Boot"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RightChest]="Right Chest"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_LeftChest]="Left Chest"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RightForearm]="Right Forearm"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RightSling]="Right Sling"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_RearBackPack]="Rear BackPack"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_PsiSource]="Psi Source"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_Head]="Head"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_CenterChest]="Center Chest"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_ChestCannon]="Chest Cannon"
• m_arrLocationNames[eSlot_None]="None"

Alien Flora

CS_ABM_Alien_Flora SoundNodeWave] SpokenText="Another intriguing discovery... that appears to be a form of alien flora. This could imply the aliens are attempting to establish a long-term habitat on Earth, with conditions more suitable to their physiology."

Grey Market Facility

In the full game, the Grey Market is still technically "unlocked" when the Situation Room tab itself is unlocked, after the first Abduction mission

[Council_GreyMarketUnlock SoundNodeWave] SpokenText="The XCOM project has made excellent progress under your leadership, Commander. As a result of your efforts, this Council has agreed to authorize the sale of certain... extraterrestrial artifacts... exclusively to our individual member nations. Your... discretion... in this matter is expected."

Second Wave

Additional option: an increase of cities attacked under Abduction mission, problably removed for difficulty balance.

m_arrGameplayToggleTitle[eGO_MoreAbductionSites]=The Blitz m_arrGameplayToggleDesc[eGO_MoreAbductionSites]=The aliens will target a larger number of cities every time they launch an abduction attack.

Additional Abilities

• m_strPassiveTxt[ePerk_Vengeance]="If an enemy does damage to you or another nearby soldier, you get a reaction shot (with pistol, if you have a flamethrower) against it.You get a reaction shot against any targetable enemy that does damage to you or another soldier -- including cases where the damage kills you."
  • Possibly a precursor to the Support's Cover Fire ability.

• m_strPassiveTxt[ePerk_Blitz]="If you kill an enemy during your action phase, then immediately after it ends you may take a regular shot."
  • Possibly a Non-Sniper version of the In The Zone or Double Tap.

• m_strPassiveTxt[ePerk_ModernFoxhole]="You can use a gadget to create a force shield that blocks movement and provides partial cover. It expires after 3 turns, or can be turned off. It can be destroyed by enemy weapon fire."
  • Description suggests a moveable cover device: problably cut and replaced with the Alloy SHIV's ability to provide half-cover.

• m_strPassiveTitle[ePerk_TooCloseForComfort]=Too Close For Comfort
  • m_strPassiveTxt[ePerk_TooCloseForComfort]=Aim penalty for close proximity is halved.
    • Almost certainly an unused Sniper ability, as Sniper Rifles are the only weapon that suffer a proximity penalty. Perhaps replaced with Gunslinger, due to the relatively minor difference in aim it would make.

• m_strPassiveTitle[ePerk_HeatWave]="Heat Wave"
  • m_strPassiveTxt[ePerk_HeatWave]="Can fire a devastating long-range wave that scorches and destroys virtually anything in its path. Takes one turn to warm up."
    • Obviously an ability for the dropped Pyro class

• m_strPassiveTitle[ePerk_ReadyForAnything]=Ready For Anything
  • m_strPassiveTxt[ePerk_ReadyForAnything]="Allows Overwatch after shooting, even if no actions remain."
  • AbilityAvailableMessages[eAAvailable_ReadyForAnythingOverwatch]="Ready for Anything! Overwatch after firing."
    • Description suggests something of the nature of the Assault's Close Combat ability

• AbilityNames[eAbility_ShotDamageCover]="Damage Cover"
  • HelpMessages[eAbility_ShotDamageCover]="Damage and potentially destroy enemy cover or other environmental elements."
  • ShotDamageCoverTargetAbility="Use <XGAbility:Name/> to damage and potentially destroy enemy cover or other environmental elements."
    • Evidently, an ability to intentionally (and reliably) destroy enemy cover with the primary weapon (since doing it on purpose with non-explosive weapons is near-random).

• AbilityNames[eAbility_Torch]="Torch"

• AbilityNames[eAbility_FlashBang]="Flash Bang"

• AbilityNames[eAbility_ShotPaintTarget]=""
  • Holo-Targeting for a non-Heavy class?

• AbilityNames[eAbility_ShotPaintDefense]=""
  • A mass Supression command?

• AbilityNames[eAbility_MotionDetector]="Motion Detector"
  • Problably something aking to the Battle Scanner.

• AbilityNames[eAbility_PsiBomb]="Psi Bomb"
  • May or may not have been related to the unused "Psi Grenade" item. Prototype of Mindfray or Rift?

• AbilityNames[eAbility_Mark]="Mark"

• AbilityNames[eAbility_Command]="Command"
  • HelpMessages[eAbility_Command]="Give a free move to any squadmate that has ended their turn."
  • TargetMessages[eAbility_Command]="Free Move!"
    • Problably dropped for potential abuse: 5 soldiers could make 1 well-equipped soldier move and attack an absurd number of times.

• AbilityNames[eAbility_Aim]="Aim"
  • HelpMessages[eAbility_Aim]="Increase Aim by <XGameCore:AimBonus/> for 2 turns."
  • TargetMessages[eAbility_Aim]="Aim"
    • Holo-Targeting cousin/prototype?

• AbilityNames[eAbility_EquipWeapon]="Equip"
  • HelpMessages[eAbility_EquipWeapon]="Unequip the current weapon, and equip the <XGAbility:WeaponName/>"

• AbilityNames[eAbility_Berserk]="Berserk"
  • TargetMessages[eAbility_Berserk]="Berserk!"
  • Possibly an soldier version of the Berserker's 'Blood Lust ability?

• AbilityNames[eAbility_PsiBless]="Psi Bless"
  • Almost certainly a precursor to Psi Inspiration, perhaps renamed to remove religious connotation?

• m_arrCategoryNames[eCat_Ability]="Ability"
• m_arrCategoryNames[eCat_NewPerks]="New Perks"
• AbilityAvailableMessages[eAAvailable_ErrRequiresPerks]="This ability requires training this soldier does not possess."
  • This entry suggests that Abilities were once set in distinct skill trees, akin to various RPGs (like the Diablo series), and that high-level skills required prerequisite abilites to be chosen (which itself suggests that both (more?) of a Class' Rank's ability could have been accuired).

Close Combat Mode

m_aExpandedLocalizedStrings[eELS_UnitInCloseCombat]="NOT USED ANYMORE: <XGParam:StrValue0/> entered close combat!"

• Along with the dropped Plasma Blade item, this suggests that melee combat was once planned.