X-COM: TFTD Game Info


X-COM: Terror From the Deep Game Info

B A C K G R O U N D On the morning of November 28, 1998, top officials from the world�s most economically powerful countries congregated secretly at the UN. The reason for the meeting: increasing terrestrial UFO activity. Over the previous 6 months there had been numerous confirmed sightings, landings and hostile contacts with super-intelligent and unpredictable aliens. After much debate, the decision was made to establish an independent body to combat, investigate and defeat the alien threat. This elite organization was equipped with the world�s finest pilots, soldiers, scientists and engineers, working together as one multinational force. This organization was named the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit.
2039 AD The last scarred sites of the alien war of 30 years ago are healing and, for all intents and purposes, the threat to the Earth might never have happened. Humans sleep easier in their beds knowing that the evil has gone� But in the oceans long-silent forces have been aroused by the conflicts. Forces that have from time to time made themselves known to man, but for the most part have remained hidden. Separated from their stellar cousins for millennia, these aliens are now aware of their brethren�s former battles culminating in the final conflict on Mars. Under the ocean lies the remains of a vast interstellar colonization ship; 400 billion tons of metal that plummeted to the Earth some 65 million years ago. Now, the waiting is at an end, the powerful computers begin to stir, the ancient technology readies itself for the coming storm. When the alien base on Mars shuddered in its death throes, a powerful Tachyon beam darted out to a long dormant receptor.
Thirty years ago, awakened by the cosmic emissions of their brothers, the vast chambers of innumerable species began their re-animation cycle. X-COM must now face a new terror, an army of aliens that is already here, but in an environment more deadly than deep space. The aliens of the depths are well prepared to take on man in all the oceans, even bringing the war onto the land. X-COM: Terror From The Deep lets you enter into combat in a strange and alien world, use new technology to enable the war to be taken under the seas, arm your troops for an encounter the likes of which man has only dreamed of in his worst nightmares A vast sleeping enemy has awakened. When the colonization vessel crash landed on Earth some 65 million years ago, the emergency systems placed the aliens in suspended animation. A distress call was sent, but was never received by the aliens� homeworld. Over the eons the computers awakened small groups of aliens to attempt colonization, but the strategies and devices were imperfect. The aliens have also sunken ships, destroyed planes and devastated remote ports over the centuries to what end we know not. Now, deep in the vast hulk of the mother ship the battle computers have become fully online. The systematic awakening of the aliens and their technology has begun. Across the globe are sites where age-old alien advance assault squads have been attempting to contact their distant brothers. The sites contain powerful artifacts that they need to conquer the planet and transform it into an aquatic paradise for aliens. X-COM: Terror From The Deep puts you in command of X-COM. You control the force to stop the alien terror. First, you�ll intercept the alien subs and shoot them down. Then, you�ll command a sub-aqua mission using the �Battlescape� display. This view will display only what your aquanauts can see, allowing danger to creep up on the unsuspecting. Successfully completing Alien Submarine Assault missions allows X-COM scientists to clear the sites of artifacts and begin researching alien technology. On completion, Engineers can reproduce superior weapons to better attack subs. Soon you will be fighting the aliens with their own technology. A special USOpaedia will contain all the information gathered from your missions.

There are two different modes of interface in X-COM: Terror From the Deep (TFTD). First, there is the Geoscape, which is basically a picture of the Earth that shows alien and XCOM activities. The light blue squares represent XCOM bases. Pink squares are alien bases. Yellow plus signs, or crosses, are XCOM ships and red crosses are alien ships. In the menu bar to the right side of the screen are buttons that let you intercept craft, go to the Base View, check your statistics in the graphs, look up details on aliens in the USOPaedia, go to the options menu where you can save, load, and quit, and another where you can check your current funding.
Within the Geoscape is the Base View. Here, you can look at the overview of your base and perform tasks such as equipping your crafts, inspecting soldiers, researching, manufacturing, transferring, selling, and buying. You can also add additional facilities to your base. As you progress through the game, you will be able to build more facilities. From the Base View, you can also create additional bases.
The second interface mode is the Battlescape. This is where the actual fighting goes on. In the Battlescape, you can do everything from shooting aliens, running around, blowing up buildings, laying ambushes, sieging USOs, killing your own guys, and simply aborting the mission. Obviously, there's a wide range of activities to indulge your demented mind in.
Before you depart from your craft, you will be given the opportunity to equip and rearrange your soldiers' weapons to your heart's content.

This ship, the Leviathan, marks the hallmark of your XCOM engineers' creativity. It combines alien technology and human ingenuity to create the fastest, baddest, and most economical assault craft.
The magnetic ion armor is also a great innovation. I wish I had one of these at home. Not only is it extremely strong and able to withstand direct hits, it also enables your trooper to fly up and drop into a USO from above.
This is another clip from the USOPaedia that shows a few details of the classic bug-eyed sectoid with a watery twist. It is usually the first alien you encounter, and one of the easiest to kill.