X-COM: UFO Defense

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X-COM: UFO Defense

Developers
	Mythos Games
	MicroProse
Publishers
	MicroProse
Japan	Spectrum HoloByte
Current	2K Games
Release dates
DOS	March 1994
Windows	September 4, 2008

X-COM
X-COM: UFO Defense	1994
X-COM: Terror from the Deep	1995
X-COM: Apocalypse	1997
X-COM: Interceptor	1998
X-COM: Email games	1999
X-COM: Enforcer	2001
XCOM: Enemy Unknown	2012
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified	2013
XCOM 2	2016
XCOM: Chimera Squad	2020

Key points

Use OpenXcom for many new features, which is also highly moddable.

Also released as UFO: Enemy Unknown.

General information

Steam Community Discussions

UFOpaedia

OpenXcom

OpenXcom Modding Database

Essential improvements

The following tweaks are only available by using OpenXcom.

OpenXcom

An open-source, multi platform remake with various improvements.

Unlimited save games support, along with native widescreen support and proper audio formats.

DOSBox no longer required, simply copy the new OpenXcom files where the main executable is located or use the provided installer.

Skip intro videos

Instructions

Track Steam playtime

Instructions

Amiga/PSX Fonts

Great for enhanching the readability.

MS-DOS

Run in DOSBox

To improve DOSBox performance make the following changes to the DOSBox configuration file:

• Change output=surface to output=opengl
• Change memsize=16 to memsize=64
• Change cycles=auto to cycles=auto limit 10000

Run with UFO Extender plus XcomUtil

The UFO Extender program runs on the Windows version, providing a mouse-resizable window, a smoother-running, more responsive screen than DOSBox, and a host of fixes for various bugs or exploits in the game.. It also supports the use of higher-quality .mp3 music from the PlayStation release, and keyboard shortcuts. XcomUtil provides bug fixes, including for the disjointed-base bug, and additional ease-of-use features like the automatic re-equipping of soldiers before a mission and appending rank and stat info to soldier names.

Both also offer many gameplay modifications such as enhanced weaponry, different starting-base layouts, and randomized terrain and UFO layouts. These are all optional and turned off by default.

The programs are confirmed to run on Windows 7 as well as older operating systems, and with the Steam release.

XcomUtil supports the UFOExtender launcher, but assumes the use of DOS or DOSBox at several points in the installation process, so specific steps are required to run them simultaneously:

1. Install X-COM. If installing from CD, make sure it is a full installation.
2. Download the UFO Extender loader "UFOLoader.zip", available at this Ufopaedia page, and extract it directly to the folder "XCOM", which is inside the base install folder (e.g. "Xcom UFO Defense") in distributions with DOSBox.
3. In the "XCOM" folder open the file "UFOExtender.ini" with Notepad, find the line "D3D=0" and change it to "D3D=1" and change the value of "D3D Windowed" from 0 to 1. Save and close the modified .ini file.
   • On Windows 7 and Vista, you'll only be able to run this mod combo in a window. It will launch work once in fullscreen, and not again subsequently. (The window can be maximized though.)
   • If you do not wish to install XcomUtil as well, stop here, and you may run the game by launching "UFOLoader.exe" in the "XCOM" folder.
4. Download the XcomUtil install file, currently "XcomUtil 9.7 Beta-442.exe", available at the downloads page at Bladefirelight.com. Run this file, again directly selecting the "XCOM" folder as the install location. If unavailable, use this .zip file for build 442, extract it into the XCOM folder, and then run XcuSetup.bat.
5. XcomUtil setup should now be running in a cmd.exe window. If the cmd.exe screen appears blank, right-click on its title bar and select Properties. Under the Colors tab set "Screen Text" to a contrasting color from "Screen Background".
6. When asked if you wish to configure XcomUtil now, enter "yes" and allow the program to run.
   • XcomUtil setup may also ask Steam users if they wish to use XcomUtil when X-COM is launched from Steam. However, launching from within Steam will still launch DOSBox instead of the UFO Extender launcher, so select "no". You cannot launch with UFO Extender from Steam's menu.
7. On the screen that says "Windows 7/Vista has Issues displaying DOS/Win. On startup you get a blank screen..." enter "no" to decline installing the patch suggested.
8. Enter "yes" when asked if you wish to enable the use of UFO Extender when you launch the game.
9. Continue answering the rest of the prompts with the options you prefer. If you do not wish to change gameplay, you can still enable the re-equipping of soldiers before each battle with their last set of items, and the automatic addition of useful information to soldier name strings after battles. Info on all the options can be found in the "XcomUtil.txt" file in the "XComUtil" folder.
10. If you want to change these options, run setup again by launching "XcuSetup.bat" in the "XCOM" folder. You can also do this after starting a game.
11. You may now launch the game by running "RunXCom.bat" (not "XCOM.bat") in the "XCOM" folder.
    • If you are running Steam do not launch X-COM directly from its menu.
    • Do not run the file "xcomutil.exe" to launch the game. It will not work outside DOS or DOSBox. Xcomutil.exe simply provides a launch menu, with options for running the Xcomutil setup and the X-COM sound programs.
12. Set additional UFO Extender options as you see fit by altering UFOextender.ini with Notepad. Information can be found here. In the provided download, all options are off by default, including enhancements that do not affect gameplay. You may enable Geoscape and Battlescape keyboard shortcuts and the stat display on the equip screen by setting the appropriate "Apply" values from 0 to 1, and set the keyboard shortcuts.
13. To use the enhanced music from the PlayStation version of the game, download the appropriate .mp3 files found here (right-click and select to save the links). Place them together in a new folder inside your XCOM folder. Name the new folder "mp3". Open "UFOExtender.ini" with Notepad and under the "Music" heading set "Apply" from 0 to 1. Set the track names to match those in the new mp3 folder. The .ini file should appear similar to the excerpt below. The PlayStation files include additional Geoscape music; you may choose to set up different tracks:

UFOExtender.ini suggested music settings

[Music] Apply=1 Source=MP3 ;Source=PSX CD CD Drive=F MP3 Folder=mp3 Battlescape=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 10 - Battlescape1.mp3 Start Menu=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 09 - Final Briefing.mp3 Bad Ending=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 09 - Final Briefing.mp3 Good Ending=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 12 - Mission Accomplished.mp3 Geoscape=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 01 - Geoscape1.mp3 Dogfight=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 08 - Dogfight.mp3 Mission Debriefing=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 07 - Debriefing.mp3 UFO Assault=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 05 - Briefing1.mp3 Base Defense=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 06 - Briefing2.mp3 Base Attack=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 05 - Briefing1.mp3 Mars=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 07 - Debriefing.mp3 Terror Mission=X-COM UFO Defense PSX - 06 - Briefing2.mp3

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

OpenXcom

Multiple paths are available.

Template:Game data/rowTemplate:Game data/row

System	Location
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/7760/pfx/

This game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Steam Cloud

Video settings

OpenXcom in-game video settings.

Input settings

Every key is by default already mapped when using OpenXcom.

OpenXcom in-game input settings.

Audio settings

OpenXcom in-game audio settings.

The original release only shipped with the English language.

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Italian
French
German
Spanish

Issues fixed

Almost every single major bug has been fixed in OpenXcom.

Difficulty bug

The original DOS version of the game has a bug which would run the game at the Beginner difficulty regardless of what the player actually selected. This bug went undetected until before the release of the sequel, at which time it was patched. The complaints regarding the game being too easy even at the highest difficulty setting led to the sequel's difficulty being scaled up so much that it's easiest difficulty was harder than the intended hardest difficulty for this game. The patch is included in all Steam versions of the game.

System requirements

DOS

Windows

DOS
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	5.0	6.2
Processor (CPU)	Intel 386 20+ MHz	Intel 486
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD)	10 MB	15 MB
Video card (GPU)	VGA	SVGA