Iron Man or Save Scum
Not that it should matter if you are enjoying the game but…
This article will be centering on the X-COM and XCOM franchise of turn based strategy. Most turn based strategies that permit free saving will allow Save Scumming at one degree or another. Due to the length of re-loading a game, often save scumming becomes less of an incentive. People do still do this though. There is a psychology behind it.
This is also a continuation article from this article based on the subject of ‘Squad Wipes’, a most painful affliction in any turn based game of similar ilk to X-COM.
Just a point of note, the Micropose era of X-COM had the joy of both X-COM: Terrain Defense (which in my country was called X-COM: Enemy Unknown) and X-COM: Terror From The Deep (which may be shortened to TFTD in this article). The latter was a re-skin of the former, the latter was hideously difficult but in a good way. The punishment in that game was severe, which sharpened your overall tactics, the AI was superior the second time around.
Later on we had XCOM: Enemy Unknown (which confused the shit out of all of the UK individuals who’ve played the original with almost the identical name). This spawned an expansion (because Firaxis are all about expansions) in the shape of Enemy Within. The sequel (vastly superior in my eyes) XCOM 2, received its DLC, War of the Chosen, not all that long ago.
On with the show, before we get too misty eyed about those missions of the past, and all those men and women we lost.
What is the term ‘Save Scum’?
Hopefully you might be aware of this term but if not, I’ll explain.
To many, this is a non-term, basically it is you using the save game. I wasn’t even aware of this term. I was aware that there was this strange elite class of solo players who saw the save game exploit as tantamount to gross villainy, and my middle finger raised almost instantly, as yours should.
In a single player game you should never be worried about cheating, or ‘gaming’ the system. Gaming the system is actually something that a game should be all about. If you are having fun, where’s the harm. You have to bear in mind that the computer has a distinct advantage over you, in one or more ways based on how it predicts your moves and performs a challenge.
Firaxis wouldn’t bother allowing mods if they didn’t want you to enjoy the experience, it also seems clear that in their recent DLC for XCOM 2, that some tweaks have been introduced so that those tempted to cheat, will be less likely to, I’ll go into that a bit more later on.
The Act of Save Scum
Save Scumming and being a Save Scummer is what you are purported to be if you re-load the game (any of these games) when you have suffered a failure of any kind, so as to negate said failure. A squad wipe would tend to instigate this save scummery for even the hardest of wills and would be legitimate but any other save and reload madness is not (according to some elitist bozos).
Microprose Era X-COM was free from Iron Man. The choice was left entirely with you. You could chose to be as little or as large a save scummer as you wanted. No repercussions, no labels, just a game fashioned of your own making.
I am guilty as charged. In fact, I’m worse than a save scummer, back in the old days at least. I actually would pass through a mission, then use a trainer to resurrect any dead soldiers. Sinner. Guilty. Evil! Save Scum wasn’t even a term back then. What ever you did to make the game enjoyable for you was entirely legal. Cheating is acceptable, the computer already knows everything, the computer doesn’t have to worry about the fog of war, it knows where you are.
Even on easy, XCOM 2 is very challenging in parts because you can still lose at the strategy layer, outside of combat. The resource balancing is tight and you are marching to the beat of the Avatar Project clock. I think this was where Firaxis have been rather canny. They have followed the same route that the original X-COM made by going from one base level of difficulty and raising that bar ferociously to the next. I hope that trend continues because it stretches us all as players.
Often the computer would cheat, bear with me on this one. The fact is that it knows exactly where all of your troops are and how to come at you. It knows exactly which soldier is the strongest (or weakest), and will throw everything at them first. It can be cruel. Sometimes people complain that the RNG is bent in terms of rolling terribly in certain situations. I don’t entirely believe that is true. Most of the terrible events happen because you weren’t careful enough. You don’t think about things so badly when the AI makes a hideous move.
Remember that the computer, despite the illusion of concealment, a new factor to XCOM 2, knows where you are.
Terror From the Deep is a classic example of cruel. In X-COM, it would take the aliens a long time to start using their superior grenades. In TFTD, alien grenades would kill many a rookie, and potentially lead to many a squad wipe. Sonic grenades were brutal. I often liked to research these ahead of other weapons due to their brutality.
Levels of Scummery
Yes, you are a sinner on different levels in the eyes of an Iron Man. Let’s see which one you are.
Level 1: Oakum Brand Scummery (BRONZEMAN)
The easiest way to be less of a save scummer in any of the iterations of XCOM is to save at the start of the mission before you make any moves. You play the whole mission through and if you survive and complete the mission objectives you take your losses and injuries as is.
If you fail you start again but now you know the dimensions of the map and roughly where the objective is. You also have some idea of the forces you will face and can adapt your strategy.
In worst case you can immediately pull out, realising you are out classed or announce the words; “Fuck this for a laugh!”.
Surviving in any difficulty above the easiest at a flawless outcome is difficult. The more enemies you face, the more chances you have to be shot. XCOM and XCOM 2 introduced serious injury downtime. XCOM more from the mod Long War, Long War was then heavily enfused into XCOM 2 owing to its popularity. Long war 2 was then re-enfused back into XCOM 2’s DLC with a few twists, to further stab you.
The new DLC for XCOM 2 is introducing a starting option that mitigates the propensity for instakill by “doubling all health”. The game will last longer but you have less chance of suffering an early battle fatality from a one-shot kill. That said, there is every likelihood that you will need twice as many soldiers as before so as to outride the huge number of injuries you are going to take. That new Infirmary room is going to be busy.
Level 2: Sinister Scummer Lieutenant (STONEMAN)
You save at the start of the mission as per. You then reach a crunch point and save each point of the battle from that stage on so as to minimise injury to your troops. You may replay the same turn multiple times if your enemy is scoring repeated hits and criticals, until they miss shots. Once you have overcome this onslaught you return to business as usual until you receive a crunch point again.
Normally this form of scummery is triggered by a fatal exposure, poor strategy or some incredibly unlucky RNG. Unlucky in that your troops are being peppered with plasma, tentacles or hard steel (and not necessarily in that order).
There are some variations on this. Some more underhand than others. Go with me on this, I’m the master.
In X-COM, for more challenge, I used to take a single soldier on the mission. This was perilous but fun. Obviously any miss-step could be your last. Obviously it was hazardous to lose a Skyranger, therefore save scumming was necessary.
Losing a soldier on the first turn is always hard to bear. Especially if your best soldier was at the head of the Baracuda or the Skyranger. Sometimes this would occur because you had deployed during the dark, with no other option, and the aliens could target you outside of your own sight range. Annoying bastards and cheating. Save Scummery required in order to provide a safe deployment of your troops.
In XCOM and XCOM 2 it was rare to get taken out in your first turn but often you might get taken out if you triggered more than one pod of aliens at a time. Save scummery level 2 please, thank you. If you scummed suitably enough you could game the movement of pods so as to take each one individually.
Level 3: The Impossible-Possible Scummer General (SCUMMAN)
The fully committed save scummer goes the extra mile. This is where you are actually searching for impossible RNG percentage shots on a regular basis and where playing the game actually becomes less fun. You replay almost every turn to ensure the optimum outcome for you and worst outcome for your enemy.
Punish a Sectoid for choosing to resurrect a fallen Advent soldier rather than choose mind control. Fuck yeah!
Ensure that every reaction shot hits that bezerker and kills it. Fuck yeah!
Finish the mission flawless, indeedly doodly.
This method of play is unfun because it removes threat from the enemy. They are reduced to unrealistic catastrophic failure in order to gift you the win and the victory is far less rewarding as a result.
The only exception is Lobster men. Lobster men will always be the exception to the rule. Lobster Thermidor anyone? Oh and Chryssalids/Tentaculats, they can suffer too.
Why Save Scumming Was More Prevalent in XCOM 2
This is entirely due to the fact that missions with turn counts were introduced. If you got caught in a firefight and were suppressed from your goal for too long, you would fail automatically. Save scumming was required in order to overcome this but later mods were released to remove the turn counter altogether and allow players to proceed in a more measured approach (still technically cheating because turn counters were introduced to speed up your gameplay and force you out of cover more frequently, avoiding the overwatch trap).
You could just install some cheating mods but why go to that effort when all you have to do is reload your save?
Note: The up and coming expansion to XCOM 2 includes advanced options which will double the turn counter and Avatar Project progress bar. Whoop whoop!
Iron Man Mode (More Time Than Sense Mode)
Iron Man Mode was not a thing in the X-COM and Terror From the Deep Era. You were free to follow the rules that made you happy.
You could elect to go through with saving after each mission, win lose or draw, a gentleman’s (or lady’s) agreement as such. There was no restriction. Often saving in these era of games was wise because the save game could corrupt on rare occasions and you could lose quite an amount of progress.
Iron Mode was more of a feature introduced by Firaxis as part of a movement that was started in more modern gaming (although when you think about the first game I saw it on, was aeons ago). Feeling the reward of going through a game without the ability to re-run time to your advantage was seen as the ultimate challenge. From as far as I can remember, Iron Man style run throughs began with Diablo 2 in a hardcore mode. You could choose to run iron man, but in so doing, would forfeit everything, game over, permadeath. Far more punishing but also far more rewarding, especially when ladders and leaderboards were a thing.
A lot of people had a hard on for PVP when it was an actual thing. I remember those halcyon days. The 90s was pure bliss for gaming, nowadays there is so much unapologetic dogshit out there that I wonder where it is all heading. I am always happy to hear when someone born post millennium finds these old games and embraces them. It cheers me up to think that you stumbled on what we found amazing back in the day, and rate it. Things were good back then, and that’s not rose tinted glasses speaking either.
Iron man is a commitment. You make a series of screw ups that eventually lead to no more soldiers, loss of funding or completion of the Avatar project and you are boned. T’Leth will rise. Cydonia no, bust yes. Immersion for some is all about the small details. Taking the sour kraut with the icing sugar is just the way some people like to play.
Most players who commit to Ironman are normally pretty confident. Normally they’ll be playing on a higher difficulty that they’ve beaten a number of times already, and are just going for the ultimate challenge. I don’t cast any shade on players who want to play Iron Man. Fill your boots. Enjoy the way you play.
My Thoughts on Iron Man
Iron man is not for me. Not because I don’t have time to waste, but because I prefer my method of play. Give me a save slot and I’ll use it. I don’t care that I’m an easy gamer but for the first time in a long time, I am playing XCOM 2 at veteran level (and enjoying it).
There are only two games I’ve completed at max level difficulty, both made by Bungie; Myth and Myth 2. These games don’t generally enable a subscription to save scumming either, so you have to be shit hot. The amount of times my dwarves have blown themselves up is ridiculous, and there is generally no way back from that. You just get provided new dwarves to replace them in the next mission, who are slightly less capable than the ones who blew themselves up in the last map (sometimes the dwarves were idiots and would drop the exploding bottles too close, also if you set the satchel charges wrong, a critical miss hit would spell the end).
Myth 2’s end game is punishing and you will lose a large core of your troops on the summit to the Soulblighter. Something you have to take on the chin. But that’s the difference between real time strategy and turn based strategy. You have to be on the ball and prepared. There was also a general advantage in Myth by virtue of knowing the map. In games where you have randomly generated environments, everything is variable.
I have heard there are ways to exploit even whilst in Iron Man. So you can still cheat. Opening the console window and more than likely a trainer, are two options for the die hard exploiter. Mods can also help. One method I’ve heard of involves exiting the game so as to avoid the measured save that Iron Man Mode takes, in hopes that your save game hasn’t corrupted whilst performing this.
The game is what you make of it, and how you like it.
I feel no shame for not being an Iron Man.
Bronze Man, Stone Man or Scum Man for the win!
And Finally
War of the Chosen DLC for XCOM 2 looks friggin’ awesome.
I have a problem though.
I’m a console player. I know, it is a dreadful sin.
I am reluctant to buy the DLC on my console because of the threat of Sony hacks that have happened in the past. I don’t store my bank details via the PSN network because there is proof that system is not secure, I won’t buy from your store Sony.
I am not currently part of the PC master race. I did used to be, many moons ago, but grew tired of the upgrades I had to perform on a regular basis. I am slowly being drawn back though as I need a more capable desktop machine for other uses beyond just gaming. My HP laptop is not cutting it although it does most of the standard day to day pretty well.
What recently sparked my interest in turn based strategy was digging out my copy of XCOM 2 which then prompted me to buy a classic X-COM bundle from GOG.com, at an unbelievable bargain price. It was everything I remembered, and more.
Man I love these games.
Just one more turn….
