Terra Invicta: The Spiritual Successor to Long War
The new game from the creators of Long War, the acclaimed and challenging mod for the XCOM series, is Terra Invicta. Developed by Pavonis Interactive, the studio formed by the minds behind Long War, Terra Invicta shifts the strategic scope from a global guerilla war against alien invaders to a grand, geopolitical struggle for control of Earth and the solar system. While retaining the challenging, deep tactical and strategic elements that made Long War famous, Terra Invicta charts new territory with its focus on large-scale nation management, space exploration, and interstellar warfare. This isn’t just another XCOM mod; it’s a fully realized game with its own unique identity, built on the foundations of what made Long War so beloved by strategy fans.
From XCOM Mod to Grand Strategy Game
Pavonis Interactive, initially known for their work on Long War, a mod that drastically expanded and enhanced the gameplay of both XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2, has taken their experience crafting complex and challenging systems into an entirely new direction. They even worked with Firaxis to create official mods for XCOM 2, notably Long War 2, demonstrating their prowess in this space. Terra Invicta, their full-fledged independent game, began its journey via a successful Kickstarter campaign that reached its funding goal within just six hours, highlighting the anticipation and demand for their unique take on grand strategy. Released on Steam and GOG, the game presents a profound and intricate experience for strategy enthusiasts.
Terra Invicta’s Core Concepts
In Terra Invicta, an alien invasion has fractured humanity into seven distinct ideological factions, each with their own vision for the future and their own approach to dealing with the alien presence. Players assume the role of leader of one of these factions, navigating a complex political landscape to gain control of nations, expand humanity’s reach into the Solar System, and ultimately, engage in tactical fleet battles against enemy forces. This is not just about individual soldier control; it’s about manipulating economies, conducting scientific research, managing resources, and ultimately shaping the destiny of humanity. Terra Invicta is not a typical turn-based tactical game; it’s a grand strategy experience with tactical elements woven throughout, requiring players to understand and manipulate intricate systems for long term success.
Key Differences from XCOM
While the spirit of Long War is evident in the challenging gameplay, detailed mechanics, and the importance of planning and adaptation, Terra Invicta is fundamentally different from the XCOM series. The focus is shifted from the squad-based tactical battles of XCOM to a grand strategy level where players manage the entire planet, build space infrastructure, and engage in interstellar fleet combat. This means less direct control over individual soldiers and more control over strategic decisions. Here are the main areas where the differences become apparent:
- Scale: XCOM focuses on a global guerilla war fought in small skirmishes, while Terra Invicta is about controlling nations and their resources, building bases in space, and commanding large fleets of ships.
- Scope: XCOM is primarily a turn-based tactical game with strategic elements. Terra Invicta is a grand strategy game at its heart with the tactical combat being part of a larger system.
- Combat: While tactical battles exist in Terra Invicta, they are fought with spaceships instead of soldiers. XCOM uses squad tactics on a map, Terra Invicta utilises its fleet combat system in space.
- Progression: XCOM progresses through research and character progression, while Terra Invicta progresses through managing global economies and developing space infrastructure.
- Factions: XCOM has you leading XCOM, a multi-national force, while Terra Invicta has you choosing a distinct faction with a unique vision.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the factions in Terra Invicta?
There are seven ideological factions in Terra Invicta: The Resistance, Humanity First, The Initiative, The Servants, The Academy, Project Exodus, and The Protectorate. Each has unique goals, beliefs, and playstyles, influencing how they approach the alien invasion and the future of humanity.
2. Can you eliminate factions in Terra Invicta?
No, factions cannot be entirely eliminated. They represent differing beliefs within humanity and will always be present in the world. However, you can severely weaken and limit their influence.
3. How does combat work in Terra Invicta?
Combat in Terra Invicta takes place in space and involves maneuvering fleets of spaceships with diverse weapons and capabilities. The battles are in real-time and require players to use strategic positioning, fire control, and understanding of ship systems.
4. Is Terra Invicta a finished game?
Terra Invicta launched in early access which means while it is playable and feature-rich, the developers are actively adding content, tweaking systems, and implementing player feedback.
5. What is the success chance mechanic in Terra Invicta?
The success of actions in Terra Invicta is determined by a percentage chance, influenced by various factors. Bonuses and maluses are added, and a 50 percent success chance is achieved with no net modifiers. Changing conditions can modify success chances between mission planning and resolution.
6. Is XCOM 2 Long War worth playing?
Yes, XCOM 2 Long War is a deep, challenging, and rewarding experience that greatly expands the base game. It adds new soldier classes, abilities, weapons, armors, and items, as well as new features like soldier fatigue and advanced alien units. It’s worth trying if you’ve completed the vanilla game or want a more complex experience.
7. Should I play Long War before playing Terra Invicta?
It’s not necessary to play Long War before Terra Invicta, although they have similar DNA. Terra Invicta is a new game with its own systems and learning curve. If you are drawn to the depth and complexity of Long War you may enjoy Terra Invicta.
8. What are the best factions for beginners in Terra Invicta?
The Initiative and The Resistance are considered to be relatively easier for beginners. The Servants are considered “easy mode” as they don’t tend to worry too much about the aliens.
9. What is the max squad size in XCOM Long War?
In XCOM Long War, the maximum squad size for most missions is 8 soldiers, with up to 10 or 12 for special missions. Network Tower Assaults have a maximum of 5 soldiers.
10. Does XCOM 2 Long War work with War of the Chosen?
No, XCOM 2 Long War is not compatible with the War of the Chosen expansion. There are fan-made community projects that seek to create a similar experience for War of the Chosen, but those are external to the Steam Workshop.
11. What happens when the Avatar bar is full in XCOM 2?
If the Avatar bar in XCOM 2 fills completely, a countdown timer will begin. If the countdown reaches zero, XCOM will be defeated and the game will end.
12. How is the XCOM modding community doing?
The XCOM modding scene is very active, and there is a wealth of mods on the steam workshop. Musashi is considered one of the most prolific modders, with their RPG Overhaul being a significant game-altering mod.
13. Is XCOM 3 confirmed?
Yes, Firaxis has confirmed that XCOM 3 is still happening. However, no specific release date or details about the game have been given.
14. What are the differences between XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen?
War of the Chosen adds new story elements, new enemies, new hero units, modifiers, and behavior to characters, along with making changes to the campaign structure, enhancing XCOM 2‘s core experience.
15. Can you play XCOM 2 forever?
Yes, you can play XCOM 2 infinitely. After the main campaign’s final mission is available, you can choose to ignore it and the game will continue with random missions, though the difficulty will plateau after a point.