View source for Reddit Weekly Mission Challenge (Long War)

The idea was proposed [http://www.reddit.com/r/Xcom/comments/2mjx37/lw_is_there_any_interest_in_creating_a_weekly/ here] to hold a regular single mission challenge. 

'''The challenge:'''

1. The purpose of this challenge is for XCOM players to submit a saved game for a mission they find particularly difficult. One saved game is chosen, and then shared amongst everybody on Reddit. 

2. You (the players) can then try and develop a strategy for solving this tough mission. A `winner' is chosen (or several winners are chosen) based on the novelty of their tactics. 

== Challenge submissions ==

'''Your submission:''' 

If you're interested in submitting a saved game, please upload the saved game on a file host (like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Megaupload), and share it in this thread along with details about:

1. Difficulty mode

2. Second wave options

3. Explain in a few sentences why this mission is interesting and what makes it difficult (the geography, the number of aliens, the awkward positioning, poor weapon choice, etc.)

4. Explain in a few sentences what you have tried

5. You do not have to submit a saved game at the start of a mission. It can be in the middle or the end, so long as the challenge is clear. 

'''Selection:'''

Missions are selected based on the following qualities:

* LW Beta 14f only
* Novelty: it should be a well defined difficulty that is interesting. Don't just submit "this is a hard mission," but explain what makes it hard. 
* Elegance: Short challenges are preferred over long challenges. Remember: the challenge needs to be well defined.
* People have asked about creating the saved games (using the dev. console to create mission layouts). This is acceptable as well.

All saved games that aren't chosen will continue and hopefully serve on the next Weekly Challenge.

== Play-through submissions ==

Remember the challenge is about the development of ''tactics'', so part of your submission will involve you explaining your approach to the mission, and why you chose to do what you did. Please submit by replying to the weekly gaming thread with the following:

1. A brief description of your approach. You can also add details about different approaches you might have tried that didn't make the final submission. 

2. A video recording of the playthrough or an imgur album that tells the story of your strategy. 

For the video recording, you can add commentary or simply keep it with the original audio. Please try to keep the videos as short as possible, and in particular, if you don't intend to add commentary, it would be helpful if you sped the video up (this can other be done in post-processing or within the XCOM game itself using the developer console or the LW shortcuts). 

If you prefer to submit an album of the strategy, it's crucial that you mostly include overview camera views, rather than action shots. Make sure you zoom out as much as possible. I highly recommend the [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/explain-and-send-screensh/mdddabjhelpilpnpgondfmehhcplpiin?hl=en Explain and Send Screenshots] Chrome tool which allows you to easily add annotations and upload images.

== Week 1: Gusten's Challenge  ==

[[File:Week1_banner.png|800px]]

We enjoyed three wonderful submissions from Reddit users u/Gusten (scout landing), u/kraggers (alien abduction), and u/kvatchster (late game terror). For the first challenge, we will use Gusten's submission, which is a nice challenge in the form of difficult enemies, poor soldier weaponry, and a little twist involving the capture of an outsider. Gusten's original challenge was also modified so that the aliens are immediately activated. 

'''Download:''' [https://mega.co.nz/#!zxshmB4R!rFTQK9prChmeBh6TtUdD7DbvxlB1RFxjRWFoMLY0ip8 Save game] (move the file to your XCOM save game folder. Remember to rename it as saveX where X is a number

* Beta 14f
* Brutal difficulty, no second wave options
* Today is the 15th of November. 
* I got early captures and was trying to go from beam lasers to plasma, but have been having difficulties keeping my engineers from the sick bay / graveyard, so I still lack an alien carbine. Finally have a couple of pulse lasers on the way, but the plan is to save most of my resources for plasma. First corsair and titan armor is a couple of days away. The mission at hand is a crashed small scout. I put together a small team with the goal of capturing at least the carbine from the outsider, and hopefully another weapon if possible. Expecting a rather easy mission I send a lowranked team, but with decent versatility with disabling shot, acid, smoke and a lot of explosives.

The team consists of: 
* Captain (sergeant) Maria Azevedo: Infantry built as an overwatch ranger.
* Gunnery sergeant Hiroaki Wamaguchi: Sapper repair engineer carrying 2 alien grenades, 3 arc thrower charges, 1 scanner and a scatter laser. Kestrel armor. 
* Sergeant Kieran Martin: Sapper repair engineer carrying 2 alien grenades, 3 arc thrower charges, and a laser smg.
* Corporal Crittad Alexander: Rocketeer carrying 2 rockets.
* Corporal Heather Miller: Sniper with disabling shot and laser strike rifle. Banshee armor.
* Sergeant Sophie Hall: Gunner with autolaser.
* Sergeant Gregor Busch: Goliath with flamethrower.
* Sergeant Willem Boor: Medic with 2 smoke, 2 acid, 3 medkits and mindfray.

The team landed rather close to the UFO but has gone the long way round using a couple of scanners. No contact so far, but we hear floaters from the UFO, and has taken full cover nearby while planning the assault.

[[File:Week1_mission.jpg|800px]]

Your mission is:

1. defeat the enemy without casualties, and without significant wound time on the engineers

2. The outsider must be captured, and bonus points for any additional capture

In addition, we modified Gusten's original challenge with two additional difficulties: 

3. The aliens were immediately activated, so one soldier begins with only one move. 

4. Players are '''not''' allowed to retreat further away from the UFO than the Sniper on the right. Anywhere else on the map is fair game, but players must effectively move forwards (or sideways) from the original position (see the photo).

[http://www.reddit.com/r/Xcom/comments/2mwh5s/lw_reddits_weekly_mission_challenge_1_gustens/ Link to reddit.]

[[Category: Long War]]