Latest revision as of 05:38, 26 November 2023

X-Com Apocalypse - History

A collection of features cut from the final release:

Hidden features which can be easily found in the game folders.
Removed items with some remnants of their intended purpose found by exploring the game code.
Pre-release beta versions containing some working features but were cut to meet a production deadline.
Features mentioned throughout the production timeline but were removed.

and

Supporting information relevant to the official release.

Introduction

Two excerpts from the official Mythos Games website explaining a vision of what the game could have been, versus the reality of hardware limitations and time restrictions.

After completing this game I know how Francis Coppola felt after filming 'Apocalypse Now'. Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and the amount of effort required to pull it into shape was immense. After three years of hard work and five different producers 'X-Com: Apocalypse' finally hit the streets. The initial game design was definitely too ambitious and too complex. The aim was to recreate in some detail the events, organisations and personalities within a futuristic megalopolis. Each corporation had a leader who could be tailed, arrested, interrogated or assassinated. Organisations could buy and sell buildings as their financial fortunes changed. X-COM agents could spy on other organisations to gain valuable information. A sophisticated diplomacy display allowed the player to instigate aggressive or defensive alliances with other organisations.
There were multiple alien dimensions, generated pseudo-randomly, and the aliens gradually expanded their empire as the game progressed. The game also featured a scenario generator and multiplayer options using a hotseat turn based system or a real time LAN option. Most of these features were implemented to some degree, but were finally stripped out due to the horrendous amount of work involved in QA and debugging. We decided right at the start of the project to include an option for real time tactical combat or turn based. This decision alone caused many of the headaches for the programmers, but the final implementation of the real time combat stands up as a truly innovative system.

Source:

Game Storyline
The year is 2084 and human civilization has undergone some fundamental changes since the last alien incursion. In an attempt to overcome Earth's problems without abandoning the planet altogether, self-contained cities called Megalopolises were erected around Earth in the year 2046.
Game Play
The majority of the game play takes place within the largest Megalopolis on the planet, MegaPrime. This vast city, however, is more than just a combat zone. To play the game well, players must immerse themselves in the society of Megalopolis, learning key information through interrogation of suspects and the investigation of organizations within the city. At the start of each game, the city of Megalopolis, the character skill sets and the alien universe are all uniquely generated to increase game replayability.
The in-game action of X-COM
Apocalypse falls into three distinct phases. The player investigates many strange, inexplicable incidents throughout the city. Inevitably these lead to conflicts with alien entities and their servants, in all kinds of locations within the city. The second phase features aliens beginning to send their larger invasion forces into direct, real-time combat with X-COM attack craft above the city. The final phase involves real-time squad level combat action sequences using an updated version of the familiar X-COM combat system. The aliens invade the city, running amok in the huge buildings and drawing players into the strange alien dimension. Players can choose either turn-based or real-time combat.
Additional Game Features
The X-COM agents have the same abilities as in the earlier X-COM titles with many additions including interrogation skill, perceptive ability, biochemistry, quantum physics understanding, forensics, engineering, sanity, driving skill and flying skill. The action is more lifelike, featuring SGI-rendered agents and aliens that can crawl, jump, climb, kneel, stand, run and walk.

Source:

https://web.archive.org/web/19961221153122/http://www.microprose.com:80/corporatedesign/press/xcomapoc.html

SGI:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SGI_Visual_Workstation

Pre-Release Versions

There are four builds known before the final version:

Debug Only sent out to "Quality And Assurance/Debuggers", no public release. This X-Com Apocalypse version contained all of the cut content and cut functionality in its current state at that time before it was removed. Additional options were unique cheats to aid in testing the game. A total of nine randomly generated alien dimensions were planned (three were complete) with an alternate ending if X-Com did not find all nine alien worlds.

Alternate endings:
1) Earth is destroyed due to X-Com's failure to succeed in combat, destructon of all bases, excessive negative funding. (Very Bad Ending)
2) Planet Earth is teleported into the main alien dimension due to massive infiltration then stripped of resources with the remaining population becoming slaves or food. (Bad Ending)
3) X-Com destroys the main alien dimension but does not discover the other dimensions which the aliens have populated. Earth appears to have been saved but is eventually destroyed as revenge. (False-Win ending) 
4) The main alien dimension is either destroyed or sealed once all other dimensions are discovered or conquered. (Good Ending).

First Beta This X-Com Apocalypse version was unstable due to the removal/disabling of content and functionality which was chosen earlier to be cut. The nine dimensions were scrapped in favour of just one human world and one alien world with the main antagonist being the Micronoid lifeform. (Alternate Endings #1 and #2 were combined when the player lost (Bad Ending) with a new winning ending being made: "We did it! Yeeessss!" (Good Ending). It frequently crashed due to missing data, a broken research tree, and program critical errors. It was not possible to complete the game unless cheats or work-arounds were used. A working "Skirmish Mode" and a "Multiplayer(Peer-To-Peer) Mode" were present but was prone to errors and desynchronisation.
Official Demo An official public release made available on 15th April 1997. It contains a single, playable battlescape combat mission.
Second Beta Not intended for wide public distribution. A common pre-release build of X-Com Apocalypse which was mostly complete except for intermittent crashes and missing graphics in certain areas. Remnants of the cut content and cut functionality were present within the gamefiles but all had been removed or disabled when playing the game, with a few exceptions. Some of the disabled content is still present within the installation and can be found via editors but has no use in-game. The executable (xcomapoc.exe) has a date of 12th June 1997 which is after the official game release due to planned patches and corrections. This build contains remnants of the "Skirmish Mode" with complete removal of "Multiplayer Mode", which did not work.

Final Release

Once the game was stable, two global versions were released in 1997 on compact disc. A United Kingdom (UK) red version and a United States (US) blue version with both using DOS-version files:
DOS versions use UFO2P4.exe and TACP4.exe. These are the original final-version files. Common on CDs.
Windows uses UFO2P.exe and TACP.exe These are the enhanced final-version files made specifically for the WIndow95 operating system. Digital distributions use the Windows files versions. Some may not. There are minimal differences between the two with the most obvious being the different title screens:

Cut, Deleted, Removed, Hidden

"UFOpaedia" text is sourced from UFOPAEDI/paedia.mt, from the commercial release of X-Com Apocalypse.
"In-game text" is any text that appears within the Agent Equip screen or if on a battlescape when using the cut content.
"Debug text: only appears if any previous versions had relevant text.

Name Change

XCOM Apocalypse was originally called X-Com III : The Apocalypse.
Mega-Primus was named "MegaPrime".
A Megaspawn was originally called a "Megatron".
Heavy Launcher High Explosive Rocket was called a "Heavy Launcher Blaster MIssile"
Android units were known as "Cyborgs"
Valkyrie Interceptor name change from "Starfire"
Stormdog name change from "Road Warrior"

Artificial Intelligence

The game was supposed to learn how the player performs and to dynamically develop tactics to oppose the player's style. Does not work as claimed, very fragile, and essentially broken. Further extensive information available here.

Agent Equipemnt

Mind Shield

UFOpaedia: The Mind Shield is an expensive, clumsy device which protects the wearer from Psionic attacks.
Debug text: Psionically Protect Unit, Lend Psionic Strength, Psi-Drain, Psi-Lend, Psi-Unpanic, Psi-Unstun.

This device was intended, as text above, to complement an agent's psionics skills and functionality. The removal of this device was not complete and it still can be found within Marsec owned buildings when performing a raid however, it can only increase an agent's Psi-Defence skill when it is active (denoted by a white outline) and held in the hand. The device has an unintented effect of permanently increasing the Psi-Defence attribute if the Mind Shield remains active when the mission is completed or that agent has escaped the battlescape.

ForceWeb

UFOpaedia: An energy beam device which can render a target immobile for a short period of time. The target remains conscious but is unable to move or use equipment.

This weapon was to behave like weak version of the Stun Grapple but with a local area-effect stun. It was designed to capture multiple small units within a small 3x3 area or for use against a single large alien. Prior to removal, the stun grapple was unable to affect large lifeforms so this was the weapon to use. The Beta version of the game has a working weapon but without any animation effect. It was to use the Energy Pod ammunition. The fire-weapon sound effect is the same as the Stun Grapple.

Dimension Destabilizer

UFOpaedia: An X-COM developed Disruptor Beam weapon based on Alien technology. It is a faster firing and more effective weapon than the Devastator Cannon.
In-game text: Destabilization. A device based on disruption field research which could be used disable Alien disruption shields.

This weapon was to be an X-Com derived version of the alien's disruptor weapon technology with the same recharging function but able to fire rapidly. Intended to fit between the Disruptor Gun and the Devastator Cannon within the research tree. Energy Pod ammunition is relevant to this weapon somehow but having a recharging function may have been caused errors, prompting removal. The fire-weapon sound effect is the same as the Devastator Cannon.

Energy Pod

In-game text: Disruptor Beam

This ammunition object is used by two weapons: ForceWeb and Dimension Destabiliser. This ammunition does not work. Transtellar facilities may still have this item appear within their buildings (from raiding) in early versions of the game. See DOS vs Pentium versions.

Dimension Force Field

In-game text: Incendiary

This weapon has no effect and has an unknown purpose. The name suggests it was used to project a defensive barrier as a sort of instant cover or to block passage through a doorway etc. Sound is unknown.

Tracker Gun

UFOpaedia: NOT USED
In-game text: Tracker Dart

This weapon was used to tag units (typically VIPs) on the battlescape to allow them to be tracked across MegaPrime if they escaped the battlefield or if X-com units retreated and fled the mission. Their position would be similiarly marked as with X-Com agents when they use people tubes in the final release but would instead, use a "red man and yellow circle" icon. The "marked" person was then able to be stunned and captured on a subsquent mission (a raid?) and since they were "tagged" they would be sent to the Cells within an X-Com base. It used a fire-weapon sound unique to this weapon: TRAKGUN.RAW.

Tracker Gun Clip

UFOpaedia: NOT USED
In-game text: Tracker Dart
This ammunition object is used by the Tracker Gun. It used an ammunition-impact sound unique to this projectile: TRAKHIT.RAW.

Multi-Tracker

UFOpaedia: NOT USED

This device was used to locate tagged individuals on the battlescapse which were earlier marked with the Tracker Gun. The device uses a mini-map screen similiar to the in-game Motion Scanner but only displays the marked target and the user as a simple white dot.

Alien Detector

This device was used to find Micronoid infected units that were not currently hostile to X-Com within the battlescape. The game allowed some infected units to not automatically become hostile as a way to infiltrate an organisation at a later time, by not being killed. The device used a mini-map screen similiar to the in-game Motion Scanner but is more accurate and used coloured dots. The detector does not work when made available if using the official Apocalypse release.

Psi-Grenade

UFOpaedia: A device which causes a Psionic disruption blast. Any target with high Psionic capability is particularly vulnerable to Psi-grenades. The blast will drain Psi-energy and possibly render the target unconscious.
In-game text: Psi-Blast

This weapon was a thrown grenade which, upon exploding, would cause units to "Panic" by reducing their Psi Strength, Psi Defence skills would also reduce their Bravery attribute based on a percentage calculation. The effect of this grenade, "Psionic Blast", was removed also. Does not use any sound effects.

Facilities

Security Turrets

Security turrets were used within some X-Com facilities. Turrets were used to suppress any uprisings and to thwart any attempt of rescue of prisoners or live aliens during a base defence mission. Alien Containment in the final version still has the turrets pictured within the UFOpaedia entry but these do not appear if the facilty is built. Other facilites which were cut also had some security functionality. Security Stations are the only facilities in the final version which use turrets.

Advanced Alien Containment

UFOpaedia: NOT USED IN GAME ANYMORE!
In-game text: To secure and research large or dangerous Alien life forms

An X-Com facility which was an advanced version of the normally available Alien Containment. It was designed to hold the large lifeforms (Psimorph, Megaspawn, Overspawn and Queenspawn) and had its capacity tripled. An extra function of this facility was to allow X-Com agents to interrogate the aliens to extract information. Advanced security turrets were present.

Cells

UFOpaedia: NOT USED

An X-Com facility intended as a prison to hold hostages, criminals, politicians, etc. It functioned as similiar to laboratories but agents were assigned to interrogate prisoners by using their (cut) skills of Interrogate, Perception, etc. Security turrets were present.

Advanced Cells

An X-Com facility intended as a prison which had further functionality to that of the smaller Cells. The Advanced Cells added torture as an additional interrogation technique. This was cut early due to corrupted graphics, error-prone turrets, program crashes etc. Advanced security turrets were present.

Repair Bay Vehicles

Debug text: Weapons Malfunctioning

Base defence missions which contained a Vehicle Repair Bay would have a vehicle appear inside the facility. The vehicle was vunerable to damage and could be destroyed. The cut feature was removal of the vehicle appearing on a base defence mission. The facility remains in the final version and only has a vehicle shown in the UFOpedia entry.
The debug text implied that craft weapons could be damaged.

Manufacturing

In-game text: Not enough parts. You do not have enough parts to make this item.

Engineering was to use raw materials for construction of certain items.

Units

Each corporation had a leader who could be tailed, arrested, interrogated or assassinated.  X-COM agents could spy on other organisations to gain valuable information. "Mythos Games"

Every organisation had a Leader which usually resided within their Corporate Headquarters or Temple but was able to travel around MegaPrime to conduct 'business' such as extortion, coercion, sabotage, assassination, etc.
Each organisation could recruit a Spy with a set of skills that allowed them to assume the identity of others, obtain information by stealth, influence their command structure, steal technology, assassinate etc.

Politicians And Very Important People

"Vipttl.pcx" UFOpaedia Title Page - VIPs

UFOpaedia: !!!!Blank - Unused (WAS VIP TITLE PAGE)
Debug text: VIPs, Police Chief, Politician, Corporate Boss, Gang Boss, Alien Attacks VIP, Crazed VIP Attacks VIP, VIP spotted. Do you wish to tail this VIP?, Observe VIP. Tailing. Spying. Spy on Organization.

These unit types were able to be captured via the Tracker Gun weapon and then placed into the Cells facility. Information extracted via interrogation provided details of alien infestations, inter-organisation relationships and possible unit locations. If the imprisoned unit was not longer useful, a ransom could be offered to return this inportant person, or they could be executed if deemed a threat.

Intelligence Reports

Debug text: Unclassified Rank. Apprentice. Worker. Admin. Security. Management. Director. President. Wage. Residence. Hang out. Work Place. Owned Buildings.

Persons of interest would each have a dossier.

Gang Leaders

Debug text: Squad Leader, Gang Leader, Cult Leader, Gangster, Psiclone Gang.

These unit types were used in the game as similair to Politicians and VIPs. All unique characters were removed from the gamefiles except the two pictured (shown right). These two will not appear in normal gameplay.

Android Civilians

These unit types were used to complement MegaPrime's varied population. Cut early however remnants can be found when "Probe Unit" or "Control Unit" is used against civilians and defence forces. Their portrait picture may show an Android image but everyone (by attributes) is classed as human. No hybrid portraits are present anywhere unless hired by X-Com.

Salary And Work

Debug text: Adjust Wage, No advice at this time. You have to reduce wages to become profitable. You should take on more staff if you wish to be productive. Increase wages to attract more staff. Cut wages to improve your profit margin. Current workforce: Current wage: Maximum workforce: Mean wage in city: Income per capita: General recruitment Current staff level: Income per capita: Mean wage in building: Mean wage in city: Number of applicants: Cost per applicant: Cost to recruit all applicants: Fixed costs at building: Weekly revenue generated

Renumeration was to be a feature.

Quitting

Debug text: Staff resign at. Resignations at.

This is tied to wages. If hired personel were not paid adequately, then they would seek employment elsewhere.

Agent Abilities And Skills

There was testing and evaluation of potential recruits: These are some of the remarks about attributes:

The applicants were given a variety of agility and speed tests; the combined result is shown. Stamina was tested with an 'until you drop' style assault course. Reaction times were carefully tested, using both electronic and traditional methods. A selection of exercises were monitored to obtain the strength rating of the applicants. This is an initial estimate of the applicants' psychic abilities. The applicants were tested with a selection of traditional firearms to see how they would fare in a basic sniper situation. The applicants were tested using advanced simulator technologies; a combined result is shown for on road/off road/flying vehicles. Perception is the ability to spot small, but occasionally vital, details that others may miss; it was tested using an extensive observation test. Biochemistry - the ability to perform research furthering understanding of the chemistry of living organisms.  The values shown below were obtained from the governing body for Biochemistry. Quantum Physics - the ability to perform research leading to a greater understanding of the area of physics exploited by Alien technologies. The values shown below were obtained from the governing body for physics. Engineering skills - repairing cars/flying vehicles, vehicle maintenance, as well as the production of weapons or devices.

and the following (repetative text removed for clarity):

When the agility button is set the bar graphs show the relative agility of the listed agents. ...stamina...reaction...strength...Psionic ability...accuracy...ranged weapons.... When the piloting button is set the bar graphs show the relative driving/flying skills of the listed agents. ...perception levels of the listed scientists...Biochemistry competency level of the listed scientists...Quantum mechanics competency levels of the listed scientists...engineering skill level of the listed scientists.

It was possible to sort all units by certain attributes by simply clicking on relevant bargraph sections.

Observation

Debug text: Select the agents you want to put on observation duty.
Agents could use do simple things such as observation of aliens within the containment facility.

Interrogation

An agent's skill in persuading imprisoned units to divulge information and to influence an organisation diplomatically. Agents were assigned to the "Cells" facility and had a graded ability similiar to the 60↔100 skill of technical personel.

Perception

An agent's skill which complemented their Interrogation skill when interacting with prisoners. Perception also influenced an agent's ability to notice things on the battlescape and improved their accuracy and reaction attributes.

Forensics

An agent's skill which complemented the Perception skill when looking for obscure information within a battlescape such as evidence of alien infestation within buildings, humans infected with Mriconoids, clues to other alien dimensions, etc. It would also assist in successful extortion of an organisation if objectional evidence was found after a stealth styled mission. An important skill which was needed to discover the intended purpose and any weakness of alien-owned building targeted for future destruction.

Sabotage

Debug text: There has been an explosion. The following people have been reported dead. Espionage by Agent. Do you wish to continue espionage?
Agents who were proficent in Forensics could use their skills for other tasks such as sabotage or subterfuge.

Sanity

An agent's skill which was comparable to Psi-Defence against psionic attacks. The sanity of an agent determined their willpower to resist interrogation by others, to remain undetected when performing an undercover operation, and influenced their resistance to psionic manipulation. Further discovery of cut features was that the worse an agents sanity, the harder it was for psionics to affect them.

Climb

An agent's ability to traverse difficult areas by using a unconventional approach useful for stealth and covert operations.

Driving

An agent's ability which determined the maximum speed they could drive safely, evade hostile fire, weave through traffic, etc. An agent could be placed within the vehicle as a designated driver but this was removed in favour of autonomous robotic drivers.

Flying

An agent's ability to safely pilot a flying vehicle at maximum speed, effectively evade fire, accurately fire craft weapons, etc.

Swimming

An agent's ability to traverse bodies of water at speed and efficiency.

Technical Skill

Biochemists, Quantum Physicists and Engineers each have an aptitude for their relevant profession. Each type possessed skills for another profession, but at a lower competancy. This may have allowed a mix of professionals to assist others.

Bio-Chemists have 10↔50 skill in Quantum Physics.

Quantum Physicists have 10↔50 in Biochemistry and also 10↔30 skill in Engineering.

Engineers have 10↔-30 skill in Quantum Physics.

Organisations And Relations

Infiltration Investigation

Debug text: Alien corpse found.

The searching of any possible infiltration influence was to be a mission in itself instead of the finals version's cut down search method: "Alien instantly found = start mission, not found = make organisation slightly hostile".

Diplomacy

Debug text: Enter defensive diplomatic negotiations with. Aggressive diplomatic negotiations with. Allied/friendly/neutral/unfriendly/hostile with. Formerly allied/friendly/neutral/unfriendly/hostile with. An alliance with X-COM has been requested.

Diplomatic posturing between organisations and histroy of relationships cut early.

Relations Overview
Relations Trend
Confirm Actions

Real Estate

Debug text: Not enough money to buy this building. Planning permission refused for this building. The owner does not wish to sell this building. Would you like to take part in this auction? Building up for auction. Auctioned by. Bidding begins at. Going... Last chance to bid... Gone!! Sold to. No buyers found for this building.

Buying and selling of buildings by auction. Cut very early in develppment.

Building Selection
Confirm Actions

UFOpaedia

Temple Of Sirius

A UFOpaedia entry which was the old "Temple Of Sirius" building picture: 24sensod.pcx. It has been replaced with 33sirius.pcx.

City Walls

A blank UFOpaedia entry which only shows the City Walls.

Cityscape

Building Names

Names which are not used for any buildings:

Raven Reaches

Mahler Building

The Gugarin Institute

Lincoln Tower

The Armageddon Centre

Cyborg Institute

Descartes Towers

Stellar Apartments

Lone Ranger Apartments

Cyclops Mansions

Durruti Block

Blue Doctor Project

Enlightenment Towers

Renaissance Block

Slum City

Every building name which is numbered, each has three names. <building name ONE>, <building name TWO>, <building name THREE> with the only exception being Warehouse names, which go up to <Warehouse TWELVE>.

Undeployed ground vehicles

Organizations, other than X-Com and Alien, were able to buy road based military vehicles. Remnants remain within a few organsation's vehicle availability allocation (their vehicle pool) when starting a new game. This is never known to X-Com normally since these companies will never use them.
If the building's home cell is destroyed, the road vehicles contained within are destroyed also and will not be replaced.

Gangs have Stormdogs.
Megapol have Stormdogs and a single Griffon AFV.

Illegal Road Vehicles

Debug text: An illegal road vehicle has been detected.

Road vehicles were removed but flyers were retained in the final version.

Combat Tactics

Debug text: Response range (radius). Preservation level.

Vehicles had more automony and could launch automatically. Police Hovercars retain this feature.

Battlescape

People Tubes

The tube pieces within the game normally are only used (only) by X-Com to move personel throughout the city. The cut content was the removal of the tubes as a possible battlescape area (which was owned by Transtellar). The map files of people tubes is playable via editing but crashes often and has a corrupted colour palette. It uses shopping mall features and geometry.

Transtellar was supposed to be the owner of all people tubes. Any people tube structure inside any property outline is owned by the landholder.

Car Park

A battlescape which was removed and replaced with a Shopping Mall map.
UFOPAEDI folder contains 04carprk.pcx.

Hotel

A battlescape which was removed and replaced with a Luxury Apartments map.

Atmosphere Processor

A battlescape which was removed and replaced with a Hydro Farm map.
UFOPAEDI folder contains 04atmos.pcx which is identical to 17police.pcx.

Ruins

A battlescape which was removed and replaced with a Slums map.

Spaceship

A battlescape which was removed and replaced with a Space Port map.

Outdoor Parks

A battlescape which was removed and replaced with a Procreation Park map.

Unused Battlescape Segments

Police Station is three levels in height. There are other segments (viewable with XME) which are six levels high. These map sections are not used: 02sec08, 02sec11, 02sec12, 02sec14, 02sec15.
Appartments does not use 14sec08
Luxury Apartments does not use 15sec13, 15sec14.

Vehicles And Items

Structure Probe

This device was the 'point' on the front of the Dimension Probe which had the purpose of 'probing' an alien building to discover any possible entry points and to get basic understanding of the structure's purpose. A squad of forensic specialists and supporting agents (see above: Agent Abilities And Skills) were then able to land and explore the structure for evidence of advanced technology, its use, hidden accesses, and to find structural weaknesses to enable future destruction. As a cut device, the Dimension Probe vehicle no longer has any use. It can be built and used in the final version as a disposable 'first contact' vehicle when first entering the Alien Dimension.

Vortex Analyser

This device was used to scan the current alien dimension for any hidden Dimension Gates after X-Com acquired knowledge of multiple alien worlds. If any vortices were detected, the Dimension Shifter device (see next) would be used to travel through the new gate, opening up another alien dimension. If research was accelerated by skipping directly to One Way To Win, the main alien dimension could be accessed and others could be bypassed.

Dimension Shifter

UFOpaedia: NOT USED!
In-game text: Transports a vehicle between dimensions.
This device allowed an airborne craft to 'jump' to one of (planned) nine alien dimensions without needing a Dimension Gate by using previously identified but obscure 'Vortex'. Some UFO crash recovery battlescapes in the final version still contain this Dimension Shifter device within their craft but it is not recovered when mission completes.

Zorium

An exotic-energy item or a vehicle fuel used for an unknown purpose. The X-COM series of games each introduced a new and rare exotic fuel used by the aliens (X-Com1 = Elerium, X-Com2 = Zrbite). It has been suspected that Zorium was to have been the exotic item specific to X-Com Apocalypse.

Overspawn - Live

UFOpaedia: This enormous creature is deposited by an Alien Mothership. Its primary objective appears to be destruction of the city and annihilation of X-COM bases. The terror and panic that it causes amongst the population indicates a change in Alien strategy. It is possible that they have abandoned their attempts at infiltration and are now only concerned with revenge and retribution against X-COM.
In-game text: A gigantic monster that has ravaged the city.

This lifeform is a large alien, bipedal vehicle within the final version. Is it not possible to capture one alive but it can be killed. The "Autopsy" is available, whereas the "alive" lifeform research is not.

Overspawn's Weapons

The Overspawn had the ability to fire three normal alien missiles/bombs, as found in the final version, from the 'trumpet shaped mouths' located on its torso but was also able to fire off another type of missile/bomb which was cut: Entropy Bombs

Alien Dimension

Turret - Control Chamber

This object is unknown in name or purpose. It is found (as shown, right) within the pyramid next to the orange pads at ground level. There are four. It is speculation only, but since the control chamber is such an important building, these objects may have been defence turrets of some fashion.
The rebuilt image (as shown, left) is generated from tiles found within the game files. This is what it would have looked like.

Turret - Organic Factory

These objects are found within the Organic Factory. The devices are defence turrets for the alien side to protect vunerable areas. There are multiple turrets placed in the walls and upon pedestals inside the various structures which contain the targets for destruction by X-Com forces. They are not active but fire a disruptor style weapon. They may work normally (unconfirmed) if using the CD made for the UK market.

Unfinished Internal Architecture

Bone doors present within the third alien building, Alien Farm, inside the one of the larger landscape features with flat top and red 'carpet'. The doors are active and work but do not lead anywhere. These four (found so far) cannot be seen and must be dug out. The remainder of this landscape feature does not contain anything of interest but only solid fibrous wall sections as expected.

Alien Building Capture

X-Com could acquire alien buildings which may have allowed the manufacture of UFOs.

Multiple Buildings

Alien structures within any of the nine dimensions were to be redundant. Multiple building of the same purpose were to be built to safeguard losing any specific type or particular purpose.

Dimension Gates

Debug text: Dimension gate spotted. Charted Gates. Uncharted Gates. Total Gate count.
Aliens could open or close dimension gates at will. Any new gate appearance would prompt the (debug) message. Closing a gate would deny inter-dimensional travel, could trap active X-Com craft in an alien dimension, halt re-inforcements, etc.

Grounded Access

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rde1g6CQUt4 Each alien structure was isolated from the others and no 'people tubes' connections between buildings were present. X-Com craft would land on the ground to enable access to an alien structure. Once the craft was on the ground it was extremely vunerable to damage and destruction.

Research

One Way To Win

UFOpaedia: NOT USED
In-game text: We must discover a way to beat the Aliens once and for all.
This research topic was to have been the very last discovery when nine dimensions were planned. Knowledge of this building allowed proper completion of the game. See above: Pre-Release Versions

Game Styles

Multiplayer

Source: CGSP_1997_04_pg034.jpg
Multiplayer was to be a feature. All alien lifeforms and all UFOs had their own inventory/equip screen so that humans and aliens could fight in a randomly generated skirmish.
Files relevant this feature remain within the UFOPEDIA folder: B-Scen.pcx and B-Scen2.pcx

Squad Icons

Icons not available in normal gameplay. These icons denote squad groups beyond the six that are available which appear above the heads of any units. The numbers: 7, 8, 9, and 10 to indicate squad number is missing. The rightmost icon is corrupted when an agent moves, leaving a trail. The leftmost icon is not grey but clear. It has no colour.
These appear if changing any aliens Side to X-Com and control of A.I. Control to none.