Southernfatman posted... I did try to play as smart and careful as possible, but it seemed every time I was actually doing decent or especially good the game would just throw curve balls and screw me with screwy RNG shits and aliens spawning behind me a lot. There's challenge and then there's just the game messing with you and it was just not fun.
Well XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within didn't have a hard time limit. So the general rule for that game was 'never cross open space in the middle of your turn'. If you had to cross open space, like a road or a clearing, it was best to wait on Overwath while everyone piles up near the open area, then on the next turn send the Assault with Run and Gun activated. That way your entire team can respond to activated alien pods.
In the case of Enemy Unknown snipers with Squad Sight were ridiculously powerful if set up on the right bit of terrain. Because alien pods are out of cover when activated, a pre-emptive Overwatch shot from a sniper could crit and possibly kill an alien outright before they could reach cover. That was toned down significantly in Enemy Within.
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"I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me." -Cao Cao