XCOM meets Mass Effect?

Well, yeah. Unfortunately the only deeper mod for XCOM I know of, Long War, is discontinued as of WotC. Or so it was last time I checked.

...it was the only one. Everyone else does voices, skins, but noone did a total conversion mod.

With the background of the franchise and Biower, I'd expect a take with heavier RPG elements on TBS. I'd like to see that. Deep character progression. Weird combos. Sandboxy mechanics where unexpected things might happen.

Isn't X-COM: The Bureau some kind of X-COM / Mass Effect crossover ? I mean, it's a TPS with squad orders, in the X-COM universe, but with biotics

Well, you can half do it...

I always thought a humorously themed X-COM Mass Effect game where you play as Cerberus would be fitting. In addition to your base being attacked every time your scientists complete a research project there would be a chance you'd have to defend your base from an experiment gone wrong pouring out of your research lab. Plus the high casualty rate and the need to appease investors... it seems like a natural union.



Recently I was thinking that Mass Effect might have worked better if it's combat segments were turn-based strategy scenarios. X-COM was actually the basis I used. I was thinking that in the lore it takes a lot of your body's energy to use biotics. I believe it is even stated that biotic soldiers ingest really high calorie foods just prior to battle so that they can see it through without fainting. So I imagine that Mass Effect's combat would translate very easily onto the system the original X-COM uses.



You have Time Units AND Energy. Your TU's determine how many actions you can take in a round, but every action that involves moving or using biotics would cost energy in addition to TU's. Biotic attacks would be devastating, but any unit that uses them is going to quickly be unable to do anything else in the match, needing a few rounds to regain energy (or having another unit pump them up with drugs or something). Standard weapons and tech-based abilities wouldn't use energy, only Time Units, but don't their effects are more passive, best used setting up your positioning and preparing enemies to be devastated when you finally unleash your biotics. 



Something like that. 

I'd rather a game where you fight the various alien races.

Turians would rarely have biotics and only some tech attacks, but they have sky high morale and thus never ever panic or go beserk. Moderate armor and shields but heavy firepower. Primarily they conduct retaliation and terror missions. Terror Unit is a high ranking officer in a mech suit which gives him powerful weapons and defenses, but is somewhat slow.

Krogan don't employ any tech but rely on brute strength with Battlemasters having biotic attacks and barriers. All normal krogan have high HP and armor with weak shields. They have high morale and won't panic, but they do have a chance to go beserk any time they take damage.  Lots of energy but average TU's, however with their krogan charge letts them move many squares while only expending a few TU's at the cost of their energy. Very devastating melee attacks. They also cannot ever receive fatal wounds, healing passively over several turns. As well, they have a chance to survive with 1/3 HP any time a single attack does lethal damage (redundant organs). Mainly conduct terror attacks and retaliation missions. Terror Unit is Vorcha soldiers (weaker but faster and if they go through a turn without taking any damage they automatically restore any lost HP).

Asari are lightly armed and armored with some tech, but a heavy reliance on biotic abilities. Mainly scouting missions and alien infiltration missions (seduce human leader and convert them to their side). Terror Units are Ardat Yakshi that can use Dominate.

Quarian units all have tech abilities with average firepower. Very resistant to tech and biotic attacks, but very vulnerable to conventional weaponry. Mainly scouting missions but also raids on military bases for technology. Terror unit is the Combat Drone which can electrocute nearby enemies or drain their shields. When it dies it releases an energy pulse to temporarily disables enemy shields.

Batarians have a balance of firepower, tech, and biotics. Slow moving but heavily armored with average shields. Conduct all mission types. Their terror unit is Varren.

Salarians are lightly armed and armored, favoring a reliance on tech and biotics. Higher than average morale and very high reaction times, but energy and HP are low. They conduct most missions equally but avoid terror missions most of the time. Terror Unit is the Eliminator; a specialized STG agent equipped with tactical cloak, a sniper rifle, and an omni-blade. 

Geth are synthetic beings that employ advanced weapons and, naturally, tech attacks. They have no biotics. They have average speed but higher armor and shields. They conduct all mission types equally. The geth Terror Unit is the Geth Prime, a tall and imposing geth platform that is more than twice the size of a normal geth trooper but far more mobile than a tank or heavy mech. It's height gives it great range and its heavy armor protects it while it charges its powerful cannon. 


A few things to note (because I feel like it).

Armor protects against fire and blunts damage from melee or kinetic attacks (such as a bullet or being knocked around by biotics). Does not provide any protection against cryo attacks. 

Shields absorb projectile attacks and reduce the duration and damage of biotic attacks which rely on slamming the user into the ground or walls, ect. Shields rapidly deplete when under attack but recharge after a turn. They do not protect at all against fire, cryo, or melee attacks. 

Barriers blunt all attacks but, like all biotics, cost time and energy to create and drain additional energy to maintain. (shields are totally passive)


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Capturing a Krogan Battlemaster, Turian Centurion, or any asari soldier enables research unlocking basic biotics for humans. Capturing an Ardat Yakshi or Asari Matriarch enable the learning of advanced biotics such as Reave, Dominate, Singularity, and Stasis.

Studying captured quarians allows for AI hacking, Energy Drain, Damping, Sabotage, and Advanced Medicine. 

Salarians can be researched to unlock Neural Shock and Cryo-blast. Capturing an Eliminator unlocks Tactical Cloak for research.

Batarians unlock Incinerate. Captured Varren can be retrained to serve Cerberus.

Geth can be used to unlock AI Hacking, Damping, Sabotage, and Shield Boost.