Which "Tactical" TTRPG Would Work Best As An X-Com Like?

[hawkeyefan]

Except it is literally a major element of what I want.

Sure, but “grid-based” was only one of several elements you mentioned, and my personal opinion is that a grid is not needed for combat to be tactical. But that slight difference aside, one can easily be added. Or ported entirely from another game as @zarionofarabel suggests.

But hey… there have been plenty of other suggestions. Have fun doing it with GURPS!

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I was a player in a 9 month campaign of the latest edition of Twilight: 2000. I can't speak with complete authority on it from the GM side. But it's a simple system with just the right amount of crunch. Tactical combat on hexes. Base building and resource management. Gear could be easily reskinned to be just about whatever you need. I liked it a lot.

 

[zarionofarabel]

I was a player in a 9 month campaign of the latest edition of Twilight: 2000. I can't speak with complete authority on it from the GM side. But it's a simple system with just the right amount of crunch. Tactical combat on hexes. Base building and resource management. Gear could be easily reskinned to be just about whatever you need. I liked it a lot.

I haven't had a chance to play/run it yet as I only got it recently, but just from my read through, I think it might be a decent fit.

 

[SableWyvern]

When I ran a combat-focused X-Com game, I used GURPS. Half the missions were investigation, VIP protection, recon and generally more conventional RPG-type scenarios.

The other half of the sessions were pretty much just straight-up combat from session start to finish -- downed-UFO clearing, alien base assaults and terror missions. In order to facilitate gridded outdoor combat over suitable distances, we made use of Maptools, even though were were playing in-person.

Some of my mission briefings, as well as links to rules of engagement and the like can be found over here:

Military Orders

Back when I ran an X-Com game, I went to some effort to write up orders before most of the missions, making them available to the players prior to the sessions. I posted these years ago on TBP. @SeaJay 's thread asking for military resources reminded me I was thinking about reposting them...

www.rpgpub.com

Possibly the most invested I've had players in any campaign I've run; I think the fact that they were required to manage the squad budget and overall X-Com research plan between session really helped keep them involved at all times.

 

[SableWyvern]

GURPS While I dislike it, it's well suited, but the combats are unrealistically fast, and generally, it doesn't reward tactical play as strongly as Hero or AAG.

What do you mean when you say it doesn't reward tactical play? Use the right set of optional rules, and you can expect the application of real world infantry minor tactics to result in consistent and believable outcomes.

If we're focusing on the use of special abilities used in power-combos, sure, it doesn't do that, but if you just want modern or near-future infantry combat, it does tactical very well.

 

[dbm]

I would agree; in my 30 years experience of GURPS 3e and 4e it is extremely tactical and one of the few games where players can apply real-world tactics with confidence of the system rewarding that play.

 

[SableWyvern]

To provide a bit more detail, I made use primarily of GURPS 4e, Psionics, Tactical Shooting, High-Tech and Ultra Tech. I also took a little from Biotech.

I developed my own research tree, where the players allocated points to available options. As per the traditional X-Com game, some projects were dependent on autopsies, interrogations and captured equipment.

I had to make lasers more effective than they were in default GURPS, where they use fairly grounded (and thus conservative) assumptions. Most of the rest of the tech was aligned with GURPS defaults. I had good fun building out the various sets of advanced armour, as well as the story-oriented research reports.

I had the players manage the overall X-Com research system as a meta-task.

Instead of managing the overall X-Com budget, the PCs were instead responsible for their own team's budget, and could order weapons, amour, medical tech, ammunition, etc based on what they were able to produce or buy off the general arms market. They were also able to invest in intensive training courses, as per the GURPS training rules.

Although the PCs nominally reported to more senior officers, they were given extensive authority to make their own calls while in the field. One of the conceits of the campaign was that the PCs were selected specifically because of their inherent resistance to alien psionic influence, which made their decisions far more trustworthy than those of most people.

 

[Willie the Duck]

GURPS While I dislike it, it's well suited, but the combats are unrealistically fast, and generally, it doesn't reward tactical play as strongly as Hero or AAG.

What do you mean when you say it doesn't reward tactical play? Use the right set of optional rules, and you can expect the application of real world infantry minor tactics to result in consistent and believable outcomes.
If we're focusing on the use of special abilities used in power-combos, sure, it doesn't do that, but if you just want modern or near-future infantry combat, it does tactical very well.

I would agree; in my 30 years experience of GURPS 3e and 4e it is extremely tactical and one of the few games where players can apply real-world tactics with confidence of the system rewarding that play.

I am likewise curious. Especially if one thinks Hero does it better. The two are not the same, but they seem very similar in the aspects that affect tactical play.

 

[sevenbastard]

I only played it once, but Twighlight 2013 by 93 Games was ultra crunchy. I remember having knee pads gave a slight bonus combat maneuvers because you could drop prone faster.

 

[SteveC]

While I haven't played it, Ultramodern4 is a game for modern tactical combat using 4E assumptions, so that would likely handle what you're looking for.