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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jacob Lewis" data-source="post: 9764354" data-attributes="member: 6667921">I wasn’t going to get involved here because I didn’t want to interrupt anyone else’s fun, but this topic is too appealing for me to pass by. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I’m a huge fan of XCOM, having bought it for myself about a year ago, and I’m now on my 54th campaign of War of the Chosen in Ironman mode. It’s still my favorite go-to game because it’s satisfying, deceptively simple, yet complex and random enough that it never gets old.Naturally, I’ve often wondered how to bring that experience to the table. Could I design something playable by more than one person with the same sense of tension and satisfaction? Could I make something similar for a fantasy setting?For me, the process doesn’t begin with “which existing system works best.” XCOM isn’t built on complex mechanics or sprawling character options. More importantly, it maintains a singular campaign theme with a single win/loss condition: succeed or fail. There are many paths to victory, and just enough variation to make each playthrough different without being unrecognizable.If I were approaching this, I’d see two viable paths. The first is treating it more like a boardgame than an RPG. XCOM doesn’t need elaborate combat subsystems or deep character builds. Its key ingredient is that soldiers are expendable and not narratively central. That’s the big difference between party-based and squad-based play. Most tactical RPGs have far more rules and features than needed here—you’d be better off borrowing the simplest mechanics or writing your own.The other option is to insert more XCOM into an existing ruleset. You’d create a structure that supports the actual game loop: tactical missions, simple progression, base upgrades, finite arms and armor, layered resource management, random perks/events, and an overarching storyline. In that case, the work isn’t adding complexity but stripping the rules down to their most core elements so they emulate what makes XCOM tick.In the end, I think the question isn’t which published RPG can be bent into the shape of XCOM, but how much of XCOM’s DNA you want to bring to the table in the first place. My own thoughts lean more toward building something original, or at least carving down an existing system until it’s light enough to let the core loop breathe. That’s probably a bigger conversation than what this thread is aiming for, though—so I’ll leave it there.</blockquote>

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