A Quickstart guide to XCOM (UFO Defense)

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  • čas přidán 14. 08. 2021
  • openxcom.org/
    If you got a terror mission first I cannot save you.
    steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...

Komentáře • 118

  • @fernando47180
    @fernando47180 Před 2 lety +130

    "If you got a terror mission first I cannot save you." :')

    • @yourdadsotherfamily3530
      @yourdadsotherfamily3530 Před rokem +8

      I can. Just leave if that’s an option. I remember hearing from someone if it’s a terror mission they land and just fly away instead

    • @meanintellectual5222
      @meanintellectual5222 Před rokem +12

      @@yourdadsotherfamily3530 that gives -1000 points to your rating, which will absolutely destroy your funding and make a country more likely to sign a pact

    • @andrewdwilliams
      @andrewdwilliams Před rokem +19

      @@meanintellectual5222 Landing and immediately leaving is sometimes the best option if the battle seems impossible. There's a big score for *ignoring* the terror site (about -2000 points, I think) but if you land and then run away you only lose points for the dead civilians (usually around -400 to -600). Which is still bad, but a lot less bad.
      Sticking out a losing battle is the worst option; you'll lose points for all the dead civilians AND all your dead troops, and the material cost of those troops and their gear is arguably worse.

    • @ajax700
      @ajax700 Před rokem +8

      @@andrewdwilliams _"Landing and immediately leaving is sometimes the best option if the battle seems impossible."_
      You can always high explosive bomb the hell out of them he he.
      There can be some civilian casualties but you will win the fight.
      This is the beauty of this game, there are infinite strategies to fight / win.

    • @andrewdwilliams
      @andrewdwilliams Před rokem +1

      @@ajax700 True, but early game you can see your squad minced just by stepping out of the Skyranger! It's a neat approach when you can lob a dozen blaster bombs out of the door though.

  • @cristitanase6130
    @cristitanase6130 Před 8 měsíci +27

    1. Equip all Interceptors with Avalanche missile launchers and missiles and get rid of the cannon it's useless.
    2. Autocannons are perfect early, use explosive shots and Auto fire, also always have a grenade in the secondary hand, if you get experience you may also prime it to zero for instant detonation, never do this from inside the landing plane.
    3. Laser Rifles have the best accuracy in the game, mid game one or two snipers with Flying Suits will cover the entire map from above and deliver headshots after headshots.
    4. Before you exit the Skyranger throw one smoke grenade in front of the ship exit and wait one turn for it to go off, you will thank me later.
    5. Always deploy your troops close enough to cover each other with reaction fire but not one next to each other, leave 4-6 squares between them
    6. Position two soldiers next to a door facing it and enter it with the third, additional position them in front of the door and just end the turn a few times, you will thank me later.
    7. If the UFO is badly damaged it may have a hole where the Elerium reactor rods used to be, that's where you can lob the grenades inside and mess up the enemies before entering. To check for it just use the plus one level view until the roof of the UFO becomes visible. Any black squares signal missing roof tiles. Go back to the floor level and with the grenade Throw action move the cursor inside the UFO until the icon appears that you can throw the grenade inside.
    8. You can prime grenades to explode instantly by selecting Zero from the timer, but make sure to increase the distance between your soldiers to 7-8 squares to allow for the nades to go boom if one of the soldier gets wasted by the aliens.
    9. Later keep a soldier in the plane with a Blaster ready to fire. If situation requires it fire the blaster right from there and guide it towards the enemy then reload the Blaster. Keep another one here with a MindReader and check the enemies for Navigators, Engineers or Commanders in order to capture them alive. You can do this from the landing ship without the need to move the mind-reader guy.
    10. If one of your guys becomes panicked or falls under alien control, use a stun bomb launcher to put him/her to sleep. Always keep stun launchers on each 3rd or 4rth soldier secondary hand, just in case.
    11. Remember to have at least 1-2 medics with Medikits, and keep an eye on your most valued soldiers. If they fall without a noise it means they are not dead yet, rush to their bodies and while on top drag them to the inventory and then rush them to your ship. If possible use the Medikit to stabilize them.
    12. Advance slowly and let a few soldiers behind with enough action points to react if an alien pops up.

  • @turhiki
    @turhiki Před rokem +55

    X-Com is the proof that true gems never lose their shine. I've still got the original floppy disks from way back when it first sold, and I've played it a lot over the years (not from the floppies, mind you). It never gets old and only gets better. The thought of an early nightime terror mission with Chryssalids still gives me chills!

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před rokem +10

      Xcom is the gift that keeps on giving

    • @krzysztofpaszkiewicz1274
      @krzysztofpaszkiewicz1274 Před 9 měsíci +4

      You should sometimes (once in a few years) put the floppies into a drive. Data on floppies is not permament. It can fade away after some time if not used.

    • @turhiki
      @turhiki Před 9 měsíci

      I've long assumed that degaussing has messed up the data on those floppies, so I just keep them for nostalgia reasons. These days I play X-Com from an .exe I found online a few years ago!@@krzysztofpaszkiewicz1274

  • @xweert711
    @xweert711 Před 2 lety +52

    Thank you for this guide. Every other guide I've found served more as a walkthrough instead of a proper guide, and they tended to not actually explain anything, they just "told" me what to do. You actually went and explained the features and their significance and as a result this was the guide that legitimately got me started, with a rough understanding of what I was doing. Thank you very much :)

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 2 lety +7

      I'm glad to have helped! Let me know how your first game goes!

  • @Pentagon005875
    @Pentagon005875 Před rokem +18

    “you can name them to your friends and family if you want permanent psychological damage” 💀💀💀

  • @CuriousChronicles82275
    @CuriousChronicles82275 Před 12 dny +2

    This game still has a special place in my heart.

  • @thefunnyjaeyunmain5608
    @thefunnyjaeyunmain5608 Před 2 lety +18

    me and the homies always send Skyrangers after UFOs for the sole purpose of saying "get skyranged"

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 2 lety +8

      That's actually a good reason. I retract my earlier statement.

    • @thefunnyjaeyunmain5608
      @thefunnyjaeyunmain5608 Před 2 lety +6

      @@hailstar2075 You, my friend, have just been Skyranged

    • @Debbiebabe69
      @Debbiebabe69 Před 2 měsíci

      Skyrangers are great in UFO fights as tanks - they have more HP than interceptors, so use the Skyrangers to draw fire while the fighters do the damage. You can drop even battleships using just the 3 starter craft this way.

  • @Al_Straik
    @Al_Straik Před rokem +6

    That felt like a early 2000s video, thank you very much dude.

  • @ryno4ever433
    @ryno4ever433 Před 10 měsíci +4

    "Play on beginner. This is not up for debate." The way you delivered that was pretty clear but I'm still not doing it.

  • @vap0rtranz
    @vap0rtranz Před 17 dny +1

    That soundtrack brings back memories!

  • @fiqri1999
    @fiqri1999 Před rokem +11

    An actual quick start with concise explanation. Well I'll be damned.

  • @MrPervSan
    @MrPervSan Před rokem +6

    Thank you for the guide! This game really needed someone to explain the details of how to play, not just what to do.

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před rokem +6

      Thanks! That's what I was hoping for: explaining the reasons behind your choices when getting started.

  • @sucktitles
    @sucktitles Před rokem +29

    10:17 I always found it funny how MicroProse made it possible to attack with a Skyranger and even made a sprite for the dogfight window.

    • @Debbiebabe69
      @Debbiebabe69 Před 2 měsíci +3

      good reason for this, when you attack with multiple units enemy fire is spread out, so you can use the skyranger to absorb hits for your interceptors, keeping them in the fight longer.

  • @nargaman261
    @nargaman261 Před rokem +6

    Love you bro, this made my entry to the original games way easier coming from the reboots! Also, i will put my first base on the north pole, and you won't stop me

  • @cavanclark3687
    @cavanclark3687 Před rokem +4

    Thanks for the video. That launcher really improves the game.

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před rokem +3

      It really does. If you have other old games that don't run well it's well worth looking up fan patches and launchers.

  • @Empiro3
    @Empiro3 Před 8 měsíci +4

    For tactical combat, I'd say that learning about reaction fire rules and the mutual surprise rule is crucial.
    The basic scout-sniper tactic (which takes advantage of those rules) will save dozens of lives.
    Using lots of grenades and the grenade relay is also important.

  • @ephremcortvrint2376
    @ephremcortvrint2376 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Love the slightly deadpan delivery

  • @semibiotic
    @semibiotic Před 2 dny +1

    13:09 Advanced tracking and move/shoot confirmation are options those don't turned on by default.

  • @ferretlord7051
    @ferretlord7051 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Thanks for the tips good sir. I’ve played the reboot games and wanted to try the original. I’ll probably die a horrible death but thats just how it is with games from that era.

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 5 měsíci +2

      Good luck! Save scum if you need to it's all part of the game.

  • @sebastianriemer1777
    @sebastianriemer1777 Před rokem +5

    True classic. Can't count the hours my friend and I spent in front of my amiga in the 90s.
    The only game at the time where you could destroy the whole map. 😁
    Jagged alliance and silent storm are also great games. Battles like xcom but without the base building.

  • @yourdadsotherfamily3530
    @yourdadsotherfamily3530 Před rokem +7

    Smoke grenade smoke grenades smoke grenades is what I would emphasize

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před rokem +3

      They can definitely be a lifesaver. I'm saving tips about specific equipment for another video.

  • @AOADan
    @AOADan Před rokem +4

    This was so useful that without it I would of never loved X-com thank you so much

  • @shanewest7731
    @shanewest7731 Před rokem +1

    Great video, hope there's more to come.
    Thanks to X-Com other brilliant games were also influenced such as "Jagged Alliance", another one worth blowing the dust off.

  • @burgermansandwich1365
    @burgermansandwich1365 Před rokem +6

    Really appreciate the video. Would love to see a playthrough from you the commentary during your video was great

  • @rossanderson6842
    @rossanderson6842 Před 2 lety +2

    Thank you for this - I really appreciate the info.

  • @masterofthedeathwing2839

    make your squads really hench right off the bat, and its much easier.
    like give 2 people a rifle, pistol, stun batons, grenades, smoke grenades, and have them as dedicated snipers, get them into positions where they can cover your dudes, and have them stay there using all their APs to shoot long range shots. eventually their skills become really good if they survive, and they can hit anything.
    have 2 heavies. have them both with an autocannon, laser pistol, laser rifle, a few clips, stun batons, medkits.
    then have 4 solders, these have laser rifle, laser pistol, missile launcher, 2 missiles, stun batons, medkits. if you need to lay it down, you actually have the capacity to. your dudes will be a bit encumbered at the start, but as they level up, it stops being an issue, and having to drag all the extra kit around actually increases their strength faster.
    give everyone a pistol, because they used fixed APs per shot, opposed to a percentage of your APs which is what rifles do. so in close up fights, you can shoot a far greater number of rounds, and if you need to level a building, or take out a big group, thats what all the missiles and autocannons are for.

  • @fernando47180
    @fernando47180 Před rokem +2

    I'm revisiting this video a year after I first watched, and it just dawned on me that UFO Defense is the only game I know where you can mess up before you open the game.

  • @beast0283
    @beast0283 Před 3 měsíci +1

    Enjoyed this video. Should pump out a video of you playing. The banter will be worth it at the very least.

  • @Phoebe-lb2gt
    @Phoebe-lb2gt Před 2 lety +3

    I Loved this video finally i can play this game without having to use DOSbox

  • @LinusWP
    @LinusWP Před 2 lety +1

    Thanks! Very helpful.

  • @henrysmith7070
    @henrysmith7070 Před 2 lety +8

    Hello, i tried to send my skyranger after a UFO

  • @Death2Weebs
    @Death2Weebs Před rokem +1

    Nice video. Well explained

  • @signalzero77
    @signalzero77 Před rokem +1

    Nice video! Very helpful. You have a criminally low subscriber count for your quality. Subbed! Edit: Ah I see it is because you only have the one video.

  • @masterofthedeathwing2839

    this game is amazing, if you over encumber your dudes, your dudes get really strong quick, so load up a couple of guys with auto cannons, 5 clips, a laser rifle and pistol, some grenades. then every single solder, give him a laser rifle, 2 missiles, and a missile launcher throw in a laser pistol too.. your dudes turn hench as fuck very quickly and its easily enough firepower to take on everything in a mission

    • @Empiro3
      @Empiro3 Před 8 měsíci

      You don't need to over encumber anyone to increase strength. Along with TUs and stamina, it goes up any time you gain experience in other stats like firing accuracy or reaction.

  • @DTOStudios
    @DTOStudios Před 4 měsíci

    Have one guy with a rocket launcher at the door to the Skyranger, so you dont spawn in with a Sectoid in a window that guns down half of your troops like youre recreating Saving Private Ryan

  • @brucetungsten5714
    @brucetungsten5714 Před 2 měsíci

    Doom guy approved background.

  • @Neeboopsh
    @Neeboopsh Před 4 měsíci

    best game in all of history

  • @legendaryryan1623
    @legendaryryan1623 Před 4 měsíci +2

    xcom is EASY. lol, i remember playing this in 1990 something as a kid and still beating it, best tips i can give, try your best not to fight at night(ai has no disadvantage).. research and equip all your soldiers and ships with plasma weapons(laser weapons are decent till you have it) and from the start invest in stun rods and eventually stun launchers for the live alien captures, especially leaders for the end game mission. likewise from the start invest in tanks, sucks since they get no experience but they deal enough death to carry your squad and eventually you get hover tanks and end tier is the blaster launcher tanks). avoid snakemen terror missions unless you want to experience terror yourself and in the last mission, avoid spending blaster rounds until the 2nd mission where you just obliterate every square inch you see. spoiler alert xcom is not easy.

  • @coffeepot3123
    @coffeepot3123 Před 2 lety +4

    The year was 2019..
    Watched gameplay of XCOM UAP* Defense..
    Too lazy to learn the game and put it in cold storage for further study..
    Anyhow, looks like a fun game and will slowly get into it, like walking trough alien goop up to my knees.

  • @igotbanned3timesfromyoutub883

    Underrated

  • @afsoc4life
    @afsoc4life Před rokem +1

    Buy smoke grenades. They are a life saver when off boarding.

  • @krzysztofpaszkiewicz1274
    @krzysztofpaszkiewicz1274 Před 9 měsíci +1

    I would do one thing differently though. Forget the auto and heavy cannons and equip 4 to 5 people with rocket launchers. Aliens tend to hide in barns and sheds and removing their cover or killing them outright without risking your soldiers is crucial. Just blast every building on the map.
    Next thing where this is helpful is your first terror mission. Not only you can remove covers but also blast the most resilient units like reapers or chryssalids. Auto and heavy cannons often struggle to kill them quickly and with rocket blasts not only you kill them, remove cover but there is a high chance you kill groups of enemies standing close or behind a wall.
    The innability o kill tougher aliens is also the reason you should prioritize laser weapons. But even after you have laser rifles, rockets are your friend.
    The last thing. If you are a beginner and you are struggling open xcom lets you start the game with more things in your base. The large radar system, more scientists and an alien containment facility. The last one is the most important because the first missions are easy enough for you to capture some live aliens. And an alien navigator is a game changer.

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 9 měsíci +1

      Lots of great advice here! Only thing I would add is that rockets start to lose effectiveness against armored aliens like Cyberdisks and Mutons. You also accidentally destroy lots of alien loot and civilians if you're using it frequently.

    • @krzysztofpaszkiewicz1274
      @krzysztofpaszkiewicz1274 Před 9 měsíci

      @@hailstar2075 Yeah the biggest downside is the lost loot. Civilians not so much because you'll probably get only one terror mission before you'll get decent weapons and won't have to use the rockets as much.
      And yes Cyberdisks are always a pain to deal with up until you get plasma weapons. They can tank multiple rockets and a variety of other shots.

    • @Empiro3
      @Empiro3 Před 8 měsíci +1

      In my last game, I was playing in the superhuman difficulty, and I would say that rockets remain useful until very late game.
      They're actually a great way to take down cyberdiscs. One direct hit is often enough.
      They're also good for clearing out buildings.

  • @youhavenoprivacyandownnoth8289
    @youhavenoprivacyandownnoth8289 Před 6 měsíci +1

    why yes, I do use a skyranger to chase ufos and i sold my two interceptors because i thought i didnt need them

  • @paydenjohnson8998
    @paydenjohnson8998 Před měsícem

    Attack a UFO with the Skyranger, got it.

  • @user-ku3lv8vn2w
    @user-ku3lv8vn2w Před 2 lety +4

    Thank you for the video man.
    Will this guide also works for terror from the deep too?

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 2 lety +6

      Generally yes, but I plan on making a video about TFTD specifically later.

    • @jeffjefferson5095
      @jeffjefferson5095 Před rokem +2

      @@hailstar2075 Please do :)

    • @nine1690
      @nine1690 Před rokem +2

      @Hailstar Hey, I hope you can still make the TFTD video! As a newbie to X-Com this video has been really helpful, your dark, blunt humor alongside knowing exactly what you’re talking about is an excellent combination for this game!

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před rokem +1

      @@nine1690 Thanks! TFTD video is still something I want to do at some point in the future.

  • @Brian-if2pz
    @Brian-if2pz Před 4 měsíci +1

    Excellent vid! What are the odds of getting some followup ones with additional mechanics, tips, etc?

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 4 měsíci +1

      Thanks! I've been thinking about a follow up getting more into the mechanics of the game, but haven't really set aside the time to make it yet.

    • @Brian-if2pz
      @Brian-if2pz Před 4 měsíci +1

      Hey, better to take your time than to rush it in and get wiped by a pod of aliens!

  • @Rezec75
    @Rezec75 Před 4 měsíci +1

    6.82 Mb. Man, where did we go so wrong?

  • @williamoverton7775
    @williamoverton7775 Před 7 měsíci

    When looking around if you see a blast mark on the ground you know there's an alien in that direction

  • @solwilkinson8551
    @solwilkinson8551 Před rokem +1

    cool vid

  • @nick6063
    @nick6063 Před 5 měsíci +1

    thanks! The game sens less dauthing now.

  • @pelimies1818
    @pelimies1818 Před měsícem +1

    Why I have to double-check my resolution?
    Relax.. I was just double-pulling your leg!

  • @Andriej69
    @Andriej69 Před 2 lety +4

    Installed it today, my last attempt playing Xcom in DOSbox failed miserably. Keep your fingers crossed!

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 2 lety +1

      Good luck! OpenXcom is a lot easier to use than DOSbox, so you shouldn't have any issues as long as you can locate your vanilla installation.

    • @Andriej69
      @Andriej69 Před 2 lety +2

      @@hailstar2075 Everything is working so far, at least as far as the game itself is concerned, not my performance lol

  • @polygonvvitch
    @polygonvvitch Před 6 měsíci +1

    Thank you for the guide, I tried getting into this once by myself and just headbutted the brick wall for like 30 minutes before giving up.

  • @philippdeiml1722
    @philippdeiml1722 Před 2 lety +1

    Ah nostalgia

  • @owlsayssouth
    @owlsayssouth Před 7 měsíci

    Missing from the guide: interceptors use avalanche missiles until you research something else. The other weapons are ineffective.

  • @anenthusiast6942
    @anenthusiast6942 Před 11 měsíci +1

    just dropping in for a quick question, in the production menu it says that my profit is going to be negative, (e.g. Profit: -$400,000) is this actual negative profit or just an old game thing

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 11 měsíci +2

      I believe it will actually take money from you equal to that amount. This is usually a result of your base upkeep being too high, or manufacturing expensive things in your workshops. If you're strapped for cash try selling off extra alien corpses and surplus gear (for example you probably won't need more than 30 plasma rifles). Only sell alien grenades and plasma weapon ammunition as a last resort though. The goal is to have so much money in the bank that going negative on profit isn't a big deal and/or to win a bunch of missions and make countries happy so they increase their funding.

    • @sinanju
      @sinanju Před 6 měsíci

      @@hailstar2075 Once you've researched laser weapons, build (and sell) laser cannons. Highest profit margin in the game. I usually build a dedicated base (LaserFab One) to churn them out and soon I have more money than I know what to do with. Funding becomes a non-issue (literally tens of millions). Don't ask who's buying all those laser cannons....

  • @Gil-games
    @Gil-games Před 2 lety +6

    If you setup yourself like this, you gonna have hard times....
    Before anything, buy smoke grenades, a lot
    Equip the interceptors with avalanche.

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 2 lety +1

      Avalanches are definitely the way to go for interceptors. Smokes you can honestly go without.
      Follow up videos will be talking about specific strategies and gear recommendations.

    • @Gil-games
      @Gil-games Před 2 lety +3

      @@hailstar2075 on beginner maybe...but I would advise to get used to smoking since later it's essential. In the vid you sold the extra avalanche launcher that is wierd. The first thing I do, is make one ceptor ready with 2 avalanche and buy 2 more. I believe if you prep ppl for superhuman that would work on beginner level too, so no reason to show different setups.

    • @pwnmeisterage
      @pwnmeisterage Před rokem +3

      I keep one interceptor equipped with Avalanche/Stinger or Stinger/Stinger. Good for crashing "Tiny" and "Small" UFOs without completely destroying them. Those extra crash site missions are a little tedious but they improve your score, upgrade your troops, and give you infusions of money in the early game when you need it most.

  • @avalonjustin
    @avalonjustin Před 3 měsíci

    Nothing like starting up this game again after a decade, playing on beginner difficulty, and getting my team wiped out with a blaster bomb.

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 3 měsíci +1

      Oof! Avoiding those blaster launchers requires you to be so aggressive and take out anyone who might have line of sight. Mind control aliens and Blaster Launchers are a nightmare combination.

    • @avalonjustin
      @avalonjustin Před 3 měsíci

      @@hailstar2075Yes sir, I need to be more careful and not keep my soldiers so tightly grouped on missions but sometimes we get bad luck. Thanks for your expert advice, it really helps.

  • @ConducterRave-sg5kh8zc2e
    @ConducterRave-sg5kh8zc2e Před 2 měsíci +2

    Shit I just put my base in Antarctica because I'm a beginner 😂

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 2 měsíci +1

      It’s too cool to resist!
      If you want to keep going on that save I’d recommend getting the large radar quickly so you can hopefully extend your coverage over a couple other countries. Best of luck!

  • @jerrymack95
    @jerrymack95 Před rokem

    i wish this game wasnt so much of a "if you know what to do then youre good, otherwise get fucked" kind of game cuz i know i can get into it. its just intimidating

  • @shraka
    @shraka Před 3 měsíci

    Is this the only video this channel is ever going to create?

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 3 měsíci +1

      I might do more classic xcom guides in the future, but nothing is definite yet

  • @juiceblock772
    @juiceblock772 Před 4 měsíci +1

    I’m playing the PS1 version 😅

  • @tuckerramseur2000
    @tuckerramseur2000 Před 2 lety

    Make one for xcom apocalypse

  • @pallingtontheshrike6374

    4:30 i see, vanilla does not have missile strikes like xpiratez
    also you start with so much cash.
    6:00 the pain of everyone who plays the entire suite of og xcom and mods

  • @jason8077
    @jason8077 Před 11 měsíci

    Clips are for sissies we call it mags 😂

  • @Trauson
    @Trauson Před rokem

    Idk.... true guide.... install mods... aside from the upscaling... everything else doesnt seem too honest with the true xcom experience.

    • @nmpltleopardi
      @nmpltleopardi Před rokem

      Well... you can deactivate the non vanilla options and play a scalable for modern resolutions, non-buggy version of the game. The guide was a pretty good primer for newbies imo

  • @Debbiebabe69
    @Debbiebabe69 Před 2 měsíci +3

    When attacking UFOs, dont just send 1 interceptor, send them ALL. Leave them at standoff until all your interceptors are on target. Then you get multiple attack windows, send them all in at once. You can attack one UFO with up to 4 interceptors doing this, just move the attack windows around the screen so you can see them all.

    • @hailstar2075
      @hailstar2075  Před 2 měsíci +1

      Good tip, especially for larger UFOs!