Top Game Play Tips
XCOM®: Enemy Unknown Guide
Xcom is not just about shooting the enemy - if it were it would not be the fascinating exercise in strategy that it actually is. There are other goals and activities you must succeed in:
Training Your Troopers
The trick here is to rotate as many Rookies into the field as soon as you can in order to obtain their specialty, then create mixed teams whose goal is to level up the different types of trooper equally, so that at any given time you have a thread spreading through the ranks, but constantly moving forward.
Researching Tech
Between the Science Lab and Engineering you will have loads of tech to research and build -- but the thing is if you are going to win and save the day you must be dilligent and committed to that research process!
Completing research and then building prototypes in a timely fashion is the only hope that your troops will have, because it is via those goals that you unlock the weapons and armor that they must have to stay competitive against the enemy!
Building Your Base
This part of the game is the most difficult and challenging, mostly because it is the most expensive and time consuming.
Basically you need to remember while doing everything else to expand and build your base, because in addition to needing the power and research facilities you also need the Satellite capabilities and space fighters to defend against Alien ships!
Delivering on Special Goals
Every so often the Council will ask you to do a special mission - it is important for the morale of the allies that you not only complete these but do well at them. This will have a major effect on morale.
Capture Goals
Progression of the story requires you to capture the specific aliens that the Scientists request plus the rest of the alien types as you progress through the game. That will both move the story, your knowledge of the aliens, and science along!
Save Often
The final incredibly important tip for you is to save your game OFTEN!! Save before each mission, save AFTER you succeed in each mission. That way if things go horribly wrong you can replay the mission.