Firaxis is implementing a new menu option called ‘Save Scum’ when XCOM: Enemy Within, an expansion pack for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, is released.
The Save Scum option randomize your chances of a successful attack each time you load a saved game. This allows players to experience a different outcome whenever they frustratingly miss a shot and reload the game.
To elaborate, if the game says that you are going to die to a hit for 10 points worth of damage, you will always die to a hit for the same amount in that round. Therefore, randomizing the seed makes save scumming worthwhile and unpredictable.
Speaking to PCGamesN, Anand Gupta, the lead designer of XCOM, sheds some light on the origin of the term ‘Save Scum.’ "In honour of what Jake Solomon [XCOM's former lead designer] likes to call players who do this,” he explained.
XCOM: Enemy Within will be released on November 12th in North America and November 15th elsewhere. The regular price for PC and Mac is $29.99/ £19.99. For consoles, it will only be released in disc format as XCOM: Enemy Within- Commander Edition. A standalone experience that inclues all XCOM: Enemy Unknown content plus Elite Soldier and Slingshot add-ons for $39.99