Long War mod for XCOM: Enemy Within

READ THIS README, ESPECIALLY THE FAQ. IT EXPLAINS SOME MAJOR CHANGES FROM VANILLA. This mod makes hundreds of changes, large and small, to the vanilla version of the game. It is harder and longer than the vanilla version but gives you many more tools to combat the alien threat. Some of the changes in this mod include:

• An extended campaign requiring far more missions to complete
• Tactical missions that allow up to twelve XCom soldiers per mission with the right upgrades
• Eight soldier classes: Infantry, Assault, Sniper, Scout, Gunner, Rocketeer, Medic and Engineer, and eight MEC classes: Valkyrie, Marauder, Jaeger, Pathfinder, Goliath, Archer, Guardian and Shogun
• English-accent voicepacks for soldiers from England, Australia and several other nations
• New and modified perks, including Ranger, Sapper, HEAT Warheads, Lock N' Load, Fire in the Hole, Hit and Run, and Javelin Rockets
• New and modified technologies, including Xenopsionics, Alien Biocybernetics, Pulse Lasers, Gauss Weapons and Advanced Aerospace Concepts, and many new foundry projects
• Five tiers of XCOM weaponry, many new armors and small items and S.H.I.V.s that can be equipped with perk-granting small items! See some of the new weapons here.
• Earlier access to psionics and an expanded psionics tree
• A system of commissioning and promoting XCOM officers who provide bonuses to your entire squad during missions (replaces the Enemy Within medals system)
• Overhauled interception game, with five new UFO classes such as the Fighter, Raider and Harvester, as well as six interceptors per continent, foundry projects to upgrade your aircraft, individualized pilot names and pilot experience, and the Stingray Missile weapon system
• Overhauled strategy game, in which the aliens gather resources and conduct research -- efforts XCOM must interdict if it hopes to save humanity. XCOM can now retake countries by finding and conquering alien bases in those countries. Help council countries defend themselves by fulfilling their requests for alien technology!
• Aliens and EXALT forces grow tougher over time, gaining stats and perks
• New weapons for XCOM soldiers
• Soldiers rest after each mission, requiring the player to build a much deeper roster of soldiers
• Modified Second Wave options to support longer campaigns
• Training mode config file for easier campaigns

Most of the specific changes will be detailed in in-game text. Many game mechanics have changed, so read perk, tech and item descriptions closely! They may not do what you expect from vanilla.

Perk trees for all classes are in the file Long_War_3_perk_tree.jpg in your XEW directory, or here.

Tech tree is in the file Long_War_3_tech_tree.png in your XEW directory, or here.

A Long War wiki is hosted on UFOpeadia, here. (It needs contributions!) (Art in this section by Dana Henderson/lfish)

You must have a legitimate PC, Mac or Linux version of Enemy Within to play this mod. This mod is for games with the March 10, 2014, patch, what we're calling Enemy Within Patch 3. The game version is still listed as 401776.

An Enemy Unknown version of this mod (with fewer features) is available in the Files section. It has not been updated to work with EU patches 5 and 6 (too much work), so you have to take extra steps to roll back your XCOM EU installation to patch 4, with this tool. For help with installation of the EU version, check out Phwop's tutorial, here.

Instructions

• If you have ever played with any other mods on your EW install, or have changed some files yourself, verify back to a vanilla installation of EW before installing Long War. If you have any trouble with installation, do this as well.
• Disable any antivirus software. We have specific reports that Comodo security software prevents a proper install, and BitDefender free crashes the game on startup.
• Make sure you have the latest .NET Framework installed.
• Run the installer.
• When you select your path to install the mod, you should receive a warning that the directory already exists. If you didn't, have you may have missed a step.
• Start the game once. You may receive a crash to desktop (CTD) error; this appears to be some aspect of the mod completing installation and then making nice with Steam. Start it again, and it should run.
• If you have been playing vanilla XCOM in a language other than the one you installed it in, switch XCOM to the installed Long War language via its properties in Steam.

Notes

• This mod will overwrite several game files and likely render multiplayer unplayable until you uninstall.
• A Mac and Linux version is available via separate downloads.
• The mod will not work properly on vanilla Enemy Within campaigns, so you'll need to start a new one. Campaigns are saved even if you uninstall, so you should be able to return to vanilla campaigns. Long War campaigns probably won't work well in vanilla.
• If Firaxis/2K Games issues any patches to vanilla XCOM, it will overwrite and disable Long War, and almost certainly make the mod unplayable until the modders are able to update it. Unfortunately, turning off automatic updates to the game in Steam, via the game's Steam Library context menu ? Properties ? Updates tab, does not prevent patches from loading. Your savegames should be preserved, though.
• If you want to use alternate game textures via TexMod, install them AFTER you fully install Long War.
• If you install this mod over an existing version you won't be able to uninstall back to vanilla; to do so, you'll have to go to Steam and use the Verify Integrity of Game Cache option (under the game's Steam Library context menu ? Properties ? Local Files tab) to restore your game to its original settings. You should also do this if something goes wrong with the uninstall