KickStarter Phoenix Point - the new game from X-COM creator Julian Gollop

[veevoir]

And now back to actual news.

More incline from comments section:

On saving:
JG: We haven't implemented it yet, but save any time should be the preferred option. The random number seed will probably be set for the mission. There will be an iron man mode.

On bases:
JG: Based building is important. It will work in a similar manner to the original X-Com, but you will need to specialise your bases to some extent. One of the things you need to do is extend the reach of your vehicles with refuelling and maintenance bases. There will also be installations that can specifically deal with the alien mist.

On the whole 2AP+ will exertion topic:
JG: 'Will Points' are spent to activate most actions. Physically or mentally strenuous actions generally require more will points. A character will lose will points for serious injuries, death of a comrade or facing terrifying monsters. Will Points are recovered by resting for a turn. There are a number of other effects that can positively or negatively affect will points. Characters with leadership ability can boost will points for squad members, for example.

On classes:
JG: Generally, any character can use any equipment, but without the proper ability and training the results may be less than desired. There will be 'classes', but it will be possible for soldiers to multi-class. The classes basically reflect skill sets for certain combat roles.


Any chance of your soldiers having limb and body damage like the enemies? Would be cool if you could lose limbs and replace them with advanced prosthetics
JG: Yes, that is planned (and already working in our internal prototype).

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

On classes:
JG: Generally, any character can use any equipment, but without the proper ability and training the results may be less than desired. There will be 'classes', but it will be possible for soldiers to multi-class. The classes basically reflect skill sets for certain combat roles.

Good.
I was worried that they would go for strict class system like nu-XCOM.

 

[Grotesque]

 

[Space Satan]

Setting is shit. Plague plaguing plagued humanity.
Mutants everywhere. UFO: Aftermath, aftershock, afterlight, aftercrap, afterfag had very ssame setting with godawful, despicable mechanics, implementation, story and everything else.
Xenonauts had way better setting, alas, with mediocre implementation. With kickstarter resources Gallop could assemble a more appealing setting.
Hopefully, gameplay will drive it through and compensate for shitty setting.
Also, 2-turn system of nuXcom was okay and presented tons of tactical decisions on par with Tus, but Firaxis being Firaxis, ruined it with pod and detection systems. And nuXcom2 fixed some problems but mae almost every mission timed one, which made game not only unfun but also annoying one.

 

[J_C]

Setting is shit. Plague plaguing plagued humanity.
Mutants everywhere. UFO: Aftermath, aftershock, afterlight, aftercrap, afterfag had very ssame setting with godawful, despicable mechanics, implementation, story and everything else.
Xenonauts had way better setting, alas, with mediocre implementation. With kickstarter resources Gallop could assemble a more appealing setting.
Hopefully, gameplay will drive it through and compensate for shitty setting.
Also, 2-turn system of nuXcom was okay and presented tons of tactical decisions on par with Tus, but Firaxis being Firaxis, ruined it with pod and detection systems. And nuXcom2 fixed some problems but mae almost every mission timed one, which made game not only unfun but also annoying one.

What difference does it make if it's aliens or mutants?

 

[Space Satan]

Mostly aesthetics and perception. Shambling mass with fused metal guns does not tick for me. This and previous miserable game quality, or more accurate lack of, of games where "biomass" was an enemy. Starting from age-old tac shooters and through pseudo-xcoms like aftershit and up to Prototype series.

 

[Israfael]

Pods and 360 degree sight system were natural outcomes of phase combat - you can't have proper FoVs and fog of war without finer granularity than having either 1 or 2 movement phases.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

I don't think you understand what phase based combat means. But just in case: neither proper nor nu- XCOM had phase based combat.

 

[ArchAngel]

Pods and 360 degree sight system were natural outcomes of phase combat - you can't have proper FoVs and fog of war without finer granularity than having either 1 or 2 movement phases.

I agree about 360 vision but not about pod system. Shadowrun worked well enough without it while also having a simple no TU combat. If someone took a Shadowrun system, made it into more of a tactical combat game where you can lose your squad easily it would have also worked well as a Xcomlike

 

[Darth Roxor]

If someone took a Shadowrun system, made it into more of a tactical combat game where you can lose your squad easily it would have also worked well as a Xcomlike

No, it would work fucking terrible. This is the most fundamental core issue about the 2 AP system - you can't have a game with X-COM principles (flimsy, easily-replaceable rookies) if you're using it, and it gets even worse the more stupid design from XCOM you pile on top of it.

2 AP system = character movement during its turn is extremely limited and inflexible, which makes it end up in trouble from which it can't escape much more often than with TUs. This leads to vastly increased mortality, which is stupidly punishing if you're also including small squads or expecting the player to actually keep his characters alive for them to progress (or both). This is why it raises the need for characters that can take a number of punches before going out permanently, like in Shadowrun, and why Shadowrun would be fucking stupid if it had easily killable PCs.


Also, it's still a false point anyway because in Shadowrun you can keep pumping yourself with AP boosters to get like 8 actions and massacre all gits in view, and even the default 'cap' is 3, not 2.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

This looks more interesting than nuXCOM.

 

[BlackAdderBG]

Random seed for the whole mission is cancer and leads to cheating AI.

 

[luinthoron]

Campaign update 6:

Some of you have asked about receiving your Chaos Reborn game on gog.com rather than Steam. I am pleased to announce that we can accomodate this. We will survey all backers for their preference as soon as the campaign ends.

There's a new story available from Jonas:

Far Out There

Weapons of War
Our amazing 3D artist, Samuil Stanoev, has been hard at work modelling some of the weapons your soldiers will be able to use. Here is a selection of gauss weapons in different configurations.

 

[Grotesque]

The wave of optimism in this thread only demonstrated that some humans never learn.

 

[DeepOcean]

The wave of optimism in this thread only demonstrated that some humans never learn.

Desperate fans are an endless well of money.

 

[CRD]

Why I can't use the new ratings

 

[J_C]

The wave of optimism in this thread only demonstrated that some humans never learn.

Yeah, being optimistic and trying to enjoy things sure sucks. Better be a depressive fuck with a miserable life.

 

[Grotesque]

The wave of optimism in this thread only demonstrated that some humans never learn.

Yeah, being optimistic and trying to enjoy things sure sucks. Better be a depressive fuck with a miserable life.

Hey moron!
Now that I see you're a developer, at least try to act in a professional manner?...

Why I can't use the new ratings

Have you attended Infinitron's lectures about shilling?

 

[Zenith]

Hey now, an untreated case of optimism could be lethal. I've known people who went undiagnosed for decades.

 

[luinthoron]

Campaign update 7:

Many of you have been asking for some in depth game play footage. The good news is that we are going to show you some. The bad news is that it will take a while to get ready. The reason for this is that we want to show you a monster fight, and how awesome it can be, but we are in the middle of implemention right now. It will show how team coordination, body part targeting and monster knowledge can defeat the most impressive opponents you will face.

Please check the update FAQ here. There are new entries on will points and immortalization.

There is a new story on the website:

Recruiting by Allen Stroud

Some of you have asked to see more detailed renders and artwork. You can check out Phoenix Point art, as well as other creations by two of our team members here:

Samuil Stanoev on ArtStation

Svetoslav Petrov on ArtStation

Jonas has written an interesting blog piece on Gamasutra:

From X-Com to Phoenix Point

How does the Immortalization reward work?
We have had a few questions about this, so here is a detailed overview of how it will be implemented.

You will work with our art team, writing team and design team to create a key NPC in the game.

You will create a haven leader - this means designing the face, the name, the bio and the personality of the character. The face can be after your own likeness, for which you will have to supply frontal/side photos of your head. Our art team work with you to create this and make it impressive.

Haven leader characteristics include aggression, guile, technocratic, diplomatic, charismatic, and so on. These characteristics interact with many systems in the game.

Your haven leader can be a member of a faction, or an independent leader. You will be able to define your character’s attitude to other factions (if independent). If your leader is a member of a faction it may have a high rank or key role, depending on the faction.

You can name your haven. You can define the layout of your haven, its structures and facilities and its tech. This must be within the confines of game world plausibility. However, your leader and haven will definitely be considered one of the major havens in the world.

Your leader may have any gender, race or nationality - but note that haven locations are partially randomized. You can specify a general area that your haven might be located, e.g. coastal, in Africa, deep inland, etc.

In the game, players interact with haven leaders in various ways. Haven leaders will request assistance against the aliens or other threats. They will propose alliances (if independent). They will suggest trades of goods or technology. They may also act independently, attacking other havens or making their own alliances. They will attempt to develop their havens and tech.

Mermaid
Aleksandar has another plasticine alien concept he has called a 'mermaid'. It's the most horrifying mermaid I have ever seen.

 

[Jimmious]

Jonas seems like a pretty cool Greek bro

 

[luinthoron]

More of Gollop's answers from the comments as well:

Yes, Linux version will be available in early access simultaneously with windows.

There will be a ufopedia, although it won't be called that, since there aren't exactly any UFOs.

Generally, the aliens don't go in for much hiding in Phoenix Point. There are also options for the AI to retreat or surrender, depending on the context. Attacking human havens may often result in surrender if the enemy is losing badly.

The AI does behave differently depending on the faction - and don't be fooled by Synedrion's apparent pacifist background - it won't last long. Factions are not going to be permanently at war with you unless you really piss them off.

 

[Space Satan]

X-Com: Apocalypse featurd retreating aliens. Saved time in real-time, but still was a chore in turn-based.

 

[Jaedar]

X-Com: Apocalypse featurd retreating aliens. Saved time in real-time, but still was a chore in turn-based.

Wouldn't retreating aliens in apoc just spread to neighbouring buildings, making you do even more missions to hunt them down?

 

[Space Satan]

As far asi know local faction forces could neutralize that aliens once bulk of their forces have been destroyed, so that missions were useful only when you wanted to sweep completely. Also, additional raids for aliens and destruction annoyed the faction.