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

[Alienman]

OG X-Com was playable with a controller.

Lol. Cmon man.

I played OG X-Com for the first time on the PS1. I was like 10, and even then I remember thinking “wow these controls are awful”

The reason is because the UI was based on the PC version which had mouse input. It’s a great example on why the two schemes should be separate.

That PS1 mouse though.

 

[Mazisky]

In 2018 most of pc gamers plays often with a controller, so saying that controller support is against pc doesn't make sense.

Pc players even made petitions and web-riots in the past asking for controller support on some pc games.

You guys are stuck in the 90's.

Give him some real complains or you will look just like whiners and cannot be taken seriously.

 

[Shog-goth]

In 2018 most of pc gamers plays often with a controller, so saying that controller support is against pc doesn't make sense.

If you love ketchup on burgers, you also put it in your pasta instead of tomato sauce? Controller is good for some kind of games, Phoenix Point is not one of them.

 

[Mazisky]

In 2018 most of pc gamers plays often with a controller, so saying that controller support is against pc doesn't make sense.

If you love ketchup on burgers, you also put it in your pasta instead of tomato sauce? Controller is good for some kind of games, Phoenix Point is not one of them.

Fair point, but still i don't get it. I play on pc since 93 and i never used a controller, i don't even own a console. I prefere to play with mouse\keyboard even on racing games. Even with that, the controller support doesn't bother me at all.
Some people like to play with a controller, i dont' know how this can influence my enjoynment with the game.

 

[Shog-goth]

Even with that, the controller support doesn't bother me at all.
Some people like to play with a controller, i dont' know how this can influence my enjoynment with the game.

Because the UI is modelled around the controller, not the mouse. You can't optimize the same interface for both inputs, as you can't be servant of two masters.

 

[Mazisky]

Even with that, the controller support doesn't bother me at all.
Some people like to play with a controller, i dont' know how this can influence my enjoynment with the game.

Because the UI is modelled around the controller, not the mouse. You can't optimize the same interface for both inputs, as you can't be servant of two masters.

I had no UI problems with any pc games who also supported controller. The only UI concerns i've ever had were bad UIs in the first place.

 

[Mustawd]

WTF...is Mazisky like one of those early internet AIs something?

What the hell am I reading?

 

[Shog-goth]

I had no UI problems with any pc games who also supported controller. The only UI concerns i've ever had were bad UIs in the first place.

One thing is an interface that just support the controller, and another that is optimized around it. Often bad UIs arise trying to reconcile the irreconcilable, Phoenix Point needed only a mouse/keyboard-centric one and that's a fact; instead we ended with an Xbox one.

 

[Mazisky]

WTF...is Mazisky like one of those early internet AIs something?

What the hell am I reading?

Omg! what the hell im reading! Sacrilege!!

I know it's difficult to accept someone who doesn't whine like a first time menstruated 13 year chick for a controller support, so i give you some time to elaborate this new circumstance.

Also, me, many players and probably Snapshot games too won't give a fuck if 3 random retards won't buy the game cause of controller support inclusion. Keep it in mind. that's the main point.

 

[Shog-goth]

Keep it in mind. that's the main point

The main point, apparently, is that you miss the point.

 

[Mazisky]

Keep it in mind. that's the main point

The main point, apparently, is that you miss the point.

Dude, if they will make a bad PC UI only to please console audience, it will be a failure on all fronts.
It's a given the game will sell more on pc anyway, so even considering only a commercial-profitable point of view it's their interest.

I guess they are aware about that. I am confident they will make a good UI for both systems.

 

[Shog-goth]

if they will make a bad PC UI

It's already a bad PC UI.

 

[Mazisky]

if they will make a bad PC UI

It's already a bad PC UI.

Game will be out in 2019.

 

[Shog-goth]

Game will be out in 2019.

Sadly the setting will remain the same, there will be no revolutions: this interface is optimzed for controller.

And, at this crawling development pace, I doubt the game will be (full-features) ready in 2019.

 

[UnstableVoltage]

It's already a bad PC UI.

So you'd prefer a UI cluttered with tiny little icons which you can click with a mouse, like in UFO? It's 2018 - things have moved on.

 

[Alienman]

So much resentment towards the olden golden days of PC UIs. Says a lot of these so called spiritual successors. I mean, I understand why Firaxis did it, but Gollop himself. That is a bit sad to be honest.

 

[J_C]

So much resentment towards the olden golden days of PC UIs. Says a lot of these so called spiritual successors. I mean, I understand why Firaxis did it, but Gollop himself. That is a bit sad to be honest.

Just because it is olden golden, it is not necesserlay good. There were great UIs in the past, but the first X-Com UI was not among them. Just a lot of rectangle icons cluttered together, without style. It was functional, but that's it.

 

[Mazisky]

Agreed.

Ufo defense is my favourite game of all times and i have to say the UI was not in its pros.

Stuff i want Pheonix Point to match with Ufo defense are the atmosphere and the soundtrack for example, not a clunky 90's UI lel.

 

[HansDampf]

tiny little icons

I wouldn't call them tiny.
J_C is right though. I can't even remember what each of these buttons do, because I never used them. OpenXcom has a convenient hotkey for every action on the keyboard. Consoles don't have keyboards.

 

[Alienman]

So much resentment towards the olden golden days of PC UIs. Says a lot of these so called spiritual successors. I mean, I understand why Firaxis did it, but Gollop himself. That is a bit sad to be honest.

Just because it is olden golden, it is not necesserlay good. There were great UIs in the past, but the first X-Com UI was not among them. Just a lot of rectangle icons cluttered together, without style. It was functional, but that's it.

Guess I'm alone then. I liked and still like the old style of UI. Rather have that then anything modern flashy.

And it was not clunky. How else would you do it when you have simulated approach to gameplay? JA2 is very similar in style and also works perfectly. But I guess when you streamline it to that degree you don't need detail in control.

 

[Mustawd]

At no point has anyone suggested we go the route of x-com’s UI. What people are saying is the following:

1.) They feel like Julian blatantly lied about making the game PC centric. PC centric to me means develop the game for PC and then do a console port. Much like in Div Original Sin.

2.) Due to the UI design being developed for both platforms at the same time, people are naturally nervous/worried/leery that complex mechanics might get dumbed down if they become too clunky to navigate via controller.

3.) Due to #1 ppl feel like the game was marketed in a way to get more money out of PC players than if they had known console development would be in tandem with PC development.

 

[Mustawd]

And it was not clunky

I found and find it quite clunky IMO. Look arlt how many steps there are to prime, aim and throw a grenade. It’s pretty convoluted.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Certain clunkines in UI is price that must be payed for flexibility of action.

 

[Mustawd]

Certain clunkines in UI is price that must be payed for flexibility of action.

It can still be streamlined in a better way. Let’s take my example of priming and throwing grenades.

Keeping the prime and throw mechanics seperate allows for cool stuff. Maybe I wanna throw a non primed grenade to a close comrade in the second story of a nearby building. Maybe I wanna prime a grenade, hold onto it, and kamikaze my way into the alien spacecraft.

But since the vast majority of the time you’re priming and throwing within the same turn, why not just have an option called “Prime and Throw”?

That right there is a perfect example of ways to streamline and speed up the gameplay. You can keep the separation of prime and throw, but you now add in an option to do both at the same time, which is what you wanna do in 90% of situations.

 

[Mustawd]

Taka-Haradin puolipeikko whats my agenda exactly? I’m just explaining that the OG X-com UI could have been improved.