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

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

 

[Latelistener]

I think I understand it a bit better now. Knew this was the right place to ask.
Thanks guys.

You can just try OpenXcom; weights almost nothing, very easy to set up: https://openxcom.org/git-builds/

You'll need files from the original game, but 2K gave it for free on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/7760/XCOM_UFO_Defense/

Also it's compatible with TFTD, but I don't know how playable it is: https://store.steampowered.com/app/7650/XCOM_Terror_From_the_Deep/

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

My heavy fumbled overwatch with pistol and didn't take action when enemy showed up.
Has anyone else spotted this?

 

[PanteraNera]

 

[cvv]

While we're at it, what's the general feel about Xenonauts? The damn thing is sitting in my GOG library and I have no idea if it's worth investing dozens of hours into.

 

[ArchAngel]

While we're at it, what's the general feel about Xenonauts? The damn thing is sitting in my GOG library and I have no idea if it's worth investing dozens of hours into.

Worse than Open Xcom.

 

[geno]

My heavy fumbled overwatch with pistol and didn't take action when enemy showed up.
Has anyone else spotted this?

i didn't try this, but my sniper uses the sniper rifle when he's overwatching with his pistol (Phoenix model, I don't know if New Jericho model has the same issue)

This the most bugged build by far.

 

[Jimmious]

My heavy fumbled overwatch with pistol and didn't take action when enemy showed up.
Has anyone else spotted this?

i didn't try this, but my sniper uses the sniper rifle when he's overwatching with his pistol (Phoenix model, I don't know if New Jericho model has the same issue)

This the most bugged build by far.

More features = more bugs

 

[PanteraNera]

Spoiler

At this point I didn't find any Queen, any shotgun or that new equipment for heavys.
Anyway, can you stop the mist? How long can you go assuming you survive to the bugs?

I have just found a second base, have still only five soldiers.
Haven't encountered a Queen so far.
Got several PP grenade launchers (new heavy equipment), PP pistol, PP shotgun, Stun Rod and PP grenade.
*edit* as far as I know you can not currently stop the Mist.
I have explored a lot more than you have, haven't encountered any bugs that made me abandon my current (and first) "campaign". Also I have not encountered any bugs at all.

 

[orcinator]

While we're at it, what's the general feel about Xenonauts? The damn thing is sitting in my GOG library and I have no idea if it's worth investing dozens of hours into.

One Step forwards two steps back, many side steps.
Mods may or may not make it good but I haven't tried em.

 

[Child of Malkav]

Have they said anything new about how the stealth will work in this game? Gun suppressors, line of sight, sound, distractions, patrols, infiltration, day or night, awareness etc.?

 

[Latelistener]

Have they said anything new about how the stealth will work in this game? Gun suppressors, line of sight, sound, distractions, patrols, infiltration, day or night, awareness etc.?

360 degree view.

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

While we're at it, what's the general feel about Xenonauts? The damn thing is sitting in my GOG library and I have no idea if it's worth investing dozens of hours into.

Wait for Xenonauts 2 bro.

 

[Israfael]

Amount of turns/actions/whatevers is not the chief difference between gamey phase combat systems and true simulations (you can have 2 TUs in your sim which basically will mean that it plays almost in real time with one/two actions per 'tick' of time), what is different is that TUs are universal - you can do whatever is possible/permissible as defined by rules of simulation (not just you, but any entity inside simulator), while in phase combat you have distinct movement /shooting phases.. Of course, board games prefer the latter, but we have a calculating machine that can remove all tedious calculation complexity and automate it. TUs are 'confusing' because developers are not bothered with implementing proper grid highlighting or not explaining it to players.

For me, gamey systems are actually more confusing, since there's no sense why I (as a participant of the sim) must first run, or just shoot and stand still. All other shit (no FOV, no inventory, infinite ammo, no ballistics, no geoscape, pod system, classes with arbitrary abilities and awesome buttons) comes straight from this design decision. In sim you can implement all gamey elements using the systems, which actually ties in emergent gameplay and other features we used to love. I'm still hoping some of the stuff will be present in this game, but with 'story-focused' (tm)(C) approach chances of that are seemingly vanishing

I would prefer RTwP / WeGO (like E5 or 7,62) or even XCOM 2AP system as actually by limiting the amount of actions (time)

I agree with first, but don't get the second - what does it actually do in a good way? It's just a cop-out for the devs to not implement proper systems and use slapdash set of random rules with no real AI or emergent behaviour. It just shoehorns you into an 'optimal gameplay' (and shoehorns hard, if we are to judge from nu-xcom) divergence from which means you loose. Or the game becomes too easy and basically plays for itself

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

My heavy fumbled overwatch with pistol and didn't take action when enemy showed up.
Has anyone else spotted this?

i didn't try this, but my sniper uses the sniper rifle when he's overwatching with his pistol (Phoenix model, I don't know if New Jericho model has the same issue)

Heavies also use machine gun when ordered to overwatch with pistol, but with that fumbling I meant something different.
I was helping with haven defense; ordered a pistol wielding heavy to OW, instead I got red "Fumbled" floating text over dude's head. He didn't take any action against either of crabmen that popped into his LOS during enemy turn.
If I'm not completely delusional (that''s a big if) this indicates that game includes system where characters my fail to do some actions beside missing shots.

 

[PanteraNera]

The best way I can describe the "events" system in PP is similar to Stellaris. As you visit various locations on the map, you will be given events with some flavour text. Many will have multiple choice options which will lead to different outcomes and other events. They could effect your reputation with 1 or more factions, causes you to gain or lose resources, give you access to tech or intel (such as the location of an enemy/PP base) and so on

 

[PanteraNera]

I would prefer RTwP / WeGO (like E5 or 7,62) or even XCOM 2AP system as actually by limiting the amount of actions (time)

I agree with first, but don't get the second - what does it actually do in a good way? It's just a cop-out for the devs to not implement proper systems and use slapdash set of random rules with no real AI or emergent behaviour. It just shoehorns you into an 'optimal gameplay' (and shoehorns hard, if we are to judge from nu-xcom) divergence from which means you loose. Or the game becomes too easy and basically plays for itself

Well it was hypothetical, "if I cared most about realism, than I would prefer XCOM 2AP system".
See, try to make a movie in your head from one battle in X-Com. It would go something like this:
16+ soldiers moving out, shooting, killing aliens than they freeze and the aliens do the same thing.
As XCOM 2AP system only offers 2 actions per turn it would look less silly, if it played out as a movie.

As I prefer game play over realism I clearly prefer X-Com and JA 2 over XCOM and all its clones.

 

[Ezeekiel]

XCOM 2AP is a big reason for why so many players express frustration with it (relating to the RNG), imo. Y

Well it’s part of it. IMO 2AP is NOT x-com, but it was also not the biggest issue with the game.

that's why I said it's *a* big reason, not the only one or the most important reason.

And you listed a variety of issues unrelated to 2AP.

Those other things (small squads, lots of slowdowns, little gear flexibility, comparatively poor ability to counter RNG while being heavily reliant on said RNG etc) relate to the 2AP system in that they interact/stack with it in ways which increase the frustration factor. They just don't go together well.

There’s a whole bunch of things XCOM did that casualized the game, and while fun in its own right, made it feel extremely different from its predecessor.

Agreed.

 

[Israfael]

As XCOM 2AP system only offers 2 actions per turn it would look less silly, if it played out as a movie.

Yeah, like a spec-ops pro running through the fire zones with his head bowed down low, without ever stopping or even checking around and behaving like a retard in general. Also, there's reaction fire and whole reaction system that you omit that makes it less two sided. He meets an adversary, shoots him point blank - oops sorry, the dice rolled the wrong way, the bullets teleported through the enemy . He has infinite ammo, 360 degree view (even super-man is green with envy), but he can only shoot or run - no technology wonder made it possible to do both . In any case, it's beside point - board games are more simplified and abstact as compared to anything else by neccessity. It's always RtWP sim > TB sim > wh40k wannabees

 

[Galdred]

As XCOM 2AP system only offers 2 actions per turn it would look less silly, if it played out as a movie.

Yeah, like a spec-ops pro running through the fire zones with his head bowed down low, without ever stopping or even checking around and behaving like a retard in general. Also, there's reaction fire and whole reaction system that you omit that makes it less two sided. He meets an adversary, shoots him point blank - oops sorry, the dice rolled the wrong way, the bullets teleported through the enemy . He has infinite ammo, 360 degree view (even super-man is green with envy), but he can only shoot or run - no technology wonder made it possible to do both . In any case, it's beside point - board games are more simplified and abstact as compared to anything else by neccessity. It's always RtWP sim > TB sim > wh40k wannabees

That said, shooting while running is not very well modeled by TU either:
If you don't spend time aiming, you should be able to do both at the same time.
Actually, Space Hulk allows a free shot every time you move one tile (but you lose the sustained fire accuracy bonus if you do).

 

[PanteraNera]

Spoiler

At this point I didn't find any Queen

Just found a queen:

Spoiler

For queens to spawn the enemy needs to have an alien lair.
Two nests may be abandoned to make a third into a lair. This will happen if
the operating range of three nests overlap.

 

[Shog-goth]

We have just released the bugfix patch for Backer Build 3. Windows users can download version 0.3.32564 via the launcher.

Changelog:

Backer Build 3 Changes and Fixes

General Gameplay

• Improved the AI’s decision-making and overall speed.
• Fixed an issue where units couldn’t move after using the PX Grenade Launcher and the PX-X2 Stun Rod.
• Fixed an issue where you could duplicate armor attachments.
• Fixed an issue where the game’s performance would drop significantly after an allied unit gets panicked.
• Fixed an issue where the Gamepad option would be turned ON by default.
• Fixed an issue where the units’ models would contort during some animations. (e.g. climbing)
• Fixed an issue where healing body parts with the Technician Heal did not return their positive traits. (e.g. legs providing more movement AP)
• Fixed an issue where rockets couldn’t be reloaded with the “R” keybind.
• Remove Mindfragger ability now has an Action Point cost.
• Will Point objectives now only give 3 WPs, not 5.
• Mist will now cause 2 Will Point loss for soldiers inside it.
• Medkit is more vulnerable to damage.
• Rage Burst now uses up 75% APs for weapon only, you can move afterwards.

Geoscape

• Fixed an issue where the player’s squad could join a Haven defense that had no enemies.
• Fixed an issue where the game still registered the mouse’s inputs even when it was released. (e.g. Rotating the Geoscape globe with the Left Mouse button)
• Fixed an issue where armor attachments’ weight remained on the unit’s total encumbrance even when the attachment was removed.
• Fixed an issue where some names in the Soldier Equip screen weren’t capitalized.
• Added name change function for all units inside of the Soldier Equip screen.
• Added a loading screen.
• Improved tooltips inside of the Soldier Equip Screen.
• Resource bar inside the Geoscape shows the daily income from the Phoenix Bases.
• Reduced reinforcement weighting in Haven Defense Missions.
• Made several improvements to the Soldier Equip screen.

Game hangs

• Fixed an issue where the game would hang while loading missions from the Geoscape if the player had removed/changed the Heavy or Technician’s armor.
• Fixed an issue where an Overwatch shot killing a Mind Fragger resulted in the game hanging.
• Fixed an issue where enemy return fire destroying a turret caused the game to hang.
• Fixed a hang caused by using the Technician’s Electric Strike ability.
• Fixed an issue where the game would get stuck during Alien Activity.
• Fixed an issue where the camera was stuck focusing on a character after an enemy destroyed their weapon with Return Fire.
• Fixed an issue where units affected by Mind Control could open crates and the game would hang.

User Interface

• Fixed an issue where the PX Grenade Launcher’s icon appeared as a white square.
• Fixed an issue where the resource icons on the Geoscape wherein a different order than the resource icons in ability description boxes.
• Fixed some minor visual issues inside the Soldier Equip screen.
• Fixed an issue where highlighting allied units in free aim caused their Health bars to flash at all times.
• Fixed various issues with text and number resizing.
• Fixed an issue where ammo, WP, and AP did not update when a unit can shoot more than once. (e.g. shooting at a target once, returning in the shooting mode and having maximum ammo and AP)
• Fixed an issue where the aircraft could reach sites without any fuel left.
• Added icons for individual armor pieces.
• Added icons for the Terror Sentinel’s attack.

Level design/Environments

• Fixed an issue where objective markers in scavenging sites could be generated in an area the units couldn’t reach.
• Fixed an issue where units didn’t have collision with certain objects in the environment. (e.g. closets)
• Fixed an issue where ladders disappeared on certain maps when a unit was near them.
• Fixed an issue where enemies could spawn in boxed areas of the map and couldn’t move from their initial position.
• Fixed an issue where units couldn’t move through destroyed environmental props.
• Alien nest/lair missions have more reinforcements, lairs have less eggs.
  
• Crabman mutations that appeared in Alien Bases will also appear in the Alien Lairs those bases evolve into.

 

[Ivan]

While we're at it, what's the general feel about Xenonauts? The damn thing is sitting in my GOG library and I have no idea if it's worth investing dozens of hours into.

One Step forwards two steps back, many side steps.
Mods may or may not make it good but I haven't tried em.

TRIGGERED:

 

[geno]

Is just me or does the update re-downliad the entire game?

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Is just me or does the update re-downliad the entire game?

Mine was about 20 Mb.