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

[Trans-Financial-Man]

Wait, what makes the devs think that anybody would want to buy dat dlc when epic already payed for everything? One doesn't fly Jolly Roger and buy dlc at the same time.

There is a big world out there, it is not only Fig supporters that buy Xcom like games.

Evidently, it was not a big enough world to support Phantom Doctrine or Xenonauts to a fiscally sound level.

 

[ArchAngel]

Wait, what makes the devs think that anybody would want to buy dat dlc when epic already payed for everything? One doesn't fly Jolly Roger and buy dlc at the same time.

There is a big world out there, it is not only Fig supporters that buy Xcom like games.

Evidently, it was not a big enough world to support Phantom Doctrine or Xenonauts to a fiscally sound level.

Phantom Doctrine is very different in many ways to a Xcom game. Xenonauts is not graphically pleasing and it is not a known developer. And didn't Xenonauts do well enough for a few men team?

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Dlc sounds interesting, but then again i fell for the original pitch on Fig

 

[Infinitron]

Does a conflict of visions lead to new ideas or simply to more conflict? Synedrion push for democratic ideals, a rational approach to dealing with the aliens, and the supremacy of technology and thought. With Synedrion's help, the Phoenix Project may be able to restore humanity to its former glory -- but only if it can convince Synedrion's political blocs to act.

 

[Turuko]

Ray Kurzweil's faction?

 

[Grotesque]

Also it seems that a lot got cut, most noticably the Behemoths.

WHAT!?

 

[Fishy]

Beware the alien, the mutant, the heretic:

Charismatic individualist Tobias West leads New Jericho, a group dedicated to eradicating the alien threat and restoring the Earth to exclusive human control. New Jericho maintains the world's most advanced technology and has a vast arsenal of powerful weapons that the Phoenix Project can access -- if they agree to an alliance. However, accepting New Jericho's philosophy may mean rejecting a deeper understanding of the alien threat.

Art-wise, I can't see anything else than a composite armour NC heavy from Planetside 2. Lines and colours are eerily similar. Not shotgun though, so I'll give them that for a major difference.

 

[Shog-goth]

Lol these DLC sound like they will add 2x more systems and mechanics into the game.

Seems fair, as the alleged "1.0" is apparently - at best - half of the originally planned game...

 

[Infinitron]

The world is under siege from a mutant alien menace. Civilization has retreated to scattered havens around the globe. Divided into rival factions, the remainder of humanity scrambles to hold out against an overwhelming threat. The Phoenix Project, dormant for years, springs back to life, uniting the best and brightest from around the world in a single goal: to give mankind a final chance to rise from the ashes.

 

[SymbolicFrank]

Are there still people who think this might be more fun than X-Piratez or Fallout: Tactics?

 

[geno]

https://phoenixpoint.info/blog/2019/11/22/november-development-update

NOVEMBER DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
The release of Phoenix Point is just over a week away! All departments at Snapshot are in full swing to make sure the delivery is as smooth as possible. We want everyone to be able to dive into the full release on December 3.

Now that the final research options and story mission content has been added, most of the work we’re doing now is balancing, polishing and bug-fixing, along with finalizing the cinematics, and getting the last few pieces of recorded dialogue added.



Balancing
We’ve been going through feedback from our forums, in-game reporting tool and Discord server, and have been making gameplay tweaks based on what the players have been telling us.

A few of these include:

• A complete rework of faction weapon stats. Weapons from the three factions will feel more like an upgrade than just a slight variation, and weapons that require research to acquire will be much more powerful.
  
  
• A reduction in the frequency of Haven attacks. This will make it easier to explore without having to return to defend Havens too often. Havens can still get attacked more frequently if they’re in the operating range of multiple Pandoran nests and lairs, so you will still have to keep them protected.
  
  
• Stamina loss based on mission length. In Backer Build 5, soldiers lost 10 points of stamina after every mission, eventually requiring them to return to base to rest. We wanted to find a way to reward players for pushing forward in missions, without being a punishment for those who like to take their time. Now, soldiers lose 1 point of stamina for every turn the mission takes, but can still only lose a maximum of 10 per mission. If your squad is involved in a quick fight, they’re not going to be as tired.
  
  
• Aircraft now have pathfinding and can automatically plot refuelling waypoints on their way to the destination, which removes the need for the player to leapfrog between points of interest.
  
  
• The fumble mechanic has been limited to melee weapons - so there will no longer be a chance of wasting an action on trying to fire a ranged weapon which fumbles (you can still miss though).
  
  
• Missile and launcher based weapons now have some inaccuracy, so they’re less overpowered. If you use them near your own squad you run the risk of hitting friendlies. Grenades haven’t been affected by this change.

Release and Delivery Information
Phoenix Point will be releasing on Tuesday, December 3rd at 11 am Pacific Time (7 pm GMT).

For those who purchased directly via the Epic Games Store, your copy of the game will unlock automatically on release. If you purchased a season pass from our website, you will be able to redeem that code on your Epic Games Store account.

For those who backed on Fig.co, CrowdOx or directly on our web-store (Xsolla), you will receive your key(s) via email next week. These will be redeemable via your Epic Games Store account. This is a separate key from the one used to activate any Backer Builds. If you’ve purchased a season pass from our website, you will be able to redeem that key after redeeming the full game key.

Each key will be for the specific version of Phoenix Point that you originally purchased and will also unlock any other digital rewards associated with it. Keep this in mind if you purchased multiple copies of different packages, as each key will have different entitlements.

If you backed or pre-ordered Phoenix Point before March 12th 2019, you qualify for a free season pass, which will be sent to you with your game key. Again, you will need to redeem the game key first, before the season pass.

Microsoft Game Pass. Phoenix Point will also be available to play on Microsoft Game Pass on Windows 10 for those with the appropriate subscription. We are aiming for this release to happen simultaneously with the Epic Games Store release, but the exact timing depends on certification with Microsoft and is therefore out of our control.

Physical Goods. For those of you who ordered any of our early backer tiers with physical collectables (or who ordered such collectibles as separate add-on items), they will be dispatched in early 2020. By now, you should have received and completed your backer survey via email, and provided us with your shipping information. If your address changes before delivery, please let us know by email (contact@snapshotgames.com) as soon as possible.

Emails containing your keys will come from contact@snapshotgames.com Please add this email address to your white list to ensure that keys do not go to your spam or junk folders. Gmail users should particularly check their “promotions” folder before contacting us.

When we start to send the keys out, we will make announcements in all of the usual places, so please be sure to follow us on at least one of the following:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Phoenix_Point/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixPointGame/

Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/phoenixpoint/

The Snapshot Games forums: https://forums.snapshotgames.com/

Our Discord server: https://discord.gg/phoenixpoint

Spoiler

Faction Trailers
Over the last three weeks, we have been uploading trailers introducing the different in-game factions on our YouTube channel. If you haven’t already seen them, you can watch them here:



Writing Contest
We have here the final two runners-up in the Phoenix Point writing competition. We’ll be revealing the winning entry in our next update, which will come just before the launch of the game:

Presenting:

Hope Dies Last - by Jude Reid

Last Entry - by Michael O’Neal

Once again, we want to extend our sincerest thanks to all of our backers, customers and fans who have been along with us for this journey. It’s been one hell of a ride, but it doesn’t end here. You can be sure that, post launch, we will be working continually to make Phoenix Point even better. We already have plans and ideas for exciting new content which we will be working on and releasing throughout 2020, but please continue to give us your feedback, as well.

It’s almost time to ship out. We’ll meet you at Phoenix Point.

 

[Spockrock]

Are there still people who think this might be more fun than X-Piratez or Fallout: Tactics?

oh man, I still remember the days when FT was considered an abomination and one of the worst tactics games on PC. lo and behold, over time it's held in high regard even among the 'dexers

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Its the end times, man.

 

[LESS T_T]

It has to be Deep Silver: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pres...tribution_By_Deep_Silver_Of_Phoenix_Point.php

Snapshot Games Announces Partnership With Koch Media For Physical Distribution By Deep Silver Of Phoenix Point

Press Release 25 November 2019

Futuristic, turn-based strategy game from Julian Gollop, the legendary creator of the original X-COM, coming soon to retail!


Munich (Germany), 25 November 2019– Today Snapshot Games and Koch Media announce their partnership for retail distribution of their upcoming futuristic, turn-based strategy game Phoenix Point on Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
The human population has been decimated. Survivors gather in isolated havens spread throughout the world.

Phoenix Point delivers a new breed of turn-based strategy. Plan operations, research new technologies, and build alliances to unite the planet or destroy your rivals — then customize your squad and deploy into conflict zones around the globe with dynamic objectives and destructible environments. Procedurally generated maps, branching storylines, and enemies that mutate to counter your tactics create a huge variety of challenges and surprises, ensuring no two playthroughs are ever the same.


About Snapshot Games

Snapshot Games is a video game developer and publisher based in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Los Angeles, California. Founded by Julian Gollop and David Kaye, Snapshot's first game was the crowdfunded and critically praised Chaos Reborn. Snapshot's latest title, Phoenix Point, is a sci-fi strategy and tactical combat game which puts players in control of humanity’s last remnants against an apocalyptic alien threat.

About Deep Silver

Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners to achieve a maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.

Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the grim post-apocalyptic future of the Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include Dead Island 2. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA, and Warhorse Studios based in Prague, Czech Republic. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com

About Koch Media

Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (games, films and software). The company's own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe, North America and Australia. The Koch Media group has more than 25 years of experience in the digital media business, and has risen to become the number one publishing partner in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Codemasters, Kaspersky Labs, Konami, Koei Tecmo, Milestone, Sega, Square Enix, etc. in various European countries. With Headquarter in Höfen, Austria Koch Media owns branches in Germany, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic regions, Benelux, Australia, Czech Republic, Poland, and the United States.

 

[Mazisky]

There is no background in the maps. I hope this will change because it looks ugly with the infinite void over the boundaries, it feels like a test level for graphic artists.

 

[ArchAngel]

There is no background in the maps. I hope this will change because it looks ugly with the infinite void over the boundaries, it feels like a test level for graphic artists.

It is no different in other games except they put fog and darkness instead.

 

[Fishy]

It has to be Deep Silver: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pres...tribution_By_Deep_Silver_Of_Phoenix_Point.php

Press Release
[...]
Phoenix Point delivers a new breed of turn-based strategy.
[...]

Nostalgic clone of 25 year old game that has already been cloned multiple times in recent past is now "A new breed of turn-based strategy". I know press releases tend to go for poetic license at best, but this is epic-grade brazen bullshit there.

 

[ArchAngel]

It has to be Deep Silver: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pres...tribution_By_Deep_Silver_Of_Phoenix_Point.php

Press Release
[...]
Phoenix Point delivers a new breed of turn-based strategy.
[...]

Nostalgic clone of 25 year old game that has already been cloned multiple times in recent past is now "A new breed of turn-based strategy". I know press releases tend to go for poetic license at best, but this is epic-grade brazen bullshit there.

They took nuXcom breed and added many new mutations to create again a new breed.

 

[vmar]

I haven't checked in on this game in awhile, but it's safe to say most of my excitement is now gone after doing a little reading. So basically they're going to release an unfinished mess in a couple weeks and then fix it with 5 paid dlcs? Kill me now, I was actually looking forward to this one.

 

[Mazisky]

There is no background in the maps. I hope this will change because it looks ugly with the infinite void over the boundaries, it feels like a test level for graphic artists.

It is no different in other games except they put fog and darkness instead.

That's absolutely false lol. Both Xcom EU and Xcom 2 maps are drawn even outside the edges, there are buildings and stuff in the background, so it feels natural when you look at them.

Even older games like Age of wonders 3 had backgrounds, so what you are talking about.

In Phoenix Point it looks like you're playing on a virtual simulator.

 

[ArchAngel]

There is no background in the maps. I hope this will change because it looks ugly with the infinite void over the boundaries, it feels like a test level for graphic artists.

It is no different in other games except they put fog and darkness instead.

That's absolutely false lol. Both Xcom EU and Xcom 2 maps are drawn even outside the edges, there are buildings and stuff in the background, so it feels natural when you look at them.

Even older games like Age of wonders 3 had backgrounds, so what you are talking about.

In Phoenix Point it looks like you're playing on a virtual simulator.

On some maps that is true. I was wrong. On some it seemed like it was fog and darkness only.

 

[geno]

Just saying, they already have the background done

I'm more worried about how flat the levels feel.

 

[Catacombs]

So basically they're going to release an unfinished mess in a couple weeks and then fix it with 5 paid dlcs? Kill me now, I was actually looking forward to this one.

Welcome to game development in 2019.

 

[Mustawd]

I haven't checked in on this game in awhile, but it's safe to say most of my excitement is now gone after doing a little reading. So basically they're going to release an unfinished mess in a couple weeks and then fix it with 5 paid dlcs? Kill me now, I was actually looking forward to this one.

Just wait a year+

 

[karoliner]

On the bright side, this may be the best tactics game of 2021.