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

[Shog-goth]

The original sin was betraying the fundamental prerequisites of a real "X-COM spiritual successor" to chase the mass market chimera. Every aspect promised during the crowdfunding has been turned upside down or simply abandoned and now we have a game who doesn't know exactly what he wants to be, with little or none production value. If they really want a small chance to recover (for what is possible) from this mess they absolutely must to return to the roots settled by Gollop himself, and trash the power fantasy mechanics, to embrace original tension of being (for a good part) cannon fodder and not terminators/space marines wannabe.

 

[Shog-goth]

This is the game as it should have been, and as it was promised. Great atmosphere, lore, setting, artistic vision and direction, all lost for what?

 

[Thal]

This is the game as it should have been, and as it was promised. Great atmosphere, lore, setting, artistic vision and direction, all lost for what?

You know, aside from art direction and Kaijus they more or less delivered what's in that video.

 

[Shog-goth]

You know, aside from art direction and Kaijus they more or less delivered what's in that video.

In form? Maybe. In essence? Not at all.

 

[CyberWhale]

Instead of a unique cult classic with long-tail sales, we got a generic-looking mainstream fail that will end up as bundle fodder.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Anything Codex like we need to make them implement?

The art style from the fig campaign?

Spoiler

Ask for something realistic.

The art style from the fig campaign?

I meant something that can be realistically implemented at this point.

refunds?

 

[ArchAngel]

Anything Codex like we need to make them implement?

The art style from the fig campaign?

Spoiler

Ask for something realistic.

The art style from the fig campaign?

I meant something that can be realistically implemented at this point.

refunds?

That was already implemented at time of Epic launch announcement.

 

[Togukawa]

Yeah. True to form, they even managed to fuck up the refunding too.

 

[Shog-goth]

"Epic launch", talking about PP. What an oxymoron, if you read it literally...

 

[anvi]

Recently started this game, seems very good. Xcom only developed more with better everything.

 

[robinox]

is there and ETA for the gog launch

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

is there and ETA for the gog launch

End of the year probably, at the same time as Steam.

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

Well this is a major step in the right direction for me, since the patch notes seem to suggest they have overhauled exploration to make it more organic rather than the unholy leapfrog thing it was before. Maybe this game will turn out all right after all!

This is the most positive patch and development that I am aware of since it has been released..... at least it feels like it..... I have not played it yet, so I can't say for sure.

But I now don't feel like its a complete loss. Maybe something really will come of all of this. I am suddenly feeling some hope.

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

This is the game as it should have been, and as it was promised. Great atmosphere, lore, setting, artistic vision and direction, all lost for what?

Now I am pissed again. Why the fuck did they move away from this art style and vibe? What in the actual fuck were they thinking? Like I can't understand the incompetence. I feel like anybody on these message boards would have warned them the colossal marketing mistake they were making by going to a bland, generic motorcycle helmet, mainstream plastic sci-fy look and moving away from the more rugged post-apocalyptic, horror vibe. Its like they purpusfully torpedoed their game. Are marketing people really this stupid? How can they make mistakes like this? I honestly can't understand it, I am so fucking pissed off. How do these people have jobs and get paid probably something like 120k a year to make these type of marketing choices?

You could do better just flipping a coin. At least you don't have to pay the coin, or give it health care, or worry about sexual harassment or that it might suddenly show up to work one day and decide it actually identifies as Susan B Anthony and not Abraham Lincoln and so is therefore un-firable. I don't understand how you can be so bad at your job.

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

This is the game as it should have been, and as it was promised. Great atmosphere, lore, setting, artistic vision and direction, all lost for what?

Now I am pissed again. Why the fuck did they move away from this art style and vibe? What in the actual fuck were they thinking? Like I can't understand the incompetence. I feel like anybody on these message boards would have warned them the colossal marketing mistake they were making by going to a bland, generic motorcycle helmet, mainstream plastic sci-fy look and moving away from the more rugged post-apocalyptic, horror vibe. Its like they purpusfully torpedoed their game. Are marketing people really this stupid? How can they make mistakes like this? I honestly can't understand it, I am so fucking pissed off. How do these people have jobs and get paid probably something like 120k a year to make these type of marketing choices?

You could do better just flipping a coin. At least you don't have to pay the coin, or give it health care, or worry about sexual harassment or that it might suddenly show up to work one day and decide it actually identifies as Susan B Anthony and not Abraham Lincoln and so is therefore un-firable. I don't understand how you can be so bad at your job.

We have been wondering the exact same thing since they started to change things

 

[Fedora Master]

On a whim I tried this game out and Im really impressed with the mechanics. They are much more granular than nu-COM. The overall visual design is a bit meh though, especially the geoscape.

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

On a whim I tried this game out and Im really impressed with the mechanics. They are much more granular than nu-COM. The overall visual design is a bit meh though, especially the geoscape.

its not a bad game. People are pissed because of the graphic and tone changes that really don't make a lot of sense, and probably for the Epic release. I always feel strange typing the words......"Epic Release",

Anyway, I do think there is likely to be a very nice version of the game once it is released on steam and I believe it will have workshop mods, so maybe if it gets some sort of longwar type mod....I mean, I really see no reason why it could not be just as good if not better than the New X-com based Modded games, everything seems to be there. Its just if anyone will take the time to do it. I hope so.

 

[Shog-goth]

They racked the cash, thanks to the original design, from the goons like me that backed in good faith and then use it to chase the NuXCOM train, and I suspect this was the plan from the start. Unfortunately they are still running.

 

[Latelistener]

How do these people have jobs and get paid probably something like 120k a year to make these type of marketing choices?

We tried asking UnstableVoltage, who was their community guy at the time. The thing he come up with is basically that those changes were made to fit the writing. This is obviously bullshit because their writing was fairly dark and tied to the old art style and even if it wasn't it's much easier to change it than rework 2D/3D assets. I think they just went for the NuXCOM audience as people are saying, I don't have any other explanation.

I was salty about it too, but now I just kind of hoping they'll spent all that money they took from Epic and Microsoft to make a good game (and then release it on Steam).

Anyway, I do think there is likely to be a very nice version of the game once it is released on steam and I believe it will have workshop mods, so maybe if it gets some sort of longwar type mod....I mean, I really see no reason why it could not be just as good if not better than the New X-com based Modded games, everything seems to be there. Its just if anyone will take the time to do it. I hope so.

Forget it. XCOM was built on Unreal Engine (a better development environment with better documentation) and a very stubborn community, which was even willing to build their own tools for modding. I doubt PP will have any of that. Unless they'll take some steps towards it in a form of an editor, nothing will happen and even then I doubt it will. Because when you're going to Epic, you're going for the money, not the audience.

 

[Fedora Master]

THESE MUSHROOM PEOPLE KEEP YELLING "FUCK YOU" AT ME

 

[ArchAngel]

THESE MUSHROOM PEOPLE KEEP YELLING "FUCK YOU" AT ME

That means they love you

Spoiler

for supper

in their language.

 

[ArchAngel]

Eh the last big patch made the game super easy now even on Legendary difficulty. We are already complaining to devs so hopefully they do something about it sooner than later.

 

[Shog-goth]

It's very simple. They don't have a clue.

 

[Alienman]

Eh the last big patch made the game super easy now even on Legendary difficulty. We are already complaining to devs so hopefully they do something about it sooner than later.

In what way?

 

[ArchAngel]

Eh the last big patch made the game super easy now even on Legendary difficulty. We are already complaining to devs so hopefully they do something about it sooner than later.

In what way?

Enemies tech progresses too slow and you level up too fast at same time.