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

[Jimmious]

Not a correct analogy.

 

[Shog-goth]

Not a correct analogy.

Why not, exactly? TUs offer, among other advantages, many more possible outcomes than 2AP.

 

[Jimmious]

Not a correct analogy.

Why not, exactly? TUs offer, among other advantages, many more possible outcomes than 2AP.

As far as I'm concerned the main difference between the two systems is the amount of rolls and not the sides of the dice that is being rolled.
And what I mean is that in the 2AP system you don't rely on luck more than in a TU system but you have less control of "micro" decisions, for example being able to shoot, walk 3 steps, shoot again etc.

Actually a single shot roll in XCOM2 contains the possibilities of a Hit, a Miss, a Graze and a Critical which IIRC are not there in X-COM. You either hit or not and then the damage is rolled (I might be wrong on the specifics tho, didn't play many years). Thus a single roll has more outcomes in that specific 2AP system so in your analogy, has more "sides"

 

[Shog-goth]

As far as I'm concerned the main difference between the two systems is the amount of rolls and not the sides of the dice that is being rolled.

I was referring more at possibilities rather than probabilities, but I see your point.

 

[Jimmious]

Cool. No , XCOM2 is not binary either though as I said before, there are other possible outcomes
But in any case the difference between the two is not the possible outcomes of a single roll that's my point

 

[PanteraNera]

 

[Jimmious]

PanteraNera this video was made for you

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Some parts of that soundtrack used in the video reminds me of combat music from Fallout Tactics.

 

[Grotesque]

Saturday, 21th of April - 11:30-12:30
Time Units vs 2 Action Points - the Raging Controversy (Design)

Jullian Gollop, Snapshot Games

Fixed!

 

[Shog-goth]

Fixed!

LOL. I suddenly imagined another part of the body instead of the hand.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Oh. That's why it isn't done nowadays.
Messy and hard to find replacements when one gets damaged on toss.

 

[Alienman]

Sorry, but that free-aim system looks clunky as hell and I'm guessing you can't use it without going into cinematic mode.

 

[Israfael]

Yeah, it's all fine, props to UV and the team, but would it be possible to play without muh cynematics and awesomebuttons? It's all fine and dandy for the first 15 minutes, but it'd get tedious and put the brakes on the actual gameplay (unlike TUs) if it was not possible to always have camera at an isometric angle at all times. I'd even take a penalty to shot accuracy if it were possible (Like 'auto-resolve battle' in R:TW and other CA games)

 

[Shog-goth]

Although Dreamland was destined for the PS2, it was still fundamentally an X-COM-style game, with turn-based battles and a real-time geoscape. It did, however, involve a number of adaptations to the console game format. The soldiers were controlled by directly moving them in third person with the controller. An ‘action point’ bar diminished as the character moved. The shooting used a first-person view, allowing the player to freely aim via a controller stick, if desired. It was eerily reminiscent of a PS3 game released in 2008 called Valkyria Chronicles (since released on PC).

 

[ArchAngel]

Sorry, but that free-aim system looks clunky as hell and I'm guessing you can't use it without going into cinematic mode.

I hope they will also let us target middle of square from the top down mode. The way they removed cover from the crabman that was in full cover was not needed to be done from cinematic view.
For removing cover or making "doors" we don't want to switch camera all the time.

 

[Jack Dandy]

The latest free-aim video looks damn nice!

Although, the thing that bothers me the most is whether you'll be able to issue commands to all your dudes quickly. I dislike having to see them all run to their destination and only then being able to move to the next one.

 

[Mustawd]

Sorry, but that free-aim system looks clunky as hell and I'm guessing you can't use it without going into cinematic mode.

Yeah, it's all fine, props to UV and the team, but would it be possible to play without muh cynematics and awesomebuttons? It's all fine and dandy for the first 15 minutes, but it'd get tedious and put the brakes on the actual gameplay (unlike TUs) if it was not possible to always have camera at an isometric angle at all times. I'd even take a penalty to shot accuracy if it were possible (Like 'auto-resolve battle' in R:TW and other CA games)

So what would be the alternative? A paper doll pop up? Works for me...

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

So what would be the alternative? A paper doll pop up? Works for me...

Snipers special ability does pretty much the same, also boss monsters can be targeted like that.

Free aim is pretty much for taking out pieces of intervening terrain.

 

[PanteraNera]

Well just a little information regarding the free-aim-system. They (Snapshot) want to do it so the player can fine-tune the aim, to by-pass cover for example. Lets say take a box that is 1 meters tall and a enemy unit that is 2 meters tall behind it. The system focuses on the center, that would mean that half of the shots (or more as it is random) are going to hit the box. With the free-aim system the player can adjust for that. Out of my head I can not think of a better way to do that than doing it first person.

 

[Shog-goth]

EDIT: Actually, do we even know if the willpower system appliies to the enemy?

 

[UnstableVoltage]

EDIT: Actually, do we even know if the willpower system appliies to the enemy?

It does.

 

[xmd1997]

With this new free-aim mechanic, players will also be able to try and shoot specific body parts off the enemies also without having to rely on a sniper equipped soldier. Im pretty sure that the final build will make it look more natural though like actually looking like you're looking through the soldiers' weapon scope.

 

[UnstableVoltage]

With this new free-aim mechanic, players will also be able to try and shoot specific body parts off the enemies also without having to rely on a sniper equipped soldier. Im pretty sure that the final build will make it look more natural though like actually looking like you're looking through the soldiers' weapon scope.

The UI for the free-aim is very much just a place-holder right now.
The Sniper ability isn't redundant, as it gives you a pretty much guaranteed hit on a specific body part. The free aim still has a cone of fire so the shot can go wide.

 

[Shog-goth]

I have a question, UnstableVoltage. This point is still valid or has been dropped (I hope so)? I haven't read anything new about it for a long time:

The procedural levels will have their own in-built mini objectives in the form of strategic points scattered throughout. These might be elevated structures or vantages, control rooms, or alien installations. Taking control of them will allow you to play tactical cards, brought into combat from a deck built in the strategic layer, that provide buffs to individual soldiers or entire squads.

 

[luinthoron]

I have a question, UnstableVoltage. This point is still valid or has been dropped (I hope so)? I haven't read anything new about it for a long time:

The procedural levels will have their own in-built mini objectives in the form of strategic points scattered throughout. These might be elevated structures or vantages, control rooms, or alien installations. Taking control of them will allow you to play tactical cards, brought into combat from a deck built in the strategic layer, that provide buffs to individual soldiers or entire squads.

Didn't the last demo have two objectives like that (tower and control room, giving a soldier will points)?