Phoenix Point - new Julian Gollop turn-based strategy game

Fair enough. I got in a couple of hours today and I can’t say you’re wrong. I’m getting more comfortable with the game mechanics as the game continues to add depth.

I multi-classed today. And I got me a second grenade-launching heavy. And I’m wishing I had more time with it overall. I could blow a weekend on it if it wasn’t for real life.

I absolutely adore this game.

side note: forced melee with a grenade launcher and a poison worm, on a tower far away from any assistance, is not great for the grenade launcher.

Thanks all - I will keep a melee or two. So many little paths to explore in this game. Next question, do you find the combat shield useful as the enemies get more powerful? I’ve been getting shot damage and poison-spit on the last couple missions.

Perhaps the shield is okay for snipers because they can be pretty sure which direction attacks are coming from, but I never got around to trying it out. Melee and short-range types can be attacked from all directions so it doesn’t seem that useful for them.

I haven’t built a shield. I’m curious, but I keep spending materials on other items.

I have two teams up and running now and in most cases, doing things fully independently, like exploring, scavenging, and responding to Haven defenses. I have another 3 troops in reserve for a total of 14. Not sure when to get a third team, but an automatic bus service between bases would be awesome. Shuffling my dudes from aircraft to base and back again is work.

Also, I officially hate heavies. But I just realized that the unique perks mean the heavy isn’t stuck with the heavy gun (or overrated grenade launcher). Heavy with a jet pack and sniper rifle and terrible accuracy incoming! Just as soon as I can send the shuttle to pick her up……

If anyone here ever finds good use for that combat shield, let me know! : )

Note that one thing an additional team adds is a lot of overhead! It can be a real hassle to juggle two teams and – depending on what difficulty you’re playing on – it might not be worth the trouble as you’re learning the game.

That said, it’s nice to be able to reach that many more missions. Just be aware it’s not always crucial and, I would guess, not necessarily the “intended” way to play or anything. My games tend to have a couple of flights gadding about doing trade, exploration, and upkeep duties, but only a single main combat team doing the fighting (rotating members in and out as needed, of course). And that’s mainly because it can be such a PITA to keep two teams in rotation.

So, just letting you know you don’t necessarily need to feel compelled to keep two teams in rotation!

I see you haven’t yet looked into melee. : )

Only partly kidding, as I know what you mean. They seem to spend a lot of the early game running to keep up. But they have their uses, and you will eventually come to appreciate the firepower, mobility, and extra armor (i.e. hit points)!

Ok for science I built one, tried it on a couple missions, and got it to absorb a hit. I think there’s something there for those willing to pay attention to it.

The main use seems to be with a heavy, who often can’t move and shoot due to needing to move more than 1AP distance. So there’s potential to push him out front to draw and absorb fire until the next turn. Most fun is to jetpack with 3AP, and deploy shield with the remaining. In one case I jet-packed to a full cover point and on landing, I deployed shield facing the triton, giving a full 270-degree cover.

I also tried it with an assault using a shotgun but hasn’t been effective yet, seems less useful as the assault doesn’t have the 3/1AP imbalance.

I had some good times with the shield:

I liked the game pretty well, but not as much as Xcom2.
I like the progression of the various classes and the variety.

However, I had two objections. First the gear improvement was too modest and second the game was just too big. In Xcom2, new weapons and armor were distinctly. In PP, the difference between the various factions weapons is far more nuanced and so I found research to be very unsatisfying.

Second the game was just too damn big too many bases, too many squads. I got to the middle game twice but couldn’t convince myself to finish the game, unlike Xcom2 where I finished the base game and most of the DLCs.

I’m finding the nuanced gear improvement to be a positive when compared with XCOM1/2. In those games, weapon research was obvious and linear. I didn’t feel like I was making a choice, I felt like I was clicking next.

Thus far in PP, I feel like the nuance results in my choices being different than Tom’s or Scott’s or geggis’ and it makes me feel - right or wrong - that I’m playing a unique version of the game.

Granted, I’ll check back in on this when I get further along and see if that still holds true.

Xenonauts 2 seems to be getting this mostly right too. While it doesn’t have quite as much interesting weapon variety like the faction equipment in Phoenix Point, each tier of weapon tends to be broadly better than the last but worse in some specific ways. Makes keeping some of the older stuff around worthwhile and worth considering.

But I also agree that these games could lean too far into this and make everything a sidegrade where nothing ever feels like it is actually progressing.

I think I’ve reached mid-game, where the difficulty is swinging towards the pandorians. I can still win a tactical battle, but I’m taking more dude-losses and sirens are doing their thing.

I researched the virus and got that tidbit of knowledge. Which feels, on the surface, like it should be indicating I’m getting to the end game, but based on this thread I’m thinking I have a ways to go.

I took Tom”s advice from way up in the thread and brought a vehicle to a scavenge mission. I got lots of food! Err, I mean research specimens. And still took a whooping from several well-positioned hitmen (and a siren).

Still no good melee weapons to try melee. I’m sure that’s my failure to research.

I wish the missions were better marked to discern which mission ties to which storyline. Am I doing a critical path story or one for some underwhelming alien weapon DLC? Ohh, it’s the latter. And I lost Dr Charles and Whirly Jeff in the process. 🥲

Speaking of DLC, It sounds like I’m effectively playing this game on lite-mode since I don’t have the big DLCs enabled. And I’m almost intimidated to try them on my next playthru, given how busy the strategic layer already is. But I also can’t wait!

Only need two squads at most; you can even get by with one. Treat the bases as layover and exploration starting points.

Yeah, Sirens are a ‘drop-everything’ target and go for headshots and piercing to try and stop the mind-control ability.

This playthrough for I also haven’t had or used much melee. But heavy class is working out well.

I lost my Aspida (shock-vehicle) but fortunately still got a live Siren to “interview” :). The Armadillo is a great bullet sponge as it should be able to draw attention while you focus on the Siren.

I also deployed tried turrents this game and while they’re static placement, they’re awesome too.

My way of capturing sirens is admittedly silly. It involves a sniper headshot to disable the psionics, then waiting for it to approach, then two snipers with paralyzer pistols standing face to exploded face with it using up their willpower to get free shots at it until finally they overcome its paralysis threshold.

I got lucky and caught a siren this weekend; on a scavenge mission, she appeared early and near my Aspida – two zaps later (and two mind controlled dudes later) and we were high-tailing it out of there as fast as our maimed legs could carry us!

I have 12 bases now, but still seem to need another 1-2 to get to Antarctica. One base has been ransacked and one is under invasion - my dudes showed up an hour before they arrived (and that’s where I left it for the evening).

I am finally playing this after having it for years and could use some advice because I’m pretty sure I don’t know what I’m doing or what to prioritize. Right now I’m just randomly doing missions with no real plan. I opened my second base in Siberia just cause it had the most slots available but that may have been dumb being far away from any pandorians.

What should I be working towards and who should I be allying with? And I’m always near zero on resources, how do I boost that since I only seem to get them from missions.

Hello and welcome to “AAARGH! MUTATED SEAFOOD IS EATING MY PLANET 101”.

In general, you need to expand the map and reclaim the Phoenix Project bases. Resources come either from missions or from trading - it’s absolutely vital to unlock that and get a second airplane going ASAP to snag fresh recruits and trade for raw materials.

The 3 factions are a cantankerous lot. Allying with a faction gives you access to their research, but likely pisses off the other two factions. Trying to be friendly with all of them is possible, but slow and tedious.

So. Fuck the peaceful coexistence and designate one, two or all three of them as viable targets. You can steal their planes, their research and their resources.

As for the actual solution to the alien seafood eating humanity thing, there’s 4 paths to victory, which require research first and foremost. Allying with a faction gives you access to their specific solution to the crisis, but there’s also a Phoenix Project approach that requires no allies.

Results may vary. Solution to save the world might have unexpected side effects. Consult with Phoenix Point Command to check if alien genocide™ is right for you.

Pick a primary faction to be friends with, you can probably be friendly with another one too, but focus on one to start. Pick one that has settlements nearby you can defend pretty easily and has an appealing theme to you. The third faction you can piss off, including raiding them for resources you need. Otherwise, those missions where you grab as many crates as you can and then extract are good for resources, but personally I find those missions tedious.

The game will pull you in a lot of directions and it’s pretty easy to end up feeling like you’re just treading water. Get your friends, get some resources, try to expand a bit, and then focus on going after Pandoran bases, especially if they are getting close to your bases or a bunch of friendly settlements.

Should I be trying to take over every Phoenix Base?
As for trading, I’m not sure how? I don’t seem to have enough of one resource to throw it away, but I’m sure I’m missing something.

Activate as many bases as you can and restore or build their radar. You don’t need to populate them or re-enable everything. Radars give you coverage and spot Pandoran bases and laboratories are global, so the more the better.

You don’t mention whether you have the DLCs, which have a huge impact on how a normal game plays out. However, the previous suggestions by thorne and abrandt are the main tactics to victory. Second aircraft ASAFP and you’ll find on your run one resource you have excess of, so trade that (normally food) for the others to enable you to build, recruit or research and progress.

Also, keep your options open with the different soldier classes. What may seem shite at the start can become a killing machine with careful planning, the options are endless.