Hello all
I’d I’d like to share my findings about tactical depth of Phoenix Point, and related to that classes and skills, lastly to propose few ideas how to improve the situation.
TACTICAL COMBAT DEPTH AND TOO MAGICAL AND SPAMMABLE ABILITIES
Sadly, this part, since certain point of the game, is very shallow - mostly due to spammable abilities like Dash, but also very small maps with dozens of enemies. What’s even worse, and requires separate addressing, is that other play styles are rather not relevant when you face 15+ sniper Tritons with Pain Chameleon mutation - good luck with trying to approach them other way than Dashing like madman, and killing enough of them 1st turn to make others panic. Well, perhaps hiding all squad in a vehicle might work, but I don’t have one so far to test that.
Situation was much better at the early game, when I had soldiers just lv1-3, with not developed Will so I could not spam the abilities - the game was much more tactical.
Another issue is fumbling - very RNG based, why on Earth an Assault soldier can’t shoot say Grenade Launcher? Is trigger of it so different that without proficiency it can’t be used properly?
This needs to be dropped, but instead introduce penalties to accuracy/range for jump jets.
Next, grenade throw range, simply too low. Should be increased 100%.
And the last, that abilities, especially in current form, are too much fantasy/magical, like spells with mana - can someone explain why, out of nowhere, a soldier can make target take 50% more damage?? That’s not fitting to XCOM-like game.
Moreover, random abilities like +X% aim/+X% damage with a weapon type should be replaced, as usually they don’t fit for the soldier, and also make not much sense.
SOLUTION
Putting aside sniper Tritons squads issue, soldiers’ abilities should be redesigned. The most important change - all of them may be used just once per turn, and some of them for free, with optional either an enhanced version which costs Will, or a passive effect. Also, soldier classes should be revamped.
Here are my propositions - I’ve added 8th lv for all classes, and tried to make them strong on their own, as well as with combination with each other.
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Heavy Class
In-game heavy suffers from very low accuracy for direct fire weapons, and lack of mobility. In my revamp I’ve addressed these flaws. Don’t look at exact numbers, these might be balanced only after few tests in game
- Heavy Weapon Handling
- passive: Increase accuracy of heavy and mounted weapons by 100% in the soldier has not moved this turn. If the soldier stands near something which can be used as support for the weapon accuracy increased by additional 50%.
- [will cost], activated: Heavy/mounted weapon shoot and overwatch costs is decreased by 1(up to 1 minimum) till the end of turn. This works when soldier moved.
- Jump Jets Mastery
- passive: JJ range is increased by 25%
- [will cost], activated: You may perform one attack for free after jump.
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New Class
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Juggernaut
- activated: The soldier can bash through wooden and tin walls, as well as various derbis - so he/she can move just like there were no such obstacles. Requires equipped full heavy armor set.
- [will cost], activated: The soldier charges in straight line dealing melee damage to each target it collided with. Damage depends of total encumbrance weight. It still can bash through objects.
- Exploiting Weak Spots
- passive: Each hit with heavy/mounted/(sniper/turret as well?) weapon shreds 10 armor from hit location.
- [will cost], activated: All shoots with heavy/mounted/(sniper/turret as well?) weapons reduce enemy armor in the hit location by 50% (this happens before passive effect)
- Rage Burst
- passive: Whenever you empty magazine reload the weapon automatically for free
- activated: Shot with proficient direct projectile weapon, using all remaining ammo in the weapon’s magazine (until the enemy is alive), or shot with non-direct projectile weapon 3 times.
- No Man’s Land
- passive: Trigger overwatch shots for each movement, not only the 1st one.
- [will cost], activated: Shoot with proficient direct projectile weapon once at each enemy in sight range.
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Technician
The one in game has not enough offensive potential. While revamping I focused on using his unique feature like Robotic Arms to the maximum. And again, treat numeric values rather like placeholders.
- Field Medic
- passive: Action Point cost of medikits/stimpacks, and Robotic Arms is reduced by 1 (1 AP minimum)
- [will cost], activated: Until end of turn your healing actions heal 50% more health.
- Field Surgeon
- passive: At the end of enemy turn heal yourself up to 100 HP total. Requires Robotic Arms.
- [will cost], activated: restore 20 health and 10 armor to all body parts of selected target. Disabled body parts are restored. Removes attached Mindfraggers. Requires Robotic Arms.
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New Class
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Advanced Manipulation System
- passive: Whenever you attack an enemy in melee range your Robotic Arms perform a free attack on that enemy.
- [will cost], activated: This turn you can climb walls up, however you have to end move on a floor/ground. Requires equipped Robotic Arms.
- Combat Enhancement
- [will cost], activated: Use Robotic Arms as stabilizer support for next attack, increasing proficient ranged weapon accuracy by 25%
- [will cost], activated: Use Robotic Arms to throw hand grenade twice far as normally.
- Turret Deployment
- passive: you can deploy up to two turrets simultaneously.(this would require some mechanic to set layout for the turrets - side by side, or one after another)
- [will cost], activated: Turrets can be thrown like grenades and deployed for 1 Action Point.
- Turrets Control:
- passive: You can manually aim your turrets.
- [will cost], activated: perform an direct attack on an enemy, all turrets deployed by the attacking soldier whose can shoot at that enemy attack it too.
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Berserker
This soldier class is meant to be melee fighter, so I focused on that aspect, while keeping in mind usefulness to combine with other classes.
- Bonecrusher
- passive: When attacking with proficient weapons you disable body part after lowering its health points to half of maximum amount.
- [will cost], activated: Your next melee attack will shred 50 armor.
- Close Quarters
- passive: Damage from attacks within 10 tiles is reduced by 25%
- [will cost], activated: Additional 25% damage reduction till beginning of your next turn.
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New Class
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Bloodlust
- passive: Melee damage and speed are increased by percentage difference between soldier’s current and maximum life.
- [will cost], activated: Hurt yourself for 50 damage to increase speed by 6 for 2 turns.
- Terrifying Presence
- passive: When you kill an enemy all enemies whose witnessed companion’s death lose additional 3 Will.
- [will cost], activated: Berserker howls, terrifying nearby(10 tiles range?) enemies whose lose 6 Will, and have their AP reduced by 2 during their next turn.
- Battle Frenzy
- passive: Disabled body parts remain functional. Cannot panic or be mind controlled.
- [will cost], activated: All abilities costs 1 Action Point until end of turn.
- Ruthless Killer
- passive: If an enemy enters, leaves, or preforms an attack within your melee range attack him first with melee weapon.
- [will cost], activated: Attack an enemy twice with melee weapon.
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Assault
This class in game is more or less fine, except magical-like skills like Rapid Clearance and Rally the Troops.
- Dash
- activated: Move to a target position at up to 50% of maximum movement range
- [will cost], activated: Move to a target position at up to 75% of maximum movement range
- Assault Combat Training:
- passive: Shot back at an enemy that attacks an ally within perception range. Not applicable for mounted or explosive weapons.
- [will cost], activated: Enemy overwatch shots have 75% less accuracy against you this turn.
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New Class
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Ready for Action:
- passive: Inventory actions and reloading weapons does not cost any Action Points.
- [will cost], activated: The next grenade toss this turn does not cost any Action Points, but throw range is reduced by 25%.
- Rapid Assault
- passive: You may overwatch for free if you’ve spent your last Action Points for movement.
- [will cost], activated: Shoot suppression burst at an enemy, it has 50% reduced aim till beginning of your next turn.
- Run and gun
- passive: If you moved at least [10 OR 15?] tiles this turn ranged weapon attacks cost 1 less Action Point until end of turn.
- [will cost], activated: You shoot twice with direct projectile weapon at the same enemy, without manual aiming.
- Tactical Teamwork
- passive: Your chosen team mate attacks the same target when you do if he/she has it in sight range. Does not work with overwatch shots.
- [will cost], activated: Team up with another Assault class soldier until end of turn. A soldier may be chosen as team mate only once per turn.
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Sniper
In-game sniper lacks a bit of power, mostly due to high cost of sniper rifle shot. In my revamp I focused on giving him cheaper shots if he didn’t moved (so he could prepare firing position). I also wanted to support 2 different playstyles for sniper - one for long-range sniper sitting somewhere on a distant tower, other advancing in close proximity after main assault forces.
- Extreme Focus
- passive: Overwatch cost is reduced by 1 Action Point.
- [will cost], activated: Next ranged proficient weapon attack has 50% increased accuracy.
- Quick Aim Adjustment
- passive: Each next proficient ranged weapon attack against the same enemy has 15% increased accuracy this turn. Attacking other enemy resets this bonus.
- [will cost], activated: The AP cost of next shot with a proficient weapon is reduced by 1 (down to 0%).
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New Class
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Keen Senses
- passive: +50% Perception.
- [will cost], activated: Enter into special overwatch type in which you have manual aim control over the soldier.
- Sniper Firing Nest
- passive: If you haven’t moved this turn using proficient ranged weapons shots costs 1 less Action Point.
- activated: You gain +25% Stealth until you make a movement. Doesn’t stack.
- Gunslinger
- passive: The 1st pistol shot in a turn does not cost any Action Points.
- [will cost, pistol shot AP cost], activated: Shoot 3 times with your pistol.
- Devastating Wounds
- passive: Disabling a body part also removes that body part’s armor.
OR - passive: Head shot deals double damage.
- [will cost], activated: Until end of turn whenever you cause an enemy to bleed, the bleed amount is quadrupled.
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That’s all for now, I’m working on revamp of infiltrator and priest classes - if you’ll like the above I’ll continue my pondering.
How do you find the changes for classes mates?
There is already penalty if soldier has no proficiency with heavy weapon.
Even if descreased by half i’m not sure if such feature should be allowed by skill. It should be weapon based.
“Hey! Hold there for a moment. I must shoot you with exactly one bullet and then skip for your friend” 
Snapshot would now need to change all enemy and armor models. 
