Game play is far too difficult and game isnt fun

[kirurgisti]

I finally played this game for the first time last week and I decided to log in for the first time to let out the steam. I played on normal and I gave up because the gameplay loop in the end was all about raiding the same location for resources that are too scarce, trading with the few allied havens that had anything left to trade, and defending the havens over and over again if I could fly there in time. And don’t tell me I have to know this and this before playing it “correctly”. I played the newer X-coms on normal difficulty and finished them pretty easily and enjoyed them. This game wasn’t too difficult, it was just too repetitive and boring. The game progression needs to be more tight because the designers clearly don’t know how to design or balance a game this free in nature.

The pandoran evolution is too fast and doesn’t reflect my choices in any way. I got multiple Scylla mutation reports before even fighting that thing once. I also got like three mutation reports in the time span where I only fought humans. Yes, this game focuses too much on battling humans which doesn’t make any sense.

And please remove or rework paralysis. Do you seriously expect me to wait for 20 turns to remove the paralysis and then slog to the evac point with 1 AP per turn? The person who designed this should be slapped in the face. The paralysis should last only one or two turns and you should use some kind of device to capture the enemy when it’s paralyzed. And if your soldier got paralyzed and captured, then there should always be a way to retrieve that character from either enemy bases (prisons) or pandoran nests. Capturing humans should give you some intel or other rewards.

Also, retrieving dead soldiers should be an option in these types of games. With some kind of penalty of course, time-out, resource-expensive surgery and/or a loss of abilities or levels for that character. I’m not just going to let that maxed out soldier die when I’ve build his experience for 15 hours so that just leads to save-spamming.

The enemies should be distinct from another so I don’t have to go to some info tab to see if this enemy is a priority threat or not. Make a few distinct enemies rather than 10 different versions of the same soldier and pretend it’s a new enemy type. Like in X-coms, you always had new, unique and interesting enemies and threats as an answer to your progression.

It’s not all bad: I did enjoy the combat system a lot and after PP I tried X-com Chimera Squad. The combat is just so basic and rng based in X-coms after experiencing PP. But the resource-management in X-coms is just a lot better and the game progression is tight. In PP, the resources should generate by themselves so that players could focus on exploring and advancing instead of raiding, trading and rebuilding havens. I’m probably going back to this game after all the DLC’s have been released but they really need some help balancing and testing this game…

[Indarkness]

@Odee

Why not support a company, that strives to make their product better, and listens to the Users?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. My issue is they knowingly released a game that was at best in beta, at worst a terrible idea, for full price. No discount, no we are trying new ideas. The game was never ready for launch and they went forward with their subpar product.

I don’t pay to review your product. You pay me.

[drages]

@etermes

and in my opinion, only one alliance should be allowed, locking the other two, at that point you get every tech and step required on geoscape for that specific faction ending

This would create a huge lack of the game play. First, you would miss tons of techs, second you will lose some lore and missions, third, there will be nothing to do for a long time… no manufacture, no research, no mission,no new class… nothing… For example you are with Synd… you get your armor and weapons and done. You can still tech from others but to get them all will make you do the same research steal mission for 50+ times…

This game is designed to be able to ally with all the factions at a single run. One faction ally could be happen but it should a whole redesign of the main game and much much more PX owned research and items as we nearly none as it is and all other high tech PX things come from multi-faction researches.

@VOLAND

If the game is not meant to be played with a single squad, you have to make sure that the player gets a second squad asap.

Very good point. As an old xcom player, I always have one squad. At my hero PP play, I did this until february and then I noticed that It’s nearly impossible to do that with one squad. The main reasons are having slow planes to reach all the earth and second is timed haven defends… Maybe you remember, at original xcom, if you send a aircraft to a terror zone, it always stays until you arrive, but if you don’t send anything, it’s gone after about 1-2 days. And at original xcoms, the best air craft was always the fastest with max capacity… As we don’t have special PX researches and some type of tier system, we can’t get anything better about this too…

@kirurgisti

I think the free-roaming rng world is to blame because the designers clearly don’t know how to design it so that it’s constantly interesting and challenging, like the X-coms.

Snapshot could be not so experienced designers like a much bigger company as Fraxis. We saw this at LotA too. Devs should sit and re plan all the game progress including all the DLC’s for the one year edition… Those living weapons should be a whole set for PX tree for late game like Xcom Apoc.

@kirurgisti

The enemies should be distinct from another so I don’t have to go to some info tab to see if this enemy is a priority threat or not. Make a few distinct enemies rather than 10 different versions of the same soldier and pretend it’s a new enemy type. Like in X-coms, you always had new, unique and interesting enemies and threats as an answer to your progression.

Totally right… I think pandoran should have their own factions, at least three. Like the original xcoms, they should have races with special terror units… they are from seas dammit, all the oceans deeps got more alien species you can imagine… Just open BBC and watch some deep ocean documentaries… even TFTD did that so well in 3 month of development…

[etermes]

@drages

This would create a huge lack of the game play. First, you would miss tons of techs, second you will lose some lore and missions, third, there will be nothing to do for a long time… no manufacture, no research, no mission,no new class… nothing… For example you are with Synd… you get your armor and weapons and done. You can still tech from others but to get them all will make you do the same research steal mission for 50+ times…

I will intent to do this, testing Arkham update, only one REP 75+ mission, only one ally,
reaching 50+ with all factions you get a lot of tech, including all classes, by the way, enough to complete the game, anyway

the rest, reverse engineering if it is necessary, it is very boring and easy to get all perks and tech with all factions REP100 , plus rewards

and you can manufacture plenty if you play Legend, or aircrafts or vehicles, also if I want I have LOTA missions, lot of things to do

[drages]

@etermes

I will intent to do this, testing Arkham update, only one REP 75+ mission, only one ally,

I got your post as you only ally one and ignore others. Yeah if you can go for +50 rep with others, you get everything mostly. But still… why? I mean being ally is just gives you some more research options and some missions… but still you will lose many researches as they already gave their research for free at 50 and the ones you need to research yourself comes from 75…

At my game play, I get NJ as allies and then I done others just to make something in the game… I needed mist repellers from synd… now I just go for Anu against to do something and to see their tech…

[rasvoja]

@drages

Totally right… I think pandoran should have their own factions, at least three. Like the original xcoms, they should have races with special terror units… they are from seas dammit, all the oceans deeps got more alien species you can imagine… Just open BBC and watch some deep ocean documentaries… even TFTD did that so well in 3 month of development…

Vote for that, I find it a bit dubious that well done FORSAKEN and PURE dont have bases. And I really like the heavy boys. And woud love to get their SHIELDS for my own use

A TFD level fraction would be great, loved aliens and even deeper Lovcraftian story there

[Odee]

@Indarkness

I don’t pay to review your product. You pay me.

Simple solution, since you don’t play, and are freely spread your illinformed opinion. Then don’t participate on the forums, with disinformation, just because you think you know what the company does on purpose.

[Odee]

@drages

I get NJ as allies and then I done others just to make something in the game… I needed mist repellers from synd… now I just go for Anu against to do something and to see their tech…

Cool strategy. You can also just Raid the Research, and Steal the Tech, if making Faction becomes difficult.

[etermes]

@drages

I got your post as you only ally one and ignore others. Yeah if you can go for +50 rep with others, you get everything mostly. But still… why?

These are current status for diplomacy in the game:

http://phoenix.server317.com/Diplomacy

I get REP 100 with every faction if I want, easily, I research everything and I chose ending without issues with HPC 35-40, it is not a challenge with Lairs and Citadels bringing +10 and +15

on top of that, factions are very different and NJ ends at war with Synedrion and Disciples in March, it is not logical to me that you can have alliance with all three factions at the same time, and don’t be involved in their disputes and hatred, you are not forced to position yourself, just collect rewards.

[drages]

@etermes

I get REP 100 with every faction if I want, easily, I research everything and I chose ending without issues with HPC 35-40, it is not a challenge with Lairs and Citadels bringing +10 and +15

on top of that, factions are very different and NJ ends at war with Synedrion and Disciples in March, it is not logical to me that you can have alliance with all three factions at the same time, and don’t be involved in their disputes and hatred, you are not forced to position yourself, just collect rewards.

This is totally different topic then I try to explain. I am not happy with diplomacy too and from my view, I am against complex diplomacy with factions too. PX is not a faction, they are just some scientest military which would do everything for the sake of the player… you can try to save whole people, some of them, or screw all and just save the world… Factions can have diplomacy between them but not with you… You can work for them willingly or paid for a reward… To be honest, I would see PX as a side faction like Pure which can make anything to you as they want… even you can name them as high tech terrorist as you don’t know that what their real goal (you: factions - they: PX).

I would like to seen as a mercenary team with huge potential by factions rather then having some unnecessary relations with them. You can still do that but not so well as the game is not designed for that purpose.

[VOLAND]

I kinda agree - I don’t think Phoenix Point can be considered a proper Faction.

@drages

you can try to save whole people, some of them, or screw all and just save the world…

Yes, and to be fair I think currently it’s sort of like that: in my last playthrough I activated only 5 bases and let most of the world go dark (or red). I was allied with all the factions but basically did my own thing.

The current system is flexible, that is not an issue, imo.

[VOLAND]

@kirurgisti

That’s a bad argument for not fixing the issue.

To be clear, I don’t like the pace, resource procurement and diplomacy in the game on any difficulty level, and I wish it was fixed.

My point is that it throttling just Pandoran evolution doesn’t work.

For example,

@kirurgisti

Just make it so that Scylla is always available to fight if the game requires you to fight it or capture it.

… is not so easy, because Scyllas appear in Citadels, and a Citadel comes from 2 Lairs, and Lairs come from 2 Nests. Making Scyllas appear “just because” would mess with the emergent gameplay, which is one of the strong points of the game, imo.

And then Haven Defense missions are a source of resources and diplo rewards for the player, and attacking Pandoran bases gives the biggest diplo rewards…

So reducing amount of Haven Defenses and Pandoran structures on easier difficulties perhaps also makes the game more difficult by removing opportunities from the player to get resources/diplo rewards.

@Odee

Having a Player Made Pool of Ready Recruits to hire when affordable. Would help immensely in the early game squad builds, and deployment. IMO of course.

Well, there is the recruitment from base, but it is currently not working properly on lower difficulties, because all the operatives come with the reduced stats from Legend.

And then recruitment from havens, on lower difficulties you have to pay for the equipment, even though with a discount. IMO, it should be optional - like in JA2 when you hired mercs.

But, tbh, - and I don’t want to offend anyone - one issue seems to be that many players just don’t want to have multiple squads. There is a bit of “hey, I played X-Com or XComs with one squad, and I expect to be able to beat PX with one squad as well.”

One thing is that the game doesn’t communicate properly the need for more than one squad, and doesn’t facilitate acquiring one, but I also wonder if many players just don’t want to have multiple squads at all.

[kirurgisti]

@VOLAND

… is not so easy, because Scyllas appear in Citadels, and a Citadel comes from 2 Lairs, and Lairs come from 2 Nests. Making Scyllas appear “just because” would mess with the emergent gameplay, which is one of the strong points of the game, imo.

It is very easy, actually. Make scyllas appear outside of citadels. For example, make visible pandoran patrols that wander around in the globe. The player could try their skills on the new enemies this way. The developers already have the tools for it. Just replace the faction aircrafts with red enemy patrol icons and make them wander around in the map. Click the info tab and you can see the types of enemies in the patrol. The battle is just a random skirmish on a random map. This can be implemented in one day in Unity.

As said, the game (or rather the progression) is badly designed so they need to redesign it.

[rasvoja]

@kirurgisti

As said, the game (or rather the progression) is badly designed so they need to redesign it.

Early to mid game is very enjoyable, curve increases heavily towards the end, with very little new content. I find just more viral and piercing weapons and improved base facilities not enough. War among fractions adds the tension and should be kept >:)

[Southlane]

@Indarkness

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. My issue is they knowingly released a game that was at best in beta, at worst a terrible idea, for full price. No discount, no we are trying new ideas. The game was never ready for launch and they went forward with their subpar product.

I don’t pay to review your product. You pay me

They also gave the finger to the fans and went down the epic road. That, and the state of the game shows me how much they listen or even care about their customers.
I have ordered 5 ton of popcorn for the time this goes live on steam. My guess is that this game will go through the mangle and come out the other end ‘overwhelmingly negative’

Why won’t they make a effort and at least make easy, easy, and stop pratting about.

[drages]

@Southlane

I have ordered 5 ton of popcorn for the time this goes live on steam. My guess is that this game will go through the mangle and come out the other end ‘overwhelmingly negative’

What is your goal with that… what will you gain if this game fails so badly.
They got the money from Epic so they can have the support to work on this game for years. %90 games come as “beta” state in this era, even the most expensive ones… all the huge brands… like the Avengers, Anthem, all the sport games from EA… and tons more…
They are a little game studio who wants to create something big. This needs time and money. Even the huge game companies wants more and more money for their games including microtransections…
Game got problems still, missing things here and there, some logical things depends to player… but you get your DLC’s which are very cheap when you buy them with full package, you got big patches nearly every month, the devs are on it and they just won’t stop development in the middle… We are tlling the problems and they are responding them as they can… AND the game is playable… you can start and finish it… you got the game…
What-do-you-want-more? Why do you hate so much to burn it? If you are not happy with it, just wait some more months maybe wait until they are done with development with full of DLC… not enough… wait for mods…
I am so sorry for you if Snapshot could not deliver your special meal in time… Snapshot is not working for you…
Because easy is not easy enough for you? You want a chess game with an AI which makes just random and stupid moves so you can win in 5. turn? Then, my opinion, chess is not for you.
This forum is full of hardcore gamers of this kind. But I never saw them try to burn this game because it’s not hard enough.

I am just finding very lame to judge games with their developing period… This is it… this is the world we live in and it changes… We got so huge problems with gaming industry as players… there are tons of problems for developers and there are tons of huge companies out there, just tring to robe you with any possible way…

There is a pandemic out there… and you just whine because a little game company does not make the game in their limited time and for your taste…

If you still persist, go learn how to modding in some hours and just make all enemies one shot, slow down all the mutations, give yourself unlimited resources (even you can make this with cheat engine)… because this is what you want… cheating… not easy…

[Southlane]

@drages

What is your goal with that… what will you gain if this game fails so badly.

Gain, gain? Absolutely nothing. I will on the other hand have lost the money I spent on the ultimate edition of this . I have watched this game go from promising to the sorry state it’s in today.
I was going to play it through to make sure I felt the same way about it ( give it a fair chance), but guess what? The frigging thing crashes and resets my computer. A bug that has been in the game in the past has resurfaced. So I can’t even play the darn thing.

[drages]

@Southlane

The frigging thing crashes and resets my computer. A bug that has been in the game in the past has resurfaced. So I can’t even play the darn thing.

You changed from “not easy enough” to “not working” suddenly. And you wanna play that darn thing even you don’t like so at all? Yes, game patches makes games not working some people in gaming history. You can find yourself at every patchnote comments of steam.

And a surprise for you… wait for it!!!.. It’s mostly patched again to make it working for you!!! Yes! Devs do that! Can you believe it?

Yes I am making sarcasm and jokes because you are just changing your reasons to show yourself somehow right… I don’t like haters especially when there is nothing to hate. Yes, maybe your 2 meal money burn for this game. People are burning their money to games for years.

You want to see this game as negative as possible at steam, you are ready to watch that… You got so many time for to wait and follow this and you tell this to us like your only problem in your life, is this… If it’s true, I envy you… I got much bigger ones for sure…

People hates EA for example, they are right… but the funny part is, the haters are who buys their games… again and again and again… when I see negative views at steam, I see not a bad game, I see dump people… because they are buying their EA game earlier or at day one… even the first second…

Anyway… there is no point to hate Snapshot. Even the PP would be not a good game at the end of development, they add many things to the Xcom genre and probably you will enjoy %70 at least if you like other xcoms. It’s a nice fun game which needs some touches which we can possible have in next year…

Do not hate, be creative, think solutions… why do people try to hate everything when they got all other options in their hand…

[Southlane]

@drages

Do not hate, be creative, think solutions… why do people try to hate everything when they got all other options in their hand…

Hate, hate, Gain, gain? Where are you dragging all this up from? Next you will be calling me a racist.
I don’t hate and I don’t gain. Are we clear on that?
Jeez help us tolerate these fanboys. It’s called a opinion, if you don’t like my opinion, fine, move on by unless you have something more than slaptalk to contribute.

[drages]

You should not be racist against fanboys too… I just told my opinion and I was much more contribute then you probably. Anyway… I am done with my slaps…