Yep the sounds are a good indicator in firaXcom, i won’t call it best solution but i’ll probably prefer this than a fleeing ennemy (less loot) or a berserker (actualy a berserk can be extremly cool if it’s related to ennemy type, but i’ll be sad to see every single ennemy type trying to rush me in despair suicide mission x) )
1 Like
I am all more eager to hear more complex but yet realistic solution then …
-
Hearing his sounds (but more realistic then direction indicator in FXcom … God, if they could give it different name. I ll call it ENEMY WITHIN just to “honour” it fully for bringing in mech units …
I would love us to judge the sound position by strenght and creature yell like Vgdai … -
Scattering like introduced in last Mythos game (Apocalypse) when few left or high and mid range creatures done (like Queen used to quit first mission). Its nice, but a bit unrealistic.
-
Find them on your own with no aid (ah that 1994 style, God how many hours Steam will neva know …)
I don’t have real other ideas either, except maybe some voice / text “reports”
For exemples via radio contact from base;
“civilians report movement in North east of the operative zone”
“Our technicians / specialist / whatever techies can be in base calculated a good chance than remaining ennemies may regroup near a building/an objective/some coordinate”
“Satelite report movement in the XXX area”, etc
Can also have some soldiers input, like “the’re probably be hidden in this street/area/building” While passing nearby.
On top of possible sound spotting like firaxcom who work pretty well by itself but is a little redundant, that may varry and give some “exploring / recon” interest to the last part of a mission ^^
The fact i used the word “probably not the best” isn’t especialy cause i have best ideas nor it’s a bad one by itself, but mostly cause i regret it’s mostly the “only way” in firaxcoms, witch for sure is working but may need some variations ^^
2 Likes
Odering a sattelite scan of small area for (Laser) squad team leader could be a nice idea. But I ll put a lot of AP and willpower punishment on that. Nice idea, real nice and realistic no matter what tech is used.
Other is SCOUT - dude with increased visibility
Scout could have a bit of armor, lot AP and just some melee and signaling. And would look crazy, like this Xcom mock up (X-PirateZ)
EQUIPEMENT or tracking device that really sense virus or aliens, not so shitty alien tracker from Aliens …
or Xcom 1994
Yep, can be a visibility distance boost, but also some “'passive skills” like, for exemple, spotting ennemies behind a directly visible cover (like seeing a guy at a corner of a wall, calling it magic, experience, or just saw a shadow moving).
The ability to somehow see/ track alien footsteps can be cool too (assuming the ennemi have moved recently, but still a nice addition i think). Can both be used to track a fleeing ennemy, a sneaky one that tend to be willing to backshoting your guys, the last foes on a map etc. Should not work with really sneaky ennemies or flying ones for obvious reasons.
Like the life detectors idea too, but i think aliens can and should adapt too, like by making their hearthbeat less noticeable, reducing detection range etc.
1 Like
It does not have to be magic.
Termovison, like night vision only based on temperature.
Either that, or he carries XCom improved CAT S60 phone with infinite battery.
Wait, chargable by technician.,
Haha yeah he lack some uses in this build XD
Thermal is cool but same as all others i guess its immaginable than some ennemies are cold blooded meaning can be insensible or reduce effectiveness of sensors too
1 Like
Ah, than we could switch to some other form of virus scanning
Like this scary photo of elepant on same phone.
Imagine a big scary virus-spreading but cold blooded smaller queen … instead.
So this does not get so much horror or epylesia causing.
He could even discover virus on our team by virus scans to small areas.
Or that, or bring back Laser Squad Strategic Scanner with some sattelite scan
(note for viewers: displayed on 48 kilobytes computer with 3,5 Mhz CPU and not too many other chips)
Sidenote:
And nice forum bot has just let me know to reply to more people,
So I will let other opinions an mass. Anything urgent pass to Private messages please.
1 Like
To be fair, if your entire company was just shot down and your main battle tank blown up, would YOU go head towards the sound of the gunfire or wander around aimlessly? Or would you go hide in a comfortable coat closet like the rest of us?
1 Like
That’s why enemies retreating from battle should be a thing. In Total War series for instance, battles are rarely won by totally destroying the enemy forces. Most of the time, enemy will loose the will to fight and flee after about 2/3 of the army is destroyed. It’s more complicated than than of course but you get the idea.
Now in tactical games the size of the army is much smaller but I still think retreat as a game mechanic can be helpful. So in PP, when fighting another human faction, it might make sense for the enemy to retreat if they are taking heavy casualties, unless they are defending their own strongholds and are forced to fight to the death.
Mutants are a different story of course as with their large numbers and hive mind, individual crabmen or other grunt-type units are likely to have no reasons to retreat. They will not try to hide or retreat, even when outnumbered. In game terms that means they will actively seek you out, alleviating the last alien syndrome. As for special mutants(queen etc), afaik those there are already plans for them to retreat if wounded so all in all it seems PP will have a nice set of mechanics to deal with the problem of lost enemies.
2 Likes
I think that introducing special equipement in the game would be great. Right now, there are 3 items in the wheel. I would not mind seeing items like scanners, mist detectors or such. It would probably bring opportunities for varied gameplay.
If you’re able to figure out somehow how some of the ennemies are deployed, maneuvering on the battlefield would probably be less random. A way to spot noises, movements, heat, and such. Pretty sure i heard in the video stream by our dear community manager that wandering in mist would grant aliens knowledge about our position and movements.
It’s a part of strategy. These devices were not this usefull in UFO. Reasons are their efficiency seemed random, and you only had 2 equipable items. I think Phoenix Point is a good opportunity to better the original game in this regard.
Based on the response to my other thread, it seems likely that they’ll be a skill and/or item to address this issue. Just can’t wait to see what that solution is 
1 Like
I think it was due to a combination of short-ish range of the sensors and maps featuring a hefty amount of open space with unobstructed LoSs. On top of that, there was no camouflaged or invisible enemies. All that meant there was no need for a detection device when 90% of the time you could see the enemies easily enough at a reasonable distance.
I’m all for scanners and other such devices but we will need maps and/or environmental conditions which will make them useful: indoor areas with tight dark corridors and lots of turns and twists to reduce LoS(underground vaults, mutant nests etc), fog and mist which is hard to see through(well, that last one is practically confirmed), etc. Some enemies can also be hard to see with the naked eye due to some kind of mimicry or due to being able to hide in unexpected places.
1 Like
confirmed
confirmed
confirmed and confirmed
implied
2 Likes
Haha! This one one of the features I loved about the original Xcom. Find that last alien.
1 Like
Bearable in XCOM, although I didn’t really find it funny (to each their own), but completely over the top in TFTD where terror units would get stuck in cupboards, and ships targeted during terrors had MANY cupboards.
1 Like
The good old days, before Vahlen and her “restraint”, back when we levelled the decks of cruise ships with rocket launchers to avoid spending 3 hours of checking coat closets
3 Likes
Blowing up stuff was never so good, the resulting fire adding the cherry to the pie.
If you were to ask me for my favourite gaming moments, I would not hesitate, it would always be UFO_eu, I believe it came under a different title depending where in the world you lived, but you know the one. 
Laser Squad came a close second. I played Xcom-Apocalypse which was a very good game but unfortunately, it was fairly buggy, we didn’t have internet patches then. You would have to try and swap your disk at the shop in the hope you got a upgraded version.
1 Like
It wasn’t very kind, but it beat searching for one alien forever on a ship. 
Over here, it was X-com UFO Defense. I’ve always thought Enemy Unknown was a way better title.
I never did play laser squad, but my brother did. In the early days, for me, I would’ve said Wasteland or Autoduel was my favorite, but X-com blew all that right out of the water. I played a bit of apoc as well, but also had bugs, so never made it far. Need to pick it up one of these days on GoG or something and hope for a openX style patch, I think.
1 Like
I would love hunt to be resumed, but to have some clues, like improved sounds and maybe a different version on how, yes, Faxis Enemy Within and original Xcom handled it. But he MUST go down!
1 Like