In short, IMO the way soldiers are currently augmented is a missed opportunity, narratively speaking. Perhaps the current system is just a placeholder and something like what I will suggest is already being considered by the devs.
What I think is missing is some art and a short text vignette, at least for the first mutation and the first bionic operation. Phoenix Point has some very cool art and it would be great if something like, e.g. the pictures for the trade screen (Iâm a big fan of those - does anybody else think that they really add a lot to the narrative and to the atmosphere of the game?), could be used to depict the aug operations.
The other thing is that the instant augmentation feels wrong. This is one of those cases where making players do things and have them wait would be a good thing, IMO. That is, have them transport the soldiers to a base with the requisite facilities and wait a few days. It adds some much needed drama.
I agree , I also posted that. It makes not sense instant augmentation operation, and switching bionics parts when you please, that operation should be permanent, same as mutations
TBH, I donât really care about that one way, or the other.
Iâm not even sure it requires any lore - bionics are just parts, and who knows how an alien virus works? If you can replace somebodyâs head with a metal can, I donât see a problem with substituting one metal can for another down the road. Same with mutations - once you can mutate a body part in some way, why canât you mutate it again? The only point where I would draw the line is in replacing an augment with a human part - that you shouldnât be able to do, as it is now.
If I was thinking about realism/plausibility, the question would be how is it that the soldier keeps the exact same strength/speed stats after having a body part replacedâŚ
Ok, ok. I was not thinking about realism, more like customization and specialization. Because exchangeable can, not matter the cost, end game is too cheap, I could exchange parts every mission, on the fly, for those new Robots/Transformers squaddies.
But itâs fine, I never do that, my game , my self restrictions
hey, Iâd just like it if they added the âsix million dollar manâ bionic sound effect whenever you do a dash with your bionic legs, or bust through a wall with your bionic torso.
maybe play the theme song in the background when you first start researching bionics.
Because virus canât mutate into something else. It requires new biomass to create something else. One alien base doesnât reconfigure its mutations to produce the others. You need other alien base to have other mutations.
And ability to change mutations I see as an overlook from devs side. Of course they will tell it is intended.
But you donât replace someones limb, you mutate it. If it is already mutated it shouldnât be altered into something else. Maybe it could evolve into something better but not different.
A Mutation occurs when a DNA gene is damaged or changed in such a way as to alter the genetic message carried by that gene.
A Mutagen is an agent of substance that can bring about a permanent alteration to the physical composition of a DNA gene such that the genetic message is changed.
Once the gene has been damaged or changed the mRNA transcribed from that gene will now carry an altered message.
That is why I suppose it can evolve in a given way. But not be altered in other. For me Virus can alter non-Virus cells in many different ways, but when touching particular cell it makes it immune to other strains of Virus and set it in particular direction of mutations. Thus for example Pandorans canât mix their final forms and that is why we canât see hybrids of Arthrons and Tritons.
Hey, thanks for mentioning my post. I agree with what youâre saying, but to me, the instant mutations always felt wrong too - I think if youâre going to improve the augmentation experience by making soldiers fly to a base that has the facilities, then I think mutations should go the same way. Even a couple of days time out would make it a bit more convincing. I also think that there should possibly be some (maybe temporary) willpower penalty for undergoing either mutation or augmentation, to perhaps suggest some kind of trauma. This could be negated over time, or you could even have it so the character has to successfully use their mutations/augmentations a number of times, before they gain confidence with them. They just donât feel human, and as someone else said, itâs never really explained narratively what you, as the playerâs role is; XCOM tried to make it so that you were really the first-person commander that the guys on screen were trying to rescue. In PP itâs not clear whether there even is a commander, or the entirety of PP is just the soldiers on the screen.
Anyway, I also agree about punctuating certain âfirstsâ with some kind of vignette or cutscene - definitely needs this.
In Phoenix Point âaugmentationsâ refers to both bionics and mutations, so I meant mutations as well as bionicsâŚ
The way I see augmentations is as a âcheapâ way to improve the capabilities of raw recruits/low level soldiers, so Iâm not sure about penalties to Willpower after the mutation/operation.
