Phoenix Point – Julian Gollop Q&A #2

Julian Gollop’s Phoenix Point Q&A has proven to be a success, prompting the veteran developer to return for another round of community questions. Aptly subtitled “Terror from the Deep,” a comprehensive summary of this second Q&A is now available on the official Phoenix Point website. Expect to see plenty of mechanics-related questions along with some more general ones. A few examples:

Is there going to be console version?
I wish we could do a console version. This is in the hands of the gods at the moment. Funding permitting, we would like to do it. At the moment we’re only working on PC/Mac/Linux versions.

Will there be an ability to spy on enemy or ally factions? Planting soldiers as double-agents or tagging trade supplies with bugs as an example?
You definitely will be able to do spy missions. You will be able to send a soldier into another Haven and he will be able to feed information back to you. There is of course a risk that your spy will be discovered, and he will need to make an exit which may result in a combat mission.

Will we be able to stuff soldiers’ inventories with ammo and pick up enemy corpses?
There will be an inventory system which will be similar to the original X-Com where you can pick up corpses, ammunition and guns – you can pick up any stuff that is carriable and you can use it during the battle. You might not be able to use it very reliably, but it will be there for you to loot.

Will soldiers have different stats from each other like they did in “Terror from the Deep” such as bravery, stamina etc?
Absolutely yes. They will have various stats in terms of accuracy, will-power, endurance and mobility which are the main ones. They will gain abilities during the course of the game. They will also suffer from some negative traits. They may either start with those or acquire them as a consequence of stress.

How many soldier classes are available?
The way the class system works is that each faction has different classes, and the Phoenix Organisation starts with a small set of classes. So, what you can do as a player, as you develop relationships with these other factions, you can recruit soldiers from those factions, or even steal technology from them. You will be able to use some of their more specialised soldier classes. For example, the “Infiltrator” class which comes from Synedrion or the “Technician” with robotic arms, which is a New Jericho class. We haven’t decided exactly how many of these there will be. At the moment there are at least seven. There may be more added a little bit later.

How much will environmental damage factor in, if at all?
Environmental damage is a very important part of the game, and you will see this with very dramatic effect in the demo which we will be showing at PC Gamer Weekender. It’s something which both the aliens and you as a player can take advantage of. I think the best thing to say about that is to wait and see. You will be seeing some very interesting stuff from us soon.

How many endings does the game have?
We are currently planning at least four, and I’m not saying that this is the correct and exact number that will be in the final game. But each faction has there own ending, and the failure ending, making at least a fifth ending.