Phoenix Point - The Geoscape

An update on the Geoscape, Ballistics and more for Phoenix Point. There are some screenshots illustrating the Geoscape at the link.

Geoscape, Ballistics and More!

One of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of Phoenix Point that people have been waiting to catch a glimpse of is the Geoscape. The good news is, we finally have something to show you. The Strategic Layer team have been working hard to start assembling all of the pieces. There are some very interesting things to cover regarding the strategic layer, and you may have heard some already.

As always, please remember that Phoenix Point is still in early development, with over a year of development time remaining. Anything you see in these early updates should not be considered final or representative of the quality for the finished product. Many UI elements are still placeholder, and textures tend to lack shaders and general polish.

What you've all been waiting for.........

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At the start of the campaign, you have a single base: Phoenix Point. You also start with a single aircraft, which has its travel distance limited by its fuel supply. In the example above, the range of the aircraft is shown by the two-tone orange circle. The centre, lighter circle is the safe distance for making a return trip. The outer, darker circle means a one way trip. You won't have enough fuel to return unless there is somewhere else where you can refuel.

Within your travel range, you can see a number of question-marks. These represent unknown points of interest and could be a number of things;

They could be one of the many isolated Havens spread around the world (there will be approximately 100-200 to discover per game). These could belong to one of the 3 major factions, or they could be independent Havens. Some of these will be extra special, as you may run into some of our Immortalization Edition backers here, as creating your own Haven and its leader is one of the perks for supporting Phoenix Point at this level. The major factions could be your allies or your enemy. Your actions and diplomacy throughout the campaign will decide this. Independent Havens will likely be willing to offer you precious resources or personnel in exchange for protection.

It could be an inactive base belonging to The Phoenix Project. These bases will offer somewhere for you to refuel your aircraft, and may contain new technologies for you to utilize, or facilities to aid your war effort.

They could be scavenger sites. These places are a rich source of much needed supplies and resources, and may even have the odd vehicle lying around which you can repurpose. Be extra careful though; these sites are generally overrun with alien creatures.

It could be a mysterious alien built structure. What is their purpose? How did they get there? That is something better left for your discovery.

Probably the most terrifying, it could be a colossal alien Behemoth, roaming the land and devouring all in its path. You must risk great sacrifice to stop these mighty beasts at all costs as even Havens are on their menu.

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Early on in the campaign, the Phoenix Project are an isolated group, coordinating from their only base, Phoenix Point. Your first priorities are to explore your surroundings. Make contact with potential allies, find resources, establish refueling stations for your aircraft. The exploration phase of Phoenix Point is inspired by great 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) games such as "Masters of Orion" and "Stellaris". Some places you will just discover as you explore the globe, trying to uncover what is left of humanity. Other points of interest on the map will only be revealed to you through elements of the narrative.

You will also be pleased to know (if you haven't worked it out already from the temporary interface) that the Strategic Layer runs in real-time, with the option to pause or speed up the passage of time.

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