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Phantom Doctrine What? Phantom Doctrine!  Oh. Phantom Doctrine is a turn-based squad tactics game from Polish game studio CreativeForge, makers of Hard West, which I didn’t play but heard was good. For this one they’ve dialed back the supernatural elements and moved the timeframe up a hundred years or so. It’s 1983, with the Cold War in full swing, and you play an agent of a major world intelligence service—CIA or KGB. Beat the game once to unlock a third (more on that later). In the course of your duties, you stumble upon a sinister plot to manipulate world affairs for unknown reasons and are suddenly plunged into a worldwide battle for the fate of humanity. Going off-the-books, you form your own group of spies and agents, the Cabal, and— Wait, you’re the Cabal? Yes. You’re the good guys, but you named yourself the Cabal? Apparently. Anyway, you: -Recruit and equip agents -Send them on missions -Complete a variety of objectives -Stop the enemy’s secret project  Like a lot of games recently, it’s XCOM, But: It’s the Cold War: No power armor and laser guns. Agents need cover identities. The agents themselves have language proficiencies that let them blend into different places. You can do everything with stealth: what if the stealth phase from the beginning of XCOM 2 missions could last the whole time? Stay in the shadows, avoid conflict or eliminate your enemies silently and hide their bodies. Or put on the right uniform, speak the right language, have the right documents, and walk right in the front door. You’re a spy! Do spy poo poo! Several new twists to the tactical game: -No % chance for shots. Instead, your shots will always do something—the “awareness” stat gives the enemy a chance to dodge that goes down with repeated shots and regenerates when not being shot at. So if the enemy has no or very low Awareness, you always hit them. If they have high Awareness, your shot will miss or only graze them, but they’ll be easier to hit with other agents. Your agents have the same mechanic. -Offmap call-ins. You can position agents around the edges of the map with binoculars, sniper rifles, or grenade launchers and use them to scout or take out enemies. - -Breach rooms: stack your agents up at the door and then give orders for them to execute simultaneously. They’ll move into the room all at once and shoot enemies inside it. This also suppresses enemy overwatch. On the strategic level, you send your operatives out all over the world to do little missions like scouting an area or foiling an enemy plot. These aren’t represented as tactical missions, but depict you unraveling the conspiracy behind the ominously titled Beholder Initiative. The devs have folded real Cold War history into the story: in this universe it’s the Beholder Initiative that’s behind the shootdown of KAL 007, but you can try to prevent that. Your agents might get captured by the enemy, and return later, boasting of a daring escape... but are they telling the truth, or brainwashed sleeper agents? Of course, if you capture an enemy agent yourself, you can do some brainwashing of your own.  There’s a loving wonderful-looking cork board section where you read through the files you’ve collected while on missions and connect the dots to unmask enemy agents and figure out where their bases are, leading to missions aimed at taking out their operations. It all looks pretty sweet, honestly. Launching for PC, PS4, and Xbone on the 14th; preorders are already open on GOG with a discount, though not on Steam yet. Post-Launch Edit: Below is a collection of some of people's impressions, tips, and resources. Perestroika posted:When you get the option to have an agent start disguised, make sure to take it. That agent will spawn much closer to the objective, and they can only be uncovered by enemy agents. Otherwise they can trespass all they long right in front of cameras, soldiers, or civilians and nobody will ever care. Managed to pull off an otherwise potentially tricky mission by just walking right up to the target, bonking her on the head, and carrying her out without nobody being any wiser. Disguises are, frankly, amazing. Being able to walk around the enemy base doing whatever is awesome. Doubly so if you get the perk that removes the "can only be uncovered by enemy agents" part and just makes you a master of disguise. Disguises and off-map callins are locked behind the Tactical Recon (or whatever it's called) base feature. More on how that plays in the Geoscape below. friendly 2 da void posted:After being really excited for release and playing this for a couple hours, this game is in full on Please Do Not Buy Yet mode. This isn't an uncommon impression, so if you come off from reading this post feeling like this, no worries. CreativeForge hasn't talked about post-release plans yet but I'll update this space when they do. Raged posted:When the game forces you into a mission with no stealth and open combat it suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccckkkkkkkkks pedro0930 posted:It certainly doesn't have as much polish as XCOM, It doesn't have certain QoF feature such as preview vision and flanking after movement or whether you are flanking someone. However, after a few hours of game what I've seen so far is pretty promising. About the Geoscape: you gotta be on the ball with the Geoscape! This also means stationing agents at different cities around the map. If you learn about an enemy operation you have a window of time in which to interrupt and prevent it entirely, but that's dependent on you having agents close enough to fly there in time. The same goes for doing tactical recon before a mission, which is what enables you to use disguises and off-map agents. It took me a bit to get the hang of this.  THERE APPEARS TO BE A BUG IN THE CIA CAMPAIGNbotany posted:Every time I try to hide Aguirre's body in the second mission the game crashes. Raged posted:Same here. I just did not bother after the 3rd crash. So be forewarned of that. Finally, you can Aydjile posted:JRTFM - https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/559100/manuals/Phantom_Doctrine_Official_Manual.pdf I'm having a lot of fun now that I've gotten into it, honestly! 
Pirate Radar fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Aug 15, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 09:16
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This sounds cool as poo poo and I had zero awareness of its existence, thanks man. I appreciated Hard West for what it tried to do but the setting never really grabbed me, but I'm totally down for cold war turn-based shenanigans.
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Aug 10, 2018 09:29
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I'd have gone with X-Blonde, but looks cool.
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Aug 10, 2018 09:36
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Caros posted:I'd have gone with X-Blonde, but looks cool. The other thing I thought of was XComic Blonde, but yours works too.
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Aug 10, 2018 14:51
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This game popped up on my youtube suggestions today, and I have to say, watching a preview of it, it looks surprisingly good. Deserves considerably more love imho. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGApiK0m4_o
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Aug 12, 2018 02:25
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Caros posted:This game popped up on my youtube suggestions today, and I have to say, watching a preview of it, it looks surprisingly good. Deserves considerably more love imho. This video shows off one of the cool ways they implement cover (as in your spy cover, not like walls and objects). The two members of the team in plainclothes get to walk around in front of people and quickly take down the police officers outside, clearing the way for the agents in tactical gear to move in. The people in body armor, obviously, would raise an alarm if seen. It also shows the sort of two-tier system for enemies, where there are mooks like the cops and regular soldiers who go down pretty easily, and then there are the enemy agents who are just like yours. When I get home later today I’ll try to remember to do a roundup of the videos they’ve put out—they’ve shown off three or four missions so far—and what they contain.
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Aug 12, 2018 02:32
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drat. This game looks really cool. I will buy this as soon as it is available. Unlocks in two days. 
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Aug 12, 2018 08:04
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Hopefully this runs better on PS4 than XCOM
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Aug 12, 2018 16:04
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIWeT5okiBE This video is short and mostly showing combat but the devs talking over it give some cool information about the game. There are a couple of missions they've shown off so far by giving them out to streamers. The most common one seems to be the first mission in the CIA campaign--the two starts, CIA and KGB, have a different first set of missions but apparently dovetail into each other once you get into the main plot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J91ddhlKRng This video has the tutorial mission and the first CIA mission, in which you infiltrate a Pakistani military base during a sandstorm to spy on their nuclear program. The team of three agents is wearing disguises, so they have access to the base and can do a lot of things without raising the alarm. We've also seen the first KGB mission, though the game and commentary are in French, which I don't speak, so I'm not sure exactly about what's going on in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eyb9-2zDIQ No idea yet what the first mission for the unlockable third start (Mossad) is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGApiK0m4_o This "Fearsome Kingpin" one already linked shows off combat and off-map call-ins.
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Aug 12, 2018 16:07
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Also why the topic title isnt Metal Gear Tactics
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Aug 12, 2018 17:17
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Pierson posted:This sounds cool as poo poo and I had zero awareness of its existence, thanks man.  I wasn't all that impressed by Hard West in the end (only bothered getting one ending, never got round to the side missions), but juggling cover identities and fail-forward gunplay already sounds a lot more interesting.
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Aug 12, 2018 18:00
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WaltherFeng posted:Also why the topic title isnt Metal Gear Tactics The real question is why the plucky underdogs are named The Cabal and not the world-controlling shadow government.
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Aug 12, 2018 18:05
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I like how much of the CIA research techs are based off MkUltra and brainwashing techniques. I wonder what the KGB equivalent will be? Game looks loving sweet.
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Aug 12, 2018 18:08
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Caros posted:This game popped up on my youtube suggestions today, and I have to say, watching a preview of it, it looks surprisingly good. Deserves considerably more love imho. Man, that looks really promising. You can absolutely see how you could potentially manage that whole mission entirely stealthed, provided you brought the proper tools. Making the shooting semi-deterministic looks like a really good decision, since you won't end up in a situation where your cover depends on not missing with a bunch of percentage-based shots in a row.
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Aug 12, 2018 20:11
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Perestroika posted:Man, that looks really promising. You can absolutely see how you could potentially manage that whole mission entirely stealthed, provided you brought the proper tools. Making the shooting semi-deterministic looks like a really good decision, since you won't end up in a situation where your cover depends on not missing with a bunch of percentage-based shots in a row. I don't have it in front of me currently, but I caught a streamer last night who did a full mission without raising an alarm, and it looks like that will be a pretty common thing if you play well. It reminds me a bit of invisible Inc, in that the goal is to go full stealth, but if that fails you can go loud without the game being ruined. Interestingly, it does also look like going full 'there is one more way to kill a man' I'd also an option, that sometimes the best solution is to just load up with body armor and heavy weapons and wreck their poo poo. One last thing I caught on a stream. If you get caught there is the standard x-Com reinforcements, but there is also 'off board' events that can happen. In the stream I caught they had a fighter just start strafing the building they were in, semi-randomly at the end of every turn, in an attempt to kill them.
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Aug 12, 2018 21:15
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Yeah, if you go full loud you have to move fast, because the reinforcements are infinite and the enemy can also call in those fighters to strafe or bomb the map, or helicopters to shoot up the building.
Pirate Radar fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Aug 13, 2018 |
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Aug 13, 2018 00:17
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1stGear posted:The real question is why the plucky underdogs are named The Cabal and not the world-controlling shadow government. Minor spelling error. It's supposed to be the Ca Pals.
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Aug 13, 2018 07:23
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I have to stop watching streamers do the investigation sequences because I just end up annoyed and muttering the words under my breath. It’s right there!!! You just moused over it argh
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Aug 13, 2018 14:15
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1stGear posted:The real question is why the plucky underdogs are named The Cabal and not the world-controlling shadow government. The Cabal origin story. By the time you finish researching all the mind control fuckery your organization is poised to take over EVERYTHING. Why else does it take place back in 1983? That's when THEY all started to REDACTED the REDACTED! It all makes sense. Now where is my cork board and red string... why is it not tomorrow yet
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Aug 13, 2018 14:35
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Comrades! A KGB agent lets play by PartyElite has been uncovered: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLYlTJPzqeE I am glad they have Russian language voice talent doing the agent comments at least in the early game. Price without discounts would be 39.99€. Early purchase discount seems to be 10% until the 28th and comes with soundtrack and digital artbook, and owners of Hard West can get another 5% off. GOG and Steam have similar prices as far as I can tell. Xbox One version has a 10-day delay, available August 24.
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Aug 14, 2018 06:03
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Is this available for pre-order on Steam? I'm in Australia and there is no option to pre-order it.
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Aug 14, 2018 07:09
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There is a ChristopherOdd lp as well, I'll post link when I get to computer. Game looks like it could be very good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kFfXMXiYKk Sekenr fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Aug 14, 2018 |
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Aug 14, 2018 07:13
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There’s no pre-order on Steam and apparently there aren’t even pages for the game on the PS and Xbone game stores until launch. There’s a pre-order through GOG.
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Aug 14, 2018 07:33
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GoG has a 15% off coupon set up for Christopher Odd, OddDoctrine. Probably gonna get this tomorrow even though I'm a complete idiot when it comes to deciphering clues.
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Aug 14, 2018 07:52
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Knobb Manwich posted:GoG has a 15% off coupon set up for Christopher Odd, OddDoctrine. Probably gonna get this tomorrow even though I'm a complete idiot when it comes to deciphering clues. Thanks for this nice deal with the pre-order discount.
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Aug 14, 2018 10:24
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Was the console version delayed? It’s supposed to be out on the 14th but it’s not on the Xbox store.
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Aug 14, 2018 11:33
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Anime_Otaku posted:Was the console version delayed? It’s supposed to be out on the 14th but it’s not on the Xbox store. Yeah, Xbox version will be out on 24th. Last minute fixes or something. PC version unlocks today in 6 hours.
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Aug 14, 2018 11:42
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That sucks, guess I’ll just have to content myself with watching Christopher Odd and Marbozir playing on YouTube. I think it’s kind of cool that they don’t seem to be portraying the KGB story as taking the villain role, but I suppose it would be difficult to portray this aspect of the Cold War as anything but shades of grey.
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Aug 14, 2018 12:24
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edit: wrong thread!
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Aug 14, 2018 14:15
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edit: wrong thread!
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Aug 14, 2018 14:16
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You know what I've wanted for years? A modern version of Sid Meier's Covert Action. Is Phantom Doctrine that game? I guess I'm about to find out. 
TheCenturion fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Aug 14, 2018 |
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Aug 14, 2018 16:22
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Install faster, game! I hope there's an Acoustic Kitty research option.
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Aug 14, 2018 18:20
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GMG just put up their sale, $29. Cheaper even then having Hard West and getting the loyalty discount through Steam.
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Aug 14, 2018 18:30
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gently caress, the hype got me, downloading right now.  Now to decide whether I should go CIA or KGB...
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Aug 14, 2018 18:38
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God dangit the hype is in me too. Hovering over the buy button but GMG's refunds policy sucks so I can't decide!
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Aug 14, 2018 18:43
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I enjoyed Hard West but it felt unpolished in a lot of ways. it seems like this is all the good things from HW (including that sax/trumpet) plus a lot of other cool poo poo. gonna grab it now, hope its good~~~~
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Aug 14, 2018 18:51
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Farrier Theaks posted:I enjoyed Hard West but it felt unpolished in a lot of ways. it seems like this is all the good things from HW (including that sax/trumpet) plus a lot of other cool poo poo. gonna grab it now, hope its good~~~~ The devs did a livestream for GOG like a month or so ago and 'Hard West was unpolished' was basically the first thing they said too, so I'm hoping that means they learned some lessons.
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Aug 14, 2018 18:57
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Bought it over the weekend, waiting another 3.5 hours for work to be over so I can go home and install this. Pretty stoked, I loved Hard West (though it got a bit repetitive towards the end) and all the extra strategic stuff towards the end on this plus the espionage stuff is just right up my alley.
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Aug 14, 2018 19:01
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Ahahaha, the KGB start has you using a full-on brainwashed sleeper agent that's activated by a certain control phrase. 
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Aug 14, 2018 19:20
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Perestroika posted:Ahahaha, the KGB start has you using a full-on brainwashed sleeper agent that's activated by a certain control phrase. I think that’s just the tutorial mission, isn’t it? But it’s only 75% downloaded for me so I’ll verify when I can.
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Aug 14, 2018 19:26
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