X-Rebirth

[nFn]

X. Singleplayer EVE.

*snooze*
_________________
You'll never win an argument with an idiot because he is too stupid to recognize his own defeat.

r00fles

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

I played once an "X" title, it had level-scaling... the piece of shit.

 

[dbx]

Publisher Deep Silver and developer Egosoft today announced the latest game
set in the X Universe, set to transport the multi-award-winning series to
another dimension with radically new game design and top notch graphics.
Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser .
EGOSOFT and Deep Silver announce X Rebirth
*Publisher Deep Silver and developer Egosoft today announced the latest
game set in the X Universe, set to transport the multi-award-winning
series to another dimension with radically new game design and top notch
graphics.*
The space simulation X Rebirth heralds more than just an additional chapter
within the X series, it is a fresh beginning bringing with it a number of
gameplay innovations without compromising its successful origins.
Watch the X Rebirth Reveal Trailer here
*In the distant future, the X universe faces a period of profound and
irrevocable change. While the universe stumbles towards an uncertain future,
countless adventures await as new enemies rise in search of power.*
Enter a young adventurer and his unlikely female ally traveling in an old,
battered ship with a glorious past - two people alone against the galaxy,
playing a key part in the events to come. The fate of the universe rests
in the hands of the player...
*X Rebirth represents a spectacular new beginning for the X series,
offering loyal fans and newcomers alike a vast, vivid and extremely detailed
universe to explore throughout the game.*
Varied gameplay elements such as action-packed space combat,
detailed trading mechanics and high-speed space exploration with
fast travel allow players to experience a truly unique space saga
that will keep them hooked for dozens of hours.
X Rebirth features a whole new user experience - it is easier than ever
to start with, and remains as deep as fans expect it.
X Rebirth for PC is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2011.


A word from the team OK now that was the official part and you finally know
what "TNBT" really will be. But to answer at least a few of the many
questions that you may have right now,


here's a little interview with Bernd Lehahn about X Rebirth.

*Q: Why another X game? What happened to the "end of the X trilogy" statement?*
A: Well that is still true. At least partially We worked on the old X games
from 1996 until 2007. That was 11 years of development and 11 years mostly
filled with adding features. Adding features is pretty cool,
as you have this solid foundation. You never have to start from scratch.
We replaced the graphics engine twice, and we made many other big changes to
the technology, but we were never at a point where nothing would work.
Thats a very luxurious position for a game developer to be in.
BUT (and it's a big but), adding features to an existing game design has
limits. Especially when we talk about the actual gameplay design.
Adding so many features that were not originally planned for was a bit like
building a higher and higher tower. You run into problems. Problems like
a user interface that gets more and more complex and that's rarely a good
thing. So in 2007 we decided we need to cut off that legacy and do a fresh
start. */"We had lots of great ideas how we could achieve many of the
things that the X Universe stands for but in a much more elegant and
designed fashion."/* So we did. We threw away the cosy comfortable luxury
of having a platform to build on and started with NOTHING, all for the
price of doing things right Now we're in 2011. Four years (again) of
development of TNBT (the next big thing) as you guys knew it.
The closer we came to the release of the game, the more we realised that
the spirit of this new game, the ideas that drive the design still share
a lot with the X series of the past: TRADE, FIGHT, BUILD, THINK
are still of course all true. Freedom to do what you want in a living
and breathing universe... CHECK! That's what also X Rebirth will stand for.
So we decided that despite all these cool new gameplay ideas and designs,
this new game will play in our well-established universe.
But with a twist... Many twists actually. ;-)

*Q: So what are these new gameplay ideas exactly?*
A: Unfortunately I am not yet allowed to go into much detail here YET,
but let me feed you some of the marketing buzz words.
Unlike typical marketing statements these actually have a meaning.
* It gets personal * It gets fast * It gets big * It gets easy... at first
For now you will have to use your imagination, but stay tuned: It won't be
long and we will be giving out more information

Official Website http://www.x-rebirth.com
Community http://forum.egosoft.com
follow on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/EGOSOFT
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/XRebirth
watch on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/Xuniversechannel
/Copyright © 2011 Egosoft GmbH, All rights reserved./

Fast travel.

Spoiler

actually, fast travel would probably be a nice addition to X

 

[Raapys]

Don't see why fast-travel would be a bad idea in a space game. So yeah, not really decline there.

I'm really hoping they've changed the flying mechanics though. Not necessarily Newtonian physics and all that, but at least something far better than what was there. Also hoping for proper beam weapons, varied "sectors"( would prefer if they removed them altogether and did it the I-War style instead) and a game engine which uses all my CPU cores so the game can actually run good.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Well, Jump Drives were already basically fast travel, so no real problem there. The only thing I hope is that they put more of a game in the game. I enjoy it for what it is, but it does feel a lot like EVE offline.

 

[Xi]

Ah X, 90% of the time spent waiting to reach the next destination.

Bullshit! You spend maybe a few hours doing that, and the rest in deep space with SETI at 1000% while your empire makes money for you.

 

[Raapys]

Ah X, 90% of the time spent waiting to reach the next destination.

Bullshit! You spend maybe a few hours doing that, and the rest in deep space with SETI at 1000% while your empire makes money for you.

I actually did the mission route once. Probably one of the most difficult gaming experiences I've ever had. At first they're not too bad, but they increase exponentially in difficulty the more you do of them. So when I was flying around in a single M3 or something, I'd get missions with 3-4 M2's, countless M3's and loads of other stuff. I was practically hiding behind stations for an hour or two every mission, waiting for my shields and weapons to recharge so I could go out and take another shot at some ship.

It did eventually turn profitable though, since many of the ships would give ridiculous bounties.

 

[ortucis]

I loved the visuals and what gameplay I was able to experience but, I must admit, I actually fell asleep most of the time waiting to reach my next destination. After the 30th time I was woken up by the sudden sound of my little ship hitting something.. in space.. I just uninstalled the fucking game and re-installed Freelancer and Freespace at the same time.


I am not really a big fan of realtime space travel simulators anymore.


EDIT: Oh look. Someone invented a fast travel system in the year 34653094756 ADE for the new game. Huzzah.

 

[Xi]

Ah X, 90% of the time spent waiting to reach the next destination.

Bullshit! You spend maybe a few hours doing that, and the rest in deep space with SETI at 1000% while your empire makes money for you.

I actually did the mission route once. Probably one of the most difficult gaming experiences I've ever had. At first they're not too bad, but they increase exponentially in difficulty the more you do of them. So when I was flying around in a single M3 or something, I'd get missions with 3-4 M2's, countless M3's and loads of other stuff. I was practically hiding behind stations for an hour or two every mission, waiting for my shields and weapons to recharge so I could go out and take another shot at some ship.

It did eventually turn profitable though, since many of the ships would give ridiculous bounties.

That's the beauty of the game too. It's fucking hard until you figure out how to play it. My current game is probably worth $100 Million or so. Kinda burnt out after 40 hours. Still, I might jump back in and tackle some missions, I have an endless money pit at my disposal, and lord knows I could keep growing that empire! I swear to god that galaxy traders are epic compared to stations for return on investment. Seems like my stations struggle a lot more and require lots of micromanagement. Sigh...

Well, Jump Drives were already basically fast travel, so no real problem there. The only thing I hope is that they put more of a game in the game. I enjoy it for what it is, but it does feel a lot like EVE offline.

I agree, the game leaves something to be desired. I think it needs more interaction with NPCs, including more dialog, and a reactive world based on choices. Also, crew management, leveling, stats, gear, etc would certainly add a welcomed layer to the package. Ooh, also, landing on planets would be fucking awesomesauce. Inhabiting them, etc... So many possibilities...

 

[ortucis]

^ What's your secret? Your computer is next to the bed?

 

[Xi]

^ What's your secret? Your computer is next to the bed?

Just let SETA blast away while you eat dinner, take a shower, or whatever. I never let it go for more than an hour or so at most though. Some people leave it on over night. (By the bed method) For me, the money aspect starts to loose luster when you realize that there's little to spend it on once you've amassed a few hundred million. I'm sure some people have billions, but I don't see the point.

Here is the trader mod showing what my traders were up to. It's pretty old of course, and I stopped expanding them.(I also updated all the naming conventions to understand them a bit better)

Edit: Oh god, just read that SETI article. Recency effect in action! Meant SETA, not SETI lol!

 

[ortucis]

Is this what grinding feels like in MMO's? What kind of sick twisted person decided to emulate it in SP game over at X3 HQ?

Not for the weak hearted folks like me who just want to go all *pew pew pew* on enemy ships. I'll just wait for the new game.

 

[Xi]

Is this what grinding feels like in MMO's? What kind of sick twisted person decided to emulate it in SP game over at X3 HQ?

Not for the weak hearted folks like me who just want to go all *pew pew pew* on enemy ships. I'll just wait for the new game.

Honestly, it's more like you are managing AI packages. All of the logistics and trading softwares are just AI packages that your ships follow. They pretty much do everything on their own. Also, mods add even more advanced packages so that you can get even more in-depth. I can just do whatever the fuck I want, and all that shit is happening. The game informs me when shit goes wrong of course.

You could just pew pew to your hearts content, but trading is pretty easy money once you get Best Buy Locater, etc. Check the link in my sig to learn how to play quickly. Piracy can be pretty easy money too. Capturing ships and selling them isn't as hard as it seems. I have yet to use marines to do this, but it seems pretty straight forward(if not a little bit more difficult - but comes at the cost of less ship damage = more on resale), etc. Just gotta learn how to do it all, and then the game opens up.

 

[Raapys]

That's the beauty of the game too. It's fucking hard until you figure out how to play it. My current game is probably worth $100 Million or so. Kinda burnt out after 40 hours. Still, I might jump back in and tackle some missions, I have an endless money pit at my disposal, and lord knows I could keep growing that empire! I swear to god that galaxy traders are epic compared to stations for return on investment. Seems like my stations struggle a lot more and require lots of micromanagement. Sigh...

Yeah, but that's kinda why I despise the Galaxy Traders. They're way "overpowered" as it were. Set up one or two of them and then do time compression. And, for me at least, the game's pretty much over once I've established a solid cash flow.

Pretty much the same with the mission route though. Once I had enough cash to buy my Boreas and outfit it with PPCs and IBLs, game was practically over. One might think the idea of building up a huge fleet and such would be appealing, but that's only until you realize that having the AI control your large ships means he's going to crash into every possible obstruction and destroy the ship( unless you're out of the sector). And then you've the lack of things to use it on.

Game just feels like one of those promising-but-flawed games to me. There are some good ideas: The buying and equipping ships is a cool aspect, but it's not taken far enough. Why can't I purchase and equip power generators and engines? Why only one type of shields? Why not have the ability to discover and/or research new equipment and weapons?

The economy stuff is another cool aspect, but again the implementation is flawed. What should have been in place was some kind of corporation system where each corporation was a 'faction' with its own agenda. They'd always try to expand their territory and cash-flow by building stations and conquering resources, use it to build new ships, etc. In general a much more dynamic world where stuff really happens. And it'd be much more interesting if the setting was more in the low-tech 'exploration age' rather than the 'all empires have established their holdings and all technologies are discovered' stage.

 

[Xi]

Game just feels like one of those promising-but-flawed games to me. There are some good ideas: The buying and equipping ships is a cool aspect, but it's not taken far enough. Why can't I purchase and equip power generators and engines? Why only one type of shields? Why not have the ability to discover and/or research new equipment and weapons?

Totally agree. I kept thinking about what SR2 did right in comparison. I think if you molded the two games, it'd be really epic! Personally, I had fun playing the game as a space empire builder. I think I had like 10 Galaxy traders, and god damn you are so correct(My 15 stations were/are still struggling to make a return on my multi-million dollar investment! - I'm just noob when it comes to understanding them though). You start to question what the point of continuing on is. I still need to play out the "main quest." After that, it's just a simulator I suppose. Still, was fun.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

The main thing is to make the Universe seem more alive and make you feel like a smaller part of it. Shift the borders, have occupying forces. Make the progression from player to demi-god more difficult, and make capital ships more expensive. Perhaps when you do reach demi-god status, make it so you can create your own faction.

And crews for ships. Holy shit, that seems so basic for a game like this. Crews that gain experience, take attrition (once a ship begins taking hull damage), and perhaps have certain loyalties that will make certain actions cause a mutiny (a morale system of some sort).

*sigh* There's so much they could do, but it feels like they just have the framework for it right now.

 

[Ruprekt]

if the setting was more in the low-tech 'exploration age' rather than the 'all empires have established their holdings and all technologies are discovered' stage.

That's the premise of the extended mod for TC (XTC). (well aside from the 'low tech' part).

Site is currently down but take a look when it's back up: www.thexuniverse.com


For me X3 is the space sim par excellence when run with Improved Races (makes the factions dynamic) and the Ship Rebalance Mod. You do need a fast PC (at least 3ghz and core 2 performance absolute minimum).

But with those two mods the battles are what I always dreamed of playing Freespace and Xwing back in the day. Full scale fleet actions with you in command of a carrier/destroyer/fighter/whatever you choose + your task force.
You see turrets rotate and fire, fighters undock from hangars, see explosions lighting up cap ships inthe far distance (like in return of the jedi), beam weapons lance out (a la free space), the screen rocks and shit blows up and the bass rumbles.

From my perspective X3 has two major flaws unmodded.
1) the universe is static (described as a cold war), the economy IS dynamic (more dynamic than a sim bodged together from an econ text book would be) but the factions aren't
2) carriers are unmanagable.

thankfully mods fix both these things.

 

[Zewp]

Apparently Tri Synergy was going to show this at E3, but I can't find anything on google other than the announcement that it would be shown. Was really looking forward to getting some more info about this game.

 

[Gord]

Here's the X-Rebirth YouTube-channel, maybe news will eventually show up there:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRNrultsQ-Tiera_eBKY-Vo01K5mCGpu7

 

[Xi]

It would be a better game if it wasn't such a time sync. Speeding up all facets of the game would help a LOT, imho. 15-20 hours should net a good player a solid footing.

 

[Zewp]

It depends on what you're doing, I guess. In 15-20 hours you can already be pretty rich if you're just capping ships and selling them.

The problem with a pure trading approach is that the first section when you're still trading everything yourself is the slowest part, but after that everything really starts to take off. The moment I could start affording AI traders I suddenly got stinking rich in no time at all. They should slow that down a bit.

 

[Gord]

I agree, you can put huge amounts of time into the game, which is why I haven't touched it in years.

 

[aron searle]

I did like the series, but I grew tired of the fact that I've ridden my biker faster than some of the spaceships, it felt more like flying submarines than spaceships.

If they don't change that, I shan't purchase it.

 

[Zewp]

This might be a dumb question, but you did use SETA, right? I ask because when I first got the game I actually spent three hours playing before I realised I could speed up time.

Regardless, I agree. Ship speed should be improved enough that you shouldn't need to use SETA.

 

[Xi]

I wish there was a way to occupy cities on planets, transport troops/armor, and do more on planet stuff. That would make the game a lot better. Even city building on planets would be awesome.