Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

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Gregory
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Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Gregory » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 10:08

Back in July we invited you to participate in a slightly larger-than-usual player survey. Many of you have expressed a wish for us to publish the results of this survey. So, we are going to do so, at least for the actual game related questions. We will also provide some commentary on some of the survey results to give them better context.

The overall aim of this survey was to get a broad picture of how you see X4 today, what you enjoy about it, what problems you see, and so on, rather than to identify specific potential changes to X4 and put them on our short-term "To Do ASAP" list. It will come as no surprise to you that we still have plenty of plans for the X series, so this survey was about gathering your feedback, analysing it and using it together with our own plans and ideas, to set the course for the future.

Please note that the percentages mentioned only refer to the participants in the survey, not to the total number of buyers or players of X4: Foundations. For information, just under 20,000 of you participated in the survey.

With this in mind, here are the results of the survey:
How many hours have you invested in your most advanced savegame so far?

7% · More than 500 hours
32% · 100 to 500 hours
26% · 50 to 100 hours
24% · 10 to 50 hours
6% · 5 to 10 hours
5% · Less than 5 hours
🗨️ Long playtime, strong commitment
We are always pleased to see the larger number of hours played by our players, not only those who participated in the survey, but also the ‘average player’ of X4. Clearly the X4 universe manages to keep you entertained for a long time! Almost 40% of survey participants have played the game for over 100 hours. We believe that one of the main reasons for this is also one of X4's greatest strengths: it is played similarly to an MMO, but because it is single-player, it allows for faster and virtually unlimited growth. X4 evidently has a lot to offer in terms of real economy, authentic universe, growth and so on.
How many times have you started a new game?

15% · More than 10 times
25% · 5 to 10 times
45% · 2 to 4 times
15% · Just once
🗨️ Learn about the budgeted custom gamestart system, and start a new custom game!
Starting a new game in X4 should always be appealing. As the survey results show, 40% of the participants have already restarted at least five times, but we would like to see an even higher number here. In addition to new gamestarts added in previously released expansions, which provide exciting new scenarios that you should definitely check out, we also introduced a "Custom Gamestart" feature in September 2021 as part of the 4.10 Update of X4: Foundations. This has a “points” system, which allows you to change or customise certain starting parameters in the game according to your preferences. You collect points towards the budget for these parameters through your actions in previous play-throughs of the game, such as exploring, playing story missions, etc. You can then spend the points in your new budgeted custom gamestart, giving you things such as available capital, sectors already explored, or relations with other factions. There is nothing to lose by doing this, and the points remain available for future gamestarts, so we recommend you try it out if you haven't already. Rediscovering X4 from a new starting point is definitely worthwhile!

Why not check out this comprehensive video from X4 content creator Captain Collins on the Custom Gamestart feature (July 2021):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqcmNf3NW7c
Which (gameplay) element of X4 do you enjoy the most?

33% · Trading / Economy
24% · Fighting / Battles
13% · Designing / Building stations
12% · Free exploration
11% · Missions / Storylines
🗨️ Possibly our biggest challenge: the diversity of X players
The answers to this question highlight one of our biggest opportunities, but at the same time risks, with X4: the diversity of player interests and priorities. The very core of our vision of the X series games is the idea of giving players as much freedom as possible; freedom to make their own decisions about what to do in our games. To achieve this, requires us to include many different types of activity as part of the game, which in turn attracts at least as many different types of players. Not to put too fine a point on it, everyone wants something different from X4!

Perhaps our greatest challenge during our time working on X4, but also for the future of the X series, is to find compromises that "work" for as many as possible of these, sometimes fundamentally different, types of players. At the same time, we have to be realistic and acknowledge that this makes it almost impossible for us to deliver the "perfect” game for any given group of players.

Nevertheless, we have no plans to change our overall mission, which we at Egosoft have been committed to since the development of X - Beyond the Frontier in the late 90s.
Would you like to be able to play X4 with friends?

46% · Yes
16% · No
38% · Wouldn't matter to me


If you are interested in a multiplayer option, what would it ideally look like for you?

14% · MMO
63% · Online Co-Op
16% · Asynchronous Multiplayer
🗨️ The best of both worlds: a single-player universe with fast progression, and team play in Multiverse online mode
This is a question which has naturally led to many discussions within the community over the years. Before any further discussion, we need to make it clear that, in our opinion, an X series game can only be what it is if it is, at heart, a single-player universe. Without going into too much detail, the issue of rapid and unlimited growth, as mentioned in a previous comment, is key to this.

That said, we definitely see possibilities for more direct cooperation between players of X games in the longer term. The Multiverse online mode, originally announced in 2021, will be a first step in that direction. We are still working on that Multiverse online mode, which is itself a development of the “Ventures" feature that was in some earlier versions of X4. We're making good progress on that, and are hopeful that we'll be able to tell you more about it in 2023.
How satisfied are you with X4 today?
(5 = Completely; 1 = Not at all)

5 = 16%
4 = 61%
3 = 18%
2 = 4%
1 = 1%
🗨️ High approval rate, but room for improvement
Our survey shows that 77% of participants are at least moderately satisfied with X4 today. This figure is also reflected in our Steam reviews, where around 75% of reviewers have left positive ratings at the time of writing. Given the previously mentioned diversity of our players, and the wide range of gameplay elements within X4, we are very happy to have such a high approval rating. However, this does not mean that we will rest on our laurels. We will continue to set our goals higher, and hope to further improve these ratings and review scores in the future.
How satisfied are you with the game performance on your hardware?
(5 = Completely; 1 = Not at all)

5 = 29%
4 = 36%
3 = 22%
2 = 9%
1 = 3%
🗨️ Constant work on improving performance
The X series games will always be demanding on hardware. It is in the very nature of the game, and our vision for the series, that the technical requirements will often preclude the use of lower performance systems. The full universe simulation, for example, will always require more CPU and memory than other games in the genre. The fact that 65% of the survey’s participants are reasonably satisfied with the performance of the game on their systems gives us some confidence that we are striking the right balance. However, we are constantly working on improvements, throughout our game engine, to enhance the performance of X4. In the not-too-distant future we hope to be able to start talking about the next big X4 update, 6.00, which will include our latest work in this area.
Do you use game modifications (mods) when playing X4?

53% · Yes
47% · No


If you have used Mods in X4, how many mods are you currently using in your most recent X4 savegame?

48% · More than 5 mods
40% · 2 to 5 mods
8% · 1 mod
4% · None


Why do you use mods in X4?

85% · To improve game elements that bother me (e.g. "quality of life", balancing)
66% · To be able to use more content (e.g. additional ships)
16% · To make the game harder
14% · To make the game easier
🗨️ Modding community as important to us as ever
We haven't done a survey on the topic of mods for quite a while, and we are pleased to now have an up-to-date overview of mod use. The modding community remains as important to us as ever.

One of the sticking points for modders has been the issue that players cannot send ships into the Multiverse when playing a modified game. This is unavoidable for many types of mods, especially those that add ships or change the fundamental gameplay, but may be something that could be addressed for mods that make purely quality-of-life changes. With the introduction of the Multiverse online mode, hopefully during 2023, we will be taking a closer look at the possibility of “signing” certain popular quality-of-life mods, so that they do not prevent Multiverse access. In the context of this, it is good to see that quality-of-life mods are among the most important to you. However, all of this is still in the future at the moment, and we will go into more detail about it once we have a clearer picture of what will, and will not, be possible.

A small side note on the subject of mods: for many years now, we have been drafting gifted X series modders into the ranks of our team. We're pleased to say that earlier this year, modders Shuul (VRO and many other mods) and kuertee (several gameplay and quality-of-life mods) have started working with us on the future of the X series. Glad to have you on board, guys!
Which type of controls do you use most often in X4?

83% · Mouse and keyboard
9% · HOTAS
5% · Gamepad / Controller
🗨️ Wide-ranging agreement on controls
When it comes to gameplay features, X4 players are very varied, as discussed in a previous comment, but when it comes to the controls, there is much more agreement. That is not to say, however, that we only focus on the majority’s requirements, and we are especially happy to see the hardcore simulation fans who fly through the X universe using a HOTAS device. With a little effort, even the most rare and complicated HOTAS systems’ control schemes can be fully customised with X4.
Have you bought (at least) one expansion for X4?

93% · Yes
7% · No
🗨️ We are hugely excited to see the high level of uptake for our X4 expansions, and thank you all for your support.
Which expansion(s) for X4 do you own? (multiple answers possible)

98% · Split Vendetta
97% · Cradle of Humanity
77% · Tides of Avarice


Which expansion do you like the most?

7% · Split Vendetta
40% · Cradle of Humanity
7% · Tides of Avarice
46% · I have no favourite
🗨️ Nicer ships = higher approval rating?
The results of these survey questions lead us to assume that the popularity of expansions among players of X4 is driven primarily by the ships that we introduce in those expansions. In particular, we interpret this result to mean that the ships from X4: Cradle of Humanity are your favourites, resulting in it receiving the highest rating at 40%. Are we right in our assumptions, or are there other factors that led you to your answers? Feel free to let us know in the comments section for this article.

This is probably also a good opportunity to highlight two specific beauties from the most recent X4 expansion, X4: Tides of Avarice, which you should definitely take the time to check out:
  • The Erlking, a terrifying pirate battleship with an experimental and unusual energy source.
  • The Astrid, an incredibly lavish and luxurious yacht, that is rumoured to be the fastest ship in the galaxy. With its sleek design, the Astrid is a ship unlike anything you've ever come across in the X universe.
How do you feel about the retail price of the X4 expansions?

66% · Just right.
9% · Too expensive.
4% · Too cheap.
21% · I have no opinion on this.
🗨️ Approval of the value proposition
Getting the pricing right is, of course, an important aspect of our work. Given the great take-up rate of the X4 expansions, we think we have created quite a good pricing structure that is acceptable to a large majority of X4 players. We're pleased about that, of course, and hope that we'll continue to make the right decisions in the future, setting prices that work well for both you and us.

---

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants in the survey and, of course, all those who have supported us over the years during the development of X4: Foundations and its expansions. As mentioned in several articles and news items this year, we have not yet reached the end of our journey with X4, and are looking forward to telling you more about the short- and medium-term future of the game as soon as we are ready to do so.

Please keep an eye on our communication channels; you can find an overview of all our channels at linktr.ee/egosoft.

Thank you, and see you soon!
All our channels in one convenient list :arrow: https://linktr.ee/egosoft

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by S!rAssassin » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 11:07

Gregory wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 10:08
With the introduction of the Multiverse online mode, hopefully during 2023, we will be taking a closer look at the possibility of “signing” certain popular quality-of-life mods, so that they do not prevent Multiverse access.
Chance of some good and popular ideas from this mods to be implemented in vanilla game?

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Alan Phipps » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 11:13

That's what 'signing ' means. It makes the changes show as compatible with and usable for vanilla play, and they would be maintained for future game versions. Consider the official Bonus Packs of scripts made available by Egosoft for the X2/X3 games. Whether they would be provided for X4 as optional vanilla extras or are integrated within the base game will be clarified by Egosoft in time, no doubt.
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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by mr.WHO » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 11:18

I'm glad that you want to reinvigorate your comittment to modding and open the possibility of signed-mods / official bonus pack.
Having to choose between lackluster Ventures and mods was rather poor choice.
Having Shuul and Kuertee on team will be great addition - their mods are high quality and content rich.

Still not keen on idea to push for ventures, Multiverse and possible co-op - there is large and cutthroat competition in MP featured space games and having SP/MP hybrid will surely negatively impact SP experience, while still underperforming coparing to MP-focused competition.

SP and huge moddability was always X-games greatest advantage - sacrificing it for vague opportunity to get the overcrowded MP cake is recipe for disaster.

Even on survey it's barely 50% of people who would want ot try MP features.this doesn't even account that for absolute majority, it would be just a fad - like ok, I'll play it for a few hours and never return to it.

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by GCU Grey Area » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 12:36

Gregory wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 10:08
🗨️ Nicer ships = higher approval rating?
The results of these survey questions lead us to assume that the popularity of expansions among players of X4 is driven primarily by the ships that we introduce in those expansions. In particular, we interpret this result to mean that the ships from X4: Cradle of Humanity are your favourites, resulting in it receiving the highest rating at 40%. Are we right in our assumptions, or are there other factors that led you to your answers?
Other factors were important for me when voting for CoH. Terran ships are good, however I also preferred CoH's plots & missions to those in the other DLCs. In particular found being able to do this to the Terrans immensely satisfying: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9q2fd6jxy3n63 ... 1.jpg?dl=0. Having the ability to radically alter the relationships between TER, ARG & ANT has also produced interesting results. There's also quite a lot of potential (if siding with the Terrans) to create Terran enclaves all over the map by building Vanguard stations for them in sectors adjacent to the Xenon: https://www.dropbox.com/s/pxyem5rkkl9ix ... 1.jpg?dl=0. Essentially, for me the geopolitical tools available in CoH were just as important as the ships when deciding which DLC to vote for in this section of the survey.

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Shepp » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 14:27

Gregory wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 10:08
That said, we definitely see possibilities for more direct cooperation between players of X games in the longer term. The Multiverse online mode, originally announced in 2021, will be a first step in that direction. We are still working on that Multiverse online mode, which is itself a development of the “Ventures" feature that was in some earlier versions of X4. We're making good progress on that, and are hopeful that we'll be able to tell you more about it in 2023.
It looks like they won't even announce whatever is coming next until 2023. I would guess that means release would happen sometime later. My hope is that Egosoft will consider releasing a bugfix patch before that. There are a bunch of reported bugs that are "Fixed for a Future Build". Some of these have been hanging around since June. It sure would suck if we had to wait until next June just to see those fixes.

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by mr.WHO » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 15:22

Shepp wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 14:27
It looks like they won't even announce whatever is coming next until 2023. I would guess that means release would happen sometime later. My hope is that Egosoft will consider releasing a bugfix patch before that. There are a bunch of reported bugs that are "Fixed for a Future Build". Some of these have been hanging around since June. It sure would suck if we had to wait until next June just to see those fixes.
Egosoft stated they will announce their next project (either next DLC or stand alone X-22) by the end of this year.
It's only The Multiverse which will be follow in more details in 2023 and somehow it's plagued with delays already for over a year.

Seem like The Multiverse and The Metaverse sounds similar and fare similar :P

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Tempest » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 17:05

Blindy voted multiplayer: YES. what that will look like, who knows?

in my weird mind: (warning: lackluster mspaint skills inc.)

https://imgur.com/T3DxBIZ

- Bro, i have an Argnu Beef shortage!
- no worries, i got you covered. let me dump some on the multiverse trading-station..
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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Karvat » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 18:01

If there's a 6.0 update, and it's taking so long to be ready, I can expect a 4th X4 DLC, :boron: :boron: :boron:

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Rei Ayanami » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 18:31

Gregory wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 10:08
Which expansion(s) for X4 do you own? (multiple answers possible)

98% · Split Vendetta
97% · Cradle of Humanity
77% · Tides of Avarice


Which expansion do you like the most?

7% · Split Vendetta
40% · Cradle of Humanity
7% · Tides of Avarice
46% · I have no favourite
🗨️ Nicer ships = higher approval rating?
The results of these survey questions lead us to assume that the popularity of expansions among players of X4 is driven primarily by the ships that we introduce in those expansions. In particular, we interpret this result to mean that the ships from X4: Cradle of Humanity are your favourites, resulting in it receiving the highest rating at 40%. Are we right in our assumptions, or are there other factors that led you to your answers? Feel free to let us know in the comments section for this article.
While I certainly like the designs of the Expansion ships a lot, the most interesting and game-influencing aspect CoH brought to the game, in my opinion, were the TER intervention fleets. Unlike normal faction fleets, the intervention groups, who often flew towards the other side of the galaxy, made the universe look at lot more active. They also fit the Terrans very well : They don't give a damn about Commonwealth borders, if they spot an enemy-/Xenon outpost anywhere they'll send in their most destructive forces in a direct course to wipe out any resistance. The epic soundtrack of CoH (especially the title screen music) only increased this impression for me. The fact that Terrans don't have plasma weapons but instead rely on other means for attacking capitals/stations was a nice idea, same with the highly specialized engines. They truly feel like a separate, unique faction that does things their own way.

That being said, CoH also had several flaws.
The Yaki were disappointingly underdeveloped as a faction, since even after finishing the Yaki plot in favor of the Yaki, they neither build anything, they can't own sectors nor can they do anything of significance. Also I think Oort Cloud could have benefited from a pirate/Yaki outpost (Perhaps Yaki could build an outpost there, as long as they don't get wiped out during the Yaki plot), Also the faction-disguise feature was unfortunately only limited to mission-specific ships, when that mechanic would've been great for players who like to play as pirates.

Regardless, overall I was quite satisfied with CoH :)

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Raevyan » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 18:43

Gregory wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 10:08
Would you like to be able to play X4 with friends?

46% · Yes
16% · No
38% · Wouldn't matter to me


If you are interested in a multiplayer option, what would it ideally look like for you?

14% · MMO
63% · Online Co-Op
16% · Asynchronous Multiplayer
🗨️ The best of both worlds: a single-player universe with fast progression, and team play in Multiverse online mode
This is a question which has naturally led to many discussions within the community over the years. Before any further discussion, we need to make it clear that, in our opinion, an X series game can only be what it is if it is, at heart, a single-player universe. Without going into too much detail, the issue of rapid and unlimited growth, as mentioned in a previous comment, is key to this.

That said, we definitely see possibilities for more direct cooperation between players of X games in the longer term. The Multiverse online mode, originally announced in 2021, will be a first step in that direction. We are still working on that Multiverse online mode, which is itself a development of the “Ventures" feature that was in some earlier versions of X4. We're making good progress on that, and are hopeful that we'll be able to tell you more about it in 2023.
So you created kind of a shit storm on forums when you first announced the multiverse thingy. You then asked in the survey if people wanted multiplayer and what multiplayer means for them. You got the 16% votes for the asynchronous way (which is what multiverse is as we know). You're also excluding the 53% of players that do use mods. Again you did not promise at all that you will at least sign some mods people use. 1.5 Years later we still have no info about it and you still can't even say for sure it'll come in 2023? Delays and complete silence in communication usually is a bad sign. You're still holding onto the multiverse idea? I really hoped that you scrapped the whole multiverse idea.

Gregory wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 10:08
🗨️ Nicer ships = higher approval rating?
The results of these survey questions lead us to assume that the popularity of expansions among players of X4 is driven primarily by the ships that we introduce in those expansions. In particular, we interpret this result to mean that the ships from X4: Cradle of Humanity are your favorites, resulting in it receiving the highest rating at 40%. Are we right in our assumptions, or are there other factors that led you to your answers? Feel free to let us know in the comments section for this article.
Tides of Avarice was my least favorite expansion, because of its value compared to the other DLC's. ToA had less content (that was and still is super buggy and we're waiting on fixes for half a year) than the other DLCs. The added story missions, I'm not saying they are bad, are basically tutorials for the game and should've been in the base game to teach new players how things work. They were also pretty short. There was basically no end-game stuff added for the more "veteran" players. For me it was not worth the 14€ when compared with what we got from the other 2 DLC's.

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Raevyan » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 18:44

Tempest wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 17:05
Blindy voted multiplayer: YES. what that will look like, who knows?

in my weird mind: (warning: lackluster mspaint skills inc.)

https://imgur.com/T3DxBIZ

- Bro, i have an Argnu Beef shortage!
- no worries, i got you covered. let me dump some on the multiverse trading-station..
But this is exactly what it will NOT be.

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by shovelmonkey » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 18:58

mr.WHO wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 11:18

Still not keen on idea to push for ventures, Multiverse and possible co-op - there is large and cutthroat competition in MP featured space games and having SP/MP hybrid will surely negatively impact SP experience, while still underperforming coparing to MP-focused competition.

SP and huge moddability was always X-games greatest advantage - sacrificing it for vague opportunity to get the overcrowded MP cake is recipe for disaster.

Even on survey it's barely 50% of people who would want ot try MP features.this doesn't even account that for absolute majority, it would be just a fad - like ok, I'll play it for a few hours and never return to it.
As someone who also voted yes on multiplayer, my vision for multiplayer, and what I'm hoping ego is poking around at, isn't "overcrowded" mmo style persistent universe. Merely 2-4 player co-op that could be hosted on a dedicated server or local session. This is quite abit different than the idea of an mmo, which I have no interest in.
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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Buzz2005 » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 19:16

rene6740 wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 18:43
Again you did not promise at all that you will at least sign some mods people use.
One of the sticking points for modders has been the issue that players cannot send ships into the Multiverse when playing a modified game. This is unavoidable for many types of mods, especially those that add ships or change the fundamental gameplay, but may be something that could be addressed for mods that make purely quality-of-life changes. With the introduction of the Multiverse online mode, hopefully during 2023, we will be taking a closer look at the possibility of “signing” certain popular quality-of-life mods, so that they do not prevent Multiverse access. In the context of this, it is good to see that quality-of-life mods are among the most important to you. However, all of this is still in the future at the moment, and we will go into more detail about it once we have a clearer picture of what will, and will not, be possible.
:?
Fixed ships getting spawned away from ship configuration menu at resupply ships from automatically getting deployables.

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Raevyan » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 19:46

Buzz2005 wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 19:16
rene6740 wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 18:43
Again you did not promise at all that you will at least sign some mods people use.
One of the sticking points for modders has been the issue that players cannot send ships into the Multiverse when playing a modified game. This is unavoidable for many types of mods, especially those that add ships or change the fundamental gameplay, but may be something that could be addressed for mods that make purely quality-of-life changes. With the introduction of the Multiverse online mode, hopefully during 2023, we will be taking a closer look at the possibility of “signing” certain popular quality-of-life mods, so that they do not prevent Multiverse access. In the context of this, it is good to see that quality-of-life mods are among the most important to you. However, all of this is still in the future at the moment, and we will go into more detail about it once we have a clearer picture of what will, and will not, be possible.
:?
This is not a promise that they will sign mods. They just stated that they look into it. Whether it actually happens or not is a totally different thing. Same with as to when it happens if it happens. Like we were supposed to get the multiverse Q2 of last year and still have no info about it :)

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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Buzz2005 » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 20:15

rene6740 wrote:
Mon, 28. Nov 22, 19:46
This is not a promise that they will sign mods. They just stated that they look into it. Whether it actually happens or not is a totally different thing. Same with as to when it happens if it happens. Like we were supposed to get the multiverse Q2 of last year and still have no info about it :)
Just a matter of time when we will get it (ventures), and very much doubt after this info they will scrap the whole signing mods thing and we will never get any, probably depends on how well "new ventures" will be received, so if its a total fail and nobody is playing it why even bother with mod signing.
Fixed ships getting spawned away from ship configuration menu at resupply ships from automatically getting deployables.

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thegreybetween
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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by thegreybetween » Mon, 28. Nov 22, 21:39

Glad to see that "Free Exploration" had a material slice of the player base favorite aspects. This is definitely my favorite aspect of the game, especially when paired with the (still minimal but ever expanding) role-playing elements. The living universe of the X series is an amazing sandbox even for those of us who don't prefer to be empire-spanning tycoons or admirals.

Regarding expansions: I have purchased all of them. The main thing that attracts me to them is simply more content. I don't really care about more ships (though they are nice). What hooks me is more sectors, more factions with which to build relationships, more interesting things to explore/discover/unlock/craft. Also, the MUSIC! Alexei's work is honestly the best thing in the entire X Universe, and that is not at all an insult to the rest of the wonderful game. Absolutely brilliant score!

Regarding multiplayer: I'm in the "No" camp. The only thing I'd like from the Venture system is a way to get some of the paint skins again without hacks/mods. If multiplayer was implemented in a way that would satisfy the actual multiplayer market, it would completely transform X into something else and the existing fans would lose a lot more than we'd gain in the tradeoff. If multiplayer is implemented in a way that stays "true" to the X universe, then it is a review bomb-storm waiting to happen when the hypothetical promise of multiplayer draws in a swarm of folks wholly unprepared for the niche and idiosyncratic game they find and the effort and patience it requires. And given the dichotomy of the two, it seems that the simplest request of all - "Just let me play X4 as a co-op with a few friends" - is probably the tallest order with the biggest potential to upset current players and alienate future players unless implemented flawlessly (which, given X's diverse player base, is essentially impossible to satisfy for more than 1-2 segments of the audience). I hope that, whatever the multiverse ends up being, X remains a robust single-player game with zero "need" to dabble in multiplayer systems to enjoy all of the content.

Regarding mods: I'm probably the oddball, but I never use them. I'm always happy to see official patches and content, and if they originated in the modding community, great! Cheers to the modders who leveraged their creations into employment opportunities, and I look forward to more (official) content as X4 continually improves and expands.

Things I'd like to see in future expansions:
- More Betty! (I get the argument about freedom to change text without voiceover, but I really, really miss the full-Betty treatment of the encyclopedia)
- More space to explore, including great new unique features that differentiate sectors, like the Tide mechanism from ToA. I'm also always happy to have more interiors to walk around in.
- More factions to meet and build relationships with (and yeah, I'm in the "Borons please!" camp)
- More roleplaying fluff. I'd like to have more varied interactions with my crew (dialog options, behavior animations, etc) and other features that elevate the "living universe" into a "universe that I live in".

Anyway, thanks for the insights and the continued development and support of the game. I'm really looking forward to 6.0 and beyond!

lostboron
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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by lostboron » Tue, 29. Nov 22, 03:30

Thanks for posting some of Egosoft's key take aways of the survey. There are some I am not convinced about. Let me explain.
Which (gameplay) element of X4 do you enjoy the most?
33% · Trading / Economy
24% · Fighting / Battles
13% · Designing / Building stations
12% · Free exploration
11% · Missions / Storylines
It looks like the interpretation is that players who prefer a particular type in general would have voted for that, but that might not be the case. For instance, I love missions and storylines in games, and story quality is a key factor for me to choose a game, but I can't say I enjoyed that with X4. I am usually just wondering wtf is going on, and reading the mission summary to be able to continue (it didn't help that the dialogs were cut in half because of a bug). So, you could interpret that survey result as "what is best achieved in X4 vs what could be improved".
The same thought can be applied to this question:
Which type of controls do you use most often in X4?
83% · Mouse and keyboard
9% · HOTAS
5% · Gamepad / Controller
I tried HOTAS, but it felt hard to use in X4. Maybe it's because of the nature of X4, or maybe the default settings could be improved.

Karvat
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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by Karvat » Tue, 29. Nov 22, 13:18

How many times have you started a new game?

15% · More than 10 times
25% · 5 to 10 times
45% · 2 to 4 times
15% · Just once
Unfortunately, the reason why I restarted the game more than 20 times, is because I got extremely bored of the map being small and repetitive, and every time an update was coming out, without reading the notes, I jumped on a fresh start and explored from scratch hoping to find new active gates, or changed borders, or even a redesigned universe, and that's it. There's literally no other reason but exploration remains on the most disappointing aspects of the game unfortunately...

thomasbkdk
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Re: Some takeaways from our 2022 player survey

Post by thomasbkdk » Tue, 29. Nov 22, 14:46

One of my wishes for the game that is high on the list.
That is a relatively easy to use "mission wizard" that the community could use to create single, and chain, missions that could be shared via the steam workshop.
In this way the community could contribute a great deal to the enjoyment for the whole community and the benefit of the longevity of the game.

I understand this kind of "mission wizard" program is not an easy thing to create.
But it would be a very exciting addition to the game/modding community.
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