What's the lore reason for scanning a station?

[emptyhead41]

Hey all. Can't find any information about this. Does anyone know what the in-game lore reason is for having to scan each part of a station? Or even have their own interpretation?

I'm sure it seems like an inconsequential part of the gameplay loop, but if a game hasn't got a consistent in-universe logic for what's happening I tend to bounce off it. And for some reason, while watching X4 videos on YT the scanning part is really jarring for me. I just can't help feeling 'this is a mini-game to deliver missions and lengthen gameplay' rather than feeling like there's a reason I'd be doing it in the universe.

I'm usually pretty good at coming up with my own reasons but I think age has dulled my imagination somewhat. So, does anyone know the reason or have one they want to share?

[Alan Phipps]

The lore reason is that besides becoming familiar with the layout of the station, you are checking the station hull for failures in the electronic security screening that may allow you to discretely monitor electronic activity inside to get 'insider knowledge' of coming deals or even systems designs, or even to receive messages from senders who would rather not be caught transmitting them by normal means.

As to why you would scan stations for other factions, it is so they can become aware of the station layout and defences for their own purposes.

[Nanook]

There are several reasons to scan a station. Some competitor may want to know how efficient that station is, how much it's producing, etc. Pirates may want to know how much loot they can expect to get when they hack a station. Some scans produce potentially illegal missions from pirates and/or enemies of that faction. You can even get 'free' blueprints of a station module by scanning certain types of data leaks. Also, the player can get info about previously unknown modules, which then gets added to the ingame encyclopedia.

[emptyhead41]

Ah, great reasons, particularly the checking for failures in the security screening for picking up messages, etc, but I realise I wasn't clear about what I meant.

The searching around for failures makes total sense, that explains why I'd be scanning the station so closely. Gameplay-wise, getting information about the modules to sell to other factions makes sense and I could see why I'd need to get close, again maybe looking to get information from failures in electronic shielding. What doesn't make sense to me is why the modules on every station wouldn't just be public knowledge.

For example, if I was a total stranger to the universe then it would make sense that I have to scan everything to find out what it is, but all other inhabitants of the universe wouldn't have that problem. They know what all these modules are. They've lived here for generations and it's just common knowledge and it just shows up on their in-ship database or whatever. But from what I can tell, it looks like I'm a normal resident of this universe, so why are all stations filled with completely unknown modules until scanned?

My first thought for aiding my suspension-of-disbelief was that it was a security thing - stations don't want to broadcast what they have because enemies could use that information. But scanning is not a problem and is completely legal. No-one bats an eyelid if I spend 20 minutes scanning each and every section of the station. And then in this universe we have to assume other pilots would have to be doing the same thing, so it seems to make it redundant that stations would hide information about their modules as thousands of residents in the universe already have this information.

I know this seems pedantic, but it's these sorts of things that stop me getting immersed in a game. If I can only see something as a gameplay loop that doesn't have a real game-universe reason for existing it just completely breaks the immersion for me so I was hoping there was something official that explained it, or if anyone had come up with a reason.

If not does anyone know if modding it out would break the game balance in any way (eg. being able to easily acquire money from missions looking for scanning all modules)?

Thanks. Sorry about the questions.

Btw, the reason I'm asking these stupid questions is because I'm really tempted to get this game while it's on sale on GOG. I love space games. But the only X game I've ever liked was Rebirth and everyone else seemed to hate it, so I'm a bit worried I'll not like this.

[GCU Grey Area]

For example, if I was a total stranger to the universe then it would make sense that I have to scan everything to find out what it is, but all other inhabitants of the universe wouldn't have that problem. They know what all these modules are. They've lived here for generations and it's just common knowledge and it just shows up on their in-ship database or whatever. But from what I can tell, it looks like I'm a normal resident of this universe, so why are all stations filled with completely unknown modules until scanned?

Basic info about the modules may be common knowledge, however the current status of a specific module on a specific station will not be. For example, whether a production module is currently active or not, contents of storage modules, current population of habitation modules, etc. All of these would require a scan to determine, rather than relying on generic info in a database of standard modules.

But the only X game I've ever liked was Rebirth and everyone else seemed to hate it, so I'm a bit worried I'll not like this.

I liked both. Thoroughly enjoyed Rebirth, to the extent that I never went back to playing X3AP after starting with Rebirth. This has always been the case with X games. Have been playing them since X2 & there's always been more I enjoyed in each new game than things I missed from the previous one. Same is true for X4. Although there are things from Rebirth I certainly miss (e.g. being able to remotely pilot drones), there are far, far more things in X4 that I simply could not manage without (e.g. X4's approach to station building).

[Miniding]

I was one who liked Rebirth too.
X4 has keep the good stuff of Rebirth and mnage to "put back" the X serie in the right track like previous opus...

For the reason to scan station, I do some of them but not without a purpose...

Here is my reasons to do it...
I make water for the Borons (they need lots of) and I want to make profitsss with it...
So I scan the water stations in borons sectors to be able to know how much Ice and water they have in stock, how much a station can pruduce in what time... Those things are important to dominate the market... With an all scanned station, I know all those infos. So I can know when they are producing, at what price and so keep the market to get them to buy from me.

I sometimes play it dirty too with blocking their production in ordrer to be the only supplier of water within range and empty my stocks at best price!

It one interest for doing it.

[Nanook]

...
For example, if I was a total stranger to the universe then it would make sense that I have to scan everything to find out what it is, but all other inhabitants of the universe wouldn't have that problem. They know what all these modules are. They've lived here for generations and it's just common knowledge and it just shows up on their in-ship database or whatever. But from what I can tell, it looks like I'm a normal resident of this universe, so why are all stations filled with completely unknown modules until scanned?...

Your assumption that "all other inhabitants" would have that information is highly unlikely. Do you know how all the factories in our universe work? Probably not. You probably don't even know most of the various parts of them even exist. So why would most of the X-Universe inhabitants? I hardly think it's "common knowledge".

[Alan Phipps]

Also factions may have different station module designs and not all factions are friends with and confide in each other. Even the player has to work at rep improvement to become friends with some.

[LetMeIn11]

Scanning stations is how you learn about X4 economy without internet guides. It also helps tremendously with finding opportunities or with economic diversions. The information you get from scanning actually exposes a lot of stuff , for example, you can get a list of subordinates currently assigned to a station with their ship IDs, you can then find and destroy them making station disfunctional for some time(especially if it depends on miners), or you can see how many defense drones and turrets of each type station has installed if you plan an attack(some stations are defenseless and can be handled with a small fleet of S-sized bombers).

Right-click the station and open the information menu. Click through all the tabs and observe how they change while you're scanning.

P.S. The lore reason is simple, it is spying.

[CulunTse]

Your assumption that "all other inhabitants" would have that information is highly unlikely. Do you know how all the factories in our universe work? Probably not. You probably don't even know most of the various parts of them even exist. So why would most of the X-Universe inhabitants? I hardly think it's "common knowledge".

I am deeply convinced by this argument.

I know there are some chip fabs "somewhere around Dresden, Germany", I know my AMD CPU says "assembled in Malaysia", but I have zero idea where the silicon wafers come from, no knowledge of their stock levels, amount of production machines, etc. And this is despite me reading every news article I come across about ASML delivering X new chip baking machines to whoever. Wikipedia has some public info about the fab sites, but nothing to the detail level of which we get with station scans.

Worse, I don't even know where exactly the other production site is of the company I work for. I could probably look it up on a map, but I haven't bothered.
Same with stock levels. Certainly the magazine guys could tell me how many M4x40 boots we have, but I'd need to go ask (and my positive reputation as an employee would mean they'd probably tell me, though with some weird looks, I'm a programmer after all).

Similarly, I've noticed that when I approach a completely unknown station of one of the factions I am friendly with, it will register as already-10%-scanned (I don't recall the exact number), and the storages will be already-coloured.
seems there is some kind of "friends get some info if they ask (by approaching)" mechanic.

[Zloth2]

I'm sure it seems like an inconsequential part of the gameplay loop, but if a game hasn't got a consistent in-universe logic for what's happening I tend to bounce off it. And for some reason, while watching X4 videos on YT the scanning part is really jarring for me. I just can't help feeling 'this is a mini-game to deliver missions and lengthen gameplay' rather than feeling like there's a reason I'd be doing it in the universe.

I think you might be overestimating how often you'll do this. There seem to be a lot of people out there that think you can only get missions by scanning stations. That's not true at all. In fact, unless you're really into assassinations and pirating, you'll get very few of your missions that way.

[chew-ie]

@Zloth2

Indeed - I almost never scan stations.

Pirateers should just rush to "The bay" and "join" SCA - that alone yields a steady supply of "gilde mission" in every sector. People with ToA DLC can just check VIG stations for boarding missions and the like. Hatikvah stations also offer all kinds of criminal activities.

[Nanook]

If you're playing a pirate game, or just like to deal in illegal goods (spacefuel, spaceweed, etc.) then you need to scan stations to find black market dealers. Otherwise, as others have said, it's an entirely optional way to get missions. Although you can get deep discounts on wares bought and sold at that particular station, you can also do so by hacking the trade terminal inside the station.

[Hector0x]

It's all just ex post rationalization which doesn't make actual sense from a lore perspective.

The real reason is Gameplay. Scanning is just an incentive for you to check out their pretty station models. In rebirth they even hid little goodies in the geometry.
The series is constantly trying to achieve that 'Han Solo' x-factor. The smugglin' and smooth talking player who can outsmart the earlygame competition.

That's why 'hacking' is literally about spotting a broken cable or walking to a console and spending loot. Its completely dumb but i wouldn't overthink this stuff either. Its the Egosoft way to create immersion. I'd argue that it often has the opposite effect on most people.
They should rather take lessons how Highfleet created maximum immersion with minimum effort. Downgrade the Han Solo features like cantina talks and scanning to 2D.

[GCU Grey Area]

Scanning is just an incentive for you to check out their pretty station models.

That makes no sense as an incentive. While in scan mode there's a false colour overlay obscuring the station. Frankly it makes the stations look rather ugly. If you want to check out their pretty station models (& they are indeed often very pretty) the very last thing you should do is activate scan mode.

[Alan Phipps]

... but the colour overlay is handy with Split stations. Their habitation and storage modules look so similar from certain nearby aspects.

[GCU Grey Area]

... but the colour overlay is handy with Split stations. Their habitation and storage modules look so similar from certain nearby aspects.

Agree with that, though I'd go further. Not merely handy, think the overlay is absolutely essential when scanning stations of all factions. Provides a clear & unambiguous indication of which modules have already been scanned & which are still to do. It's not a particularly aesthetically pleasing mode, however functionally it's exactly what I need.