Ventures: X4 is Semi-Multiplayer?

[MutantDwarf]

I noticed several things in the UI dealing with 'ventures', but nothing explaining what they are. I'm unsure if this is a feature that simply hasn't been implemented yet, if it is implemented just not explained anywhere and/or only appearing later in the game, or if it's a feature that Egosoft decided to cancel and forgot to remove the references to in the game. If it is canceled or unimplemented so far, I'm not sure how you get the achievement dealing with a ship returning from a venture, though. Probably not possible at the moment.

But! We have modding tools, and so I've looked through the language file to try and figure out what these 'ventures' are - maybe I've just missed a feature in the game somewhere. Helpfully, the language file includes enough data that we can figure out what the intent is:

<page id="30260" title="Venture Missions" descr="Text used to describe missions to other players' universes" voice="no">

Venture missions are an online feature - only functional in non-modified game saves - that allow you to send ships on 'ventures' to another player's universe, where they will do.... something (depends on the mission, but can include the four Xs, including attacking other people's stuff... or just selling some stuff). So you could be playing around, minding your own business in the game, when suddenly another player sends a destroyer into your game to mess your stuff up, or to sell you ore or whatever. Things can happen to your ships when they're on a venture, up to and including them getting destroyed, but when they return you get 'rewards' of some kind.

I'm reasonably certain this is all tightly interwoven with the PHQ plot, and is probably intended to be the second-half of that plot (which I hear ends rather abruptly at the moment).

Effectively, X4 has a 'passive' multiplayer system built into it somewhere. I'm guessing from what I've seen so far - and the fact nobody has talked about it on the forums yet as far as I can see - that this isn't something that's currently functional in the game, but maybe I'm wrong. Has anyone seen the 'Ventures' stuff actually happen yet?

The one 'bad' thing about this is there are lines in the language file about how you can't participate in the Venture system if your game is Modified. I understand why - and I don't know how you could make it work with modified games easily - but it's still sad.

[Playbahnosh]

The funny thing about this, if you look at the Steam achievement stats for X4, already there are people who completed the achievement for having one of their ships "successfully return from a venture". If this feature is not even in the game yet, then how did they already unlock the 'chieve for it?

[sebast076]

With steam achievement manager ^^

[conquestor]

Funny that they've seen the constant negative reaction to the idea of multiplayer and still try to work on it. Maybe they were just trying to tick the box on steam?

Either way, glad they didn't waste time fully implementing this.

[Tomonor]

Haha, I can imagine the sh*tstorm that would ensue if a rich player sends his entire fleet to another player's, completely wiping out his assets and maybe even making his PC unusable in the process (in case the opponent has a low end PC).

But I also find it intriguing. Somehow this idea MIGHT just work out, but it would require extra careful managing and balancing, something where Egosoft isn't experienced enough imo.

[aftokinito]

Shit, so this is what the chat is for!

Brb, gonna give myself all the blueprints for ventures and test it.
By the way, you're supposed to get side missions from the PHQ Plot Boron related to ventures.

EDIT: It is indeed a form of multiplayer: https://puu.sh/CbQ0l/05c3619340.png

[mr.WHO]

Haha, I can imagine the sh*tstorm that would ensue if a rich player sends his entire fleet to another player's, completely wiping out his assets and maybe even making his PC unusable in the process (in case the opponent has a low end PC).

But I also find it intriguing. Somehow this idea MIGHT just work out, but it would require extra careful managing and balancing, something where Egosoft isn't experienced enough imo.

Have you heard recent ban controversy in Fallout 76?

IMO I'd expect people naming their ships in "offensive way" and send them on venture to...well...offend

[aftokinito]

The research works fine but the blueprints crash your game.

I've taken a peek inside the UI for the ventures menu and it looks like you basically send your ships on a mission to other players' universes. I suppose this is treated by NPCs appearing on the other players' game following the orders set by the criteria of the mission you created.
So as far as I can tell, it's not direct multiplayer but more like early Simcity trading between the players' different cities.

[aftokinito]

This is what the boron is supposed to say related to venturer stuff:

Selected #1 (30201186): "This seems to be the primary focus of this facility; research into parallel universes. This confirms my theory that we have pulled this object from a universe similar to our own."
Selected #2 (30201187): "I believe this will enable us to send objects to other universes."
Started: <Research started (Special)>
Finished #1 (30201188): "I am finally done with the research! You should now be able to construct a module capable of sending objects to other universes."
Finished #2 (30201189): "This is an astounding development."

Boron (30201190): "I see you have made quite the discovery."
Boron (30201191): "I am always in the search of knowledge."
Boron (30201192): "I have added a secondary task to your mission interface."
Boron (30201193): "Quite the achievement. Well done."

Boron (30201194): "I must say, I'm glad that we met. I have had so much fun working alongside you."
Boron (30201195): "You will find that new research items available."

This is supposed to be part of the PHQ plot but it is unfinished.

[aftokinito]

Actually, no, what crashes the game is trying to load a save that has the venturer research unlocked, the blueprints seem to be fine. Let's see how this plays out.

[aftokinito]

Interestingly, the venture modules are set to be available for build on stations of type factory and phq but the connectors on the modules are unique and only connect to other venturer modules EXCEPT for the hub module with 6 connectors that for some reason has only ONE connector of the normal factory type.
This is really weird considering the only other station modules that have this strange behaviour are xenon station modules that you are not supposed to have.

EDIT: The modules are also purple lol: https://puu.sh/CbW2P/dfd700d1aa.png

[aftokinito]

https://puu.sh/CbWPC/6915098cc7.png
Sadly it looks like this is only for unmodified saves so I'm gonna have to research a bit further into maybe hacking my way to it.

[aftokinito]

I've gone a bit deeper through the UI's lua file and the impression I'm getting is that this is basically like sending characters to the outside of the vault in Fallout Shelter, except the "outside" or venturer missions seem to be posted by an Egosoft server, hence the required "Online Connectivity" from the main menu.

[StoneLegionYT]

This is awesome. Keep up the good work. I had assume some sort of mp was going be a thing even made a video on it.

I guess now we know how skins and such might be rewarded later on.

My first video had talked about:
- Signature / Protection system how made 0 sense to be bring back in 2018 unless some sort mp / stats feature.
- Console window was removed and they made a chat window now where you have to /commands not just say the command. Normal text also does not show up in the chat window just text. I assume this is because needs a response from a server of some sort? So you might be able to chat with others while on a mission????
- The Login system seem like a lot of effort and even ping damn server just for a skin unlock.
- Then the skins they seem to have 2 skin systems in the game the newer one seems to be the one where you use the terminal to apply it. With the limited amount of skins, etc it seem a bit odd and had a meaning to it....

[Nagual]

This is what the boron is supposed to say related to venturer stuff:



Boron (30201190): "I see you have made quite the discovery."
Boron (30201191): "I am always in the search of knowledge."
Boron (30201192): "I have added a secondary task to your mission interface."
Boron (30201193): "Quite the achievement. Well done."

I know this is when you access data vaults for the first time. ^^

[StoneLegionYT]

iforgotmysocks from Discord:

Code: Select all

chatwindow.lua

local isChatCommand
local onChatMessageReceived
local onChatMessageSent
local onChatServerConnected
local onChatServerConnectionFailed
local onChatServerConnectionLost
local onChatServerConnectionRefused
local onChatServerPlayerJoined
local onChatServerPlayerLeft
local onChatWindowCreated
local onChatWindowHidden

[aftokinito]

Any save game that contains any of the venture modules crashes next time you try to load it at around 58%.

[DrSuperEvil]

The unusual attachment points are probably because they were not implemented and the reason they have been disabled probably is because major bugs were unresolved before the release date.

[aftokinito]

The attachment points are intended. You can have more than one venturer branch per station and the following function only evaluates the venturer connections to search for docks:

Code: Select all

uint32_t GetVenturePlatformDocks(UniverseID* result, uint32_t resultlen, UniverseID ventureplatformid);

The reason why the game crashes is because this always returns false, which tells me the game has its netcode disabled in engine for now:

Code: Select all

bool IsNetworkEngineEnabled(void);

Also, more fluff: viewtopic.php?f=181&t=404647

[VincentTH]

The attachment points are intended. You can have more than one venturer branch per station and the following function only evaluates the venturer connections to search for docks:

Code: Select all

uint32_t GetVenturePlatformDocks(UniverseID* result, uint32_t resultlen, UniverseID ventureplatformid);

The reason why the game crashes is because this always returns false, which tells me the game has its netcode disabled in engine for now:

Code: Select all

bool IsNetworkEngineEnabled(void);

Also, more fluff: viewtopic.php?f=181&t=404647

When I started X4 for the first time, I knew right away that X4 is just a stepping stone for a Multi-player game:
- No SETA (actually available after getting the parts)
- Smaller sectors, restricted within the hexagone.
- May be more that I missed .....