What next? X4 ideas

Mild_and_Creamy · Post by **Mild_and_Creamy** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 11:43

ok so people have complaints about X3, i'd like to leave those behind. We all obviously like space games such as X universe and Elite. Currently the X games are the only show in town so (unless Elite ever gets off the ground)...

what features do you want to see in the next game? I know I am jumping the gun a bit but why not get in on the ground floor.

here are my thoughts:

1. get rid of all the menus (as far as possible) people work better through visual options. i.e. make the interface simpler.

2. give me dynamic systems, with the sun at the centre and planets orbiting. (don't think you need to land on the planets).

3. allow me to get from A to B faster. Currently if you have a slow ship you put on autopilot and wait 10mins to fly to the next sector, even with SETA. how about a short jump system. pick a spot on in the sector and jump there instantly, perhaps pirates could have something to distrupt the jump.

4. leave this universe behind and start with a fresh canvas.

5. make ships more customisable (sp?). Allow be to buy the hull with no engine (or power supply) then allow me to buy an engine perhaps modify the hull strength. etc. look to the mechwarrior games. again make this a visual experiance so give me a plan of the ship with slots to fill with weapons etc

that's it for the moment I think.

I just want to know what everyone thinks about these ideas and what other people want to see in a new game

Nyax · Post by **Nyax** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 11:53

Here's my thoughts on X4-

Don't.

As i've just posted in another thread, the x games have just become far to repetitive, especially for some of us who've been here since the start. By all means create another Elite/ X style game, but i feel it's time to retire the X-universe and move on to pastures new.

Mild_and_Creamy · Post by **Mild_and_Creamy** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 12:22

ahh I quite agree with that. that's why I said start with a fresh canvas.

but at the moment it appears X is the only space sim game out. hopefully that will change as there is a lot of scope for new ideas.

Player. · Post by **Player.** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 12:30

Expansion pack first

scaco · Post by **scaco** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 12:30

exactly.

no please, don't do it.

Plenty of other jobs aside form game "programming". Economy in Europe is improving. Believe in Your self uos CAN do something different.

The return of the hype.
The return of the wait.
The return of the disappointment.
The return of the bugs.
The return of the crashes.
The return of the same (times 4?).

Aieget · Post by **Aieget** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 12:45

I'd like to see the immersion factor turned up to the max. Cool cockpits, a feeling of really fast acceleration. Get rid of the silly looking comm pictures, and instead focus on having lots of believable radio chatter, customisable amounts of course.

What would be really cool is to have a slightly more realistic flight model, maybe a bit like the flight they have in Battlestar Galactica, or at least add pivoting, a la Tachyon.

Instead of having jumpgates, you could hyperspace between systems. Just open the nav menu, select the star you wish to jump to and five seconds later you're in a new system. You could then star trek warp around the system from place to place, with all the game action taking place around specific objects/small locales within a larger system, rather than the whole 'system' being the area you jump to. I think this is similar to I-War2, I only played the demo a couple of years back.

Just my preconcieved notions of what would be cool.

Never mind Nyax and scaco's comments, we need more space sims.

Boronshark · Post by **Boronshark** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 13:56

I don't think there is anything wrong with the current X-Universe. However, if X4 does happen then we need a genuine expansion of the universe in ALL directions. I mean north and west of Kingdom End. Perhaps a total remap of the universe by the Ancients, giving each race it's own "segment" of space which would make far more sense than having random isolated sectors out on the fringe.

I'd like to see new ships with individual models. Not the component toolbox we had in X2 or the multiple shortcuts we have in X3. I'd like to see more than one ship in each class, and for that matter I'd like to see the classes rejigged into something more understandable than M1 M2 M3 TL etc.

I'd like to see proper mini-missions available through the BBS, ones that are worth attempting, are realistic and don't occur at random.

I'd like to see the annoying starfield get our of my life at warp speed!
I'd like to see sensible use of nebula effects, rather than the current CPU stretching, not to mention pointless, eyecandy. If you're in a nebula you're in a nebula (a la Freespace 2).

I'd like to see more variation between ships of each race, rather than the current (8 guns for all M3, 6 for all M4 etc etc). Let each race's ship design and specifications adhere to that races military ideology.

Speaking of which, lets have more full blown races! The Xenon are a mess, the Kha'ak serve no useful purpose and the Yaki were a plotline nothing more.

*breath*

Sorry, it's 1pm, I just woke up and I need a coffee

esd · Post by **esd** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 14:07

There is life in the Xverse yet.

Dgn Master · Post by **Dgn Master** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 14:28

PLEASE people, lets just see what they do with X3 before we jump the gun!

Sandalpocalypse · Post by **Sandalpocalypse** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 14:36

My basic wish would be for more compelling sectors; just a lot more detail to them. More character so to speak. I think taking out the "Suns" bit is fine though.

My pie in the sky wish would be for the whole game to be calculated in 3d (In-Sector) at all times. Jumpgates would look like peering into another sector, a flaw in space so to speak

phiend · Post by **phiend** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 14:50

First off lets have X3 sorted then we'll know where we stand with what we like, dont like as lets face it most stuff that was wanted after X2 is still wanted now.

As for retiring the series...well ive not finished the game so i cant say whether story gives much opportunity for X4 but I have to agree with other posts where the game really needs to be more immersive and Im not sure a whole new gaming universe wouldnt just be X4 renamed.

Chips · Post by **Chips** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 15:21

Boronshark wrote:I don't think there is anything wrong with the current X-Universe. However, if X4 does happen then we need a genuine expansion of the universe in ALL directions. I mean north and west of Kingdom End. Perhaps a total remap of the universe by the Ancients, giving each race it's own "segment" of space which would make far more sense than having random isolated sectors out on the fringe.

I'd like to see new ships with individual models. Not the component toolbox we had in X2 or the multiple shortcuts we have in X3. I'd like to see more than one ship in each class, and for that matter I'd like to see the classes rejigged into something more understandable than M1 M2 M3 TL etc.

I'd like to see proper mini-missions available through the BBS, ones that are worth attempting, are realistic and don't occur at random.

I'd like to see the annoying starfield get our of my life at warp speed!
I'd like to see sensible use of nebula effects, rather than the current CPU stretching, not to mention pointless, eyecandy. If you're in a nebula you're in a nebula (a la Freespace 2).

I'd like to see more variation between ships of each race, rather than the current (8 guns for all M3, 6 for all M4 etc etc). Let each race's ship design and specifications adhere to that races military ideology.

Speaking of which, lets have more full blown races! The Xenon are a mess, the Kha'ak serve no useful purpose and the Yaki were a plotline nothing more.

*breath*

Sorry, it's 1pm, I just woke up and I need a coffee

I think you have managed to cover everything for me as well, apart from the sectors having more to do in them then simply fly.

I'd rather have large sectors, faster travel (cruise, ion - whatever drives to go really fast through them... but weapons are offline when you do), so that you can have sectors with multiple planets to fly past - instead of generic 1 planet, background, jumpgates... stations scattered around.

It would become 3 planets, 2 with stations in orbit (food production or other such ideas), 1 or 2 asteroid fields (which is a field a la FL) with a mine or two in it, including a trade running route from the field to the main station in the system. 1 military outpost, 1 SPP near the sun, shipyard + eq's near the planets - or similiar. nebula's = fine and good, just make them better than either all encompassing (and transparent to the stars).

You get the picture...

HellToupee · Post by **HellToupee** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 15:44

What i want is way bigger sectors, or even just drop gates, go with jump drives in system jumps and intersystem jumps, further improved interface lose the levels of menus, and cap ship weapons more battleship like.

Norse Player · Post by **Norse Player** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 16:23

Some ideas:

-Natural wormholes, as the pirate factions way of entering the system. Would make a point of exploring the outer system of the sector.

-Bigger sectors, bigger maps. The current sector maps seems to have a default upper limit.

-Several factions within-sector, like FL. You could lower the number of sectors this way, or maybe keep it at present levels.

-Lots of missions; main missions (as seen from different perspectives; Argon, Split, Teladi, Boron or Paranid. Maybe even a start-up character within some Pirate faction?[Allowing the main missions, not just a pile of money and a ship as today...]), sidemissions (like on the BBS, but could be requested by NPC when you are in space, like "Help, I need you to rescue my daughter"-missions). If you need ideas for missions, allow the forum member to write down (detailed) and send it to you while keeping it away from other forum members. This to keep the surprise element in the game.

-Ability to 'focus' on sector map with '+'/'-' keys (not really a need, but would be neat, just use the navigational map on the HUD as an example).

-If the sector map is bigger, why not have an entire solar system within one sector? I think this has been mentioned before. This way you can have several factions within the same system.

-Keep the graphics, as it is now it is excellent compared to any other game (non-Egosoft) or "X2:The Threat". I can see myself continue playing with the same ships in X4.

-New music. Let each sector has it own tune (or "track" of several tunes). You did an excellent job with Getsu Fune, but it was too short. Make them full length-pieces, like 5 - 8 minutes for each piece. But please keep the old tunes, down't scrap them.

All the suggestions from me could be summarized with one sentence; More of everything, but keep the graphics as it is.

Norse Player

Stevio · Post by **Stevio** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 16:53

how about this playing the other side. lets say 30 yazuras on your playing as a (boron,split,paranid,teladi,xenon,khaak).

or even go further a totally new race new sectors new universe map completely an un explored part of the universe, new story, everything you can possibly think of

.

boringborons · Post by **boringborons** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 16:57

How about making X3 into a strategy game, maybe a mod.

Bit like C&C but space style, similar to Starwars: Empires at war

scaco · Post by **scaco** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 18:12

Why obstinately keeping a perfectly good group of people away from the countryside plowing fields.

Who says that everybody gotta work in services. Agriculture is a perfectly good and honourable occupation with plenty of government and EU subsidies to make it economically attractive.

I know, I know you worried about the bugs, You cannot ignore them like you can do in software but hey.... thats life!!!

grumman · Post by **grumman** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 18:39

On the non-gate travel: I think it would be relatively easy to try out with the galaxy editor, by making a few sectors with some of the gates greatly separated. Just give each of the two 'subsectors' two jumpgates, and have them in close vicinity to two different planets in the system. It would be interesting to see how it works out.

FellFromLog · Post by **FellFromLog** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 19:23

I'd like to see them get rid of the lowest tier of food factories. Cattle ranches, flower farms etc. should, in my opinion, be merged into the next highest level, ie. Argon Food production complex (which in the fiction could contain ranches, abattoirs, processing plants etc) that requires only energy and produces Argon cuisine. This would simplify factory chaining and complex building as well as streamlining the bottom end of the economy. Maybe to compensate they could have food as a standard resource for all factories like e-cells are.

Xsysstar · Post by **Xsysstar** » Sat, 19. Nov 05, 19:49

What I would like to see are huge sectors with "torrents" or a new kind of jumpgate.

- Torrents: you enter a "time torrent" (space/time continuum-disturbance) and works a bit like SETA, but much faster (100x, 500x). While you're in this torrent you will not see the stations and ships around you (to save processor time); "excuse": you travel too quickly to notice those stations.
(Could be called (Time, Space) Torrents, (Time, Space) Streams, as well)

- Jumpgates: same idea: you fly through a jumpgate and you enter super speed (again: you don't see the stations and ships around you). You travel to the next jumpgate and go on so until the last jumpgate has been reached or when you leave the stream (by pressing backspace or J). You could choose whatever jumpgate you wish to enter, really. These jumpgates are mere "sliproads" which make you enter the stream than a starting- and endingpoint of a course.

This means: larger sectors, but still short flying time. A "plot event" could be an unknown enemy (like our friends, the Kha'ak) whose ships can create these "streams" themselves, making the jumpgates obsolete (,therefore distroying them and crippling the galaxy's economy).

This is almost exactly the same as in Microsoft's Freelancer (I find the plot of this game more appealing as well than X3's or X2's really).

But this all is just an idea.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

What next? X4 ideas

What next? X4 ideas