A question for CBJ

[k.spurr]

In an online X we'd probably just having manual trading, mining and fighting, and the stations would be npc only.

that would then be called freelancer not x online

[martindemon]

A multiplayer X game is a game I would just not even try. I don't play World of Warcraft because of many reasons tied to online multiplayer games. Citing those reasons would take at least one hour. Lets just say that I strongly dislike those games. Never even tried any of them; just heard about the bad experiences of others and that's enough. I can't trust the others to not ruin my experience. I also like to have control on my savegames. I don't like people that talk without any regard to grammar (even if english is my second language; I know I make mistakes but nothing like the mistakes we see in chat rooms or multiplayer games.) Also, playing single player games make it sure that I will never be cheated by another player.

[Ammok Rules]

Mind you, a fleet of 16 carriers would be even more difficult to control than horse archers.

my vision of the X-online would not be like that, you would be part of a sixteen carrier fleet.

Start off choosing a race, and then earn a disco, earn a buster earn a nova etc(if you get to carrier status then you carry other people in novas, you would'nt own them, like a real fleet every pilot would be human)

trade, much the same but you trade your way to owning larger fabs, you hire human pilots to protect your base,(although as in X3 there would be safe area too, but rewards would be less)


build, as in various other onliners, you could join a guild(clan) to improve trade or profits or fleets.


There could be safe home areas for all races, alliances, and trade.

For real pirates, the zones between each safe area could be theirs to ambush as they please, equally be hunted down by bounty hunters.


this could be the space sim to put the spellsayers to sleep forever.


(as for hostile invasions every ship of a certain race gets a pre-invasion warning, be there or be square, mercenaries from other races could be invited to help protect the homeland, rewards given out for kills, in comes the khaak mega real time battle ensuses, every race gets dusted once a month)

My vision is real time X3 environment with real people not AI. And if i'm around 2020, please God, then i just might be playing it.

(lemme see, 10 million players, ten dollars a month, equals .............)

[martindemon]

Mind you, a fleet of 16 carriers would be even more difficult to control than horse archers.

my vision of the X-online would not be like that, you would be part of a sixteen carrier fleet.

Start off choosing a race, and then earn a disco, earn a buster earn a nova etc(if you get to carrier status then you carry other people in novas, you would'nt own them, like a real fleet every pilot would be human)

trade, much the same but you trade your way to owning larger fabs, you hire human pilots to protect your base,(although as in X3 there would be safe area too, but rewards would be less)


build, as in various other onliners, you could join a guild(clan) to improve trade or profits or fleets.


There could be safe home areas for all races, alliances, and trade.

For real pirates, the zones between each safe area could be theirs to ambush as they please, equally be hunted down by bounty hunters.


this could be the space sim to put the spellsayers to sleep forever.


(as for hostile invasions every ship of a certain race gets a pre-invasion warning, be there or be square, mercenaries from other races could be invited to help protect the homeland, rewards given out for kills, in comes the khaak mega real time battle ensuses, every race gets dusted once a month)

My vision is real time X3 environment with real people not AI. And if i'm around 2020, please God, then i just might be playing it.

(lemme see, 10 million players, ten dollars a month, equals .............)

In 2020, that will be at least 100$ a month...

[Cougar81]

For the old timers:

Tradewars 2k

X-Online could be great.

---------------------------

TW2k had thousands of sectors though, so you could easily "hide" from someone you upset. Also, since it was in the early days of the online world, there were in the hundreds/thousands playing (non-simultaneous)... not in the tens of thousands (simultaneous) like today. Also, TW2k in the later stages was built around players owning planets.. not factories. If EGO had an X-Online I would suggest this approach, putting factories on planets and creating a central point for each player to achieve. (and thus limiting their exposure on the rest of the uni) TW2k was also turn based. Moving to sectors cost turns, and you had a limited amount. Which created even footing between people who can only log on for 1hr to people who could stay on for 4.

[NeverSnake]

this could be the space sim to put the spellsayers to sleep forever.

Dreams are a fine thing, but given the large amount of unexplored possibilities in the single player series do you really think a full online version will be bigger, better, faster than everything else and have the masses of content it would need?

I'd love to see the real x-online as much as anyone else. If it was that good the idiots wouldn't matter. However, if it's likely to be anything less than amazing I'd rather see more single player games.

[Godalmighty83]

full online simply wouldnt work with the current x universe. to make it work would be turning it into a eve clone.

[Mubata]

Being one who has limited time to play after work, the reason I cancelled my Eve account and purchased X3 was so I could enjoy the time spent playing a space sim and not have to deal with some of the many issues that come up with a persistant online universe.

This is mostly due to the fact that for online play, you have to interact with others (join a guild/battlegroups/ect) in order to really succeed and achieve most of the coveted goals. Not being able to 'save' and come back to it when you do have time, or not being able to participate effectively in a guild will seriously hamper any progress in most online games. And, as previously mentioned, things like stations and sector patrols would pretty much have to be scrapped in an online world. You could never protect what you did work hard for as long as others are out there looking to gain from your work.

The X-games are very enjoyable because they fill that niche that no other developer really has done well, that being a robust offline space sim. I do hope any further development of the X-games focuses on the offline play, instead of adding to the MMOG pile that is already out there. Tis' just my opinion though.

Regards,

Mubata

[Ammok Rules]

I agree with you Neversnake, it would ahve to be good.

I would love to fly in formation against another human enemy with approximately the same forces and let the best team win. Even if you got shot down, you'd be glued to the screen to see who wins.

Who'd protect the carrier or destroyer against m3 and missile attacks? who'd attack the opposing carrier? It'd be cracking.


There was a WWII areoplane game did this online yonks back, great fun. In space, could be even better.

[Deleted User]

Nah, we have plenty of MMOs today - and only one singleplayer universe simulator serie
I love X cus it's the game that doesn't actually require you to do anything specific - you start at any time, go wherever you want and do whatever you like there.. Online will add many obstacles to this.. Also the trick of X is self-improvement: you start like a total llama on a lame ship, and soon become the one who can actually affect the universe in macroscopic scale (I first got impressed by it when because of me a Xenon flow rushed to some sectors - lol I got angry and "just" wiped one of them - and the shipyard in the other one started that invasion..)

[Paajtor]

I would like the X3-expansion being a multiplayer component (with a re-designed interface), and X4 being a perfect merge of single- and multiplayer.

So my vote is for an "internet game", because I know it won't be the case...but still hope it will be, one day.

It's about time we meet in combat.

[Syndrome]

Mind you, a fleet of 16 carriers would be even more difficult to control than horse archers.

my vision of the X-online would not be like that, you would be part of a sixteen carrier fleet.

Start off choosing a race, and then earn a disco, earn a buster earn a nova etc(if you get to carrier status then you carry other people in novas, you would'nt own them, like a real fleet every pilot would be human)

trade, much the same but you trade your way to owning larger fabs, you hire human pilots to protect your base,(although as in X3 there would be safe area too, but rewards would be less)


build, as in various other onliners, you could join a guild(clan) to improve trade or profits or fleets.


There could be safe home areas for all races, alliances, and trade.

For real pirates, the zones between each safe area could be theirs to ambush as they please, equally be hunted down by bounty hunters.


this could be the space sim to put the spellsayers to sleep forever.


(as for hostile invasions every ship of a certain race gets a pre-invasion warning, be there or be square, mercenaries from other races could be invited to help protect the homeland, rewards given out for kills, in comes the khaak mega real time battle ensuses, every race gets dusted once a month)

My vision is real time X3 environment with real people not AI. And if i'm around 2020, please God, then i just might be playing it.

(lemme see, 10 million players, ten dollars a month, equals .............)

Still no message from CBJ. However I get the general idea about X Online. I originally voted for X not to be an online game but since Ammok Rules did the above post I'm thinking it would be AUSOME. I mean, imagine; you're playing and fighting against people who are not just programmed pieces of junk who have NO inteligence. You're playing agianst people who have actual skill and brains.

[Syklon]

im still a fan of the single player experience, and considering that a good mmo is ton more complicated than SP from what i can tell, and that egosoft can still do a whole lot to improve the current SP experience, i think they should stick with what theyve already started and work it up to perfection, rather than starting back on the bottom of the pile

[Ammok Rules]

There must be a thousand good ideas in Egosofts dev team HQ and perhaps the technology is not there yet to implement most of them. But it is the vision that counts.

Besides anyone who can remember playing Doom and then Doom3 knows that X-online will be worth waiting for. Although strangely enough, Doom 3 online was pants.


Let CBJ and the others take their time, anything worth having is worth waiting for. Even two fleets of sixty four novas apiece could struggle online at the momment, but it won't be too long before 100megabit broadband will be standard, then it becomes very feasible with even bigger fleets.

[Paajtor]

This is from a post about a game called Eschaton - Chain of Command...a project that I followed for some time, but it got cancelled. Even the website is gone now.
But still, those guys had some interesting ideas...the game was all about space-combat and strategy:

Eschaton: Chain of Command is a multiplayer combat game that seamlessly combines real time strategy and first person action. This is accomplished through a number of key design points.

Players Substitute for the AI
If there is no AI to control any fighting units in multiplayer games, then there must be enough players to control all of the forces in the game. This is a huge limitation of current multiplayer games. It essentially cripples the capability to have large battles that can run seamlessly even when players are entering and leaving the game at will - which is extremely important. In Eschaton: Chain of Command, players simply substitute for the AI and are free to join in or drop without disrupting the flow of the battle. In addition, the availability of units is controlled by the high level strategy game, not the availability of players.

Command Hierarchy Supports Cohesive Teamwork
As multiplayer action games begin to support more players (such as the recently released Planetside), team goals gain importance. Problems arise however, when you attempt to coordinate large attacks using a first person interface. Real Time Strategy Games have an excellent interface for directing large numbers of units. Eschaton: Chain of Command joins the growing number of multiplayer games such as Natural Selection and Savage that combine RTS commanders with FPS action players. Chain of Command goes further by using a command hierachy to control assignment of units, allowing numerous commanders to share management in a battle. This solves griefing problems, numerous balance issues, and allows effective organization of truly large scale battles.

Space Terrain
It is our belief that the lack of terrain in most space based games is one of the largest problems with games in this setting. The terrain model in Eschaton:Chain of Command is based on the core benefits that terrain provides in successful action and strategy games. Terrain should affect mobility, visibility, and weapon usage. Eschaton: Chain of Command uses thick planetary rings, planetary bodies and space derelicts/ruins to provide unique space terrain.

Key Features

Chain of Command
Sub-assign portions of your fleet to other commanders who can, in turn, sub-assign their fleets into smaller and smaller sections, and so on and so forth, down to the level of an individual unit. Giver orders through your RTS interface and watch them appear as objectives on your soldiers` screens. Get ready to manage both units and players!

Choose Your Spacecraft
Play with 30 different spacecraft while receiving strategic direction from player commanders. Space mechs, fighters, bombers, corvettes and battleships all have distinct battle roles- teamwork wins the match!!

Huge Space Battles
Prepare for space battles with hundreds of units! Never before has an action game provided a battle experience on such a large scale.

Spectacular Space Terrain
Eschaton: Chain of Command contains awe-inspiring phenomena of space: asteroid fields, derelicts, moons, and beautiful space nebula. These interactive environments add another dimension to gameplay; hide in an asteroid field or fight alongside an ancient derelict!

Battle Online
Take part in raging battles! Join at any time, working together with teammates in a cohesive military structure.

[Ammok Rules]

now that sounds good. patience is required.

[CBJ]

CBJ, is the X3 expansion or X4 going to be a internet game.

I'm not sure why you're asking me personally as many people could answer this, but anyway...

The X3 expansion that has been alluded to will definitely not be an online game. I don't think that if there is a game called X4 that it will be an online game, but since there has not even be any mention of such a game yet that's pretty much a moot point anyway. The name of the online game, when it eventually happens, is more likely to be Online Universe or X-OU for short, and as ever this is still very much in the hazy future.

[Ammok Rules]

2020 here we come!!!!!!!!!!! Hurraaaayyyyyyy!!!!!!!.