Everyone, pull out your annoyed hats, but listen
Posted: Fri, 1. May 09, 07:39
Now, I am new to the forum, yes, but not new to the X universe (aside from the story, never played through it), I'm not new to Sci Fi or space games, and I'm most defiantly not new to video games. I'm also not a retard, and I search the forum, and read all of Gazz's posts that were in english regarding it, but I still just plain out cannot see why X3 is not multi player.
I've done research on the thing, I've looked at examples, and I've come to the conclusion that this great game could become amazing with multi player. I come to this conclusion with one example, Freelancer by microsoft games.
Now, if I were a developer, I wouldn't rag on games or say they are better. I'm not here to say that either. X3 is probably the most beautiful space games i've seen since Homeworld 2 by Sierra games, and that games beauty was in the sheer scale of a strategy game. So rest assured that I am NOT ragging on X3 when I make references to these games. I am simply applying personal experiences and opinions to cited references of respected opinions throughout the web.
Now I understand the argument of the processing power and problems that can arise from such a demanding game as X3, but to claim that modern systems cannon handle such processing power, you have to look at several examples, from Freelancer, with up to a hundred players per server (at it's peak, microsoft recently shut down it's server processing hub, and now a port forwarding patch is required to play, but you can still play, and there are still servers receiving high volumes of play such as the crossfire servers). I also bring up, that the amount of lag is minimal with my computer running the server in the background as I play the game here at my house with with 8 of my buddies from school, and I don't have a super machine.
For another example, I would like to make a reference to the now freeware game Battlecruiser millennium by 3000 AD, and even their newer titles, which combine land, air and space in multi player, and have since 2003. give you the ability to point at literally any star in space, and eventually fly there, along with becoming a marine and storming ships, killing the crew and capturing it. So this doesn't sound like i'm promoting the game, because by no means do I want you to think that, it's complexity makes X3 seem simple, and even seemingly simple tasks took novels to read up on, as the infantry portion alone of the game took 500 pages to give you a basic 'operational stand point.' It's beauty of size was destroyed by is complexity, and that is why it remains freeware.
The point is technology is out there, and even with massive renderings. I have played with fifty people on Battlecruiser, and on a full server with freelancer, all of these including star ships, stations, and multiple places, so the excuse of massive renderings not being an option only hinders the true potential of X3, and the X series in general.
But I bring up Freelancer mostly on purpose, and that is because on one key factor, replayablity. Yes, the story line was great, but more so was the multiplayer, and this can be seen, with the community, which still lives and thrives (the games was releaser June 6 2003), and this is based heavily off of mods, and the multiplayer functions of it. But there are several complaints my friends and I always have regarding system purchase, home bases, building, hiring people, trade routes, economy ect. ect. this conversation has lead us on searches for mods, patches and role playing servers, but still, to only a slight avail with one mod, and even said mod only pleases part of the complaints we have.
The search ended a few years ago, when I decided with my shiny new computer, I was going to find some game with a least some of those. And I did. On steam, X3:Reunion was advertised, and it looked beautiful. being a fan of games like this since my purchase of Tachyon: The Fringe in 2000 and homeworld in 1999, I purchased it with excitement. choosing a character, I jumped in, and fell in love with the games perfect complexity, companies, trading and pure right of freelancing. The game was great...all but one little detail. No multi player.
Now why do I bring this up, rather than just move on? Because this game has the potential of exploding as probably one of the BEST multiplayer games in the space simulation sector, and would drive more multiplayer fans to buy it, especially with companies like Valve with steam distributing, and giving the way.
I come with a simple warning and advisory statement. If the X Universe doesn't simply go up to multiplayer, it will eventually fade into the freeware piles of unnamed websites. There is evidence of this on the freeware sites, games like 3000AD's Universal Combat (2007) and others end up being given away, and dropped off, while games like Blizzard's Star Craft (1998) still sell at Wallmart for 20$ because people still play this game on LAN. The X universe is beautiful, extensive and not as hard as reviews I read make it out to be (although it is pretty difficult, it takes roughly half hour to an hour to truly get it down). Games bearing the same style and same principals that make this game great will soon overrun this game, and make it only great to those who own it. My friends and I take turns playing it some days...and there is a good 3 copies waiting on multiplayer.
So I just want a real response of why this game cannot go multi player, or more importantly, when will it. Because if you don't, games like infinity: The quest for earth, All Aspects Warfare and Jumpgate may simply threaten the existence of the game (in the expanding interest of the game sort of way, fans are great, but we will also get busy, and some will drop, so you MUST expand your fan base).
Now, if you do respond, and it's simply full of dumb statements and questions, regarding your love for the game, your dying loyalty for the game, how much you like playing single player (i'm not asking to remove that feature), How you think that this post belongs somewhere else or never existed or simply attack me, you will accomplish no more than loosing my respect, and that doesn't matter, nor do I care. If the developers don't respond with a reasonable answer more than "We can't" or, "it's impossible" I will also simply move on. There are games out there that are becoming slowly what this game started as, and I will wait. But I like this game, and I want to make a statement as a fan, that yo need multiplayer. need it. You're not in the age of making single player games only now, you must evolve, and you must become the game that leads the pack.
Also, a note to server admins, don't simply delete this post, or my account. Fans must be able to communicate with developers so they can express what they want in a game. If the developer doesn't listen, then that is their choice, but I am violating none of the forum rules. I simply want an answer to the question mostly answered with opinions of fans, and not actual programmers. I know of a lot of people who would buy this game, both around here, and online that have expressed interest, but are waiting for multiplayer. I think it would be a wise decision.
I've done research on the thing, I've looked at examples, and I've come to the conclusion that this great game could become amazing with multi player. I come to this conclusion with one example, Freelancer by microsoft games.
Now, if I were a developer, I wouldn't rag on games or say they are better. I'm not here to say that either. X3 is probably the most beautiful space games i've seen since Homeworld 2 by Sierra games, and that games beauty was in the sheer scale of a strategy game. So rest assured that I am NOT ragging on X3 when I make references to these games. I am simply applying personal experiences and opinions to cited references of respected opinions throughout the web.
Now I understand the argument of the processing power and problems that can arise from such a demanding game as X3, but to claim that modern systems cannon handle such processing power, you have to look at several examples, from Freelancer, with up to a hundred players per server (at it's peak, microsoft recently shut down it's server processing hub, and now a port forwarding patch is required to play, but you can still play, and there are still servers receiving high volumes of play such as the crossfire servers). I also bring up, that the amount of lag is minimal with my computer running the server in the background as I play the game here at my house with with 8 of my buddies from school, and I don't have a super machine.
For another example, I would like to make a reference to the now freeware game Battlecruiser millennium by 3000 AD, and even their newer titles, which combine land, air and space in multi player, and have since 2003. give you the ability to point at literally any star in space, and eventually fly there, along with becoming a marine and storming ships, killing the crew and capturing it. So this doesn't sound like i'm promoting the game, because by no means do I want you to think that, it's complexity makes X3 seem simple, and even seemingly simple tasks took novels to read up on, as the infantry portion alone of the game took 500 pages to give you a basic 'operational stand point.' It's beauty of size was destroyed by is complexity, and that is why it remains freeware.
The point is technology is out there, and even with massive renderings. I have played with fifty people on Battlecruiser, and on a full server with freelancer, all of these including star ships, stations, and multiple places, so the excuse of massive renderings not being an option only hinders the true potential of X3, and the X series in general.
But I bring up Freelancer mostly on purpose, and that is because on one key factor, replayablity. Yes, the story line was great, but more so was the multiplayer, and this can be seen, with the community, which still lives and thrives (the games was releaser June 6 2003), and this is based heavily off of mods, and the multiplayer functions of it. But there are several complaints my friends and I always have regarding system purchase, home bases, building, hiring people, trade routes, economy ect. ect. this conversation has lead us on searches for mods, patches and role playing servers, but still, to only a slight avail with one mod, and even said mod only pleases part of the complaints we have.
The search ended a few years ago, when I decided with my shiny new computer, I was going to find some game with a least some of those. And I did. On steam, X3:Reunion was advertised, and it looked beautiful. being a fan of games like this since my purchase of Tachyon: The Fringe in 2000 and homeworld in 1999, I purchased it with excitement. choosing a character, I jumped in, and fell in love with the games perfect complexity, companies, trading and pure right of freelancing. The game was great...all but one little detail. No multi player.
Now why do I bring this up, rather than just move on? Because this game has the potential of exploding as probably one of the BEST multiplayer games in the space simulation sector, and would drive more multiplayer fans to buy it, especially with companies like Valve with steam distributing, and giving the way.
I come with a simple warning and advisory statement. If the X Universe doesn't simply go up to multiplayer, it will eventually fade into the freeware piles of unnamed websites. There is evidence of this on the freeware sites, games like 3000AD's Universal Combat (2007) and others end up being given away, and dropped off, while games like Blizzard's Star Craft (1998) still sell at Wallmart for 20$ because people still play this game on LAN. The X universe is beautiful, extensive and not as hard as reviews I read make it out to be (although it is pretty difficult, it takes roughly half hour to an hour to truly get it down). Games bearing the same style and same principals that make this game great will soon overrun this game, and make it only great to those who own it. My friends and I take turns playing it some days...and there is a good 3 copies waiting on multiplayer.
So I just want a real response of why this game cannot go multi player, or more importantly, when will it. Because if you don't, games like infinity: The quest for earth, All Aspects Warfare and Jumpgate may simply threaten the existence of the game (in the expanding interest of the game sort of way, fans are great, but we will also get busy, and some will drop, so you MUST expand your fan base).
Now, if you do respond, and it's simply full of dumb statements and questions, regarding your love for the game, your dying loyalty for the game, how much you like playing single player (i'm not asking to remove that feature), How you think that this post belongs somewhere else or never existed or simply attack me, you will accomplish no more than loosing my respect, and that doesn't matter, nor do I care. If the developers don't respond with a reasonable answer more than "We can't" or, "it's impossible" I will also simply move on. There are games out there that are becoming slowly what this game started as, and I will wait. But I like this game, and I want to make a statement as a fan, that yo need multiplayer. need it. You're not in the age of making single player games only now, you must evolve, and you must become the game that leads the pack.
Also, a note to server admins, don't simply delete this post, or my account. Fans must be able to communicate with developers so they can express what they want in a game. If the developer doesn't listen, then that is their choice, but I am violating none of the forum rules. I simply want an answer to the question mostly answered with opinions of fans, and not actual programmers. I know of a lot of people who would buy this game, both around here, and online that have expressed interest, but are waiting for multiplayer. I think it would be a wise decision.