Friendly suggestions for Next Egosoft era

General discussions about the games by Egosoft including X-BTF, XT, X², X³: Reunion, X³: Terran Conflict and X³: Albion Prelude.

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Friendly suggestions for Next Egosoft era

Post by ezra-r » Mon, 3. Aug 09, 12:57

Taking into account next egosoft game wont be out until long time ahead, my query here is to, in a very friendly way, suggest egosoft to start working taking these tips into account:

* Create a New engine from scratch (don't use old one) or use another from the reliable existing ones (Infinity?) that may be known for stability and performance (whichever costs less to egosoft).
* Have Enhanced Multi-core support.
* 64 bit version.
* DirectX 11 and 10 support.
* OpenAL support
* Extensive Beta Testing opened for L3 or higher level users? (I dont like Beta testing much since I prefer finished products) but even now the actual X3:TC has such an overwhelming number of bugs that wont be dealt with...
* Design the new game with better performance and smoothness and stability in mind, making this top priority.

--

Please understand that I know I am just a clueless X-player, but I am willing to keep buying any egosoft space games of this type as long as they all don't become a support nightmare like X3:R and X3:TC have been and still are (X3:TC).

I do perfectly know though that through many hours of playing any effort spent on relieving the pain caused by all X3:TC versions and initial X3:R ones would help a lot to bring more players in and cause less frustration when dealing with the game = more sales.

Outstanding issues after all versions released:

* Decreased performance over time (decreasing fps)
* Lots of jitter at all times over time due to extreme disk and memory usage.
* Smoothness only on new game for a while.
* All types of gameplay script errors and unusuable features that haven't worked since the initial version (weren't tested before release).
* Elements defined in the gameplay that shouldnt because they stress the already limited "limits" of the engine (pbe's everywhere used by ai shooting too fast causing extreme fps delay...)
* etc. etc. (see tech support forums and Public Testing).

And seeing how egosoft lack in resources to fix outstanding issues after release or do any in-depth testing unless done/provided by the players, good performance and stability comes first before including tones of features on release.

Do not misunderstand me though, I am much certain that the egosoft staff is clearly doing a huge awesome work in tech support and fixing everything they can as well and still introducing new content, it's just that it is very obvious, even for us clueless players, that they aren't many and their hands are 100000% full.

Seeing how it is becoming believed among many players it is better to wait a year or so after initial release to get a decent product and in the last case with X3:TC maybe that time span will be even longer. This indeed will not be good for egosoft.

I would indeed be in favor of less features in exchange of better functionality/performance instead of a neverending bug fixing, and new updates could include more tested functionality/features later on.

To end, I'd like to just say:
Good luck and waiting anxiously for the next Egosoft space game.
Last edited by ezra-r on Wed, 5. Aug 09, 23:53, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Graphil » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 00:05

Moved from general L3 forum since doesn't fit there and multi topic ideas shouldn't be posted in ideas.
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Post by Poobah » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 01:12

I do agree that future X-Titles should be X-Tensively beta tested prior to release, and that some engine issues need to be addressed. I should probably print off and mail the NDA to get up to L5 user access so I can actually contribute 'cause I'd really like to, but I've always been hesitant :(

My top 10 peeves for X3(conglomeration of R and TC peeves) or at least the ones I can think of at this present time:

#1 Complexes need to be made less game-breakingly fps destroying.

#2 Bring back the BBS.

#3 Control system needs to be way less schizophrenic than it is in TC, move back towards how it was in R, though I'm working on implementing a control profile that will make the current controls work better.

#4 More game balance needs testing, as much as game design. R had less problems in this area than TC, and even TC is generally good, but a few things still remain problems in the balance area, though I accept that this is subjective.

#5 More configurable controls, we're definitely moving in the right direction with this - you should be able to set a hotkey should you desire one for most anything.

#6 I really love where TC is moving with more plots rather than a single storyline, but where was Ban Danna in TC?! :( It isn't an X-Game without Ban. Seriously though, more, more varied plots is very very good. I'd have loved it if the corporations actually had plots rather than just regular missions, especially if they had some kind of effect on the 'verse. Say like the Duke making a move and taking over Heaven's Assertion, securing himself the shipyard there by the end of it.

#7 Shouldn't really be this far down the list, but whoops. Integrated mod-support - take a look at Morrowind (and Oblivion I would suppose, though I hated Oblivion too much to keep it installed long enough to see), it's very tight, user friendly, incorporated into the launcher and very difficult for the user to break their game and force a total reinstall if they want to get rid of a plugin. Plugin switching/activating/deactivating is quick, easy and simple. Also support for multiple savegames running different combinations of plugins is handled simply and well.

#8 I'm gonna have to do some major-league cheating and run a few spreadsheets to be sure, but I'm fairly certain that running combat stuff in every part of the game bar the very start when all your ranks with everyone and at everything is terrible is tens if not hundreds of times more profitable than putting time into economic stuff. In TC that is. R was a heck of a lot better on this front. The economic path needs to be comparably viable with the combat path, rather than something you either force on players (Hub) or people choose to slow down their own progress for the sake of fun.

#9 Slower progression of Race-Ranks, I'm not sure how combat/economic ranks progress in comparison to R, but Race Rank progress is super-nutso fast. I can see why people might not like it quite as slow as it has been in some previous titles, but it's far too fast in TC where I can do a few missions and kill a few reds and be in the top 1-2 ranks in a few game hours.

#10 More useful carrier stuff.
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Post by mrbadger » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 02:10

Got ten million dollers to spare? No? Then the chances are you won't be able to influence the creation of a multiplayer X game....
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Post by lincs_geezer » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 02:30

Guess you could either put more effort into the flight sim/combat side of things or the trader/empire side of things.

for me personally I think the trade and empire stuff is what makes the game special. Like a 3D strategy game.

I would love to see a version that includes:

Even more dynamic universe with shifting borders, allegiances, gates being destroyed and created, interation with planets, defensive structures, etc etc.

Better physics, graphics, voices, plot, etc don't mean much to me.

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Post by Psirus » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 02:37

lol, yep. EVE pretty much has the Space MMO world by the balls simply because of its advertising. Too bad MMO dogfighting is impossible to achieve as of yet.
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Post by baric » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 04:25

SWG had MMO dogfighting...it was just poorly balanced but still quite enjoyable. After the NGE it was the only reason I continued to play SWG and then I finally got bored.

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Post by NCX » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 04:28

Please don't turn this into a multiplayer discussion. The original poster did not say a word about multiplayer. He listed multiple suggestions.

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Post by empiro » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 05:41

Any sort of interface upgrade would be super welcome for me. I think I must spend 75% of my game time working through menus to find and command everything.

Instant searchable property and sector lists would immediately save tons of time. (e.g. as you start typing, the list filters down the stuff that matches what you typed)

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Post by ajsarge » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 09:56

A couple more ideas and suggestions:

1. Expanded systems - Instead of having a NSEW gate setup going into orbit around one planet, have a network set where you jump into a star system, then move from planet to planet or other celestial bodies via a "warp drive" or some such. Ala EVE.

Or rather, jump gates between systems, and in-system accelerators for travel between planets. More x-ish and is different from EVE.

2. Expanded Ship Choice - The MX+ series of ships is a good start, but start including more ships in each class. Like each race having roughly 3 or 4 M4s (and not just ____ Vanguard type varients) and a similar number of M3s, M5s, and maybe 2 M6s. This gives players more freedom in what they choose to fly and field

3. Unused or Broken Features - Like the Cargo Drone (kindof) and the recon drone in X3TC, there are many things that are placed in the game, and accessible, but don't work as intended. Instead of including these with the game broken, keep them out of the release version unless you're on the verge of getting it working within the next patch.

4. Stations & Complexes - Having the current station setup (individual factories floating in orbit around a planet, sometimes connected by transfer tubing) works for the current space model. But with the Star System model, change the stations so that they're larger, encompass more (trade goods only available from trade stations, supply and demand for these, "planet interaction" of goods/equipment that are assumed to be produced planet-side) and are more memorable (the station that would orbit the planet of Argon Prime would be larger, contain a shipyard attachment where you see ships that have been ordered by NPCs being built, etc.)

5. Exploration - Sometime during the "opening" plot you are introduced to the game's exploration mechanic. The Jump drives we have available now would be changed to be able to lock onto a celestial body, using data collected from observer arrays located on the fringes of known space. These arrays would be run by independent crews, and accessible to anyone with a high enough security clearance. When you patch in, set a target for your jump drive, and jump to the system, the game generates a randomized (within reason, AKA no 200-planets-within-1AU systems) star system. This is then saved and when you jump back here, you see the same system. While you play however, the governments slowly start expanding outward, assisted or hindered by you. You jump into a system, see that there is an expeditionary fleet in-system, and either build stations and such for them, build your own stations, or take the system over and deny access by destroying the fleet.


Overall, I feel that the X-games have been very fun, but the storyline, universe, and other such bits are getting slightly worn by now. I think that Egosoft would be better off starting with a new IP and creating something that surpasses X in terms of size and depth for a single player game.

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Post by ezra-r » Wed, 5. Aug 09, 23:38

NCX wrote:Please don't turn this into a multiplayer discussion. The original poster did not say a word about multiplayer. He listed multiple suggestions.
Thanks for noticing I was in shock after reading some of the replies.

--

I just wish ego focus on making a game that works right out of the box reliably and that can run like the first day no matter how many hours you play and without such an outstanding number of bugs and buggy stats.

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Post by freddiel » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 01:20

ezra-r wrote:
I just wish ego focus on making a game that works right out of the box reliably and that can run like the first day no matter how many hours you play and without such an outstanding number of bugs and buggy stats.
I would think that there are very few games out there released today that can acheive this, given the demands of the publishers, the customers, and taking into account the size and depth of a game like this.

I would rather they continue to try and improve the game which they do, but give the next game the longevity that the X sereis has given us.

Personally the longevity of the game seems to far outweigh the annoyance of the bugs
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Post by RooksBailey » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 01:37

I have the same wish for this game that I have for most other sci-fi games: better use of planets. I'm just daydreaming here, but I wish planets were just as useful as space stations. At a minimum, I would like to see at least one major spaceport on a planet that you could land at and do some business.

Also, I would like to be able to get out of my ship and stretch my legs a little. Not looking for a FPS, but I think it would be a lot of fun if you could walk the hallways of a station, visit a pub and find some missions, etc. It would add more depth to the game.

Last, the next game should have some character creation. Even if it is basic, I would like to be able to choose some stats that will affect how others will interact with me.

Hmm...I've never played it, but it sort of sounds like I'm asking for a cross between Mass Effect and X3. :) I think that would be interesting....

PS: I would rather have good performance than great graphics. The current graphics engine is good enough for me.

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Post by 5c0rch! » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 04:18

An actual model Universe for the player to explore would be a huge step up from the current grid style for sectors, making it possible to explore actual solar systems with planets, asteroid belts and other hidden stuff would add to the immersion of the Universe considerably.

Taking it a step further you could make actual real time travel between solar systems or galaxies via some form of a warp or jumpdrive, depending on the travel times Gates or some other form of transitional travel would be the only effective way of travel for smaller ships, and only the capital ships would have the ability to jump between systems and galaxies, because of the high power usage.

I also second RooksBailey. Planets should have just as much influence on the economy as stations in orbit, where planets would have corporations and production facilities, much the same as the stations in orbit, except they would have some other advantage/disadvantage compared to stations in orbit. A type of freelancer esque model for planets would be what I am getting at here, but the inclusion of some form of planetary flight would be even better, with the ability to land at specific cities and trade and such.

Of course I don't expect the world of the devs, and the inclusion of just one of the above ideas from either me or the other posters in this thread would make me die a happy man. :P
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Post by s_mak » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 09:01

Stardock's Galatic civilizations 2 runs right out of the box. :)

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Post by andymac » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 11:38

I agree that Egosoft should start from scratch rather than try to squueze more life out of the X engine. A complete redesign would allow multi-core optimisation and give the devs the ability to add features that might not be possible in the current engine.

Some ideas/comments about features for the new game;

1. Variable difficulty.
I'm not expecting a huge number of options here - maybe just areas;
A) size of missions rewards low/high. If you want a game where you get paid huge amounts for missions so you buy an uber-ship fast then you can do so. OR, if you want a X2-style grind, then you can choose that also.
B) combat difficulty low/med/high. Basically adjust the combat effectiveness of enemy AI, so that players who are a bit rubbish at combat and want to focus on trade aren't excluded from the more hostile areas of any space by their lack of skills. Veteran combat aces can set it to high for a real challenge.

2. Universe map
Have a "real" universe (3D perhaps?) rather than a grid of seperate systems. I like the idea of planets within a system being linked by accelerators, and systems being linked by a jump drive. Which leads to point 3...

3. Travel
I also like the idea of only larger ships being able to jump between systems. Smaller ships would need to "piggy back" or dock - a bit like in Freespace, perhaps? Pilots of small ships can pay a large ship to take them with them (like hiring a TL) - having to pay a lot more if the player wants the big ship to take a detour to go to somewhere of the player's choosing that wasn't on the big ship's planned route.

4. Use of planets
We'd all love planets / moons to be usable. My concern is that this could be a huge timesink for the devs. Flying through the atmosphere would be cool for a few times, but eventualy would get time-consuming and players would want to turn it off (like the jumpgate animation in X). Which means the Devs spend ages making realistic-looking planets for very little gameplay benefit.
My suggestion is this; to land on a planet your ship has to fly to a certain area in space in orbit (marked by a box/spere in your HUD?) and stop dead. The backstory can be that tihs is for clearance etc. This then triggers a cutscene of your ship descending into thick clouds... cut to your ship landed at a space base. This way, the devs only have to design a handful of cool-looking space bases and some generic background scenery. Not spend months working on a cool planet-generator that will hardly be used.

5. Immersion
I loved all the non-mission stuff on the BBS in previous X games. Although the TC mission system works well, I miss the immersion factor of BBS. If some way could be found to make the universe feel like a vibrant place whilst keeping the mission system slick, that would ge a great achievement.

6. No multiplayer
Don't want to derail this thread with excessive discussion of this, so just suffice to stay - don't bother. Stick with the rich single player experience which has worked for you in the past.

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Post by 5c0rch! » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 13:19

My suggestion is this; to land on a planet your ship has to fly to a certain area in space in orbit (marked by a box/spere in your HUD?) and stop dead. The backstory can be that tihs is for clearance etc. This then triggers a cutscene of your ship descending into thick clouds... cut to your ship landed at a space base. This way, the devs only have to design a handful of cool-looking space bases and some generic background scenery. Not spend months working on a cool planet-generator that will hardly be used.
So pretty much Freelancer style planet landings? Where you had to fly to an atmospheric 'gate' where you get clearance to land, and then cutscence, then you are landed on the planet ready to trade.

I know that it would just add alot more work on their plate, but I was thinking of more than just novelty atmospheric flight, I was thinking full blown battles within the atmosphere of a planet. Where there would be ground targets, installations and such, as well as atmospheric dogfights. The Exodus of New Caprica from Battlestar Galactica Season 3 Comes to Mind.

I mean c'mon, you gotta admit that would open up a whole new avenue of combat gameplay, don't you? Like Orbital Strikes from Capships in orbit, conquest of planets where you take the capitals of a world cities, and fighting pirates on their own hidden bases on out of the way planets and such.
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Post by mrbadger » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 13:27

Blackjack. That's all I wanted added, or put back in.
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Re: Friendly suggestions for Next Egosoft era

Post by pjknibbs » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 13:31

ezra-r wrote: * Create a New engine from scratch (don't use old one) or use another from the reliable existing ones (Infinity?) that may be known for stability and performance (whichever costs less to egosoft).
Exactly what isn't stable about the existing X3 engine? In addition, most of the "existing reliable" engines you're talking about are not really designed for space sims, assuming that's what Egosoft will produce next (and I hasten to add that I don't know either way).

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Post by 5c0rch! » Thu, 6. Aug 09, 13:41

I certainly hope they produce another space sim, cause they are kick arse at that! /sucking up to devs

A 3d Universe Map would also be required if a realistic universe model was used, It wouldn't be as practical or intuitive to have a 2d map.
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