NEWS: X Rebirth Virtual Reality Edition - Early Access launch, XCon 2017 and X4

Post by **TVCD** » Sat, 5. Aug 17, 20:48

NEMESIS165 wrote:Can you put X4 for pre order on steam ? I will buy it .

just take my money

X4 is not even in the alpha stage, first pictures or even info is also not yet and you want to pre-order?

Nothing learned from Rebirth?

First infos and pictures will be given by the Gamescom and then by the X-Con and then we see in which direction X4 develops.

tanner1ie · Post by **tanner1ie** » Sat, 5. Aug 17, 23:27

Miniding wrote:But if you look closer to a PC running even X3TC, you'll understand there would be a dumbing down... Or at least a tunning down as X series are to eat RAM and GPU

Like i said in one of my other comments, i was still playing TC and AP on my nearly 13 year old Pentium 4 'til late last year, with its' 1 gig of Ram (and the one thing i didn't mention in the previous comment, a Nvidia 6200 "Turbocache"), aside from long loading times between sectors, the game still ran perfectly.
Reunion ran even between with zero loading times, but of course that game only needed half a gig of ram to run and recommended my old PC's 1 gig.

(I've no doubt a PS4 would run at the very least Reunion to AP, in it's sleep, surely even Rebirth because it well exceeds the game's minimum ram and matches its' recommended amount and EVEN if X4 doubled Rebirths' minimum ram requirement, which i highly doubt Egosoft will do with it as like i said even many PC players don't have 8 gig ram PCs.

While sure if people are buying expensive gaming PC these days, many will aim to buy systems with 8+ gigs of ram, but there are many people on a budget who still buy PCs with 4 gigs or less of ram*.

Long story short, power wise (and for any other reason), there'd be no need to downgrade or "dumb down" the series gameplay.

I want it EXACTLY the way it currently is (at least in all the entries up to and including AP (i've only run Rebirth a few minutes to see that it plays perfectly on my system, i haven't put any time into it to judge it for myself, i just know it disappointed a lot if other X fans.

Console gamers don't need simpler games either and are completely capable of playing and understanding the exact same games PC players play.

In 2005 i came to PC games directly from my PS2 and i could play and understand them instantly.
(While i CAN easily play PC games, it's the secondary problems you get with them that have me wishing i was playing them on a console.

First wondering if you can run particular games on your system, then if they'll run well, then changing game settings to find a nice balance between the game looking the best it can and running smoothly, then generally having to programme your own controller and other control options, if they even have controller support at all or good controller support at that, background programmes like anti virus scans or your system downloading an update and wanting to restart, not including them missing certain things we get on consoles like trophy support, easier placement of consoles in bedrooms etc.
Yes i know Laptops and Alienware Alpha are small, but they have limitations desktops PCs don't, so IF i have to have a PC to play certain games i still must have a desktop PC, but if all the games i want to play were available on a Playstation, which 95% of them are, i wouldn't even think of a PC as a gaming system...

.)

On the flip side, as i've said, we've gotten direct PC ports of games like the aforementioned Elite Dangerous and in particular, its' easy to use button modifier control scheme is proff you don't need a keyboard to play complex space games like X with a controller.
(As i also said, i've played all the X games i've played with a controller on my PC, only using the keyboard for secondary functions, which i could have easily mapped to the controller, i just didn't bother to.

Elite's PS4 control scheme for example has one main function of each face button and typically three, if not more additional functions mapped to each button with modifiers, but you could easily map way more modifier functions, for example modifying a single face button with only the direction and shoulder buttons raises its' functions to nine, without even adding modifiers with the other face buttons or L3 and R3 or with two additional buttons, three additional buttons... though any more though four additional buttons would get extremely confusing...

If anyone remembers how factorial numbers work, there are literally thousands of button combinations possible with only the DS4's 12 standard buttons, not included those possible when you add L3, R3, Start, Share and the touch pad, though the ones after the main 12 would be difficult to press in combinations and sure while you literally wouldn't be able remember all the factorial combinations of 12 and likely run out of system memory programming them all and surely some combinations would (but maybe not

) cancel each other out by overlapping when pressing actually buttons, but the possible combinations of 12 numbers or indeed 12 objects is... 479,001,600 and while sure a keyboards' possible combinations is even higher, with the factorial of even only 20 buttons is 2,432,902,008,176,640,000, the primary point is, you don't need a keyboard to play a game like this

.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorial

(You could map at least nine functions to each of the face buttons.
One function for a tap, but upon holding it pick eight more functions for it by then pressing any of the four direction buttons or shoulder buttons, without even adding to that the additional modifiers of holding the same button, then pressing one of the other face buttons or combinations of buttons, such as the button with two other buttons, three other buttons. four other buttons and so on...

.)

(*Many shop bought €300-500 desktop and laptop computers only come with 4 gigs of ram, the first starting model of the Alienware Alpha only came with 2 gigs of ram, while the second gen starting model still only came with 4 gigs of ram and cost around €650. While you can't currently buy the 4 gigs model from Dell, at least here in Ireland, and the first model of the Alpha currently which does indeed comes with 8 gigs of ram,... but it costs nearly €900 without a disc drive, which many people will still want to play older games which would push a starting Alpha with a disc drive up to nearly €950.

While the Alpha is of course a small and relatively powerful, because last time i heard you can't change its' graphics card once it's built, it can only use an external disc drive and worries some people have over its' cooling efficiency since it has such a small box, since Dell replaced its' pretty good value X51 line and aside from its' XPS line that offers some seemingly pretty random stock builds, some great, some terrible, but its' main gaming PC line now, the Aurora, is overpriced and not that impressive (without spending a fortune).

Its' starting build, without a disc drive and a pretty poor AMD RX 560 cost €1020, giving it a disc drive, which means changing the model to more expensive case and a still only average Nvidia 1050Ti makes the system cost €1230.
Adding a disc drive costs €50 extra and the different case needed another €50 extra.

The X51 models for about €800 were typically as good as the now €1200+ Aurora builds and 'til about three years ago came with disc drives as standard, but even in about the last two to three years 'til about a year ago when the X51 was discontinued and a disc drive was then an optional extra, adding it only cost €30 extra and didn't mean changing the case.

Most people are only going to buy €300-500 models, particularly if they're buying a family PC or only looking for PC as a secondary gaming device to a PS4 or Xbox 1, as i recently was.

While i was on a pretty small budget and i didn't like the often up to €600 PCs in shops like PC World, in the end i got my currently PC pretty cheap at €400 on sale from Dell, which while it indeed came with 8 gigs of ram and an i3 6100, it only came with an integrated HD 530 graphics but even with that its' able to run Rebirth at approximately medium settings and assuming X4's minimum settings don't change, it'll still run it too.
(It was down from €450, while their new similar system, with only a slightly better cpu and integrated card, an i3 7100 with a HD 630 is currently €500, indeed it's a direct iteration of my current PC...

.)

If my PC will run Rebirth, my PS4 would surely run at least all the X games so far and hopefully still X4...

.

tanner1ie · Post by **tanner1ie** » Sat, 5. Aug 17, 23:56

CBJ wrote:To clear up this debate, we are not actively working on console ports for any of our games at the moment.

I know you're not, i'm just wishing that you are or begging you to do so if you're not even thinking of it

.

(I'm encouraged to think that your use of the words "not actively working on" mean that you're at least thinking of it or planning to...

...even if you were to release X4 and hopefully at least Reunion to AP on PS4 or any forthcoming Playstation in the next three to ten years, i'd be happy just to get it/them eventually

.

I've been waiting nearly 13 years since i first discovered this series for a Playstation release of it and i just waited the best part of three years for the PS4 version Elite Dangerous, when i'd only heard a rumour it was coming to the PS4, while i've currently been waiting over two years for the European PS4 release of Kerbal Space Programme

.

On PC ports on consoles while as i said in another comment we've gotten a decent amount since the release of the PS4, but in particular some high profile and a decent about of space games on the platform.

I'm hopeful the generally high quality and smooth transition to PS4 of most of them like Rebel Galaxy, Elite Dangerous and the sure joint PS4 and PC release No Man's Sky and their hopefully good sales, will have encouraged ye to develop for this console and indeed others

.
(In other genre PC games that have come out on the system include, Tropico 5, Planetside 2, Blacklight Retrubution, War Thunder, World of Tanks, The Elder Scrolls Online, Warframe, while aside from third party developer Flying Tiger Entertainment messing up the post, Kerbal wounld run apparently run fine, while the Xbox 1 got Cities: Skylines in April, while we're getting it in two weeks.

All these games and more i could have played on my PC if i was forced to, but since i knew i'd soon have the option of playing them on my system of choice, Playstation, i waited for the them - if and hopefully when ye ever release X games on Playstation, you've some guaranteed sales here...

.

tanner1ie · Post by **tanner1ie** » Sun, 6. Aug 17, 00:07

TVCD wrote:
NEMESIS165 wrote:Can you put X4 for pre order on steam ? I will buy it .

just take my money
X4 is not even in the alpha stage, first pictures or even info is also not yet and you want to pre-order? Nothing learned from Rebirth? First infos and pictures will be given by the Gamescom and then by the X-Con and then we see in which direction X4 develops.

People supposedly turned in and had honoured 15 year old Duke Nukem Forever pre orders for new release copies when it finally released... so it's never too soon to pre order anything

.

Not that i really do it myself or am saying that X4 will take as long to develop or be as disappointing as Duke Nukem Forever, it's just that they were some LONG before release pre orders (not that that was the plan of course with the game announced for PS1 then eventually coming out on PS3

.

kongha · Post by **kongha** » Sun, 6. Aug 17, 09:46

Love the EA of the VR. Played the tutorial but then the game became crash prone (its because my pc isnt vr-ready so please reader have that in mind :) ).

What I did miss was the feeling of space beeing populated so please devs put some more npcs around stations.

Keep up the good work and thank you devs for creating such great games (x-rebirth was my first spac sim and now im hooked).

Oldman · Post by **Oldman** » Sun, 6. Aug 17, 12:53

Hi

Looking forward to reading/seeing any information on X4.
I presume there will be some screenshots, or basic information about the design of the game and general info on what the basic ideas the game hopes to achieve.

Oldman

Skeeter · Post by **Skeeter** » Sun, 6. Aug 17, 15:27

Think of x rebirth and x3 combined in one kinda, I mean all x games are so similar so I doubt were gonna be shocked when screenies or anything come out. I'm guessing its just a x rebirth based game with a few new sectors some extra flyable ships hopefully with cockpits and not what x3 did. Few new stations, a bad plot with not enough invested and dodgy voice over dialogue and badly made NPCs. I mean yeah I'm being a bit hard on em but its egosoft, they do the usual which is a bit better in general from the last game. If its better than that then good/great but im not getting my hopes up after been disappointed in x games after x2 tbh.

A5PECT · Post by **A5PECT** » Mon, 7. Aug 17, 16:53

Oldman wrote:Looking forward to reading/seeing any information on X4.
I presume there will be some screenshots, or basic information about the design of the game and general info on what the basic ideas the game hopes to achieve.

This is why I asked about media coverage.

I may be overthinking it, but XCon seems like X4's first press release using fan-oriented event to drive it. A little hare-brained, but it would be a clever way to start rebuilding trust with their old X3-era audience after alienating large parts of it with XR.

carran · Post by **carran** » Mon, 7. Aug 17, 17:10

A5PECT wrote:
Oldman wrote:Looking forward to reading/seeing any information on X4.
I presume there will be some screenshots, or basic information about the design of the game and general info on what the basic ideas the game hopes to achieve.
This is why I asked about media coverage.

I may be overthinking it, but XCon seems like X4's first press release using fan-oriented event to drive it. A little hare-brained, but it would be a clever way to start rebuilding trust with their old X3-era audience after alienating large parts of it with XR.

I like your thinking

Unfortunately I can't attend - the Monday is public holiday in the UK - otherwise I would have enjoyed attending just as I did Jodrell Bank for X2 preview

A5PECT · Post by **A5PECT** » Mon, 7. Aug 17, 17:46

In another topic linolafett floated the idea of streaming part of the event. Given how many users here expressed the desire but are unable to attend, prioritizing streaming would be prudent.

Post by **Sparky Sparkycorp** » Mon, 7. Aug 17, 20:00

linolafett wrote:I hope we can stream something, but nothing is confirmed yet. Please dont get your hopes up too much.
People will be able to film freely though

https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php ... &start=150

VincentTH · Post by **VincentTH** » Sat, 12. Aug 17, 16:32

It seems this question has not been answered/asked:

If I don't have a VR set, and have no plan to have one, what is in VR for me? Can I play the game without a VR set?

My apologies if this has been answered before

Post by **X2-Illuminatus** » Sat, 12. Aug 17, 16:58

Yes, you can play XR VR completely without VR Headset and VR controllers too. However, please note that the majority of changes in XR VR were made to provide a good VR experience. Thus, if you own X Rebirth already, but do not plan on investing into VR gear, it's questionable whether the additional purchase of XR VR is worthwile. Please see also the answers to the XR VR Early Access questions number 14, 15 and 17 for reference.

VincentTH · Post by **VincentTH** » Sat, 12. Aug 17, 17:23

X2-Illuminatus wrote:Yes, you can play XR VR completely without VR Headset and VR controllers too. However, please note that the majority of changes in XR VR were made to provide a good VR experience. Thus, if you own X Rebirth already, but do not plan on investing into VR gear, it's questionable whether the additional purchase of XR VR is worthwile. Please see also the answers to the XR VR Early Access questions number 14, 15 and 17 for reference.

Thanks !!!!

ajime · Post by **ajime** » Mon, 14. Aug 17, 02:53

Skeeter wrote:Think of x rebirth and x3 combined in one kinda, I mean all x games are so similar so I doubt were gonna be shocked when screenies or anything come out. I'm guessing its just a x rebirth based game with a few new sectors some extra flyable ships hopefully with cockpits and not what x3 did. Few new stations, a bad plot with not enough invested and dodgy voice over dialogue and badly made NPCs. I mean yeah I'm being a bit hard on em but its egosoft, they do the usual which is a bit better in general from the last game. If its better than that then good/great but im not getting my hopes up after been disappointed in x games after x2 tbh.

missed the cheezy lines of characters in x2. good thing i boot it up just to have a glimpse of storyline. gameplay wise though i can't last long without having a mouse and better looking ships in X3.

Guess i'll tune in to the streaming event i suppose since it costs too much for me to fly there from a third world country

Post by **Tamina** » Mon, 14. Aug 17, 09:09

I don't know if they are actually allowed to record and stream the event without the consent of everybody else?

Yet it would be extremely mandatory to provide all information, about X4 from the XCON, online as well.
Or this is going to become a hypetrain based on false 2nd hand facts, promises and dreams.

Looking at you CBJ !! You are the one who accuses us (the fans) doing that on purpose, from time to time.

Post by **TVCD** » Tue, 15. Aug 17, 08:51

Tamina wrote:I don't know if they are actually allowed to record and stream the event without the consent of everybody else?

Yet it would be extremely mandatory to provide all information, about X4 from the XCON, online as well.
Or this is going to become a hypetrain based on false 2nd hand facts, promises and dreams.

Looking at you CBJ !! You are the one who accuses us (the fans) doing that on purpose, from time to time.

Yesterday came the official information that the XCon on 26.08.2017 takes place. Visitors can film and talk openly. Egosoft will try to stream from the event so everyone who can not come up with all the info. Perhaps it will also be possible to answer questions online. I think most of the questions should be answered here.

Edit: Almost forgotten. The XCon starts at 3:00 pm and is supposed to last until 7:00 pm. Whether the entire XCon is broadcast live is not known.

Post by **Tamina** » Tue, 15. Aug 17, 09:50

TVCD wrote:The XCon starts at 3:00 pm and is supposed to last until 7:00 pm. Whether the entire XCon is broadcast live is not known.

*1:00 pm - 5:00 pm UTC

Post by **TVCD** » Tue, 15. Aug 17, 15:10

Tamina wrote:
TVCD wrote:The XCon starts at 3:00 pm and is supposed to last until 7:00 pm. Whether the entire XCon is broadcast live is not known.
*1:00 pm - 5:00 pm UTC

Oh sorry, but in the English news stands also the german time.

https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=395937

<That is the logical thing to do because the news item is about attending in person in Germany and so uses local German timings. Alan Phipps>

Post by **CBJ** » Tue, 15. Aug 17, 15:17

Tamina wrote:Looking at you CBJ !! You are the one who accuses us (the fans) doing that on purpose, from time to time.

You're taking it way too personally! It's something that the internet does because it involves a large mass of people, not something a few individual fans do intentionally. And a bit of video streaming won't stop it.