Modular Station Building

ADMNtek · Post by **ADMNtek** » Wed, 13. Sep 17, 23:09

https://www.egosoft.com/games/x4/screen ... en_009.jpg
doesn't look like cubes to me

https://www.egosoft.com/games/x4/screen ... en_010.jpg

https://www.egosoft.com/games/x4/screen ... en_014.jpg
still quite detailed but it looks less detailed than XR. and clearly terran inspired.

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/schem ... cedock.jpg
also am i the only one seeing the similarity.

Killjaeden · Post by **Killjaeden** » Wed, 13. Sep 17, 23:22

It looks like pretty much like the same system for modular stations we used for XTC... except that you can now assemble it ingame, instead of artists having to "hardcode" it per station type.

A living section near the center, with main modules in various shapes attached, plus some extra modules (e.g. storage), connected by few 'connectors' pieces that serve as spacers, junctions or curves to alter the look and provide more connection points.

If you squint you can make out the individual pieces

Not the greatest lighting or resolution admittedly

Vandragorax · Post by **Vandragorax** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 11:34

Killjaeden wrote: It looks like pretty much like the same system for modular stations we used for XTC... except that you can now assemble it ingame, instead of artists having to "hardcode" it per station type.

A living section near the center, with main modules in various shapes attached, plus some extra modules (e.g. storage), connected by few 'connectors' pieces that serve as spacers, junctions or curves to alter the look and provide more connection points.

Yes exactly, I like it

Also Blueprints and Construction plans as CBJ describes them above gets a big +1

antoniut · Post by **antoniut** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 11:53

CBJ wrote:
PowerPC603 wrote:As far as I understood the video, blueprints don't work as you describe it here (designing a prototype for some complex to repeat the same setup later on).
When you start the game, you only have access to a few modules to build (for example: small power plant and some small food plant).

When you explore and find new npc stations and modules dotted around the universe, you can scan those modules from an npc complex to receive a blueprint of that specific module type (example: crystal fab).

When you have the blueprint, you can implement that module type in your own complexes because you learned how to build that module type by scanning an existing one, owned by npc's.

That's how I understood it.
You're both right and wrong. You're right because the things we call Blueprints allow you to build specific modules, but you're wrong because the game also allows you to do roughly what BlackDemon described using a different kind of "blueprints" known as Construction Plans.

And just to clarify, while there are indeed limits on the space occupied by a station, and limitations on the ways any given pair of modules can be joined together, it is not a case of putting together little cubes to make bigger cubes as some people seem to think.

CBJ, it will be in X4 the possibility to build "Octopuss" type stations?

https://imgur.com/a/xmnBz

Post by **CBJ** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 12:05

I'm fairly sure it should be possible to build stations with a number of "arms" but I can't promise that 8 will be one of the available numbers.

antoniut · Post by **antoniut** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 12:18

CBJ wrote:I'm fairly sure it should be possible to build stations with a number of "arms" but I can't promise that 8 will be one of the available numbers.

Post by **Xenon_Slayer** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 12:56

You can also rotate modules on the yaw axis, so you could stack connection modules with 4 'arm' connections each and rotate them differently so there are 8 directions (on two height levels).

antoniut · Post by **antoniut** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 15:09

Xenon_Slayer wrote:You can also rotate modules on the yaw axis, so you could stack connection modules with 4 'arm' connections each and rotate them differently so there are 8 directions (on two height levels).

Even better! Thanks ES

Ezarkal · Post by **Ezarkal** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 15:23

Sounds sweet!

I'm quite eager to see that.

@ antoniut: From what mod is that station in the screenshot? It looks nice!

RAVEN.myst · Post by **RAVEN.myst** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 15:46

In one of those screenshots, I see L/XL shipyard docks - am I correct in inferring that we'll get to build player-owned shipyards? I would SERIOUSLY like that! The only other time we've seen something resembling that has been the PHQ in the X3s, and even then in vanilla we were limited to one, and it operated differently to NPC shipyards. Having player-owned SYs function similarly to NPC-owned ones in XR would be great - supplying the resources and the like...

ADMNtek · Post by **ADMNtek** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 16:25

yes i think bernd mentioned that we will be able to build shipyards.

antoniut · Post by **antoniut** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 17:13

Ezarkal wrote:Sounds sweet!

I'm quite eager to see that.

@ antoniut: From what mod is that station in the screenshot? It looks nice!

It's an unpublished mod made by me, if i remember correctcly, when rebirth was in 3.5 version or so

Raevyan · Post by **Raevyan** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 18:29

RAVEN.myst wrote:In one of those screenshots, I see L/XL shipyard docks - am I correct in inferring that we'll get to build player-owned shipyards? I would SERIOUSLY like that! The only other time we've seen something resembling that has been the PHQ in the X3s, and even then in vanilla we were limited to one, and it operated differently to NPC shipyards. Having player-owned SYs function similarly to NPC-owned ones in XR would be great - supplying the resources and the like...

If i remember correctly player shipyard were confirmed in German presentation.

Post by **Alan Phipps** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 21:04

A Q&A Sticky entry, should it help:

Q. Will the modules available to players include full shipyard build bays, from S to XL craft? Will there be any limit to the number of modules a given station can have? Will we be able to build new station modules in 3D, or just 2D? (I'm thinking about more vertical designs like the Licensed distillery in Omicron Lyrae in rebirth, for example.

A. I can't give a list of the exact modules available as it's still subject to change. Yes, but limits are currently more on the space the station takes up rather than the number of modules. Some modules are likely to have connectors on the top and/or bottom.

Crimsonraziel · Post by **Crimsonraziel** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 21:35

Alan Phipps wrote:
Crimsonraziel wrote:Nope, no asteroid-stations/modules for mining they said.
Where was that said and can you provide a link or reference please? All the Q&A in the Index Sticky imply that mining aspects are still pretty much undecided or under development. Also X Rebirth had specialist mineral mining complexes and gas mining complexes although those were all NPC owned.

Bernd Lehan said it in the Q&A on TVCD's Youtube channel. (german)

Lc4Hunter · Post by **Lc4Hunter** » Thu, 14. Sep 17, 21:43

Crimsonraziel wrote:
Alan Phipps wrote:
Crimsonraziel wrote:Nope, no asteroid-stations/modules for mining they said.
Where was that said and can you provide a link or reference please? All the Q&A in the Index Sticky imply that mining aspects are still pretty much undecided or under development. Also X Rebirth had specialist mineral mining complexes and gas mining complexes although those were all NPC owned.
Bernd Lehan said it in the Q&A on TVCD's Youtube channel. (german)

Thats right. Bernd said there will be NO mining stations like in X2/X3. Just mobile mining with ships.

Does anyone know if asteroids will respawn or will we have (in a very late gane) a situation where no more ressources can be preduces because all asterois have been used up?

RodentofDoom · Post by **RodentofDoom** » Fri, 15. Sep 17, 11:24

DaMuncha wrote:Well I tried station building in XR as part of the main story, but it just wouldnt build, I gave it what it needed but it took such a long time to get a % and then stopped, I gave it money for new supplies but it wouldnt buy anythign it needed, I tried to give it some supplies and more money and it just wasted the money and wouldnt take the supplies.

Station building in XR was a complete fail.

I found station building in XR to be far simpler and more streamlined than in X3

given the choice between the 2 .. i would much prefer a XR style building system for x4

Ezarkal · Post by **Ezarkal** » Fri, 15. Sep 17, 14:27

RodentofDoom wrote:
DaMuncha wrote:Well I tried station building in XR as part of the main story, but it just wouldnt build, I gave it what it needed but it took such a long time to get a % and then stopped, I gave it money for new supplies but it wouldnt buy anythign it needed, I tried to give it some supplies and more money and it just wasted the money and wouldnt take the supplies.

Station building in XR was a complete fail.
I found station building in XR to be far simpler and more streamlined than in X3

given the choice between the 2 .. i would much prefer a XR style building system for x4

Same in here. The only thing that was missing (appart from the completely free choice of module we'll see in X4) was the ability to queue up multiple stages in a row. I hope we'll have something like that in X4

ADMNtek · Post by **ADMNtek** » Fri, 15. Sep 17, 14:46

Lc4Hunter wrote:
Crimsonraziel wrote:
Alan Phipps wrote:
Crimsonraziel wrote:Nope, no asteroid-stations/modules for mining they said.
Where was that said and can you provide a link or reference please? All the Q&A in the Index Sticky imply that mining aspects are still pretty much undecided or under development. Also X Rebirth had specialist mineral mining complexes and gas mining complexes although those were all NPC owned.
Bernd Lehan said it in the Q&A on TVCD's Youtube channel. (german)
Thats right. Bernd said there will be NO mining stations like in X2/X3. Just mobile mining with ships.

Does anyone know if asteroids will respawn or will we have (in a very late gane) a situation where no more ressources can be preduces because all asterois have been used up?

i assume they will re spawn after awhile like in XR.