Can we see actual gameplay?

[Alci]

Releasing some gameplay will go a long way to assuaging fears, and make people more confident in your product, as well as you as developers.

soo, if you see a video of someone playing the X game for an hour you will know how big the map is and how many sectors there are? Is that what you want?

When I read about "them not answering map size questions" the very first thought was "in what units you want it"? From videos where they presented map and such it looked like "infinite". A lot bigger areas then X3 had (sectors there are pitifully tiny, they always were since X1, not even resembling "space")

[spacecoyote99]

And you also cannot fault the players for being hesitant. Reading the Q&A from last year, I see a lot of questions where they are deliberately ambiguous (not giving number of sectors, map sizes, etc.). These things are red flags to players. Any negative points in reviews after the game launches will only compound that, and it outweighs the good right out of the gate.

I don't blame anyone for being cautious, but your choice then is very simple; don't buy the game until you've seen a few let's plays. Egosoft is obviously not interested in showing more detail right now. Whether that's because they're still finalizing or to avoid spoilers or lack of time or any combination of those. People can argue until they're blue in the face but ultimately it's Egosoft's choice.

I pre-ordered simply because of my history with the X series and to support the company that brought me hundreds of hours of entertainment with the previous games. But everyone has to make that decision for themselves.

[DaMuncha]

I think that thier grasp of English has led to things either being incorrectly described, left vague, or the question has been been miss-understood.

"Hey mom, what am I getting for Christmas this year?" "Yes honey"

"No I said WHAT am I getting for Christmas this year?" "Dont say "What" in front of me, say Pardon"

[Alan Phipps]

I think (in fact I know) that their collective grasp and understanding of English is completely fine. (Apart maybe from a few small issues similar to the common UK-USA English ones.)

I think is it more that there are probably just not too many different yet still polite ways of saying "I'm not going to tell you about that".

Actually your analogy above is probably an excellent example of exactly that!

[Vandragorax]

I can't honestly believe how rude some people appear in this thread, demanding things from the devs, as well as insulting their language skills... really? o_O

As the quote below says very well, you have a simple choice. You pre-order based on what you've seen so far, or you don't pre-order and you wait until more videos appear that appease your apparent distrust.

That's it!

And you also cannot fault the players for being hesitant. Reading the Q&A from last year, I see a lot of questions where they are deliberately ambiguous (not giving number of sectors, map sizes, etc.). These things are red flags to players. Any negative points in reviews after the game launches will only compound that, and it outweighs the good right out of the gate.

I don't blame anyone for being cautious, but your choice then is very simple; don't buy the game until you've seen a few let's plays. Egosoft is obviously not interested in showing more detail right now. Whether that's because they're still finalizing or to avoid spoilers or lack of time or any combination of those. People can argue until they're blue in the face but ultimately it's Egosoft's choice.

I pre-ordered simply because of my history with the X series and to support the company that brought me hundreds of hours of entertainment with the previous games. But everyone has to make that decision for themselves.

[DaMuncha]

Well weather I buy it before release date or after depends on what we are given as incentive to preorder the game, So far What I have seen in the released footage so far has definitely made me want to buy the game. But so did X Rebirth. So the only thing that would make me want to pre-order the game is this "paint mod" what ever that is. But CBJ who I know speaks english very well, still has not given me a satisfying answer to what it is. He said that egosoft will explain it later, but its being sold for pre-order now so those who have allready bought the game have given Egosoft their money without even knowing what exactly they are buying. Will we get the paint mod with the game normally anyway? Is the paint mod only for the collectors edition? Would it be unfair to give a mod to some players but not others despite paying the full price for the game on release?

[Alci]

those who have allready bought the game have given Egosoft their money without even knowing what exactly they are buying

well.. that's kinda common for preorders in general in much larger scale

[CBJ]

You are making far more of this paint mod thing than is necessary. The incentive to pre-order, if you want one, is the discount. The paint mod is just a little bonus; a badge of honour if you like.

As for what it is, I have answered as fully as I can. I'm not going to disclose feature details that haven't been formally announced yet just to secure your pre-order! And obviously you won't get this particular paint mod with the game if you don't pre-order, otherwise it wouldn't be "exclusive" as described in the blurb. The paint mod feature is of course part of the game for everyone, however.

[ZombiePotatoSalad]

You are making far more of this paint mod thing than is necessary. The incentive to pre-order, if you want one, is the discount. The paint mod is just a little bonus; a badge of honour if you like.

As for what it is, I have answered as fully as I can. I'm not going to disclose feature details that haven't been formally announced yet just to secure your pre-order! And obviously you won't get this particular paint mod with the game if you don't pre-order, otherwise it wouldn't be "exclusive" as described in the blurb. The paint mod feature is of course part of the game for everyone, however.

The discount was about $5 USD off the normal CE price. Not much to crow about. I bought it because it also included the upcoming expansions. I bought the CE (the first time I have ever done so) to support this company. I just wish they'd be a bit more forthcoming.

How is telling the map size or sector count a spoiler? The developer of Kenshi said for years, the map was over 700km squared. Ok, that's fine. I don't remember them saying how many areas Rebirth had, and look how that turned out. All I want is clarity, and the Q&A to be updated. It's from last year, and things may have changed. For a developer to obscure things, especially when their last release was so controversial, sends up red flags for a lot of people. I think it would generate a lot more business if they were more candid.

I cite again, the example of Spacebase DF-9. I backed it because the premise was interesting: a space game styled after Dwarf Fortress. Some time later, the devs abandoned it, and cited a very weak reason. They then had the gall to start a Kickstarter campaign to make Psychonauts 2. The community had a mixed reaction of laughing at them, and insulting them.

Yet another example is that of Star Citizen. It's been slowly grinding for 6 years now. People want a space game, but they're getting sick of waiting. Elite: Dangerous seems to be in decline, now is the perfect time to openly advertise. Don't make the mistakes of others devs and say SOON (TM). Openly talk about your product, show confidence in it. When people see your are confident in your product, they are more likely to buy it.

[CBJ]

The discount was about $5 USD off the normal CE price. Not much to crow about.

Nobody is crowing about anything. It's a small discount to thank those who choose to do so. Bear in mind that if we offered too big an incentive, then people who don't want to pre-order would be up in arms, accusing us of trying to force them to do so!

How is telling the map size or sector count a spoiler?

Plenty of people like to play this game for the exploration aspect, and don't want to know exactly how many of everything (ships, sectors, whatever) there will be. Of course some of the information may come out before release; it just depends on what the priorities turn out to be.

Openly talk about your product, show confidence in it. When people see your are confident in your product, they are more likely to buy it.

We have talked openly about it, but that doesn't mean we have to disclose every little detail. Aside from the spoiler issue, telling people about details that may still be subject to change is not necessarily the best option. There are plenty of instances where we have talked about something during development or even the design stage, making it abundantly clear that the it's just an idea, plan or the current status, only to have angry people accusing us of "lying" when things didn't turn out exactly as we had talked about. Yes, I know we are not far from release but a) you would be surprised how late in the development cycle some things have to be able to change and b) the closer we get to the release, the less time we have available to prepare releases of information ahead of the game itself.

[Slashman]

The discount was about $5 USD off the normal CE price. Not much to crow about.

Nobody is crowing about anything. It's a small discount to thank those who choose to do so. Bear in mind that if we offered too big an incentive, then people who don't want to pre-order would be up in arms, accusing us of trying to force them to do so!

How is telling the map size or sector count a spoiler?

Plenty of people like to play this game for the exploration aspect, and don't want to know exactly how many of everything (ships, sectors, whatever) there will be. Of course some of the information may come out before release; it just depends on what the priorities turn out to be.

Openly talk about your product, show confidence in it. When people see your are confident in your product, they are more likely to buy it.

We have talked openly about it, but that doesn't mean we have to disclose every little detail. Aside from the spoiler issue, telling people about details that may still be subject to change is not necessarily the best option. There are plenty of instances where we have talked about something during development or even the design stage, making it abundantly clear that the it's just an idea, plan or the current status, only to have angry people accusing us of "lying" when things didn't turn out exactly as we had talked about. Yes, I know we are not far from release but a) you would be surprised how late in the development cycle some things have to be able to change and b) the closer we get to the release, the less time we have available to prepare releases of information ahead of the game itself.

Well said. Now can we all just wait for release???

[DaMuncha]

You are making far more of this paint mod thing than is necessary. The incentive to pre-order, if you want one, is the discount. The paint mod is just a little bonus; a badge of honour if you like.

As for what it is, I have answered as fully as I can. I'm not going to disclose feature details that haven't been formally announced yet just to secure your pre-order! And obviously you won't get this particular paint mod with the game if you don't pre-order, otherwise it wouldn't be "exclusive" as described in the blurb. The paint mod feature is of course part of the game for everyone, however.

Well that changes everything. The "special version" of the paint "feature" is only available to those who "pre-order" the "Collectors Edition". Thus it gives no "incentive" to "pre-order" the "standard" "Edition" of the game since the "Feature" is present in "all" versions of the "game".

So its basically its "Pre-order now to get a special camo skin for the customization menu of limited edition AK-47"... "Conditions may apply"..."Only available for the first 50 callers"... "May cause bleeding, loss of sight, nausea, head aches, dizziness, insomnia, extreme discomfort, loss of balance, and Choking"... "if symptoms persist please see your doctor"... "Contains small parts, Keep away from children"

[ZombiePotatoSalad]

That is true. While I know nothing of how it is from the developer side, I see everything from the consumer side, especially having been burned before. I have watched all the livestreams and trailers, but those were a year ago. Some things that were only ideas then may be in now, or may not be. All too common, I see developers say "all this and more!" However, come to find out, there is no "and more."


I think I share the same thoughts as many, I don't want this to be "another Rebirth." I didn't really have many problems with the game, it just didn't grip me as much. I don't need an exact number of playable areas, a ballpark estimate will do. That is your choice if you want to give that information or not. I just feel, as a consumer, that it will help. I mean, you already mentioned there will be derelict stations, which is a spoiler itself.


I foresee this becoming one of the top space games, especially against the two others currently out there... well, sort of, in one case. You're also releasing in a time of big names. I ask people if they've heard of X4 Foundations, and they say "X what?" This product deserves to stand out more. The livestreams made me interested. The gameplay trailer had me hooked, and so I purchased.

How about a question that isn't a spoiler: Will there be a more in-depth tutorial, for those who want it? X3 was known for its "learning cliff," and people I suggested the game to, or bought it for couldn't get into it.

[DaMuncha]

Most people I've talked to about X4 Have never played an X game before and dont understand what makes it different from other more popular space games.

When I first played X3 I had no clue what I was doing and gave up untill months later I saw a realy good tutorial series on youtube explaining how to play the game.

[CBJ]

Well that changes everything. The "special version" of the paint "feature" is only available to those who "pre-order" the "Collectors Edition". Thus it gives no "incentive" to "pre-order" the "standard" "Edition" of the game since the "Feature" is present in "all" versions of the "game".

Try again. The incentive to buy the Collectors Edition over the Standard Edition is that it includes 2 expansions, a novel, a soundtrack and an artbook (all digital). The incentive to pre-order the Collectors Edition rather than waiting for release is a small discount and a specific paint mod as a bonus. It's that simple.

[jamesdehunter]

If you buy on or after release day:

Standard edition = The game

Collector's edition = The game, 2 expansions, art, soundtrack etc

If you pre order:

Standard edition = The game + bonus ship paint mod

Collector's edition = The game, 2 expansions, art, soundtrack etc + bonus ship paint mod


I don't see what's causing the confusion here, but CBJ your patience astounds me

[Alan Phipps]

Sorry James, but I don't think you get the paint mod preorder bonus with the standard edition, just on preorder of the Collectors' Edition. Also don't forget the 7% discount for the CE preorder.

[jamesdehunter]

Right you are, my mistake.

Seems someone made a valid point about there being no incentive to preorder the standard edition then. Unless I'm missing something (else)?

Either way it's potato potahto to me, I'll probably get the collector's edition after release

[Alci]

it includes 2 expansions, a novel, a soundtrack and an artbook (all digital). The incentive to pre-order the Collectors Edition rather than waiting for release is a small discount and a specific paint mod as a bonus.

couldn't we get the novel now? now it's the good time for reading

[ZombiePotatoSalad]

it includes 2 expansions, a novel, a soundtrack and an artbook (all digital). The incentive to pre-order the Collectors Edition rather than waiting for release is a small discount and a specific paint mod as a bonus.

couldn't we get the novel now? now it's the good time for reading

Lol I'll read it in a day or so.