Never played an X game.

[Honved]

If no one has said it to you yet I will, the learning curve of these games is like a wall, It will take a lot of time to learn how to use the different ships, with different weapons and accessories, different Stations, different races, different wares, a lot of different things interlocked ones with others.
I love Albion Prelude it is my favorite X series game.

This is an understatement, if anything: the "curve" will very likely appear disturbingly similar to a brick wall at first. Your initial experience may be one of frustration, because you don't have a clue about what is POSSIBLE, and have no idea what tools are needed for the various options available, or where to get them. I'm sure that X4 will be different enough from X3 that even the old timers will need to relearn several things and discover a few new ones before they can take advantage of all of the options open to the player. The forum here is a good place to get ideas and hints if you get stuck, and MOST of us here don't bite.

Depending on your chosen start, you may have a relatively weak but combat-ready ship, or an unarmed freighter and barely any starting capital to buy commodities to resell. From what we've been told, we won't be restricted nearly as much as in X:Rebirth, which only allowed the player to pilot the one "jack of all trades" ship, and locked most of the sandbox content behind the initial tutorial/plot. It will most likely include a variety of very different starting situations to suit multiple playing styles, as did the previous X3 series.

[Vandragorax]

Personally I wouldn't say the X games have a "brick wall of a learning curve". The game mechanics aren't rocket science Most of it's very familiar to people who have played other video games before, as you might imagine.

However, I would say that the series requires a certain amount of self-betterment, and willingness to learn by trying things out and experimenting. The game will not hold your hand like a lot of other modern games do, nor will it guide you through a series of steps to accomplish things in the game - and so rather than a learning curve I'd probably describe it more as being "thrown in at the deep end when you can't yet swim". One has to figure out how to doggy paddle and not inhale the water, then gradually our skill gets better until we can eventually butterfly stroke our way down the entire length of the pool without thinking about it

The learning part is easy, it's having the patience and the drive to actually do the learning that takes a certain mindset. I think a lot of players might give up on the X series after a couple of hours just because they feel as though they didn't achieve anything, even though in reality they achieved a lot of learning and self-betterment which would translate into the next play session being a lot more lucrative.

[wrmiller]

The forum here is a good place to get ideas and hints if you get stuck, and MOST of us here don't bite.

This is good to know, thanks.

I have over 3800 hours, in just under two years, in that other game. I never did the tutorials, nor read the manual. Just played the game and kept trying to figure stuff out. Once I discovered the forum I started doing better.

If this game gets a bit frustrating at times, I can always go back to flying my other spaceships for a bit. And reading the forum here to sort myself out. It will just take some time. Being old(er) and retired has some (few?) advantages.

[Hector0x]

Just a little heads up. The game will lure you into switching from joystick to mouse and keyboard at some point. Of course this also depends on your playstyle and wether you invest your cash in many ships and stations. But when the playership gets less and less nimble and the assets you have to manage more numerous, it becomes a pain with joystick, controller, or hotas.

[wrmiller]

Just a little heads up. The game will lure you into switching from joystick to mouse and keyboard at some point. Of course this also depends on your playstyle and wether you invest your cash in many ships and stations. But when the playership gets less and less nimble and the assets you have to manage more numerous, it becomes a pain with joystick, controller, or hotas.

Thanks, I will keep that in mind.

I currently use a Thrustmaster HOTAS and VKB pedals for flying all my ships. But I have a mouse and keyboard between them that I use when I'm in stations and manipulating screens/pulldowns.

[csaba]

If no one has said it to you yet I will, the learning curve of these games is like a wall, It will take a lot of time to learn how to use the different ships, with different weapons and accessories, different Stations, different races, different wares, a lot of different things interlocked ones with others.
I love Albion Prelude it is my favorite X series game.

This is an understatement, if anything: the "curve" will very likely appear disturbingly similar to a brick wall at first. Your initial experience may be one of frustration, because you don't have a clue about what is POSSIBLE, and have no idea what tools are needed for the various options available, or where to get them. I'm sure that X4 will be different enough from X3 that even the old timers will need to relearn several things and discover a few new ones before they can take advantage of all of the options open to the player. The forum here is a good place to get ideas and hints if you get stuck, and MOST of us here don't bite.

Depending on your chosen start, you may have a relatively weak but combat-ready ship, or an unarmed freighter and barely any starting capital to buy commodities to resell. From what we've been told, we won't be restricted nearly as much as in X:Rebirth, which only allowed the player to pilot the one "jack of all trades" ship, and locked most of the sandbox content behind the initial tutorial/plot. It will most likely include a variety of very different starting situations to suit multiple playing styles, as did the previous X3 series.

Here is my "screenshot" of the day:

https://imageshack.com/i/pnE5IyVkj

[StormMagi]

If no one has said it to you yet I will, the learning curve of these games is like a wall, It will take a lot of time to learn how to use the different ships, with different weapons and accessories, different Stations, different races, different wares, a lot of different things interlocked ones with others.
I love Albion Prelude it is my favorite X series game.

This is an understatement, if anything: the "curve" will very likely appear disturbingly similar to a brick wall at first. Your initial experience may be one of frustration, because you don't have a clue about what is POSSIBLE, and have no idea what tools are needed for the various options available, or where to get them. I'm sure that X4 will be different enough from X3 that even the old timers will need to relearn several things and discover a few new ones before they can take advantage of all of the options open to the player. The forum here is a good place to get ideas and hints if you get stuck, and MOST of us here don't bite.

Depending on your chosen start, you may have a relatively weak but combat-ready ship, or an unarmed freighter and barely any starting capital to buy commodities to resell. From what we've been told, we won't be restricted nearly as much as in X:Rebirth, which only allowed the player to pilot the one "jack of all trades" ship, and locked most of the sandbox content behind the initial tutorial/plot. It will most likely include a variety of very different starting situations to suit multiple playing styles, as did the previous X3 series.

Here is my "screenshot" of the day:

https://imageshack.com/i/pnE5IyVkj

Nah, that would be EVE Online, X is pretty intuitive for figuring things out. The best thing about X games though, the mods that come out, new ships, trading methods, ai tweaks, total conversions.... They are a great way to spice up a second start or and some flavor to a current game.

[jasonbarron]

You won't need to know about the old plot-lines from previous games in the series.
X4 will bring it's own for you to unravel.

Whilst the lore is nice to know, it isn't super critical either, if you don't know it you don't miss out on anything.

But a quick breakdown of the lore follows
- An ancient race builds the gates
- Earth develops AGI
- AGI goes rogue
- Earth is cut off
- Earth develops a prototype Jump Drive
- Aliens are found (Boron, Teladi, Split & Paranid) that are mostly friendly
- AGI comes back again
- A new Alien species attacks (Khaak)
- Earth is rediscovered
- Earth declares war on everyone
- More AGI
- The Ancient race shuts down the gate network
- A mining company turns evil
- More AGI again

hope that helps

Shut up, Betty!

[StormMagi]

You won't need to know about the old plot-lines from previous games in the series.
X4 will bring it's own for you to unravel.

Whilst the lore is nice to know, it isn't super critical either, if you don't know it you don't miss out on anything.

But a quick breakdown of the lore follows
- An ancient race builds the gates
- Earth develops AGI
- AGI goes rogue
- Earth is cut off
- Earth develops a prototype Jump Drive
- Aliens are found (Boron, Teladi, Split & Paranid) that are mostly friendly
- AGI comes back again
- A new Alien species attacks (Khaak)
- Earth is rediscovered
- Earth declares war on everyone
- More AGI
- The Ancient race shuts down the gate network
- A mining company turns evil
- More AGI again

hope that helps

Shut up, Betty!

Betty when you least expect it:
Your response: "Betty I am trying to dodge incoming fire, I don't care when the enemy fighter was made or what it's serial number is!"

[Drain Bamaged]

I'd say the game explains nothing but the basics. At least that is how any x game before it was, however that is it's charm.

Glad to hear it. If a game has to teach you anything BUT the basics, it isn't designed correctly. Games should be intuitive and designed elegantly.

First post here. I'm also new to the X Universe with X4 on my Steam wish-list. Spent thousands of hours in Elite: Dangerous, but I'm spending less and less time there. Foundations looks like a decent product with a lot of solid features. Done a lot of reading on it and I see potential.

Looking forward to meeting you all in the big black.

[wrmiller]

Looking forward to meeting you all in the big black.

You'll meet more folks here. The game is single player.

Or did I miss-understand?

[csaba]

Looking forward to meeting you all in the big black.

You'll meet more folks here. The game is single player.

Or did I miss-understand?

He did start a thread asking about multi-characters, whatever that means.

It's on his wishlist not bought yet so he can still back out easily if he misunderstood.

[Drain Bamaged]

You'll meet more folks here. The game is single player.

Or did I miss-understand?

A simple greeting to all fellow players. I do know it's single player (says so right on the Steam page), but we're all in the same proverbial boat.

Nothing, beyond that.

[nemesis1982]

I'd say the game explains nothing but the basics. At least that is how any x game before it was, however that is it's charm.

Glad to hear it. If a game has to teach you anything BUT the basics, it isn't designed correctly. Games should be intuitive and designed elegantly.

First post here. I'm also new to the X Universe with X4 on my Steam wish-list. Spent thousands of hours in Elite: Dangerous, but I'm spending less and less time there. Foundations looks like a decent product with a lot of solid features. Done a lot of reading on it and I see potential.

Looking forward to meeting you all in the big black.

Hehe, I wouldn't call an xgame intuitive nor elegantly designed (of course those are highly subjective terms ).

Welcome to the forums and the universe! A x game is a very different game, however if you give it time it'll grow on you! It's far deeper then Elite

[nerdtron]

He did start a thread asking about multi-characters, whatever that means.

I think it means they thought it was multiplayer game which may have a limit on # chars per account.