Reintroduce jump drive via optional storyline?

[Falcrack]

How about allowing those of us who would like jump drives in the game to have them become available via an optional storyline? Boso Ta rediscovers some critical lost technology to allow jump drives, perhaps reverse engineering some old but powerful derelict ship. At the end of the storyline, the player is faced with a choice, to either keep the single ship as it is, or destroy it to reverse engineer the jump drive. After reverse engineering the jump drive, the player can choose to keep the technology just to himself, or make the technology publicly known to the other factions.

Players who do not want the jump drive can choose not to have to in their games. Players who do want it would be able to have it.

Edit: changed "no" option to sound less dramatic.

[chew-ie]

This was already denied some days ago: viewtopic.php?f=147&t=432986&start=210#p5020791

tldr; Neither as option nor as comeback there is any plan for that. Also, having no jump drive is a deliberate design choice.

Your best bet is to make / get a mod for that.

[StoneLegionYT]

If you were to get it then the AI should get it. Yeah that wouldn't work well. The game is already easy to travel how about instead we remove highways and increase the sector size by like 10 fold.

[dtpsprt]

I voted for the Jumpdrive to be back even though I know it will not happen... Just as I know the Universe is not going to expand any more... Just as I became absolutely sure that it takes a very special kind of person to play the game vanilla...

[TheDeliveryMan]

The reintroduction of the jump drive would remove depth. What's the point of a friendly outpost deep inside Xenon territory if you can just jump there? With a jump drive the Xenon could decide to conquer Path To Profit, what effect could this have on the economy? Egosoft would have to keep both options in mind?

I do not want Egosoft to waste precious dev time on a feature that removes depth! Voted "I don't want people who want the jump drive back to be happy." because it is closes to my personal opinion.

[humility925]

Jumpdrive would help slower ship to balance out with fast ship, let said you are flying slow transport ship as personal trader or however, and had to get to station to make a deal, but so far away from highway, then somehow half way, enemies come out of nowhere, and it's faster than your ship, you are petty much screwed, even in early game you can't afford anything to get away even 2 to 3 day playing (personal trader don't gave lot of profit like cap ship do)

for slower ship like transport or freighter for player's use, it's logic to had jumpdrive but not for combat or a.i.

I say yah for player's personal use of slower ship that are not combat force, not for a.i or combat ship, ect?

If no jumpdrive, then at least buff trader or mining's speed to get away or flee combat that player had no desire to do in combat in the first place while they are busying with trading and miner.

[Roeleveld]

Jumpdrive would help slower ship to balance out with fast ship, let said you are flying slow transport ship as personal trader or however, and had to get to station to make a deal, but so far away from highway, then somehow half way, enemies come out of nowhere, and it's faster than your ship, you are petty much screwed, even in early game you can't afford anything to get away even 2 to 3 day playing (personal trader don't gave lot of profit like cap ship do)

for slower ship like transport or freighter for player's use, it's logic to had jumpdrive but not for combat or a.i.

I say yah for player's personal use of slower ship that are not combat force, not for a.i or combat ship, ect?

If no jumpdrive, then at least buff trader or mining's speed to get away or flee combat that player had no desire to do in combat in the first place while they are busying with trading and miner.

How do you define combat/non-combat ships?
A trade-ship with the cheapest engine and shields but with jump drive would make great marine-transports.
Remove all the turrets, engines and shields, then get the marines with use of jump drive and start the boarding operation.

I'm sorry, but I consider jump drives a cheat and am happy they aren't there. The teleporter is a useful alternative, although I do tend to fly to destinations myself.

[humility925]

I don't see jumpdrive cheat, I see as option for peaceful player who don't want in combat that enemies come out of nowhere, if anything I think combat ship is cheat due speed or catch up transport or trader ship, that is non combat ship who had a slow speed. It's was very balance in x3 but now it's not very balance in this game because it's highly favor to fastest combat ship while slow speed non combat like miner or transport that had no chance to play enjoyment because of design (trader, not marine because that would be combat support ship, rather) maybe no issues for combat player, but non-combat player who fly slow ship do had issues when there is no highway or unable afford or get fleet cover or protect non combat


if it marine transport, then it's not non combat ship because non combat ship forced on build, trade, mining without harm other.

[StoneLegionYT]

I don't see jumpdrive cheat, I see as option for peaceful player who don't want in combat that enemies come out of nowhere, if anything I think combat ship is cheat due speed or catch up transport or trader ship, that is non combat ship who had a slow speed. It's was very balance in x3 but now it's not very balance in this game because it's highly favor to fastest combat ship while slow speed non combat like miner or transport that had no chance to play enjoyment because of design (trader, not marine because that would be combat support ship, rather) maybe no issues for combat player, but non-combat player who fly slow ship do had issues when there is no highway or unable afford or get fleet cover or protect non combat


if it marine transport, then it's not non combat ship because non combat ship forced on build, trade, mining without harm other.

That is awesome and that's outside of the developer scoop of course being a peaceful player who's not interested in dealing with bad guys all the time and guess what there's modding that adds jump drive to the game and also adds more peaceful options as well.

[Karvat]

Having to complete a storyline every time you just want a core aspect of the game to work properly isn't a solution.

[humility925]

I don't see jumpdrive cheat, I see as option for peaceful player who don't want in combat that enemies come out of nowhere, if anything I think combat ship is cheat due speed or catch up transport or trader ship, that is non combat ship who had a slow speed. It's was very balance in x3 but now it's not very balance in this game because it's highly favor to fastest combat ship while slow speed non combat like miner or transport that had no chance to play enjoyment because of design (trader, not marine because that would be combat support ship, rather) maybe no issues for combat player, but non-combat player who fly slow ship do had issues when there is no highway or unable afford or get fleet cover or protect non combat


if it marine transport, then it's not non combat ship because non combat ship forced on build, trade, mining without harm other.

That is awesome and that's outside of the developer scoop of course being a peaceful player who's not interested in dealing with bad guys all the time and guess what there's modding that adds jump drive to the game and also adds more peaceful options as well.

That is thing, I don't understand, developer of X2 the threat and X3 was doing well for all kind of type gameplay, mostly but not miner, it's wasn't good so player use mining station at a time but now developer x4 is too forced on combat player ship in mindset, forgot of non combat personal as if they didn't playing as trader so go on. It's very short sighted on their part, as they had not taste what to do in flying non combat ship that are slow and far away from highway while doing non combat task sure mining (miner ship, not normal ship) or gas or trader to get far away station, so go on, then enemies come out of no where with combat ship had high speed, and you are done for that game as it's gameover, in early game and mid game at least till afford whole fleet to keep one player's personal non combat and that is kind of silly, is why jumpdrive is make sense more than whole fleet keep one ship safe doing miner or trading, so go on.

Or better yet, non combat ship can go cursor speed even under fire.

[chew-ie]

I don't see jumpdrive cheat, I see as option for peaceful player who don't want in combat that enemies come out of nowhere, if anything I think combat ship is cheat due speed or catch up transport or trader ship, that is non combat ship who had a slow speed. It's was very balance in x3 but now it's not very balance in this game because it's highly favor to fastest combat ship while slow speed non combat like miner or transport that had no chance to play enjoyment because of design (trader, not marine because that would be combat support ship, rather) maybe no issues for combat player, but non-combat player who fly slow ship do had issues when there is no highway or unable afford or get fleet cover or protect non combat


if it marine transport, then it's not non combat ship because non combat ship forced on build, trade, mining without harm other.

That is awesome and that's outside of the developer scoop of course being a peaceful player who's not interested in dealing with bad guys all the time and guess what there's modding that adds jump drive to the game and also adds more peaceful options as well.

That is thing, I don't understand, developer of X2 the threat and X3 was doing well for all kind of type gameplay, mostly but not miner, it's wasn't good so player use mining station at a time but now developer x4 is too forced on combat player ship in mindset, forgot of non combat personal as if they didn't playing as trader so go on. It's very short sighted on their part, as they had not taste what to do in flying non combat ship that are slow and far away from highway while doing non combat task sure mining (miner ship, not normal ship) or gas or trader to get far away station, so go on, then enemies come out of no where with combat ship had high speed, and you are done for that game as it's gameover, in early game and mid game at least till afford whole fleet to keep one player's personal non combat and that is kind of silly, is why jumpdrive is make sense more than whole fleet keep one ship safe doing miner or trading, so go on.

Or better yet, non combat ship can go cursor speed even under fire.

You have to look at the other side of the coin as well: X² and X³ had a cheated economy - demand was artificially introduced by deleting wares - just to humor the player and give him the sense of earning credits with his actions.

X4 is the first game in the series with a simulated economy and you really have to look closely for demand - and be aware of dynamic changes. That's also were some player struggle - they don't realize that a factory is not constantly printing money but can indeed have times were it doesn't earn credits at peak efficiency due to market reasons. Like the latest example when the bottom of the economy - mining - changes from "cheated" (miner just got their cargo hold stuffed) to "more simulation" (miners are dependend on ore yield; yield varies now)

It is just not possible to bring back all the old stuff because it will break the economy balance. And war is ATM the only ware sink to keep the economy going. (Terraforming is another one, but very lategame and player only - doesn't affect the economy).

That being said I'd like to have a isolated civic ware cycle as well (just to not break the existing one).

[ballti]

Old school JB is too OP, but 2 JB* that works like gate A to B point can be nice fature. Connecting 2 big stations, fleet invazion.. JB* can trnsport only player, JB* is undestructble, only 2 JB* are possible via some late game storyline. I vote for this kinda JB*.

[dtpsprt]

..................
I'm sorry, but I consider jump drives a cheat and am happy they aren't there. The teleporter is a useful alternative, although I do tend to fly to destinations myself.

And who, pray tell, is the jump drive user cheating in a single player game?

[chew-ie]

..................
I'm sorry, but I consider jump drives a cheat and am happy they aren't there. The teleporter is a useful alternative, although I do tend to fly to destinations myself.

And who, pray tell, is the jump drive user cheating in a single player game?

The economy and the NPCs - the foundation of this game universe. And following the cheating, there comes the whining that the game is broken and Egosoft should fix it or else.

[Roeleveld]

..................
I'm sorry, but I consider jump drives a cheat and am happy they aren't there. The teleporter is a useful alternative, although I do tend to fly to destinations myself.

And who, pray tell, is the jump drive user cheating in a single player game?

The economy and the NPCs - the foundation of this game universe. And following the cheating, there comes the whining that the game is broken and Egosoft should fix it or else.

This.

[jlehtone]

Lets have feature Z. Feature Z makes game easy. Makes you OP. There are two "schools":

1. Ok, I won't use Z. My choice
2. Please restrict/remove access to Z. As long as it is in the game I just have to use it and that ruins the challenge

[Roeleveld]

Lets have feature Z. Feature Z makes game easy. Makes you OP. There are two "schools":

1. Ok, I won't use Z. My choice
2. Please restrict/remove access to Z. As long as it is in the game I just have to use it and that ruins the challenge

Except that option Z needs to be tested as well with all the different plots and missions.
In other words, it will take resources away from features and improvements that truly make sense in this game.

[grapedog]

If you were to get it then the AI should get it. Yeah that wouldn't work well. The game is already easy to travel how about instead we remove highways and increase the sector size by like 10 fold.

Yes, because spending 10x as much time just moving in a atraight line across a sector sounds fun. Oh, wait, no it doesn't... well, at least id finally have found a use for SETA in X4... ridiculously useless long travel times.

[Gween]

If you were to get it then the AI should get it. Yeah that wouldn't work well. The game is already easy to travel how about instead we remove highways and increase the sector size by like 10 fold.

I'm with you about the highways, but why would you increase the sector size? Yes, space is big, but **sectors** are artificially sized areas in space and it wouldn't make any sense to make them 10 times bigger if you don't increase the amount of stuff (stations, ships, etc, etc.) inside them. Aside from that it'd also slow down the gameplay by 10x, potentially killing the fun for a lot of newcomers because there's simply nothing to do while you're flying in early game.

A great example for that is Uranus in the CoH expansion. The sector is HUGE with no highways, but there are literally 2 (two!) stations between the accelerators. Considering that Terrans built and placed the accelerators themselves (and by that have the ability to choose the size of this artificial sector) it just doesn't make sense