No news, no feedbacks assume game is ended?.

[abisha1980]

like stated no nothing
i assume the game is at his end cycle?.

[CBJ]

We would like to reassure you that we're not quite done yet with our vision for X4, but please note that the next item on the agenda for the game is a little further off, and that we won't be able to get into specifics about it for quite a while.

We'll have more to say about what's next towards the end of the year.

Both from the very first thread in this forum.

[abisha1980]

We would like to reassure you that we're not quite done yet with our vision for X4, but please note that the next item on the agenda for the game is a little further off, and that we won't be able to get into specifics about it for quite a while.

We'll have more to say about what's next towards the end of the year.

Both from the very first thread in this forum.

quite a search, also in a "update" topic nobody check those for future vision.

[ahostofissues]

Yes, of course. If someone isn’t announcing future plans, it’s reasonable to assume there are none.

That’s sound.

My question is: why does it matter? Maybe there’s more X4, maybe there’s some other game, maybe there’s nothing. What are you going to do differently based on the answer? Buy or not buy the game? That’d be foolish, as even announced plans are highly subject to change, so it’s a terrible idea to buy in the hope of future XYZ things.

I expect there’s more coming. A “now with Boron” release if nothing else to get some more DLC money out of development cost sunk into game so far. If not, well, then I’ve wasted a ton of time bitching and whining here in the forums in the hopes that the developers will realize some aspects really do need some rethinking or additional work, even if it means added developer cost they’ll have trouble directly charging existing customers for…

[ahostofissues]

Also there’s this, updated Oct 16, which you would have found by scrolling down a bit before posting…

viewtopic.php?f=146&t=449797

[Imperial Good]

A lot of bugs are marked with fixed in future version so there will at least be a big update to X4 containing all these fixes sometime in the future. Given the length they are delaying this bug fix update it will likely come with some big change or feature that requires the time.

[jlehtone]

My question is: why does it matter?

Good point.

Should we assume that chess is dead because there has been no word from its developers in ... how many centuries?
Should we assume that some MMO is not dead because the final shutdown of its server(s) was very recently announced?

We have a game and we can play it as long as we please. You "kill" the game when you choose to not play it any more.

[Alan Phipps]

@ jlehtone: "You "kill" the game when you choose to not play it any more."
Yes, but that perhaps sits uncomfortably with the views of people who do want to play the game, but not in real time and with little interaction (example).

[Bozz11]

Well this is not the only game people follow and I have to say most other games have roadmaps so they avoid this kind of topic, and also people feeling kinda abandonned etc...
Specially since there was no update for a while.

also how many devs tell you something is coming and then it never actually comes ^^

I mean we hardcore fans know something is coming, but the casual players and or the quiete ones don't come here or on steam to read everyday what's going on, they just see no update for a while and no real roadmap.

[A5PECT]

Development roadmaps are 90% marketing bs and I loathe how ubiquitous their abuse has become.

Thus far, Egosoft has kept itself running on a business model that doesn't need to rely on a constant, neverending stream of user engagement and spending. Maybe that'll change at some point, but for now they're doing what has worked for them for the past 20+ years.

[CBJ]

Well this is not the only game people follow and I have to say most other games have roadmaps so they avoid this kind of topic, and also people feeling kinda abandonned etc...
Specially since there was no update for a while.

It was explicitly stated in the post I linked above that there would be more news towards the end of the year. That's the roadmap, and also a pretty clear indication that there won't be an update before that. Sure, we could keep repeating that message every week, but I very much doubt that the people claiming to be feeling "abandoned" would be any more satisfied.

[Bozz11]

yes you are right on that, they won't stop, on steam they are many people asking the same question
I'm happy to wait, I still have 2 more ideas for new playthroughs and I have a new HOTAS coming in a few weeks to test on x4

[jlehtone]

@ jlehtone: "You "kill" the game when you choose to not play it any more."
Yes, but that perhaps sits uncomfortably with the views of people who do want to play the game, but not in real time and with little interaction (example).

They run the program, so they do "play". It might look like empty string, "", to some but is still clearly different from having no string at all.


I'd like a new T in my HOTAS, but it does not exist and the manufacturer strictly avoids giving out announcements (since the initial, years ago ...). Compared to that X4 users are well informed.

[abisha1980]

Yes, of course. If someone isn’t announcing future plans, it’s reasonable to assume there are none.

That’s sound.

My question is: why does it matter? Maybe there’s more X4, maybe there’s some other game, maybe there’s nothing. What are you going to do differently based on the answer? Buy or not buy the game? That’d be foolish, as even announced plans are highly subject to change, so it’s a terrible idea to buy in the hope of future XYZ things.

I expect there’s more coming. A “now with Boron” release if nothing else to get some more DLC money out of development cost sunk into game so far. If not, well, then I’ve wasted a ton of time bitching and whining here in the forums in the hopes that the developers will realize some aspects really do need some rethinking or additional work, even if it means added developer cost they’ll have trouble directly charging existing customers for…

it matters quite a lot people only have X amount of time if the game is not at it's end cycle it's better to wait till the game is at his end cycle
the game quite time consuming playing the same stuff twice is not efficient

better to play the game at his end cycle to save time and have best game experience.

[ahostofissues]

Yes, of course. If someone isn’t announcing future plans, it’s reasonable to assume there are none.

That’s sound.

My question is: why does it matter? Maybe there’s more X4, maybe there’s some other game, maybe there’s nothing. What are you going to do differently based on the answer? Buy or not buy the game? That’d be foolish, as even announced plans are highly subject to change, so it’s a terrible idea to buy in the hope of future XYZ things.

I expect there’s more coming. A “now with Boron” release if nothing else to get some more DLC money out of development cost sunk into game so far. If not, well, then I’ve wasted a ton of time bitching and whining here in the forums in the hopes that the developers will realize some aspects really do need some rethinking or additional work, even if it means added developer cost they’ll have trouble directly charging existing customers for…

it matters quite a lot people only have X amount of time if the game is not at it's end cycle it's better to wait till the game is at his end cycle
the game quite time consuming playing the same stuff twice is not efficient

better to play the game at his end cycle to save time and have best game experience.

This makes zero sense.

If you want to play the game as-is, play it. If it's not worth playing now, then getting confirmation that the development has ended doesn't suddenly change it and may it playable for you.

By your logic, the best use of time is to never play anything, ever, so you can wait for the Most Perfect Game of All Time to be released. No point in wasting your time on any game that is not the best possible experience.

I get not wanting to play through "the same stuff" twice. But if that's your approach to games, I think X4 is almost certainly not the game for you. All of X4, nearly the entire thing, is doing more or less (broadly) the same stuff over and over and over again. If you want to experience One Perfect Run through the game, you will never actually play enough to figure out how X4 works, much less enjoy it.

[XoSPECTRE]

This is X4 ... single player offline game.... it will only end when YOU stop playing it...btw its basicaly imposible u can create new mods and or download them x4 have no limits its like arma 3 . And X4 foundations is exactly one of game where even if developer just delete it, big community will play it forever . There is so many russian people in love in to this game ... but they just dont pay for it. Egesoft created something what will never die .

And future of space games are in the offline singleplayer so when eve online die and its dying fast due to devs all players will come here .. like now in eve people start talking about switching to x4 ...

[flywlyx]

This makes zero sense.

If you want to play the game as-is, play it. If it's not worth playing now, then getting confirmation that the development has ended doesn't suddenly change it and may it playable for you.

By your logic, the best use of time is to never play anything, ever, so you can wait for the Most Perfect Game of All Time to be released. No point in wasting your time on any game that is not the best possible experience.

I get not wanting to play through "the same stuff" twice. But if that's your approach to games, I think X4 is almost certainly not the game for you. All of X4, nearly the entire thing, is doing more or less (broadly) the same stuff over and over and over again. If you want to experience One Perfect Run through the game, you will never actually play enough to figure out how X4 works, much less enjoy it.

If you told me X3AP will come out 2011, I probably will skip X3TC

[Submarine]

To be honest I am not enthused for more content, because I cannot enjoy the current content of Tides or previous content until the interface is better. That is why I took a year off from X4 i.e. playability.

I dont see any point in making or buying another DLC until the interface is improved. Tides actually made the game harder to play because of the excessively long load times so its going in the wrong direction for me as a gaming experience.

I would be enthused for interface honing but I feel people asking for that have been ignored. I give feedback in the hope it will be considered but I feel like a fool.

Even if the game is in development OP, this does not mean its flaws will be addressed and it will become more playable.

[ahostofissues]

I dont see any point in making or buying another DLC until the interface is improved. Tides actually made the game harder to play because of the excessively long load times so its going in the wrong direction for me as a gaming experience.

100% agree. If they release another DLC that does not ALSO include significant and meaningful interface improvements, then much as I like the game my response will be “Ok, F*$k You, done with this, will never buy another Egosoft game.” (I bought the whole series in a Mega Bundle, so I’m not a repeat customer despite starting with X-1.)

As a developer I 100% get that spending resources on making changes that the company can’t charge money for isn’t workable while staying in business (i.e. spending 6 months improving interface with no new features). So given reality, I’m ok with “DLC that’s admittedly a little light on content for the price, but makes big playability improvements.”

But a DLC that just adds more content, without fixing at least some of the majorly defective interface and ship AI problems…? Well, that’d just be a big middle finger from Egosoft, a clear statement that they have what I consider to be entirely the wrong priorities. It’d be a statement that Egosoft is not a company I should spend further money on, as they don’t make decisions and games that result in what I consider a good experience. I’ll buy other games from other studios instead.

Egosoft, if you’re listening: pay attention. People who pay money for things (vs pirating as the Russian commenter above mentioned)… we actually care about this stuff. You do surveys asking “what aspect of our game do you most enjoy playing?” When the question you really should be asking also is “how close are you to finding our game frustrating enough to play that you’d leap on any close alternative the instant someone published it, abandoning us and killing our revenue stream?” I suspect the answer for more players than you’d like is “I’m already at that point.”

[BigBANGtheory]

we pretty much know the answer to the interface question already, you only have to look at Egosoft's previous releases and history...

You are highly unlikely to see any major changes within the same release version so if that is a deal breaker for your decision on DLC purchase there is your answer it's a no bueno.

If you want to propose or make constructive changes to the interface then sign up for DevNet and make your case. If Egosoft agree and its doable then who knows... but be prepared for patience I'd imagine they are already actively working on the next major release to come after X4.

I'd also point out that the interface is basically a means to impart information and issue commands, if the AI and game engine struggles to act on those commands in a manner the player expects then the best UI in the world isn't particularly useful. Something to keep in mind.