X-TRA POLLS Round #6 | Have you played multiple gamestarts?

[Tomonor]

Greetings, Members of the X-Community!

The last poll has concluded and we've received good data on the ship classes you prefer.
Thank you for voting, especially if you took the liberty to voice your opinion and gave us feedback!

The next poll is: “Have you played multiple gamestarts?”
Note: Feel free to list the gamestarts you've tried and tell which worked best/which didn't work at all for you!




How does the Poll work?
Every two weeks, we’ll be rolling out polls in the forum where you can weigh in on crucial aspects of our games. Your votes will play a key role in helping us gather valuable insights to shape the future of our games!

But hold on, there’s more! Beyond just data collection, we’re keen on fostering discussions and hearing your thoughts. Alongside each poll, there’s a dedicated discussion thread going on where you can share your insights, ideas, and feedback related to the poll topic. It’s not only a great way to engage with fellow gamers but also an opportunity for us to gather additional valuable input.

However, it’s important to note that while we value your input, the results of the polls won’t necessarily guarantee implementation or consideration.
These polls are primarily for fun and data gathering.

So, get ready to have your voice heard in The X-tra Polls! Let’s shape our beloved X-Universe together!



Previous Polls:
Poll #5: What type of ship do you primarily use?
Poll #4: Which is your favourite race of the playable races?
Poll #3: How long have you been playing your current savegame?
Poll #2: Which phase do you enjoy the most in X4: Foundations?
Poll #1: In your opinion, which X4: Foundations expansion was the most worthwhile?

[Alan Phipps]

I restart after every DLC release (not necessarily exactly on its release) and use a start linked to that DLC.

[xant]

Started as Young Gun, and after CoH came out, I first went for Terran Cadet, then Project Genesis. One might say I'm a bit biased towards humans, but it is what it is.

[mr.WHO]

So, get ready to have your voice heard in The X-tra Polls! Let’s shape our beloved X-Universe together!

Still playing my 700+ hours gameplay that continue since 1.0



Sadly, it carry over some issue, like TRI not rebuilding their main stations (SY, Wharfs, ED, Trade stations).
I've been waiting for Egosoft to reply to this bug report for over 2 years now

viewtopic.php?f=180&t=445210

[Feloidea]

I've not really done a lot of those. I started playing X4 just before Cradle of Humanity released and I really, REALLY dig the Split aesthetics, ships, etc. so for the longest time I've just done the Spear of Patriarch gamestart, but I've also got one Terran Cadet playthrough lying around though I haven't played that one in a while.

A Boron run is on the list though who knows when I'll get to that.

[Nanook]

My savegame archives show 59 different games played**, and to different 'conclusions', some with many or most plots completed, some just 'freelance'. Steam shows my playtime at 9920 hours, and add to that ~1000 hours for the GOG version. As I play along with one start, I'll think of other ways to play - one of the factions, pirate, mercenary - with different rules for each. It's what keeps it fresh for me. My current game, I'm an 'environmentalist', trying to clean up all those ugly ship and station scraps littering the universe.


**(many are Creative Custom starts)

[jlehtone]

I have started playthroughs in X2, X3R, Xbtf, X3TC, X3AP, and X4. Once in each, so "no" is the answer.

[gbjbaanb]

I've done a few but... I think they quickly turn into the same game I usually end up playing.

if a change to the gamestarts is needed, then its to change the universe rather than the player. eg, if you choose the split start, you should be at war wth the argon and the argon trying to kill you with little to no recovery to be friends with them, as I always end up doing!

A teladi trader start should maybe not give you any access to the good weaponry, its a game for trading, not fleet building. Stuff like that.

[Stoats not Goats]

I have played most of X4's gamestarts and have enjoyed each twist the DLC starts add to the game. I would particularly appreciate the addition of more difficult or long-term focused gamestarts like the Split Vendetta ones:
Basegame

• Young gun - my introduction to X4 back in 2019, very nostalgic but I wouldn't use it for a long playthrough again.
• The Dedicated Warrior - It was great to start with a better fighter and get into the combat action faster while avoiding the rep constraints of the Terran Cadet start, probably the best pre-7.0, no-DLC, new-player start in my opinion.

I didn't play much of the other starts like the factory and the scientist one.
Split Vendetta

• Fires of Defeat - This was such a good gamestart that I struggled with initially, even with 200-300 hours under my belt by the time Split Vendetta game out. While I didn't complete the mission on my first playthrough with this start the notion of being stranded in space was really well concocted and you really did feel isolated. Coming back to it with more combat experience was also a great challenge and I was able to do the mission in just 2.5 hours. Fires of Defeat would have to be my favourite start just for how well the feeling of helplessness is conveyed.
• Spear of the Patriarch - Also super fun and easier to get into than Fires of Defeat. Having the gamestarts take place on opposite sides of the war was really cool and I hope if we get new gamestarts that more could commence in the middle of the action.

Cradle of Humanity

• Terran Cadet - It was a novel experience to be guided through missions from the get-go and overall I enjoyed it. Haile Shinamon was an excellent wingmate and I'm still saddened by a certain outcome of the Yaki plot
• Project Genesis - It felt good to cut-to-the-chase with the HQ and the idea of being a hapless worker being teleported across the galaxy is a lot of fun

Tides of Avarice

• Stranded - Starting on a station away from all the docks was great, you get to build up a sense for the controls in a guided environment and without too many distractions happening. The lead into and the entire Curs plot is excellent as well.
• Smuggler's Paradise - I found this start a bit off tbh, I know it sets you up for piracy and trading but delivering the goods and speaking to the manager felt cut-short and I was expecting follow-on errands before a transition into the Curs plot. Still being able to run away and getting an achievement was a lot of fun.

Kingdom End

• Emergence - I love how it picks up right at the action and has a good investigative feel as it launches into the Boron plot. This is the start I recommend nowadays to new players.
• Queen's Herald - Subset of Emergence

[mabato]

I role play - i.e. follow the lore and only use equipment of my race.This way I hope to make every new game unique.

So far I only played Young Gun (240 hours, stopped when I had wharf and infinite money) and Spear of the Patriach (30 hours at the moment). I like the Split start more, because it gives an objective to fulfill. I hope there will be more starts like this in the future.

[geldonyetich]

I like to restart every major version. I usually get bored around the time I build my first Wharf anyway. Doing the other gamestarts is a nice way to get a new perspective when restarting.

But I've restarted so often that's not enough so I'll also try to implement rules to change the nature of my play. For example, this current playthrough, I'm restricting myself away from piloting military ships, so I have to rely on AI pilots more to get me through tough fights.

[birdtable]

Played every start possible even mod created starts, as soon as the management of fleets becomes tedious (although I have built massive empires with huge administrative centres just for the consumption of goods) I start a fresh. By far the best start and playthrough was " X4 Commonwealth no More" by UFeindschiff {CW]. For me that game was just superb. Regretfully discontinued.

[Thomas2052]

Dozens. I restart as soon as I lose my sense of narrative for the playthrough, or decide on a different 'route' of self-imposed actions or limits. I find it hard to enjoy returning to playthroughs once I've been away from them for a while.

Always the same start for any ongoing game - budgeted, Discoverer in Argon Prime.

It's always how I remembered starting X2, and the struggle after to cap a goner, freighter or Nova to get the ball rolling.

Never got very far in X2 compared to X4. Can't tell if it is because I was younger, or the game was harder. Think it's a mix of the two.

Regards

[jduato]

I tried most gamestarts. Indeed, I tried all of them but the ones where you start as a trader and the one where you start as a boron (because I do not like gunboats). And among the custom gamestarts, I tried several budgeted gamestarts.

Perhaps the most elaborated ones are the Terran gamestart (not Segaris) and the ToA start where you start in jail. The base game and Split starts are the less elaborated ones.

[BigBANGtheory]

What I tend to do (and did with X4) is replay the 1st 4-5hrs many times until I feel I have a good grasp of the game and then something clicks and I make the decision to go from there.

So in my case I restarted multiple times as the Young Gun but haven't done 'multiple gamestarts' from the perspective of race and character. The main reasons that put me off from doing that is having to repeat certain gameplay aspects that kind of grate after a while... the two obvious ones are the gathering of resources for station building and clearing out Xenon sectors. So I am very happy to sit in my galaxy map with a huge PHQ complex and walled off sectors in the knowledge of a job well done

If I were to restart I'd need a compelling reason, and that would probably have to be some overhauled features that scream out 'here is an opportunity to do things much better' , so better mining/logistics/production/defence.

[LameFox]

I tried a few. Now I mostly use a custom start for the character selection (such as it is). There's basically no difference besides flavour really so I prefer the free form customization over repeating the premade ones over and over.

[Daemonjax]

I tried them all, and I like Stranded best. I prefer the ones marked "Guided" for the extra story elements. Of those, I prefer the ones where you can choose to play as a male or female character. Would be better if I could choose different faces, but whatever.

[Maze Morgenstern]

Over a dozen in ~2000h of playtime.

I playd every start at least once. Some only for the gemastart-exclusive plotline, some went on for 7-8 days of ingametime (no SETA).

[Zloth2]

Two "real" starts. The first was Project Genesis. I got a little confused early on with that one, but eventually figured out what I was supposed to be doing - and I really loved the mention of the gate to the Rebirth sectors. The second time, after taking a break for about a year, I knew exactly what I was doing so I did a budgeted start with the HQ located in Second Contact.

I made a guide on game starts on Steam, so obviously I've tried them all, but not for very long each. I even made a couple of custom game starts and put them in the guide as samples! One starts you out in a small mining ship in Paranid space. Another starts out in a Boron scout way out in Turquoise Sea. (Your map is empty except for the sector you start in, Heretic's End, so you know where to go, and Scale Plate Green, so you know where not to go. It should be fun for the folks that like exploring.)

P.S. Please please, can we get different default logos for different starts? Paranid in particular look silly using Vitruvian Unholy Creature for a logo.

[GeeCrumb]

I started just last week with X4 after having it sitting in my steam library for ages. Right now I am 25 hours of playtime in and restarted like 4 times. At the beginning many things were very confusing. First start was the Terran Cadet - after like 2 hours I started new. Right now I am back on Terran Cadet, have an idea how things work and roleplay the Cadet style. I plan to only use Terran things and help my faction as .. well .. a cadet but want to maybe get the status as a mercenary later on with my own base somewhere, a big fleet and maybe some industry later in the savegame. Well .. maybe the opinions of Terran and me will divide and I will even help Segaris (PIO) to be independent from Terran again (not sure if this is somewhat even part of the plot, I am not far into it right now). So far I really love how freaking deep the world in the X Universum seems to be (story, Lore wise and whats all happening). I started reading the first book (I am from germany) and love the ingame wiki with all the lore informations about nearly everything. I first was a bit unsure where the plot/story even is and it all "felt" a bit empty. But I then realized that I - in many games - love to roleplay for myself and X4 seems like a great game for this (sometimes even making dumb decisions on purpose).