Campaign?

[Petroph]

I couldn't help but notice the lack of talk about a Campaign. Is their going to be no story narrative in X4? I don't see it mentioned anywhere. What time frame is this taking place? After the X3 Series? Or a whole new spin off in a new direction?

I'm eager to see more information on X4.

[mr.WHO]

From what I understand each gamestart will have own mini-plot (a really small one) and all start will have general plot revolving around "research" and "teleportation device". That's all that was mentioned relating to plot of any form.

[Sandalpocalypse]

during the presentation they also drew a distinction between the single character-focused X games and the more freeform X games, with the implication that this was a more freeform one.

[Skeeter]

If there's no big story campaign arc to play then despite the nice cleaner gfx, the ships, the docking etc then I dunno if I'd bother with x4. Its my main enjoyment of space games and most games. Can't really stand games with no story campaigns usually.

So I do really hope bernd has. Put in a deep story for me to enjoy if so I'd provably get x4 tho check reviews first obviously after day 1. If not I dunno. Maybe wait till steam sales then try it. Who knows.

The multiple starts things, I never replay it start from scratch the games. So I'd miss the mini plots I guess, just not my thing starting from scratch just to see different endings in games etc. As don't like wasting time repeating the work I out in for my first play through of a game.

[Ilintar]

I'm also in the "please have a campaign" team :> hopefully there is some sort of compaign for those of us who aren't really fans of full sandbox mode.

[Krushwarok]

A campaign would be great but not that any campaign that was before, a big awesome one with full voice over. With rich lore that dive into the X universe technology explanations and races cultural introductions and any other thing that something to do with X universe.

To be honest all the X games biggest weakness was all the time the story and that part is still remain to seen to change. A good big story would not limit anyone who is not interested in campaign they can just play in sandbox and have fun , but those who want a big rich adventure and (I mean not that small little side quest that X Rebirth give you as main plot ) could enjoy the campaign.

[Augustini]

I wouldn't be suprised if it least one gamestart would include a campaign in some form.

[Scoob]

While I've enjoyed both story and pure sandbox games in the X universe, I do think it's nice to have some overarching narrative. I.e. something to explain the current state of the universe, some impending threat or whatever. Allowing the player to dip in and out of this at will can be good too from a personal pacing perspective, but it does lead to the "player is the centre of the universe" type situation.

I'm all for discovery type events, i.e. the player uncovers a certain Zone and events unfold. That way it's great for that first play through, but can be paced as the player desires on subsequent plays.

Finally, if the economy and balance of power between factions / races is indeed truly dynamic, then the game should write it's own story, to a degree, with the player taking sides, or not, as they see fit.

Scoob.

[Tharrg]

I liked the X3TC set up where you had nine plots. An introduction plot (Terran), a fighting plot(FF), an empire building plot(HUB), lore plots (Aldrin) plus various miscellaneous plots plus of course the corporation plots (8 more plots!). To really top the icing it would have been nice to have a long term enemy like Litcube's OCV.

Anyway, I am hoping that we have something like that (Well I can hope can't I?).

I am assuming that the game start mods will be like the Tormented Teladi and Poisoned Paramid plots, but hopefully better.

[Ketraar]

The distiction that was made is not that it wont have "plots" but that some games have a specific character story to tell (Kyle in XBTF, Julian in X2/X3 and Ren in X Rebirth) where other games have "generic" player character, like XT, X3TC/AP and now X4, where you play a "run of the mill" character from whatever species in different starts that have different conditions and possibly different approaches.

In general I'm not too keen on "story", I much prefer the focus on lore, as the later enriches the whole universe for a much deeper experience and then allows me to play "my own" story within said lore.

MFG

Ketraar

[Free Trade Inn]

Would it be fair to say more Elder scrolls, less gta in this regard?

FTI

[Ilintar]

In general I'm not too keen on "story", I much prefer the focus on lore, as the later enriches the whole universe for a much deeper experience and then allows me to play "my own" story within said lore.

Yeah, but generally there are people who prefer lore-based gameplay and people who prefer story-based gameplay. Until now, the X series catered to both by offering a main story and separate, sandbox-based gamestarts. It would be nice if X4 continued that trend.

[Ezarkal]

From what I got, the game is still in pretty early alpha stage. They probably have a plan about the campaign (I don't see how they couldn't after XR's massive campaign as compared to X3), but it might simply be too early for them to talk about it.

I'll wait and see.

[Ketraar]

Pretty sure it was said that X4 will NOT feature a campaign in the veins of X Rebirth. It will have "plots" and gamestarts similar to TC/AP. There is no need to muddle the information, its pretty clear what direction it is going. Trying to add forced "lets see what happens its early" just creates false hope, which then will be used as facts to throw at the developer and how they lied about it.

MFG

Ketraar

[Lothari]

Hey, people!

To clarify: the approach we're taking with X4 is similar to that of Terran Conflict and Albion Prelude: multiple game-starts which put you in the shoes of different characters, each with their own smaller stories, as well as story lines that you can come across in multiple or all gamestarts.

As far as the "lore vs story" discussion goes, I will say this. Finding new ways to put across the lore of our very beloved universe is something we're alwys looking to do - it's always something we can improve on. I hope that we'll continue this trend with X4.

Generally, I'm happy with where we're at with the story of X4, both overarching and in-game, and am really excited to start proper work on it.

[Skeeter]

Thats a shame, i for one do not want to use other gamestarts just the one main one which is usually the campaign one. S it looks like im gated off from that content it seems. Because when/if i play x again its just one game as futher i go in my save the less likely id ever start a new game as id lose all my progress etc and i never repeat games in general so..

[Krushwarok]

Thats a shame, i for one do not want to use other gamestarts just the one main one which is usually the campaign one. S it looks like im gated off from that content it seems. Because when/if i play x again its just one game as futher i go in my save the less likely id ever start a new game as id lose all my progress etc and i never repeat games in general so..

I feel the same. I am usually play one long gamestart but not that so long. After I take a break from the game and play again I play another gamestart which is good from the replayability standpoint but what I have seen from the previous X games Story was never a good part I would play 1 big well written rich story instead of multiple little ones because many little bad story doesn't make one bigger good one.

Edit: The multiple small story and 1 little bigger story certainly a good for a new game universe because it's have the potential to introduce the lore, the universe, the races etc etc but that we already have seen so it doesn't make any sense maybe but just little maybe after the supernova that changed many things but not that many to give a new lore even if that is a reason that should mean all the races at the galaxy at once should be in the game not just small part that we will get in X4 . That doesn't justify the multiple little one story's in my opinion.

[Alan Phipps]

If I like a game I will play and keep one very long vanilla playthrough. If and when I restart, probably with a different gamestart, I then consider using selected mods to enhance playing it in a style that I by then know that I would prefer.

[Nanook]

And I like multiple gamestarts with different starting conditions, especially different races. I like to roleplay whatever 'character' I'm playing at the time. I found all the various starting characters in TC and AP to be enjoyable to take down different paths, be they good or bad, fighter or trader, assassin or military pilot, scavenger or empire builder. With a good set of starts, the possibilities are endless. I like to let my imagination run wild.

[Ketraar]

S it looks like im gated off from that content it seems.

No you are not, stop making up things to complain, read and hear what is said. You can get to the same content via different approaches, with different details, as its pretty much common in say TC or AP.

MFG

Ketraar