X Universe Cultural References

[UnknownObject]

Dear Egosoft team! As one of your devoted fans, I wish to ask you some "behind the scenes" information. I'd be glad if some of the devs answers me, because I need the data I contribute to a Fandom Wiki to be reliable.

Tell me anything about cultural references and sources of inspiration for X-Universe timeline, races, tech and anything else, please.

[Alan Phipps]

Have you seen and read the X Encyclopedia written by Helge Kautz?

[UnknownObject]

Have you seen and read the X Encyclopedia written by Helge Kautz?

Yes, I did. It's a great source, but it contains only "in-universe" information, and I'm curious about books, movies, games, etc. which don't belong to X-Series but influenced it in some way.

For example, I can guess Babylon 5 Shadow Vessels inspired the design of the Kha'ak Corvette, but I have no confirmation to say this surely.

[Alan Phipps]

Here are some possibly useful old threads that I found; perhaps there may be some further leads for you in them.

viewtopic.php?t=251263
viewtopic.php?t=134496
viewtopic.php?t=370338
viewtopic.php?t=333285
viewtopic.php?t=346274

[UnknownObject]

Thanks, you did a great work finding these threads!
(still wish an author of the content appears here and confirms anything of this).

As for Star Wolves 3, it's a Russian game made by old fans of X-Tension (Elite-Games Team), that's why a station there is named Brennan's Triumph.

[Cycrow]

you might be out of luck with some of them as alot of the newer models were not made by Egosoft, but by various modders, some of which are no longer active on the forum.

the Kha'ak Corvette for example was created by the XTM team.

and others were outsourced

[UnknownObject]

Is Rolk's Drift a reference to the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, and Ocean of Fantasy a reference to Boney M's Oceans of Fantasy?
Is Jo Bydnah (the creator of the PPC) a reference to You-Know-Whom?

[rudi_pioneer]

Foundation: one of sector names is trantor in German version, and random names include hari seldon

Highway loop in x4 reminded me of river though gates in Hyperion

[Fulgrymm]

Black Hole Sun is only called such in the English version and is I assume a reference to the Soundgarden song of the same name.

[UnknownObject]

Thanks to everyone who answered!
Now I'm learning Deutsch and playing the Deutsch version of the game. An Argon pilot begs to spare their life "um Rigabels Willen". Is Rigabel a name of an Argon deity, could it also be a kind of reference?

[John Colman]

An Argon pilot begs to spare their life "um Rigabels Willen". Is Rigabel a name of an Argon deity, could it also be a kind of reference?

I am german and therefore play them in german and i never encountered the name "Rigabel". Are you sure you got that right?
Besides that, i dug through a lot of the lore of the series for the work on my XR mods, so if you have any questions, maybe i can help you.

[X2-Illuminatus]

I am german and therefore play them in german and i never encountered the name "Rigabel". Are you sure you got that right?

Yes, It's in the text files. (Well, at least in German)

Code: Select all

<page id="300106" title="Argon Variation 6" descr="0" voice="yes">
...
<t id="7">(* Beschimpfung - wenn unterlegen)He! Nun lassen Sie das doch um Rigabels Willen sein!</t>
... 
</page>

I haven't heard it before either, and I also don't know what it is meant to refer to.

[Alan Phipps]

Perhaps a lore reference to Rigabel's Saga of Good King Alkanus, an Old Norse prose of the 'Sagas of the Icelanders' ilk and quite Tolkienesque? Or is that too much of a stretch?

Do I get a cookie if I'm right?

[X2-Illuminatus]

Do I get a cookie if I'm right?

Most plausible explanation wins.

[UnknownObject]

Found in the BBS news that a Boron scientist had accidentally hybridized themselves with a spacefly.
An obvious reference to "The Fly" (1958/1986). One, but not the only cultural reference. Who can find more?

[UnknownObject]

A few more possible cultural references found:
Ringo's Moon and its planet Sgt. Pepper - it's so obvious that I don't even want to explain.
Shore of Infinity - could it be a reference to the Infinity’s Shore by David Brin?
Triskele and Star Trek's Triskelion - albeit they have merely a common name, as X's triskele is a chess-like game.

BTW, a similar topic.