Universe size

[Hector0x]

The map layout is going to be more like XR than X3. Any comparison with X3 is fruitless because of the different approach and density. My preference would be:
-less blue highways than XR (fewer secors per system)
-one secure home system for each major faction
-plus two to four border systems for each major faction at the start of the game that can change ownership in wars later on
-at least four additional undeveloped sectors (Empty, Xenon, Pirate). If the races can capture them too at least double that amount.

[DaMuncha]

I think its going to be exactly like X Rebirth

all theyve done is changed a square map into a hexigonal map

[csaba]

I'm probably going to be wrong but let me try to predict:


It's built on the XR engine so a bit similar. I'm expecting about 5 systems total with 3-4 sectors each. The 3 major factions will have one each, 1 will be Xenon dominated, 1 will be miscellaneous/exploration/pirates.

I think the zones were removed and replaced by the fog of war on the map, so you will fly through the whole sector gradually exploring the whole "hexagon" it is. I'm assuming this from the map shown in the streams. Also judging by the streams I count between 20-24 "zones" (that are the size of an X3 system) inside these sectors.

So in total if 1 of these zones is about as large as a system in X3 then:

5 systemsX3,5sectors averagex20"zones"=5*3,5*20=350 X3 systems. This is my most optimistic number.

It's likely they'll combine the Xenon system with the exploration/pirate one. So let's say 4 systems total as in Vanilla XR:

4*3.5*20=280 X3 systems.

Also judging by the streams I'd say about half of these "zones" will have stations in them. (When they shown travel mode.)

This sounds still a bit too optimistic so here is my end prediction:

So I'd say around 150 X3 system sized "zones" with stations and +100 for exploration/mining/Easter Eggs. So my last number is 250 total.


EDIT:

This seems to correlate with the statement within the last stream where they said that 2 km/s is about right speed for travel mode. Blitzing through the game (not stopping for anything) unveiling all the fog would take about 4-5 hours or going from one end to the other would take about 1 hour (accounting for acceleration/deceleration) which seems to be about right for your average X game.

[nemesis1982]

That's the best analyses I've seen up to now csaba and I think you'll be quite close. I'm hoping\thinking that the actual numbers will be a bit higher though since they've probably been ably to reuse much of what they already created for XR and have taken that as a starting point.

Looking at previous X games (x2->x3->x3TC) I'd estimate a growth of about 10% for a new iteration.

So we could use your logic for the existing XR universe and tag on 10%.

Following XR's structure (these are all guesstimates, to lazy to startup the game and check )

XR has 5 systems including the DLC if I'm not mistaken. I seem to remember there being an average of 6 sectors in each system and again an average of 6 zones in each sector. Each zone is about the same size as an X3 sector (however in XR there is a loooot of space between them, which I am not counting in this calculation). 5*6*6=180 X3 sectors in XR add 10% for a total of 200 X3 sectors in X4.

Not sure how many sectors X3 had in the end but it probably wasn't much more than 200.

EDIT: I looked it up and X3 had 230ish sectors. Which is actually more then I was expecting.

[csaba]

That's the best analyses I've seen up to now csaba and I think you'll be quite close. I'm hoping\thinking that the actual numbers will be a bit higher though since they've probably been ably to reuse much of what they already created for XR and have taken that as a starting point.

Looking at previous X games (x2->x3->x3TC) I'd estimate a growth of about 10% for a new iteration.

So we could use your logic for the existing XR universe and tag on 10%.

Following XR's structure (these are all guesstimates, to lazy to startup the game and check )

XR has 5 systems including the DLC if I'm not mistaken. I seem to remember there being an average of 6 sectors in each system and again an average of 6 zones in each sector. Each zone is about the same size as an X3 sector (however in XR there is a loooot of space between them, which I am not counting in this calculation). 5*6*6=180 X3 sectors in XR add 10% for a total of 200 X3 sectors in X4.

Not sure how many sectors X3 had in the end but it probably wasn't much more than 200.

EDIT: I looked it up and X3 had 230ish sectors. Which is actually more then I was expecting.

Vanilla XR had 4 systems 15 sectors 108 zones.

Your number is closer to:
XR with all DLCs which had 7 systems 25 sectors and around 180 zones. ( I counted 183 but I could be off by some.) It's amusing how you got the same number with the wrong inputs.



By zone I mean the average 60kmX60kmX60km cubes. 200 of those would be more than enough for me if we go by your calculation. Mine was hypothesis made on the few glimpses we had on the new map. It also assumes that all those "Hexagon" sectors are the same size and there are no smaller ones. Sadly this also means if those are really not sectors but the whole system then we would be around vanilla XR with 5 systems.

[spankahontis]

@Graaf: That neither answers the OPs question nor is a logical comparison. You're comparing apples with planets.

They wanted to create a MORE realistic volumentric setup of the universe and they succeeded! Please let's not go back o the apartment building that is X3. X3 is nice and I play it on occasion however it has so many issues, one of the biggest once being the endless string of sectors you need to go through to get somewhere.

@Skeeter: I've never liked the boxes space was partitioned into in the x series before XR. I still prefer X3 because XR still has many things lacking however it looks like X4 will resolve those. For the stations, they're finally going to a modular which in my opinion is much more realistic. Also I did like the space station in XR, however they were to limited. Also in X3 the stations look much more similar in my opinion.

Exactly, Sectors/Systems in X3 were basically wallpaper with a few gates and stations added in and the unique Faction here and there, devoid of any real substance.
X3 could have 400 Sectors or 1000 Sectors.. But most would never be remembered for being truly unique, when you've seen one gas giant in a Sector, making the same one but with a tint of blue in it, placed at a slightly different pivot on the left side of a new Sector instead of the right doesn't bring size or scale to the game, sorry, it just doesn't.
It's lazy and just monotonous!!

People can ignore Zones all they want, that "They're not REAL Sectors" But they are and many of them are special in their own way.
From the Pirate Havens of Corsairs Gambit in Fields of Opportunity, to the Mega Solar Energetics Installation in Fervid Corona in DeVries, the Lonely Giant in Exhausteless Mines in Far Out, Albion to the Badlands Mining Colony in Dormant Bear. There are dozens of zones in Rebirth that are memorable and have a uniqueness to it which you just don't get much of in Albion Prelude.

There were only several interesting Sectors in X3, some with interesting choke points that you could strategically place ships to guard these areas.
But the stations were the same carbon copy, (Barring the Players) and you couldn't explore the system, a nice Planet in the distance, throw in some asteroids and carbon copy stations, mega boring.
One of Rebirth's few strengths is it had interesting, stunning Zone regions with interesting Factions, Stations and substance.

More Systems unless they have interesting Sectors/zones doesn't guarantee success.

[nemesis1982]

I actually found the vanilla XR size fine. It wasn't to small at all in my opinion.

@csaba: As I said it was a guesstimate But I agree it's amusing I got that close.

@spankahontis: I agree XR feels much more unique and varied. I do like the old X games however the whole sector layout has always made it feel unimaginative and sterile especially when compared to say Independence War 2. I was happy to see XR was trying something different! XR is was a nice preview of what X could look like. Now all egosoft has to do is actually make it work, since many mechanics in XR are nice in theory their implementation leaves much to be desired. So let's hope X4 is to XR what Windows 7 was to Windows Vista, a proper implementation of the new concepts.