X-TRA POLLS Round #16 | Have you ever used the toggle radar modes feature in X4: Foundations?

[Scoob]

I never touch the radar modes, and the radar itself is a lot less useful in X4 than in earlier iterations. It's hard to tell where ships are relative to you and the ecliptic, and the constant changing of zoom doesn't help.

In X4 I mainly just use the radar to quickly select enemies in combat without opening the map. Everything else I just open the map.

This is a valid point. The radar is horrible to use, really. Bring back the dots (ship icons) on stalks, that worked great. The little arrows are a poor substitute.

If Egosoft are considering spending time looking at the ship scanner again, then surely it's an ideal opportunity to make it work far better. I would absolutely pay more attention to the scanner if it were more useful.

[Feloidea]

I've never found the radar to be particularly useful in X4. The information is poorly presented with little in the way of fixed orientation points, leading to the information being practically useless to you since you can't tell where what is in relation to you or where you are in relation to other things.

In combat, I just use the nearest enemy hotkey when flying in S/M ships or plain use the map to identify priority targets if I'm in an L or larger ship. When not in combat I just periodically check the map menu like I''d check the rearview mirror when driving a car.

[jojorne]

I use it actively. One for navigation, the other for combat.

[birdtable]

I am totally biased ,, I have always wanted X4 to be far more challenging and realistic and will always put my opinion forward, you should only be able to see what is going on around you with a greatly improved intergrated radar system untill a sector has been satellited (is that a word) then and only then can you get an external view of your surroundings.... I love the beauty of Egosofts creation but struggle with some of the game play decisions. Judging from the response to this poll did Ego even consider or realise the poor adaptation of the radar experience....... Regretfully for me X4 has been very popular so my desire for more realism will/may go unheeded...... X5 2026

[grapedog]

i use it to find the ecliptic... so i can accurately search a sector instead of going 80km up or down and wondering why i can't find anyone or anything.

and I use it to see if loot is getting pulled in by my L ships magnet...

Otherwise, I never much use it... i feel like it's useless in a dogfight. I end up opening the map to get a view of what is going on around me.

[G315t]

I only knew there was an "integrated" or "separate" Gravidar option. I had no idea we have a Fight/explore gravidar option as well. 2736 hours... What else do you guys hide from me?

[Nanook]

I am totally biased ,, I have always wanted X4 to be far more challenging and realistic and will always put my opinion forward, you should only be able to see what is going on around you with a greatly improved intergrated radar system untill a sector has been satellited (is that a word) then and only then can you get an external view of your surroundings.... I love the beauty of Egosofts creation but struggle with some of the game play decisions. Judging from the response to this poll did Ego even consider or realise the poor adaptation of the radar experience....... Regretfully for me X4 has been very popular so my desire for more realism will/may go unheeded...... X5 2026

You should probably explain a bit better what you mean here. AFAIK nothing appears on a sector map until you or one of your assets uncovers it within their 40km radar range. If you're personally flying a ship, sure, you can see distant stations. But that's the ol' MK I eyeball being used, not ship's radar. Or do you think pilots should be physically blind?

And btw, if you hop an NPC ship and fly to a previously unexplored sector, you will see nothing on the map, only what you can see directly out the cockpit. Nothing you see at that point gets displayed on the map. So I'm really not understanding what your issues are. IMO this is quite realistic and not in need of making it more difficult.

[birdtable]

Not wishing to be pendantic, but I did say when you start a new game in a small fighter your only source of information initially should be from the radar. I should assume at the travel speeds and realistic distances involved eyeballing would be difficult unless of course you are basing eyeballing on the "Top Gun" movie experience I see nothing wrong with your opinion about being a passenger on a NPC ship and yes that is realistic (ish) which has nothing to do what I made reference to. If your saying the radar needs no improvement and map/sector reading is realistic enough and any change would make it more difficult ..then we differ in opinion, which is fine....