Boso is homesick

[Baddieus]

That new logo looks great on my ships ...
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... 2904917736

=Baddieus=

[|K.O.S.H.]

the question is: DLC or new standalone game?

[adeine]

the question is: DLC or new standalone game?

Could be a standalone expansion (TC style), but definitely still X4

Hopefully it is, as it would give Egosoft the chance to finally address some of the systemic issues with the game without having to worry about savegame compatibility.

[Loltak]

Always great when a new DLC comes.

In my mind it makes no doubt that is a DLC not a standalone but I'm bias as I prefer expanding my actual universe in X-fondations.

[|K.O.S.H.]

the question is: DLC or new standalone game?

Could be a standalone expansion (TC style), but definitely still X4

Hopefully it is, as it would give Egosoft the chance to finally address some of the systemic issues with the game without having to worry about savegame compatibility.

I hope for DLC, because of all my mods

[Axeface]

the question is: DLC or new standalone game?

Could be a standalone expansion (TC style), but definitely still X4

Hopefully it is, as it would give Egosoft the chance to finally address some of the systemic issues with the game without having to worry about savegame compatibility.

I hadnt considered this. It might be a standalone with large changes, must reign in expectations... because that would be amazing. We get all the races together again, along with vastly improved overall gameplay.

[M@ReK]

I think you guys are imagining to much Ego clearly mentioned they are not done yet with X4 and this leads to conclusion it will be a dlc. I do not see any reason why this would be a new standalone game... Just my opinion though...

[TheDeliveryMan]

I think you guys are imagining to much Ego clearly mentioned they are not done yet with X4 and this leads to conclusion it will be a dlc. I do not see any reason why this would be a new standalone game... Just my opinion though...

Government funding was for a standalone game with working title "X4-22". Furthermore, X3: Reunion and X3: Terran Conflict are both standalone games. There is no rule that says there can only be one X4 standalone game.

[Buzz2005]

that funding could be for something next after boron dlc

[M@ReK]

Waiting for tomorrow anyway
I must say - Good Job Egosoft! No other company can make me feel again like a child waiting for a Christmas present

[Cyron43]

Waiting for tomorrow anyway
I must say - Good Job Egosoft! No other company can make me feel again like a child waiting for a Christmas present

^That^

[adeine]

I hadnt considered this. It might be a standalone with large changes, must reign in expectations... because that would be amazing. We get all the races together again, along with vastly improved overall gameplay.

I think you guys are imagining to much Ego clearly mentioned they are not done yet with X4 and this leads to conclusion it will be a dlc. I do not see any reason why this would be a new standalone game... Just my opinion though...

Considering the mysterious X-22 funding implied it was a standalone thing, I think it's a distinct possibility (after all, 2022 is all but over and we haven't heard of anything else). Also a lot of the changes that would really improve X4 aren't that technically challenging:

- Making ship roles and loadouts distinctive/matter instead of all being copy paste across factions:
While dearth of content made this a big issue at launch, there's probably enough content in the game already to do this, it's as simple as changing loadout compatibility and changing ship stats/numbers. With the addition of condensate, we have separate cargo types again, so what's stopping Egosoft from making different types of transport ships again? There's already models for tankers/container/solid freighters for a lot of the Commonwealth factions as a holdover from Rebirth before they decided to strip things down, so it'd be pretty straightforward to do it. The answer to both questions is it would break existing savegames which seems to go against Egosoft's philosophy.

- Bringing back ship reactors and energy management on ships:
Again, not that hard to do on a technical level, but would be a drastic change to existing games. Considering they can't even make use of the nice Terran accelerator models that are already in the game because it would break savegames means adding new types of subsystems (generator/reactor modules? though to be fair, it should probably be hard limited per ship anyway to avoid more copy/paste) to ships is likely something that can't ever happen in a non-standalone expansion.

- Fleshing out the economy (especially for Terran factions):
Reintroducing more faction flavour and complexity to the ware/resource tree is a bit more work as it'd require new production modules, but otherwise also pretty feasible. Again, the problem is it would break established games that haven't spawned with the changes in play. I can't think of a better opportunity to make things less bland than when ostensibly introducing new production chains to begin with for Borons.

- Improving the workforce system:
It feels like a lot of the systems that have been introduced over the patches/DLCs are tacked on and don't really come together... because they are. There's only so much you can do if you don't want to break existing stations/games. There's a lot of disparate mechanics in play that could tie together exceptionally well if compatibility wasn't a factor. Think making station production actually depend on workforce (no production for nonbasic/tier 2+ wares without it), having workforce originate from TP shuttles spawning from planets or orbital stations and implementing some workforce churn where workforce is lost over time and continuously replenished this way. How much workforce a planet produces could then depend on habitability/population and resource availability, making terraforming less of a tacked on vanity mechanic. Supply or terraform a planet well and stations will thrive, blockade it or starve it out and it will have far-reaching implications for the stations it supplies. Not only would this add significantly to the immersion of simulating a living universe, but it could also give Xenon more narrative relevance if you allow them to 'reverse terraform' systems under their control (incentive to avoid them holding space for a long time). It'd also make supply routes and logistics relevant, since you'd likely be relying to densely populated core sectors to supply workforce to the far reaches (at least to start with) making it more of a trade-off to try and build in remote locations.

[Axeface]

I hadnt considered this. It might be a standalone with large changes, must reign in expectations... because that would be amazing. We get all the races together again, along with vastly improved overall gameplay.

I think you guys are imagining to much Ego clearly mentioned they are not done yet with X4 and this leads to conclusion it will be a dlc. I do not see any reason why this would be a new standalone game... Just my opinion though...

Considering the mysterious X-22 funding implied it was a standalone thing, I think it's a distinct possibility (after all, 2022 is all but over and we haven't heard of anything else). Also a lot of the changes that would really improve X4 aren't that technically challenging:
-snip-

Theres so many things they could do with a standalone, too many to list! But your examples are good ones. I was thinking a bit more about it, now im not sure that they would release boron and lock them behind another product, would seem unfair to leave x4 behind like that in some ways - so I thought that perhaps it will be both. A standalone, sold separately, and the boron implemented into x4 too. After thinking about it more though im doubting just a standalone and leaning more towards just a dlc.

[chew-ie]

*hums like a boso*

[adeine]

Theres so many things they could do with a standalone, too many to list! But your examples are good ones. I was thinking a bit more about it, now im not sure that they would release boron and lock them behind another product, would seem unfair to leave x4 behind like that in some ways - so I thought that perhaps it will be both. A standalone, sold separately, and the boron implemented into x4 too. After thinking about it more though im doubting just a standalone and leaning more towards just a dlc.

I don't think so. Whether you lock the Boron behind a DLC or a standalone expansion, not much of a difference there (I think we can all agree they should have been in the game to start with) other than the added freedom to meaningfully change things.

Either way it's still X4, just as TC/AP are still X3.

[Maebius]

Exciting news.
If it's a DLC priced around 15€ (like the other DLCs), I'll get it the moment it comes out.
If it's a standalone game, I'll see.... it must have much more meaningful changes to go full price of 50ish €

For me, there should also have extra storylines for all races, not just for the Boron. Plus good, introductory plots.

Meaningful plot attracts new players and gets them attached to the universe and the races. If they're attached, they'll put in the effort of diving into its' complexity.

[Baddieus]

If it's a DLC priced around 15€ (like the other DLCs), I'll get it the moment it comes out.
If it's a standalone game, I'll see.... it must have much more meaningful changes to go full price of 50ish €

Egosoft has given me literally thousands of hours of entertainment for my USA $1 since I started in this franchise with X3 ... I'm buying just about anything their selling.

[Marco Nero]

In my opinion Egosoft did the Borons just becouse Bernd was so tired about people continuing asking this
just joking... i wanna just say to you that today you made me cry, not only becouse Borons are finally back, but for the trailer music.....the melody is always the original one but remaked....i was always immaginate this exactly how you have done.

THANKYOU EGOSOFT!
THANKYOU ALEXEI!

[Karvat]

Can't wait to see the Boron builder ship!

[adeine]

Can't wait to see the Boron builder ship!

exclusive sneak peek: