NEWS: X3: Terran Conflict news, all in one place for your convenience - 22-10-08

[pjknibbs]

I wish they would have left out the own your own space station bit plus the fighter wing control ect, I would have liked to see more of me and my ship scenario like hansolo and the falcon exploring uncharted space, every day is a new adventure,cos the thought of doin trade runs back and forth is not appealing.

Well, I'd have to say that what you want is a different game, then...the trading and station building has been an important part of the X series since it started. Besides, there's nothing stopping you playing the game without ever owning more than the ship you're flying around in...

[RegisterMe]

Well, I'd have to say that what you want is a different game, then...the trading and station building has been an important part of the X series since it started. Besides, there's nothing stopping you playing the game without ever owning more than the ship you're flying around in...

Agreed, the economic management / empire building in the X games is one of the facets that I've always really enjoyed.

I'm hoping for better / easier management plus easier complex construction .

[softweir]

The empire-building and fleet-command aspects to the game are purely optional in Reunion (and one assumes TC). Plenty of people fly one ship, earn cash by carrying out assassinations and capturing ships, and trade up to a better ship when their cash allows. Everything else in the game is background colour for them, and an optional diversion when they feel like trying something different.

[bob hope]

I wish they would have left out the own your own space station bit plus the fighter wing control ect, I would have liked to see more of me and my ship scenario like hansolo and the falcon exploring uncharted space, every day is a new adventure,cos the thought of doin trade runs back and forth is not appealing.

Do you realise that Han Solo was mainly a smuggler, hence picking up spacweed equivalents and dodging law enforcement so he can then deliver the contracted goods, in the star wars series, Han spent most of the whole time in a block of stuff that i cant remember what it is, long enough for Luke to actually learn how to use his powers instead of being a complete numpty.

Trading was really Han Solo's life before he was hijacked by the mind tricks of the jedi

[BugMeister]

I'm already well impressed with some of TC's mooted attributes..

Wing Management sounds like it could sustain a longer gameplaying style..
- as does the training aspect of Boarding Parties..

- Trading and Building remain among the game's cornerstones, and
- with the addition of more involved quests and missions, etc
- it looks as though the "playability" aspect of a long drawn-out campaign
- will make TC into something unique in the space-game genre..

- I was so absorbed with the inflow of new stuff that I found myself
- actually clicking on that Training screen in Cycrow's recent blog entry..!!

- obviously, I can't wait..

[Nanook]

I was just noticing on Cycrow's blog entry the image with the marines attacking that ship. It appears as if the shields are not recharging. I wonder if it's now possible to temporarily disable shield recharging on an enemy ship? Hmmm!

Thinking further on it, that only makes sense. How else would you keep the shields down while moving either your spacesuited marines, or their assault pod, to the target without zapping them as well if you use something like an Ion Disruptor?

[A5PECT]

On top of that, its engines are idle and it's not firing any weapons.

[Nanook]

Missed that, good point. I can already tell there's gonna be some significant gameplay changes.

[Dave500]

Disruptor canons or missiles that disable ships (a la Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)?

Sweet

[em3e3]

Missed that, good point. I can already tell there's gonna be some significant gameplay changes.

Why does everyone keep thinking that the capital ship will not be disabled?

Like I mentioned before, I foresee large ship capturing working similar to small ship capturing: You shoot at the ship until it goes blue, then enter the ship in your spacesuit, or in the case of the large ships, send a whole platoon of marines in space suits. If your force is stronger, you get the ship and whatever is left of the marines. If not, no more marines, so go get more!

[Nanook]

Actually, that's not how capturing currently works. Currently, the pilot has to bail, creating an empty ship to claim. In X3:TC, you apparently have to force the crew out of the larger ships by boarding it with marines. It ain't gonna go blue until it's empty. Look at that picture in the blog. That corvette (presumably) is still red with the marines heading towards it.

[em3e3]

Should have stated, 'you shoot at the target, until they bail (unless they are Xenon!), then they turn blue, then you can eject and board.'

Looking at the image from the blog, I noticed a) no shields on the target, b) no weapons fire, c) target's speed is 0, d) target's hull is below 80%, e) distance is 455m, f) 9 marines being sent over to capture an M6 size ship (Terran?), g) it's still red.

So, except for the fact that it is still red, it behaves the same as other ships that would normally be captured after the pilot bails. The in-space fighting has completed, now it's time for the in-ship fight!

[KennethX3Freak]

there msut be a way to disable the ship then so you can send men on board.


man, this is going to make being a pirate FUN (much much moreso than it was in x3)


haha, get maybe 30 marines and storm a argon titan after you hit it with a burst from your Ion Frigate.

[em3e3]

...9 marines being sent over to capture an M6 size ship (Terran?), g) it's still red.

Haven't played the XTM mod yet (or probably ever!), but the ship looks like the Terran Vidar (MM6). I wonder if the player is flying an M7...

man, this is going to make being a pirate FUN (much much moreso than it was in x3)

Oh yeah!

[KRM398]

Well, to keep capping realistic, I dont see us being able to cap a M2 even with marines, in an M3..lol. So probably something like one ship size bigger than what your flying ATM. So M3 can cap M3+ or maybe M6..then M6 can cap M7-8..something like that. It would stand to reason you can only carry so many men in a small ship. Maybe the old Benco Capture software is finally going to get retired, I hope so.

[Sandalpocalypse]

I doubt a fighter will be able to carry marines, really. I guess we'll see.

[X2-Eliah]

Then there is the question of how exactly does the disabling of an enemy ship works - It might be possible that only certain type of ships can do that, and it may be possible that there is just a disabler missile, or extension for any ship.

Another point is the amount of marines required to capture a ship, however, seeing as you can upgrade your troops individually, i'd say that probably that number should not exceed some 20-30 on capital ships.. But then again - who knows?

Another question is - when you overtake the ship, is it en-abled again (presumable by the leftover marines onboard that have some skill in engineering etc.) or do you have to tow it to a dock (which adds use to a tractor beam, if it makes it in the game)?

[KRM398]

I would guess that capping is all about the number of marines and the size of the ship. If they sucessfully cap the ship, it becomes your property, and so it turns green and you control it. If it involves towing to a station, that leaves a very good chance you'll lose the ship and all your marines in flight, again reducing the times you'll sucessfully cap and keep a ship. I hope the marines are specially trained, as the vids show, to do the job, as they have diferent specialtys, you have engineers, fighters, and hackers to hack the computer, and tada, once their on and win, you own the ship.

[X2-Eliah]

Actually, just as an idea, since you have all those skills, there might be a boot-up (repair) time from the moment ship is considered yours till the ship is fully active - that would explain how a disabled ship turns fully operational (though un-equipped probably) upon the death of it's former crew. The time interval during that is necessary for repairs, the ship could be either treated as your property (which leads to necessity of protection) or as a neutral ground.. Either way, the skills do have some impact, right? Otherwise it would be a money sink, and the easiest way of skill impact I can think of is the repair/boot-up/even capture time.

[KennethX3Freak]

i hope that YOU cant have your ship captured.