Egosoft Interview?!

[ravisoul]

he guys, dont know if its already posted somewhere (cant find it so hope not)
but there was interview like 6 hours ago with Ego about X4!

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/347669019##

HF!

[Informer]

Thanks for the link.

[Riccardoman]

I always like hearing Bernd talking
He is really human and authentic, the only "CEO" that I actually believe when he talks
He is really stressed about what happened with XR and in a way relieved for the actual situation of X4 (especially about the steam rating) so he is not really keen on talking about some things
But I can feel he is the kind of person that would defend his games with everything he has
Because he actually believes in his "creations"

[Zealoth]

Well, I personally gave the game a positive review, mostly due to the mixed review, as Egosoft is one of the few dealers willing to supply the good space stuff youknowwhatimeanrite Plus, the game, on a technical level, is pretty ****** amazing
Gameplay tho..let's just say I left it to simmer as the patches roll in... Although the speed of patching is commendable

My review:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/emp_zealo ... ded/392160

[Playbahnosh]

I agree, I think Bernd is a good guy, and he really has the best intentions for the X universe at heart.
However, we all know the thing about good intentions and the road...

It's been bugging me for years, seeing his reactions, interviews and videos, press releases, etc, but now I know I see a lot of Peter Molyneux in him. Just like him, Bernd is a great visionary with huge ideas and a vivid imagination. That's how the X-Universe was born after all, and been shaped to the awesome thing it is today. However, just like Moly, Bernd is also living in his head and constantly overpromises and underdelivers with every single game, and then tries to explain it away with banalities. He is incredibly tenacious and stubborn, which partly a good thing it makes him go through fire and flames to carry his ideas though, the single reason EGOSOFT is still functioning and we still have X games today... but it also makes him practically blind to criticism and, well, reality. He has this idea in his head of what the X-Universe should be, the idea of a game he thinks everyone wants, and has really no concern if any of it is desired, feasible or even doable. It's gonna happen, reality be damned! He launches into these grandiose projects with huge ideas, attempting to create games looks incredible in his head, but what his tiny dev studio could never accomplish in a million years on it's own. Much like Moly and his studios, I don't think there is really anyone in the EGOSOFT team who is capable or even dare to question Bernd and his designs, so they kinda just go with it. The launch into developing stuff they never did before, grossly overestimating their skills and resources, and grossly underestimating the work and time needed to achieve them. Feature creep kicks in, designs get mushed and fragmented, devs don't even know where to start with the giant workload ahead of them. And when reality rears it's ugly head and it turns out that you can't simply wish something into existence, he gets upset that the world just won't conform to his ideas. Years pass, the budget evaporates, problems start flooding in, people get worn down mentally and emotionally, but things just don't seem to progress anywhere. So they start to slowly whittle down the "grand plan", leaving half-implemented, broken or missing features and mechanics hanging out everywhere. Desperately trying to cobble something together that vaguely resembles a video game. They are out of time, out of money, out of hope to ever finish what they started, but they need to put something out or it's over. Bernd is furious and sad, that once again reality refuses to alight itself with his grand vision, but there's always next time, right? The game (or whatever left of it) gets released to major discontent from the players. It's buggy, broken, unfinished, "we are sorry for everyone who had a bad experience at release, but we are working hard to fix things", ring any bells? Like literally every single X release ever? But you can always count on the modders to do something, fix the broken mechanics, finish the features, add stuff they never could (or even thought about), etc. So it all works out in the end, right? "Look, it's actually a good game now, the players love it! We succeeded!" says Bernd more than two years after the original release, after plugging in so many mods and community patches the game is basically 80% mods now. The collection gets released, another healthy heap of cash hits the treasury now that players actually flock to play the now actually good game. Unbeknownst to most, however, Bernd was secretly developing another grand plan in the background, a game that will change everything forever. The same exact scenario happens in fast forward, the "game" turns out to be a horrible, barely working abomination that crashes and burns in the reviews, alienating half the fanbase, but "we are sorry for everyone who had a bad experience at release...etc". Years pass, the awful tragedy is slowly fixed up to finally resemble a video game, but Bernd is not done, he's been secretly working on a grand plan in the background, a game that will change everything forever...

You can substitute Bernd for Moly in this little anecdote, and you literally get his life story, from Bullfrog all the way to 22Cans. Always reaching for the stars, but it's pretty damn cold and empty in space without a working space ship...

[Zealoth]

I agree, I think Bernd is a good guy, and he really has the best intentions for the X universe at heart.
However, .....

I think you are overdoing it. Sure, the game came out clearly rushed and I'm not sure it will ever be fully fixed when it comes to gameplay, as right now you can max out rep with factions within few days, earn hundreds of millions off station building (which is so ungodly terrible...) I'm really NOT OKAY with this Early Access kind of release, but if they were going to go under...I have to admit that I honestly would (and did!) rather risk my money than for Egosoft to go under. I am a part of the problem, but ****, I want a space game that might become THE SPACE GAME. And admit, at least this is not SotS 2 *hide the pain harold*

I think what Egosoft lacks is someone to funnel the vision and imagination, to herd cats. I don't want a corporate-like bean counter paper pusher that will just trim anything of interest off the game in the name of cost cutting. But they seem to need to set some realistic goals and work from that - as it more or less ends up that way again and again.

Personally I don't really understand why wouldn't they embrace a proper Early Access workflow (Like Factorio). Early Access is such a dirty word since so many games just ends up being abandoned half way, but Egosoft did show commitment to their products before. They could even try to do something like Stellaris does too - work on the game for years, releasing sizeable paid content packs every now and then.

Just listen and engage with your fans, Egosoft. Vision doesn't have to be realised in one go.

[ajime]

I agree, I think Bernd is a good guy, and he really has the best intentions for the X universe at heart.
However, we all know the thing about good intentions and the road...
-snip-

sounds overdoing on the analysis but imo you do need a stubborn visionary to push through in a divided and stubborn fan base. At least it's not plotting just to make absurd profits for the shareholders just like the current AAA industries. A bad decision is better than no decision at all.

[Warnoise]

Well, I personally gave the game a positive review, mostly due to the mixed review, as Egosoft is one of the few dealers willing to supply the good space stuff youknowwhatimeanrite Plus, the game, on a technical level, is pretty ****** amazing
Gameplay tho..let's just say I left it to simmer as the patches roll in... Although the speed of patching is commendable

My review:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/emp_zealo ... ded/392160

This is why i rarely read positive reviews in games, especially those made for the sole purpose to offset the balance of reviews. I never bother to read them.

[Vaeo]

Admitted to sabotaging turrets starting at 44:51. : P

[Vaeo]

Also at 43:50 that they lied or didn't know about a single snub fighter being able to kill capital ships. They may very well have no idea how their games combat plays and balances.

[Requiemfang]

Admitted to sabotaging turrets starting at 44:51. : P

Oh boy are they going to get backlash for admitting that...

[Vaeo]

Admitted to sabotaging turrets starting at 44:51. : P

Oh boy are they going to get backlash for admitting that...

As someone angered by precisely this admission I'm all too happy to point it out. Know what else it explains? Why an MK1 beam turret deals a ton less damage than an MK 1 beam weapon slotted as the ship's main gun. They also nerfed most if not all of the turret weapon types damage compared to their primary counterparts.

[Requiemfang]

Poor design decision choices, if they were expecting people to be happy with it they were def wrong about it. Granted Bernd is a great guy, I had a physical copy of the combined X3 pack which had X3 Reunion in it and X3 Terran Conflict. When I put the key to my library on steam I only had TC added to my library. I sent an email to ES and Bernd personally emailed me with a key for Reunion, I certainly wasn't expecting a personal email from the CEO but hell, tells you how dedicated he is to the X-universe fanbase and players.

[Vaeo]

I've heard good things about him. And my crusade to jump on them to improve those design choices isn't personal. But they need serious buffs and it doesn't even appear to be on their radar yet, and I question the sensibility of leaving the fight aspect of the game in such a broken state for so long.

[Requiemfang]

Indeed, this is the reason why I like modifications, if the devs don't fix it in a timely manner the modding community gets right on it.

[Drakuel]

A great interview,

It allows customers a little insight on how difficult things are with a sandbox game, when it comes to testing and time on things, also the complexity of it all.. Why I have always supported them, and accepted the bugs..

The whole manual thing, I agree with him, I do not feel a manual should be the end all tool for info to a new player, it should be more intuitive and part of the flow of the game, and that is exactly what you had with encyclopedia and tutorials and tooltips on hover... The only issue is these tools were just not complete, if they were I can bet that 70 score on steam would of been 75, I dont think a manual would of given that same impact if it had launched with one.

The last thing I took out of it is that they are a small team and they need ways to generate money then just box sales, I agree and I can relate to this... personally, as a fan I think it is unfair that you deliver a game working and playable in a fair timeline with risk of your funding, while others get millions to games not even playable yet or may never be... I see many ways your team could get your fans involved with support on this front, I know for a fact I would back this team for more things or enhanced features as a paid goal type transaction...

One of the main reasons Chris got so much backing, because he was a trusted developer who delivered loved games in the past, Egosoft has the same reputation and I am confident your fans would love to fund sone feature they would love to see like planet landing...

[Riccardoman]

Ah I forgot to say this to Bernd!

If you're willing to put microtransactions in the game(they have to be very good though and not invasive) I'll gladly pay more money for those extras

More fully fledged ships?
More station modules?
More aesthetic differences between races?
More sectors?
More races?
More interiors?
More music?
More NPCs?

If this is the ONLY way they are able to support financially themselves I can accept it

I'm totally in

PS: to convince me 100% they need to promise just one thing
That they will keep updating the game not just functionality wise but also by upgrading the aesthetics, refining the rough edges
Because at this time there are many rough edges art wise

[Perahoky]

Hello,

i found this at reddit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oP39ILfshA

You guys might be interesting in this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oP39ILfshA via r/SpaceGameJunkie

I'm not affiliated with that channel, just found it and listening in.

In summary:

- missions types (approx 12) and structures (lead to many more possibilities)

- simulating the economy (it's hard, really hard)

- the war issues that are now resolved (1.32)

- where and why testing missed certain issues

- release date was decided 6 months ago

- performance issues, including the bug that meant 1 old AMD driver file broke nVidia cards

- fixing the war kicks the wider economy in to shape

- conflicts are the main drain on the economy

- expansions will come with new races, sectors and ships

- X: Rebirths main issue/mistake was redoing everything at once

- Steam reviews - he's generally happy because this type of game can't be a 10 for everyone (too many moving parts)

- but Steam reviews don't consider the large number of players/fans who bought directly from Egosoft (these would bump the positive reviews)

- balancing issues: there are some and they're trying to improve, including turrets

- at release they were deliberately trying to make turrets less accurate, they got that wrong

- TrackIR is on the list (likely 2.0)

- no idea what the "Venture" system is... )

- some of the best feedback for devs is watching streams and YouTube videos, they see new things/issues all the time that they hadn't considered

- a manual might spoil the game (I disagree, the game needs a proper manual)

- hiring crew from AI ships wasn't intended, and hence has been removed

- new ships and new stations will mostly come with paid (major) updates

- they will make lots of free updates but this will likely be features, not ships (as per the above)

- carrier balancing, they aren't meant to fight on the front line, they're for carrying lots of ships that go off and fight (protection of smaller ships)

- might try making carriers faster, currently the problem is ships alone are faster and might not need the protection of the carrier (player chooses not to use them) - so balance tests here

- scanning, there are certain modules that require space suit to scan to 100% (tip: storage modules)

- pirates reveal themselves by flying close to stations to hack and cargo will spill out, they remain blue until you scan them, then free to attack them

- missions work in one place, but not another, complexity of the universe = additional bug fixes

- unfair criticism of the universe size, sectors are a lot bigger than any other X game

- you can't measure the size by counting sectors alone

- derelicts are manually placed, not 100% sure if they're procedurally generated

- he's clearly proud of his product, and he should be

[Riccardoman]

Already posted here
viewtopic.php?f=146&t=407404

[CBJ]

Threads merged.