Pirates patched to be pacifists?

[Kalanur]

I remember when I started the game on version 1.0 I've had random encounters with pirates, which I enjoyed. Also, Xenon and Khaak attacked me but their AI was stupid back then so it was just kinda annoying.
Over time the encounters became more and more sparse. Now I don't encounter any pirates anymore. I've tried to fly around in Noplieos Fortune II but no pirate was interested in my ship or my cargo. The only way to encounter pirates is to randomly fly far out of the sector borders where these unrealistic warped encounters are happening and when I do this there are only discoverer and kestrel ships, which are no threat at all. When I fly around in Silent Witness XII there is only one Behemoth that patrols the area but always flys into the Khaak Station and dies. Again and again. So my big question is: Where all the Pirates? How do they spawn? Do they have a wharf I can support so there are more of them again?


I really miss the pirates because, the only fights in my galaxy are happening in these League of Legends like battle zones (Hatikvahs Choice, Holy Vision, etc) where Argon/Teladi/HOP throw ship after ship against the Xenon which are doing the same. No real tactics, just throwing minion ships against each other.
Is there any way to have meaningful combat beside those unrealistic warped encounters outside the sector borders or those boring Xenon battles? I really miss those neutral and pirate sectors (from previous X games, including XR) where you can get jumped by pirates, xenon or anything else so you had to be careful.

Same with the highway, why is there a superhighway connecting HOP, ARG, and PAR when they are at war with each other? Even Xenon use the highway and can fly freely around the systems of any faction this way, it feels so weird. Sorry, I just feel frustrated right now with this game.

In my opinion, the highway should be removed and there should be neutral sectors in between those major factions where piracy can happen. It would make trading also more challenging because at the moment there is no threat for your trade ships currently. If there would be neutral sectors in between you would think twice if you want to make that profitable trade run from one end of the galaxy to the other without an escort. Now they just jump on the highway and reach their target without a problem. But I guess major changes like this will never happen because it would break all current savegames and that's something that Egosoft never does.

[BlackRain]

There is a mod that removes the super highways, try it out if you don't mind using mods. It changes the game a lot.

[Sandalpocalypse]

The pirates are there, they are just largely cruising around with hidden IFF. Well, hidden to the AI. It's incredible obvious to the player that HOP BEHEMOTH PLUNDERER probably isnt a member of the Holy Order's military forces.

The pirates tend to cruise around alone though, so they are rarely a threat to a combat ship. Player can beat things 1v1 typically and if the pirate is in a bigger ship they are easy to run away from. Xenon are the biggest military threat and sometimes they will spill over outside the immediate conflict zone if they overrun the sector entrance.

I do wish the response of pirates to being scanned wasnt always to use 100% of their shields Boosting. It just makes them easy targets after you catch up to them with travel drive.




I agree that the map needs improvement. The ring is okay as a concept, but it goes directly between HOP and PAR space? Very silly. And the almost total lack of no mans lands between faction space is definitely a problem. There should also be 'badlands' routes that are inefficient between some major governments, and at least one Xenon sector blocking a highly convenient route (giving the player and the governments an obvious goal of crushing that Xenon sector for economic reasons.)

[BlackRain]

The pirates are there, they are just largely cruising around with hidden IFF. Well, hidden to the AI. It's incredible obvious to the player that HOP BEHEMOTH PLUNDERER probably isnt a member of the Holy Order's military forces.

The pirates tend to cruise around alone though, so they are rarely a threat to a combat ship. Player can beat things 1v1 typically and if the pirate is in a bigger ship they are easy to run away from. Xenon are the biggest military threat and sometimes they will spill over outside the immediate conflict zone if they overrun the sector entrance.

I do wish the response of pirates to being scanned wasnt always to use 100% of their shields Boosting. It just makes them easy targets after you catch up to them with travel drive.




I agree that the map needs improvement. The ring is okay as a concept, but it goes directly between HOP and PAR space? Very silly. And the almost total lack of no mans lands between faction space is definitely a problem. There should also be 'badlands' routes that are inefficient between some major governments, and at least one Xenon sector blocking a highly convenient route (giving the player and the governments an obvious goal of crushing that Xenon sector for economic reasons.)

Some good ideas, would be nice to create some more tension and also have no mans lands or badlands, etc.

[XTC0R]

Egosoft said several times they will add new sectors but not re-arrange the existing map. Also superhighways are not up for discussion.
I like the ideas and agree with you but I think we have to wait for a mod to get these things.

[ezra-r]

if you refer to random pirates spawning in every single sector scanning you for goods constantly, I don't want them, they were annoyingly repetitive and senseless.

[Kalanur]

if you refer to random pirates spawning in every single sector scanning you for goods constantly, I don't want them, they were annoyingly repetitive and senseless.

That's the problem currently, it seems like there is no proper way to implement them because you are most of the time in secure or xenon sectors. Like there is no room anymore for pirates in this game. The only neutral sector in this game where traders have to go through maybe is Nopileos Fortune VI. One sector where pirates could do their job.

Of course modding can remove the superhighway but on the other is the game balanced around it, or tries to be.
Sandalpocalypse made some good suggestions but we will never see changes like this in X4 and the next X4 installment is several years away. I really hope they will change the galaxy map at some time because in my eye it's the biggest flaw of the game because it's affecting so much in a negative way. First, we have to wait what the two DLCs bring before we can see the next installment.

[Nort The Fragrent]

Let Pirates have a sector, and they can spill to just their adjacent sectors. Not have them all over the place. They are so annoying, and not very realistic in the whole scheme of things.

Brake the highways up! Particularly the ring road.
Removing it from the inside of Hatikvah’s Choice, this would make the game more interesting.
Do the same in Pontifex’s Claim, & Pious Mists II,
Traveling around is way too easy!
The only ship I have lost is one Cerberous to the Xenon. Other than that ! My game is very quiet.

I like it that way!
In previous games you had to run the gauntlet to find new sectors, take a risk! This made the game have some believability. And you learnt where you had to be careful. But also knew where it was safe. And planed your game accordingly.

This ring-road, is a get out of jail free zone, built for the boring lazy players.
A bit like training wheels on a Tricycle, Totally unnecessary..

[Sandalpocalypse]

im not sure how much more risk removing he highways actually adds.

There's no mechanic that lets AIs pull people out of travel drive.

[BlackRain]

im not sure how much more risk removing he highways actually adds.

There's no mechanic that lets AIs pull people out of travel drive.

That isn't entirely true, you do get pulled out of travel drive if shot at. Of course, if no ship is near to shoot then it won't happen, probably doesn't happen OOS either. However, at least without highways, ships would definitely be at a slight risk because they might have to slow down when moving through the gate or when flying towards a station (although sometimes they can travel drive right through gates).

I had been playing without super highways and the game felt pretty good from what I could tell. I don't know which way i prefer just yet

[Kalanur]

im not sure how much more risk removing he highways actually adds.

There's no mechanic that lets AIs pull people out of travel drive.

The trading between ARG and PAR should be crippled by that because they can't use the highway anymore to get safely through HOP space. But I guess the change would be only minor. I've sent 10 Kestrels through 3 Xenon sectors while at the first Xenon sector there was a big fleet with multiple N, M, P, and K ships. I've only lost one Kestrel because they just used travel mode to get through there. And I did not send them all at once. If you are OOS you can't really block a gate.