[Request/Commission] Galaxy Map Revamp

[Crekkan]

I'm a big fan of the X3 era map and always like the X4 mods which adjust sectors and/or add new sectors. I've already tried to contact the creator of the X Universe+ mod but I wanna make a forum post for this request here too. I'll say now that I would be more than willing to make this a commission and pay for this mods creation, if it possible to make of course.

Basically, I would like to collapse at least half, if not all, of the 'Accelerator-gate Sectors'. Examples would be Pious Mists, Silent Witness, etc. While some people don't like the super highways, I actually really like the concept and feel it should replace the Accelerator gates in, at least, the vanilla game sectors. This can be explained lore wise as the development of the original sectors over the last two years. Preferably the sectors would lose little to none of their pre-existing features. Some sectors will lose their 'twin-system', with that system being slightly changed and renamed. While these sectors would be merged, it does not mean that the space they occupied would disappear. Those sectors can see the reintroduction of places such as Paranid Prime, The Wall, and other sectors which have voiceovers ready for them and which feel familiar. I can also write the updated and new sector descriptions too. In the end, the universe size is expanded while maintaining the original layout, at least when zoomed out, giving various races the ability to expand further - as well as yourself. It should remain compatible with the X Universe+ mod in that case.

I want to add that, if the usage of Superhighways is not possible, then keeping the Accelerator gates but still achieving the desired goal above is also an option!

Hopefully this is possible, and if you believe you can do it then please contact me. I know Cradle of Humanity is just around the corner, but hopefully any creation can be adapted for any upcoming changes to the base layout. Also feel free to give feedback to the concept!

Below is a rough idea of what I would like to be done. Main focus is on the sectors within and around the Ring Superhighway. Image credit in the bottom right corner.



List of edited systems:

- Pious Mists | Two 'new' sectors thus created
- Second Contact | Two 'new' sectors thus created
- Morning Star | One 'new' sector thus created
- Silent Witness | Two 'new' sectors thus created
- Trinity Sanctum | One 'new' sector thus created
- Memory of Profit | One 'new' Xenon sector thus created
- Hewa's Twin | One 'new' sector thus created

List of systems not edited on map, but could also be edited.

- Tharka's Ravine | XXIV and XVI combined into a 'Superhighway' sector, VIII and IV combined into a separate 'Superhighway' sector, with a different name. Two 'new' sectors thus created.
- Wretched Skies | Separate systems: Wretched Skies, Family Phi, Family Valka

Part of Hewa's Twin, Bone of Acrimony and Zyarth's Dominion should retain their Accelerator gate layout.

Thanks for reading! Again, if you believe/know you can do this, please contact me and we can work something out.

[John Colman]

I really like this idea. From the start of X4 i found it kind of a bad concept of having some sectors within a hexagon and others outside of it. I would actually prefer something like the map in X Rebirth where you would have layers instead of having all of it in one overview. For me the map is very confusing this way. In X4s case you could have the systems on top and in the next layers you could see the sectors with their connections to each other and transparent to to see whats happening inside. Maybe it could be a good idea to abandon the hexagons completly in favor of a more meaningful design.

[Crekkan]

I really like this idea. From the start of X4 i found it kind of a bad concept of having some sectors within a hexagon and others outside of it. I would actually prefer something like the map in X Rebirth where you would have layers instead of having all of it in one overview. For me the map is very confusing this way. In X4s case you could have the systems on top and in the next layers you could see the sectors with their connections to each other and transparent to to see whats happening inside. Maybe it could be a good idea to abandon the hexagons completly in favor of a more meaningful design.

I quite like the hexagons! I didn't play X Rebirth very much so I've completely forgotten the map layout. When it comes to X4 I've always been a little bothered by how the Accelerator gate systems don't have the same sector layout as the Superhighway systems, and each part of the system it treated like a whole new sector. I know the lore behind them - Gates to far off systems, Accelerators to other planets within a system, Superhighways to close-by moons and celestial objects of interest within a system - but I think the way the Accelerator gate systems are presented just clogs up the map and makes the universe less unique looking. Like, all of those 'new' systems created with the revamp request will just make it feel a lot more akin to X3 with all the different sectors and distinct looks.

Plus it would give me something to write about X Universe wise! Always wanted to write sector descriptions! I love the lore of the series and been following it since I was a kid x)

Still looking for a modder for this btw! Again, willing to commission/pay ya for the work if this revamp is possible, be it using the Superhighways or Accelerator gates but still condensing the tiles down!

[jmrc]

I actually think the map is awesome. The maps in previous games were difficult to navigate with constant keyboarding between upper layer and lower layer. It was troublesome, disorienting, annoying, useless and lacked the notion of the map size itself. I'm sorry, but I sincerely hope the devs don't get back to that old system.

[kmunoz]

Agreed - I don’t like the old system, I find myself far better oriented in the current map. The only thing I would change is representation of the relative locations among the sectors, because right now they don’t fully represent that (it’s more abstract). Having the map be more map-like would allow for showing things like the locations of stars and planets relative to the hexes.

[Crekkan]

I actually think the map is awesome. The maps in previous games were difficult to navigate with constant keyboarding between upper layer and lower layer. It was troublesome, disorienting, annoying, useless and lacked the notion of the map size itself. I'm sorry, but I sincerely hope the devs don't get back to that old system.

Agreed - I don’t like the old system, I find myself far better oriented in the current map. The only thing I would change is representation of the relative locations among the sectors, because right now they don’t fully represent that (it’s more abstract). Having the map be more map-like would allow for showing things like the locations of stars and planets relative to the hexes.

I really like the new system too, I just wish that the Accelerator gate systems were all in one 'Super-tile' like with the Superhighway systems such as Grand Exchange and the like. I think the old layout from X3 and older has it's charm, but the hexagonal layout just feels a lot logical and is a really solid evolution of the map system. I think we should take cues from it in regards to which sectors from the past return.

I do really miss the old sectors Gotta get Family Pride and Paranid Prime back! Seizewell would be a bonus

[Realspace]

I like the idea. To me the universe layout in Rebirth (I play now) is more immersive, once you remove the highways but keep the superhighways (instead of the accelarators mostly used in X4). Fake and small-scale as it is, I like to see planets coming closer. The problem with rebirth is the map, not the layout, i.e. the hud not the universe per se.

[Crekkan]

Making a two-week-later bump on this. Again, willing to pay a commission for this mod request if you feel that something exactly or near to this is possible. Please message me if you need more details.

[Realspace]

If and when EGO releases a GALAXY EDITOR as we had for X2 and X3, be sure I'll change the vanilla galaxy entirely, for free.
I like the atmosphere of X4 but the layout is just a 'draft' of what it could have been. We now have all kind of possibilities, not only boxes connected with gates, as in X2/X3.

We could finally have planetary sectors with superhighways into-around the planet/moons, each connected to other planetary sectors with accelerators, all part of a system that is connected to other systems with gates. Each system then splitted into planetary sectors, etc.

But we have...this.

It is not only an immersion issue. Imagine the possibilities for a strategy game when sectors are not just one plus one but a net of true systems, each subdivided into planetary sectors. The epic battles at the system border to control a gate...

It's the main reason I still prefer to play Rebirth. I like X4, I even just relased a long-work mod for it, but I simply prefer Rebirth for my space "immersion"

[Crekkan]

If and when EGO releases a GALAXY EDITOR as we had for X2 and X3, be sure I'll change the vanilla galaxy entirely, for free.
I like the atmosphere of X4 but the layout is just a 'draft' of what it could have been. We now have all kind of possibilities, not only boxes connected with gates, as in X2/X3.

We could finally have planetary sectors with superhighways into-around the planet/moons, each connected to other planetary sectors with accelerators, all part of a system that is connected to other systems with gates. Each system then splitted into planetary sectors, etc.

But we have...this.

It is not only an immersion issue. Imagine the possibilities for a strategy game when sectors are not just one plus one but a net of true systems, each subdivided into planetary sectors. The epic battles at the system border to control a gate...

It's the main reason I still prefer to play Rebirth. I like X4, I even just relased a long-work mod for it, but I simply prefer Rebirth for my space "immersion"

I cannot agree more. I would combust if Egosoft released a galaxy editor, would legit hook me onto the game forever lmao. Like, they have sector names already voiced so they clearly know people would make new sector mods, but it's just frustrating how complicated it seems to be to actually make these sector mods right now. As I've said, I like the map layout as a whole, I like the direction of this new X Universe and would just revamp it a little, but it just feels that there is a bit of a falsehood to it with scale. Three separate hexagons for Pious Mists when it could be just one with three sections like Grand Exchange, and those two free hexagons being a prior Paranid sector and/or a brand new sector. I'm not sure why Egosoft made the design decision to make Accelerator gate systems and Superhighway systems have a separate design philosophy (treating Accelerator gate systems like whole new Gate-only sectors). I do like the highways too and the idea of the ring highway (though I miss the tunnel look from X:Rebirth).

I love the game. Been playing the X series since I was a kid in around 2005. I legit can't go back to the old games now. My only wish is a galaxy editor and maybe a bit more of X:Rebirth's visual aesthetic, but this game has years of potential and growth to it.

Without an easy way to edit the galaxy map I would love for someone to pick up this request instead, but no luck so far, sadly.

[Realspace]

I cannot agree more. I would combust if Egosoft released a galaxy editor, would legit hook me onto the game forever lmao. Like, they have sector names already voiced so they clearly know people would make new sector mods, but it's just frustrating how complicated it seems to be to actually make these sector mods right now. As I've said, I like the map layout as a whole, I like the direction of this new X Universe and would just revamp it a little, but it just feels that there is a bit of a falsehood to it with scale. Three separate hexagons for Pious Mists when it could be just one with three sections like Grand Exchange, and those two free hexagons being a prior Paranid sector and/or a brand new sector. I'm not sure why Egosoft made the design decision to make Accelerator gate systems and Superhighway systems have a separate design philosophy (treating Accelerator gate systems like whole new Gate-only sectors). I do like the highways too and the idea of the ring highway (though I miss the tunnel look from X:Rebirth).

I love the game. Been playing the X series since I was a kid in around 2005. I legit can't go back to the old games now. My only wish is a galaxy editor and maybe a bit more of X:Rebirth's visual aesthetic, but this game has years of potential and growth to it.

Without an easy way to edit the galaxy map I would love for someone to pick up this request instead, but no luck so far, sadly.

Exactly! People tend to look a this game in b/w terms after the hate towards Rebirth, I don't. Bought Rebirth at lunch and it was really unplayable, but I waited, I like it now (with mods). I play X games since X2 and appreciate them for the lore, art direction, gameplay too. I don't want a simulator but a good illusion of space, so did my part with mods, starting from X3. For istance since Rebirth you can have a true inertial model in the flight system, with obvious limitations. It is not for realism per se, it is so much more enjoyable and fun than an arcade flight model. In Rebirth I did a mod for that very easily. Removed the local hw too.

I tried ED and got bored. A game must be a game, I prefer a true a simulator for realism...but that said the layout of the galaxy in X4 is really poor to me given the high potential of this engine/mechanics. Hope for a Galaxy Editor after Cradle of Humanity, I am a patient man.