I would like to say thank you for X Rebirth. It is certainly a special game and I am enjoying it.
To get the bad stuff out of the way first, I still encountered a game stopping bug even after many patches have been released. A ship mechanic, who I was expected to talk to, simply did not advance the campaign, and it got stuck on this NPC. I had to reload a much older save file and replay many hours to get past this. I am good with other bugs, where a simple reload of the last save file fixes it, or by trying a different approach. Only this sort of bug that makes one lose many hours is not appreciated.
To the good stuff, I am getting a lot of Freelancer (2003) vibes with X Rebirth. Space clouds that erode your shields and hull? Yes, Freelancer had those. Dense minefields in space? Yes, those, too. Strange, shard-like asteroids inside misty gas clouds? Yes... Highways in space? Maybe not 40 years ago, but in 2003, yes... Dogfights with opponents capable of dodging, rolling, and being good fun? Yes... Player reputation and factions to side with? Yes...
Strangely enough, while others complained about needing to fly around stations to pick up commissions, discounts, or to identify them, it does not get old for me and I keep enjoying it. Then there is the insanely fun stuff, like shooting ships out of highways and robbing them. This turned out to be addictive, and a crazy way to amount the parts needed for building the Integrated URV Forge. Now I am sitting on 100+ V Launchers, 400+ HIT/MA Turrets, 100+ Fusion Reactors, and other plunder.
I love the complexity and detail that was put into the game. Unfortunately, it was not matched by the tutorial. But to answer the question many NPCs keep repeating, what is the fuss with AI? ... Well, thanks to Google and its AI, I could find answers to all questions like how to claim a ship, what morale on a character is for, what the red box around my stations does, and many more. So, yes, the fuss on AI is warranted, at least in my opinion!
And while I could go on about what I believe is missing or should have been done differently, I know too well how time and cost put a limit on any development. So instead, I find myself enjoying it and appreciate the effort you have put into the game.
Well done, thank you for X Rebirth!
