Maybe, if you don’t mind vertical learning curves, the internet for research is a must for this game. I’m still trying to figure out what mods I want to use especially the VRO mod.
Anyone want to be my tutor?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
OS Neutral X4 Foundations
- Thread starter Huntn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Anyone want to be my tutor?
I played it, dropped it, started it again, then got distracted, I‘m maybe done with it. I’d like to hear your impression.
My best experience was with X3, with less expectations, played that for a year. Even with significant improvements, with X4 I just don’t feel as immersed in this environment. And I was really annoyed that I felt obligated to deal with Xenon incursions that happen in several sectors continuously.
The ideal environment is one where you feel like you are in an alive vibrant environment. In X4, you land on a station and there is other traffic. There are individuals walking around, there are a couple of places, offices, stores you can visit, but it feels empty and artificial, with mostly nothing going on.
The space ships are the worst. Yes, you can sit in the flight deck, which you could not do in X3, but on the ship you are locked in that space, while you watch your other crew members disappear into the bowels of the ship which continuously irritated me.
And the crew members, expand that to all AI characters in the game, sure ask about a mission and get an answer, but social interaction? Forget it, zero personality, the most shallow representation possible of intelligent humanoid life that you would be interacting with.
So the bottom line as simulations get better, I’m expecting more from them, but they have a long way to go. 😐
I reinstalled X4 this week, playing with Keyboard (Nostromo) Mouse (Razer) and there is so much to remember. It’s got the most complex control scheme of any game I own. I have a 9x11” gouge sheet printed for quick reference.
I’m bought Timelines DLC ($15) which are short scenarios, my impression designed for new players after you’ve done all the tutorials. A combat mission was an eye opener, using mouse steering, after repeating it a few times, it’s coming back to me. If you complete the DLC, it’s supposed to open up more ships and 2 new sectors, but I have no idea if it is worth it, other than to get me back up to speed, without jeopardy.
The first Time aI played 2022, I went though all the money making schemes in game, trading with remote captains, to build my bank account, and my fleet. This time, I gave myself $500m, because I specifically don’t want to do that again. I do want to explore, do missions, etc.
Afterv Starfield where I could design my own ship and walk around in visiting crew at crew stations and also see them strolling about, I’m irritated that there is still a magic door on the aft end of the flight deck that off duty crew walk though to dissapear into the Bowles of the ship, but I can’t! 😐
There is also a reported to be a good X4, Star Wars ship mod, that has ships with interiors in it , although I don’t know anything else, like where they are purchased and if the have upgrades like x4 ships or you see what you get and that’s it, or how competitive they are. I know there is an X Wing, and Tye Fighter, and I think a Capitol Ship.
I’m bought Timelines DLC ($15) which are short scenarios, my impression designed for new players after you’ve done all the tutorials. A combat mission was an eye opener, using mouse steering, after repeating it a few times, it’s coming back to me. If you complete the DLC, it’s supposed to open up more ships and 2 new sectors, but I have no idea if it is worth it, other than to get me back up to speed, without jeopardy.
The first Time aI played 2022, I went though all the money making schemes in game, trading with remote captains, to build my bank account, and my fleet. This time, I gave myself $500m, because I specifically don’t want to do that again. I do want to explore, do missions, etc.
Afterv Starfield where I could design my own ship and walk around in visiting crew at crew stations and also see them strolling about, I’m irritated that there is still a magic door on the aft end of the flight deck that off duty crew walk though to dissapear into the Bowles of the ship, but I can’t! 😐
There is also a reported to be a good X4, Star Wars ship mod, that has ships with interiors in it , although I don’t know anything else, like where they are purchased and if the have upgrades like x4 ships or you see what you get and that’s it, or how competitive they are. I know there is an X Wing, and Tye Fighter, and I think a Capitol Ship.
Last edited:
I'm getting back into this. Getting my feet wet (again) with the Terran Cadet Start. I'm following the main quest, found a destroyed ship, of interest to the Xenon, shot a few Xenon, a Corvette showed up to take charge of the scene, and someone is supposed to notify me after some period of time. Right now it seems to be free time.
Note if you've never played, DO THE TURORIALS or else! You'll die horrible deaths, and even then you'll be googling stuff every minute.
I mentioned I'm flying with keyboard mouse and between Direct Mouse, and Mouse Steering, I'm doing ok controlling my ship. Yeah a joystick would be better except, there are so many key controls, I like my Nostromo and Razer .
Terran Kukri Fighter
Note if you've never played, DO THE TURORIALS or else! You'll die horrible deaths,
and even then you'll be googling stuff every minute.I mentioned I'm flying with keyboard mouse and between Direct Mouse, and Mouse Steering, I'm doing ok controlling my ship. Yeah a joystick would be better except, there are so many key controls, I like my Nostromo and Razer .
- Timelines is a DLC which I have is full of short Scenarios, which you may find helpful. After you complete Timelines, you get rewards like more abandoned ships and 2 new sectors, but it's long and drawn out. I ended up installing a "mod", but really not a mod, just a User Info file, which shows all the missions complete. This gives you the rewards in game. And if I want, I can go into Timelines and run more scenarios. Fighting scenarios are handy for getting you back up to speed.
- In the meantime, at the local Terran Wars in Mars Sector, I almost bought a Corvette, but decided to upgraded my Kukri (Starter Fighter), and refresh myself with how survivable this ship is. I hired a 2Star pilot for $500k. went and found (4 sectors away) a Police Scanner at the Terran HQ, so I can scan ships for contraband. The pilot flies the ship when you want to take a break, or when you want to send it off to do something independently.
Terran Kukri Fighter
- Picked up a mission for someone who missed their ride on a miner (ship). Quest was bugged, I flew to the Station after taking the mission, where he was waiting, but he would not talk to me. Some searching online suggested saving, quitting, and restarting the game. Then he would talk to me. The Mining Ship I was supposed to catch up with, has landing pad on the top of it, but since it had a faster cruise speed than me, I chased it across 3 sectors until catching it when it docked at a station. My reward was a grand total of $50K.For this kind of a mission, a yellow path is drawn, the target is ID'd on the map, and you can give your ship a command (with the AI Pilot flying) to chase and dock on the target..
- A mission for a destroyed ship with medical supplies, found the lock box floating in space, it was tricky opening it. You must use your lasers to blast the locks, and if you overdue it, the box will blow up, contents destroyed, and this was was spinning rapidly so it was tricky shooting it. Reward: $350k.
- Now my plan it is to find a free derelict ship close by in the Gitsu Fune Sector. I think it's technically a destroyer "Odachi" a ship rewarded for finishing Timelines, but reports are it has weak armor. I'll still get it. You need pilot to fly your ship after you jump (space walk) over to the new ship.
- Then buy some Scouts, hire some 1 Star pilots and send them out to start mapping sectors. The fast cheap Scouts are available in a nearby Paranoid Sector. These will get Satellites to deploy.They'll also notify me of what they find. The nice thing bout this game is you don't have to micromanage everyship.
- After that I'll buy a few miners, and get them started with harvesting and selling resources, and then I may think about building a Station and start making something. This requires research.
Last edited:
Last time I played X4, it was before Starfield came out. I have bitched plently about Starfield, but I’ll make this comparison.
- X4 is a living, breathing, fighting and trading world, the game genre is called 4X. It’s about ships, stations, combat, and trading. These things it does well. Your fleet can be controlled, and as a rule, you can set up rules for your trading vesssels and not have to micro-manage them.
- Starfield is an RPG, with a blah, very critiquable story.
- Shipbuilding- X4 you can buy ships, but not build custom ships. Starfield you can buy and build fairly nice custom ships to a degree. In both games, you can hijack ships.
- Animation- X4 humanoid animations are embarrassingly primitive, worse than Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines, a 2004 game. Starfield’s are the equivalent, of 2015’s Fallout 4, but worse voice acting.
- Social Environment- X4, there is none. Yes you gain rep with factions by helping them, a must to gain access to their wares, ships, and gear. You’ve got no social life, zero repore with your crew members. Stations are ghost towns, minus any of the elements people would need to live ther, living spaces, restaurants, etc. The quest structure is primitive, generally lacking guidance, and the games does not hold your hand very much. You’ll be googling often, and wondering where you should go, and what you should do, often. In Starfield, you’ve got social interactions on par with Fallout 4, but for today, embarrassingly primitive and awkward. However, stations and settlements are actually populated and feel like spaces with people living in them. Quests are ok, feel shallow, very much like a 10 year old game, but they do show you the way to go, which I prefer. Cyberpunk 2077, with its dynamic dialog, leaves Starfield in the dust. X4 is not even worth mentioning regarding social elements, even though I did for comparison’s sake.
- Combat- X4 first person dogfights or command ships to fight. Starfield first person only, just your ship, but other ships may help you. Both can be fun, but X4 has a fairly complex control scheme, and Starvield, a relatively simple control scheme. Both can be played with Keyboard mouse, but some people want joysticks to play X4 when flying first person. I use a Nostromo keyboard style controller and a Razer gaming mouse. Starfield also has personal to person combat (like previous Bethesda titles) which X4 does not.
- Conclusion- Play X4=if you want to trade, fight, and manage a fleet and not bothered by zero meaningful social interaction.Starfield gives you a taste for flying in space, space combat, building ships which is enjoyable. X4 does offer missions. Starfield has an RPG style storyline, that is poor, and ok first person shooting combat like previous Bethesda titles. See the Starfield thread for my Starfield rages. 😛
Last edited: