Poll: X Rebirth

[Zaydin]

Well, it's now a little more than two weeks now until X Rebirth comes out, and I have to say, I'm excited. It's been a long time since I last played a good space sim, the last one being Tachyon: The Fringe (And that came out in 2000), and everything I've seen about X Rebirth has me excited.

I'm still a relative newcomer to the X-series, myself, so it seems like Rebirth is the best point for me to really get into the series. From the trailers I've seen, the game looks gorgeous, and the sense of scale is fairly impressive to me. I know there are long-time players of the X-series who aren't happy about being only able to fly one ship in Rebirth, the Pride of Albion/Albion Skunk, but as a newcomer to the series, it really doesn't bother me that much. Certainly looking forward to exploring the sandbox Egosoft has built and establishing my own trade empire once X Rebirth comes out.

Anyone else intending to get the game when it comes out?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNs1rdSkUi8 the trailer Egosoft revealed back at Gamescon in August

 

[Aeshi]

I intend to buy it eventually, but I'm probably going to wait for it to go on sale or something first.

 

[Terminal Blue]

It's an "X" game so the answer is inevitably yes.. at least eventually. I've bought all of them since "The Threat" and they're a nice nostalgia trip into a genre which you don't really see in action any more. Plus, I've been seriously addicted to Kerbal Space Program lately and I feel the need to unwind with a more relaxed science-fiction oriented space sim again.

That said, the only being able to fly one ship thing kind of bothers me. Not as much as some people, I guess, since it is actually a return to the roots of the series (X: Beyond the Frontier only let you fly one ship as well) but I think part of the sense of immersion in the later X games has always been the feeling that you're just one guy in a big universe, and part of that is aided by the fact that you're flying the same ships as everyone else as opposed to some kind of extremely powerful or customizable ubership.

On the plus side, Terran Conflict is still there and still good, and I'm not going to punish a developer for trying a new direction, particularly with a franchise like X which was basically getting to the point of releasing the same game every few years with a couple of tweaks.

 

[Bertylicious]

I think it's pretty much nailed on that I'm going to buy it because I'm a vapid moron who slavishly worships everyting about Egosoft but I am terrified that X-Rebirth is going to be a God-awful pile of shit.

This is what Fox Mulder must have felt like.

 

[exxxed]

Considering X3 Terran Conflict and Albion Prelude expansion still wink at me from time to time to get me to manage my space emperor and bounty hunter characters I'd say it's a definite yes from me.

I've been following the news from Egosoft about Rebirth and it sounds absolutely fantastic, everything I could have hoped for this franchise and more, except I'm not so sure about the single direct-flyable (as in you'll actually control this from its cockpit) spaceship to act as your Command Center, The Pride of Albion, or something as I understand it, but considering you'll be playing the game from a first person human perspective (as in you'll have a body to walk around in) I could see it work as a hub for your character to expand his reach from, plus they say it's upgradeable and you will be able to command huge carriers and the like and other ships will be controllable through drones, has a very ''Millennium Falcon'' feel to it if you ask me.

Here's a few details from the producers themselves if anyone is interested, it's a nice in-depth view about it:

X - rebirth Scale and Detail [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEbL1p5vZpw]

 

[Xan Krieger]

When I build a new computer it's on my list of games to get for it. Sadly for me that's still about half a year away by my current estimates. I just beg for a half-decent tutorial about all of the game mechanics, I read the instruction book for X3 about a dozen times and I'm still clueless.

 

[GoaThief]

I'll probably get it down the line when it goes down in price, £40 is expensive for a PC game and I'm not entirely sure if it will be worth it.

On that basis and seeing there's plenty of X fans here, which previous game in the series would you recommend for a newcomer kicking back on the sofa with a 360 controller?

 

[Soundwave]

I would if it didn't say my computer was too paltry and weak to handle it's greatness. Like, I bought this computer last-year, I shouldn't have to upgrade yet.

 

[Bertylicious]

I'll probably get it down the line when it goes down in price, £40 is expensive for a PC game and I'm not entirely sure if it will be worth it.

On that basis and seeing there's plenty of X fans here, which previous game in the series would you recommend for a newcomer kicking back on the sofa with a 360 controller?

the problem is that the x games typically involve dealing with a lot of menus and clicking on stuff. I imagine (but do not know) that this would be hugely frustrating from the other side of the room with a pad in your hands.

I guess X3: Terran Conflict? It's new enough to have some native pad support whilst having lots to do. All I'll say is that you should follow the main story missions until you feel fully confident about the game world.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

That said, the only being able to fly one ship thing kind of bothers me. Not as much as some people, I guess, since it is actually a return to the roots of the series (X: Beyond the Frontier only let you fly one ship as well) but I think part of the sense of immersion in the later X games has always been the feeling that you're just one guy in a big universe, and part of that is aided by the fact that you're flying the same ships as everyone else as opposed to some kind of extremely powerful or customizable ubership.

For most of the game the X Shuttle was on par with the ships in the regions the storyline took you... Yeah, X:BTF didn't have a sandbox/free-play mode. Got a bit silly when you were bolting on capital ship level shield units and such late in the storyline.

 

[Zaydin]

For most of the game the X Shuttle was on par with the ships in the regions the storyline took you... Yeah, X:BTF didn't have a sandbox/free-play mode. Got a bit silly when you were bolting on capital ship level shield units and such late in the storyline.

You could argue that by restricting players to one ship in Rebirth, Egosoft knows what weapons and upgrades can be mounted onto the Albion Skunk, and therefore make balancing the player ship versus everyone else easier.

The single-ship thing also enhances the Han Solo/Millenium Falcon feel, if you ask me, since the Skunk is a unique ship in the setting, as far as I'm aware. It's an old rust bucket, but it's YOUR rust bucket.

 

[Aeshi]

since the Skunk is a unique ship in the setting, as far as I'm aware. It's an old rust bucket, but it's YOUR rust bucket.

Not sure how "Unique" the Albion Skunk is since in Albion Prelude there's a ship in the data files (the "AP Gunner") that looks pretty much identical to the Skunk, and it's description implies it isn't unique (though it also implies it's quite rare)

Though I haven't done all the plot stuff in Albion Prelude, (so maybe it shows up in a plot mission I haven't done) I don't think it can actually appear in-game by default unless you use cheats to spawn one in, so the "canon" of that might be in question.

 

[Qvar]

Nope because no private multiplayer severs Freelancer style. Sad panda.

 

[Zaydin]

Not sure how "Unique" the Albion Skunk is since in Albion Prelude there's a ship in the data files (the "AP Gunner") that looks pretty much identical to the Skunk, and it's description implies it isn't unique (though it also implies it's quite rare)

Though I haven't done all the plot stuff in Albion Prelude, (so maybe it shows up in a plot mission I haven't done) I don't think it can actually appear in-game by default unless you use cheats to spawn one in, so the "canon" of that might be in question.

I was referring to within Rebirth, specifically. As far as I'm aware, withing Rebirth, the Albion Skunk is the only ship in the game with the look it has.

Nope because no private multiplayer severs Freelancer style. Sad panda.

The lack of multiplayer doesn't bother me that much, to be honest. Not all that crazy about competitive multiplayer, and from what I've seen, the X-series has always been more about a wide-open single player sandbox.