This game is missing some crucial, yet easy to do things

[Boringnick]

X4 isn't as captivating as previous titles. There's something missing, and I know what:

No intro (except for the very brief ten-seconds narration when you start a game). Sure, some intros of the previous games were pretty subpar (X3), others were great (BTF) but even a subpar intro is better than no intro at all.
Almost no music in space. This is especially baffling, given library of the previous titles.
No overarching plot. Look, plots were never a strength of the series, but their complete lack is really noticable.

Some graphics are improved, but others got worse. Asteroids for example. In X3 they felt massive, while in X4 they look and feel "papery". Also, the stations feel somewhat floaty and weightless. Can't exactly describe why that is, but in X3 the stations felt really massive for some reason, despite most of them being smaller.

Also, I am no big fan of X-Rebirth but the game had graphically some things going for it. Some sectors were gorgeous, like Omicron Lyrae, I also loved the zoomings into planets and stars there when you used the highways. X4 almost completely axed that. No idea why they flushed so many great assets away.

Taken alone, the issues are not a big deal, but combined they bog the game down. You start the game with almost no narration, no plot, no goal, no purpose, almost no music and very generic looking sectors. Some of these things can be fixed instantly (port all your previous tracks) or with comparatively small effort (intro).

Also, the mood on this forum is in the cellar. The devs who are writing here seem to be annoyed all the time. That wasn't the case during the previous games.

[sh1pman]

Almost no music in space. This is especially baffling, given library of the previous titles.

I think there’s a bug that cuts off the music after the first few seconds and replaces it with quiet ambience. No idea if it’s fixed, I play with my own music.

[Buzz2005]

Well the tone of threads are all kind of "negative", cant say its unwarranted but still not a joy to come here that much, reddit is even worse

[photomankc]

Some graphics are improved, but others got worse. Asteroids for example. In X3 they felt massive, while in X4 they look and feel "papery". Also, the stations feel somewhat floaty and weightless. Can't exactly describe why that is, but in X3 the stations felt really massive for some reason, despite most of them being smaller.

I don't follow you here at all. The stations are far more interesting and provide a pretty solid footing for adding on more. Far cry from pulling up to a docking arm and staring at the bottom of a station through the empty front view. Asteroids are far more interesting to me now, not just the same rock stamped over and over but with variety and spin of their own. It's almost the complete opposite for me from what you state here. I like everything about these two aspects of the game better than X3 titles.

Also, I am no big fan of X-Rebirth but the game had graphically some things going for it. Some sectors were gorgeous, like Omicron Lyrae, I also loved the zoomings into planets and stars there when you used the highways. X4 almost completely axed that. No idea why they flushed so many great assets away.

The Void is a pretty neat looking sector, as is The Reach (I think) with the Blue Star and prominence. The zoom mechanic is there but I've only seen it on some superhighways (Black Hole Sun). I agree it would be nice to see it more. Some of the close-to-planet sectors with the screen filling view of the clouds and oceans are rather awesome when viewed on a 65" screen. I can easily get motion disorientation when I see all that cloud movement in my peripheral vision. Even more stunning when doing EVA. Really cool.

I do hope some of the visual aspects of Rebirth are going to be coming. I have to say that the weapon fire/damage effects I've seen from it would be a nice addition to otherwise bland combat effects.


I agree on your other points. Some variations of the music would be nice, and either fade out the combat music or change beween several combat music themes. Long stints killing enemy stations can make that music so irritating I have to turn the sound down.

[photomankc]

Well the tone of threads are all kind of "negative", cant say its unwarranted but still not a joy to come here that much, reddit is even worse

In 12 or 18 months I'm sure it will change. I know my first impression of X3 was not great. Then I tried it again a year later and was pretty pleased with it overall. Third play-though and I adored it.

[language]

I played X Rebirth (no previous X game) and to compare the XR and X4 i think, that

XR had this atmosphere, If you were in flaming corona, you could really feel the story, well ofc. because it has been told to you, but also because the other parts of the universe seemed to far away you know.
In X4 you can see everything on the map and this is the games biggest success and its biggest failure imho, with this map you dont have to fly to different sectors. In fact I've built 3-4 stations in 1 sector, sent a bunch of miners and traders there and watched them on the map and then after idk 100 hours i flew inside the sector and thought like "aaaawww, so thiiis is how this sector looks like"... So this game looses something of its genre, it feels more like a strategy game...
Also to mention is the teleport feature, a nice thing, but destroys the atmosphere aswell, because you are kinda everywhere.

In XR i was in a atmospheric place managing some stuff at that place, in X4 I am everywhere managing everything.

[Socratatus]

X4 isn't as captivating as previous titles. There's something missing, and I know what:

No intro (except for the very brief ten-seconds narration when you start a game). Sure, some intros of the previous games were pretty subpar (X3), others were great (BTF) but even a subpar intro is better than no intro at all.
Almost no music in space. This is especially baffling, given library of the previous titles.
No overarching plot. Look, plots were never a strength of the series, but their complete lack is really noticable.

If a game has no flashy intro it`s usually a good sign of a good game to me. Too many games start with amazing intros then the rest of the game is meh, since they blew a third of the budget on that intro.

I always switch off all music in my games. It`s more immersive. If I want music I just pop on VLC in the background. Also allows for litle surprises without the music giving it away.

Some graphics are improved, but others got worse. Asteroids for example. In X3 they felt massive, while in X4 they look and feel "papery". Also, the stations feel somewhat floaty and weightless. Can't exactly describe why that is, but in X3 the stations felt really massive for some reason, despite most of them being smaller.

I think it`s to do with the art design, but there is something `missing`, I agree. I also wish there was better interactions and animations of the people as they don`t seem really `human`.

[Nort The Fragrent]

X4 stations are spectacular in size and diversity, at least the ones I have built, the generic game ones are quiet unimaginative and most have the same small format. Teladi dock is an exception, we need more on that scale, and has a good point of difference.

After playing X4 for a lot of hours like hundreds, I had to go back into X3 AP. Just to see why X4 felt wrong. What is missing first and foremost is the sector music. This evokes the atmosphere and is non existent in X4. ( shaking my head as to why )..

X4 dock landing is way better than X3, I feel like I am on a ship. However the feeling go’s once clear of the station. This is where x3 is so much better, the ship drifts nicely in X3, yet in x4 it’s like it is on rails. Can not quite put my finger on what has changed but the X4 space flight dynamics are a bit wooden compared to X3.

The Void in X4 has it, it feels massive, looks interesting, and is my favourite sector to fly in. The rest are sort of lost !! The planets seem a bit weak, and some look cartoonish. The planets moons in X3 are way better.

Now I had a moment with Rebirth, to the point I burnt the disk as I was so annoyed that it was one ship, ( shan't go on, as my therapist might be needed again ! ) However ! Rebirth had awesome sector atmosphere ! Yip the space, the back drops were just wonderfull.
X4 sector backdrops are childish in comparison, Why? why? why?

I was hoping X4 was going to be a montage of all the good bits from the previous games, But it seems they have picked up the wrong folder and gone with the worst bits instead.
The menus beggar belief as to how un intuitive they are.
Trying to select a landed ship at a station is so frustrating, the station icon is in the way, and when you open station information you can see the ship in green in the landed ship list but you have no access to it. Why ?

And one of my most disappointing moments when starting X4 were the ice asteroid chunks. Dull, dirty, and boring. Now Rebirth ice was very very good. Please bring those Ice chunks back in to x4…

X4 ship design ! Some are good no doubt, yet most are all the same! When buying a freighter, I go through the list and they look no different from the last one!. Ship diversity is poor. Up grading is poor, and weapons I have no time for. They have a caricature look about them, so out of proportion On a small fighter..

My biggest disappointment is sector look and atmosphere, that needs a lot of work.

My favourite thing is station design and building. That is good be it a little limiting.

[radcapricorn]

When buying a freighter, I go through the list and they look no different from the last one!.

Freighters in X3 were also not much different visually, mostly via the "cockpit" part; the bulk of the ship looked the same for all races (containers, containers, containers). Same is in X4. But, once you left TS territory into TMs and TLs, there things started to differ quite significantly. /Pedantry

But still,

Ship diversity is poor. Up grading is poor, and weapons I have no time for.

Indeed.

[Gosnell]

I fully agree.X4 feels soulless in comparison to Albion Prelude.The sense of exploration,and of awe are just not present.X3 felt good to play in so many ways ,fights were exciting to watch and participate in.Exploration was fun searching out every last gate and factory.More so it felt lived in.X4 feels shallow,the highways ruin exploration.The lack of seta really grates me.

Combat feels like watching plastic toys fight.Lots of flashing lights but no sense of destruction.I have stumbled into numerous fleet engagements and just felt bored.In x3 fleet engagements were A joy to watch as plasma shots arced through space,Phased shockwaves generators casting a white come of light enveloping the smaller ships.Plasma burst generators flashing intermittently,best of all were the 2 turrets on the split tiger disable from the cockpit spewing flak at passing fighters...
I'm slowly losing fate that egosoft will produce another Albion Esq game..
But maybe I have rose tinted glasses.

[Buzz2005]

I fully agree.X4 feels soulless in comparison to Albion Prelude.The sense of exploration,and of awe are just not present.X3 felt good to play in so many ways ,fights were exciting to watch and participate in.Exploration was fun searching out every last gate and factory.More so it felt lived in.X4 feels shallow,the highways ruin exploration.The lack of seta really grates me.

Combat feels like watching plastic toys fight.Lots of flashing lights but no sense of destruction.I have stumbled into numerous fleet engagements and just felt bored.In x3 fleet engagements were A joy to watch as plasma shots arced through space,Phased shockwaves generators casting a white come of light enveloping the smaller ships.Plasma burst generators flashing intermittently,best of all were the 2 turrets on the split tiger disable from the cockpit spewing flak at passing fighters...
I'm slowly losing fate that egosoft will produce another Albion Esq game..
But maybe I have rose tinted glasses.

There is SETA in the game, you just need to build it after you get all the parts

hint: kill khaak ships

[Gosnell]

I know.But it should be accessible from the start.Seta in my opinion made the world feel more alive as trading was sped up ect as you did other things.It may be just a personal preference but I prefer it to the new transport systems

[mr.WHO]

I facepalmed when read OP - of all the things you could point out to you pointed an intro as a first one?
Really?
The thing you skip after you watch it 1-3 times max?

There is actually an "intro" for every gamestart.

[Falcrack]

Almost no music in space. This is especially baffling, given library of the previous titles.

I think there’s a bug that cuts off the music after the first few seconds and replaces it with quiet ambience. No idea if it’s fixed, I play with my own music.

The "legacy music" and "no dark ambient" mods are the single most critical mods for X4 IMO. I am not joking, I am 100% sincere. It really helps recapture the feel of playing X3, without getting it cut off all the time.

Concerning the intro for every gamestart, the voice volume is too low, I can barely hear what they are saying over the loud music. That should be an easy fix. And no, the solution should not be for me to turn music down or off in the audio settings!