Back to X3TC after a few years - mod advice

[Boooster]

Hi all,

I played X3TC years ago and sunk many fun hours into it. I played vanilla for awhile and added some mods, of which I remember:

Marine Boarding by teleport (need to be within % of shield and range
Pirate ship that allowed me to pay for engine/rudder upgrades
Easier Hub quest
Race responses

Forgive me if I forget the names, but I don't recall using any major overhauls, and did use many more mods that escape me. Since I will be starting up again and need to re-learn and re-research everything (but don't want to start with vanilla), I was wondering if there is a list of recommended mods or comprehensive list of X3TC mods in addition to http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=216690.

Most notably, is there a Kha'ak start mode? Is there a way to make Marine Combat more forgiving (so I don't need reload each time a deck is taken)? As for the two big overhauls, is there a comparison and will it be too much for now (meaning, if I reference x3wiki will it make all the data there more or less obsolete)?

Can't wait to get started up again![/list]

[Sabrina Bergin]

Re your rquest before it gets bumped to the S&m forum:

I would suggest you look at Drbullwinkles list it is fairly comprehensive and answers most of your questions.

[hisazul]

Mhm... most of what I run are some self made tweaks but I do remember that marine boarding though transporter devise was Cycrows mod. Just find his sticky topic in S/M forum and it he should have his own mod list in signature.

[Boooster]

Thanks for the tip - do you have a link to his thread by any chance? Searching through his posts I'm able to see individual mods but not a comprehensive list

[Sabrina Bergin]

Look in the creative forum for prodigal son Scion lists the most useful package of mods on the first page of his story.

[Boooster]

Thanks again!

[DrBullwinkle]

Shaun gave you two great suggestions: Bullwinkle's List (in my sig) and Scion Drakhar's "Prodigal Son" which lists some great scripts.

Teleth's List: Streamlining X3 with ease of use modifications is also a good starting point.

TC Plots for AP lets you play the rich TC plots on the much-improved AP platform.



To answer your specific questions:

1) Marine Boarding by teleport (need to be within % of shield and range
2) Pirate ship that allowed me to pay for engine/rudder upgrades
3) Easier Hub quest
4) Race responses
5) Kha'ak start mode?
6) Is there a way to make Marine Combat more forgiving (so I don't need reload each time a deck is taken)?
7) As for the two big overhauls, is there a comparison and will it be too much for now

1) Improved Boarding or Improved Boarding (Bullwinkle's Hacked Version)

2) You probably mean The Traveling Mechanic, but the combination of Pandora Tunings and Detector is more fun. Pandora Tunings are scattered around the AP 'verse, or you can add them with Pandora Tunings.

3) The Hub Plot in AP is very much easier than the TC version. TC Plots for AP makes the TC Hub Plot easier by allowing you to "buy" your way through part or all of the plot. If you are playing TC, then ApricotSlice has a modified Hub Plot (which is probably what you remember).

4) AP has Race Response Fleets (RRF) built in.

5) AP has no Kha'ak. However, see Combat Tricks for a list of several ways to add them back into the game.

6) Not directly, no. And I don't think you would want marine combat to be more forgiving, because it is so very much fun when you learn to do it right. See Marine Tips for more info on Marines. Also, Marine Repairs and Training will help to train your marines while they work (doing repairs). It allows your marines to be useful while they are being trained.

7) XRM and XTC are both designed for players who are bored with the vanilla game. If you have not played AP yet, then that is not you (yet). XRM is more "open" in that most scripts and many mods work with it (including all of my scripts). The XRM universe is more similar to vanilla. XTC changes more and has some unique features, including some custom missions, at the expense of some compatibility.

[hisazul]

Thanks for the tip - do you have a link to his thread by any chance? Searching through his posts I'm able to see individual mods but not a comprehensive list

Reunion list(a lot of it was included in later games) http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=110772
Terran Conflict list (all of it should work in AP) http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=246321

[Boooster]

Thanks for the detailed reply! I should clarify that I am playing X3TC and not X3AP - are they that inherently different that it is worth starting over on X3AP? I read up on the differences and they didn't seem to be great enough to warrant starting over with X3AP - maybe I'm wrong and I'll fork over $10 to check and see

[DrBullwinkle]

To me, AP is definitely worth the small investment. Whether or not it is worth starting over is up to you.

The AP plots are new (Shady Business is a lot of fun, as are Balance of Power and Final Fury at high fight rep as others have said. Don't worry about the challenges in Balance of Power... those are part of what makes it so much fun. The final chase sequence is the single most-fun mission in the game. YMMV. )

But I thought you said that you were starting over?! If I were going to play the TC Hub Plot again, I would appreciate dillpickle's enhanced version in TC Plots for AP.

Oh, I almost forgot: TC Plots for AP also includes dillpickle's "ATF Outpost" plot, which is another terrific plot.

So, yeah, if you are not very far into TC, then it is probably worthwhile to upgrade now.

[Boooster]

OK, maybe I will pick up AP then. Just for clarifications sake, if you could help with the following:

1) I recall the X3TC UI,combat, management system fairly well and will be able to get back into it - AP considered just an expansion pack build in the same engine as TC (so essentially the same game just with new plots, ships, tweaks, etc) or will it be like picking up a new game?

2) For adding TC plots, how does this conflict with AP plots, since I assume they are in different timelines? Do I need to complete the TC plots before accessing AP plots?

3) Kha'ak - which mod would be better for adding Kha'ak back in as they were in TC (Kha'ak sectors, occasional incursions) - Improved Kha'ak 2: The Revenge seems like it could be fun but may be too difficult for me just coming back, while Kha'ak in UFJD sectors seems like it would be right up my alley (just like it was in TC).

Now I need to re-research all the scripts again for AP

[DrBullwinkle]

[Is] AP considered just an expansion pack build in the same engine as TC (so essentially the same game just with new plots, ships, tweaks, etc) or will it be like picking up a new game?

Expansion. Some of the features (such as the improved galaxy map) are more than typical expansions, but you will pick up the new features quickly. The X3: Albion Prelude - Survival Guide will help.

2) For adding TC plots, how does this conflict with AP plots, since I assume they are in different timelines? Do I need to complete the TC plots before accessing AP plots?

If you ask in the TC Plots for AP thread then you will get the official answer from author dillpickle. AFAIK, there is not much to worry about. The "main" AP Plot is almost nothing at all -- the real fun starts with the Shady Business and Corporate Troubles plots, which are entirely independent of the TC plots. At least I think they are. (I am confident that dillpickle will be quick to let me know if I am wrong about that. )

3) Kha'ak - which mod would be better for adding Kha'ak

I would use at least the first three Kha'ak-related scripts suggested in the Combat Tricks Guide & OBS mod thread. For "Improved Kha'ak 2", I recommend reducing the default settings.

Roguey's UFJD Mod also looks appealing, although I have not tried it.

Now I need to re-research all the scripts again for AP

That is a big part of the fun. It is like a real-life analog of the same exploring style that is a large part of the fun of the game.
.

[Boooster]

I appreciate the quick response! Will be picking up AP and getting started with my research.

Thanks again for all your help!

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

Hi Boooster,

With AP, or TC, you'll probably be interested in using the related Bonus Pack. Since they were released by Egosoft, there have been a number of updates to most of the community-developed tools in them so using newer versions can be helpful.

The Blacklist Manager in particular has received a substantial bug-fix to prevent traders travelling through black-listed systems when revising their trade runs. Hephaistos Corp Station Building Service has also received some extensive updates. Other tools have received updates too but I’m less familiar with their changes since I can’t read German

Using the Plugin Manager is the best way to install scripts, such as updated versions of Bonus Pack tools. The Plugin Manager can be found here and information on where you can find updated versions of TC and AP Bonus Pack tools (plus the Blacklist fix!) can be found here.