Universe size

[DAG368]

How big will x4`s universe be/number of sectors? Any less than x3 would mean its going to be a step backwards especially compared to other space sims.

[Alan Phipps]

A previous dev reply from the X4 Q&A Index:

Q: How many planets is there? How big is the map compared to X3?

A: Comparing the map to X3 doesn't really make sense as the space isn't divided up the same way, and what's in each area is very different too. To a certain extent this is also true when trying to compare XR and X4. I'm not going to answer specifics on numbers as that would be too spoiler-ish.

[PowerPC603]

The universe is not layed out the same as in X3, so any answer would be pointless, like Alan Phipps just explained.

You also can't compare X3 to X Rebirth.
X Rebirth only has 7 sectors compared to X3 (if you have all DLCs), which has over 100.
But each sector in Rebirth is alot bigger. You could say that the entire Rebirth universe is almost the same size as X3.

Having many sectors isn't important, because the only difference is the amount of stations, the kind of stations and the background.
I would rather have 10 really unique sectors like Rebirth has them instead of 200 almost identical sectors like X3.
In X3, only a few sectors have some interesting and unique stuff to offer, the rest is almost the same.
They even removed those hull-eating nebulas in X3 (those were present in X2), which was one of the interesting stuff to overcome.

In X3, I don't even explore anymore because it's too repetitive.
I just send out some scouts to explore the universe but I usually stay around Omicron Lyrae because that's the area of intrest for me.
Letting these scouts explore all sectors just gives an opportunity to have more places to sell your stuff, that's all.
You have all races nearby, the HUB, Argon sector M148, a few Xenon sectors.
Near Argon Prime, it's all the same to me and not of intrest.
In X2, I played near Argon Prime, but now I don't even go there anymore.

[zanosg]

I would perfectly be ok with one huge sector. However at that point we would need much faster ships to cross those sectors. My suggestion would be to only limit ships acceleration but your top speed would be unlimited. So going from point A to point B you would accelerate and decelerate. You would travel at the highest speed somewhere in the middle of your trip. So any point in space no matter how far would only be few minutes away without jumpdrive or SATA.

[Alan Phipps]

@ zanosg: See the third Twitch stream for Egosoft's potential solutions to this.

[iforgotmysocks]

Does it really matter? It's not gonna be small and it'll grow, may it be expansions or mods.

[Juggernaut93]

@ zanosg: See the third Twitch stream for Egosoft's potential solutions to this.

tl;dw a new "travel mode" has been added to ships. It allows you to greatly increase your ship's speed at the expense of manoeuvrability (and without consuming shields). Note that the ability to boost (consuming shields) will still be present.

[Thrake]

How big will x4`s universe be/number of sectors? Any less than x3 would mean its going to be a step backwards especially compared to other space sims.

But what do extra sector add in terms of gameplay? More stations, and more ships. Aren't there already enough ships and stations to interact with at any given time? Or do you actually manage to do something to the thousand or so stations in the universe while blowing up a few hundred ships every minute?

In X3 the only interesting place to me are either unique stations (corp HQ don't even count as they barely do anything other stations do) and Yaki/pirate stations as they are just a handful. The occasional oddity is interesting too (rare ships,...) but that's it, I don't interact with most of the sectors, I just have a couple favourite places, the rest is just filler for occasional trade (outfitting a new ship,...).

If anything, more background and superfluous ships/stations add load to the game that would be better used on more meaningful gameplay, or simply better performance.

[Riccardoman]

If anything, more background and superfluous ships/stations add load to the game that would be better used on more meaningful gameplay, or simply better performance.

Superfluous? Variety is the spice of life
Do you want to play an economy game or a space game?

[DaMuncha]

A previous dev reply from the X4 Q&A Index:

Q: How many planets is there? How big is the map compared to X3?

A: Comparing the map to X3 doesn't really make sense as the space isn't divided up the same way, and what's in each area is very different too. To a certain extent this is also true when trying to compare XR and X4. I'm not going to answer specifics on numbers as that would be too spoiler-ish.

Thats dodging the question.

Yes the sector/cluster sizes will vary in size and will grow the more we explore in them. But how many sectors are there?

Is it going to be like XR where we only actualy got 4 sectors, and then smaller areas inside the sector?

Or is it going to be 10 large sectors that will grow in size the more we explore?

So far theyve shown us only 2 sectors, and that worries be greatly.

How hard is it to randomly place stations around a sector and then move on tp the next sector

Sector Bala Gi's Misery
set size to 16 quintilion meters squared
Place a gate here and here
Put a station here, here, here, and here.
Connect the gates with a highway through this line
Done

Next?

[Alan Phipps]

"So far theyve shown us only 2 sectors, and that worries be greatly."

I would have thought that in game development you seek to get the mechanics and gameplay right (and that probably only needs a relatively small playingfield for development and testing purposes) and then expand the game map only after that.

[zanosg]

@ zanosg: See the third Twitch stream for Egosoft's potential solutions to this.

Yep. Watched it today. Interesting.

[MegaJohnny]

How big will x4`s universe be/number of sectors? Any less than x3 would mean its going to be a step backwards especially compared to other space sims.

Which space sims are you referring to, exactly? I have played Elite Dangerous, and I think we'll be okay without several billion empty red dwarf systems.

[Graaf]

@ zanosg: See the third Twitch stream for Egosoft's potential solutions to this.

tl;dw a new "travel mode" has been added to ships. It allows you to greatly increase your ship's speed at the expense of manoeuvrability (and without consuming shields). Note that the ability to boost (consuming shields) will still be present.

Hearing they wanted a more realistic volumetric universe and then all the methods implemented to remove that realism, I wonder if we can't just go back to the X3 layout and terminology.


Considering the OP:
In X3 we have about 200 "sectors" connected by jumpgates.
In Rebirth we have only 8 "systems" connected by jumpgates.

How many "systems" will be connected by jumpgate?

[Skeeter]

I miss the old sectors connected by gates I'm definitely not a fan of these bigger systems with confusing navigation in X rebirth/x4. There's not a bunch of stations scattered about anymore just big city stations which all look the same to me. Shame really as I might have bought x4 if it was a x2 game but with better gfx but nah not if it's based on xr and it's system structure. Well I might get it when it's cheap just to see what it's like to fly the new ships but that's about it.

[nemesis1982]

@Graaf: That neither answers the OPs question nor is a logical comparison. You're comparing apples with planets.

They wanted to create a MORE realistic volumentric setup of the universe and they succeeded! Please let's not go back o the apartment building that is X3. X3 is nice and I play it on occasion however it has so many issues, one of the biggest once being the endless string of sectors you need to go through to get somewhere.

@Skeeter: I've never liked the boxes space was partitioned into in the x series before XR. I still prefer X3 because XR still has many things lacking however it looks like X4 will resolve those. For the stations, they're finally going to a modular which in my opinion is much more realistic. Also I did like the space station in XR, however they were to limited. Also in X3 the stations look much more similar in my opinion.

[Graaf]

@Graaf: That neither answers the OPs question nor is a logical comparison. You're comparing apples with planets.

No I'm not. I'm making the proper comparison in universe size. How many connections are there on the highest level of interconnectivity? 8 or 200+?

They wanted to create a MORE realistic volumentric setup of the universe and they succeeded! Please let's not go back o the apartment building that is X3. X3 is nice and I play it on occasion however it has so many issues, one of the biggest once being the endless string of sectors you need to go through to get somewhere.

Then I have bad news for you. It is unlikely that Foundations will have only 8 systems, so to get somewhere in the future, you will have to move though more systems with each new game and expansion. Just wait until we have all 200 systems back.

But if I am reading the Map right, to move between several systems you not only have to cross a jumpgate, but in most cases also an highway. Isn't that even more connections than you had in X3?

I still prefer X3 because XR still has many things lacking however it looks like X4 will resolve those. For the stations, they're finally going to a modular which in my opinion is much more realistic.

Yes, we go back to the station building we had in X3, just improved.

Also I did like the space station in XR, however they were to limited. Also in X3 the stations look much more similar in my opinion.

Just like the new Falcon and Nova look similar.

[MegaJohnny]

I'm making the proper comparison in universe size.

No, you're not. The proper comparison is between the number of playable spaces, how much variety there is between them, and how much gameplay and exploration each has to offer. I can understand if you miss a favourite sector from a previous game, but a conversation about "game world size", not "universe size", is much more useful.

[Aken_Bosch]

Yes, we go back to the station building we had in X3, just improved.

And no, we're not. We're not going back to buy a station from a list and find it completely built a split second later. Stations will still have to be built with resources, as in Rebirth, and will still be modular as they already were in Rebirth, "only" a lot, a lot more modular.

[Nikola515]

I wish they could do something like miniature size of solar system. For example have real size formation or asteroid belt around edge of solar system. Have multiple planets, moons, gas giants, nebulas or places of interest. I like how they did Terran space in TC/AP but on much larger scale. XR systems was good but with highways it seemed way too small. We could travel forever in one direction but it was just empty space without asteroids or anything to populate it.

Ores could be mined from asteroids and gasses could be mined from stars, nebulas or gas giants.