[IDEA] X3 epansion pack

[Chealec]

I'm not sure this is exactly the write place to post this but it would only work with the backing of the modding community.

Basically, if you mooch through the forums you'll find several posts like, is it possible to do X, Y or Z? Often the answer comes as "look in the scripts and modding forum".

What I'm wondering is, would there be backing if Egosoft signed some sort of non-exclusivity deal to use some of the most popular scripts in-house, added a bit of spit and polish (further development, testing and optimisation and "signed" them), added some new content of their own (new starts, stories and missions perhaps) and then released it as an expansion pack for say about 10-15 quid?

I don't work for Egosoft, so I've no idea if they'd be up for this and I don't know how the modders would feel about having their ideas used and redistributed in a commercial package... but it seems like it would be a good way to expand the 'X' game to cover some of the things that people often request. It's not an entirely new idea - Team Fortress and Counterstrike both started as community mods (one for Quake, the other for Half-Life) and a lot of the XTM stuff was incorporated into TC.




------------------------------------------------------------
Random thoughts of possible content
------------------------------------------------------------
Something like the X3R bonus pack with sector take-over and war scripts: Conflicts, Race Patrols and maybe something like Kha'ak or Xenon Invasion scripts with extensions to the Xenon and Kha'ak core sectors to make these viable threat races - although tying the Kha'ak in with the Final Fury mission might be tricky - and allow them to claim sectors and extend their production facilities.

New playable starts and associated missions, this could be pirate, Yaki or maybe even Kha'ak; it might be kind of cool to have every Kha'ak ship also work like an AdvSat to give the impression of a "hive mind".

If it was all properly load-balanced and incorporated, with a good installer that allowed you to add some or all of the modifications (a bit like Cycrow's jobby) would people be happy with it and be prepared to fork out an expansion pack kind of price tag for it? I would, but I'm not everyone.

[KillingMonkey]

Hmmm.... The expansion pack idea is one I've personally been thinking about for a loong loong time.... And your idea pretty much sums up what I've been puddling at... I'm personally hoping for an X3:r v2.0 type thing... But a bit more.... How to put it... Big.... Like a good 'second chapter' on the Terran Conflict.... Or something that would explain (expand) the story even further.... Add some new stuff... You know... The works...
This is possible as a 'merged' mod, I think... But it would require a lot of work to re-make all the needed scripts and mods so that all of them are compatible with each other....
Egosoft can (and hopefully will) make a 'real' expansion pack.... There's just one problem, though.... They state that TC is their last chapter on the X Universe...

[(----____JEFF____----)]

I haven't read the post very care fully, but the bits I did read remind me an awful lot of the bonus pack for X3R. As a scripter I like the idea of getting my scripts signed, but not egosoft selling them. Besides the fact that they are making money from my hard work (if they sell them), I also think that people will be more attracted to the free alternatives of those scripts.

In any case I don't mind paying for a pack egosoft made them selves, but I won't pay for stuff that originally came from the community as I can make that myself, or look for unsigned stuff that does the same thing. I personally don't care about the *modified* tag so I don't think it's worth anything.

[Chealec]

They state that TC is their last chapter on the X Universe.

I'm not so much thinking a full chapter - more an addendum

In any case I don't mind paying for a pack egosoft made them selves, but I won't pay for stuff that originally came from the community

erm... correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of the content for TC came "from the community" - XTM.

[KillingMonkey]

He is right you know...

[WindsOfBoreas]

This is exactly like the Bonus Pack for X3R except that you are expecting people to pay for it which would be rather odd since you could get the plugins for free right here.

A bonus pack will probably be started after X3TC has been our about a year. At that point, the authors can put their scripts up for signing where each plugin will be tested thoroughly then reworked, redesigned, or even rewritten. However, only scripts that do not imbalance the game (any further than it already is) or add functionality that was not there before will be considered for signing. Then it will be released as the Bonus Pack for X3TC in the Downloads section of the main Egosoft page.

__________________

We can create new gamestarts and if any of us had the technical knowledge of the Mission Director, we could make full plots. Unfortunately, the work that goes into just one simple mission is rather a lot as the file requires anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand lines of XML based code.

When more knowledge is available about the Mission Director, then I am sure that you will see modders and scripters come together to give us mission packs. Not an expansion pack, per se, but it is something.

[(----____JEFF____----)]

Yeah a lot of stuff came from XTM, but they hired people from the XTM team. Also a lot of ships are left out from XTM (Mobile factories anyone? or M8's?) and they added a lot of stuff that was not in XTM (the interface and story for example).
For those reasons I don't consider that community made, but I was a bit black and white. Let's put it this way: I pay for something if I think it's worth my money. So if someone made a really good mod and is asking money for it, I'll be happy to pay for it, but if someone made a very simple script I don't think I would pay for it.

Just let me ask you this, if you spend a lot of time and effort on something, I don't think you want someone else to make money of of it, not even if they "fixed" or "signed" it, right? I know I wouldn't be happy to hear that.

And from a buyer point of view, you can pay for something that is tested and signed, or you can get it for free with maybe a few bugs but also a lot of testing from the community. I know that I'll rather take the community one, as I can contribute actively to that and it's free!

[KillingMonkey]

Just let me ask you this, if you spend a lot of time and effort on something, I don't think you want someone else to make money of of it, not even if they "fixed" or "signed" it, right? I know I wouldn't be happy to hear that.

Well... If EgoSoft really and truly promises to cut a small share of the profits to the mod/script maker, I think it'd be reasonable...

And from a buyer point of view, you can pay for something that is tested and signed, or you can get it for free with maybe a few bugs but also a lot of testing from the community. I know that I'll rather take the community one, as I can contribute actively to that and it's free!

That's also in some way true... I would full heartily contribute to the community by 'testing' community mods/scripts... And since I'll express the real opinion of the community (well... mine at least) rather than an opinion backed by a good potato sack full of green square-shaped paper... I'd say that my opinion would weight more... Of course, take no offense ES testing community...

[SilverDragonLord]

from what they said about this being the last in the X series i doubt there gona be doing any expansions, at least like that, there will probably be some further small updates and probably a bonous package of some of the best mods, other then that im sure there working on something elce now, my hope is anouther space based one with new races and mechanics since there awsome at that kind of thing, only time will tell

[(----____JEFF____----)]

That's also in some way true... I would full heartily contribute to the community by 'testing' community mods/scripts... And since I'll express the real opinion of the community (well... mine at least) rather than an opinion backed by a good potato sack full of green square-shaped paper... I'd say that my opinion would weight more... Of course, take no offense ES testing community...

I don't quite understand what you're saying (English is not my native language). Do I understand that you're saying that your your opinion is worth more than mine? If so, I don't see why, I'm just as much a part of this community as you are.

Anyway I think that a bonus pack is the most we'll see from Egosoft, but we'll see

[KillingMonkey]

I wasn't saying that... Basically what I'm saying, stating from years of experience around the banana shop, is that 'The Customer is ALWAYS right.' Be it you or me, or anyone in this community for that matter. In my opinion any public opinion is the 'right' opinion. If the public says there's something wrong with the game, for example, it doesn't matter what 'qualified' testers think- we, the public, are right and it has to be 'fixed'. Why? The game, any game, in my opinion, should express the public's views, wishes and wants and not some corporate directors' money-based dreams. So no matter what the 'potato sack leaning testers' think on a game issue, it's our (the community's) say on the subject that should matter....

[(----____JEFF____----)]

Aaahh... okay Well your right about that. I work at a local supermarket so I know how customers can be.

But you should also realize that customers don't always know what's best, that's why there are gamers and game designers. A gamer is not automatically a good designer and a good designer might not be good at games. But that's where a modular design could play a big role for mods/scripts

[Chealec]

In short then, if Egosoft were building an expansion pack (unlikely, granted) and were to incorporate some community content, with the blessing of and remuneration to the original scripters with a nice fluffy installer - sort of like TC but on a smaller scale - that would be cool?

Obviously if it was _just_ like the X3R bonus pack they couldn't charge for it since that was entirely community scripts.

Of course, it _IS_ entirely possible that if enough modders collaborated they could pretty much do this whole shebang anyway judging by what was accomplished in the XTM.

[gandy|UKCS|]

tbh with what i seen posted maybe a community care pack is needed where egosoft look at some of the scripts and say yes that can be added as the code is stable and it is helpful and they sign it to say it has passed there quality control, even if they don't edit the scripts to make them pass.

[KillingMonkey]

Hmmmm...... If people were really able to make real nice failsafe packs.... That's a communities' dream.... If we were given (or able to make) editors, managers, installers etc... Programs that can to the full extent exploit what X3 has to offer.... Then we would've made the world spin one second faster...( figure of speech)....