X3AP: Is the Argon plot a joke?

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 03:24

WARNING: May contain spoilers, and I'm not putting the whole post in a tag. Secondly, this contains lots of complaining and profane language. Let me clarify that any offensive language is not directed at any entity or individual, and I am only expressing my frustration and confusion.

Now I REALLY have to make a thread about this, because I simply do not understand what was going through their minds when they created the Argon Peacekeeper plot.

After most main missions, the Commander tells you "Go aid the war effort", and so you go off and do that and after a while he'll comms you again and tell you there is a new mission or a new development, whatever. This will come into play soon enough.

Now immediately going through this, I'm happy, because they just throw an M6 at me on like the third mission. I'm thinking, good start Egosoft, maybe I'll actually complete the plot for once. Oh no, that was a mistake.

So the first thing to piss me off was the research station. They want me to deliver WHAT?! Is this a joke? Microchips, and lasers, and computer parts? First off there is a major flaw in this, when I got here I didn't have the credits to buy all that stuff so I had to go grind for an hour so I could pay for this crap just so I could ferry it back there because they don't pay you until AFTER the mission. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!? I think everyone can agree that courier missions in this series are the most boring thing to do, so who thought it was a good idea to make that a part of the plot?

Now, it might surprise you that I actually enjoyed the Capture the Xenon L mission. Yeah! It's FITTING. I'm the god damn Hero of the Federation, and apparently a seasoned fighter, I better be fighting some evil Xenon and not delivering computer parts or some bull. Now kudos to whoever added this because at least it makes A LITTLE sense, although I thought we were figuring out how the Terrans have Jonferco tech not doing errands but whatever.

A few missions later I'm tasked with defending the research station! Ah, finally some action. So I kill the mediocre fleet of pirates(Why do pirates care?) that the game randomly spawns, and a guy opens comms with me and goes, "THIS IS OUR PATROL, GET OUT OF HERE". Okay? What the hell was the point of that? Why did I even show up if the system is already full of Argon fighters? Thanks for wasting my time.

Yet again, a few missions later, this guy from Jonferco(It may have been Plutarch, it doesn't matter anyways) tells us the Terrans are going to attack one of the Albion systems thinking they're helping the Terraformers or something. So I get there and it's another crappy Pirate fleet. Excuse me? I thought the TERRANS were attacking? Why the hell are there pirates here, and why do pirates care about a highway anyways? That's like a 5 year old getting mad that he can't find Baking Soda in a Walmart, it doesn't even make sense.

So we kill the pirates, and the Commander opens up comms and thanks you and wow, already a new ship. The Aamon Prototype ship is given to you, and he tells you to use it to aid the war effort. So I go off for a few hours and fight Terrans in my Centaur, and I'm not getting contacted. At this point I'm thinking, what's going on? So I get in the Aamon Prototype just in case and kill some more Terrans. Still nothing. I can't raise my Argon rank anymore, so I raise my Fighter and Trader rankings along with taking out a Terran Kyoto capital ship in Asteroid Belt.

At this point I've completely given up that there is any sane trigger that will bring up the next mission, so I resort to the chat to ask others who HAD finished the plot. Turns out, that's the last mission. This is the point where I just about exploded. I was flying around like an ass for literally 6 hours in real life time trying to trigger a mission that doesn't exist because the devs gave absolutely NO EFFORT to let you know the plot was over. I've been searching around on the forums, and I'm not the only one who has wasted their time trying to trigger a mission that doesn't exist.

Finally, this Commander is still talking to me. At this point I think everyone that isn't mentally retarded understands that the Argon and Terran are actively fighting in Conflict sectors. HE DOESN'T HAVE TO REMIND US, yet he still does. Thank you Egosoft, I really needed this guy messing up my SETA and annoying me with the same choppy talking every 5 minutes.

So let me sum the problems with X3: Albion Prelude:

1) Boring tedious missions
2) Unfitting enemies (Why are Pirates in the place of the Terrans?)
3) Most of us PAID $10 for AP, which is just a 3 hour long storyline and some player made mods.
4) Horrible way to lead into Rebirth*
5) Doesn't indicate the plot is over, and it doesn't even make sense for it to be.**

*How does this lead into Rebirth? All this taught us is that Jonferco is the creator of this special Highway system. How does that lead into Rebirth? Just because these highways are important?

**Like I said above, it hardly leads you into Rebirth, and it basically drops you with no indication that the plot is over. It's like if you're watching a movie and all of a sudden, right before the climax, the movie turns off. And I asked, what was next? And someone said Rebirth. Well, that's wrong. Rebirth is AFTER the gate system crashes, which means that Albion Prelude should be what happens leading up to that point, which only leads me to believe that the Albion Prelude plot MUST CONTINUE. This expansion is NOT COMPLETE.

In Conclusion: I've read in the X-Rebirth subforum that you guys at Egosoft are all about "listening to your community and wishes" and "incorporating that into the game". It's right there, stickied in the X-Rebirth forum if you don't believe me. So PLEASE, I want someone to come in here and completely shoot me down, show me that I'M the one that is wrong, not you. I'm not trying to encourage hostility, but feel free to make me look like a dumbass that has no idea what he's talking about.

I really want to know what is going on here, because this doesn't seem like a completed game, or expansion, or whatever. Please enlighten me. At the very LEAST, you could make it clear that the plot is over, if you really have no plans to extend it, so no one else gets stuck trying to get to the next mission.

Thanks for reading everyone, and I apologize for making this a huge wall of text.

Catra · Post by **Catra** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:21

and albion prelude is happening AFTER the gate crash, and is LEADING into rebirth. hence albion PRELUDE. not a very hard thing to grasp here.

as written in their own encyclopedia, the gate crashed 1 year before the destruction of the torus(and guess what? the torus is laying in earth orbit very much destroyed).

AP is supposed to a preview of the up and coming. youre taking this lil addon WAY too seriously.

as i said when this was first announced: dont gleam too much from this.

as for your " in conclusion " part. egosoft has given us ALOT of what we asked, one of which is being able to mod the game as freely as we can right now.

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:28

If it's happening AFTER the gate crash then the gates shouldn't even be working.

If that's the case then their own game doesn't even follow the X-Universe timeline. So this Argon/Terran war isn't even possible.

How is this a preview of the up and coming? X Rebirth is on a totally different engine, and this is completely the same. If this is a preview why can't we use the highways? Wouldn't that make sense? Get rid of SETA and introduce the community to the highways instead of jump gates. It doesn't show the panic and the economic collapse when systems are isolated from each other, it doesn't show us anything.

And we could have modded X3:TC... so we basically paid $10 for a 3 hour storyline which isn't technically possible? If this is a "lil addon" then it should be free.

Nick Northern · Post by **Nick Northern** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:29

I agree the plot is confusing and I was hoping for more...suspense? Revelations? I don't know. But it was a sub-par plot. In any case, the sandbox fixes and expansions (extra ships/sectors/stockmarket) makes AP worth the price. I can see why others wouldn't think so, but to me, $10 is worth the game I bought even though the plot is not great. I feel the same way about TC. I don't play that for the plots either. I just play the plots to unlock extra ships/Hub and a couple extra sectors.

If you take a lot of joy from plots though, you may be really interested in some of the mods in the s/m forum. There are a lot of well done plots you can put in TC and AP. Right now I am running Yaki Armada and Pirate Guild AI plugins, and an NPC bailing plugin, using Cycrows awesome plugin manager lite that makes all the scrips playable in AP. I basically just chose area's I felt AP was lacking in (like getting that stupid L to bail in plot!), and fixed them myself using scripts others have made. I'm a happy camper now.

Edit: what Catra said.

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:31

Nick Northern wrote:I agree the plot is confusing and I was hoping for more...suspense? Revelations? I don't know. But it was a sub-par plot. In any case, the sandbox fixes and expansions (extra ships/sectors/stockmarket) makes AP worth the price. I can see why others wouldn't think so, but to me, $10 is worth the game I bought even though the plot is not great. I feel the same way about TC. I don't play that for the plots either. I just play the plots to unlock extra ships/Hub and a couple extra sectors.

If you take a lot of joy from plots though, you may be really interested in some of the mods in the s/m forum. There are a lot of well done plots you can put in TC and AP. Right now I am running Yaki Armada and Pirate Guild AI plugins, and an NPC bailing plugin, using Cycrows awesome plugin manager lite that makes all the scrips playable in AP. I basically just chose area's I felt AP was lacking in (like getting that stupid L to bail in plot!), and fixed them myself using scripts others have made. I'm a happy camper now.

So Egosoft basically tricked us into paying $10 for a subpar plot and scripts and plugins we could have gotten for X3:TC before the game even came out FOR FREE.

It looks like they were just out to make a quick buck. I mean I understand what you're saying, but with all the improvements that you enjoy, you could have gotten the exact same thing with TC and mods.

Nick Northern · Post by **Nick Northern** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:39

Promethium wrote:So Egosoft basically tricked us into paying $10 for a sub-par plot and scripts and plugins we could have gotten for X3:TC before the game even came out FOR FREE.

It looks like they were just out to make a quick buck.

I'm sorry you think so. I don't feel that way. I expected AP to add content to the game to justify a $10 purchase (which is really cheap even for an expansion if we are talking a boxed retail purchase). I used to play Starcraft. When the expansion, Broodwar, came out, I bought that and expected more content for my purchase (I think I payed around $40 for it). It was a great expansion and I hardly played regular Starcraft after that. I feel the same way about TC and AP. I don't really play TC anymore and don't plan to. I enjoy the extra content and smoother play of AP and prefer that to going back to TC even though it has more plots.

I think Egosoft gave us a great gift in such a cheap expansion to TC. I think they more than delivered on a great product, and a lot of apprehension I had with their handling of Rebirth is now gone because I enjoy AP, and expect to enjoy Rebirth as well.

If not everyone feels this way about Albion Prelude then I guess that is natural. They can't please everyone with any choice they make. If they had spent more time and resources (programers time, larger download for expansion) it would have taken longer to put out this game, and it would probably be more expensive. People would complain about that too. I'm just happy with what I got for what I paid.

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:43

I think the main frustration I'm having here, is with X Rebirth, they talk about how they want to get rid of this boring and redundant stuff, and make the game more fun to play, and then they go and completely neglect to do that in Albion Prelude.

Falcrack · Post by **Falcrack** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:43

In my mind, all would have been forgiven regarding the short plot, and I would have been 99% satified, had the war scenario been something dynamic like is seen in one of the good mods out here, like IR or RRF. As it stands, the war scenario is a joke and actually makes the game worse.

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:46

Falcrack wrote:In my mind, all would have been forgiven regarding the short plot, and I would have been 99% satified, had the war scenario been something dynamic like is seen in one of the good mods out here, like IR or RRF. As it stands, the war scenario is a joke and actually makes the game worse.

Agreed.

We might not be thinking about the same thing in particular, but this Commander must be an idiot. I hear him say "We're moving into Asteroid Belt" and then 5 minutes later he says, "The latest Terran push lost us control of Omicron Lyrae". What? I don't know if you're familiar with the layout, but Omicron is like 4 systems down from Asteroid Belt, and shouldn't the Terrans be worrying about the fleet of ships moving into their space? I don't get it.

Nick Northern · Post by **Nick Northern** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:48

I get that too Promethium. I agree with you that the plot is really confusing and leaves more questions than answers. The plot missions are tedious. You are right. I think what me and Catra are trying to say is that the extra ships/Terran economy working/stock market/AI fixes are what makes the game worth it. Not the plot. The plot isn't great. hehe.

So yes I definitely agree with you that the plot is a whiskey tango foxtrot.

Egosoft is very good about patching it's games though, and while TC will no longer be patched, AP will be patched, and Egosoft could always add plot/rewards/extra content/fixes in the future. They have hinted at the HQ being added in the future.

Ok, last post for me! I am a windbag.

Lapo · Post by **Lapo** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 04:57

Plot spoilers ahead

Spoiler

Show

While the "get me 50 microchips" got old in TC PHQ Plot, the rest of the plot made sense to me. Everything that happens on Albion is part of the overreaching plot of the CEO of Plutarch to take over the highway technology from JONFERCO. That's why instead of Terrans, mercs (pirates) show up and that is why the reinforcements are in a hurry to make you leave the system. They are ALL working for the CEO of Plutarch. Also it is explained that the Terran attacks on JONFERCO where caused because our budding evil overlord from Plutarch told them that they were the ones that developed the AGI that attacked Earth.

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 05:04

Nick, if a company put out a brand new car, but put old crappy engines in them and tried to make up for it with an expensive interior and nice addons like a sunroof and dvd players, would you buy it? No. It's a ripoff.

This is my point, you can't put out a product that is good in some aspects, and horrible in others. To me, that's unacceptable. And yet again, these player mods have been out here for a while.

Vim Razz · Post by **Vim Razz** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 05:06

The current plot strikes me as being pretty much the same sort of thing as the first plot from Terran Conflict -- more like the first chapter.

Considering that the game's still basically in "early release/prerelease mode" -- seriously, the box isn't even out yet -- I think it's a bit too soon to make definitive final statements about the (un)finished storyline.

What story there is so far is actually pretty cool, if you pay attention to all the bits and tidbits.

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 05:10

Vim, I made this thread mainly to figure out if the plot would be expanded. I highly doubt it will, I even more I doubt a dev will take the time to respond.

Yea, the plot is cool but not unfinished.

RoverTX · Post by **RoverTX** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 05:15

The pirate part actually made sense to me sense they where basically Plutar flunkies who where trying to clear up what the Terran's had failed too. The stupid microchips and computer parts bit I think is a wink and a nod at the HUD missions, but I could be wrong. Though I too wasted a bunch of time trying to trigger addition missions after the Aamon Prototype reward. They need a stupid Congratz screen like all the other plots. I hope and assume that there will be more in a future patch, along with the missing ships.

The part that really kind of pisses me off, as others have said, is they where talking about making the war dynamic, and how you could have a say in its outcome, but as it stands now there is no way to change anything or end it. If I had known the war was completely static and that some of the ships wouldn't be ready at launch (ie the haulers and the mentioned but not in game addition heavy M2s) I think I would have waited on buying AP right away for the Mac and PC.

If one of your main selling points turns out to be 95% false, you should really rethink your selling points, I definitively wont be buying X Rebirth right away after this.

Promethium · Post by **Promethium** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 05:50

I really wish someone from Egosoft would get in here an explain this. I don't see the benefits of putting out an unfinished product. Or maybe it is finished in their eyes, who knows?

garv222 · Post by **garv222** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 05:56

Promethium wrote:Nick, if a company put out a brand new car, but put old crappy engines in them and tried to make up for it with an expensive interior and nice addons like a sunroof and dvd players, would you buy it? No. It's a ripoff.
.

First, I'm totally with you on the weak plots. I think even the good ones are a bit flimsy in TC as far as story telling and immersion go.

However I think most of us play for the sandbox which is a major selling point....wouldn't it be more accurate to say the brand new car had a good engine and a crappy exterior?

Still haven't picked up AP yet, but picking it up for the plot definitely wasn't on my mind.

Jumee · Post by **Jumee** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 06:02

agree with you on the weak points but still think that the game was worth 10 £ because of all the sandbox improvements but the way war is implemented I would have preferred for it not to be there at all (that guy is seriously annoying with his completely worthless "updates")

Falcrack · Post by **Falcrack** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 06:06

garv222 wrote:
Promethium wrote:Nick, if a company put out a brand new car, but put old crappy engines in them and tried to make up for it with an expensive interior and nice addons like a sunroof and dvd players, would you buy it? No. It's a ripoff.
.
First, I'm totally with you on the weak plots. I think even the good ones are a bit flimsy in TC as far as story telling and immersion go.

However I think most of us play for the sandbox which is a major selling point....wouldn't it be more accurate to say the brand new car had a good engine and a crappy exterior? Still haven't picked up AP yet, but picking it up for the plot definitely wasn't on my mind.

The "sandbox" for AP is what makes it weak, because I was hoping their sandbox would include a dynamic war campaign, which it clearly does not.

The best things about AP are the combat improvements, missile improvements, AI improvements, and new ships and stations. The stock exchange I don't really care about, but I like how it allows us to examine supply and demand for certain goods, though it unfortunately introduces new exploits to making gobs of money. The sandbox experience will otherwise be the same, except that now I need to tell my traders to avoid war sectors and terran sectors.

Xander Cade · Post by **Xander Cade** » Fri, 30. Dec 11, 06:36

I think that it is pretty obvious that the plot is unfinished.

The trailer for AP doesn't just mention Saya Kho, it is entirely focussed on her and yet she is barely mentioned in the game at all (one sentence in the plot and, presumably, a note in the description of Earth sector). So... she just decided out of the blue to blow up the torus for shits and giggles? Nothing about her involvement was explained beyond the fact that her actions helped trigger war. To use an analogy I think everyone here can relate to, it's like the trailer for the entire Star Wars Saga being all about Uncle Owen.

I am very tempted to say that the plot will continue and the Albion Pride will be one of the rewards. Because otherwise that ship is just a tease.

It is also worth mentioning that there is no Terran plot. The lack of a Terran plot is almost certainly why the war is so static and you don't have any real effect on it.

Also consider this. AP has used a great deal of scripts from the S&M forum and improved them greatly. One of the scripts in S&M allows you to use Marines to capture stations. Right now all we can do is destroy stations, but if you pay attention you will notice that stations in the contested sectors will change hands and the ownership of the sectors will swap between the the Terrans and Argon. People are complaining about the lack of the dynamic war where we can decide the outcome... could this be it? TP now have a vastly increased Marine capacity and we now have the TP+ ships. I don't think it is a coincidence that the station capture script from S&M requires marines to dock at a station in a TS to start the capture process and that we now suddenly have improved TPs with vastly increased Marine capacity.

It is not unreasonable to imagine the Argon plot continuing with, and the Terran plot involving, the capture of stations which you then hand ownership of to the relevant Race. This would indeed create a dynamic war where you have a genuine impact. Outside of the plot, one can imagine new Fight Missions - Capture Station (similar to Return Ship) and Destroy Station (station version of Assassinate).

This isn't the first time EgoSoft has released an unfinished plot. Unlike other game developers, EgoSoft gives it's players a LOT of free content with patches, rather than just bug fixes, and AP has yet to be patched even once.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

X3AP: Is the Argon plot a joke?

X3AP: Is the Argon plot a joke?