Is the economy real?

[Sokar408]

I mean as real as it gets. I'm very new to the game, and so far the game has nothing but surprised me in good ways (X3:AP), example for the retarded key mapping, but I'm slowly getting that fixed.

Now I have come a point where I have to ask. How real is the economy? I mean obviously everything in the game is run towards the making of ships and weapons (If you can even make ships, I don't know yet). But lets say for example I cripple a supply line, Ore for example. Will that have any impact? Is the AI actually using the resources on ships and weapons, or are they just spawned in? Is there diplomacy in some fashion, and can control of systems switch between factions?

[pjknibbs]

The economy is real in some ways and not others. For instance, ore will go to making goods higher up the chain, and ships will transport them around between stations. It's not so realistic in others; trading stations and equipment docks gradually use up the goods therein with no obvious consumers, and the AI can create as many ships as it needs without needing to actually find the resources to make them.

The base game doesn't have a mechanism for *most* sectors to switch hands. The "war" sectors in X3AP will switch between Terran and Argon control now and again, but you're not likely to notice much difference considering the faction you have less rep with will always target your property in those sectors regardless of who controls them.

I believe there are additional diplomacy options added in various mods, but that's a question you'd need to ask in the Scripting and Modding forum.