X3 Patch chat split from X3TC/AP patch topics thread.

[siddham]

Is this promised update going to happen...
or was it a false start?

[RAVEN.myst]

Is this promised update going to happen...
or was it a false start?

Anyone's guess, at this point. Personally, I wouldn't put money on it, but I'm daring to hope. (Currently at the X2 stage of a complete X-series playthrough, and happy to linger here for the time being, heheh - not that I expect the patch to happen by the time I get to TC in any case, tbh.)

[siddham]

Is this promised update going to happen...
or was it a false start?

Anyone's guess, at this point. Personally, I wouldn't put money on it, but I'm daring to hope. (Currently at the X2 stage of a complete X-series playthrough, and happy to linger here for the time being, heheh - not that I expect the patch to happen by the time I get to TC in any case, tbh.)

Hi RAVEN.myst
Looks like it was a false alarm alright
But the thread announcing it is still pinned to the top of the Steam forum

Albion Prelude & Terran Conflict combined have more players than Rebirth, on Steam; and probably most players dont use the Steam version; so the games are still being played

I finish the X2 story a while ago and moved on to Reunion
The khaak spoiled X2 for me
The build-up in Reunion is very slow (from X-treme)
I dipped into Terran Conflict and liked it on first impressions
Tempted to drop Reunion

[RAVEN.myst]

My main reason for taking a trip down memory lane was because I hadn't previously played X:BtF and X-tension, so I wanted to back-fill that gap, and decided to do the whole story in sequence. Previously, I started with X2, which I loved, and am loving all over again - the sectors are a bit small (smaller than those in the X1 AND X3 titles), but the visual style is my favourite (despite the ageing graphics.) I'm finding the early build-up to be quite slow, much as in Reunion, with which, iIrc, it has quite a lot in common. (Interestingly, to me Reunion's interface seemed like a step back from X2's, so Rebirth isn't the first time this sort of thing happened - TC/AP, however, got that back on track.)

While Reunion is obviously next up, it will be a quick playthrough (just like the previous time, which was actually after TC, to back-fill story). My favourites are TC and AP - the former for its extensive plot-lines that one can really sink one's teeth into, as well as the unique ship rewards, the latter for enhancing the graphics, adding the odd game mechanic, and fleshing out the ship lineups. I really wish there was a way to combine the two in a non-mod manner (so, if this fabled, mythical patch were to do this, I would be a VERY happy chappy, indeed! )

I think it's safe to say that, in most regards, X3TC/AP represents the pinnacle of the X games to date (I've played Rebirth extensively and intensively, and managed to pretty much plumb what depths it has in a couple of months - whereas years down the line, I still occasionally discover something new or some new way of doing something, or something new I want to try, in TC/AP). And yes, I suspect you may be right in terms of many players avoiding Steaming it - I know I certainly do, can't stand that intrusive and dictatorial piece of bloatware. So yes, odds are that the numbers are tilted HEAVILY in TC/AP's favour. Here's hoping that influences future development by Egosoft

Good hunting!

[siddham]

Personally I find Steam excellent
never had any issues with it in several years using it
excellent digital platform imo

I agree about the Reunion UI - I do not like it at all
Do you think the Reunion story is worth the time and effort?

What you say about TC makes me think I will drop Reunion and dive into TC
I did have a look around a bit in TC some time ago and I liked the UI and the universe felt different - more active and alive; and there are some excellent new stations (The Military one is great) and ships too

Shame we cannot get the UI upgrades in AP into TC
The new sector & universe map size especially
not fussed about the stock exchange

[Alan Phipps]

I think we have been here before recently ...

Back onto topic in that original thread please but feel free to carry on your chat here.

[RAVEN.myst]

I agree about the Reunion UI - I do not like it at all
Do you think the Reunion story is worth the time and effort?

I would say that if you haven't ever played it before, it's worth a quick run-through for the sake of continuity (of course, many people don't consider buying a whole game for a quick dash through it - myself included, so for the retro-flashbacks I went with budget-bin re-releases.)

The new sector & universe map size especially
not fussed about the stock exchange

Indeed, that map size increase was most welcome. And yes, I don't use the Stock Exchange either - it feels too much like cheating, to me. When I first played AP, I obviously tried the SE, figured out how to use it, found it too powerful, so I limited myself to only company shares, found that still too strong, so limited myself to commodities only - only to soon figure out that it can be even more profitable than the company shares, so at that point I stopped using it altogether. I like economic challenges in the Xs, and having these huge, free cash injections just skews any experiment I run.

Currently, I'm replaying X2 and thoroughly enjoying it (though seriously missing CAG and a couple of other things, such as auto-jump enabling on ships, and auto-refuel/arm.) I actually wish the next true X game would return to some of the visual style of X2 (the ship designs were really great in that version, a great example being the TL ships). Also, I find X2 to be the most immersive of the whole series (Rebirth included) in terms of story and character involvement (a great help in this regard being the planet-side storytelling video clips.)

[GCU Grey Area]

Currently, I'm replaying X2 and thoroughly enjoying it (though seriously missing CAG and a couple of other things...

Suggest having a look at this collection of mods: http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=55445.

[RAVEN.myst]

Thanks for the suggestion, I am running the Bonus Pack - however, the CAG "equivalent" (more like an ancient, primitive ancestor, heheh) is really inferior to X3's CAG. Nevertheless, it is still quite useful and I am using it some - though I have one stuck on lv.4 and not levelling up anymore, for some reason (yes, the correct command is running, and the pilot is doing constant runs, and constantly charging the station for his services.)

On the other hand, the turret control scripts (gunnery crews and AEGIS) are way beyond anything available in any of the X3s' bonus packs.

Hmmm... perhaps that would be something for the increasingly mythical TC/AP patch: if there are mods available for X3 that do gunnery crews and/or AEGIS, then make them signed and add them to a new BP...

[Nanook]

Reunion, for me, was a mixed bag. I hated the arcadishness of the plot missions. They seem very much like the minigames in Rebirth. However, I loved the dogfighting in Reunion, which you could partake of throughout the whole game, even with missions. TC and AP both forced the player into bigger and bigger ships as the player's combat rank increased, which I didn't really care for. I like my dogfights in small ships.

[RAVEN.myst]

For me, Reunion was not particularly memorable, and since I got around to it after TC, I pretty much rushed through it. I remember little more than racing through an asteroid base (though that's mostly due to the music, which rocked - the flight itself was quite annoying, I thought), and the end bit making contact with the citizens of home-world. (Yes, odd EVA through the gate, and all that.) Oh, and some pirate base business somewhere in Pirates' Lane (O's Treaty, perhaps?)

I actually recently finished a couple of AP playthroughs (all plots), and did it with only TM + Fighters Not even 'vettes, until after the plots were done (though, of course, I'm not counting the TL that is mandatory - but I don't use that as a carrier or such, it's purely for construction, and LOTS of it ) Of course, TC can't be done this way, the plots are looooooong, and in some of them (OFF, anyone?) you HAVE to have at least a frigate, or be very good AND very patient.

I also don't like being herded in a particular direction, which is why some time ago (years ago, for that matter), I decided to try the "dispersed/projected force" approach - numbers of fighters in whatever carrier I can afford at the time (so, TM, then M7C, and eventually something big) - I fly an M3 or, later, M3+, and keep some wingmen with me (1 on a TM, as I also need a space for a utility M5, and a free bay for captures or returning drones), then several once I have me an M7C. I found I really prefer this way to play - lots of dogfighting, instead of, as you say, being forced into bigger and heavier ships.

Once I DO move into an M7 or something, I get very "laid back", heheheh.

Unfortunately, TC long ago killed my joystick and I'm not currently in a position to replace it (planning an emigration, so really don't need to ADD possessions at this point), and X2 is really unsuited to non-joystick dogfighting - the mouse control is very poor, and keyboard is no good for an analogue control requirement - too bad X2 has no TMs or M7Cs, I guess I'll be going to M6s ASAP, and then get a TL to use as a carrier. Still, LOVING this chapter of my retrovision tour, and planning to linger for a while

[Graaf]

Oh, and some pirate base business somewhere in Pirates' Lane (O's Treaty, perhaps?)

Maybe we should ask them to add the Marauder to Farnham's Legend again.

[RAVEN.myst]

Oh, and some pirate base business somewhere in Pirates' Lane (O's Treaty, perhaps?)

Maybe we should ask them to add the Marauder to Farnham's Legend again.

Ah, that's the one! You have better memory than me, apparently (It's a good thing I have perfect memory, because otherwise... ummm..., what was I saying?)

[All_Names_Already_Taken]

After all that time of hoping and waiting, I think many of us want to ask this question - will there ever be that patch of all patches for X3? Can someone from Egosoft come and make a clear statement on this? Even simple YES or NO will suffice. No need for explanation or reasons, I think people will understand if you say NO, and it will not be a huge opinion changer anyway, but at least we all can finally stop hoping and waiting, and move on.

[Alan Phipps]

@ A_N_A_T: Keep hoping would be my personal advice.