X4 - ten questions for developers

[mr.WHO]

System Navigation got improved, the layout is not as messy as in XR anymore.
Sector sizes should match the Rebirth maps, they stay big.

By messy you mean like the vanilla X-Rebirth systems?
By improvement you mean like Home of Light system?

[linolafett]

Kind of "yes" to both.
It will make sense when you see the first map images in the future. I would probably fail to explain how it looks like here. Please have a bit of patience.

[UniTrader]

System Navigation got improved, the layout is not as messy as in XR anymore.
Sector sizes should match the Rebirth maps, they stay big.

By messy you mean like the vanilla X-Rebirth systems?
By improvement you mean like Home of Light system?

The only Messy Place i know in the Core Universe is Omicron Lyrae. the other Systems are basically fine. Also they actually have a rpoper Background which you can travel by/through, opposed to HoL/TO which is plain boring in this regard - there are just some Planets/Asteroids slapped around the Sectors which are not even visible from other Sectors, no realy thought out overarching Concept for the whole System. At least thats my Impression, and quite possible i am thinking on a larger Scale than you.

[Zetoss]

Getting rather difficult to refrain from being excited about X4, personally been feeling restless for 8 months thanks to the Xmas statement that more info would be showing up this year. While I share a fragment of the worry UniTrader mentions about somewhat dull backgrounds in HoL it should be reasonable to assume it won't be a problem in X4, since core XR was an extreme in messy design and HoL was an extreme in the exact opposite it should have served to define a good frame for what works and what doesn't. Often the best way to figure out boundaries is to cross them, something that has indeed been done generously - a statement neither meant as praising or bashing the extremes in XR and the DLCs.

On a bit of a side note, I tried figuring out why I couldn't get used to the layout in Albion and OL even after a thousand hours despite being perfectly fine in every game I've ever played due to excessively good 3D memory... the only likely answer I came up with was that the ship simply turns too much in the highways, anyone else relate to this? There is like a galaxy size difference between turning "whateveryou'recontrolling" yourself and having it steered for you, a gentle turn doesn't throw me off but several sharp bends make me lose all sense of direction...

[mr.WHO]

Kind of "yes" to both.
It will make sense when you see the first map images in the future. I would probably fail to explain how it looks like here. Please have a bit of patience.

Hmm, this is sounds interesting and I think I might imagine what you mean.
As fanatic Terran looking at HoL map I've been thinking how would our own Sol System look like.

I came up with each main planet (and some major moons) had and orbit (or 3) orbits like. E.g "low" (e.g. space ports, passenger terminals, orbital elevators), "mid" (industrial) "high orbit" (solar energy, cargo terminals).
Each orbit is encircled with highway analogue connecting "parking zone" (where stations are build) biger planets have 4-5 such zones per orbit while smaler have 3. Each orbit have highway that lead to higher/lower orbit. On high orbit there is also "Super-highway" leading to diffrent planet/moon (e.g. one from Earth to Mars, one from Earth to Venus).

However the con of this idea is that Sol end up having more zones that vanilla X-Rebirth altogerther.

This is just my idea, but I wouldn't be suprised if it would be close to what you have for X4.

[gilboa]

X4 currently has similar threading requirements to X Rebirth. This may change, however. It certainly won't require an 8 or 10 core CPU as that would lock pretty much everyone out!

i7 are for kids.
Real man (tm) use dual socket Xeons (Or EPYC ) workstations *

- Gilboa
* Willing to contribute my 24 core workstation for beta testing.

[gilboa]

Given the fact that the planned API will be Vulkan, can I assume you plan to release a Linux version? Or is too early?

[BigBANGtheory]

I've a good question... not as important as the first but I think interesting for both players and developers.

Q: Do ES feel like they got good feedback from XR (eventually) to help shape X4, and if so can you explain what constituted useful vs. unhelpful feedback?

[spankahontis]

I've a good question... not as important as the first but I think interesting for both players and developers.

Q: Do ES feel like they got good feedback from XR (eventually) to help shape X4, and if so can you explain what constituted useful vs. unhelpful feedback?

Good Question!
I'd be interested in what the team has to to say?
Lessons learned, better intake of valuable input that will enhance future titles?

Given the fact that the planned API will be Vulkan, can I assume you plan to release a Linux version? Or is too early?

All their titles I think as far back as X-3 have been Linux compatible, i'm sure X-Rebirth has Linux compatibility (Albeit, was about a year after release).
It would be pretty foolish of Egosoft to stop with this trend.

[gilboa]

Given the fact that the planned API will be Vulkan, can I assume you plan to release a Linux version? Or is too early?

All their titles I think as far back as X-3 have been Linux compatible, i'm sure X-Rebirth has Linux compatibility (Albeit, was about a year after release).
It would be pretty foolish of Egosoft to stop with this trend.

Hopefully you are right

- Gilboa


Edit: Fixed quote - Sparky

[thrangar]

Well I didn't see anything on docking procedures


So I am thinking that everyone is assuming that docking in X4 will be like it is now in XR which Is??

I didnt play, look at ,listen to , read about or anything with reguards to XR it didn't appeal to me. So I am clueless to its landing sequence


I am hoping its interior landing or platform docking, I hate the "teat" landing of AP

[Skeeter]

Docking is too easy and quick in xr for stations, why they got rid of docking like u saw from xbtf or x2 I dunno. But they kept dumbing it down each game after and it breaks immersion at least for me.

[linolafett]

Docking will be more "hands on" that in XR.
Details to be shown at the Xcon.

[Ezarkal]

Details to be shown at the Xcon.

I'm quite eager to see what trailers/"first sights" will be available after that conference. (Germany is a little too far away for me to be there in person, with the Atlantic being in between and all that. )

[Skeeter]

Docking will be more "hands on" that in XR.
Details to be shown at the Xcon.

Ooh now I'm eager to hear more on this, long time coming too.

Thx for that lino. Its giving me a bit of hope for x4.

Hope to catch the twitch stream from ego office if u do one on news from xcon.

[linolafett]

I hope we can stream something, but nothing is confirmed yet. Please dont get your hopes up too much.
People will be able to film freely though, i think that there will be some videos about how a ship docks avaliable after the xcon.

[thrangar]

Yes almost all the answers I ve seen so far sound good to me and the fact that docking is being revisited is just icing on the cake!

[mr.WHO]

Now we just need to sit and wait for 31st August (and maybe +1 day till people will upload the stuff).

[Greenhorn]

Hopefully egosoft will give pc specs for x4 during xcon on aug 31st, because im buying a new computer in 4 months .and I need to know what to get.ok .

[X2-Illuminatus]

That's rather unlikely. According to CBJ, X4 hasn't reached the testing phase yet. System requirements will usually not be released until the end of the testing phase, i.e. shortly before release.

By the way, the XCon will take place on August 26th or 27th, not on August 31st.