Release in 2018, also when will we be able to pre-order?

[Kinscar]

I know this discussion has likely been had before and I know "it will be done when it's done", but is it reasonable to assume a 2018 release date?

I am absolutely itching for a good space sim. Star citizen is still a decade away and elite dangerous isn't really my cup of tea.

Edit: I would also like to know when the game will be available for pre-order?

[CBJ]

What's the release date?
This is not decided yet, we aim for 2018.

[Kinscar]

ah, ok, I skimmed through it, but I must have missed it

[Requiemfang]

Aiming for 2018... erm don't wanna be a negative nancy here but the last time ES set an ambitious date like that with their previous game they ended up pushing the game back a year or two in development. Lets not forget either the amount of news the community got afterwards after a few months of showing us progress updates ES basically dropped off the map with development updates and left us all in the dark. And we all know how well the game flopped at release and how much flak the developers got, XR could have been better if they let the community in on playtesting and getting community feedback.

[Riccardoman]

If they will delay the game by 2 or 3 years like last time to add the missed races I will gladly wait.
Lesser the pressure, better the job

XR could have been better if they let the community in on playtesting and getting community feedback.

[Alan Phipps]

Err .. It was the community that did the XR playtesting, both in the Private Alphas/Betas and in the Public Betas. If you don't believe me on the former element then just read the XR game credits.

Testing outcomes and release date (in the hard-nosed commercial world of financiers and publishers etc) are not always totally interdependent unfortunately.

However, all that has very little to do with X4 now.

[ezra-r]

Assume April 2019 to be safe.

[Riccardoman]

A closed beta on steam with codes given only to community members who have an active presence in the ego forum (so not me )-> much more testers but without toxic behaviour present in 99% of the steam community

[DavidGW]

If they will delay the game by 2 or 3 years like last time to add the missed races I will gladly wait.
Lesser the pressure, better the job

I think the most important thing is having a good game when it is released. If it can stand on its own with just Argon, Teladi and Paranid assets (plus maybe a couple of Split and Terran assets reused from XR?) then so be it.

I'd be happy to wait a year or so for extra content, but I'd rather have a good and polished game, narrower in scope, release this year.

[Sockrox]

Err .. It was the community that did the XR playtesting, both in the Private Alphas/Betas and in the Public Betas...

And release!

[Slashman]

I'm all for a more narrow scope in terms of races but a more solid release in terms of play-ability, stability and features.

Seriously. Let's buck this Ego trend of broken releases and fix later and aim for solid release, more time and resources for content/feature additions later.

[Fleabum]

I still have one of the two shrink wrapped X:Rebirth copies I got as a present many years ago... (sent the one back I could, got suck with the other)

Its on the shelf, and it reminds me what a debacle the X:Rebirth release was, and from this I will never, ever, preorder another Egosoft game. Ever. Even if it came with a 50% early adopters discount.

It even helped me not to preorder No Mans Sky (glad I dodged that bullet).

I will wait for the X4 release, play on a mates machine, see if its a worthy successor (and I really hope it is, although it has a few aspects I really dislike, like space lanes), and if so purchase it then.


Cynical I know, but X:Rebirth made me this way.

Regards
Flea

[Skeeter]

Probably late 2018 I doubt any earlier. Maybe September or December or will slip to 2019 early. Long as it's tested better that previous titles.

[Hairless-Ape]

I'd take an early release in favor of fewer ships and features any day!
I'd easily pay through the nose for DLC packages, or other updates as they become available. This series is a work of art by true masters and it brings me no end of satisfaction to buzz around in game and see what they have done. The pittance they charge is just that. Please dedicate everyone to the effort for X4 egosoft, and don't be afraid to ask us to pay for updates, because ultimately, we'll get everything we want that way and you'll profit from it as it should be.

I'm so tired of the 1000 limited play stupid games out there with no depth.
Don't be afraid to charge for your genius, and get us into it as early as you can.

Thanks

[csaba]

I'd take an early release in favor of fewer ships and features any day!
I'd easily pay through the nose for DLC packages, or other updates as they become available. This series is a work of art by true masters and it brings me no end of satisfaction to buzz around in game and see what they have done. The pittance they charge is just that. Please dedicate everyone to the effort for X4 egosoft, and don't be afraid to ask us to pay for updates, because ultimately, we'll get everything we want that way and you'll profit from it as it should be.

I'm so tired of the 1000 limited play stupid games out there with no depth.
Don't be afraid to charge for your genius, and get us into it as early as you can.

Thanks

Saying that, a game does need a good foundation (oh lol ) to have meaningful DLCs. E. g. you need a set amount of trader types to have an XR like economy running properly, on which X4 will be based on. They kinda messed up with vanilla XR on the ships front, namely Albion and OL had identical ship types which was immersion breaking, while also conflicting with ship descriptions (except the Arawn I think), this was later remedied but I don't whish another flop like XR on Egosoft.

[Hassie]

Well Steam says it is going to be released in Spring 2018. I think we can all safely assume that is about as likely as me winning Powerball today, which cannot be won on a Tuesday at all, as it isn't drawn, so I think if they make the 2018 Christmas season, I would be somewhat surprised.

[CBJ]

Well Steam says it is going to be released in Spring 2018.

Where does it say that exactly? The X4 Foundations page just says 2018, which is all we've said so far.

[spankahontis]

If they will delay the game by 2 or 3 years like last time to add the missed races I will gladly wait.
Lesser the pressure, better the job

I think the most important thing is having a good game when it is released. If it can stand on its own with just Argon, Teladi and Paranid assets (plus maybe a couple of Split and Terran assets reused from XR?) then so be it.

I'd be happy to wait a year or so for extra content, but I'd rather have a good and polished game, narrower in scope, release this year.

Personally, I wouldn't be bothered if they reused assets, seriously, they need MORE, allot more.
X: Rebirth was attack of the clones, it needs a shit ton more face models, different skin tones for Argon/Terrans, clothes, accessories, voice actors.
And that's just the Argon, the Split was even worse, 1 face model, a few voices and 2 clothes.
Split need some serious love here. Or better still help the modding community here and they can add more of all the above.
Rebirth's dire selection was unacceptable and 1 of the reasons why people didn't like landing on stations.

[Torch76]

I'd love to see beta testers from the Forums. You wouldn't get all the random people who don't understand how a beta works. "I paid X.xx for this game and it's not perfect yet...!"

I've beta tested many games (look up BC3KAD), been doing it since then. So funny that some beta testers think everything should just work.

SO EXCITED FOR X4!!

[Torch76]

Personally, I wouldn't be bothered if they reused assets, seriously, they need MORE, allot more.b

I totally agree - reuse/update and add. . The more the better. There are plenty of examples where hair/clothes/features can be randomized without too much overhead. Once a character has been generated, store that character's specs - Face 10, Tone 2, Hair 7, Clothes 32, Color 16