X Rebirth

[Timbuk2]

Best viewed full-screen.

Released 15th Nov.

As a huge fan of the X series of sandbox universe games, this looks like one hell of a release.

The previous incarnations that I've played, from X2 through X3 Reunion, X3 Terran Conflict and X3 Albion Prelude, which while absolutely superb, were all really extensions of the same X universe sandbox, using much the same engine. Enormous, and utterly dynamic, years of play wouldn't cover everything.

X Rebirth looks like an entirely new engine. And wow what an engine.

The game I'm now waiting for ...

[Wraith]

Already preordered

[Timbuk2]

I saw you had on Steam.

You've played the previous X games?

[Wraith]

I logged absurd numbers of hours in the previous games. 400 in X3, and I think another 400 in Terran Conflict. I never picked up Albion Prelude though, was waiting for Rebirth, which was originally scheduled for two years ago.

[LittleFuzzy]

That games looks really cool but I don't think I've got the system to run it.

[Timbuk2]

Out this friday.

Pre-purchased, for the princely sum of £39.99.

[Khendraja'aro]

Yeah, bought it as well.

[RandBlade]

So what kind of game is it? Strategy, action ...? I thought it was a space empire 4X game? But doesn't sound like it from the description. Sounds more like a space equivalent of say Port Royale.

[Khendraja'aro]

You don't know the X series? It's action paired with an empire building simulation.

[RandBlade]

No I've never played it. Was tempted by the recent Humble Sale of it based on reviews here for X3 but saw that on my phone and forgot until it had finished.

[Timbuk2]

So what kind of game is it? Strategy, action ...? I thought it was a space empire 4X game? But doesn't sound like it from the description. Sounds more like a space equivalent of say Port Royale.

Strategy, action, space empire 4x yes.

Also, dynamic economics simulator, logistics, markets, production complexes, supply chains, remote automated sales and purchase, black markets and illegal goods.

Also, full space hub, factory and logistics fleet command; after months of play you will have huge lists of hubs and giant factory production complexes and supply ships buzzing about within your expanding empire, all administered through a wonderful suite of interfaces, and alerting and messaging systems.

Also, a full battle sim, from dozens of small fighters and gunships, through a ton of different cruisers, destroyers, battleships to giant motherships with their own home fighters, upwards to commanding enormous fleets of ships numbering in the hundreds across the X Universe. All fully customiseable, with masses of different weaponry types, missile types, shields, hub upgrades etc And, because you play an actual person in all this, you can fly to any ship or hub or complex at any time, change into any other ship you own, and fight or command.

Also, a fully realised alien existence, with races who have their own fleets and complexes and hubs, which you can ally with, dominate, destroy, build up, use their ships and complexes, whatever.

Also, full plots and storylines and strange things happening, which, if you so choose, can take you through the universe with twists and turns over the months of play.

It's essentially a huge and complex universe sandbox, which you can play entirely as you want to, which slowly but surely changes over time as you weave your own place in the enormity of it all. The scope and breadth of it is far larger than anything else I've ever played.

You play a single game and will never finish it, it doesn't end really, the universe goes on. After years of play, I've only had a real presence in about 15-20% of an X Universe. That was X3 Reunion.

And I suspect X Rebirth will be far larger and more complex and more enthralling. New engine 'n all that.

Can't wait.


ETA: Should also say that there is an excellent modding and support community at www.egosoft.com. Kind of necessary for help on a game of this size and complexity

[RandBlade]

How's the complexity compared to eg Paradox games?

[Timbuk2]

Complexity is different.

The entire concept is quite different.

There are a lot of variables within Paradox games, like Europa Universalis. A lot of differing streams (politics, culture, religion etc etc), a lot of victory conditions etc. Though note I've not played Paradox games much.

One thing that seems consistent though is that they are in a fixed realm, with a fixed timeline, and an end.

Whereas the X Universe is just ... so open. How you decide to approach the game is so open.

Not quite sure how to draw comparisons. Guess all I can do is keep describing ... but please say if I'm getting boring or repetitive.

You can play primarily as a trader, having fleets of trading ships that scour the universe for deals, buying low, selling high, building up a trading reputation with various races and factions.

You can play primarily as a manufacturer (my preference), setting up hubs and factory complex chains, which link up together to produce primary (and sometimes secondary) goods. You can run anything from just one station, buying in the raw materials needed for production, right up to running whole production chain complexes which provide the goods needed for every step of production. These production complexes are huge, expensive, and take a long time to create and set up, involving dozens of linked factories and hubs and energy sources, all of which combine in variable set ups to manufacture what you want. It's enormously satisfying once you have a chain working properly.

Goods that you can trade or manufacture are anything from dozens of food types, raw food materials, metals and ores, electronics and chips, raw energy (solar), sensory equipment, drones, satellites, defense materiel, all kinds of ballistic, laser and other weaponry types, shields, missiles etc etc etc. The list is huge. These goods you either sell on the open market, which in turns affects it (flood the market with a type of good and its price drops ...), or use the goods for yourself, for your empire, for upgrading your fleets and building up your defences. Later game you can manufacture ships and stations, once you are super-rich. I've never reached that stage ...

You can play primarily as a fighter, gaining riches through plundering and selling, taking on bigger craft, upgrading weapons and shields etc

Most will play a varying mix of the above three.

Or of course you can follow the plot completely, which takes you through varying storylines, and assists you in setting up. In the past X games, the plot leaves you at various stages, and returns once you have attained a certain level or reputation or your assets number a certain value. I imagine X Rebirth will follow along similar lines ...

So don't think of it like a Paradox game, it's really quite different.

[RandBlade]

Sounds good. Definitely sounds from the description like a space equivalent of the Port Royale series if you've ever played that.

[Timbuk2]

Release Trailer has been ... err ... released.

Go full-screen.

[RandBlade]

One question I'm confused with - if its both an action game where you play as an individual and an empire builder what happens if your character dies? I'm assuming the spaceship you're on could be blown up in which case is that a case of Game Over, reload from the previous save or do you spawn again elsewhere?

Most empire builders generally don't have you play an individual or if they do its either totally abstract (Civilization where you live for thousands of years) or your character can die and you become a new one from the Empire (eg Crusader Kings). How does X work with that?

[Khendraja'aro]

It's Game Over (and a subsequent reload).

[Timbuk2]

Hmmm ... been reading the egosoft forums a bit today.

Seems X Rebirth is quite different to previous X games. Universe is smaller but more detailed. Less ships, but again, more detailed. Much larger stations and hubs.

And seems you get to fly just 1 ship.

Might have got that wrong, will soon see. Looks like it's really quite a different setup ...

[Khendraja'aro]

You just noticed the part about flying only one ship?

Doesn't mean that you can't control other ships.

[RandBlade]

So you can't upgrade your ship to a different class of ship?

[Timbuk2]

You just noticed the part about flying only one ship?

Yeh, hadn't done any reading up on Rebirth before yesterday. Just assumed it would be much the same X setup as before, but with a new engine, prettier, more ships and more stuff.

Doesn't mean that you can't control other ships.

Indeed.

Thinking about it, I logged almost all my flying hours in a Nova of one type or another. That class of ship seemed to be the best all-rounder in combat. The smaller, faster classes were always outgunned, and the heavy cruisers and above were too slow and took an age to turn - were always better to be automated.

Was quite satisfying to sit on the outskirts of battle in your Nova, and watch your capital class battleships and cruisers unleash destruction on the enemy.

If the Provided ship (Argon Skunk?) is of the same class as the Nova, should be alright.

So you can't upgrade your ship to a different class of ship?

The ship can be massively upgraded; weapons, shields and hull improvements. From what I've read though, you can only fly that one ship, you can't jump into another. This is a huge change from previous versions.

Sounds disappointing, but I'll log some hours playing before I judge ...

[RandBlade]

So apparently it's out now, would be curious about any feedback. I'm quite intrigued by this game but have an ironclad rule about not buying myself games in Nov/Dec and June (until after Christmas/Birthday) so might pick it up after that though I doubt it'll be on the Steam Sale already by then. Might pick up X3 in the Steam sale from what's been said here in fact.

[Ominous Gamer]

you might get a 33% deal, or a bundle sale.

[Khendraja'aro]

From what I've seen so far, it's a bit confusing since they've done away with the jump gates and replaced them with slipstream highways you can enter and exit at any time you choose.

I've yet to accustom myself to the map or the way trading is done now.

[RandBlade]

Seems to be some pretty scathing user reviews at the moment, not sure if this is genuine or people being dicks though. http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/x-...h/user-reviews

[Wraith]

I've only tried it a bit. Was trying to get the controls set up for my joystick so I could play it like I played the X3 games - barely touching my mouse/keyboard. Gave up after a bit. So I haven't gotten very far in the game.

[Timbuk2]

Aye - only played an hour or so so far.

Joystick support hasn't been implemented fully - yet if it all. Seems Ego intended this to be a mouse/keyboard setup. Quite a departure.

A lot of commentary in the forums, mostly disappointment. People were expecting a flashier X4, as I suppose I was, and X Rebirth is not it.

The Egosoft community has always been mature and sensible though, so a lot of people are saying wait till you've played a lot longer before passing judgement.

For myself, it seems very pretty, the graphics are quite extraordinary so far. Had to lower the settings a bit to up framerate, and I have a mid to high-end PC. Performance is something that Ego say they will address in upcoming patches.
Haven't got to grips with combat yet - no joystick isn't helping.
The UI isn't as good as I'd hoped thus far, but will wait to see how well it handles large lists of assets and trade.
And so far I'm not liking the whole get-off-the-ship-and-talk-to-people-in-person thing. This is a space sim, not an RPG.
The highways and superhighways seem good - a better alternative to SETI ...

But this is a big, big game, so will continue to get into it.

[RandBlade]

SETI? Guessing not Search For Extraterrestial Intelligence.

From what I heard about jumpgates I was picturing something like the wormholes in eg Stargate SG1.

[Timbuk2]

SETI, forget what it stands for, but in the previous X games this was just speeding up time, 2x, 4x, up to 12x.

Primarily because the universe is big, and takes time to traverse, so speeding up time helps.

In Rebirth they've done away with speeding up time and replaced it with highways which criss-cross sectors which speed you around within sector, and superhighways which jump you at high speed from one sector to another.

Here's a good vid showing superhighways (blue) and highways (green)

[Wraith]

SETA - Singularity Engine Time Accelerator.