X4 - anyone out there

[Undercovergeek]

I’ll watch a few let’s plays and have a think - I’m more interested in the empire stuff to be fair

[bayonetbrant]

When you said X4 in the Fantasy & Futuristic Warfare, I thought you were going to bust out the old BECMI X4 Master of the Desert Nomads module

[Undercovergeek]

Oh yeah that old chestnut 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Nerd

[Huw the Poo]

I’ll watch a few let’s plays and have a think - I’m more interested in the empire stuff to be fair

Yeah that's what I thought, that's why I emphasised it's a space sim first and foremost because I don't want to steer you wrong. But the more you play the game, the more it simultaneously becomes an empire manager too. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of it - stations to run, goods to trade, asteroids to mine, fleet battles - but it's always wrapped around a core space sim.

[bayonetbrant]

Oh yeah that old chestnut 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Nerd

takes one to know one 

[bob48]

It took me a little while before I realised that I had my 4X's mixed up with my X4's.

[Martok]

I've long eyed X4: Foundations, but have never actually taken the plunge.  I suspect I could easily get hooked on it, and my 4x games are already addiction enough, thank you.     

[Yskonyn]

I disagree with the statement of X4 being a spacesim more than a strategy game.
I feel its the exact oposite, but with a few caveats:

1) early game you’re pretty much stuck flying a ship, so yes, in this phase it might come across as being a space sim first and foremost.
Go mine crystals to kickstart your funds and you’ll be rocking a small fleet before you know it.

2) the game takes quite a while to get you going. Everything gets hauled in real time and every resource needs to be physically transported.
The game’s economy needs a dozen hours or so to get settled after a new start. Patience.

3) once you have explored sectors, got a plan on where lucrative deals are (most production chain stations are randomized on each start) its time to settle down and the game can be played more and more like a 4x / strategy / tycoon game.
Start building your own stations and fleets and its time to start tilting the faction scales to make it your galaxy one step at a time.
You can run your empire from the mapview in theory.

4) Patience! Did I already say you need it? No? Well you do. Gotta have lots of it as well.

[Huw the Poo]

The point I was trying to emphasise to Geek is that you're pretty much always in a ship (or maybe standing on a station I guess, now that I think about it). You always have a physical presence, I suppose is a better way of putting it. I just didn't want him to think like you could play it like a normal strategy game. Some may argue you can, but there's no getting away from the physical presence thing.

Anyway, he's probably better off watching a few videos so he can see for himself.

I think we all agree it's a great game!

[judgedredd]

Actually - and admittedly I've spent very little time on it - I think I preferred X3 - Reunion.

For one thing I wasn't a fan of the gaudy palette they used. I really couldn't put my finger on it - but it did not have the look that X3 did.

It's installed and I know it's had lots of tweaks and updates, so yeah - I'm probably going to dive in again at some point.