OS Neutral X Space Games

[Huntn]

Since this has nothing to do with VR, moved it here. This discussion is mostly about the X Games (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_(video_game_series)),
this post discussing X3: Reunion.

I just downloaded X3 and X Rebirth.

It is actually a great price this weekend on Steam - $18 for all 4 plus DLC. I had purchased X2 last Christmas for the $2.49 to try it, but I tried it and saw that it needed a lot of time and just put it off. Didn't mind having to buy it over again the bundle as this bundle is really a great deal for all of them.

With that said, X3 is great - ship designs are awesome. But, of course, the Flight School mode just throws you out there in space...

I use a 40" 4K TV now and in 4K mode, the text is very-tiny as I don't think 4K was in mind, though it has a 4K mode and everything looks really nice and good fps since it is an older game. Gonna have to find out if I can enlarge the UI text or just use 1080p.

For X Rebirth - it is designed with more modern machines in mind, but 4K/Ultra is really taxing on my RX 470 (should've spent the extra $75 on that RX 480, but will get a Vega next year). Able to use it in 1440p/Med-High getting close to 60fps.

Same with X Rebirth - you get thrown out there to figure stuff out on your own. Was nice to just fly around trying the different graphics settings. The designs are beautiful, and while I was just standing still a Police Ship stopped by and did a "routine scan" then flew off - kinda cute...

I can see how there are fans of this X series, and it is a great time to get it cheap for all of it, minus the VR. It will just take time to learn and get use to. Seems much easier than EVE Online (I tried that - boy, what a complex game). Plus, you can just fly around and explore if you want (like No Man's Sky in Explorer's Mode).

Definitely worth it for me, a Space Sim Fan, for the $18. Don't know about the VR, unless I already have a PC headset and can get it even cheaper than it is on sale right now for $20 (maybe $10? It is only based on X Rebirth: Home of Light DLC).

I purchased the Terran Warpack DLC for $6 on sale with both Terran Conflict and Alban Prelude. I’m still messing with it. The Flight School is sad. It does not appear like the guy is really paying attention to what you are doing and just moves on if you don’t keep up.

If you are doing Terran Conflict, which game did you start, Terran Defender of Humble Merchant? Where do you go to pick up mission in this game? Granted I’m looking at tutorials so I expect to find the answers eventually.

What controller are you using? I hooked up my Logitech, Extreme 3D Pro and it was not recognized by the game. It sees my xbox 360.

 

[Huntn]

There are several good X3 guides on YouTube. I’ve started with this one focused on Terran Conflict as a Humble Trader which goes a long way towards demystifying game play. This option gives you 2 ships to start with, which the teacher sells one promptly.

 

[gkarris]

If you are doing Terran Conflict, which game did you start, Terran Defender of Humble Merchant? Where do you go to pick up mission in this game? Granted I’m looking at tutorials so I expect to find the answers eventually.

What controller are you using? I hooked up my Logitech, Extreme 3D Pro and it was not recognized by the game. It sees my xbox 360.

Just started the first "tutorial" mission.

I used just a mouse and keyboard, but hooked up a Logitech Attack 3 to try it out - worked fine.

Make sure in that little start screen after launch you choose the joystick and uncheck "configure as gamepad" and make sure your Xbox controller is disconnected.

 

[Huntn]

Just started the first "tutorial" mission.

I used just a mouse and keyboard, but hooked up a Logitech Attack 3 to try it out - worked fine.

Make sure in that little start screen after launch you choose the joystick and uncheck "configure as gamepad" and make sure your Xbox controller is disconnected.

Thanks, I’ll try that. For trading, it does appear that a joystick is required. Fighting is probably different. If playing Terran Conflict, you had to pick a category (Key, Terran Defender, Humble Trader) before starting, which did you choose?

 

[Huntn]

You guys are going to laugh, but I tried X3 and have decided it's not for me. Briefly stated, too much GRIND.

I started with the Humble Trader route. I was following a good tutorial by CdrDave (post2), least it seems good. He removed a lot of the mystery in the game. It's possible at some point in the game, trading becomes more automated, there are some tools, if you find a good trade in your sector, the Best Buy, Best Sell software makes for less work. If you put some satellites up in sectors you are trading in, you can see pricing in those sectors without being there.

Then following the tutorial, after earning 700k credits (took a couple of evenings), I purchased a second freighter and upgraded it. This can be set off on autopilot to do trades, and I think there is a way you tell the ship to go do a best sell trade, but running two ships, made everything more work. You have to work through a remote command console to give orders to the autopilot ship, and the Best Buy, Best Sell software does not work in a remote ship, so you are back to eyeing each station looking for the best price to buy or sell.

Then I discovered missions, but many of them have ridiculous time limits. Now maybe they start out at 2 hours or something, but the ones I stumbled across labeled "easy" were from 5-20 minutes, to accomplish a run across a sector to another sector and back, which at 20 minutes is cutting it very tight. So I tried 3 missions, and failed all of them, because I ran out of time.

Now maybe I should have started out with the main plot missions, and maybe I should have started out in a fighter instead of a hauler... but doing what I was doing after a 100 trade missions or so, tonight it just dawned on me that I'm spending all my time grinding for credits for the next upgrade. Of note I also had this problem with Elite Dangerous when it came to trading. At least in this game, psychologically the transit times seem shorter than they do in ED. Oh well, I tried.

What I need is a good space ship builder, but the best one I've tried so far is Space Engineers, but the kind of ship I want to build is just not possible, much to blocky instead of smooth and curvy, and the 2000 meter ship I was building was basically going to be a static display, and I could not even decorate it decently on the inside...

 

[gkarris]

You guys are going to laugh, but I tried X3 and have decided it's not for me. Briefly stated, too much GRIND.

...

What I need is a good space ship builder, but the best one I've tried so far is Space Engineers, but the kind of ship I want to build is just not possible, much to blocky instead of smooth and curvy, and the 2000 meter ship I was building was basically going to be a static display, and I could not even decorate it decently on the inside...

ALL GAMES are grind if you think about it - it is just the type of grind you like.

"Space Engineers" is in Early Access so give them your thoughts...

 

[Huntn]

ALL GAMES are grind if you think about it - it is just the type of grind you like.

"Space Engineers" is in Early Access so give them your thoughts...

Yes, you are right. Normally how I avoid grind in a building game is by playing it in creative mode, I won’t usually spend 10s of hours chopping down trees or breaking rocks. It allows me to focus on building or spaceship design or the other parts of the game I enjoy exploring, capturing and taming dinos in ARK, or capturing thralls in Conan Exiles.

Space Engineers as a voxel game has a blocky nature (as most voxel games do), with no smooth or compound curves. Yes, you can construct a large curve of blocks, but it is still blocky. It’s illustrated well in images I posted in the Space Engineers tread. I’ll post a comment in that Steam discussion group, but I don’t expect them to do anything about it. I don’t even know if being curvy as I want it, is currently technically possible or feasible.

 

[Huntn]

!! X4: Foundations !! 2018.
My vote is for some frick'n tutorials. ​

 

[gkarris]

!! X4: Foundations !! 2018.
My vote is for some frick'n tutorials. ​

OMG..... OMG.... OMG....

(Checks AMD RX Vega 56 prices... )

 

[Huntn]

X4 Foundations Trailer​

 

[Huntn]

Dec 2017​

 

[gkarris]

1. Plays "Star Citizen" Alpha 3.0 - lucky to get 1080p/24fps/Low on AMD RX 470 4Gig.

2. Watches this video:

X4 Foundations Trailer​

3. Checks prices of, now, the AMD RX Vega 64.

4. Starts crying....

 

[Huntn]

1. Plays "Star Citizen" Alpha 3.0 - lucky to get 1080p/24fps/Low on AMD RX 470 4Gig.

2. Watches this video:



3. Checks prices of, now, the AMD RX Vega 64.

4. Starts crying....

I’m sincerely hoping my GTX960 can handle X4. $1250 for a new card is BS. I’ll pick one of the lesser, more reasonable priced cards if it comes to that.

 

[gkarris]

I’m sincerely hoping my GTX960 can handle X4. $1250 for a new card is BS. I’ll pick one of the lesser, more reasonable priced cards if it comes to that.

Hopefully you have the 4Gig variant.

It looks like the lesser cards are still victims to Mining (or I should say we PC Gamers are)...

(The RX Vega 56 rose over the holidays from $450 to $550 - MSRP is $400).

 

[Huntn]

Hopefully you have the 4Gig variant.

It looks like the lesser cards are still victims to Mining (or I should say we PC Gamers are)...

(The RX Vega 56 rose over the holidays from $450 to $550 - MSRP is $400).

Yes, my GTX 970 has 4 GB Vram. Hopefully that will cut it.

 

[gkarris]

Yes, my GTX 970 has 4 GB Vram. Hopefully that will cut it.

Looks pretty good - considering that the modern cards are astronomically priced right now...

I didn't catch which engine they're using for it...

EDIT: I guess it is a customized version of Vulkan...

Hopefully, it will be as good as DOOM.

 

[gkarris]

I’m sincerely hoping my GTX960 can handle X4. $1250 for a new card is BS. I’ll pick one of the lesser, more reasonable priced cards if it comes to that.

I don't see GPU cards going down in price within at LEAST the next year. Even lesser cards (1030's and 550's) I see slight price gouging on those.

Supposedly, X4 uses a customized Vulkan Engine.

You can probably just download the DOOM Demo (if you don't already have it the full game) and try it out to see how well it will run on your system.

Different kind of game, but you can get an idea of how well DOOM runs and then X4 will probably run well at settings just below it (if not as well).

http://store.steampowered.com/app/379720/DOOM/

You can also try X-Plane 11 Demo as it is now Vulkan as well (flying around is closer to X4 ):

http://www.x-plane.com/desktop/try-it/

 

[Huntn]

I don't see GPU cards going down in price within at LEAST the next year. Even lesser cards (1030's and 550's) I see slight price gouging on those.

Supposedly, X4 uses a customized Vulkan Engine.

You can probably just download the DOOM Demo (if you don't already have it the full game) and try it out to see how well it will run on your system.

Different kind of game, but you can get an idea of how well DOOM runs and then X4 will probably run well at settings just below it (if not as well).

http://store.steampowered.com/app/379720/DOOM/

You can also try X-Plane 11 Demo as it is now Vulkan as well (flying around is closer to X4 ):

http://www.x-plane.com/desktop/try-it/

I’ll look for the demo. It’s unlikely I’d buy the full version as the last iteration was spooky, but the final boss battle was blah, very mechanical, when demon does A, player does B.