I miss Rebirth's story campaign and characters

[JennerNuwen]

Foundations is a really good game and I'm happy that Egosoft continues to build and improve upon it. However I really have to say that I miss the story/campaign and characters of Rebirth. I really feel that Foundations misses the mark when it comes to this. X Rebirth, for all its launch problems, turned into what I would consider the superior game in the end. It had a lot of character, some really great lore, a co-pilot who would comment on your situation and keep you company, and a nice campaign to guide you. It really felt like a living breathing universe for these reasons. For me personally it takes more than a great economic simulation to draw me into the game, and in this regard Rebirth was much more enjoyable than Foundations has been so far. The Skunk had character. Yisha had character. Heck even Ren Otani had character! (I'd trade all the flyable ships in Foundations for one detailed cockpit!) The campaign guided you through establishing your trade empire and made you care about the world and characters that it contained.

I'm looking forward to checking out what Egosoft has done with the new DLC, but I fear nothing now will scratch that same story itch that Rebirth managed so well. I do want to support Egosoft because I know that they support the community and I want them to continue making great games for us to enjoy; I just hope that whatever comes next in the X series is closer to Rebirth and its campaign, lore, and characters.

[Slashman]

I could not disagree more. The last thing I want is another Yisha with a boob-window and the constant "shut up Betty" comments.

And the Skunk is the single most hated ship in the X universe. It has no sort of physical customization and I hated its annoying asymmetrical shape and history.

"I'd trade all the flyable ships in Foundations for one detailed cockpit!"

That's odd because I love the fact that we got back cockpits and bridges in X4. Bridges that I can actually walk around in. X3 had none.

[Ranix]

That's odd because I love the fact that we got back cockpits and bridges in X4. Bridges that I can actually walk around in. X3 had none.

and it was such a huge disappointment after the awesome cockpits of X2 I was really mad about it. The whole reason to play X2 was to see the cockpit in your new capital ship and dock your personal M3 in it and get that sense of ownership and they just totally dropped the ball on it with X3. Even to this very day you have to use a mod to get cockpits in X3

[IronSquid501]

The thing I REALLY miss from Rebirth is the design: Graphics were better, the universe looked better, highways were way cooler, and just about every model had a far nicer design than the ones in X4. All of the best models in X4 are the ones they ported over from Rebirth

[MikeChance]

I'm middle of the road here, I guess.

I did actually like the skunk as a ship. But I hated not being able to fly anything else. I think, alot of people would have been more accepting of the skunk if they weren't shackled to it.

I did enjoy the campaign, it was prettier, and Yisha was ok at first. Now I did not play X4 before the new DLC came out because it refused to play on my system until they made some fix on their end. Anyway... Dal is basically a male Yisha for me, except I can escape him. He does his own thing and isn't constantly up in my crap. But those spygames he plays leaves me often wondering if I can just space him.

The varied bridges and cockpits of X4 is a definite improvement! And station walk-around is nicer, plus highways are better executed.

Every X game has missed some seemingly fundamental element (usually in terms of UI functionality and mass ship/fleet-control), so it's to be expected they have their downfalls. Often I wonder if Egosoft purposely leaves out stuff so the modders have something to do.


I look forward to X5 in 5 years. I expect by the last X6 DLC we'll have all the X3:AP systems back plus all the new ones, in full expanded glory, with a franchise story arc climax on the horizon for a truly epic in scale and scope X7. Thought I'm sure even in X7, controlling hundreds of ships and tens of stations will be a headache that eats 70% of your playtime due to lack of vanilla ui functionality and ai stupidity.

[grapedog]

Where is Ban Danna when you need him??!?

[Jeraal]

One of the first descriptions I read for X4 while being developed said it was to be more like previous versions than x-reb...(sorry, threw up in my mouth a little there). It's still too much like rebi...(sorry, did it again). And the skunk? No, just, no. I also still don't like the highways in space.

[Cabrelbeuk]

Absolutly NOT missing x rebirth plot or characters.

Just some missing L/XL ships design. I miss Arawn (not satisfied by the rebirth ship mod pack) and so on.

[werewolves?]

The thing I REALLY miss from Rebirth is the design: Graphics were better, the universe looked better, highways were way cooler, and just about every model had a far nicer design than the ones in X4. All of the best models in X4 are the ones they ported over from Rebirth

Agreed, particularly with ency-mod - damn that universe looked good.

I really hope they port those assets in - ship design was phenomenal.

@op I agree about the character, I did like what they added to the universe, I guess it’s similar to was they have done with the static characters in 3.0 - but a copilot was cool.

[mr.WHO]

X4 3.0 introduced plots on par with X-R and with better characters (Yisha an Ren can rot in hell).

More plots like 3.0 please.

[werewolves?]

I actually really like the intrigue side of things - shady business from X3AP was also good.

Space detective noir story.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

So, the story in 3.0 is now comparable to X-Rebirth (a bit shorter, much less tutorial-oriented, but with bigger impact on the game, apparently).
I don't know, I like X-Rebirth, honestly, but looking back at it perhaps the only thing I miss is the look of the systems. Some highways were placed to look like you were really moving from an area to another (e.g. the one in De Vries which took you closer to the star). It's not about "better graphics", X4 has got a very good graphic (perhaps the fact I played on 1024x768 then, and on 2k@144fps now makes the comparison a bit unjust), it's about how the things were put together which made the visual department of Rebirth so cool.
Gameplay? I prefer X4. I liked the Skunk, but flying every ship in the game is so better I don't miss the Skunk, ever.

[leoriq]

However I really have to say that I miss the story/campaign and characters of Rebirth. I really feel that Foundations misses the mark when it comes to this.

I don't get it. Is your point "X4 plots aren't exactly the XR plot"? If you want to play XR story, just launch XR and play it.

And if your point is "I want same characters" - well, I miss Brennan, Ban Danna and whole ATF, I really feel that Rebirth missed the mark when it came to that. And low ratings of XR support that.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

However I really have to say that I miss the story/campaign and characters of Rebirth. I really feel that Foundations misses the mark when it comes to this.

I don't get it. Is your point "X4 plots aren't exactly the XR plot"? If you want to play XR story, just launch XR and play it.

And if your point is "I want same characters" - well, I miss Brennan, Ban Danna and whole ATF, I really feel that Rebirth missed the mark when it came to that. And low ratings of XR support that.

You know, the one thing I miss of Rebirth plot is the Devries situation, the fact you were seen as a true "saviour" (that's what I like to think they felt about me), helping a faction to rebuild their economy and secure their trade routes by fighting pirates. That made me, as a character in the story, feel even prouder then the new massive implications of the plots in X4 would make me ever feel (which I like though).

[Socratatus]

It had a lot of character, some really great lore, a co-pilot who would comment on your situation and keep you company, and a nice campaign to guide you. It really felt like a living breathing universe for these reasons. For me personally it takes more than a great economic simulation to draw me into the game, and in this regard Rebirth was much more enjoyable than Foundations has been so far. The Skunk had character. Yisha had character.

This is also what I liked. However I do like the Sandboxing. The story can make itself imho.
I only wish the character models were better looking. Sadly, I heard that a LOT of people hated all that and just wanted a zillion spaceships-the end. No imagination at all. And so, it seems like EgoSoft dropped the more `Human` side of the game for the spaceships, trade spreadsheet. And the problem there is you end up with game that makes you feel like a trade financier staring at numbers all day, never stepping outside to say hello or even meeting his crew workers to see how things are.

I like my spaceships, but we have enough now and for me being in the far future was never just about spaceships it was about interacting with the people that made it all possible. I`ve been trying hard to get the Devs to add more `Human` to the game by allowing customisation and nicknaming of people, making your own character , adding bullettin boards on stations, making pubs more alive, sexier and even maybe giving you the chance to have a Follower to just sitting on your own chair at a base (little things can add great immersion)... But it seems all we can do is walk and employ robots on sterile stations.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

It had a lot of character, some really great lore, a co-pilot who would comment on your situation and keep you company, and a nice campaign to guide you. It really felt like a living breathing universe for these reasons. For me personally it takes more than a great economic simulation to draw me into the game, and in this regard Rebirth was much more enjoyable than Foundations has been so far. The Skunk had character. Yisha had character.

This is also what I liked. However I do like the Sandboxing. The story can make itself imho.
I only wish the character models were better looking. Sadly, I heard that a LOT of people hated all that and just wanted a zillion spaceships-the end. No imagination at all. And so, it seems like EgoSoft dropped the more `Human` side of the game for the spaceships, trade spreadsheet. And the problem there is you end up with game that makes you feel like a trade financier staring at numbers all day, never stepping outside to say hello or even meeting his crew workers to see how things are.

I like my spaceships, but we have enough now and for me being in the far future was never just about spaceships it was about interacting with the people that made it all possible. I`ve been trying hard to get the Devs to add more `Human` to the game by allowing customisation and nicknaming of people, making your own character , adding bullettin boards on stations, making pubs more alive, sexier and even maybe giving you the chance to have a Follower to just sitting on your own chair at a base (little things can add great immersion)... But it seems all we can do is walk and employ robots on sterile stations.

I couldn't agree more. Spaceships are cool, but more attention to people around you, even if only in a visual way, would help the player really feel the fact the galaxy is alive.
I think there is some sort of bulletin board in the station, near the docks, where there's that running text.

In the end, we'd like a little more interaction and yes, a sort of assistant / companion following you would be appreciated. And I know that sounds a bit of lunatic, after all the hate of the past on poor Yisha from a lot of players...

[Socratatus]

I couldn't agree more. Spaceships are cool, but more attention to people around you, even if only in a visual way, would help the player really feel the fact the galaxy is alive.
I think there is some sort of bulletin board in the station, near the docks, where there's that running text.

In the end, we'd like a little more interaction and yes, a sort of assistant / companion following you would be appreciated. And I know that sounds a bit of lunatic, after all the hate of the past on poor Yisha from a lot of players...

Indeed. You always know the game is lacking that `Human` side when you land at a Station, you want to step out and explore, then realise you`ll see nothing new from the last station, so do your trade in ship, then just take off to the next station, rinse repeat. Seems like a wasted opportunity when you have these giant stations with nothing on them except ships and ugly looking random npc that aren`t interesting to interact with. I sometimes have to fake roleplay just to get something out of the walking part.

p.s. Not seen a bulletin board on stations. I`ll have another look.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

I couldn't agree more. Spaceships are cool, but more attention to people around you, even if only in a visual way, would help the player really feel the fact the galaxy is alive.
I think there is some sort of bulletin board in the station, near the docks, where there's that running text.

In the end, we'd like a little more interaction and yes, a sort of assistant / companion following you would be appreciated. And I know that sounds a bit of lunatic, after all the hate of the past on poor Yisha from a lot of players...

Indeed. You always know the game is lacking that `Human` side when you land at a Station, you want to step out and explore, then realise you`ll see nothing new from the last station, so do your trade in ship, then just take off to the next station, rinse repeat. Seems like a wasted opportunity when you have these giant stations with nothing on them except ships and ugly looking random npc that aren`t interesting to interact with. I sometimes have to fake roleplay just to get something out of the walking part.

p.s. Not seen a bulletin board on stations. I`ll have another look.

I usually stay on my ship wharf and watch the traffic come and go. Or put myself on one of the freighters foraging the shipyard, teleporting to faction representatives every now and then to buy the missing blueprints.

The bulletin I'm talking about is especially noticeable if you dock with an S ship: just before the ramp to the M areas, on the wall, there is some scrolling text reporting news such as "Xenon mounting defense in sector xyz"... They're the same you get pinged with on the notification panel at the bottom left corner of the game window.

[Matthew94]

Where is Ban Danna when you need him??!?

Long-dead I assume. Maybe we'll meet his descendent Dan Banna.

On topic: I didn't like Yisha but more set-pieces would be cool in general.

[Socratatus]

The bulletin I'm talking about is especially noticeable if you dock with an S ship: just before the ramp to the M areas, on the wall, there is some scrolling text reporting news such as "Xenon mounting defense in sector xyz"... They're the same you get pinged with on the notification panel at the bottom left corner of the game window.

Oh that, I should have clarified. I meant some kind of jobs board on the Station you could go to to find and employ personell, customise, etc.