Here are my thoughts on all playable races:
- Terran: Equipped with unique ship equipment and economy, possesses a deep understanding of the Xenon threat, somewhat isolated, lacks plasma turrets, boasts overpowered engines and capital ships. The go to race for insatiable silicon demand and armadas of miners to support a narrow breadth of station types.
- Pirate: Operates within a closed loop system, excels in salvaging. The go to race for closed loop salvaging, obviously. Perhaps tainted in the polls by the difficulty in increasing reputation in game compared to other playable races. Players must borrow a Gas miner ship design from another race, if gas mining is needed.
- Boron: Features unique ship equipment, economy relies more heavily on water, known for humorous dialogue and visually stunning ships (though paint job colors can be questionable), tends to be isolated with challenging station design structures. The go to race for anyone who is okay with setting up perhaps the hardest production line economy for ships. Ship weapons effects synergize well with other races in battle.
- Teladi: Utilizes special production chains for population, boasts station modules with superior aesthetics compared to Argon, pre-v7 beta capital ships were relatively ineffective. The go to race for economists.
- Argon: Numerous advantages including Argon Flak, Discoverer Vanguard for bailing, Pulse Ray for boarding, Ion weaponry, decent ships with reliable stats. The go to race for players who prefer human avatars but want a commonwealth economy.
- Paranid: Boasts sleek and aesthetically pleasing ships, stunning bridge designs, but carrier fighter capacity is questionable; known for possessing Blast Mortars and long-range L plasma turrets. The go to race more often for players without DLC I feel, as DLC options tend to outplay them in some regards. Finishing the plot requires quite the investment, which could affect player preference in the polls.
- Split: Their race-specific shield buff does not apply to L/XL shield mechanics, yet they offer a highly enjoyable gameplay experience. They have historically been heavily impacted by Xenon attacks in X4. The go to race for aggressive combatants or experienced players who want a challenge protecting their territory and bolstering their economy.
