X3 will be pants without landable Planets!!
Moderator: Moderators for English X Forum
X3 will be pants without landable Planets!!
I dunno about any of you. but unless x3 has something new and radical to offer the space trader genre then it is not the game for me. sure the gfx are kinda pretty and maybe it is a vast improvement over x2. But and a BIG BUT i use uae and play all my fav amiga games one of them is elite 2, to this day no game has beaten elite 2 for scale, freedom and endless fun and that game is is years old only takes up bout 400k on a dd floppy. my biggest concern is the ability to land on planets and not just land like freelancer (which is pants by the way lol) but like elite 2 where u can land any where u like, i used to love manually landing ships on planets with strong gravity without blowing up (which took skill), even just fuel scooping and those photo/nuke missions where awsome. now you would think in the age of ghz pc's and dx9 gfx etc this would be a small thing to ask for a game of this calibre. im still waiting for a game to beat elite 2 frontier and it seems like ill be waiting for a long time.
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots"
-
gorg_graggel
- Posts: 365
- Joined: Mon, 12. Jan 04, 18:18
Yeah, you're right about the planets, but Egosoft has a slight mental block here. I don't think we'll ever see them, at least not until X5. Kind of like we'll never see full systems instead of little boxes cut out of them. It is their way.
PC specs: Athlon 64 4000+, Geforce 7800 GT 256 MB, 2048 MB PC 3200 RAM, 200 GB 7200 RPM, 500W, nForce 4 SLI dual PCI-E.
Of course, a mental block, that's it! And there was me thinking that there were practical or technical reasons, like the sheer scale of the task of creating one planet's worth of terrain and things to do, let alone the dozens you would need to make the whole thing worthwhile. 
Comparing it to a 10 year old game is very disingenuous. If you were served up with a game now with the level of detail that was in a game in that long ago, you most definitely would not be satisfied. Creating something that would be acceptable now, both graphically and in terms of gameplay, would be several orders of magnitude more difficult.
If you want to see an example of a modern game where you can not only land on planets, but get out and walk around, try Universal Combat. No-one could accuse that game of lacking ambition in its scope, and I was thrilled (playing its predecessor, in fact) when I found out that you could land on planets. I was somewhat less thrilled 10 minutes after I actually tried it, when I realised that there wasn't much to do and that I was basically playing a first person walking-around game instead of a space game.
No, the reason it isn't in the X games is quite simple. Compared to the vast time and cost required to do it, it just wouldn't add enough real, longlasting gameplay (as opposed to cool factor). Yes, we'd all like to see it, but the reality is that it probably won't happen in the forseeable future.
Comparing it to a 10 year old game is very disingenuous. If you were served up with a game now with the level of detail that was in a game in that long ago, you most definitely would not be satisfied. Creating something that would be acceptable now, both graphically and in terms of gameplay, would be several orders of magnitude more difficult.
If you want to see an example of a modern game where you can not only land on planets, but get out and walk around, try Universal Combat. No-one could accuse that game of lacking ambition in its scope, and I was thrilled (playing its predecessor, in fact) when I found out that you could land on planets. I was somewhat less thrilled 10 minutes after I actually tried it, when I realised that there wasn't much to do and that I was basically playing a first person walking-around game instead of a space game.
No, the reason it isn't in the X games is quite simple. Compared to the vast time and cost required to do it, it just wouldn't add enough real, longlasting gameplay (as opposed to cool factor). Yes, we'd all like to see it, but the reality is that it probably won't happen in the forseeable future.
Actually just reading through some of the topics posted in this forum, one guy thinks that control of a character as an avatar instead of a ship whould be better as u could get out of your ships and look around. i think that would be an awesome implimentation. just think of mace griffin bounty hunter // elite 2 frontier mix no that would be a good game, a very good game. . .
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots"
I wouldnt mind if it has elite:2 gfx but had more options. Gfx aint everything. And about landing on planets if its gotta be 3d then you cant do a landing on planets but if you limit it to just flying to a few cities per planet then that could work i supose, it would have to be static as in nothing moving otherwise that would make it hog the resources. Instead just have space ports where u can land.
Only reason i personally would want landing on planets is for a new branch of economy like live animals and new products thats people on planets could use (wont use but u know). So it would double the trading aspect of the game so we could pick up live animals from a city on a planet fly em to a planet who has no animals or somit and sell for huge profit. I mean you dont even need to land on planets to do this, just have a orbital base which in x3 we sorta have orbital stations now. So possibly in a next x game they could just add planet products to a sorta trading station that is in low orbit and use that to enable a simulation of planetary trade that you can do intergalactic ways.
All in all depends what they want to do in the end. Do they develope gfx for new comers and to compete with other new games all the time or develope more features that wil certainly be welcome for vetrans but if it droped in gfx quality cos of it and depending on target audiance like say young adults who like new gfx then they would miss out if another game was gfx were better.
Bit hard id imagine to balance it, but x3 seems to do it, with enough features and new gfx to make x3 a success. The new gfx should be still top of the range if they did a x4 so it might be possible for them to not go the gfx route more that time and go for features. Who knows...
All in all x3 is what it is a developing series based on trade and limited combat. Which it does well. As they seem to just care about the x universe and not delve into other types of games they will probably do alot more x games in the future and probably all our wishes will come true, eventually.
Only reason i personally would want landing on planets is for a new branch of economy like live animals and new products thats people on planets could use (wont use but u know). So it would double the trading aspect of the game so we could pick up live animals from a city on a planet fly em to a planet who has no animals or somit and sell for huge profit. I mean you dont even need to land on planets to do this, just have a orbital base which in x3 we sorta have orbital stations now. So possibly in a next x game they could just add planet products to a sorta trading station that is in low orbit and use that to enable a simulation of planetary trade that you can do intergalactic ways.
All in all depends what they want to do in the end. Do they develope gfx for new comers and to compete with other new games all the time or develope more features that wil certainly be welcome for vetrans but if it droped in gfx quality cos of it and depending on target audiance like say young adults who like new gfx then they would miss out if another game was gfx were better.
Bit hard id imagine to balance it, but x3 seems to do it, with enough features and new gfx to make x3 a success. The new gfx should be still top of the range if they did a x4 so it might be possible for them to not go the gfx route more that time and go for features. Who knows...
All in all x3 is what it is a developing series based on trade and limited combat. Which it does well. As they seem to just care about the x universe and not delve into other types of games they will probably do alot more x games in the future and probably all our wishes will come true, eventually.
hmmm in responce to cost of implimenting planets. if the game engine is capable of generting terrain\weather all you would need is certain variables to set up certain aspects of terrain which in the most part could be randomly generated. apart from that just meshes for buildings and settlements rest of terrain could be random mountains, hills and water. i can never understand why it such a big concern when all it is, its just extra bit of code lol. to me gameplay is far far more important that graphics. and that is the problem these days with all game developers. 
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots"
Then you'll want to design that character; then you'll want other similar characters in stations; then you'll want marines; then you'll want to be able to play a fps in stations.jrtolson wrote:hmmm in responce to cost of implimenting planets. if the game engine is capable of generting terrain\weather all you would need is certain variables to set up certain aspects of terrain which in the most part could be randomly generated. apart from that just meshes for buildings and settlements rest of terrain could be random mountains, hills and water. i can never understand why it such a big concern when all it is, its just extra bit of code lol. to me gameplay is far far more important that graphics. and that is the problem these days with all game developers.
Damn whining brats..
Why don't you understand just how much work all that actually requires? It's taken several months to develop "just" X³- of which there already is a vast amount of playability and activity incorporated within. Similar details, though to a much lesser extent, were in X². Guess what? They take up more than enough of peoples time just doing those things that people were seeking to cheat with scripted money in order to get by working.
So rather than babbling on with preconceived opinions born from ignorance, why don't you think about how much work has already been put into these games, and learn to appreciate it. One would think a person so intent on declaring a condescending biased opinion- and to the very face of that person or company they are insulting at that- that they would get up off their lazy ass and work on such a project themself, with it being just "an extra bit of code". Of course since they don't actually know wtf they are talking about...
/me leaves
lol, don't get me wrong i do appreciate the effort that has gone into x3. and yes i wiil buy it and yes i will play it. the screenies make me wanna drool. i just have the concerns that its just x2 in a shiny er box. please forgive my critisism. and it would be unfair to judge a game i have not yet played. but i do think that since x3 was on drawing boards putting x2 aside and starting again and making something new, Brand new. it seems to me as a preconseption that the developers had this in mind e.g new engine, new ships and shiny stations, Got really bored or ran behind shedule or ran out of money maybe? and just thought "sod it lets just re release x2 in an x3 engine" so we now got a game which x2 should have been. maybe i am wrong and maybe the game will offer so much more i hope so. i just get dissapointed when all i see for a selling point is "New super cool AI" instead of "Ability to Land on any Planet" now i could go on and on and on but i think u lovely ppl get the idea lmao
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots"
It's not hard to mimic a lame planet, but what will that add to the game? Btw, apart from being cool to land on the planet, what else is there in it? Sure, you can land on the planet, then what? flying around the planet? If you like to cruise the valleys, there're lots of flight sims out there to do that. Microsoft Fight simuator for one. It's called X-universe for a reason. It's about the outter space, the universe. It's not X-planets. I think Egosoft is focusing on the universe part and do a good job about it. If they do a bit of this and that, they'll end up with a lame product with nothing stand out.jrtolson wrote:hmmm in responce to cost of implimenting planets. if the game engine is capable of generting terrain\weather all you would need is certain variables to set up certain aspects of terrain which in the most part could be randomly generated. apart from that just meshes for buildings and settlements rest of terrain could be random mountains, hills and water. i can never understand why it such a big concern when all it is, its just extra bit of code lol. to me gameplay is far far more important that graphics. and that is the problem these days with all game developers.
If you have been following the previews and dev interviews. you should know it's more than just a pretty graphics. Station building alone is a huge step compared to what it is in X2.lol, don't get me wrong i do appreciate the effort that has gone into x3. and yes i wiil buy it and yes i will play it. the screenies make me wanna drool. i just have the concerns that its just x2 in a shiny er box. please forgive my critisism. and it would be unfair to judge a game i have not yet played. but i do think that since x3 was on drawing boards putting x2 aside and starting again and making something new, Brand new. it seems to me as a preconseption that the developers had this in mind e.g new engine, new ships and shiny stations, Got really bored or ran behind shedule or ran out of money maybe? and just thought "sod it lets just re release x2 in an x3 engine" so we now got a game which x2 should have been. maybe i am wrong and maybe the game will offer so much more i hope so. i just get dissapointed when all i see for a selling point is "New super cool AI" instead of "Ability to Land on any Planet" now i could go on and on and on but i think u lovely ppl get the idea lmao Smile
Last edited by youki on Tue, 11. Oct 05, 01:25, edited 1 time in total.
maybe x3 will be a good game on its merrits, i hope it is. the point im trying to make is, if i were any game developer then i would wanna make the best possibe game i could to beat all other games in the same genre and that is what makes a classic. for example i play eve online. it is a very good game because it offers something that no other online game gives, and yes u can't land on planets in that game either but that aint the point. for x3 to set the new standard in space trader sim genre which it has the potential to do. then interplanetary exploration aswell as a vivid detailed universe would be iceing on the cake, ill be really honest here i really didn't rate x2 i thought there are parts of the game which were very good, but it was let down by so so many things it seemed rushed and unpolished and for the plot (lets not go there). i feel if certain things where altered/added and/or took away then x3 or even x2 for that matter could be or have been a classic
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots"
![[ external image ]](http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5548/sig8ml.jpg){kind=link}
-
Mauser Kar98K
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Mon, 3. Oct 05, 12:00
I am surpirised no one has mentioned "Privateer" I still have my copy, but can't use it, because of DOS!! I wish EA would reintroduce it.
In Privateer, you could actually land on planets, auto-pilot but you could. You could also get off your ship but couldn't run around like an avatar. But it still was great. My favorite systems was "New Detroit and the one with the main base. And the jumping was great. , IMO, somewhat beats X2.
Anyone know where I can send a suggestion to EA games??
In Privateer, you could actually land on planets, auto-pilot but you could. You could also get off your ship but couldn't run around like an avatar. But it still was great. My favorite systems was "New Detroit and the one with the main base. And the jumping was great. , IMO, somewhat beats X2.
Anyone know where I can send a suggestion to EA games??
Mauser mit Dem Mauser.
.308 Holes make invisable souls.
Privateering; alive and well in the X Universe
.308 Holes make invisable souls.
Privateering; alive and well in the X Universe
No ... how could we possibly 'get you wrong' when we read your earlier comments in this thread ...jrtolson wrote:lol, don't get me wrong i do appreciate the effort that has gone into x3. and yes i wiil buy it and yes i will play it ...
[snip]
Perhaps it may be best to save yourself future illogical outbursts and look for another game, or better yet, save your money and continue playing elite.
Personally, I think Egosoft have done a graphically amazing job on X3, and if the story and universe dynamics have undergone a similar facelift, I look forward to spending many happy hours playing it ...
-
FuzzyLightning
- Posts: 706
- Joined: Mon, 17. Nov 03, 12:53
Uggh, here we go again. This was all happening this time LAST year. Please understand that the developers have trouble implementing less the HALF of all the things everybody would like to see in X3, appreciate what they have taken the time, cost, and effort to add into the game and start talking about something worthwhile.
But off course, I'm wasting my time talking about this, it will all be ignored and a clone of this topic will be made tomorrow.
P.S. Don't take what I'm talking about personally, I'm not trying to start a flame war, merely stating my angst.
-Fuzzy
But off course, I'm wasting my time talking about this, it will all be ignored and a clone of this topic will be made tomorrow.
P.S. Don't take what I'm talking about personally, I'm not trying to start a flame war, merely stating my angst.
-Fuzzy