X3 - The Return

This might be an exscuse to upgrade my really dodgy CPU as well. everything else is cool, just not that. (I might need some more RAM too. I´ve only got 512 MB. and the CPU is a celeron. no need for further explination) -:- You Wanna Revolution?

I´d wait for the benchmarks to be published before thinking of upgrading, that way you won´t go to far... or not far enough. It will also let you consider what else may need tweaking, instead of just focusing on one item and finding it makes no difference at all.

The trailer looks good, giving a decent shot of the ships and graphics. If its easily playable, it would intrest me, unlike X2 that´s become a drink coaster <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> Edited by - Finalday on 9/30/2005 5:47:30 AM

i loved the previous versions of this game, took me months to complete. on my way to egeosoft now, on a side note, whats the news on x-online? <A href=´http://www.kokrull.com´ Target=_Blank>http://www.kokrull.com</a> home of ** uk server **

wow, those screenshots look mind-blowing. I completely skipped X2 for one reason or another, but I think I may just have to give X3 a whirl...

X-Online, I haven´t heard any news for some time - and the site hasn´t been updated in a LONG time. <A href=´http://www.online-universe.net/´ Target=_Blank>http://www.online-universe.net/</a> From what I have heard from Egosoft, they do not have the funding to pursue an MMO game at the moment, they are concetrating their resources/funds upon things that they can deliver at the moment (as in X2 and X3), instead of pouring money into something they cannot (whether technology would enable them to make it at this point or not I do not know). When they provide a link to the site, they always seem to say &quot;Don´t expect anything soon&quot;, so I think its on a permanent state of &quot;hold&quot;. Eve seems to be the one with the niche in the market for Online Space sims.

Ahh.. Well it is unlikely that any of the ´x´ series will find it´s way to mp....The graphics resolution required to play the game in mp.. would mean that you need a fast connection.. and a top end machine.. Harrier

Sits back and grins at my 2 Gigs of RAM, NVIDIA Quadro FX Go1400, and Pentium 4.... I may have to buy this game after all from the looks of it.

I don´t suppose X3 will be enjoyable without a joystick? I´ve sort of got used to not using one.... and I´ve sort of broken the one I had and don´t want to go out and get another one <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

All I´ve gotta say on this topic is that they´ve said zip, zero, nada that makes me think that X3 will be easier to mod than X2 was, I haven´t seen anything about FL-style mouse-steer, and I´ve just recently discovered how to make X3-style planets with proper penumbras for FL ... heh...

Indy, I don´t use a joystick at all <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> I find it easy to work with the mouse - and wouldn´t buy a joystick to try it at all. Doubt I could use a joystick anymore anyways...

impressive video

Yeah, I´m really looking forward to it...x2 was just like many other German products, awesome but complex and a bit fiddly. It was a bit tedious to get into, but nothing came close to its fleet battles...in x3 the ship designs look a whole lot better, something that was a bit lacking in x2, although the Dragon was a favourite of mine...I hope the economic model is fixed, it was eons beyond Freelancers but was definantly broken due to the base product (energy cells) being far more profitable than any expensive, high end technology product, as it was supposedly shown in the economical pyramid. I hear they plan to release it on X-Box, but egosoft aren´t EA Games, they know what they´re fans want and they´re designing a challenging and complex PC game first and foremost. Edited by - Griffon_26 on 9/30/2005 6:44:30 PM

I hope the SP campaign in x3 is a bit more engaging than in x2. other than the intro it had little interest for me at all, one aspect which FL did a lot better. people say that the space-sim genre is dying. well its hardly flooding the shelves out, true, but both FL and x2 have done well, FL esp in terms of sales volumes (whether it repaid its investment is another story) and both games have thriving mod communities - so dying is perhaps rather harsh. And is there a distinction to be made between PC and consoles? I know a lot of people will say that PCs space-sims are exactly that, simulations, whereas consoles are games - pure arcade style entertainment. whither FL then, if that´s not arcade style? when the Monkey got Rogue Leader for Gamecube I was happy enough to play it, it might not have been a simulation but it felt and looked like decent space battles to me. the Monkey wanted a go at x2, he hated it though, his interest lasted about 15 mins - but then he is only 11.

cheers chips, i havent been by there site for a while, ahh well, i hear David braben has setteled his dispute and is back on the case with something new, i cant exactly remember where i saw it, but if i see a link i will post it, (for those that dont know, braben wrote Elite, dont know what elite is? <A href=´http://www.eliteclub.co.uk/´ Target=_Blank>Click here</a> there should be some info there, but without elite, there would be no fl) re joysticks, you cant beat a anolog for that rotational docking, <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> lol, but i guess its what you get used to, i found the mouse tricky to start with after spending months in the x-universe, but after fl, going to play x2, it was a nightmare getting back into it. just played the demo of serious sam 2,, looking good. (humour of duke nukem, but more action) <A href=´http://www.kokrull.com´ Target=_Blank>http://www.kokrull.com</a> home of ** uk server ** Edited by - git on 10/1/2005 2:55:49 AM Edited by - git on 10/1/2005 2:56:56 AM

I haven´t ever found sales figures for FL sadly, but I do know that X2 has over 120,000 registered users on the egosoft site. More importantly, the genre isn´t dying at all (personally) - as Eve still continues to be successful. I think it beat WoW for the most online players at any one time (past 16,000 not long ago), although this is most likely affected by another 2 week free trial. Mind you, for a persistent online world, you must keep advertising, because otherwise the player base is only going to decrease. I will be checking out Eve again shortly, as soon as I know I have enough spare time to do it justice (you really need alot of time to get going, its another slow starter).....they keep on expanding Eve, tweaking and fiddling with the game to make it better. If only they didn´t charge so much, I would probabily subscribe - at least for 3 months! <A href=´http://www.eve-online.com/´ Target=_Blank>http://www.eve-online.com/</a> They also have a video that I suggest (if you have broadband) you check out. Its 119Mb (smaller version for 30Mb available, but I suggest 119 - only takes 20mins to DL) and its well worth it. The gameplay (from what I remember from playing it 2 years ago) is slow, but I loved the galaxy, the manufacturing ideas, the skills (although it was so fustrating that to get anywhere would take alot of basic skills - which took alot of time, most likely most of your free trial to do!). The mining was better than X2´s, the systems were much nicer - the scale was alot nicer, the atmosphere was nicer (loved the travel too). It has 5000 systems or so, and I really enjoyed playing it (although i got very fustrated at the time it took to mine - sadly I should have tried other things apart from mining! Doh!). Your skills continue to develop whislt offline and not playing, simply because it is a persistent universe. To DL the video - right click the orange name and click &quot;Save target as&quot; <A href=´http://myeve.eve-online.com/download/videos/´ Target=_Blank>Eve Videos</a> I think FL´s storyline was excellent IMO, the msot engaging one I have played in a game for certain - but I am not a game connisseur like some, and certainly haven´t played as diverse amount of games as most! A major advantage for players in FL´s favour was that its fairly quick to start. Within a few hours, your well on your way. With X2 and Eve, its more like a few days...... which may be a factor in why space sims tend to be more &quot;slow burners&quot; when it comes to sales performance (eve has been out for about 26 months or so, and keeps breaking its player records now...!). <A href=´http://www.eve-online.com/screenshots/up.asp?col=24112004&amp;n=06´ Target=_Blank>Eve Screenshot 1</a> <A href=´http://www.eve-online.com/screenshots/up.asp?col=24112004&amp;n=03´ Target=_Blank>Eve Screenshot 2</a> <A href=´http://www.eve-online.com/screenshots/up.asp?col=24112004&amp;n=05´ Target=_Blank>Eve Screenshot 3</a> I would start a new thread on Eve - to keep any discussion about the solo games seperate (so as to not get confusing) - and Eve deserves its own topic, its blazing the trail for Space sims to get noticed (as is X2/X3 - but Eve currently has 70,000 montly subscribers, which is ALOT!) but unfortunately I haven´t played Eve for some time, and therefore cannot really comment on the game indepth. If anyone else can/plays it etc, then please feel free to make the thread for it! Edited by - Chips on 10/1/2005 4:10:15 AM Edited by - Chips on 10/1/2005 4:13:14 AM Edited by - Chips on 10/1/2005 10:56:34 AM

Ah go on Chips. You know you want to. You´ll make thread. Go on. <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

I think it´s very unfair of you all to torment Esky about X2 and X3 - he can´t even play Privateer on his 386 yet.

386? what new stuff does it run? did it run fl?