Wow, I enjoy game but it's clearly not newcomer friendly...at all !

[LordAmaury]

Hello eveyone,

I just started playing this game and I'm enjoying it do far but honestly I'm having a very hard time getting into it and learn it.

I started playing the terran campaign "Terran Cadet" after first doing the three tutorials and in about 2-3 hours of game I needed to search on internet guides and videos three times to understand what I was supposed to do at some points.

I see that the dev team is trying to guide the player but it seems not enough, maybe it's related to this campaign in particular but some exemples so far in chronological order :

1 - After doing some patrol tuto mission the HQ Commander told me they will call me back quickly, fine...after wandering around in the sector for almost 30 min visiting stations expecting this call I looked in internet to understand that I actually have to leave the sector in order to continue (Was I supposed to guess that ?)

2 - A bit further in the campaign I needed to meet the captain of "Orberth" ship...but here again, without clear route or precise instructions, I was supposed to guess where to go and where were the sectors portals...and again, after another 30 min searching I decided to look another video to learn that I could simply ask my way to another pilot with the com (It's simple when you know, but when you don't it's just a nightmare not knowing and searching what to do).

3 - Now I'm finally at the point where some alien throw me the keys of his (my ?) own space station, now I have to build the dock in the station, then I select the dock and click on "build" but it appears I don't have neither required ressources or a builder....now again I 'm supposed to guess what to do as my only instruction here is "Build a dock". OK fine, so I decided to visit the nearest space station in order to recruit a builder but there isn't any, and there isn't any of the required ressources either, so I'm back on internet to search again...

I don't know if it's just me that don't get how to play. I can see that the team has put efforts to try to help the player with small integrated guides but there are still many points where the game is just supposing you know how to play and guessing what to do.

I will continue the story as I like the game and I can see it's potential but I would like to conclude by saying that this game would highly benefit to be more guided and/or simplified with many small things. I don't think it would reduce deepness of gameplay and I'm sure it would greatly fluidify actions and help new players to enjoy it way more.

Keep up the good work, I'm looking forward future updates hoping to see more improvements regarding this.

Thank you for your reading, I wish you all a nice day :-)

[Ketraar]

There are some tutorials that may help with some game mechanics, in the missions secons or as own game starts. Improving ways to comunicate things without always pointing directly to it is a hard balance to strike. X games are also exploration games, so if a mission wants you to go to a place you dont yet know, it should tell you to "find way to" implying that you do have to search.

Doesnt mean it cant be improved (it already has a lot!).

MFG

Ketraar

[Gregorovitch]

Welcome to X4!

Your experience of this as a new player is far from unusual. Basically there's far too much to this game and it's far too complicated for any sort of tutorial as such to be of that much help. But of course the good news is that that's also exactly why it's such an amazing game.

In general your best bet to find your feet is to consult Youtube videos and ask specific questions here. For example:

Originally posted by LordAmaury:

3 - Now I'm finally at the point where some alien throw me the keys of his (my ?) own space station, now I have to build the dock in the station, then I select the dock and click on "build" but it appears I don't have neither required ressources or a builder....now again I 'm supposed to guess what to do as my only instruction here is "Build a dock". OK fine, so I decided to visit the nearest space station in order to recruit a builder but there isn't any, and there isn't any of the required ressources either, so I'm back on internet to search again...

1. Go to build screen and work out how to add a dock to the existing structure (there is one "docking point" on the ring that is "straight" which is the easiest. You might want to put in an extension piece so it sticks out away from the station a bit. Press "commit changes" at the bottom of the top right module panel" when done.

2. That will cause a number of entries to appear in the bottom right "materials" panels". You need to open the second part of this panel to see how much the materials are estimated to cost. There is an "accept estimate" button underneath that, press it. Now NPC traders will deliver the required materials to build storage for 'cos they can now be paid.

3. Next, just beneath this there is a button to "Assign a construction ship". Press it. You will be thrown to the map except you won't be able to see any other ships except construction ships. When you find one right click it and select "select". That's it.

Now I can't recall if Egosoft have had mercy on new players and actually scripted a suitable construction vessel to appear within radar range of your Player Headquarters sdo you can see it, but if they haven't you may have a problem here. If you don't have ships all over the place (which you won't yet) and you don't have satellites all over the place (which you won't yet) then you can't actually see anything on the map.

However all is not lost. You need to close the build screen temporarily and jump in your ship. Head off to check the local gates because unemployed construction vessels tend to hang out round gates. Once you've found one open the build screen again and now you'll see it on the map and can can assign it.

And if by chance you don't know where the gates are, well that's what your long range scanner is for. Hit the scanner, examine the map. You will see question marks labelled either "unkown station" or "unkown object", the latter usually being a gate.

Good luck!

[LordAmaury]

Originally posted by Gregorovitch:

Welcome to X4!

Your experience of this as a new player is far from unusual. Basically there's far too much to this game and it's far too complicated for any sort of tutorial as such to be of that much help. But of course the good news is that that's also exactly why it's such an amazing game.

In general your best bet to find your feet is to consult Youtube videos and ask specific questions here. For example:

Originally posted by LordAmaury:

3 - Now I'm finally at the point where some alien throw me the keys of his (my ?) own space station, now I have to build the dock in the station, then I select the dock and click on "build" but it appears I don't have neither required ressources or a builder....now again I 'm supposed to guess what to do as my only instruction here is "Build a dock". OK fine, so I decided to visit the nearest space station in order to recruit a builder but there isn't any, and there isn't any of the required ressources either, so I'm back on internet to search again...

1. Go to build screen and work out how to add a dock to the existing structure (there is one "docking point" on the ring that is "straight" which is the easiest. You might want to put in an extension piece so it sticks out away from the station a bit. Press "commit changes" at the bottom of the top right module panel" when done.

2. That will cause a number of entries to appear in the bottom right "materials" panels". You need to open the second part of this panel to see how much the materials are estimated to cost. There is an "accept estimate" button underneath that, press it. Now NPC traders will deliver the required materials to build storage for 'cos they can now be paid.

3. Next, just beneath this there is a button to "Assign a construction ship". Press it. You will be thrown to the map except you won't be able to see any other ships except construction ships. When you find one right click it and select "select". That's it.

Now I can't recall if Egosoft have had mercy on new players and actually scripted a suitable construction vessel to appear within radar range of your Player Headquarters sdo you can see it, but if they haven't you may have a problem here. If you don't have ships all over the place (which you won't yet) and you don't have satellites all over the place (which you won't yet) then you can't actually see anything on the map.

However all is not lost. You need to close the build screen temporarily and jump in your ship. Head off to check the local gates because unemployed construction vessels tend to hang out round gates. Once you've found one open the build screen again and now you'll see it on the map and can can assign it.

And if by chance you don't know where the gates are, well that's what your long range scanner is for. Hit the scanner, examine the map. You will see question marks labelled either "unkown station" or "unkown object", the latter usually being a gate.

Good luck!

Thank you, much appreciated :-)

I get that it's an amazing game, I would just have liked to see some kind of "newbie mode" where everything is clearly pointed out on 'how to' all the time and wich could be disabled for veterans players. Your hints are really helpful for me, I'm grateful !

[Pathogenic]

Don't worry about asking questions, there are people who are willing to help!

[Sad]

Also try zooming out the map if you cant find a builder nearby.
You might also need vision on them via one of your ships/satellites.

[Pathogenic]

You don't need to hire builders from the "plan build" screen. You can also just fly around, and if you see a builder, right click on it in the map, and there is an option to hire it directly for whatever station projects that you need a builder for currently.

[LordAmaury]

Originally posted by Pathogenic:

You don't need to hire builders from the "plan build" screen. You can also just fly around, and if you see a builder, right click on it in the map, and there is an option to hire it directly for whatever station projects that you need a builder for currently.

Thanks again. I did it that way, just flying around and I finally found one.
You see when the game told me to hire a "builder" => At first and without reading anything I thought it was a random guy on a station, not a ship (this as ex to point out how obscure the game can be).

[Daddy Shark]

That's why we're here. Come back and ask whatever you need whenever you need.

[cwsumner]

You will get used to it. 8-)

And the devs are making it better, it's just that even when they add help some beginners don't see it. It all depends on what they are used to.

Also, don't try to learn everything at once, as some beginners do. It's enough to learn what you need now, and leave the rest for another day.

And like was said, there are players here to answer questions most of the time. 8-)

[bignev.]

The X Series have never been player friendly really, saying that its the only game which will leave you with a real appreciation for all of the hard work which you have had to put in, believe me it is definitely worth all of the pain, so knuckle down to some u tube videos and wiki research and just wait for all of the fum to begin, no other game does it so well mark my words. Enjoy and most of all Good Luck, LOL

[Sungod1]

Yea but, when the X4 way of doing things clicks with you and it will.... you can really set out to do whatever you want.