How is this game nowdays?

[Xale86]

I bought this game when it first came out. I was a huge fan of X3, and was hoping X4 would be just as good. Instead what we got was a buggy, unfinished, uninspired barren game with only few hours of content. It was a spit to the face for us fans and an insult to everyone who bought it on release. I haven't touched this game in 5 years. It's been sitting as a shameful reminder in my library.

But, in recent years, I noticed the game keeps popping up on youtube with people claiming how good it is now. I'd like some feedback from actual players.

More specifically:

-Are the 60€ worth of expansions required to play? Are they worth it? Are Borons still paid DLC race only?
-Is the UI improved? (on release it was a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ with half of the commands not even scrited and doing anything)
-Is the physics improved? (there wasn't even any inertia in the game)
-Are the sectors populated now? More diverse, specialized, with themes? (they were all empty voids with randomly generated stations)
-Was the universe expanded? (It was just a few dozen sectors around a highway)
-Are there actual enemies now in the game? Any kind of galactic AI and faction wars like in X3? (there was nothing but some solo enemies in edge sectors)
-Do you still need to spend hours scanning stations just to see what they buy and sell? Does pointless padding like that still exists?
-Any good quests or storylines added? Does the universe feel alive at all?
-How is the performance? (I remember it working smoothly on release, but patches made it unplayable on my old computer)

Overall how does X4 in 2024 compare to X3? Did this game have a redemption arc like No man's sky? Is it worth investing time into it after all these years?

[T600_Mod]

I got the whole game for 60 Canadian, with all expansion...
Playing with mods makes it way better/more alive. I found vanilla lacked quests/missions.

Way better than No mans sky if you can skip the planet exploration.
Physics are great now. you bounce off objects with force.

Sectors are pretty unpopulated without mods.. like maybe 10-15 stations each/ I play with mods 40 stations in sectors starting out

Factions are at war with pirates and set other factions.. mods make it better adding random "events" that cause changes in faction relations causing wars and peace.

each DLC is a STORYLINE that you can activate in sandbox.... except Timelines... that you unlock extra stuff for sandbox.... timelines is a storyline....

I found that adding mods overall added to the game...
quest especially were scarce...
There is a profession and something mod that adds 6 guilds to the game... adding tons of new missions to do. However that is only on Nexus Like many great mods.

Overall this game has been great geting into over the last month And I cant seem to put it down.

I highly recommend getting all the content... but wait until the fall Steam sale... or the price is very steep at 60 CAD a DLC. + base GAME.

[PeaceMaker]

Originally posted by Xale86:

I bought this game when it first came out. I was a huge fan of X3, and was hoping X4 would be just as good. Instead what we got was a buggy, unfinished, uninspired barren game with only few hours of content. It was a spit to the face for us fans and an insult to everyone who bought it on release. I haven't touched this game in 5 years. It's been sitting as a shameful reminder in my library.

But, in recent years, I noticed the game keeps popping up on youtube with people claiming how good it is now. I'd like some feedback from actual players.

More specifically:

-Are the 60€ worth of expansions required to play? Are they worth it? Are Borons still paid DLC race only?
-Is the UI improved? (on release it was a cluster♥♥♥♥ with half of the commands not even scrited and doing anything)
-Is the physics improved? (there wasn't even any inertia in the game)
-Are the sectors populated now? More diverse, specialized, with themes? (they were all empty voids with randomly generated stations)
-Was the universe expanded? (It was just a few dozen sectors around a highway)
-Are there actual enemies now in the game? Any kind of galactic AI and faction wars like in X3? (there was nothing but some solo enemies in edge sectors)
-Do you still need to spend hours scanning stations just to see what they buy and sell? Does pointless padding like that still exists?
-Any good quests or storylines added? Does the universe feel alive at all?
-How is the performance? (I remember it working smoothly on release, but patches made it unplayable on my old computer)

Overall how does X4 in 2024 compare to X3? Did this game have a redemption arc like No man's sky? Is it worth investing time into it after all these years?

In my view it's much better. The DLcs adds quite a lot and the odd story does auto start after about 20 mins in if that's really important to you. I tend to ignore them until I'm ready.

Then again the 7.00 update did a LOT to improve things too, so after a long while away the update alone will be a big change for you.

However, this part worries me:

Originally posted by Xale86:

-How is the performance? (I remember it working smoothly on release, but patches made it unplayable on my old computer)

If you're still using the same old pc then you are gonna be out of luck. To be honest you should really have upgraded it in someway by now in 6 years anyway.

[DaBa]

I have played the game after it released for maybe 50-ish hours and then I dropped it for similar reasons. Then I came back to try again after Kingdom's End expansion came out and now I have 600 hours. Make of that what you will.

[evo^b*]

Originally posted by Xale86:

I bought this game when it first came out. I was a huge fan of X3, and was hoping X4 would be just as good. Instead what we got was a buggy, unfinished, uninspired barren game with only few hours of content. It was a spit to the face for us fans and an insult to everyone who bought it on release. I haven't touched this game in 5 years. It's been sitting as a shameful reminder in my library.

But, in recent years, I noticed the game keeps popping up on youtube with people claiming how good it is now. I'd like some feedback from actual players.
......
Overall how does X4 in 2024 compare to X3? Did this game have a redemption arc like No man's sky? Is it worth investing time into it after all these years?

More specifically:

-Are the 60€ worth of expansions required to play? Are they worth it? Are Borons still paid DLC race only?
Yes and Yes

-Is the UI improved? (on release it was a cluster♥♥♥♥ with half of the commands not even scrited and doing anything)
Yes many improvements

-Is the physics improved? (there wasn't even any inertia in the game)
Yes

-Are the sectors populated now? More diverse, specialized, with themes? (they were all empty voids with randomly generated stations)
Gradually increases, factions you support with resources grow faster

-Was the universe expanded? (It was just a few dozen sectors around a highway)
With every DLC the universe grows with sectors

-Are there actual enemies now in the game? Any kind of galactic AI and faction wars like in X3? (there was nothing but some solo enemies in edge sectors)
Everyone or none can be your enemy (except XEN and KHA ofcuz)Eventually or depending on how you play the plots, massive wars can break out in some sectors 3 or 4 way

-Do you still need to spend hours scanning stations just to see what they buy and sell? Does pointless padding like that still exists?
Drop sats and trade subscriptions and your good

-Any good quests or storylines added? Does the universe feel alive at all?
Imo yes

-How is the performance? (I remember it working smoothly on release, but patches made it unplayable on my old computer)
Depends on how good your single core is and what's going on around the universe

Overall how does X4 in 2024 compare to X3? Did this game have a redemption arc like No man's sky? Is it worth investing time into it after all these years? [/quote]
X4 is an evolved version of X3 and the best X in the franchise

[Venerable_Sin]

From your description I can confidently say that you will get your moneys worth from this game in 2024, especially if you get all the things on a good sale and have the required computer specs. Will it be better than X3? That seems to be a passionate debate for some players. I couldn't get into X3 because of the graphics quality and totally slowness of everything but I have read that X4 trading is very shallow in comparison to X3 and something about a jump something another seemed to be a big deal between X4 and X3. I took it as a good way to cheese a fight or escape from a fight in X3 but again I never could get very deep into X3 since it was just too slow for my tastes.

[Vault Traveler]

I just started with 7.0 and the bugs are still noticeable BUT I dont feel like the game is a mess.