X, X, and X

Drez

So I bought X2 and the X3 pack from Steam during the holiday sale (I actually already had X2 and X3, but five bucks for X2 and 27 for X3 + the X3 add-on - which I didn't have - was a good deal. Plus I like Steam). I also already owned the UK version of X-Gold, which has X: Beyond the Frontier and X-TENSION, which was never available here.

Long story short, I'm looking to play through all five games. Yes, I know this probably means thousands of hours or whatever, but whatever. What I'm really looking for here is an English trading guide for Beyond the Frontier. I know I had one like three years ago when I first started playing but GameFAQs only has a single guide, and it's in German. Anyone have any recommendations?

Or maybe some starting tips for a new stranger in Teladi space?

(I know the tenets: Buy low, sell high. Etc. But any tips or a link to a good guide would be really helpful.)

A Dabble Of Thelonius

Now Tube loses another 5 months in an X3 Blackout.

Fiatil

Well the thing about playing through all of them consecutively, is that a lot of them are really damn similar. No one in their right mind plays these things for the storyline, and X3 is basically X2 with pretty pretty graphics and a different storyline, with a couple ships tossed in. I personally would just skip to the newer ones, but if you manage to "beat" them all, props to you.

Drez

I want to play through for the storyline.

I am not necessarily in my right mind, but I'm okay with that.

Besides, X-Gold is pretty damn good even if X2 and X3 have more to them and look better.

ANTVGM64

Okay, I have this game on my computer, X2 specifically, and I wont lie, I'm scared. Very scared. From what I understand this game is as close to "Star Flight 2" as I'm going to get, I saw the PDF starters guide but was looking for maybe something a touch more intuitive. Any suggestions?

xzzy

ANTVGM64 wrote: »

Okay, I have this game on my computer, X2 specifically, and I wont lie, I'm scared. Very scared. From what I understand this game is as close to "Star Flight 2" as I'm going to get, I saw the PDF starters guide but was looking for maybe something a touch more intuitive. Any suggestions?

Just dive in, and when you get stuck, pray you can enter the correct keywords into google to get the answer you need. Or maybe ask here, maybe someone here knows.

There's just so much to learn, the only way to actually absorb it is experience it.

Khavall

Wait they have a story past the like 3rd mission?

xzzy

Khavall wrote: »

Wait they have a story past the like 3rd mission?

Yes, in the sense that there are missions that stand between you and the finale.

Buttcleft

A Dabble Of Thelonius wrote: »

Now Tube loses another 5 months in an X3 Blackout.

and the peasants rejoiced.

Sorenson

Fiatil wrote: »

Well the thing about playing through all of them consecutively, is that a lot of them are really damn similar. No one in their right mind plays these things for the storyline, and X3 is basically X2 with pretty pretty graphics and a different storyline, with a couple ships tossed in. I personally would just skip to the newer ones, but if you manage to "beat" them all, props to you.

Truth, this. Just slap in some cheats and zip through the storylines as fast as you can as far as you can, and then get into X3/TC custom game to actually play the game.

Of course, it's also fair warning to mention that part of the reason that nobody bothers with the storylines is because the storylines tend to be buggy as all fuck, X3's especially, so if you wind up saying "fuck it" don't think twice about it.

I don't suppose there's any chance of these play-throughs being made into an LP, is there? Countless people would salute you for saving them the pain of story runs.

jothki

So what's the difference between X3:R and X3:TC? Are they different games?

Buttcleft

jothki wrote: »

So what's the difference between X3:R and X3:TC? Are they different games?

They are completely different games, TC picks up the story after R.

jothki

Having just purchased the X3 bundle, which game would I be better off starting playing?

Dyvion

ANTVGM64 wrote: »

Okay, I have this game on my computer, X2 specifically, and I wont lie, I'm scared. Very scared. From what I understand this game is as close to "Star Flight 2" as I'm going to get, I saw the PDF starters guide but was looking for maybe something a touch more intuitive. Any suggestions?

If someone made a next gen Starflight I would mess myself I would be so excited. I've got the original boxes for both Starfight and Starflight 2 sitting on my desk... complete with the maps for copy protections. I loved those games so much. The humor... the characters... the customization... being able to land on any planet you see... even if it's a gas giant and will crush your ship to the size of a tablespoon... good times.

And yes, I've played X2 and X3 and they're not all that close to Starflight... but Parkan II is very close. As far as flying around from planet to planet and landing on planets and getting out and doing stuff and upgrading your ship and your space suit (equivalent of the terrain vehicle). But with one major difference... Parkan II isn't very fun.

lowlylowlycook

All while I was doing sidequests in Mass Effect, I kept thinking "This engine would make for an awesome Starflight sequel."

Morkath

Buttcleft wrote: »

jothki wrote: »

So what's the difference between X3:R and X3:TC? Are they different games?

They are completely different games, TC picks up the story after R.

TC had a story?
Oh you mean that boring pointless set of missions you select before you get to the real game?

I really hated the fact the missions just kind of ended for no reason after you dropped off a couple guys at earth. What happened to the whole terraformers/winters thing? You stopped a rogue deca, but winters gets away and no one cares?
The terraformers just really never felt like a threat for as big of a deal as everyone was making their reappearance to be.

I am really enjoying TC though, I hated X2 but they seem to have made a lot of improvements, especially to the controls.

jothki wrote: »

Having just purchased the X3 bundle, which game would I be better off starting playing?

I haven't played X3, but I have a friend who has played both and he said X3:TC is better in pretty much every way except for storyline.

So if you don't care about X's story, just jump into TC. If you do care about story, do X3 as fast as possible, then jump into TC.

Dyvion

Well... this seems an appropriate place to post this... it's a bit off topic, but on the Starflight theme...

Starflight: The Lost Colony just went into beta. I'm downloading now to check it out.

So Starflight: The Lost Colony is a completely rebuilt game that mimics Starflight in most ways... It's worth checking out.

My impressions in spoiler if you care.

For the Beta 1 only the military branch of the story is available... there appear to be 3 branches, but military is only available right now. You spend a large amount of time in the starport in a tutorial-esque segment that gets you familiar with the functions of the starport... but if you're familiar with Starflight everything is basically the same. The interface is very amateur but they're actually doing it, which is more than I can say for me, so props to them.

The terrain vehicle segments are very different from Starflight 1 & 2... you have to click on individual creatures and ore deposits and scan them, then move close and mine ore, or stun and then capture creatures... but all ore deposits are visible... the icon for ore deposits and creatures on the mini-map for the planets are the same.

Overall it's very close to the originals without the polish. Exciting and disappointing at the same time.

I'm going to keep an eye on it.

Stormwatcher

Playing X1 and 2 for the story? You crazy.