X2 The Threat question

[Jason McMaster]

I get off work in 40 minutes and I'm probably gonna buy this game.

What I liked about freelancer was the alien technology and the secrets, and how amazingly cool the universe was to explore and find hidden places and secret stuff. Does this game have anything like that or better? Can I find ships floating out there abandoned and the such? Is there any forgotten by time stuff in the galaxy?

Just curious

[scharmers]

There's neat things to find out there. Not in the storyline sense ("YOU STUMBLE ACROSS TEH WRECK OF TEH EDMAND FITSGERELD. WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?") but in always coming upon different station designs, scenic vistas, and the like.

The one thing to keep in mind is NOT to think that you're not getting any kind of Space Action RPG stuff like you did in Freelancer. The games have two absolutely different target audiences. X2 is SLOW. Very slow and with a nasty learning curve. Oh yeah, and a lot of ugly foibles, some of which should be fixed in the upcoming (soon) 1.2 patch.

--scharmers

[Tom Chick]

Jason, to answer the email you sent, don't even bother with X2 unless you have a joystick hooked up.

-Tom

[Jason McMaster]

I bought one today, Tom, a Saitek cheapo 25 dollar deal. It works well and the game is pretty fun so far.


-Jason

[Tom Chick]

Fun? Fun? What do you mean by that? :)

Glad you're liking it. There's some really slow going at first. If you look for the thread we started here when the game first came out, you'll find a couple of valuable hints for getting started.

Also, I got totally burned by the fucking copy protection in the patch that drains your money if you're using a no-CD crack. Fucking Egosoft and their copy protection. Not to mention their lame-ass official forums with zealous mods shuffling posts around where you can't see them. Actually, come to think of it, I've decided that X2 sucks...

-Tom

EDIT: I confused Sean Tudor by writing 'poss' instead of 'posts'. Those Aussies are *so* high maintenance...!

[Sean Tudor]

Jason,

Here is my earlier post that will help you to get started in the game making some money.


The biggest problem is on first play it may take you anywhere up to 20 hours of play before you can achieve any meaningful money making strategy and be able to afford factories and better ships. After that it's more or less a snowball effect and the money starts pouring in by the truckloads.

When you consider that some of the games better ships cost you upwards of 50 million plus credits you will definitely need that money. :wink:

A good strategy for the new player is to sell your original fighter and keep your freighter which you are given free after completing the second mission.

Then travel to The Wall and start buying and selling energy cells. After a while the market there will soon flatten and then simply move north to The Hole and do the same thing.

This will give you a good cache of credits to be able to buy and sell on the best trade runs in the early game - silicon chips in Boron space. Specifically in Kingdom End and Rolk's Drift.

On these runs I can make 50,000 credits a trip using my M3 freighter. I buy at 250-300 credits a piece and sell at 500-750 credits. Even if you only have space for 150 units you will make a lot of money.

Don't worry about saturating the market - simply move back into Argon space and look for more silicon chip deals. Eventually you can return to Boron space and the market should be crying out for chips once again.

This will help you to buy your first Solar Power Plant which can then be used to make more money.

I bought an SPP in Argon Prime and hired a Mammoth to tow it to Kingdoms End where there is only one competing SPP. An SPP is way cheaper in Argon Prime than in Kingdoms End and a Mammoth will only charge you 3000 credits for each jump. So it takes 12,000 credits to tow it to Kingdoms End saving you over 100,000 credits.

Anyway I hope this helps. Once you get some dough you will be able to get better freighters and if you like combat better fighting ships with decent 25 megawatt shields and better weapons. The M5 fighter you start the game with is crap for fighting.

[Sean Tudor]

Not to mention their lame-ass official forums with zealous mods shuffling poss around where you can't see them.

What do you mean by that ? They keep moving threads ? :wink:

[Jason McMaster]

Cool guys, thanks. I have noticed that the joystick does respond weird and very touchy on the outermost reaches. So you guys say that the new patch has fixed that?

-Jason

[Sean Tudor]

Cool guys, thanks. I have noticed that the joystick does respond weird and very touchy on the outermost reaches. So you guys say that the new patch has fixed that?

-Jason

The 2nd patch has fixed the joystick problem - at least on my stick - an F16FLCS.

[Jason McMaster]

Hey Sean, I'm in the drift and kingdoms end and the silicon deals arent that great. I mean, if I wait for the places to almost be out I make a decent profit but the silicon wafers cost like 500 each. Any other good trade runs????

-Jason

[Jason McMaster]

oh, and I bought my first SPP and it's not doing too good. any hints??

[JD]

v1.2 was made available to the 'public' today (www.egosoft.com/)
To quote the newsletter:

Version 1.2
has completed its testing and may be available for download when you read this. Specific enhancements include a much improved sensitivty setting for joysticks. This patch was released to registered users early to facilitate testing on the various joystick combinations.
Other improvements include:

* We now have new station announcements with numbers (e.g. "Repair crews report to docking bay 5, damaged ship is approaching.")
* There is a new entry in the player stats menu: 'Favourite Ship' will show the ship type which you use the most.
* Factory resource alert (yellow flashing) is now improved. It now depends on whether there are enough resources for the production.
* A collection of fixes affecting gameplay have also been implemented.

If you buy the European version of X² there is no need for an update to get these new features - version 1.2 is "factory default".

[Sean Tudor]

Hey Sean, I'm in the drift and kingdoms end and the silicon deals arent that great. I mean, if I wait for the places to almost be out I make a decent profit but the silicon wafers cost like 500 each. Any other good trade runs????

-Jason

As they often say you have to have money to make money. Build up your cash reserves by trading solar cells first. Then when you have about 150,000 - 300,000 you can start buying and selling silicon chips in bulk at 100-200 units at a time. This is where you make your real money in the early X2 game.

Even when you buy at 450 and sell at 550-600 you are still making 20-30,000 credits on each run. The key is to keep moving from sector to sector. If you stay too long in Boron space you will saturate the market.

My pattern is to run through Boron space from Kinddoms End through to Teladi space then come down through The Wall and run trading runs through the sectors around Home Of Light. By following this circuit path you give sectors a chance to increase prices again as demand rises.

Also look out for bulletin board entries in Kingdoms End at the plankton farm. They seem to be always crying out for urgent trade runs for goods. They will offer you 20 per unit which may not seem much with a cargo of 150-200 units but they also offer completion rewards of 10,000 to 30,000. Be aware though for these types of missions you need to actually be piloting your freighter.


oh, and I bought my first SPP and it's not doing too good. any hints??

I assume you have left a cash reserve in the SPP ? I placed my first SPP in Kingdoms End and deposited 100,000 credits. I then set the buy price of required goods low to encourage traders to stock the station. You may operate at a loss at first but eventually you should break even. Don't rely on your first SPP for your sole income source. Continue running trade runs using your freighter.

Your real money is made when you buy another factory to stock the SPP with goods. Then you can have two freighters running trades between each station and corner the market in that sector.

Also make sure you download the new V1.2 patch and the new Trade Extension MKIII upgrade. This will allow you to set your freighters to automatically trade without having to babysit them. The upgrade does cost about 500,000 per freighter but is well worth it in the long run.

[scharmers]

In the very beginning, it's tempting to go balls-out as an Energy Cell trader -- they're cheap to purchase (usually) and can be sold for a small profit just about anywhere.

Fuck that. The computer pilots are also Energy Cell WHORES. The instant a SPP's price hits 10 or so, every damn CPU pilot drops whatever the hell it is doing to drain that SPP. By the time you get in line, you're staring a 15cr/each per Energy Cell when they were 9cr just a minute ago.* I've literally had CPU pilots drive their rigs through me on approach to a bargain-bin SPP.

Cow is the way to go for the newbie. The Argnu ranches consistently max out on their inventory. This means that, when entering a sector, you are certain to find a ranch selling cow for 61-65 cr each. And, invariably as well, the Cahoona bakeries ALWAYS want cow for at least 100 cr each, and I've seen it go as high as 141 cr. That is mondo cash for shuffling beef around, and the CPU doesn't seem to be interested in doing cow runs. Maybe it's the smell. Better yet, you never have to leave the cozy confines of Argon space.

*Unless, of course, it's YOUR SPP, in which case the CPU will ignore it even if you are selling for 10 cr and everyone else in the universe is selling at 900 cr.

--scharmers

[BobJustBob]

Other people have pointed out that it isn't nearly as profitable as a SPP, but I like running wheat farms. All they need are energy cells, and it seems that everyone needs wheat. You can pretty much max out the price.

Just set one or two up in The Wall with one freighter for each station continually buying energy cells, and the wheat will sell itself.

[Jason McMaster]

Ok. I have a SPP and a Crystal Fab now and I can't figure out how to make a ship do continuous runs between them. Is there a way to just have a ship transport between them instead of buying? I have 6 ships other than my own running routes and my SPP makes good money, but I just opened the crystal fab and it's really tanking.

Any suggestions?

[MrAngryFace]

I picked up X2 after reading a thread on this forum, and while it is slow going early on, its still as fun as Morrowind. It still requires the player either gets lost in the 'system' of the universe, or filling in all the blanks where the story falls on its face.

God the people look horrid.

[Jason McMaster]

Yeah, it's a really fun game with a really bad story. I did through mission 2 so I could get the freighter and haven't looked back. Though I think Ban is rather sad that I haven't contacted him in 30 play hours.

When I leave the house or go to bed I've been leaving the game going while docked since I have all my ships out working for me, and my new set up IS making money, slowly. When I left home about 6 hours ago I had 1.4 million between my two plants that had started with 100k each. Not much longer til I can build my ungodly force of destruction to reign hell down upon the unwashed masses. MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Oh, any suggestions as to what plant I should build next?

[MrAngryFace]

Haha, I wouldn't take space-based financial advice from me. The most ive done so far is crash into a space station and manage to pawn off those computer parts. I keep getting distracted by falling asleep. I sometimes wish this game was like progress quest.

[Jason McMaster]

Yeah, it's kinda dull at first. I did basically what Sean said and traded Energy Cells in the Hole and The Wall until I had about 100k to my name, then I went up to Rolks Drift and Kingdoms End and started Silicone. Another good Silicone hint is that the sector East of Queen's Space(can't remember the name) has two silicone mines in it and nowhere to sell it in that sector, a lot of the time you can cruise over there and buy it for 230 a unit and go a few spaces over and sell it from 6-700 a piece to make a TON of profit. If you can hold an entire silicone load in your cargo bay, you buy at 230 and sell for 730 that's over 100k profit right there.

Then at that point, I saved up some money and bought a SPP and a ship to supply it with crystals. I then ferryed my crystals around and made profit until I could afford 2 more ships to sell for me (I set the maximum sectors they would move to 2 because man it takes forever if they look through 9 +) and let them do their thing while I went back to silicone routes.

After a few big profit silicone runs I collected my extra money from the SPP and bought a crystal mine with a few ships to supply it. Last count, subtracting the ship I lost over night due to some dastardly pirates, I had 10 ships and 2 stations.

Think I may buy a Cattle Ranch next.

[MrAngryFace]

Do the cattles float around wearing little fishbowl space helmets?

Ill probably follow that economic strategy just so I can get something running. I wanna buy a big ship and hunt things down like a big jerk with a giant spaceship. MAF Militia!

[Case]

Do the cattles float around wearing little fishbowl space helmets?

Ill probably follow that economic strategy just so I can get something running. I wanna buy a big ship and hunt things down like a big jerk with a giant spaceship. MAF Militia!

Does this qualify?

http://store3.yimg.com/I/ftcollect_1777_27895792

[Jason McMaster]

YES!

Also: That's my incentive: the big jerk with the spaceship plan.

[Jason McMaster]

I also wish that this game could be set up as multiplayer on a server like Freelancer.

[awdougherty]

I also wish that this game could be set up as multiplayer on a server like Freelancer.

I wholeheartedly agree. They are making an MMORPG version of X, but I have no interest in that. A freelancer type server would be awesome.

[Jason McMaster]

I keep thinking back to how fun it was on the Q23 Freelancer server. I wonder why they wouldn't make a X2 multiplayer server?

[MrAngryFace]

It'd be neat to have warring fleets roving around.

[Sean Tudor]

When I leave the house or go to bed I've been leaving the game going while docked since I have all my ships out working for me, and my new set up IS making money, slowly. When I left home about 6 hours ago I had 1.4 million between my two plants that had started with 100k each.

Be careful with that strategy. The game authors built some code into the game that reduces your race reputation after one hour of unattended play. One guy left the game running for 4-5 days without touching it. He came back and had 200 million credits but no one would trade with him since his reputation was virtually zero. :wink:

[Jason McMaster]

GAH.

[MrAngryFace]

So much for X2: The Progress Quest

[Jason McMaster]

Let me amend my GAH statement by saying: That really sucks. I see their point, but it's not exactly a fast paced game. The only thing I'd be doing is floating around in space with SETA on or trading silicone. or silicon, however it's spelled. I suppose I'd better stop my all-night trade crusade and play it old school style.

As a side note, I was watching TV and floating in space with SETA on yesterday and I was a couple hundred kilos out from any space station when a huge ship appeared out of nowhere and blew me to hell. That sucked.

[Sean Tudor]

Oh I have to add this was with V1.0. It is possible the authors removed this code in V1.1 or V1.2. But I haven't been brave enough to try it. Besides most of my recent X2 play has been roving the galaxy shooting up pirates and capturing their ships.

I have also had a lot of fun harrassing their hidden pirate bases. Advanced laser towers ? No problem - send in the cruisers ! :twisted:

[Jason McMaster]

I can't wait for the scripting docs. I want to write a few scripts. I like the MK3 and all, but it seems to crap out pretty often. Have you found a sector that works well? The Wall ran for about 7 hours or so, but the others ran at most for 20 minutes.

I want to script some ship stuff like pick up and drop off missions. That would be my contribution. The pick up supplies, then pick up the product and sell it kind of routine, or just one routine to ferry things back and forth between your owned bases.

[Sean Tudor]

As a side note, I was watching TV and floating in space with SETA on yesterday and I was a couple hundred kilos out from any space station when a huge ship appeared out of nowhere and blew me to hell. That sucked.

Wow ! Where was this ? Maybe you awakened a Xenon Cluster ? They're badasses. :shock:

[Jason McMaster]

It was in Kingdoms End. I floated out west for quite some time, checking stats and stuff so it wasn't like I wasn't putting input into the game. I was watching the screen and I heard the alarm sound. I was hit by a single laser blast that completely destroyed my ship. Don't get me wrong, my ship isn't very tough it has weak shields and no guns, it's used solely for trading, but that's a hell of a shot.

[Sean Tudor]

I can't wait for the scripting docs. I want to write a few scripts.

Ditto. I want to start scripting some large scale fleet vs. fleet battles. As the game currently stands you can build an all-powerful Super Star Destroyer force with cap ships, carriers, cruisers, and fighters and nothing will stand in your way. Even the deadly Xenon don't stand a chance against that massed firepower.

I have no idea how open-ended the scripting language is to be able to create that sort of thing. The key is not to unbalance the whole universe otherwise you might find a rogue fleet taking out every single station in the game. Unlike pirate bases other stations do not regenerate. It would be a lonely universe.

[Jason McMaster]

I've read a bit in the X2 forums (what a chore) and it seems that would be certainly possible. Scripting in that game seems a little frightening from first impressions, like having to reinstall to get rid of certain scripts, but I just want to write better trading routines so that I don't have to futz around with as many ships that I'm currently doing. I don't like the fact that if you tell a ship to buy a single ware at a single station it does it once and quits. I want some robust trade routines.

[Jason McMaster]

I got home and played for a few hours buying 3 more plants, 3 laser towers and about 6 more ships. I will say that once you get setup you make money. I made 1.5 million off of the stations alone in an hour and a half.

[Moore]

As a side note, I was watching TV and floating in space with SETA on yesterday and I was a couple hundred kilos out from any space station when a huge ship appeared out of nowhere and blew me to hell. That sucked.

Wow ! Where was this ? Maybe you awakened a Xenon Cluster ? They're badasses. :shock:

Xenons have clusters now?

[Jason McMaster]

Has anyone done several of the X2 missions, specifically the one where you go to the broken gate and have to scan it? I keep getting blown to hell by the minefield. Any suggestions as for how to do this?


-Jason

[nutsak]

Take alot of missiles. I took two and thought 'I'll clear a simple pathway to where I need to go' .. not so. you have to clear ALL of them.. which is a bitch cuz it takes ages to fly there - AND that guy is very fucking annoying. I just wanted to kill him.

( note: I've actually deleted the game due to lack of skillz! :yawn:)