Jump to content

X-Beyond the Frontier and X-Tension.


Guest aspeckman
 Share

Recommended Posts

Guest aspeckman

I just found a copy of BC 3000AD and at the advise of a colleque, I am going to play this game. Its sounds facinating. I am going to wait till BCM is gold to try it.

I was just wondering if any of you commanders have heard of the games in the SUBJECT. There is also an online persistent universe they are planning for later this year. If that becomes reality, they will beat both Microsoft and Derek Smart in getting their OU up and running. However, I have found absolutely no trade press what-so-ever that mentions EGOSOFT or these games.

They are a German company. Here is the website. Let me know what you think... www.x2ol.com

Al.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the first verison of XBTF and am interested in buying the upgrade xtension. But cash is low, and comp power low. So it might take a while. So I don't know much about the upgrade, other than the website info. Have hardly a clue about how the OU plays.

As for comparing BCM and XBTF/Xtension. BCM is geared toward military command, eventhough you can also play as a pacifist trader dealing in frozen fruits or as a medic under police/galcom protection. Where it is likely someone having a weapon pointing at you instead of holding it yourself. When in command you're not just flying a ship, you're flying a ship with crew to be commanded. You're in charge! And the ultimate to blame.

And BCM has a whole planet side to add to gameplay. (as did bc3k from the beggining years ago) If you get spacesick every now and then you get ease your stumach on solid ground and stirr up stuff there. If you love launch and re-entry you could play shuttle pilot running errands between stations and bases.

The whole idea about X is based around trading and building a trade empire/corporation. Still you can build a fleet or fighters and defend or 'actively expand' your market territory. XBTF had a plot/adventure, not sure if xtension had it too, but probably. Anyway, your job was to find a way to get home again after you got warped into unknown part of space. (I'm not that far yet) So basically you can build a trade empire and pretty much forget about the plot or you are inclined to follow the plot and make use of trading to provide what you need. (But xtension does give you the chance to change primary crafts)

All in all, I think BCM gives you more freedom in that you can play into ROAM mode (former freeflight), or follow a script(a possibly very dynamic one) and still have the choice to continue following it. BCM gives you less freedom, in that certain race/caste NPC will throw mud at you from time to time, just because you're not on their side. Which is also dynamic as wars between races get started and resolved on and on beyond your knowledge. You're either in it or you aren't.

X(BTF), you sort of know what's going on in the universe. Teladi just want to trade, so they're not making enemies, Paranid and Split don't like you from the beginning, same for Argon but they're a tad bit more friendly to start with. Borons are friendly and if you don't get bad yourself they are friends too. And all species get friendlier to you when you kill pirates. Xenons are same as the Gammulans. No peace talks with them, except through a gun barrel. And unless you do something about it, status quo stays that way. A tad boring to me.

I realize my knowledge about the X universe is limmited to XBTF, so I may be wrong here about a few things. And I've only seen the first demo of BCM and playing all the lastest versions of BC3K since v2 as they came, apart from hanging around on this forum alot. (ok, more like lurking) My opinion is BCM and X are two different things. One's about trading, the other about command and career. I like both. But I need something in the game that gives me a rough time, keep me busy and provide setbacks. As far as I know X doesn't do the job good enough. Still, getting rich by building an expandable space corporation is an interesting way of live. But as I said, I need the chance of bankruptcy.

As for online universe, egosoft's online-universe.net is not in (open)beta yet, 3000AD's online universe Galactic Command Online (GCO) is in partial development from what I've heard the past months (but it shares code or engines with BCM) and wont see beta until next year or so. So it's difficult to tell what it will be like. Though both have a FAQ (online-universe.net FAQ and GCO FAQ), and to me GCO seems to have more freedom. OU.net is still about a trading career. GCO seems to go towards exploration/pioneering but still free in a military command career.

This is the analysis I make from it. If I'm wrong at something feel free to re-educate me.

[ 06-04-2001: Message edited by: Rico Jansen ]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest aspeckman

I have just gotten into X-Tension. If you play version 2.0x, you can pilot a starship. There are missions you are given depending on who you run into, much like freelancer(i.e. the bar)

I learned from you that BC is career oriented, I wasn't fully aware of that. In X, you play that pilot only. In BTF, you don't find your way home, I followed the storyline to the end and the old jumpgate was destroyed that went to earth. After that point, it is just a build/trade/fight game, open-ended but very limited. X-Tension adds missions to the mix, still open ended, just a little more interesting. The interface is probably simplier than BC. I don't have a crew to worry about, and I don't get to land on planets to scavenge minerals. All the goods are produced in factories with the root resource being solar energy. I hope X2OL is free, but it may not keep me as interested at BC online universe. I hope Derek can kick butt with this new game. I think it will be the most complex of all the persistent universes, but the reward of fun and replayablility will be endless.

I almost got BC3000AD, but was steered away by a COMPUSA guy to Independence War. I didn't get IW because I thought the demo was boring, so I didn't get any game at that point. I regret not getting BC now knowing everything that has happened to this game and the depth of it all. I happened on X-BTF by chance at an EB store in the old-new rack. Got it for $5. I just ordered(bid) on a copy of BC3000AD at AMAZON, $13 including shipping. That is the only place I could find it.

Al.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I picked XBTF up at EB as well. Haven't seen xtension though. and frankly XBTF is much too boreing for me. It might get better after awhile, but the lack of any form of quick movement through the galaxy at first makes it much more tedious than it needs to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This clarifies the career part a bit. As a commander you rack up experience point (when you are a good boyscout) which eventually gives you fleet command and control, but for the other careers I can't remember what it was good for.

p.s. Perhaps this topic should have gone in the general forum. As far as I know, this one is still intended for BC3K. BCM is not gold yet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've heard of it, and currently play it! Kick-Butt game IMHO! It has its place, just like BC3K and BCM. All are niche games with dedicated fan bases. Personally, Things really got good in Xtension with the release of 2.0 and 2.1, again IMHO. I'll keep playing all 3 of these games because they ALL, in their own way, bring me both joy and agony! You won't know one without experiencing the other!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:


I just ordered(bid) on a copy of BC3000AD at AMAZON, $13 including shipping. That is the only place I could find it.

Just make sure that it is v2.0/v2.07 (boxed in the US) or v2.07/v2.08 (boxed in Europe) and not the older v1.0!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest aspeckman

Thanks SC for the tip, I will check with Amazon today.

Also...

", but the lack of any form of quick movement through the galaxy at first makes it much more tedious than it needs to be."

I whole heartedly agree, BTF was boring, it took too much patience really, of which I happen to have alot of, but I understand most people don't. I bought BTF in October of last year, shelved it for 5 months, got back into it in April and finished the storyline by May.

X-Tension, on the other hand, at least gives you S.E.T.A on your ship, a system and star map while in doc and many other features. They got alot of user input/suggestions from their website that went into the upgrade/patch V2.0. I played it last night, still having trouble getting going. I wouldn't want to tackle this game without first playing BTF.

Finally, thanks for putting up with this topic posted here, I just wanted to find out if anyone knew about BTF/XT. I am looking forward to getting into BattleCruiser, it sound more rewarding.

See you 'out there'.

Al.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest aspeckman

I found a copy of BC3000AD yesterday at Babbages Software Etc for $5, the last copy, Verion 2.07.

Flawless install on an Athlon 500 with a Voodoo3 3000.

I was too tired last night to really get into it, but will have more time this weekend. The PDF documentation is nice. The graphics are also nice even for such a dated product. One more thing, call me weird but, I think the MIDI music is kinda cool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest aspeckman

Oh, now I know why no one likes the MIDI music. I got into BC3000AD last night. I was talking about the music before the actual in-game midi music. I would agree, the MIDI is crap, I turned it off. I did enjoy flying my BC into earth for the first time, that was cool. I'm learning the systems now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I just got X: BTF three days ago and low and behold I stop by and check the bc website and there is a thread about it. I have been play that game like mad the past three days and your right it is a little borring but has started to get a little better after play for awhile. I have looked for websites about it but everything seems to be about X:T it. I haven't started following the plot yet, is it interesting? If not, I don't think that I will be playing it much in the future but I guess there's only one way to find out. Side note, I kinda like the fact that it takes forever to fly across the galaxy It really makes it feel Like your taking a long jorney.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I picked up XBTF and Xtension from Electronics Boutique for £5 about a month ago never really got into BTF but played Xtension for a while but Jez is it slow, its like watching paint drying especially since your character is supposed to already have devoloped from the first game. I plan to get back to it but I'm enjoying BC3k to much at the moment (and I'm away from home ALOT)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...