Post by Bernd » Fri, 30. Sep 11, 18:26

Why X Rebirth instead of X4

Complex=good, Complicated=bad

A Changed Universe

Release Date

Let me give you a quick tour around what X Rebirth is and is not.After more than 10 years of developing the X games by adding features to an existing concept, we wanted to make a fresh start.All the games of the old X series after X:Beyond the Frontier, were developed by taking the prequel and adding features on top. This had a lot of advantages for us as developers. Most importantly it allowed us to work very closely with the community. We could listen to your wishes and feedback on the last game and incorporate much of that into the next game.However it also had a big drawback: It made the game more and more complicated and harder to get into for those who were not already part of the community from the start.Let me get this straight right at the start. X Rebirth is not less complex or dumber than any of the X games of the past.But to make a game intuitive and easy to learn, you have to design it from scratch. Adding features to a game that was not designed for these features at the start, is never perfect.This one line sums up the ethos of all the game design changes that you will read and hear about, namely:The X universe was always defined by gates. Gates that were (almost?) the only technology that allowed its inhabitants to bridge interstellar distances.The gates were built by a very advanced ancient civilisation a long long time ago. They were later used by the different populations that developed in the X universe and they relied on them for trading and for their everyday life.A while after the events told in X3:Terran Conflict however, the gates suddenly ceased to work. Why? That's still unknown. This shutdown however had dramatic political and economical consequences. Millions of people were isolated far away from their former home and many systems suddenly lacked the supplies of food or other resources they needed for everyday life.At the start of X Rebirth, these events are again a thing of the past, but they have formed a changed and new universe.X Rebirth will be released on the 15th November 2013. For more information regarding the Steam Pre-Load and the activation of the game, please see this topic -Bernd