Egosoft's X Series: Which is the Best?

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Will all the commotion of X4 release (tomorrow!) I was wondering what are all your favourite X games to date (obviously, not including X4, if you reply after playing it).

I own all, bar rebirth.

Yet oddly, my favourite was always X3:R. Not TC or AP. Lol

X:BTF will always hold a special place in my heart as one of the first, and best looking, space games I'd ever played.

X2's graphics were amazing at the time too.
But I never got on with the complex menus, and thus never really got that far.

X3:R was simply amazing. It was the only version where I managed to amass a huge empire, and with some mods, began conquering the galaxy.
As will all previous attempts, my PCs inability to handle 100s of sectors at once usually meant I'd completed the game, because any further expansion killed my FPS. Lol

TC and AP didn't really do much for me. No idea why .. lol

... So what was your favourite?

 

[=71st=RuSh]

X Rebirth VR is amazing, is like a new game!. Hope X4 will be in VR next year.

 

[Chris Simon]

I only played the original and X:R, so I can't really say. Back then I didn't do lists of favourites, I just consumed things.

I hope the new will be the best.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I was tempted to get X:R in a sale a few weeks ago, but if X4 is going to be better than X:R, then I my aswell skip it entirely.

It's not like the stories were any good. I've not finished a story in any X game so far. Lol

My understanding of the plot so far is;

Spoiler

X:BTF. Earth is all powerful. Ai ruins that. Your jump goes horribly wrong and you end up in teladi space. Profitssss

X2. ????? Profitssssss

X3: Humans are back! And so are... Something else. Profitssss

X3: TC. More humans. Something something something. Profitssss

X3:AP. Prelude to something bad. Profitssss

XR. Something bad happened. Profitssssss

 

[Chris Simon]

I was tempted to get X:R in a sale a few weeks ago, but if X4 is going to be better than X:R, then I my aswell skip it entirely.

It's not like the stories were any good. I've not finished a story in any X game so far. Lol

My understanding of the plot so far is;

Spoiler

X:BTF. Earth is all powerful. Ai ruins that. Your jump goes horribly wrong and you end up in teladi space. Profitssss

X2. ????? Profitssssss

X3: Humans are back! And so are... Something else. Profitssss

X3: TC. More humans. Something something something. Profitssss

X3:AP. Prelude to something bad. Profitssss

XR. Something bad happened. Profitssssss

Hahah, I've never even tried to get into the "story".

 

[Jenner]

I spent tons of time with X2 back in the day and really enjoyed it. Never played 3, which is funny since most people seem to consider that one the 'best' thus far. X:R I sunk 60 some hours into, but I only picked that up well after release and after it had been patched up to a decent state.

So I'd say X:R is my 'favorite' thus far. Despite its faults it was very fun. I'm hoping X4 will be even better.

 

[jasonbarron]

X3TC and Albion Prelude together gets my vote.

 

[Ian Skippy]

X:R. It was the first that didnt have that clinically sterile 'lifeless' vibe. It was a very flawed game, but still loads of fun.

 

[Jenner]

X:R. It was the first that didnt have that clinically sterile 'lifeless' vibe. It was a very flawed game, but still loads of fun.

Yeah, it did feel a lot more lively. I'm going to miss Yisha actually. One of the things I loved about X:R was having my own co-pilot around who would make comments and whatnot - it make the game feel more real and less desolate. Unfortunately X4 won't have that.

X:R also had one of the best tracks:

[video=youtube;OsOlklUdrxM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsOlklUdrxM[/video]

 

[EUS]

It's funny, turns out I own all games starting @ X2, yet never seemed to actually play them, until XR last month, now 170 hrs in freeplay.
Played the campaign just to get my bearings, then started a free play game.
Honestly, I thought the galaxy economics/rep mechs would have been deeper than they are, considering empire building is supposed to be "the thing" to do in X.

Now, I'm trying X AP, and prefer many things in it compared to XR, but the save game at station only is not conducive to my life.

 

[Skizomeuh]

For me, it's X:BTF. For its overall "simplicity" (even on the art direction side) and uncluttered interface, the fantastic soundtrack, and the "plot" conveying a real sensation of being lost and the alien in the universe.

 

[Gédéon_Lecanard]

Yeah, it did feel a lot more lively. I'm going to miss Yisha actually. One of the things I loved about X:R was having my own co-pilot around who would make comments and whatnot - it make the game feel more real and less desolate. Unfortunately X4 won't have that.

X:R also had one of the best tracks:

X series soundtracks are amazing. To the point that I wonder if it's not one of the most underrated reason why the games are so appreciated.

My personal fav:
[video=youtube;4UAbFrZPYyE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UAbFrZPYyE[/video]

As for the games, I'd say Terran conflict. I loved the way it built on Reunion, and continued improving on ship designs. Albion Prelude was truly horrid in that regard, with many tasteless designs and horrible "new" ships consisting of original meshes combined toghether.

 

[Witcher 7]

X series soundtracks are amazing. To the point that I wonder if it's not one of the most underrated reason why the games are so appreciated.

My personal fav:


As for the games, I'd say Terran conflict. I loved the way it built on Reunion, and continued improving on ship designs. Albion Prelude was truly horrid in that regard, with many tasteless designs and horrible "new" ships consisting of original meshes combined toghether.

Yes, I love X3 soundtrack with the TC one of my favs.

[video=youtube_share;j0_qWQJxoAY]https://youtu.be/j0_qWQJxoAY[/video]

 

[CMDR Dizzy]

I would have to say X3:TC as I seem to have put 510 hours into it.

 

[Zak Gordon]

I think X2 was the start of the 'golden' era for the X games, and mostly that was due to the mods. By X3 the modding had matured nicely (and become officially part of the games design) and on balance that made X3 the most interesting to play imho.

 

[lokvette]

Own them all played them all for many hours, for me X-TC was the best, but once I got rebirth modded it was a lot more fun to play.

Not got the new one yet but will be getting it then if it holds up to what Ive seen thus far, Im not sure ED will be logged into for another year...:x

 

[Riedquat]

X4 is out today!?, wow, that came around quick.

For me it was X3TC as once you had done the storyline it was just a huge sandbox.

I loved my Centaur.

 

[Vasea Azure]

X3TC and Albion Prelude together gets my vote.

Same, I spend hours in both, there are so much things to do and try its incredible. Plus you can mod those games.

 

[krylite]

I started with X:btf, then X2 and X3:R and hadn't tried the others yet since I went on an FSX mode only for several years. I'd considered X:R but saw the bad reviews, so I decided to wait for the next X game, but then ED came along.. I like the ones I played. Probably had the most fun in X2. X3:R I left hanging and maybe just got through only a fourth of it.

X series soundtracks are amazing. To the point that I wonder if it's not one of the most underrated reason why the games are so appreciated.

Yes, the music drew me in the original X:btf. Intro and main & menu theme was probably my favorite. The second track also has probably the best "grinding" music for the start of the game that helps keep you going. [big grin]

Spoiler

[video=youtube;3Zhpw3jiEtU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zhpw3jiEtU&list=PLCF623632D0B21AF4[/video]
[video=youtube;n-ZIaZfRlHM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-ZIaZfRlHM[/video]

I felt the game 'rewarded' you with new excellent tracks as you got out of the first sector and explored the other alien sectors. In a ways, the great music seemed to make up for the lack of Elite2 & 3's freedom in their more open galactic and star system modeling. The music in X1,X2 & X3:R (incl. some of ED's) are still among my favorites ever of all games.

 

[BigBANGtheory [VR]]

I think for me it would be X3:TC also as it was an expansion and refinement of X3:R where as X3:AP felt too samey. I didn't play before X2 and XR was just too deeply flawed in its game design unfortunately despite some nice features here and there.

From what I've seen of the live streams so far combined with Egosoft's description of the new features I think X4 will indeed surpass its predecessors.