History VideoGame / X

* ''Videogame/XRebirth'' (2013); reboot of the series

* ''X4'' (TBA)

On August 26, 2017, Egosoft officially announces X4, which will be set after ''X3'' and ''VideoGame/XRebirth''.

The series from ''X-Tension'' and beyond allows the player to [[UniversalDriversLicense pilot almost anything they can see]], from tiny scout ships to [[MileLongShip five kilometer long destroyers and carriers]]. There are many classes of ships - [[StandardSciFiFleet fighters, carriers, corvettes, bombers, freighters]], etc - and each race has their own ship set with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. [[PlayerMooks Player-owned ships]] can be commanded to perform tasks, such as patrolling, exploring, or trading.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the punk band Music/{{X}}, the ''Franchise/XMen'' (especially with the sequels of the movie getting called [[NamesTheSame X2 and X3]] [[FanNickname by fans]]), or ''VideoGame/MegaManX''. Has nothing to do with ''VideoGame/{{X-COM}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade Chronicles X}}''.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the punk band Music/{{X}}, the ''Franchise/XMen'' (especially with the sequels of the movie getting called [[NamesTheSame X2 and X3]] [[FanNickname by fans]]), or ''VideoGame/MegaManX''. Has nothing to do with ''VideoGame/{{X-COM}}''. Or "VideoGame/{{Xenoblade Chronicles X}}".

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the punk band Music/{{X}}, the ''Franchise/XMen'' (especially with the sequels of the movie getting called [[NamesTheSame X2 and X3]] [[FanNickname by fans]]), or ''VideoGame/MegaManX''. Has nothing to do with ''VideoGame/{{X-COM}}''.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the punk band Music/{{X}}, the XMen (especially with the sequels of the movie getting called [[NamesTheSame X2 and X3]] [[FanNickname by fans]]), or ''VideoGame/MegaManX''. Has nothing to do with ''VideoGame/{{X-COM}}''.

The series does have an overall plot and extensive backstory but most players find it to be far outshined by the WideOpenSandbox empire-building aspect. For that reason, the plot summary is [[Synopsis/{{X}} on another page]]. In ''X'' you can just play through the plot, content to stay in your puny little [[SpaceFighter fighter]] or [[SpaceTrucker freighter]] and not straying much farther than your starting sector, or you can create a [[NGOSuperPower universe-spanning trading empire, all but controlling the economy and with enough military power to squash all who dare oppose you]]. You can also do things that you're not really meant to do, such as almost completely wiping out a race from the universe. It takes a hell of a lot of military resources, and it'll probably break the economy unless you supply it with that race's goods yourself, but nobody's actively ''stopping'' you from doing it. The only reason you can't destroy ''everything'' is because the game engine tries to keep the economy balanced and will slowly recreate destroyed stations if need be.

The economy is an important aspect to the games -- the only wares that are generated without resources are energy cells, and ships at shipyards[[note]]Ships built by the player, however, have resource and time requirements[[/note]]. Everything else requires wares to produce. A satellite factory, for example, may require energy, processed food, and microchips to produce satellites.

-> ''TRADE. FIGHT. BUILD. THINK.''

* ''Videogame/XRebirth'' (2013); reboot of the series (not yet released)

** ''X3: Albion Prelude'' (2011); expansion pack for ''Terran Conflict''

* ''X3: Terran Conflict'' (2008); standalone expansion pack for ''Reunion''

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the punk band Music/{{X}}, or ''VideoGame/MegaManX''. Has nothing to do with ''VideoGame/{{X-COM}}''.

A WideOpenSandbox singleplayer [[SimulationGame space combat]]/[[FourX trading simulator]] series by German developer Egosoft.

A WideOpenSandbox singleplayer [[FourX space combat/trading simulator]] series by German developer Egosoft.

* ''Videogame/XRebirth'' (2013-[[RealSoonNow ish]]); reboot of the series (not yet released)

In mid-2011 Egosoft announced a revamp of the series via the next main series game, ''VideoGame/XRebirth'', [[ScheduleSlip currently]] due out in 2013. To the fanbase's rather abrupt surprise, they then announced a new "expandalone" game using the ''X3: Terran Conflict'' engine, ''Albion Prelude'', mere days before its surprise release date. Named after the ship that is the focus of ''X: Rebirth'', ''Albion'' adds a Stock Exchange to the game, as well as progressing the story to the massive interstellar war that was brewing by the end of ''X3: Terran Conflict''.

[[quoteright:250:~~[[VideoGame PC Game]] FourX [[SimulationGame Space Simulator]]~~]]

The series also features several tie-in novels, though only ''Dominion'', ''Rogue'', and ''Farnham's Legend'' are available in English.

!! Plot synopsis:
Long before the events of the games, Earth built the first jump gate and launched it towards Alpha Centauri. However, in a midflight test, the Earth jump gate locked onto a random gate not built by humans. They had discovered the ''X-Universe'' [[PortalNetwork gate system]].

All the planets discovered were totally [[AbsentAliens absent of intelligent life]] [[note]]due to the [[{{Precursors}} Ancients]] modifying the gate system to keep the Terrans isolated[[/note]]. Earth built a fleet of self-replicating and self-evolving {{Terraform}}er ships to make the worlds habitable for humanity. About a hundred years later, after the mission was complete, Earth sent out a command for the Terraformers to self-destruct. Not long after, the [[AIIsACrapshoot Terraformers showed up in the Solar System in force]] and began [[ColonyDrop terraforming]] ''everything'' in sight - including inhabited planets and stations. Nathan R.Gunne, a Terran commander, lured the Terraformers past Earth's jump gate into the X-Universe, then destroyed the jump gate behind him to isolate the Terraformers (now dubbed the Xenon) and to save Earth.

Gunne crash-landed his frigate on Sonra-4, an Earth-like world, and began restarting civilization with his crew. They named themselves the "Argon" after R. Gunne. The Argon erased all mention of Earth from their histories to prevent anyone from leading the terraformers back there. After a couple hundred years, [[FutureImperfect Earth became a fairytale legend]]. The Argon began exploring the X-Universe, and discovered the peaceful [[FishPeople Boron]], the HolierThanThou [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Paranid]], the warlike [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Split]], and the profit-obsessed [[ProudMerchantRace Teladi]]. They also rediscover the [[AIIsACrapshoot Xenon]].

In the 30th century AD, a Xenon ship equipped with a prototype jumpdrive blundered into the Solar System and was captured by the isolated Terrans. They reverse-engineered its jumpdrive and built the Xperimental Shuttle to try and reach Alpha Centauri. However, the jumpdrive locked onto the X-Universe and promptly breaks down, stranding the pilot (and [[PlayerCharacter protagonist]]) in the X-Universe and indebted to the Teladi, who helped repair his ship. The Earth pilot, Kyle Brennan, helped prevent the Xenon from blowing up a planet with their M0 Planet Killer in the first game, ''Beyond The Frontier''.

A few decades later in ''The Threat'', the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Kha'ak]] showed up. Their first act in the universe was to destroy everything in the sector President's End, and then to nearly destroy the planet in Omicron Lyrae.

After the Kha'ak planet killer is destroyed, a {{Precursor}} shows up and begins secretly aiding the Paranid in building a jump gate. The Paranid activate their jump gate in Heretic's End -- which links to Earth, right as the Kha'ak are jumping into the sector to try and destroy the Paranid jump gate. The entire Terran [[EliteArmy AGI Task Force fleet]] - completely forgotten by the rest of the universe - streams out of the jump gate and [[CurbStompBattle curb stomps the Kha'ak]]. The Terrans establish tentative relations with the other races, but try to remain isolated -- hence the game being named ''Reunion''.

''Terran Conflict'' reunites the long lost [[spoiler: Aldrin]] colony with Earth, destroys the Kha'ak Hive Queen, and sees a [[SpaceColdWar rise in tensions between the Argon Federation and the Terran State]].

In ''Albion Prelude'', the cold war [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge goes hot with the destruction]] of Earth's orbital defense station/shipyard, the [[BigDumbObject Torus Aeternal]]. The war lasts about a year, and as more and more of the patrols holding the Xenon at bay are reallocated to the warfront the Xenon begin to get out of control. To prevent the total destruction of the Community of Planets races and Earth, the Ancients shut down the entire gate network at the end of 2948.[[note]]The encyclopedia actually says "2947," but this is [[ContinuitySnarl patently impossible]] considering ''AP'' is set in 2948 and the war is still going on.[[/note]]

''VideoGame/XRebirth'' will take place about a thousand years later.

Now has a [[NeedsWikiMagicLove very sparsely populated]] character sheet [[Characters/{{X}} here]].

!!Gameplay:
You can just play through the plot, content to stay in your puny little [[SpaceFighter fighter]] or [[SpaceTrucker freighter]] and not straying much farther than your starting sector, or you can create a [[NGOSuperPower universe-spanning trading empire, all but controlling the economy and with enough military power to squash all who dare oppose you]]. You can also do things that you're not really meant to do, such as almost completely wiping out a race from the universe. It takes a hell of a lot of military resources, and it'll probably break the economy unless you supply it with that race's goods yourself, but nobody's actively ''stopping'' you from doing it. The only reason you can't destroy ''everything'' is because the game engine tries to keep the economy balanced and will slowly recreate destroyed stations if need be.

The economy is an important aspect to the games - the only wares that are generated without resources are energy cells, and ships at shipyards[[note]]Ships built by the player, however, have resource and time requirements[[/note]]. Everything else requires wares to produce. A satellite factory, for example, may require energy, processed food, and microchips to produce satellites.

In mid-2011 Egosoft announced a revamp of the series via the next main series game, ''VideoGame/XRebirth'', due out in 2013. To the fanbase's rather abrupt surprise, they then announced a new "expandalone" game using the ''X3: Terran Conflict'' engine, ''Albion Prelude'', mere days before its surprise release date. Named after the ship that is the focus of ''X: Rebirth'', ''Albion'' adds a Stock Exchange to the game, as well as progressing the story to the massive interstellar war that was brewing by the end of ''X3: Terran Conflict''.

Last but not least, Egosoft has released [[Literature/{{X}} a number of novels]] set in the X-Universe. To date, only ''Dominion'', ''Rogue'', and ''Farnham's Legend'' have been translated into English.

The series has its own wiki called [[http://www.argonopedia.org/wiki/Argonopedia Argonopedia]].

The economy is an important aspect to the games - the only wares that are generated without resources are energy cells, and ships at shipyards [[hottip:*: Ships built by the player, however, have resource and time requirements]]. Everything else requires wares to produce. A satellite factory, for example, may require energy, processed food, and microchips to produce satellites.

** XUniverse/{{Tropes 0 to F}}
** XUniverse/{{Tropes G to L}}
** XUniverse/{{Tropes M to R}}
** XUniverse/{{Tropes S to Z}}

You can just play through the plot, content to stay in your puny little fighter or [[SpaceTrucker freighter]] and not straying much farther than your starting sector, or you can create a [[NGOSuperPower universe-spanning trading empire, all but controlling the economy and with enough military power to squash all who dare oppose you]]. You can also do things that you're not really meant to do, such as almost completely wiping out a race from the universe. It takes a hell of a lot of military resources, and it'll probably break the economy unless you supply it with that race's goods yourself, but nobody's actively ''stopping'' you from doing it. The only reason you can't destroy ''everything'' is because the game engine tries to keep the economy balanced and will slowly recreate destroyed stations if need be.

The series from ''X-Tension'' and beyond allows the player to [[UniversalDriversLicense pilot almost anything they can see]], from tiny scout ships to [[MileLongShip five kilometer long destroyers and carriers]]. There are many classes of ships - fighters, carriers, corvettes, bombers, freighters, etc - and each race has their own ship set with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. [[PlayerMooks Player-owned ships]] can be commanded to perform tasks, such as patrolling, exploring, or trading.

The series from ''X-Tension'' and beyond allows the player to [[UniversalDriversLicense pilot almost anything they can see]], from tiny scout ships to [[MileLongShip five kilometer long destroyers and carriers]]. There are many classes of ships - fighters, carriers, corvettes, bombers, etc - and each race has their own ship set with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. [[PlayerMooks Player-owned ships]] can be commanded to perform tasks, such as patrolling, exploring, or trading.

In ''Albion Prelude'', the cold war [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge goes hot with the destruction]] of Earth's orbital defense station/shipyard, the [[BigDumbObject Torus Aeternal]]. ''Rebirth'' will take place after the collapse of the gate network during the Argon-Terran war.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the punk band Music/{{X}}, or ''VideoGame/MegaManX''.. Has nothing to do with ''VideoGame/{{X-COM}}''.