History Videogame / X

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''VideoGame/{{X|1992}}'' the Nintendo UsefulNotes/GameBoy tank game or the American PunkRock band Music/XUSBand.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''X'' the Nintendo UsefulNotes/GameBoy tank game or the American PunkRock band Music/XUSBand.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''X'' the Nintendo tank game or the American PunkRock band Music/XUSBand.

The economy is an important aspect to the games -- the only products that are generated without resources are energy cells and (before ''X4'') spaceships[[note]]Ships built by the player, however, always had material requirements, and until ''X4'' player-owned Solar Power Plants demanded silicon crystals to run[[/note]]. Everything else requires RefiningResources to produce. A satellite factory, for example, may require energy, processed food, and microchips to produce satellites.

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 RefiningResources to produce. A satellite factory, for example, may require energy, processed food, and microchips to produce satellites.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]]''X'' the Nintendo tank game or the American PunkRock band Music/XUSBand.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the American PunkRock band Music/XUSBand, the Japanese metal band Music/XJapan, 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/{{XCOM}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade Chronicles X}}''.

** ''X4: Cradle of Humanity'' (2021); The second major expansion, adds the Sol system, and by extension, the Terrans, with two factions (The USC's successor, the Terran Protectorate and the Segaris Pioneers. The Yaki also return.

** ''X4: Cradle of Humanity'' (2021); The second major expansion, adds the Sol system, and by extension, the Terrans, with two factions and a pirate faction that returns from past games.

** ''X4: Cradle of Humanity'' (2020); The second major expansion, adds the Sol system, and by extension, the Terrans, with two factions and a pirate faction that returns from past games.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'', ''X'' the Nintendo tank game, the American punk band [[Music/XUSBand X]], the Japanese metal band Music/XJapan, 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/{{XCOM}}'' 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/{{XCOM}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade Chronicles X}}''.

** ''X4: Cradle of Humanity'' (2020); An expansion that takes the game back to Earth.

Now divided into subpages.

* ''Videogame/XRebirth'' (2013); soft reboot of the series
* ''X4: Foundations'' (2018)

On August 26, 2017, Egosoft officially announces X4, which will be set after ''X3'' and ''VideoGame/XRebirth''. Running on an updated ''Rebirth'' engine, it restores most of the features from the previous games such as being able to pilot every ship.

* ''X4: Foundations'' (2018 or 2019)

** ''X-Tension'', (2000, expansion for ''X: BTF'')

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 [[OmnicidalNeutral 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.