Summary
Egosoft has been publishingspace simulationtitles in theXfranchise since 1999. The 2018 release ofX4: Foundationsmarked a watershed in the franchise, by updating theXgame engine to exploit modern hardware effectively. Since its release,X4: Foundationshas received 4 expansions in the form of DLC.
Part of the main game play inX4, is the procurement and construction of a player’s HQ. This is a special structure that the player unlocks through a series of missions. Choosing a location on theopen-worldmap to settle the player’s HQ will have a deep impact on what happens in a playthrough, and where to permanently place the HQ should be considered carefully.
7Ocean Of Fantasy
Hanging With The Fish Folks
This is one of the newest sectors in the game, as it was added in theKingdom Endexpansion, which re-introduced the Boron race to theXfranchise. Ocean of Fantasy is the location of the newly added terraforming project that came with theKingdom Endupdate.
This is a great sector to set up as a player base, especially after completed the localterraforming project. It would be suited for players who intend a Boron play through, as it means that the player’s most valuable assets are protected deep in Boron space.
6Grand Exchange I
The Original Starting Sector
Before the Kingdom End expansion was released, Grand Exchange I was the initial location of the player’s HQ once it was unlocked. This is still a good choice for using as a player base location.
The best thing about Grand Exchange I is that it sits nicely between the Argon, Paranid and Teladi, meaning excellent trade possibilities and easy access to almost every resource in the game. Furthermore, as Grand Exchange is a cluster system, there is excellent access to a great many mineable resources without having to travel very far.
5Heretics End
The New Starting Sector
The Kingdom End expansion moved the default player HQ sector to Heretics End. This is initially an unclaimed system, so it makes sense for this to be used for the player’s HQ, as it is at the end of the pipe down into Boron space, and forms part of the DLC storyline.
Heretics End is a good location for the player to use as their HQ, as it is nicely positioned between the Boron, Teladi and Split. Meaning great trade routes and easy access to most materials. The only downside to Heretics End is the fact that there is a risk of a Xenonalien incursionfrom the north quite early in the game.
4Eighteen Billion
All About The Profits
Eighteen Billion is located on the southern edge of Teladi space, meaning it has access to Argon space and Paranid space. This leads to some excellent trade possibilities. But what makes Eighteen Billion a good player HQ location inX4, is the terraforming project in this sector.
In typical Teladi style, the terraforming project results in the player being able to generate significant volumes of Nvidiam, which can be sold for some huge profit. Although it should be noted that in the late-game, generating credits becomes somewhat pointless.
3Frontier Edge
Take Down The Xenon
Frontier Edge isn’t a player HQ sector for the feint of heart. Only the most experienced players will want to consider this location for their player HQ, especially in the early game. As this is a typical Xenon incursion route.
However, what makes Frontier Edge a really great player HQ sector, is the fact that the player can profit from the conflict between the Argon and the Paranid. Effectively playing both sides in this confrontation, for fun and profit. This is also a terraforming project location, giving access to training facilities, and other useful features.
2Getsu Fune
Blocking The Terran Border
TheX4: Cradle of HumanityDLC introduced the long-lostTerran faction. From a gameplay point of view, it also introduced the terraforming mechanics. Getsu Fune is a Terran border system, that is also the location of the easiest terraforming project. Making Getsu Fune a very easy location to establish an effective player HQ.
What makes Getsu Fune a fun system to occupy, is the tension between the Terran and Argo factions. The sector sits between the two, and is also close to the Yaki home system. This provides ample opportunity for the player to stoke the Terran/Argon conflict for profit.
1Scale Plate Green I
Befriending The Pirates
For players who intend to go for a complete domination play through, Scale Plate Green is an excellent choice for a player’s HQ. This is the home system of the Scale Plate Pact, which is a loose conglomerate of pirates.
In order to set up a player HQ in Scale Plate Green I, the player will need to complete the local terraforming project. Once this is done, the Scale Plate Pact will become friendly to the player, and this is a good thing, as the Pact defends its borders aggressively, and the player can sit safe behind these NPC defenses.
X4: Foundations
WHERE TO PLAY
X4 is aliving, breathing space sandboxrunning entirely on your PC. Thousands of ships and stations trade, mine and produce, all realistically simulated. In this universe, you may grow from being the lone pilot of a fighter ship, to managing a vast empire, commanding your fleets and designing colossal space stations. Transition seamlessly from first-person action, boarding ships and visiting their bridges, to an expansive strategy and management simulation. Choose your own path at your own pace. The decisions are yours. Trade - Fight - Build - Think.Start your journeyIn X4, you can start your journey froma number of different gamestartsand as a number of different characters, each with their own role, set of relationships and different ships and technologies to start with. No matter how you start, you are alwaysfree to develop in any other direction. Focus on exploration, make money with illegal trading and theft, command large battle fleets or become the greatest entrepreneur ever. It’s all up toyouto decide.Fly every shipX4 allows you tofly all ships personally. From small scouts over a wide range of ship classes up to the biggest carrier, everything can be piloted from the cockpit or an external view. A big focus in the development of X4 has been to achieve aseamless and immersive experience when moving between ships. You can leave a ship, climb down a ladder, walk over the dock of a large space station into another ship you may have parked there and replace the pilot that was working for you just by clicking on his chair.Build space stations and upgrade your shipsBuilding space stations and factories has always been a foundation of the X games. After gaining enough money through fighting or trading, most players want toestablish their own economyandstart influencing the universe on a larger scale. In X4, it is now possible to be completelyfree and creative. Stations can be constructed from a variety of modules, be it production modules, living sections, docks or many other types of parts. Thepowerful new map systemallows you to drag and connect modules using a connection system to design your own unique creations. Ships also offer a variety of upgrades. Engines, weapons and other equipment can be added in a graphical editor and actually seen on the ship.Experience the most dynamic X universe everX4 is the first X game to allow our races and factions tofreely build and expand their empires; the same flexibility the player enjoys in creatively designing space stations from modular building blocks is also available to them. Races expand their empire based on supply and demand, which leads to an extremely dynamic universe where every action the player makes caninfluence the course of the entire universe.Manage your empire with a powerful mapOnce you have more ships and many NPCs working for you as pilots, crew or station managers, the map will be your preferred method of managing it all. Ships can be ordered with simple clicks and through drag-and-drop operations to set their future path and commands. Graphically plan your trade routes, coordinate attacks with your entire fleet, manage the hierarchy or send ships on remote exploration missions.Dive into the most detailed X economy everOne of the key selling points of X games has always been therealistic, simulated economy. Wares produced by hundreds of stations and transported by thousands of ships are actually traded by NPCs and prices develop based on this simulated economy. This is the foundation of our living and breathing universe. Now with X4, we have taken another, massive step. For the first time in any X game,all parts of the NPC economy are manufactured from resources. Ships, weapons, upgrades, ammo and even stations. You name it. Everything comes out of the simulated economy.Research and teleportThe seamless change from ship to ship and from NPCs controlling your empire for you continues on a higher level. Once you own a larger fleet, you will be very interested in researching a technology from your HQ:Teleportation. Once you’ve unlocked teleportation, you can jump from ship to ship a lot quicker and experience all the critical situations your NPCs encounter first hand. Every order you have given to a ship before turns into a mission objective when you pilot the ship yourself. The moment you leave again, your pilot takes the helm and continues with their previous orders.
