X³: Reunion 2.0.01 Readme updates

As a special bonus for all owners of X³:Reunion, Egosoft has prepared a brand new update which introduces new missions, new ships, a new unique station, and a range of new gameplay features. This update is available for download free of charge, and is compatible with existing X³: Reunion savegames.

Bala Gi Research Missions

The famous Boron scientist Bala Gi needs your help, and has some spectacular rewards available if you successfully complete the exciting missions that he offers.

- Own the new Player Headquarters, a unique new station which is the biggest single-station construction in the X Universe.
- Get hold of the exclusive (and unique) M7 class prototype battleship, once owned by the Pontifex Maximus Paranidia himself.
- Deliver the blueprints for a whole new class of ships, the M3+, and even get the chance to build them yourself.
- The Bala Gi Research Missions can be undertaken before, during or after the main plot, and even in non-plot games.

Player Headquarters

The Player Headquarters is a vast station equipped with an array of docking facilities, and a range of unique features to help you manage your trade empire or battle fleet.

- Gather resources and build your own ships from blueprints rather than having to buy them at shipyards.
- If you don't have blueprints then you can always create them by reverse engineering any ship that you own.
- Ships damaged during battle? Send them back to base and repair them yourself.
- Pimp my ship! Respray just about any ship you own for a unique look, or give your squads matching colour schemes.

The new features of the Player Headquarters are described in more detail in our FAQ section.

New Ships

The update introduces a range of new ships. Some of these are available immediately, but others will only be found once you have completed the Bala Gi Research Missions.

- Get hold of the unique M7 class prototype battleship. This ship is lean and mean and can dock two fighter ships.
- The new M3+ class ships can be a real challenge if you meet them in combat, but of course you also have the chance to own these yourself.

More Goodies!

The update also includes a whole raft of other new features and enhancements.

- Two new sectors, "Senator's Badlands" (Yaki) and "Elysium of Light" (Goner) for you to explore.
- A new weapon, the "Concussion Impulse Generator", with a unique new effect on ships that are hit with it.
- Several new BBS missions to add a bit more variety. Keep your eyes open at Pirate stations especially.
- A Self-Destruct option, available on board all your ships and stations. You only have a few seconds to evacuate once it is initiated!
- A new "Software Signature Scrambler" to hide your "System Override Software" from police scans.
- Improved Tractor Beam functionality allowing you to pull more different objects, even through gates.
- A better chance to win the sector auction for "Avarice", available even if you missed out the first time around.

And of course, we have fixed as many bugs, anomalies, errors and other issues as we possibly could from previous versions of the game.

Finally, this update includes the NoCD/NoDVD patch, so you can put your disk back in its box.


X³: Reunion 1.4.03 Readme updates

The 1.4.03 update for X³: Reunion fixes two specific problems that some people were experiencing in 1.4.02.

Fixes in 1.4.03:

- Problem with audio playback during mission briefings has been resolved.
- Shaking of ships when flying further away from the sector centre has been fixed.

Note 1: Savegame compatibility is maintained from all previous publicly released versions up to 1.4.02 (including 1.4.1 BETA 1 and 2) but it is possible that certain savegames made using 1.3.02 BETA may no longer work.

Note 2: When running 1.4.03 the initial options menu will show 1.4.03 in the top-right corner, but the main in-game menu will still show 1.4.02. This is normal.


X³: Reunion 1.4.02 Readme updates

The 1.4.02 update for X³: Reunion fixes a number of issues in 1.4 and earlier versions. It also provides improved support for widescreen resolutions.

Enhancements:

- Support for widescreen resolutions has been improved, aspect ratio corrected.

Fixes:

- Certain crashes related to loading savegames have been resolved (some savegames from version 1.3.02 BETA might no longer be compatible with 1.4.02).
- A crash that appeared when adding a new station to a specific complex configuration has been resolved and complex building routines have been adapted.
- A crash that appeared under Win98/Win2000 when firing weapons has been resolved.
- A crash when starting the game on older CPUs (Athlon, C3) has been resolved.
- Issues with older ATI graphics card drivers (pre cat6.3) and medium shader settings that resulted in videos being played back as a white screen have been resolved.
- Some textures have been improved to reduce the "see-through" effect (e.g. planets could be seen through certain pixels at the border of otherwise solid objects).
- Improved installation of Windows Media Codecs under Windows 98 / 2000 (the default installation sometimes did not complete the setup process).

Note: Savegame compatibility is maintained from all previous publicly released versions to 1.4 (including 1.4.1 BETA 1 and 2) but it is possible that certain savegames made using 1.3.02 BETA may no longer work.


X³: Reunion 1.4 Readme updates

The 1.4 update for X³ provides some new game features as well as improving on those added in 1.3 and fixing a variety of problems experienced by some players in different parts of the game. For those who have been playing the 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 BETA versions, the even better news is that savegames from these versions are compatible with 1.4.

New features:

- Tug Laser allows M6/TL class ships to move stations using a tractor beam
- New commands for automated mobile mining are available through the Special Command Software
- New option to have ships contact you once they have completed their current command

Other improvements:

- Improved performance in sectors with large asteroid counts
- If a hired TL freighter is destroyed an entry in your logbook will be created
- New military ships have better scanners
- M6 class ships have better energy generators
- Adjusted collision avoidance of gates and small asteroids
- Number of Xenon ships roaming the universe has been reduced
- Amount of civilian ships has been rebalanced

New graphics options:

- More Dynamic Light Sources: if disabled the number of dynamic light sources will be reduced (per pixel light is still rendered); disabling this will have a slight positive effect on game performance
- Ship Colour Variations: if disabled ship colours will not be shifted; disabling this will have a slight positive effect on game performance
- Disable Vertex Size Optimisation: enabling this option will fix the "black triangle" bug some ATI users reported in 1.3:

Please note that this issue only occurs on newer ATI cards with certain driver versions. ATI has found the problem and it should be fixed in future driver versions. Please check if you still need to disable this option when you update your drivers so you can take advantage of the optimisation.

Bug fixes

- Alt-Tab should no longer cause a crash!
- Freeze caused by story mission fixed
- Freeze caused by Trade Command Software MK3 fixed
- Trade Command Software MK3 energy supply fixed
- Factory in Bala Gi's Joy is rebuilt
- Black screen when leaving a sector fixed
- Jump drive functionality after buying Kha'ak specifications restored
- Xenon ships no longer spawn in Teladi shipyards
- Yaki pilots without face/voice fixed
- Motionless Kha'ak clusters fixed
- Usage of video and audio codecs optimised to fix various problems
- Shockwave Generator and Mass Driver weapons have been optimised to reduce their impact on game performance
- Cockpit positions for turrets corrected
- Lighting of custom geometry (e.g. cockpit mod) fixed
- Terran ships no longer pursue the player through the whole universe after he jumped out of the sector
- Newly built Xenon M2 ships are properly equipped with shields
- Uncontrolled spawning of large amounts of Yaki ships in certain sectors has been fixed. (note that it may take a few minutes after loading a savegame until the numbers are back to normal)
- Many other minor problems resolved

Note: Savegame compatibility is maintained from all previous publicly released versions to 1.4, including public BETA versions 1.3.1 and 1.3.2.


X³: Reunion 1.3 Readme updates

This update adds important features to the game as well as fixing a number of problems that players experienced. It also improves the game-balance in key areas such as combat and the economy.

New functionality

- Mobile mining!
- Sector enhancements
- Complete tips menu with all game tips introduced
- Destroyed stations leave wrecks
- Previously missing ships have been activated (Argon Discoverer, Teladi Osprey)
- Missiles have a new look
- Intermediate products in a complex can now be selected in the "sell for best price" menu
- Intermediate products in a complex may now be bought, sold or both (global setting per complex)
- A new ship is available: the Split Caiman Miner

Performance and options

- HUD render performance increased
- Bullet render performance increased
- CPU load reduced, increasing overall performance
- Additional user-defined graphics options
- Optimised overall shader performance
- Higher quality/speed of medium shaders

Balancing and economy

- NPC fight AI improved
- Ship collision-avoidance AI improved
- GOD engine rebalanced and enhanced to affect economy
- M1 & M2 shield generators increased
- M2 laser generators increased
- M6 class ships can now execute trade commands (buy/sell ware/best price)
- M6 class ships can now install the Mobile Drilling System (suitable for mobile mining!)
- Intermediate product distribution logic has been fixed for complex building
- Swarm missiles rebalanced
- NPC AI tweaked to allow dumbfire missile usage
- Pirate stations spawn pirate ships
- Increased NPC fights and conflicts
- Kha'ak fighters rebalanced (don't say we didn't warn you Wink)
- Several plot stages have better balance
- Other minor balancing improvements

Fixes

- Plot elements restored to working (should work for existing save-games too)
- Plot-ending Argon rank bug fixed
- Quantum Tube Fab in Bala Gi's Joy will be re-created if neccessary
- Miria contacts player after she has been rescued from the pleasure complex
- Mine for The Seed is now producing
- Several other minor plot issues resolved
- "Broken" jumpgates now really look broken
- If the storage of a complex is full the running production cycle will not exit until there is enough room for the produced goods
- Argon versus Boron battle issues resolved
- Captured ship-speed bug fixed
- Ships hitting gate following jump fixed
- Followers don't forget their command after docking
- Decreasing numbers of AI ships over time fixed
- Astronauts filling up docking slots fixed
- Fixes to several autosave and savegame CTD problems
- Many other minor problems resolved

Note: Savegame compatibility is maintained from all previous versions to 1.3


X³: Reunion 1.2.01 Readme updates

For your reference, a further 1.3 update will follow in mid-November. Along with various minor issues, this is planned to make a large further optimisation for memory usage that will again significantly improve performance over 1.2. There are several fixes and enhancements that are included in this update (some of which you will not even have tried yet), the main ones of which are:

- fixed tooltips stuck on screen

- several causes for crashes fixed

- performance has been drastically improved

- manual docking at trading stations is now possible

- storyline gameplay significantly improved in key game parts

- several minor fixes

Savegame compatibility is maintained from previous versions to 1.2.01


X³: Reunion 1.2 Readme updates

There are several fixes and enchancements that are included in this update (some of which you will not even have tried yet), the main ones of which are:

- added support for more joystick models

- improved menu design

- fixed random crash on entering a sector

- voice and audio syncronisation fixed

- performance optimisations including reduced memory consumption and shader enhancements

- gamestart position modified to improve trading options at the start

- complex construction of factory positioning improved

- Tool tips added to assist in learning the menu Icon System

- added ability to scroll menu bars with mouse

- docking made easier, plus additional docking guide added

- plot gameplay significantly improved in key game parts

- cut scenes re-produced, re-directed and optimised

- added content for infostation help dialogues

Savegame compatability is maintained from 1.0 to 1.2