Time to Head Back Into Space

     I abandoned this blog (and X4) in January 2023.  My memory isn't what it used to be, due to aging and to Covid.  Back in the first wave of Covid, it hit our family hard.  Those of us still here still have the side effects, over two years later.  Not all of us are still here.  Monique and I both still feel the brain fog, and noticed an extreme loss of memory and concentration.  In my case, I've always loved to read, but after Covid, reading is a struggle.  It used to be instant immersion.  Picking up a book brought me to a new world.  I've re-learned how to read, but it's a matter of paying close attention, and using mental tricks to "check my work."  Otherwise, words don't look the same and I often read what I expect to read, rather than the words that are actually there.  I still read a lot because I'm stubborn, but also because I hope with enough practice, it will become natural again.

    It's made playing complex games difficult.  The first month I felt well enough to go back to Guild Wars 2, I couldn't even watch the screen without getting vertigo.  I also went, within a single month, from being pretty good at Elite: Dangerous, to being really bad.  I look at all the controls that used to be autonomic, and they look completely unfamiliar.  Beyond the most basic controls of steering and moving the ship, the rest is gone.  I might re-learn some of it over an hour or two of practice, and the next day, it's all gone again. Practice and repetition, building and maintaining habits, it requires active effort to hold onto things any more.  It's one reason I love eBay - my focus is on an extremely repeatable product, and I've done it enough to have a reliable routine.  Plus copious notes, reminders, and templates.  Each listing is similar enough I don't have the 'slow-down' of trying to remember what I need to do, or how it works.  I do some more unique items each day also, which gives me a comparison between the very repeatable listings, versus thinking through what I need to do for the individual types of items.  It's very obvious the ones that require individual attention are much more difficult than they should be.

    I thought X-4 might be different from Elite, since it can be played solo, and it can be paused while I stop to look up how to do things along the way.  But it turned out, different doesn't mean simple.  Maybe if I had more time... and that brings me to the point of this post.  I "retired" a couple of weeks ago.  Doesn't mean I stopped working for a living, just that I took social security, which pays about 2/3 of our bills, and for the rest of our income, we sell on eBay.  In itself, eBay is a full-time job.  Maybe over time we'll get more stable, but for now, we really need eBay.  

    It occurred to me yesterday, this is the perfect time to look into X4 again.  Not just because of my situation, but because yesterday, August 28, X4:Foundations Update 6.20 was released.  Per Egosoft, they're already planning and working on 7.0, but it's a long-term project.  What better time to start playing again?  No need to worry about things being changed just as I'm learning how to do them.  New guides should be coming out, which means I can filter out all the old guides by date and just focus on the new ones.

    All in all, I'm looking forward to trying again.  Wish me luck.  :^)

Off Topic - Skyrim Leveler's Tower Floor Map

 This blog is pretty much abandoned for lack of time; X4 will have to wait until I have a lot of spare time to really learn it.

I do still play Skyrim, but don't bother to blog about it.  Nice thing about Skyrim is I can play anytime there's a bit of time available, and am comfortably familiar with how to play it.
I needed a public link to share this flowchart map of the Leveler's Tower mod floor plan, and this leftover blog was convenient.

There's a higher quality pdf, but blogger doesn't like pdf.  The jpg below works, and if you print it on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, if you have decent eyesight it's big enough to read while playing.

X4 and Voice Attack - Targeting Object in Front

  Still a newbie.  Very slow progress, but I've finally started playing, and looking for crystals.  When I found the first one, I couldn't target it with a Hotas.  Would have thought "Target Object" would target the closest object in the center of the screen (under the targeting dot).  Instead, it keeps targeting random ships that aren't even ON the screen!!

  I did what I always do, and started Googling.  Found "T", that didn't help.  I can manually click the crystals with the mouse, but that kind of spoils the whole "stick and throttle" thing.  Found a forum conversation on Egosoft - a comment by Belgaroth:

I have a problem with targeting something directly ahead of me. If I'm flying towards a station and press my target button on my joystick, it will target anything and everything except the station. I haven't figured out why it does that. So, I created a command in Voice Attack that moves the mouse to the center of the screen and left-clicks to target what's dead ahead of me. So, instead of targeting a transport ship, civilian ship or even an asteroid that's on the other side of the station, it targets the station itself. I'll get that sorted out eventually, but the solution I came up with works pretty well.

  First thought... this confirms that Voice Attack will work in X4:Foundations.  Great news.  I've only ever used it in Elite Dangerous.  It seemed likely, but I haven't tested it, since X4 has pretty good Hotas support without the need for Voice Attack.  It can't use modifiers, but the flight controls are far simpler than E:D was, so I haven't really needed more versatility.  At least this confirms that it does work, if the time comes.

  Next thought... this isn't a perfect solution, but it's an easy one.  I'm just not sure it's worth running VA to play X4 for only one command.  Kind of overkill.  At the moment, I'm trying to decide if switching to mouse for precision targeting is a more viable option.  It's kind of a toss-up, haven't decided yet.

At least now, I KNOW there's an option.  Logged it here with the link and the quote in case I can't find it later and forget the option.  Now it's in the (data) bank.

X4 Foundations Combat Training and Hotas Inconsistencies

 I'm not sure if anybody else has had this happen, searched on Google but maybe there's a search term I'm not thinking of.  Anyway, after getting the Hotas - Thrustmaster T.16000M - set up with a good layout, it's been inconsistent with keeping the settings upon reloading the game.

For example, I set the ministick to control the X/Y strafing, and it works fine.  Saved it to the first slot.  Coming back to the game the next day, the ministick sometimes works fine, and sometimes loses the setting.  It works fine mechanically, but I have to go back into the control menu and re-set that button.

It's not always the ministick, that was just an example.  At first I thought it was loading in the original default layout each time, but discovered some of my settings were still there, just not all.  
Then I thought maybe it's because I haven't actually played the game, just been doing the tutorials.  Maybe my custom settings won't store correctly because I keep choosing "New Game", then one of the tutorials?

Short side explanation - I'm over 60, and had Covid a little over a year ago (August 2021).  Covid left me with a seemingly permanent mental fog.  Staying focused, comprehension, memory, took a huge hit and are only partially recovered at this point.  So, it takes a lot more effort to learn, and rather than jump off the high-dive right into X4, I'm running through the tutorials over and over trying to burn the controls into long-term memory.  

Usually I can only handle the concentration for a bit at a time.  Today, I made it entirely through the combat tutorial for the first time.  Have already completed the flight tutorial multiple times.  Will start the advanced tutorial now.  After that, I'll start actually playing the game.  

Back to the T.16000; while the intermittent loadout issue isn't a game-killer, it's been worrisome for the long-term game play.  Having to stop in game to re-set a missing button command messes with immersion.  Last night I saved the loadout to a second slot, hoping it can act as a backup.  Something to reload with, when the random effect strikes.  This morning, on loading up the game, everything was working exactly correctly.  Time will tell, but now I'm thinking something about slot 1 isn't saving correctly.  Saving the loadout to a new slot might have been the fix.  

I hope so, because so far that's been my only complaint about the game.  Having come from Elite Dangerous, I'm used to the general idea of space-flight, with 6 degrees of freedom.  Had to quit Elite after the Covid brain-fog, couldn't keep track of all the commands any more.  Chose X4 because the overall space-flight command set looks simpler, yet the whole galaxy/empire building aspect will satisfy my desire for complexity, while giving me time to think, plan, make decisions... and time to Google anything I can't remember on the spot.

With X4 Foundations, I can still have fun in space.  :^)

X4 Foundations HOTAS Layout for Thrustmaster T.16000M Hotus X4

 I still haven't had time to try this set-up (hope to tonight), but this is my current layout.  It's based almost entirely on this post by u/boosthungry: Thrustmaster T.16000M HOTUS X4 Button Layout

There are a couple of changes, but nothing major.  This layout made sense, based on my experience with Elite:Dangerous, and the fact that I could only find 2 posted online (The other one is by Captain Collins).  Both were very nice - but this one is a better fit for me.  It may need some tweaking, won't know until actually playing the game.  The default profile in-game already had pretty good flight controls for the stick, no need to re-do that part.

This is much simpler than the setup I used in Elite (see bottom image).  The comparison between the X4 layout, and the Elite Dangerous layout, shows exactly why I'm hoping to become good at X4, now that I can no longer remember all the Elite commands.  That layout uses the base controls, plus 2 different modifier keys, and that STILL didn't cover everything, especially when "space legs" came out.
Aside from that, some of those commands performed multiple actions, like my favorite settings for power distribution.  One command even brought up a graphic from another program as an overlay, to remind me when I had something toggled on or off.

All of those commands were tied to the Hotas by Voice Attack.  It wasn't neat and orderly, but got the job done.  It also had some voice activated commands, until my wife thought it was funny to say random things as she walked behind me, and see what effect it had on the ship.  After slamming full speed into the back wall of the space station, I removed the voice commands.

Those days are gone, Covid crippled my memory and slowed my comprehension speed.  I'm doing better, but not sure if it's ever going to be as good as pre-Covid. So... X4.  The things that require memory and reaction are, hopefully, within my ability.  The rest looks wonderfully complex and fun, but something I can figure out at leisure while playing.  That's why there's a "Pause" button programmed.

Considering the way Elite was heading last time I played, maybe it's for the best that I've switched to X4.

X4:Foundations Profile

My Elite: Dangerous profile:

X4:Foundations - My Initial Experience

If you read the first post, you know I'm older, struggling with memory and comprehension issues after Covid, and have been looking for a game like Elite Dangerous, but not as hard to play.

X4:Foundations was my choice.  Maybe that sounds crazy, because in its own way X4 is as complex, or maybe far more, than Elite.  What gave me hope was that learning commands for combat seemed within my reach.  And the rest of the game is very much menu driven, with the opportunity to pause the game as needed to comprehend and make decisions.

So, in the past week since buying X4, I've been practicing the flight tutorial mostly.  Learning the commands comes and goes.  Some days I remember, some days it takes re-doing the tutorial from scratch, but am making progress.  

Originally I'd read that many people prefer playing mouse and keyboard, and was going to try that route.  After a few days, it became obvious that m&k flight was for the birds, so I hauled out my old Thrustmaster T.16000M HOTAS.  What a dream.  Within moments, my flying had smoothed out.  Flying, getting from one destination to the next, was as simple as choosing to go there.  The joy and beauty of swooping, spinning, being in space, was back.

It's a shame all the other stuff didn't come as easily.  Part of the problem was in the tutorial itself.  Even with the HOTAS, parts of the tutorial expected me to use the keyboard instead.  Plus, I could swear some of the controls it told me to hit weren't even close to the actual keys.  There was one in particular that told me to punch 2, and neither the stick, nor the throttle, not even the keyboard numeral "2", did it.  Can't remember for sure, but I think the tab or escape button wound up doing the trick.

Another aspect was having no idea what commands were built into the default T.16000 profile, and which ones required keyboard controls.  There's not a lot online that really helps, though I did find one Redditor asking if anybody had a graphical map of the defaults.  (Nobody seemed to)

By the same token, there weren't many existing profiles I could borrow from.  Youtuber Captain Collins had a fantastic video review which showed how he set his layout, and he includes links to an excellent graphic of his layout, and even a downloadable profile.

One other I found was the Reddit post Thrustmaster T.16000M HOTUS X4 Button Layout which also had an excellent graphic layout, and included a downloadable profile.  Between the two, I prefer this layout, but both are excellent.  This one just dovetailed better with my previous Elite setup, and I hoped it would make learning X4 easier.

I did wind up customizing two or three things, nothing highly significant.  One thing I got from Captain Collins, which was to include a "Pause" command on the controller.  Sounds perfect for my intended playstyle of 'pause and research'.  I modified the layout for my own graphic, as a memory aid.  That's as fare as events have gone.  Finished changing the graphic, and decided to blog the experience so far.

Next post I'll include the graphic, in case anybody's curious.  It'll take a bit, I need to figure out where to keep the file, and have it available to any readers.

Small caveat about the downloadable profiles.  While I didn't try Cpt. Collins download, I did try the one from Reddit.  Maybe I misunderstood something, or maybe the file structure has changed since the original post (which was some 3 years ago at this point).  Regardless, it didn't work at all.  With some frustration, I wound up manually entering all my controls through the X4 game settings menus.  Haven't had time to test it, but that's certainly the next step.  If it doesn't work as expected, I'll fallback to tying the actual key commands to the HOTAS using Voice Attack.  Just like I did with Elite Dangerous.

Why X4:Foundations

It's early January of 2023, and I'm struggling to learn a new game, X4 Foundations.  New to me, at least.  For Christmas, my niece (the college professor) gave me Steam Gift Cards.  It was a lot like being a kid again and picking out one piece of candy from the whole store.  Making a list, reading and watching youtube videos, comparing them all together, took a couple of weeks just to make up my mind.

I'm old enough to be retired, broke enough to still need a job.  From the days of Vic-20, Commodore 64, and the mighty Amiga, I've flipped between Sci-Fi and Fantasy games.  As a matter of fact, in the 80's my favorite two were "The Bard's Tale", and "Elite."  Both have been strong influences. Both have also been modernized and re-released as Kickstarters within the past few years.  Bard's Tale didn't keep the flavor of the old game, and I never finished playing.  Maybe some day. Currently, my favorite fantasy game is Skyrim, though Runescape and Guild Wars 2 were a lot of fun too.  

Elite became "Elite: Dangerous", and I loved it for a long time.  It was perfect for me.  After a stressful day at work, I'd jump in my ship and head for the stars.  Took a real-time trip to the center of the galaxy, which literally took me 2 months of travelling.  The peace and solitude were life-saving.

Anybody who plays space sims knows Elite Dangerous, and probably has strong opinions about it.  The whole space legs thing was a huge debacle that would have killed my enjoyment anyway, but before getting that far I caught Covid and was sick for nearly a month.  The symptoms in my case were reduced reading comprehension, loss of memory, and vertigo.  A year later, I'm mostly recovered, but not entirely.  In particular, I can't play Elite any longer.  The mind-muscle connection is gone.  Where it used to be as easy as thinking of a command, and doing it without stopping to consider what controls to use... now I have to stop constantly, and check what the command is, which keys or buttons to hit.  Trying to play just depressed me.

I play (and do love) "One Man's Sky", and it's definitely easier, yet very rich and rewarding.  But ultimately, space combat was missing that feel of real space, of flying with 6 degrees of freedom.  It's a great game that I still play, but couldn't replace Elite.

With the Steam cards, the search was on for an easier space sim, that gave the same exhilaration as Elite.  Out of several fantastic possibles, Everspace 2 was looking good.  Until someone mentioned X4.  It has the 6 degrees of freedom, in a way that feels a lot like Elite.  It has a lot of complexity, but in a different way from Elite.    The whole "living, expanding galaxy" sounded great.  So did the single-player option.  I don't like being tied to online multi-player games.  But the real clincher was the empire-building.  My impression is that only a small part of the game is live combat, and much of it can be played at leisure, via menus.  

The hope is, that my impaired memory can manage the combat and time-critical elements.  The rest, I can take my time, research anything at need, and play without pressure.

The last piece of the puzzle was when Steam had the New Year's sale.  X4, plus the 3 DLC at the time (Split Vendetta, Cradle of Humanity, Tides of Avarice), and some sound tracks, were available for $39.14.  That left me with .86 cents!!

So here I am.  Documenting my progression mainly for myself.  To see my progress, help me remember where it started and how far I've come, and things that I've figured out along the way, but may forget later.  But it's here on Google Blogger, just in case anybody happens across it. Maybe someone with similar setbacks can gain some encouragement, or offer me some...  Either would be great.  :^)