The learning curve cartoon above is an old one. Normally it was applied to Eve Online -which I played for six years. Oddly enough, I found it easier to play Eve Online than X4: foundations. Having watched hours of tutorials on Youtube, played through tutorials in game and asked questions in a discord dedicated to the game all I have managed to do so far is hook up my controller, fly the ship and locate an asteroid field. Not only that, once I got to the asteroid field I started the tutorial and it said “mining laser required”. I wouldn’t have minded that so much if there had been a way to locate an actual mining laser. You would think one of the starting areas or ships would have them.

In Eve Online all I had to do was approach the hanger to dock. Here it is more akin to landing an actual aircraft (until you purchase the in game landing software). The whole affair makes me think the whole idea of “realism” has gone to far in games when the barrier to entry seems more like the door to a bank vault than a game that’s fun to play. One a recent No Prisoners, No Mercy show I found, by way of Saylah from Mystic Worlds, that Star Citizen will lean toward reality in much the same way. It makes me wonder, especially after how long it is taking to get the game to the “adoring masses” if it will turn more people off than it will attract them.

Normally at this point I would have relegated X4: foundations to a dusty corner of my Steam library right next to “Total War: Warhammer” which has been gathering layer upon layer of dust, having a similar unfriendly barrier to entry. Perhaps if, having mastered Endless Space 2 (with the help from ALOT of sources and players) there is hope for X4: Foundations. The one unfortunate thing about digital downloads is you don’t have the satisfaction of burning the box and stomping on the ashes if the game is just that bad.