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-= *Introduction - A Few Words from the Editor...* =-
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Hello, jbosmans

Welcome to the 42nd edition of the X-Universe News. Welcome also to
2011 and what promises to be another momentous year for EGOSOFT as
momentum gathers in the development of the project known as TNBT (The
Next Big Thing). We're not quite ready to shout, or even whisper,
about it just yet but as soon as we are, you guys will certainly be
among the first to know. In the meantime X3: Terran Conflict gets
perhaps its final bug-splat in the guise of Update 3.1. As it's over
two years now since the release of the game, the attention of many
gamers may turn to modifications to extend the game's playability.
There are some great add-ons, plug-ins and scripts which can enhance
the original game, but some modders like to go that extra mile and
'redesign' the whole game. In this first edition of 2011 we'll be
taking a look at a couple of those large-scale community mods,
Transcend 2 and the recently-released X-tended - Terran Conflict, both
of which require completely new game installations and feature totally
new universes. If you like your interviews, then this edition is
jam-packed with interrogation of some of the guys involved in the
mods, so you can get a better idea of what's involved. Continuing the
'Day in the Life of...' feature, we also take a look at how EGOSOFT
Art Director, Alex Preuss, fills an average working day. Also in this
issue, we'll be taking a quick look at how one forum user's artwork
could help you to show off your in-game persona. Since we've dedicated
a big chunk of this edition to mods, it's perhaps fitting that Bernd
Lehahn, EGOSOFT Managing Director, concludes it with a few words to
the community about his and the company's position on the promotion
and hosting of mods and scripts.

The html-version of this newsletter can be found at:
http://www.egosoft.com/x/xnews/201102_1_44News.html


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-= *X3: Terran Conflict - Update 3.1 is Available!* =-
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With most of the EGOSOFT team now working full steam ahead on The Next
Big Thing, there has been little time to attend to the little niggles
that still exist in X3: Terran Conflict. It's very pleasing then that
an opportunity has arisen for what is perhaps a final update for the
game. There are no major features to speak of but a number of text,
mission and other bugs have been squished in addition to a couple of
fixes for the Balance of Power missions released with Update 3.0. It
has taken a little while to get round to this due to other priorities
but we appreciate your patience and hope you'll find the update a
useful one.

 - Fixed occasional freeze issue in the Balance of Power mission
 - Fixed case where the Balance of Power achievement may not unlock
 - Some minor mission fixes
 - Fixed some map issues (for new games only)
 - Several text fixes
 - Fixed blank messages when object names are coloured by mods
 - Fixed several passenger transport missions which could break in
some circumstances
 - Added Cargo Lifesupport System to Boron Angel

X3: Terran Conflict Update 3.1 can be found in our Download area:
http://www.egosoft.com/download/x3tc/patches_en.php


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-= *Transcend 2 Mod - Beyond the X-Universe* =-
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One of the key aims of the X-Universe News is to bring you the very
latest news on what's going on in the wider X Community. The Transcend
2 mod, however, has been out in the wild for over a year now and it's
probably a good idea, as it has received some major improvements, to
bring it to your attention, if it isn't already keeping you awake at
night.

The mod is the second in the Transcend series of mods and draws on the
modding, scripting and Misson Directing skills of some of the
community's most talented members. In a completely new universe, the
mod continues the X mantra of TRADE FIGHT BUILD THINK. There are many
new ships, new gamestarts, new missions and much more. As a so-called
Major Mod, it's one of those projects which requires a totally fresh
start, something which some players are looking for over two years
since the release of X3: TC. In order to understand more about how
this project came about and what it has tried to achieve, I posed some
questions to its lead developers, Observe and Stu Austin.

Image Link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2011_01_08_002.jpg

Toastie - It's been released for over a year now...

1 - What was the initial inspiration behind the mod?

Observe - With Mission Director for X3-Reunion, I recognized the
potential for creating a mod that was much more than simply a
collection of new ships. Using models I had created for XFP mod, I
embarked on designing a mod based on a “story” starting in the Terran
sectors. So the “initial inspiration” was born out of the powerful
capabilities of Mission Director.

2 - How well do you think it has met your initial goals?

Observe - Our goal was to make the Transcend story come “alive” in X3.
I believe we have been successful at doing that.

3 - Has user feedback resulted in any significant changes?

Stu Austin - The user feedback has been very well received and changes
were made with the feedback.
Observe - Development of a community mod largely depends on the
players so we measure our success and make changes based on user
feedback.

Toastie - As with many mods, it's a team effort...

1 - How difficult was it to find the right people with the right
skills to do the job?

Observe - Finding “multi-talented” people is not easy. For example,
there are people who can create 3D models, but who are unable to get
their models into the game. There are scripters who cannot work with
Mission Director. One of the reasons we’ve been able to release in
record time is because each member of our team has been able apply
themselves in a variety of areas depending on need.

2 - Was there a shortage of skills in any particular area that might
perhaps be filled by aspiring modders/scripters?

Observe - X3 offers a huge variety of modding opportunities. For
example, with Transcend we require skills in such diverse areas as:
audio, video, scripting, Mission Director, software development,
Galaxy map, the various T files, modeling, texturing, documentation,
project management, user support and many others.

3 - Do you have any particular message for the team of people
involved, now that 'Transcend 2' has matured and grown in the past
year?

Stu Austin - I would very much like to thank Observe for including me
since the conception of the Transcend series, for asking me to be a
part of it and for giving me the chance to participate in the modding
community. Also thanks to those who have helped directly or
indirectly: DannyD, TheDante, Killerog, Crip67, Realspace, Ketraar,
Cycrow, Xenon_Slayer and others to numerous to mention; as well as the
fans for their support.
Observe - Stu Austin has persisted tirelessly and with good spirit
throughout the long, sometimes very tedious process of bringing
Transcend to fruition. In addition to those Stu mentioned, no such
list is complete without thanks to Doubleshadow for his wonderful
modding tools and also to Egosoft for their intelligent and consistent
support of the modding community.

Image Link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2011_01_08_001.jpg

Toastie - It's set in a totally new galaxy...

1 - Although the established X races are there, there's a very
different sector-naming system. What was the inspiration for that?

Observe - One of the first things I did for Transcend 2 was create an
entirely new galaxy map. As you know, this involves a huge amount of
very detailed effort. I didn’t want to spend too much time in the
early stages coming up with approximately 200 sector names, so I used
a random Latin star-name generator. I intended to eventually take time
to name the sectors differently, but there were always higher
priorities – so the original names still remain.

2 - With nearly 200 sectors to come up with, how difficult was it to
give each its own uniqueness and character?

Stu Austin - It was very challenging making the map come alive after
Observe designed the "roadmap" of the galaxy and trying to give each
sector a unique look.
Observe - Challenging is right! Stu and I spent many hours editing and
re-editing the contents of each sector. One of the first things was to
determine race distribution in the galaxy. Based on that, we then
needed to establish connections for optimum trading, challenging
exploration and visual appearance. Creating an X-Universe galaxy map
is almost like creating an entire living organism. Everything has to
fit and flow together in symbiosis.

3 - What were your primary considerations when designing the galaxy
map?

Stu Austin - After Observe designed the layout of the map, one of the
considerations was to make it a separate look and feel from the
standard X3 map since Transcend II was to be set in a completely
different galaxy.
Observe - One of the primary considerations was achieving a
functioning trading system consistent with the sector layout and race
distribution. This involved creating custom Jobs and JobWings so the
galaxy would be “alive” with AI ships. Factories, Shipyards, Docks etc
all needed strategic placement.

Toastie - The mod includes a number of new missions...

1 - How do these differ from the stock missions of the 'vanilla' game?

Stu Austin - With the stock missions of the vanilla game, you
basically had to start from scratch and build your way up. What’s very
unique about Transcend II is right from the get go, your goal is to
find and take command of an existing Lost Fleet. You will receive
rewards as you go along and it will allow you to start building up
your fleet and spread your wings with it.
Observe - Some of the new missions are related to the overall plot,
and others are designed to enhance the overall “feel” of the new
galaxy. Many of the vanilla missions exist in Transcend because they
are perfectly compatible with the new galaxy.

2 - How useful has the Mission Director been in making these possible?

Stu Austin - With the Mission Director, it made it very possible to
create a mod with character. With both Observe and me doing it
together, it was great learning from him. The possibilities with the
Mission Director are endless. With the Mission Director, more missions
can be created as the mod progresses.
Observe - We jumped on MD as soon as it became available for
X3-Reunion, and have been using it effectively ever since. Without MD,
the plot and missions presented in Transcend would not be feasible. In
addition, there are many powerful things you can do with MD that don’t
really qualify as “missions”. For example, in Transcend 2 we have a
hollow asteroid with a special jump-gate inside sealed by an exterior
door with three colored spheres above it. The door will open if you
fire your laser at those spheres in a specific sequence. All of that,
including the jump-gate inside, is controlled by Mission Director.

3 - Do the missions form any sort of plot, or is the mod just a
sandbox?

Stu Austin - I think it does form a plot. In the game-start Lost in
Space, you have to find the Lost Fleet which got separated from you as
they went through the wormhole from the X3 Galaxy. As you progress
through the plot, you are asked to help stop Invasions in the
Transcend II galaxy and at the same time are progressing towards
finding the Lost Fleet. At the end, you have a nice Fleet, your own
sector and the HQ along with the blueprints of the OSR ships. With the
Fleet, you will have a job on your hands protecting the universe,
especially with the “Mech Queen” on the prowl.
Observe - A big part of the attraction of Transcend 2 for experienced
players is that as well as having a quest, it offers a fresh new
galaxy “sandbox” to roam around in.

Image link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2011_01_03_001.jpg

Toastie - There are many new ships too, with some interesting
designs...

1 - How many modelers were involved in the design of the new ships?

Observe - I designed most of the ships and other models used in the
mod to serve as “characters” in the overall Transcend story. Crip67
donated some Terran ships, and Killerog provided some nice formidable
Pirate vessels.

2 - Were some of the ships designed with the mod's goals in mind or
did they already exist before the mod?

Observe - Some of the models I created for XFP (Xperiment Fusion
Project) mod, carried over into Transcend.

3 - If you had to choose a favorite ship model, which would it be?

Stu Austin - My favorite ship is the Frigate. Flying it makes me feel
like nothing can touch me.
Observe - It’s hard for me to say because each model represents some
kind of research into modding the game. For example, the second ship I
put into the game soon after I became interested in modding X3 was the
“Mobile Fortress”. That ship began as an investigation into the X3
docking mechanism. Then there is the “Hailstorm Destroyer” which
served as a platform for exploring different types of custom turrets.
So my favorite models are related to the technical challenges involved
with their design. As such, I might lean toward the Hailstorm
Destroyer because of its very unique “wheel turret” design.

My thanks to Observe and Stu Austin for taking time out during the
holiday season to answer my questions.
Go here for more information about Transcend 2:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=261288


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-= *X-Tended - Terran Conflict Mod – Into the Unknown* =-
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EGOSOFT is very pleased to share with the X3: Terran Conflict gaming
community news that the X-Tended - Terran Conflict (XTC) mod has been
released. After a lengthy development phase this modification, which
uses the Terran Conflict game engine and is set in an entirely new
universe of nearly two hundred sectors sees its official public
unveiling. This massive mod features a completely new ship and weapon
balance, numerous gameplay enhancements, streamlined asset management,
many new weapons, wares, missiles, ships and missions. There is also a
completely new map and a setting that is faithful to the official lore
laid out by the books and games. The scope of this development marks
it out as being one of the most extensive mods created for an X-series
game.

The mod's team leader, Aragon Speed, said of its release, "The
X-Tended Team would like to thank the community for their patience
during the long development time of X-Tended - Terran Conflict. We
hope you all agree with us that the wait was worth it. I hope that
Bernd [Lehahn], Helge [Kautz] and the rest of the EGOSOFT development
team like the direction we decided to take with XTC and that we carry
on the X name in a manner that matches the tradition started by
EGOSOFT in X-BTF. Of course our development of X-Tended does not stop
here; the mod will continue to evolve and grow over time until we can
create something truly memorable for the last game in the X series."

Image link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2010_12_18_001.jpg

I interrupted Aragon Speed's post-Christmas reverie with a few
questions about the project. Here's what he had to say:

Toastie
With a large-scale mod like this how difficult was it to build a
totally new universe while trying to remain faithful to the existing
lore?

Aragon Speed
We took the decision to not to expand the existing universe because of
the risk of over-stretching the game’s engine to the point where the
mod would be unplayable. Instead we decided to create a new universe,
but unfortunately this left us with the problem of making it at least
plausible rather than "Here's a new universe just because we wanted to
make one, it has absolutely nothing to do with the old one, so deal
with it!". We could have just created a new universe and the community
would probably have liked it, but we felt that would be cheap and we
also wanted it to fit into a possible branch of the X lore.

To cut a long story short, Aldrin was chosen as the point of
connection between the commonwealth sectors that everyone knew and the
new sectors we have in XTC. As an area that was from before the
Terraformer wars, Aldrin must have originally had connections to the
old gate network that Earth had built during that time period and thus
wouldn't the races be interested in opening those connections up
again?

As the X-Tended team have always liked to push the boundaries of the
game's engine, this lead to the idea of having a universe that was
actually expanding around the player while they were playing the game
to simulate the fact that this was a new area of space that the races
were exploring and expanding into. A simple idea, but it's the simple
ones that can quickly turn into more work than anyone expects.

Working out station placement so the economy is stable is a huge
problem. Creating an economy that works not only in the short term,
but also over the long term, is no easy task when all the sectors are
available from the start of the game. To create one that is stable
when you have a universe that is dynamically changing all around you
while you are playing... well let's just say this is a whole different
level of difficulty. So to answer your original question, not easy at
all.

Image link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2010_12_18_002.jpg

Toastie
In a universe so new and different there is still so much that is
familiar; in your view what is the most jaw-dropping or eye-popping
in-game feature?

Aragon Speed
Man, I hate this sort of question, there is never a definitive answer
as it depends on your point of view. As a developer I have to say the
answer is fairly easy, it would be the massive amount of work that
went into re-balancing the game. Between the economy, weapons,
missiles and ships, that really is an eye-popping amount of work to
both do and to test. From a player's point of view the answer is less
easy. I would have to say the most 'WOW!' thing the mod as a whole has
is the way the game now feels.

Combat is probably the most immediately-noticeable change for the
player. It's no longer easy as the ships have now had balancing done
on them to not only fit into much tighter class definitions (M5, M4,
M3 etc.). They have also been tweaked to make them more effective in
the hands of the AI. The new weapons and how they are placed on ships
have also been changed as we now use custom-built equipment lists that
will adapt to the new difficulty settings we have added. Easier
settings will fit less powerful weapons, while harder settings will
equip more powerful ones and/or place nasty surprises on the ships for
the player (anyone in an M5/M4 who has run across a PBE rear turret on
a fighter will know exactly what I mean).

We also expanded the tools available to the trader and streamlined the
interface as much as possible so anything we have added feels like it
was a part of the original game rather than a tacked-on after-thought
that was added just because it was needed. The amount of script work
going on behind the scenes to make everything look and feel right is
not inconsiderable either. The music was carefully chosen for each
sector, and the amount of music work we chucked away just because it
didn't fit the feel of the mod, the race, or the sector, has probably
given the sound team more stress than joy for the most part. Even the
background textures for the sectors were chosen or created to help
convey a specific feeling for the sector they were placed in. The
sector descriptions and the Galactic News Service both add an extra
level of immersion for the player and actually give the new universe a
depth that is perceptible.

Toastie
What is the appeal of playing X-Tended – Terran Conflict to a player
who is still enjoying their Terran Conflict game?

Aragon Speed
The challenge. The type of person who plays a game like Terran
Conflict is in it for the long haul. They are not after a quick
five-minute fix of something fun (that's what the Wii is for). They
invest a large amount of time into the game. Nothing quite compares to
dragging your sorry butt up from nothing to become ruler of the
universe. XTC makes this process more rewarding for the player.
Gaining your first M6, for example, now actually feels like a
well-earned achievement. I am filled with respect for EGOSOFT for
continuing on with a type of game that is currently out of fashion in
the larger gaming community, for not bowing to the whim of the masses
and for creating games that have a depth and long-term appeal that
most modern games severely lack. However, I think most people would
agree with me when I say that Terran Conflict was pushed towards the
mainstream a little too much, and thus lost some of its appeal due to
the rewards being far too easily gained to cater to the more casual
gamer. You lost that sense of achievement the earlier games in the
series gave you and became bored with playing much quicker as a
result. XTC aims to add the challenge and sense of achievement back
into the game.

Image link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2010_12_18_003.jpg

Toastie
With which ship(s) in the mod are you most pleased?

Aragon Speed
All of them? OK, I'm not going to get away with that answer, am I? Of
the new ships we have added ourselves, I have to say I love the new
Boron M2+. It looks great, plus I like the little internal tunnel you
can fly an M5 through - a nice little feature I don't think anyone has
found yet. A very close second has to be the new USC ships. Our
modelling team have done a great job of making them look like USC
ships while at the same time being totally different from the stock
game’s generic kit-bash models.

My favourite ship-related feature, however, is not a new model, it is
the way we have improved all the capital ships in the game by making
them act more like capital ships. Attack an M1 and it will not only
fire back at you like they did in a vanilla game, it will also give
you a face full of fighters to deal with as it will launch its ships
to help defend itself. If fighters are destroyed it will order new
ones from its race’s wharf, and these will actually fly from the wharf
to the M1. Damaged fighters are repaired by the M1 when they dock and,
depending on their pilot aggression, will bug out and fly back to the
M1 for repairs, then launch again when they are ready. If you actually
destroy a capital ship, then the crew will try to escape in escape
pods before the whole ship blows. Overall, capital ships feel a little
bit more 'real' than they did before.

Toastie
The planned plot-lines didn’t make version 1, so what action can we
expect in that regard in future updates?

Aragon Speed
I don't want to give away too much information here however I can say
that there are multiple new plots planned. One involves the cold war
between Aldrin and the Terrans, another involves the Xenon, and a
third involves the Kha'ak. We have ideas for other plots as well, but
they are just that at the moment, ideas. We won't begin work on those
until the current three are done and out to the public, otherwise we
will become snowed under with work and the player will be kept waiting
longer than is needed.

Toastie
If you had to name one feature in X-Tended – Terran Conflict that you
feel players may find annoying, what would it be?

Aragon Speed
Probably the larger sector sizes, they are massive compared to Terran
Conflict's. They can range from about seventy kilometres to
one-hundred-and-twenty kilometres between gates and take a long time
to cross. From a lore perspective, in the original universe the Teladi
had moved the gates in sectors closer together to allow trade to be
more efficient, but this is a new area of space and the Teladi haven't
been able to drag gates around yet. From a game-play point of view, we
wanted to return to the feeling you had way back in the original X –
Beyond the Frontier game. It took time to cross sectors. You actually
had the feeling of being lost in a very small ship in a very large
universe.

We have tried to make XTC less player-centric and make the universe
feel like it exists on its own and not for the player’s convenience.
This is also reflected in another potentially annoying (at first)
feature - targets in missions can and will be attacked by race police
and military if they are an enemy of that race or a known criminal,
resulting in the mission target being destroyed before the player can
even reach it - annoying mainly because the player will be trying to
compare XTC to the vanilla experience. As I mentioned before, the
universe no longer revolves around the player and the player will have
to work harder to make his mark on it.

You can view a trailer video of this new modification here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAQ7x8K6Yjg
Read more about the project here:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=293490
The mod can be downloaded from here:
http://www.egosoft.com/download/x3tc/bonus_en.php



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-= *A Day in the Life of... - Alex Preuss, EGOSOFT Art Director* =-
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Hi, folks. My name is Alexander Preuss and I am the Art Director and
Lead Artist here at Egosoft. I live in Aachen not far from Egosoft
headquarters and I have been employed here for about 10 years but not
for the whole time, for personal reasons, but that’s another story.

I would like to tell you a bit more about me. What I like, for
example, is good movies, my Wacom graphic tablet, my XBOX, swimming
and other sports, having a beer after work and I love my wife and my
budgies. What I don't like are people who are arrogant, ignorant,
frustrated with their whole life or just simply stupid.

So what about my work? I love my job. And it’s great if you have the
chance to do things in your job which you also like to do in your free
time. So I would like to show you what a typical day in my life looks
like and I hope you enjoy it.

Image link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2011_01_08_004.jpg

8:00 AM
Monday morning at 8:00 AM the horrible sound of my wife’s Nokia mobile
phone burns into my head and I don't look forward to leaving my cosy
little bed but after a short time we are finally ready to get up. The
daily fight for the bathroom is on and unfortunately my wife wins
every time.

8:30 AM
Coffee time. I am still not 100 per cent awake but I try to help my
body a bit with an injection of pure black and damn hot coffee before
I even can think about going to work.

8:40 AM
Having a shower and brushing my teeth... the usual stuff you do every
morning.

9:00 AM
Clothes... check!
Mobile Phone... check!
Keys... check!
Head... check! ;)
Ready!

9:10 AM
Now follows the horrible task of driving the race circuit to work with
all the little harassments like radar [speed] controls, red traffic
lights, not-awake drivers and so on. But during the last few years
I’ve earned enough XP to find the quickest and fastest way to the
office.


9:30 AM
I arrive at the office and look for a parking space, which is actually
a very hard task. You have only two choices here - either park in
front of the office and pay 5 Euros if you forget to adjust your
parking disk, which unfortunately happens very often, or make the
neighbourhood angry when parking in a small street near the office,
which actually makes for more fun. :) But today I choose the more
convenient option and park my car in front of the office.

9:35 AM
Hello everyone!

9:40 AM
After some brief socialisation with all the available colleagues and
starting my PC there is always a few minutes left to get another cup
of coffee. After logging in I first check all my new mails. It takes a
few minutes to get through all of them and if there something related
to the Art Department, I give a quick reply if possible. This goes
then out to the rest of the team and also to Peter [Kullgard], our
project manager and to Bernd the owner of the company. Meanwhile I’ve
started up all the programs I need to work, such as 3DS Max, Photoshop
and some other tiny tools that make an artist’s life easier.

9:50 AM
I have a short meeting with the Art Department to look at the progress
of things and to give some feedback and advice if needed. Now finally
I can start working on the stuff I left before the weekend but after
only a few minutes I get the first interruption - some work must be
re-scheduled in the project plan, so I have to sit down with the rest
of the Art Department to re-plan some things for the next days and
weeks.

10:30 AM
Back at my desk and starting to work… followed from the next
interruption for today - one of the programmers has a few questions
about one of the art assets which unfortunately causes a problem, so I
take the time to answer him, to look at the file, and to find out how
to fix the problem. Not as easy as I thought this time. I need some
help from another programmer to fix the problem. Thereafter everything
works fine and I can continue my work.

11:30 AM
My stomach starts to bellow and what now follows is one of Egosoft’s
greatest traditions. Everyday sometimes earlier, sometimes later,
there are a few employees here that group together and have a walk to
one of the greatest and most mysterious places on Earth: the NETTO
discount supermarket. Here you get everything from frozen hamburgers
and microwave chips to t-shirts and jogging clothes. I get my lunch
and a few bottles of Coke and water for those who were too lazy to
join us. And on the way back to the office I have the chance to reset
my parking disk.

11:40 AM
During lunch break there is some time to check out what’s happening in
the rest of the world.

11:59 AM
I lock the door of the Art Department to have some privacy and to not
be disturbed for the next few hours.

3:00 PM
Meeting time. Every Monday we have a short meeting of the whole team
and everyone has a chance to explain what he did last week and what is
planned for the coming days.

3:25 PM
Thereafter follows a short social break-out next to our billiard
table, talking about programming stuff and also art assets. Everything
works hand-in-hand here and if someone has a cool idea about a new
feature or to improve the graphic quality it is always good to discuss
this in a larger group so the chance of possible bugs can be
minimized.

6:20 PM
Almost done with my stuff for today and it’s nearly beer o'clock. :)

6:30 PM
Done! I pack my things together, shut down my PC and say goodbye to
the rest of the team. Then standing in front of my car, I remember
very quickly that I forgot something… damn it! I got a 5 Euro parking
ticket for not resetting my parking disk! :)

7:00 PM
The ride home always takes a bit longer due to all the beer o'clock
traffic and with getting home comes the horrible task of finding a
parking space. Living within the city has a lot of pros and cons, the
biggest con is that it is almost impossible to find a parking space
after 18:00. One ticket was enough for today so I decide to park a bit
further away this time and have a nice walk home.

7:15 PM
Home sweet home. The first thing to do is to check if everything is
fine with all my budgies and cockatiels - I have 9 of them. My wife,
Alex, is still at work so...there is enough time for me to prepare the
evening dinner... and to have a nice cold glass of beer, Becks to be
more precise. ;)

7:45 PM
Dinner is ready and I already started my home PC to check my private
stuff and I also dress in something more comfortable.

8:15 PM
My wife is finally back from work. Now follows the hugging, kissing
and 'how was your day?' stuff . We have our dinner in front of the TV,
watching the evening news and the Simpsons. Thereafter we move over to
our little hobby-room and start to do what we like. No… not that. ;)

9:00 PM
Mirco, an old friend of ours, comes for a visit. I start our projector
and we sit down to watch a movie, this time it is Inception. I quickly
prepare some last-minute snacks and some drinks for the flick.

11:30 PM
My wife is tired and goes to bed. Mirco stays a bit longer and we
decide to have a short match on Halo Reach.

1:00 AM
Mirco leaves and I just sit in front of my PC with a glass of wine and
let the rest of the evening pass very smoothly.

1:30 AM
That's it. Good night, everyone!

Well if you would like to learn a bit more about me, I would like to
invite you to visit my private homepage www.abalakin.de. Here you can
find out what I do in the rest of my free time.


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-= *Forum Signatures - Licensed to Kill* =-
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The EGOSOFT forums now have well over 360,000 registered users, many
thousands of which have attached signatures. There is an astounding
range of creative and artistic signatures, which tell us something
about the users in question. Some signatures are not X-related, but
many thousands are and attempt to show the individual's passion for a
certain aspect of the X gaming franchise. One forum user, Freya
Nocturne (formerly chobit-389), has come up with a clever way for
users to share their in-game persona with fellow forum users. As
you're aware, in the X series of games, so-called 'Police Licences'
allow the player to receive bounty payments for destroying pirates or
enemy ships. Freya Nocturne has brought this licence concept to the
forum signature using his artwork and your in-game info.

You can choose a licence according to your favourite race or faction
and append badges to show your current trade and fight rank. On the
main licence you can add your name, date of issue, the classes of ship
you fly, your 'home' sector, a 'photo' and a signature. The design and
layout of the licences has already undergone an update for 2011.
Here's Freya Nocturne's forum signature as an example:

Image link: http://www.egosoft.com/news/images/news_2011_01_03_002.jpg

The creation of your own personal licence will require the use of a
reasonably good image-editing program but once complete, you will be
able to show off your own X persona to fellow forum members.

Find out how to do it here:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=292637


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-= *Modding and Scripting - A Few Words from Bernd* =-
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Since some people from the modding and scripting community have
recently asked us about our policy towards modding and what we do to
support it, I would like to state a few things:

EGOSOFT has always encouraged modding. Over the years some modders
have contacted me personally and asked for help in all kinds of areas.
Sometimes it was legal advice, sometimes technical support, sometimes
we were asked to help distribution and promotion. I and others in the
company have always tried to help where we could. I am really sorry
that some modders feel that we have treated some of you differently
from others. That is definitely not our intention.

What our intention definitely is, is to:

 - promote your mods to the community through all means that make
sense for the mod and that you want (mention in X-News, mention on the
website frontpage, facebook or twitter etc.)

 - help in hosting your mod if traffic volume allows (and traffic
volume allows for quite a lot these days)

 - provide technical support where time allows (answering questions
and providing documentation and tools)

If some people have made more use of this than others, then it's
because some people get in touch with me and others here at the office
more actively. If I don't know about the release of your mod, then I
can't support it.

So for the future: Please let ME personally know where we can help
you. Tell me about your projects, tell me what we can do to support
them! To this end, please email me at bernd @ egosoft.com!

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-= *CREDITS & CONTACT* =-
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If you would like to get in contact with us, then feel free.

E-mail:
X-Universe-News@egosoft.com

Publisher:
EGOSOFT info@egosoft.com

Editor in Chief:
Michael "BurnIt!" Baumgardt

Issue Editor:
Toastie

Contributors:
Belisarius
enenra
Peter Kullgard

With Thanks To:
Bernd Lehahn

Translations and Proofreading:
Xgerman - DE
Garga-Potter - IT
XFrench - FR
SBlade - ES

To Unsubscribe:

If you don't want to receive the X-Universe News any more by email,
then
you can change your profile on the website, just log in, go to your
Profile and uncheck 'Subscribe to X-Universe News (newsletter)':
http://forum.egosoft.com/profile.php?mode=editprofile

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