X3: Albion Prelude
Fifth X series game, add-on to X3: Terran Conflict.
X3: Albion Prelude is a space trading and combat simulator developed by German developer Egosoft, and is the fifth game in their X series. It is an add-on to 2008's X3: Terran Conflict, featuring new content, functionality, and improvements including additional ships, stations, and sectors; a new plot line; war scenario sectors; and several stock exchanges. Released on Steam on 15 December 2011, it is notable for being the base for a later fan-made stand-alone expansion, X3: Farnham's Legacy, released in May 2021.
Quick Facts
- Title
- X3: Albion Prelude
- Developer
- Egosoft
- Publisher
- Deep Silver
- Series
- X
- Composer
- Alexei Zakharov
- Engine
- X TECH 2/X3 Reality Engine
- Released
- December 15, 2011 (Steam) / December 23, 2011 (Mac) / May 15, 2013 (Linux)
- Genre
- Space trading and combat simulator
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
X3: Albion Prelude is a space trading and combat simulator and the fifth game in the X series by German developer Egosoft. It is an add-on to 2008's X3: Terran Conflict, and was released on Steam on 15 December 2011. The game introduces new content including additional ships, stations, and sectors; a new plot line; war scenario sectors; and several stock exchanges. On 4th May 2021, Egosoft released X3: Farnham's Legacy, a fan-made stand-alone expansion for Windows, freely for all owners of Albion Prelude. Along with the free release, a donation pack was released to show appreciation to the community, raising €5,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières matched with an additional €5,000 for flood relief in Aachen. Farnham's Legacy added features such as an increased focus on exploration and the Explorer's Guild; dynamic player relations with factions and diplomacy; and the ability for players to own sectors and have a player headquarters. Its story takes place after the events of Albion Prelude and the jumpgate shutdown. On 9th July, Farnham's Legacy released for Linux.
Reader's Guide
X3: Albion Prelude is significant as the fifth entry in Egosoft's X series and as an add-on to X3: Terran Conflict, expanding that game with new ships, stations, sectors, a plot line, war scenario sectors, and stock exchanges. Its release on Steam on 15 December 2011 made it widely accessible. The game's legacy is closely tied to the later fan-made stand-alone expansion X3: Farnham's Legacy, released freely on 4th May 2021 for all owners of Albion Prelude. This expansion, which added exploration, diplomacy, and player-owned sectors, was accompanied by a donation pack that raised €5,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières, matched with €5,000 for flood relief in Aachen. The expansion later released for Linux on 9th July. Albion Prelude itself was generally well received, with a Metacritic score of 75 out of 100, indicating a positive reception within the space trading and combat simulator genre.
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