Make Casinos Functional Please!!

[hqkiller93]

Hello there

is this the correct place to request this feature but we really need functional casinos blackjacks, high roller pokers etc.. there are casino stations, even we can build one but no games in it.

Regards.

[Alan Phipps]

Not for me thanks. If I should ever want to play those (not that I do) then I can do it properly on my real PC and not waste dev resources and time in X4 for something probably done less well and that would probably be used once or twice and then forgotten by most players (in my opinion).

Even any gambling element (if you saw that as an in-game income stream) would be false because you could always reload until you won.

[Nanook]

Suppose instead of playing for credits, we play for mod parts. Have it set up so we place a minimum 'bet' and always get at least a low level mod, the larger the bet, the greater the chance of getting a higher level mod. It would be an alternative way to get mods, but instead of killing for them, we pay for them. I'd vote for something like that.

After all, we do something like this every time we apply a mod to a ship. And yes, players often keep reloading to get a better value, because who is going to pay 250,000 credits and get a value of 5 when the range is 5-20.

[Tomonor]

I'm afraid that having a functional casino would result in quite a few sanctions against the game itself, ranging from the age rating skyrocketing to the game being outright banned in certain countries.

[adeine]

I'm afraid that having a functional casino would result in quite a few sanctions against the game itself, ranging from the age rating skyrocketing to the game being outright banned in certain countries.

This, sadly. It's insane that games that have real money tied to gambling/microtransactions are doing just fine, but you can't have a virtual casino anymore.

[TroubledRabbit]

if only Egosoft would employ Billy Kotik everything would be possible, for a substantial bill attached.

I think there is very low demand for such a feature (as is for restoring the Stock Market) otherwise there already would exists mod for that.

BUT:
this is ofc. a quest potential (or gamestart).
Drowned Teladi or Indebted Family (do you remember 'Poisoned Paranid' start?)

[PersonyPerson]

I'm afraid that having a functional casino would result in quite a few sanctions against the game itself, ranging from the age rating skyrocketing to the game being outright banned in certain countries.

This, sadly. It's insane that games that have real money tied to gambling/microtransactions are doing just fine, but you can't have a virtual casino anymore.

It's because virtual gambling has been proven to be a pathway to real gambling. The predatory loot box industry that took advantage of having the aura of being the former whilst in reality being the latter, is mostly to blame.

Given that the game's current PEGI age rating is 7+, I think it's for the best to not contribute further to the problem.

One question I do have is why is Gambling the only source of "Welfare modules"? Shouldn't things like Hospitals, Hotels, Security modules etc. be a thing too?

[Socratatus]

Virtual gambling should be in the game in single player. The idea that it causes people to then gamble for real is ludicrous. If that's the case we shouldn't allow killing, or destruction or enslaving workers on basically no wage. If a guy gambles he was going to anyway, just as if a guy kills he was wicked enough to anyway, game or no game. It's not the game's fault.

I have played fake gambling games all my life from the `90s right up to Red Dead redemption 2 which has some of the best virtual gambling not a real coin involved. I have not gambled for real since forever and certainly never gambled in a casino (though I did work in one as a young lad). I like them because I don't have to use any money cos it isn't real life money exchanges, yet I get the fun of the actual `gamble`. I love playing Poker or 21 for instance. I like games.

What is it with you people? I feel like we've gone backwards and have become so-nanny-State we can't allow people the freedom to choose what to do in a GAME.

The problem is ONLY if REAL money is gambled. That's it.

[TroubledRabbit]

Virtual gambling should be in the game in single player. The idea that it causes people to then gamble for real is ludicrous.[...]

Then just mod it into or convince some modder.
There is extensive literature on the matter (see: e.g. Purwaningsih, Eni & Nurmala, Ira. (2021). The Impact of Online Game Addiction on Adolescent Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences. 9. 260-274. 10.3889/oamjms.2021.6234; Phillip C. Raneri, Christian Montag, Dmitri Rozgonjuk, Jason Satel, Halley M. Pontes. (2022) The role of microtransactions in Internet Gaming Disorder and Gambling Disorder: A preregistered systematic review, Addictive Behaviors Reports, Volume 15, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2022.100415.; Brock, T., & Johnson, M. (2021). The gamblification of digital games. Journal of Consumer Culture, 21(1), 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540521993904; and a lot more, that just a few from my feed) and this is not a new topic.

We have got in-game a society built on slavery and still we do not have 'Slave Pits' as a cheaper in maintenance habitats either. That para-fascist (and definitelly authoritarian, they always had that vibe) Terran society should demand some 'Reeducation Camps' at least.

There is a price tag attached to the 'adulthood' in entertaiment and actually neither 'virtual grotesque intimacy' (oh Bioware...) nor similiar matters are them just the same as prudish imagination of PEGI is not. One of very adult and ethically hard games is e.g. 'That Dragon Cancer' another 'Firewatch' (if you are playing it as an adult able to understand not 'gamey' qui-pro-quo) yet another 'Journey to the Moon'. You do not want 'adult' in entertaiment, rly.

[PersonyPerson]

Virtual gambling should be in the game in single player. The idea that it causes people to then gamble for real is ludicrous. If that's the case we shouldn't allow killing, or destruction or enslaving workers on basically no wage. If a guy gambles he was going to anyway, just as if a guy kills he was wicked enough to anyway, game or no game. It's not the game's fault.

I have played fake gambling games all my life from the `90s right up to Red Dead redemption 2 which has some of the best virtual gambling not a real coin involved. I have not gambled for real since forever and certainly never gambled in a casino (though I did work in one as a young lad). I like them because I don't have to use any money cos it isn't real life money exchanges, yet I get the fun of the actual `gamble`. I love playing Poker or 21 for instance. I like games.

What is it with you people? I feel like we've gone backwards and have become so-nanny-State we can't allow people the freedom to choose what to do in a GAME.

The problem is ONLY if REAL money is gambled. That's it.

But what would gambling actually add to X4? To me it would seem like a totally useless feature. Having the practice inferred lore wise rather than being fully interactive for the player is good enough.

Gambling in games is one significant avenue into real life problematic gambling. Studies on the matter have proven that. Governments across the world started getting interested in regulations because children and young adults were getting affected. It's why any new game with any serious gambling mechanics in it will get an 18+ label. A similar link is not true when it comes to murders and violent behaviour. That's why actions get taken against gambling and not violent conduct (unless it's ultra-excessive).

Virtual gambling may not affect you or me, but it does affect others. It's damage is mental (behavioural) rather than material and it's impact is worst on young people. Having potential 7 year olds getting into the habit of gambling through playing Roulette with a Teladi dealer cheering them on in the bar, just doesn't sit right with me.

[EGO_Aut]

X4 teaches us that in the future, gambling will be allowed on space stations. Owner and CEO's will make the employes happy, and will get back some of the loan.-not? Ups efficience.

Badly, another useless modul for the owner. Poor devs, they spent a lot of time to create this nice stuff.

Maybe they can implement some TV's Live Streaming the news whats going on in my universe?

[Alan Phipps]

@ all: Let's please try to keep this an X4 discussion and not a general gambling discussion which will get moved to Off Topic.

[Socratatus]

But what would gambling actually add to X4? To me it would seem like a totally useless feature. Having the practice inferred lore wise rather than being fully interactive for the player is good enough.

It's just extra gameplay. Just like in RDR2 or New Vegas. It's extra gameplay extra fun. Extra immersion. It doesn't have to do anything else. I like running about on the platforms and finding things to do on foot.

If no one wants to understand, fine. If certain organisations are verboten on it, then I'm not happy about it, but fine. I just don't agree with that decision.

[adeine]

It's immersive and fun if you come up with creative made up games, like Pazaak in the Knights of the Old Republic games. I'm sure the X universe would have had plenty of opportunity for this - surely the Teladi would have very different games from the Boron, etc.

Not too big of a loss not being able to have them in X4, but still a shame when you have modules with custom interiors supposedly for this purpose.

[user1679]

I'm afraid that having a functional casino would result in quite a few sanctions against the game itself, ranging from the age rating skyrocketing to the game being outright banned in certain countries.

What about an official Egosoft expansion that simply isn't available in those countries? I'd love to gamble pink slips.

[charlie1024]

Well, some people want 'real casino', but this will be not a kind of 'some countries issue' as some players think.

In my country, I revealed that X4 was reviewed to the national game committee when ToA was released(2022). And, even though X4 Casino was not playable, the country committee said 'This game has some of meandering elements, although they're light'. Some of othet elements contributed(ex. some slangs), but as a result, the game was judged as 'Only for above 12'.

Even, after adding real casino? Maybe at least Above 15, or 18. Will this be only for 'some countries'? Maybe not. Find game committees' standards, for such as ESRB, CERO, IARC, GRAC, PEGI, etc.

I'm afraid that having a functional casino would result in quite a few sanctions against the game itself, ranging from the age rating skyrocketing to the game being outright banned in certain countries.

What about an official Egosoft expansion that simply isn't available in those countries? I'd love to gamble pink slips.

Maybe, just being the entire DLC unavailable because of 'very small thing, casino' is nonsense. Even if that only affects very some people. ToA has very wide contents, even though the value of the DLC is sometimes underestimated. Many missions, many ships and factions, stations. These all will just be unavailable because of casino. This is not good thing.

[Tomonor]

I'm afraid that having a functional casino would result in quite a few sanctions against the game itself, ranging from the age rating skyrocketing to the game being outright banned in certain countries.

What about an official Egosoft expansion that simply isn't available in those countries?

That's not how it works.

[Falcrack]

I'm grateful for the current age rating for X4. I actively avoid M rated games myself. I don't think merely being older makes certain things more appropriate, such as pornography or extreme violence. Blowing up spaceships is different from extreme blood and gore. I don't think gambling is good either for adults or kids, and simulated gambling may encourage real world gambling.

But it would be fun if there were some non-gambling games in the casinos. Not something that would require a huge amount of developer time though.

[Feloidea]

Hard no.

The proven (!!!) psychology of simulated gambling posing a serious stepping stone into real gambling aside, a functional casino would add nothing of value to the game. Gambling for credits is useless, those are hardly an issue if you play the game. You also wouldn't want to give modding materials as rewards because those being teased behind RNG would be frustrating at best. And having a new location to walk through would lose it's novelty factor pretty fast so it's really just wasted effort for the devs making all of it.

[alt3rn1ty]

If it was do-able I would vote for Space Invaders and Asteroids as Game Consoles in the Casino.
I know, not really your usual Casino activities, and probably also has copyright issues, but it would be cool. Cyberpunk 2077 in a recent update added a few Console games into their game, which are themed around Cyberpunk world content .. But CD Project Red probably have developers/budget/time to throw on little additions to the game like that whereas Egosoft are probably quite a bit more constricted.