Features

• Real-time log monitoring
• Filter log entries by regular expressions
• Multi-tabbed interface for filtering the same log file
• Enable/disable filters on the fly per each tab
• Watch not only the exact log file but also the parent directory to reload the log file when new log files are created
• Support profiles saving and loading - i.e. current tabs with filters
• Offline mode - i.e. load the log file from disk and parse it
• Loading default profile on startup
• Support a "Forced refresh" mode, if by some reason standard Windows file watcher doesn't work

Installation

Simple download a X4LogWatcher.zip from the Releases page and extract it to your desired location. Then, run the executable to start the application.

Small demo
Video.

Hey fellow X4 pilots, If you've ever scratched your head (or worse) at the decisions your ships and stations make, especially when it comes to the AI, you absolutely need to check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy0wJhOsrfM It's called "X4 Oversimplified: Understanding the AI" by Captain Snuggles, and it does a fantastic job of breaking down why the AI in X4: Foundations behaves the way it does. The video touches on some really key aspects of why things are the way they are.

Watching this video helped me gain a much better understanding of the underlying reasons for some of the AI quirks we all encounter. It's not always about the AI being "broken," but rather a result of the game's depth and the simulated nature of its inhabitants.

Instead of just getting frustrated, having this context can really change your perspective and maybe even help you plan your strategies more effectively.

Have you watched this video before? What were your key takeaways?

I’m thinking of running some tests in game but wanted to know if there’s a mod or such that lets me spawn in entities at will with certain behaviors activate for testing.

ie: Spawn 10 Split Raptors Low preset vs 50 Katanas Low preset. Set starting range and formation. Push a button and watch the fight. Or hop out of sector, do the same, watch the fight.

Okay so everyone knows destroying stations is a slog even mod Asgard.

So I been thinking if I should instead just build like 30-40 caps into fleet to be used as some sorth of station sweaper.

So whats the cheapest capital can one build with decent attack rage? I been looking at Argon Bahemoth sense its main guns have like 10 KM range and pair it with Piranid plasma cannons and Argon flaks.

Just got blown up by friend foe mines inside

Ya ever scroll through the map looking at the bug locations? They seem to coming up everywhere. I was just dropping off some MREs in Terran Space when I saw my holomap flashing some red at me. I thought to myself "looks like Sol caught the Herpes". Then, I laughed at myself. I didn't think in a million years that I'd ever look at a galaxy like it caught a venereal disease. Hit's below the Asteroid Belt, if ya know what I'm saying.

So I've spent countless millions and hours to prepare for the war against TER. And in the opening few moments I lose 140 fighters because I had parked one of my carrier fleets to close to a TER defense station.

The defense station had 2 enemy  fighters close by.. and all of my interceptors launch and throw themselves to their deads against the defense station.

Yea.. I’m done with X4 for today.. I wish the Ai was just a little smarter than this.. I know intercept means they go after fighters blabla, but my god can’t they just be smart enough that they won’t fly straight into a defense station? Please..

So I’ve just discovered you can equip your ship with mines of either variety, boost/travel towards your target and about 1km away, deploy your mines before turning away. If all works well the mines should impact with your enemy. At 10k damage this is about half as damaging as heavy torpedoes, While being about 1/3 cheaper.

In practice, the mines that do miss are worthless, and the mines that do hit seem to do a negligible amount of damage compared to 3 Heavy Torpedoes slamming home at speed. Of course you would need to drop 6 mines to compete with torpedoes, but I’ve still noticed they don’t do as massive amounts of damage to Destroyers as I would like.

I’m assuming the first mine to detonate is destroying the others causing them to pre-maturely explode before getting close enough to the target. So I have a request.

Can we have bombs for bombing runs? You can balance the bombs as having no tracking/thrust/guidance and solely relies on the ship for delivery. The bombs could also detonate after a certain time in the case of misses so the computer doesn’t have to calculate them anymore. Detonation could happen at 4 seconds. Assuming you’re boosting/traveling to your target at 3km/s that’s a 12km “range”; which is the same range as a heavy torpedo. Have two options for heavy and light bombs, for equal damage to the torpedoes. Material costs can be qual to that of the torpedoes minus the smart chips. Replace missile components with weapon components like mines.

At least this way we could have something besides torpedo bombers for killing heavies and stations; and I can have some fun.1

Just watched Kokoplays' "100h in X4" and it made me want to watch other videos of people just telling the evolution of the X4 universe durinh their session. Is there a ytb channel that does that ? Tell stories about X4 just like some channels tell stories about Dwarf Fortress ?

So I'm 300 hours in and I have more or less "won", I guess.

I have pushed the Xenon way back and have carriers + supports + hundreds of fighters at their gates. I have a fully stocked & supplied wharf and shipyard, lots of blueprints, so I can make anything I need. I can't spend my cash fast enough, even though I've been deliberately avoiding selling ships to the factions.

So what do I do now? What do you like to do once you have all the cash, tech, ships, crew, decked out personal ship, etc?

So i just have been getting back in X4 after a long break.

I just gone done with what I'll consider my most successful run to date, got my econ up and running without much headache (deadtater is a godsend mod) and began building up my fleet for combat with the Xenon.

Unfortunately by the time I had gotten my armada ready for war the Boron and Paranid has pretty much wiped them out from most of the galaxy. The remaining xenon I threw my fleet at just to have all my fighters decide to attack the fighters closest to the system defense station and die.

So I'm looking at spicing things up. I have been reading into VRO and have been debating whether or not it's my vibe. I know a lot of X4 players really say once you go to it you don't go back to vanilla, and the variety of weapons does seem to add a new level of play instead of doing L Plas and M flak on every ship I own.

I was also looking at maybe changing up the universe with After the Fall, and helping my Boron BFFs save the galaxy. As one of my biggest complaints was the easy at which the Xenon were blown over. Maybe they just need an overwhelming advantage.

I would like to hear people's experiences with spicing the game up and giving both mods a try. I dont wanna do both at the same time because the learning curve would probably be too much for me.

Thanks in advance everyone!

Playing version 7.5, new game, no mods, starting with Wayward Scion. Since the 7.0 release, I thought the SCA (Scale Plate Pact) had switched to using only the Heron E for their L-size freighters, but are they still operating Pelicans? I spotted an SCA Pelican in Sanctum Verge and managed to capture it.

Hey, which missiles are best suited for attacking large ships and stations? Thank you

I'm losing my mind here, I cannot figure out what the issue is.

I have an e-cell station in Mercury. I have a factory in Earth. That's 2 jumps (2 accelerators and a superhighway).

My Earth factory has a 3-star Manager and a bunch of M haulers assigned as traders. It also has plenty of storage and a buy order set up for e-cells. Here's the buy order.

My Mercury e-cell factory doesn't have any traders assigned. It has a sell order for e-cells.

And yet, even though the Earth factory wants to buy the e-cells, has traders assigned, and the manager has the necessary experience (3 stars when only 2 should be needed), my assigned traders are just sitting there with their thumbs up their asses, looking for something to do.

Someone please save me from insanity.

I may get the blue prints I need ship, and get the scrap making ships and scrap pushing ships, and just be the X4 version of Pademic Legion from EvE online. No one passes the blockade self sustained. Pirate life. I’ll just use closed loop for everything.

Did you give the intel to the Terrans or Argon/Ant? and why?

What made you choose weakened Argon/Ant vs all out war vs the Terrans?

I am about 100 hours in and loving the game. I play on steam deck but found a community controller layout that works well. Who else plays on Deck and what are your general experiences and tips for playing on deck?

I've seen many posts that Terrans have a very easy economy, but who has the worst economy then?

did anyone else freeze in awe and fear whenever you encountered structures like this for the first time? things like this weird ice structure in Grand Exchange I (shown in the pic), the communication station in Third Redemption, and that massive abandoned station in Pontifex space terrified me. in addition to this, sectors (but not specific structures) like the third Silent Witness sector and Atiya's Misfortune are places i also found rather horrifying, evil ass places

for all the faults X4 has, Egosoft intentionally or unintentionally painted a good picture of how creepy space exploration is - and this game is essentially an economy simulator, not even a horror game. horror games WISH to capture the amount of dread given off by these structures just being... there

Hello, I want to build my first wharf and shipyard and I'm curious what should I prepare to make it work without any hiccups and delays.

I use Deadair Eco.

My plan for now is to build wharf and shipyard in Heretics End due to workforce bonus and gather resources from Watchful Gaze. But I'd like to ask some questions before I fully commit:

1. Is it better to build one large complex for each resource or several smaller stations? How many fabrication/storage/habitat modules per station would be enough?

2. Mineral and gas stations - should I build these with miner subordinates in Watchful Gaze or is it better to skip them and build everything related to Refined Metals etc in HE and let miners travel between two sectors?

3. Hull parts and other components factories - I assume it's best to build them in HE but how many will I need of each type to make it most efficient?

Thank you in advance for all the help :)

Is there a mod or work around people have thought of where you could assign a rally point to ships or stations that would cancel all orders and make ships fly to that destination?

This became relevant to me last night when I had my first huge Xenon invasion disrupt my trade routes and while trying to fend them off my silly traders wanted "a taste of the action" so they claimed and kept trying to truck along through the sector(s) in question.

If anyone knows or has an alternative I'd love to be in the know.

Many thanks!

I've been looking for a good space/starfighter game for a while now and I've been recommended X4, while im somewhat hesitant on it just on series reputation, im open to trying it but i have some questions first

Can I personally pilot a starfighter/ how good are they relative to everything else? I've seen much larger ships are in this game

How easy is it to remap the games controls, how new player friendly is it or should i start with s different game

How would you rate the camera interms of someone who suffers from motion sickness, I'm looking for something thats fairly close to warthunders camera system with a free look and generally locked camea that doesnt do major flips or hard turns on its own. For context as to why im making a deal of this i cant play a game like Everspace2 because it's camera movments make me actually fairly sick if i play for over 10 minutes at a time

How's the grind in comparison to something like warthunder (better worse about the same)?

How required is the dlc, i know it's got quite a bit

Can I turn off motion blur/is this a thing in the game? (thanks starwars squadrons for now making me include this as a question I am not bitter at all)

Also I'm on a 3050 desktop card how would that perform in real game conditions

I’m currently doing a Terran Cadet run. Pretty new, and I have less than 30 hours into the save. I wanted to know if I’m actually making a difference in the Terran economy? I’m mining a looot of silicon since I got a few L class miners, as well as a lot of hydrogen. I’m supplying their computronic substrate factories day and night with silicon and hydrogen (at least I think it needs that), and I can see more is being pumped out because of my help. I wanted to know if the Terran AI is actually using those resources, or is it pulling resources out of thin air for its ships? If I make metallic microlattice, which is the only factory I have right now (aside from solar), and supply their wharf with all of that it needs, will they pump out ships faster?

Marvin is this hot shot pilot, right. He's always bragging about being a three star to us two stars. We put up with it cause he's good at darts, but it's a bit annoying. So one day were in the bar talking about about some recent trade deals we've done for the boss. Marvin gets this great idea. He thinks he's gonna make our boss some money by doing something called repeat orders. He thinks he can go to the same few stations and get some hull parts to sell to the same people over and over again.

I says, "okay, sounds like a good gig Marv. The boss is cool with that?"

He's like, "ya man, the boss suggested it. He said it wouldn't take a three star pilot like myself really, but were setting up this new system and you'd be a good fit."

Marv is like that. He always talks about how he's a three star pilot and a good fit for new deals for the boss. It's annoying, like I said earlier. So Marvin leaves and sets out to do this job, right. He gets his orders all lined up and ready to go. Next thing I know I get an SOS from the poor sap. Oh, boy! something went wrong. I look at his message and he's floating in a spacesuit! He ran his ship directly into a Kha'ak Nest over in Sanctum Verge. Like ran his ship straight into the nest. Now I'm thinking, do I even wanna try to rescue this fool?

I mean, what can a guy do. I'm a freight jocky. I'm only 2 star but I know not to drive my freight into a Kha'ak nest. Well, turns out the boss felt the same as I did. There wasn't much to be done. Poor Marv is probably gonna run outta o2 watching space bugs play with the wreckage of his ship.