Topic: The Official one and only Star Citizen thread: The Thread to End All Other Threads
Lonestar the Kilrathi started this discussion 9.6 years ago #38,863
This thread is made to be a catch-all for all Star Citizen conversation and news.
I'll update this thread when there are new releases or anything related to Star Citizen that might be of interest to people here. If you're thinking of making your own Star Citizen thread, consider posting your thoughts here instead of making a new topic.Arena Commander 1.0 has officially been released. All of the single seat ships are in game with a full compliment of guns and missiles. most of the internal ships systems have been completed and this is the first release where we begin to see elements of the new FPS portion of the game being included into public builds. The new FPS system animations are the same in First person as they are in Third Person which has lead to some interesting side effects. Other FPS style games use different animations for first person and third person so that player characters don't exhibit weird or awkward behavior. These effects will be scaled from the most extreme (as it is currently) to a good balance between realistic looking and also playable.
Now that Arena Commander is in 1.0 the focus can shift to the FPS module which is the next big module slated for release. the Illfonic studio in Canada has been developing the FPS module in parallel with the studio working on Arena Commander in Santa Monica. Much of the work has been completed and after the module is brought up to the point of release it will be stitched together with the hangar and Arena Commander to probably be ready for public alpha testing within the next 3 months. Early speculation is that the release will be in January, since the illfonic studio appears to be "maintaining the servers over the holidays," which might be internal slang for polishing up an FPS release candidate. I wouldn't expect it that early, i feel that it will be before march though. They are being tight lipped about next year's schedule but March seems to be a very big month, so i'm thinking possibly the Planet Side module (the part of the game that exists outside your Hangar) is slated to be released.
Here's some early game play footage demonstrating dogfighting with the new missiles and tracking system in AC 1.0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbCisH8xhIQ (mute unless you like Skrillex and laughter)
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) double-posted this 9.6 years ago, 13 minutes later[^] [v] #518,200
A few Links:Arena Commander 1.0 Flight Manual (pdf)
The New Mustang Commercial (vid) *NEW*
Introducing the New Pegasus Escort Carrier (pics) *NEW* check out the people on the bow for an idea of scale. points if you can make them out.
(Edited 5 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,219
PSA: If you purchased the $20 arena commander package you received the RSI Aurora Starter Ship you can upgrade your pledge package from the Aurora to the new Outlands Consolidated Mustang for free of charge by using this link:
Aurora MR to Mustang Alpha Cross-Chassis Upgrade
You can also exchange the Mustang for the Aurora if you decide you prefer it. This means you have 2 ships that you can play with rather than just the one.
the Aurora will come stock with 2 laser cannons and 4 radar guided missiles. The Mustang Alpha comes with 2 stock laser cannons and 2 additional hard points for a total of up to 4 guns, but it appears to have no missiles nor missile hard points.
Aurora MR to Mustang Alpha Cross-Chassis Upgrade
You can also exchange the Mustang for the Aurora if you decide you prefer it. This means you have 2 ships that you can play with rather than just the one.
the Aurora will come stock with 2 laser cannons and 4 radar guided missiles. The Mustang Alpha comes with 2 stock laser cannons and 2 additional hard points for a total of up to 4 guns, but it appears to have no missiles nor missile hard points.
(Edited 46 seconds later.)
squeegee joined in and replied with this 9.6 years ago, 10 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,221
@previous (squeegee)
they made the second starter ship becuase ofcommunity input, from what i understand there is going to probably be a third starter to choose from before launch
they made the second starter ship becuase ofcommunity input, from what i understand there is going to probably be a third starter to choose from before launch
Indy joined in and replied with this 9.6 years ago, 41 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,223
Fine. I will play. How do I start?
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 16 minutes later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,226
@previous (Indy)
I'm glad you asked, if you're interesting in getting into the game early there are some things to consider. The game is in very early alpha devlopment and the full release is likely going to be the end of 2016 or possibly even 2017. The game is being release in small chunks, the first being Flyable ships is playable now. Other modules will include FPS into the game, a single player 50 chapter game mode (end of next year), and a large persistent MMO style universe. The game is currently pretty graphically polished, but is still rough and has limited gameplay options at this time. If you're still interested in getting in early the best option is to pledge for the Arena Commander Starter Package which comes with access to all of the alpha content and beta content as well as a copy of the full game when it releases. The cost is $45, but at release the game will cost $60, so there is some cost benefit to early backing also.
If you're still intrigued you'll want to make sure you have a system that can handle the game, you'll need a computer that can play most of the modern AAA titles and it'll kinda need to play them well, Star Citizen is a beastly game and is very demanding on GPUs. You'll want probably at the very least a quad-core CPU and a GPU equivalent to a GTX570 or better. You'll need 8 gigs of ram, and about 20 free gigs of hard drive space and maybe more like 40 when the game launches (i have no idea, it's just huge.)
I'm glad you asked, if you're interesting in getting into the game early there are some things to consider. The game is in very early alpha devlopment and the full release is likely going to be the end of 2016 or possibly even 2017. The game is being release in small chunks, the first being Flyable ships is playable now. Other modules will include FPS into the game, a single player 50 chapter game mode (end of next year), and a large persistent MMO style universe. The game is currently pretty graphically polished, but is still rough and has limited gameplay options at this time. If you're still interested in getting in early the best option is to pledge for the Arena Commander Starter Package which comes with access to all of the alpha content and beta content as well as a copy of the full game when it releases. The cost is $45, but at release the game will cost $60, so there is some cost benefit to early backing also.
If you're still intrigued you'll want to make sure you have a system that can handle the game, you'll need a computer that can play most of the modern AAA titles and it'll kinda need to play them well, Star Citizen is a beastly game and is very demanding on GPUs. You'll want probably at the very least a quad-core CPU and a GPU equivalent to a GTX570 or better. You'll need 8 gigs of ram, and about 20 free gigs of hard drive space and maybe more like 40 when the game launches (i have no idea, it's just huge.)
(Edited 1 minute later.)
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) double-posted this 9.6 years ago, 8 minutes later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,227
@518,223 (Indy)
and another good way to start is to visit www.Robertsspaceindustries.com and just follow the development. The developers are actively engaged with the backer community and provide new content daily. Everything from pictures, videos, stories, you name it. It's a great way to learn about the universe and find out what the game is all about.
Another thing you can do is check out the Twitch Streamers. Many of them do giveaways of game packages and talk a lot about the game, so it's a great way to see what kind of content is currently available and whether or not it really appeals to you in it's current state.
and another good way to start is to visit www.Robertsspaceindustries.com and just follow the development. The developers are actively engaged with the backer community and provide new content daily. Everything from pictures, videos, stories, you name it. It's a great way to learn about the universe and find out what the game is all about.
Another thing you can do is check out the Twitch Streamers. Many of them do giveaways of game packages and talk a lot about the game, so it's a great way to see what kind of content is currently available and whether or not it really appeals to you in it's current state.
Indy replied with this 9.6 years ago, 1 minute later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,228
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 3 minutes later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,229
@previous (Indy)
no worries, there is plenty of time before the game is fully released. Now that you know about it check in on development from time to time and when you make eventual upgrades you can hop in if the game still looks like fun to you
no worries, there is plenty of time before the game is fully released. Now that you know about it check in on development from time to time and when you make eventual upgrades you can hop in if the game still looks like fun to you
Indy replied with this 9.6 years ago, 1 minute later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,230
@previous (Lonestar the Kilrathi)
Will it be first person? Will I be able to actually fly ships around and do battle in first person?
Will it be first person? Will I be able to actually fly ships around and do battle in first person?
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 36 seconds later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,231
Indy replied with this 9.6 years ago, 1 minute later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,233
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 21 minutes later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,240
@previous (Indy)
imagine this scenerio:
You're an explorer in the Persistent Universe. You have a crew of 3 or 4 NPC characters or friends to fill the roles of pilot, marine, science officer, and engineer. You're the captain. You've recently departed SOL and are looking to discover a new Jump Point that leads to a new sector. the science officer has deployed drones and is scanning the system. the marine and pilot are playing cards and the engineer is working on overclocking the ships sensor suite to achieve better results. Suddenly one of the drones detects something very cold and dark. It's a derelict alien merchant frigate. you order the pilot to take his seat and the engineer spools up the Quantum Drive. you have the science officer bring the drones in close and begin to do a a sweep of the frigate looking for life signs as the pilot brings you about and sets course. after traveling at .2c for a few minutes the pilot drops you out of quantum space and before you lies the massive hulk of a derelict Banu Trading Frigate. There are no signs of life, but the ship is too large to scan deeply. You decide you want to explore the frigate and look for treasure. You order the engineer to power down all but critical systems and to "go dark" so you won't be easily detected leaving your ship vulnerable. You order the marine to suit up and to ready the Runabout. You, the science officer and the marine all outfit yourself with space suits and weapons, and hop into a small shuttle craft. You pilot yourself, take the ship out and then dock with the Frigate by a small hatch on the side. The marine cuts through the door with a plasma torch and the three of you board the quiet ship. It's dark, foring you to use helmet mounted flashlights. You use your Mobiglass mobile computer device to scan for air. There is breathable air, but the Gravity is turned off. You take off your helmet and so does your away team. you begin to search the ship. You start by heading to the bridge. The ship is a network of artificially biological plates and tubes and hallways and weird stuff. You find signs of fighting or scavenging or something happening here before. On the bridge you find dead bodies. You search for some kind of manifest to see if there's any cargo worth taking when your science officer begins to panic. "there's something here," she says, and you look around trying to see what she's on about. you draw your pistol when you see the glint of teeth in the darkness. moving.
"i think i know what happened to the crew," says the marine. He shines his light onto the teeth and you see a hideous spider-like monster alien creature eating the head of the Banu Captain.
You may:
1. Order your crew back to the ship quietly and quickly
2. Blast that fucker in the face and fuck the consequences
imagine this scenerio:
You're an explorer in the Persistent Universe. You have a crew of 3 or 4 NPC characters or friends to fill the roles of pilot, marine, science officer, and engineer. You're the captain. You've recently departed SOL and are looking to discover a new Jump Point that leads to a new sector. the science officer has deployed drones and is scanning the system. the marine and pilot are playing cards and the engineer is working on overclocking the ships sensor suite to achieve better results. Suddenly one of the drones detects something very cold and dark. It's a derelict alien merchant frigate. you order the pilot to take his seat and the engineer spools up the Quantum Drive. you have the science officer bring the drones in close and begin to do a a sweep of the frigate looking for life signs as the pilot brings you about and sets course. after traveling at .2c for a few minutes the pilot drops you out of quantum space and before you lies the massive hulk of a derelict Banu Trading Frigate. There are no signs of life, but the ship is too large to scan deeply. You decide you want to explore the frigate and look for treasure. You order the engineer to power down all but critical systems and to "go dark" so you won't be easily detected leaving your ship vulnerable. You order the marine to suit up and to ready the Runabout. You, the science officer and the marine all outfit yourself with space suits and weapons, and hop into a small shuttle craft. You pilot yourself, take the ship out and then dock with the Frigate by a small hatch on the side. The marine cuts through the door with a plasma torch and the three of you board the quiet ship. It's dark, foring you to use helmet mounted flashlights. You use your Mobiglass mobile computer device to scan for air. There is breathable air, but the Gravity is turned off. You take off your helmet and so does your away team. you begin to search the ship. You start by heading to the bridge. The ship is a network of artificially biological plates and tubes and hallways and weird stuff. You find signs of fighting or scavenging or something happening here before. On the bridge you find dead bodies. You search for some kind of manifest to see if there's any cargo worth taking when your science officer begins to panic. "there's something here," she says, and you look around trying to see what she's on about. you draw your pistol when you see the glint of teeth in the darkness. moving.
"i think i know what happened to the crew," says the marine. He shines his light onto the teeth and you see a hideous spider-like monster alien creature eating the head of the Banu Captain.
You may:
1. Order your crew back to the ship quietly and quickly
2. Blast that fucker in the face and fuck the consequences
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) double-posted this 9.6 years ago, 2 hours later, 5 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,266
@518,219 (squeegee)this is actually wrong,
the Aurora MR can now be fitted with 4 class 1 size 2 guns and has a hard point for a size 2 missile rack
the Mustang Alpha can be fitted with 2 class 2 size 1 guns and has hard points for 2 class 1 size 1 guns.
the difference being the Aurora has 4 fixed guns and the mustang has 2 fixed guns and 2 guns on gimbals. this is all subject to change anyway, and the hard points aren't all behaving properly (i couldn't seem to mount missiles on the Aurora) but i've played both ships and the Aurora is a tanky little ship that can soak a lot of damage and with 4 guns especially it really seems like a capable fighter. with missiles it'll be even better. but, it's slow and terrible at racing modes and capture the flag. The Mustang Alpha is pretty fun. it's got a great view from the full glass canopy, it's quicker than the Aurora, has a pair of turret mounted guns you can aim, but can't take a lot of damage. what it makes up for in speed and maneuverability it loses in ability to take a beating. it's a glass cannon, but has a much better time in the other-than-dogfighting modes. but both have their virtues.
squeegee replied with this 9.6 years ago, 11 hours later, 17 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,376
the word on the street is that the servers were shut down for maintenance for a bit and just came back up. dunno if it was the permanent fix they are working on or what, but the devs sound optimistic that the problem is close to being resolved.
Anonymous D joined in and replied with this 9.6 years ago, 43 minutes later, 18 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,409
@previous (squeegee)
> the devs sound optimistic that the problem is close to being resolved.
Have you ever known anything other than that to be released or posted by any dev of anything ever?
> the devs sound optimistic that the problem is close to being resolved.
Have you ever known anything other than that to be released or posted by any dev of anything ever?
squeegee replied with this 9.6 years ago, 19 minutes later, 18 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,413
@previous (D)
yes, in the past they have let us know if they are pessimistic they are going to make a deadline or need more time to work server side issues.
for them to be optimistic means the know what the problem is and how to solve it and are either working on it or are hopefull the fix is working or is going to work.
the downtime message has been removed from the main website and has been replaced by one dealing with friend lists. they have also ceased the rolling server restarts so i think a fix is maybe in place. if not it sounds close. the server engineers have been working the problem since friday night and some backers even sent the Austin Studio free pizza and donuts as a special thank you for putting in extra hours during the holidays.
yes, in the past they have let us know if they are pessimistic they are going to make a deadline or need more time to work server side issues.
for them to be optimistic means the know what the problem is and how to solve it and are either working on it or are hopefull the fix is working or is going to work.
the downtime message has been removed from the main website and has been replaced by one dealing with friend lists. they have also ceased the rolling server restarts so i think a fix is maybe in place. if not it sounds close. the server engineers have been working the problem since friday night and some backers even sent the Austin Studio free pizza and donuts as a special thank you for putting in extra hours during the holidays.
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 2 hours later, 21 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,500
Couple of things from today:
10 for the Chairman. This is a weekly show that usually airs on Mondays, in it Chris Roberts (the head honcho of Star Citizen) answers questions from backers. neat segment, there is also a
transcription on reddit for those who prefer to read.
This is a recording of last Fridays Livestream for the release of Arena Commander 1.0. I have not watched this yet, but plan to catch the highlights. According to Reddit Tony Zurovek (lead designer of the Persistent Universe) does a great Q&A answering Chris Roberts questions about game mechanics, design, and progress of the overall project. Apparently he gives an awesome glimpse into the current state of the unseen portions of the game and talks in great detail about upcoming features and everyone says it's absolutely awesome. starts 1h5m in for the Zurovek interview.
Fan implemented tablet and cell phone based ship controller. So roccat has an app and this dude made it work with Star Citizen. It's easy, and you can use a touch screen to then control ships shields and do power management. very cool. Shields and power management can be wonky to do on the fly because it requires you take hands off of flight controls and mess with using the mouse or hotkeys to make changes. i can't say this app is any easier or doesn't require you stop piloting, but it looks sick as fuck.
10 for the Chairman. This is a weekly show that usually airs on Mondays, in it Chris Roberts (the head honcho of Star Citizen) answers questions from backers. neat segment, there is also a
transcription on reddit for those who prefer to read.
This is a recording of last Fridays Livestream for the release of Arena Commander 1.0. I have not watched this yet, but plan to catch the highlights. According to Reddit Tony Zurovek (lead designer of the Persistent Universe) does a great Q&A answering Chris Roberts questions about game mechanics, design, and progress of the overall project. Apparently he gives an awesome glimpse into the current state of the unseen portions of the game and talks in great detail about upcoming features and everyone says it's absolutely awesome. starts 1h5m in for the Zurovek interview.
Fan implemented tablet and cell phone based ship controller. So roccat has an app and this dude made it work with Star Citizen. It's easy, and you can use a touch screen to then control ships shields and do power management. very cool. Shields and power management can be wonky to do on the fly because it requires you take hands off of flight controls and mess with using the mouse or hotkeys to make changes. i can't say this app is any easier or doesn't require you stop piloting, but it looks sick as fuck.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.6 years ago, 22 minutes later, 21 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,513
here is another interview with Tony Zurovec from July of this year where he sits with Chris Roberts and discusses his role as lead producer. It's very interesting, he worked on a project that was a pre-GTA 1 game that was a 3rd person 3d environment that played with the same mechanics as GTA. The game (called Loose Cannon) was canned by the production company after 2 years of development because they didn't feel that a game about car-jacking people and doing drive bys was going to be a money maker... talk about a fuck up. Then both men discuss how it is benefiting this project to be funded directly by backers and to not have to worry about a board of directors, production companies or investor dividends.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
!OhBrie5EHg joined in and replied with this 9.6 years ago, 1 hour later, 22 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,532
So basically i can play a video game from the future right now for $20?
squeegee replied with this 9.6 years ago, 49 minutes later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,548
@previous (!OhBrie5EHg)
the $20 game packages were a limited quantity. they are sold out :(
i had two but my cousin bought one and my brother bought the other so i'm sold out too. i should have bought 5
the $20 game packages were a limited quantity. they are sold out :(
i had two but my cousin bought one and my brother bought the other so i'm sold out too. i should have bought 5
!OhBrie5EHg replied with this 9.6 years ago, 4 minutes later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,550
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 13 minutes later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #518,556
@previous (!OhBrie5EHg)
you could only put one in your cart at a time and i was driving down the highway and i bought 2 from the shoulder of the road and by the time i then got home they were already sold out. They sold out in like 30 minutes or something, idk. I was all set to buy a third actually.
you could only put one in your cart at a time and i was driving down the highway and i bought 2 from the shoulder of the road and by the time i then got home they were already sold out. They sold out in like 30 minutes or something, idk. I was all set to buy a third actually.
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) double-posted this 9.6 years ago, 49 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #518,579
@518,500 (Lonestar the Kilrathi)
@518,513 (squeegee)
So in Fridays livestream Tony Zurovek discusses the persistent universe and how it works. Star Citizen "the universe" is going to be a server-side economic simulator. there will be millions of NPCs all being simulated and all playing the game. Cities on planets will dynamically respond to the economy by changing in things like population, prosperity, wealth, and even appearance. Players plug directly into the universe the same as any simulated NPC. You can take the same jobs, perform the same roles, and do much of what the NPC sims are doing. you'll also be able to interact with them and influence their lives in the same way that they can influence yours. NPCs will be "Quest Givers" in that they may hire you to do jobs, but, players can also hire NPCs or players technically making themelves Quest Givers as well.
so the whole universe is going to be a modular system of economy based situations that all follow the motif of any given profession. Mercenaries have mercenary experiences, traders have trading experiences, and miners have mining situations, etc. And it'll all come together as a massively endless amount of procedurally generated objectives in a universe that is largely handcrafted.
@518,513 (squeegee)
So in Fridays livestream Tony Zurovek discusses the persistent universe and how it works. Star Citizen "the universe" is going to be a server-side economic simulator. there will be millions of NPCs all being simulated and all playing the game. Cities on planets will dynamically respond to the economy by changing in things like population, prosperity, wealth, and even appearance. Players plug directly into the universe the same as any simulated NPC. You can take the same jobs, perform the same roles, and do much of what the NPC sims are doing. you'll also be able to interact with them and influence their lives in the same way that they can influence yours. NPCs will be "Quest Givers" in that they may hire you to do jobs, but, players can also hire NPCs or players technically making themelves Quest Givers as well.
so the whole universe is going to be a modular system of economy based situations that all follow the motif of any given profession. Mercenaries have mercenary experiences, traders have trading experiences, and miners have mining situations, etc. And it'll all come together as a massively endless amount of procedurally generated objectives in a universe that is largely handcrafted.
(Edited 39 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 19 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #518,889
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 1 day later, 2 days after the original post[^] [v] #519,573
Lonestar the Kilrathi's Ship Review:
i've had a chance to fly all of the ships and so i thought i'd share my opinion of themRSI Aurora - Fun little ship, but it's pretty basic. You've got a couple of fixed guns, a decent shield, an industrial hull, and modest power plant and shields. There are a few variants that upgrade things like shields, cargo space, or adds 2 extra gun hardpoints, but it's never going to excel or be best in class at any role. it is a jack-of-all-trades ship so it makes a great starter, but for any given role people will likely upgrade as soon as they can in the Persistent Universe. They may have a role as a super low cost personal transport or be useful outside of Arena Commander. for now it remains an excellent trainer and fun in solo games, but multiplayer is dominated by dedicated dog-fighting ships.
Outland Consolidated Mustang - Newest flyable ship, and a free side-grade from the Aurora. This ship is also a starter vessel and is a jack-of-all-trades oriented vehicle. the base model is faster than the Aurora, more maneuverable, and carries about the same amount of fire power. It also has variants ranging from a long range exploration version to a dedicated fighter. The exploration model is absolutely an upgrade over the Aurora ES exploration model, but is like $10 bucks more. The dog-fighter version, the Delta, has better armor that reduces radar signatures and dumb-fire rocket pods, but again it's still outclassed by the dedicated fighters. There is a racer, the Omega, but it's top speed is beaten by the 300r and it's acceleration is beaten by the m50. I have not played the Omega, i hear it's fun but i also hear it's not going to be winning any Murray Cups in the PU according to the top racers.
Origin Jumpworks 300 series - This poor ship, it's had a rough time. It's had some major control and weapon convergence issues, but finally, it's in a good state. It's quick, it's maneuverable, it's well armed, has a great power-plant and strong shields. It has several variants as well, a very fast racer, an explorer, and a dog-fighter. The dogfighter, the 350r has an enhanced radar system that allows for longer range weapon locks and it has a more versatile weapon loadout. it excels in the interceptor role, but being lightly armored it gets ripped apart by heavy fighters.
Origin Jumpworks m50- crazy ride, this ship is super quick. It's been nerfed over and over because it's super tiny, has two massive power-plants and engines and not much else. it can go from 280m/s to -280m/s in about 3 seconds. almost fast enough to detach retinas and cause blindness. this ship has no variants, and the only model is the racer. it can be equipped with 2 guns and 4 missiles making it a capable interceptor, but right now it's primarily useful as a racer. Before the nerfs it was incredibly OP because no one could hit it. it was like a super fast fly, but now with improved aiming, weapon convergence and improved missile and the signature system it is taking a real pounding in MP dogfights.
Aegis Avenger - The Avenger is as fast as most of the 300s, but carries different weapons. the default loadout consists of a center line Gatling gun and 2 distortion cannons on the wings designed to weaken enemy shields. it also has an enhanced radar and carries enough size 3 missiles to make it an excellent interceptor. there is only one model which is designed to interdict and intercept. it can over take most of the ships including the heavy dog-fighters.
Drake Cutlass - weird maneuverability. it "drifts" and slides around a lot, and is one of the slower ships in currently. It's meant to be a highly maneuverable fighter with lots of firepower, but right now it handles like a shopping-cart going down a steep hill. backwards. it's a medium sized ship, so it's possible it'll be better against the next class of Large ship (it's really, really easy to settle into an orbit around a target even from high speed) but it's got a problem with handling small fighters. Maybe once the turret is included and with a gunner in the fight it'll be better, but as it stands it needs some work. It's pretty new into the game, so i imagine it'll get a balancing pass or two.
Anvil Hornet - the civilian models of the military dogfighter: heavily armored, lightly armed. there are several variants, one for cargo, one for scouting, but they are all relatively lightly armed. The hornet has awesome shields, a great powerplant and all military grade internals, but the class 2 weapon mounts have been removed entirely. it is a more capable fighter than most any other, but still, the military hornet is the only fighter that's better.
Anvil Superhornet - normally i'd just call this a variant but it's actually a unique hull. It's a 2 player ship with a ball-turret similar to the cutlass. The super hornet can carry 10 missiles, and up to 6 weapons up to size 3. it is not the fastest ship, but it's got the best shields and armor and is the most heavily armed and maneuverable. It is designed as the main-stay heavy dogfighter for the UEE military, and is only available to the public a few times a year and is generally sold in limited quantities.
That's pretty much it, there's a total of something like 16 ships in game now including all the different models. I've really enjoyed playing with the Avenger and there's only one ship i think i'll enjoy more than that, the Gladius.
The not flight-ready Aegis Gladius - Light Dog-fighter. I can't wait to try this one out. It's smaller, faster, and more heavily armed than most ships and is the dogfighter that was replaced by the Hornet. It looks like fun, it's going to be very maneuverable and be able to take a beating, plus it's going to carry some great fire-power. Yes, less than the superhornet, but, if you can't hit the more maneuverable gladius then all the guns in the world can't help you. it'll be like an armored m50, i think.
(Edited 5 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) quintuple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 3 days later, 5 days after the original post[^] [v] #520,208
someone is doing a fan-made "2d star citizen game"
this is a preview from reddit. he started it last week.
while you wait for that you can play Aurora CRASH! another fan made webgame
this is a preview from reddit. he started it last week.
while you wait for that you can play Aurora CRASH! another fan made webgame
squeegee (OP) sextuple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 15 hours later, 6 days after the original post[^] [v] #520,370
Current Multiplayer Meta-Game
missile spam. They just revamped the signature system for missiles and at the moment missiles are dominating. previous iterations used the "debuff" type model for countermeasures, a flare would basically apply a debuff to the missile which would reduce its chances of hitting you and you could flare more than once to make the debuff drop the chance to zero every time.Now ships generate signatures and missiles track them and countermeasures add additional noise between the ship and the missile that can disrupt the signal lock. this means missiles can reaquire a lock-on after passing through a chaff cloud and if a ship's signal is more than a flare then the missile will not lose it's lock.
chaff may be bugged and not fully functioning increasing the missile problem, and the best way to lose a missile lock is to actually power down all ships systems after launching countermeasures. This leaves you a sitting duck and is a pretty bad thing to do anyway. it also doesn't always work.
So prioritize missiles over everything else, and stalk around the asteroids because about the only way to survive is to hide behind asteroids and let missiles crash into them when you get targeted.
i imagine this will all get a balancing pass and a little bug squashing after the first of the year
(Edited 53 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) septuple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 11 minutes later, 6 days after the original post[^] [v] #520,371
Notes from the Holiday Livestream
credit: Nehkara, from the SC subredditexcerpts:
-Pegasus Escort Carrier is "the Bengal's little brother". Designed by Ryan Church. 900 meters long. 16 Hornets, 16 Gladiators. Room for other ships as well. Two Argo Utility Ships on-board. Two Retaliators underslung on the carrier.
-Pegasus Escort Carrier Gallery: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14393-Introducing-The-Pegasus-Escort-Carrier
-Pegasus will be your home for a significant part of SQ42.
-Pegasus is finished concept, early whiteboxing phase.
-The Bengal is now 1100 meters and much "chunkier" than the Pegasus.
-Manual landings being worked on for carriers. There will also be an auto-assist option but if that system is damaged you will have to land manually. (This could get very interesting if you are missing parts of your ship as you may have to try and land on your ships' belly.)
-Ryan Church is working on two projects right now. Star Citizen and Star Wars.
-Focus for 2015 is multiple UEE capital ships (including the Idris, Javelin, Pegasus, and Bengal) plus the full Vanduul fleet.
-CIG is hiring in all locations, including Manchester. (Game developers get a significant tax break in the UK, so Foundry 42 is growing a lot... you get more bang for your buck if you develop there. Same is true with Colorado and Illfonic.)
-The Shubin Interstellar mining station (Argo) is 6 km long, and modeled to the detail of many of the ships.
-Tech has been completed at Foundry 42 that allows them to quickly build rooms, so Argo is being fleshed out.
-Argo has 26 landing bays that can fit a Starfarer-sized ship.
-Giant operational mining base. You will see these bases around the PU. Fully functional including mining droids. "We want people to just turn up, turn off their engines, and just sit there and watch it for an hour. And just look at it and go 'Wow!'"
-Arena Commander going forward will also act as a testbed. For example, they could add a mission to escort a transport ship and you get ambushed by pirates. AC will be used as a prototype for encounters in the PU. Lots of fun stuff this coming year for people to play with.
-We will see the first example of the Living World AI in the Planetside/Social module.
+a whole lot more
-Pegasus Escort Carrier Gallery: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14393-Introducing-The-Pegasus-Escort-Carrier
-Pegasus will be your home for a significant part of SQ42.
-Pegasus is finished concept, early whiteboxing phase.
-The Bengal is now 1100 meters and much "chunkier" than the Pegasus.
-Manual landings being worked on for carriers. There will also be an auto-assist option but if that system is damaged you will have to land manually. (This could get very interesting if you are missing parts of your ship as you may have to try and land on your ships' belly.)
-Ryan Church is working on two projects right now. Star Citizen and Star Wars.
-Focus for 2015 is multiple UEE capital ships (including the Idris, Javelin, Pegasus, and Bengal) plus the full Vanduul fleet.
-CIG is hiring in all locations, including Manchester. (Game developers get a significant tax break in the UK, so Foundry 42 is growing a lot... you get more bang for your buck if you develop there. Same is true with Colorado and Illfonic.)
-The Shubin Interstellar mining station (Argo) is 6 km long, and modeled to the detail of many of the ships.
-Tech has been completed at Foundry 42 that allows them to quickly build rooms, so Argo is being fleshed out.
-Argo has 26 landing bays that can fit a Starfarer-sized ship.
-Giant operational mining base. You will see these bases around the PU. Fully functional including mining droids. "We want people to just turn up, turn off their engines, and just sit there and watch it for an hour. And just look at it and go 'Wow!'"
-Arena Commander going forward will also act as a testbed. For example, they could add a mission to escort a transport ship and you get ambushed by pirates. AC will be used as a prototype for encounters in the PU. Lots of fun stuff this coming year for people to play with.
-We will see the first example of the Living World AI in the Planetside/Social module.
+a whole lot more
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) octuple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 15 hours later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #520,584
Lonestar the Kilrathi's Ship Review: Reviews Revisited - Part 1
see:@519,573 (Lonestar the Kilrathi) for original reviewspic: some chairs.
after additional flight testing and reading i have some additions to make
Drake Cutlass - there is no denying that the current ship is pretty fucked. but, it does not actually have all of its maneuvering thrusters completed. until the ship is in a more finished state i can't really say much about it. the stock loadout on the cutlass black feels week, but seeing as how it is missing two of its guns that's a fair statement as well. as for now i'd steer clear of the cutlass, but once it's done i think it's going to be a very strong fighter, but that's just based on possible firepower. i have no comment on handling until it's really done.
Aegis Avenger - i'm still having fun with this boat. it's very nimble for its size and can equip a very nice loadout. the stock weapons are not great, it comes with a ballistic gatling and a couple of small size 1 shield distruptors. but i popped a size 3 nose mounted 35mm cannon on there with 2 wing mounted size one Omnisky laser-cannons and i was doing some serious damage. both sets of weapons are much longer range than others and they compliment each other well as far as rate of fire/power consumption. The avenger itself really did take a beating towards the later rounds, and it's not great in a face-to-face, but the "boom and zoom" style of interceptor gameplay works really well since this ship packs such a large punch with its size 3 nose mount. it you're looking to fly a fast and capable fighter that is also going to be useful for other-than-combat roles the avenger is looking to be a really great choice.
i'll be sure to post when this ship is unlocked for a week for all players to fly
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) nonuple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 15 hours later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #520,724
Comm-Link Schedule: Week of December 29th
Monday, December 29th
- 10 for the Producers Episode 2
Tuesday, December 30th
Galactic Guide: Sakura Sun
Wednesday, December 31st
- Fan Spotlight: Fan Fiction Vol. 3
Thursday, January 1st
- Galactic Guide: Nyx
Friday, January 2nd
- WIP: FPS Space Station
- 10 for the Producers Episode 2
Tuesday, December 30th
Galactic Guide: Sakura Sun
Wednesday, December 31st
- Fan Spotlight: Fan Fiction Vol. 3
Thursday, January 1st
- Galactic Guide: Nyx
Friday, January 2nd
- WIP: FPS Space Station
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) decuple-posted this 9.6 years ago, 6 minutes later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #520,727
10 for the Producers Episode 2Travis Day and Darian Vorlick are two of the producers at CIG in Santa Monica and this week they are doing a Q&A show. usually the show is questions for the chairman, Chris Roberts, but these guys stood in for him a month ago when he was in Manchester and it was a great success and so they are back to answer more questions from backers. enjoy!
pic: work in progress on character models. specifically hands.
(Edited 30 seconds later.)
Methlove !KansasxqvM joined in and replied with this 9.6 years ago, 3 hours later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #520,787
I read r04r got the game. Some people are in for a very bad time when she get the hang of it.
@OP
Your dedication to promoting this game is admirable.
@OP
Your dedication to promoting this game is admirable.
(Edited 40 seconds later.)
squeegee replied with this 9.6 years ago, 13 hours later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #520,876
@previous (Methlove !KansasxqvM)
i've wanted to play a game like this for 20 years. ever since privateer i've wanted to be a space pirate, and the genre died when consoles became the norm. they cancelled privateer 3, killed space sims, and now the dude that invented them is back to make his opus. yeah, the hype is real.
i've wanted to play a game like this for 20 years. ever since privateer i've wanted to be a space pirate, and the genre died when consoles became the norm. they cancelled privateer 3, killed space sims, and now the dude that invented them is back to make his opus. yeah, the hype is real.
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 10 hours later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #521,031
by the way 1.0 is stable now and has been for a week now i guess? anyway, the login bug was resolved and the server problem has been taken care of so you can now log in and play uninterrupted multiplayer matches and solo games. remember, the current meta is missiles-can't-be-evaded-so-use-as-many-missiles-as-you-can therefor you probably won't live long. also self-destruct in an Aurora is alt-backspace. that'll come in handy in the event you find your ship to be disabled and an enemy pilot ejects to come try and board your ship and kill you with his pistol... which is the other meta
and check out Baior of Red's Twitch stream. he's been doing "no missile" team games and filling up the queue with viewers to do purely gun-based dog fighting. the work CIG has been doing on the flight system is really showing in this patch. and with the large variety of ships in game it's really gotten to be a much fairer playing field.
*Baior of Red airing now!
and check out Baior of Red's Twitch stream. he's been doing "no missile" team games and filling up the queue with viewers to do purely gun-based dog fighting. the work CIG has been doing on the flight system is really showing in this patch. and with the large variety of ships in game it's really gotten to be a much fairer playing field.
*Baior of Red airing now!
(Edited 8 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.6 years ago, 21 hours later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #521,299
Letter from the Chairman: Happy New Year
pictured: The FPS Mode's Battle ArenaGreetings Citizens, 2014 has been a big year for Star Citizen.
We launched Arena Commander v0.8 in June and since then we’ve shown the ambition of the First Person Universe we are building with a prototype of multi crew ship combat, the scale and detail of the planet side environments and demonstrated the visceral action of the First Person Combat that players will experience in Star Citizen.
We’ve delivered 23 updates to Star Citizen / Arena Commander, four of them being major feature updates (v0.8. v0.9, v0.9.2) with the last one being the largest, Arena Commander v1.0, with fifteen new ships for backers to fly (all the Aurora and Hornet variants, Mustang family, Base Avenger and Cutlass Black) as well as significant gameplay additions like the signature system and social features like the first version of the lobby system allowing you to join up with your friends.
Star Citizen’s backers downloaded 13.7 PETABYTES of data from Star Citizen’s CDN during 2014 up from just ONE Petabyte in 2013. The community logged over two million sessions and one million hours playing Arena Commander which has been split approximately 80% single player and 20% multiplayer
Cloud Imperium’s staff – which is solely dedicated to making Star Citizen – has grown from 70 employees last Christmas to 180 today, spread around four internal locations; Santa Monica, Austin, Manchester, UK and a nascent office in Germany that we will be sharing details about in the coming year.
We have an additional 120 developers working on the game spread between our partners at Behaviour, Illfonic, Turbulent, outsource companies and individual contractors.
The number of Star Citizens doubled in 2014, which helped the project to raise $33M in additional funding, bringing the total raised since October 10th 2012 to just over $68.5M.
All of this allows us to build Star Citizen to a level of ambition that no publisher would dare to reach for on a PC… let alone a Space Sim!
When looking back at how far Star Citizen and its community has come in just two short years I am always amazed. What is the secret of the project’s support?
People that just read headlines wonder why; why have we raised so much money, why do people still contribute money to Star Citizen, why are people so excited?
Like many things Star Citizen isn’t easy to understand with a cursory glance. Star Citizen doesn’t easily fit in a familiar box like most games you’ll buy from a major publisher.
It’s something I’ve been reflecting on, especially as I have a couple of talks coming up with BAFTA in Los Angeles and at DICE in Las Vegas. What makes Star Citizen defy so many conventions? What continues to propel Star Citizen every month despite the game still being in development?
Numbers are always easy to focus and make nice headlines but they don’t tell the real story of why Star Citizen has gotten to where it is.
Star Citizen would be nothing without its real trump card –
The most engaged community in gaming!
It’s easy to say Star Citizen is a community focused game but it’s so much more than that. Very early in the project I made a decision to go beyond the traditional alpha model and share functionality of the game as we built it, updating and involving the community every step of the way. It is one thing to share updates but it’s a whole other level of engagement to share incremental builds with subsets of functionality of the final game to get hands on feedback.
We actively solicit and listen to feedback on the numerous patches (which we deliver on average twice a month). We have multiple video shows each week discussing the game, giving behind the scenes glimpses and highlighting community contributions. We give more detailed monthly updates to our backers on the game’s progress than I ever gave any publisher I was making a game for!
Anyone that first installed the Hangar module back in August 2013, then played Arena Commander v0.8 in June and has now has Arena Commander v1.0 on their drive can attest to the progress that has been made, how feedback from the community affects the updates and how things slowly but steadily get better and more polished.
Are we done? No! We have a long way to go! No one at CIG is resting on their laurels but it it’s this PARTNERSHIP with all of YOU, the community that is enabling a game of this ambition to be made. You are a community that contributes something much more valuable than funding for development. You contribute your time, your feedback, your ideas and your passion.
And THIS is the secret of Star Citizen.
It’s a project that is being built not just by 300 developers, but a project that is being built by hundreds of thousands of gamers that love PC games, that love space games and want to see a game made RIGHT, one that has such depth and ambition that they can see themselves happily adventuring for years to come.
This is a model I and the rest of the team at CIG have happily embraced. I have never had so much fun building a game and if you asked any Star Citizen developer they will probably agree with me. We love the process of creating this game lock step with all of you out there. We are continually amazed by the creativity and enthusiasm of the community. How within hours of a patch going up we can watch streams of people playing. The team is constantly passing around fan videos where we see something surprising; whether it’s a bit of skill, an exploit we didn’t see or just a piece that sums up Star Citizen better than we could. The original “Imagine” trailer by Kieran (years1hundred on YouTube) was a great example, but there’s other amazing stuff out there; DeVall’s “Hype Citizen” trailer, Corporation Incorporated / Fiendish Feather’s videos of Scavenging on a wrecked Constellation, a Search and Rescue mission or just showcasing the Mustang Variants is just a small sampling of what our community is capable of.
So when I read a press article that questions whether we can deliver all the promised features to keep everyone happy, or I see someone that can’t fathom how Star Citizen can have such support and without doing any research jump to cynical conclusions I just smile.
Because with the community we have and the passionate and talented team of developers I can’t imagine us “flopping” as a few bloggers have predicted. Not because we’re better than everyone else, but because building a game this way, in total lock step with your community, means it’s pretty hard to fail in the long run. Will we build everybody’s dream game? Of course not, that would be impossible! But with this level of engagement and iteration I think we’ll build something special that people can happily lose themselves in even if it doesn’t have every feature they dreamed of.
And it won’t stop there.
The number one priority for team in building the Persistent Universe is how players themselves can affect the universe. We’re building a game that will be just as community driven once the game is “finished”. It’s why we’ve built organization support into the web site, why we’re expanding it this coming year with private forums and blogs and starting to layer in the organization support in the game itself.
Star Citizen isn’t a sprint, it isn’t even a marathon. There is no final finish line the way you would have with a traditional retail game. Star Citizen is a way of life for as long as the community is engaged by it.
My 100% focus, and the rest of the team is to make sure all of you are continually engaged. Not just by the “finished” game (if you can ever call anything in Star Citizen finished) but by the development process, the early builds of the game, by the discussion and feedback loop.
And this is what I tell my friends in the industry that have no idea how we’ve managed to do what we do. You have to throw away the old approaches to how you develop, how you share and how you engage your community.
Or in Silas Koerner’s words, “Dare to challenge the expectation of what has come before. To embrace the unique. To put everything on the line. Only when you risk everything can we discover something truly special”
EVERYONE, both the development team and all of you are dedicated to making Star Citizen something special. If we don’t get a feature perfect the first time we will continue to refine and improve.
And that is what will make Star Citizen different than most other publisher backed games. We have the willpower and patience. Our stakeholders just have one goal in mind…
Make the Best Damn Space Sim Ever!
So here’s a big THANK YOU for everyone’s support, patience and enthusiasm in 2014 and here’s to looking forward to continuing to make history together in 2015.
This coming year will be an even bigger year than 2014 – the FPS module will go live to backers, we will be giving our first drops of the Persistent universe, starting with the Planetside social module, the multi-crew Arena Commander and the first Episode of Squadron 42.
2015 is where the game will be shaped. And it will be shaped with your input. So get in the game and let us know what works and what doesn’t for you!
It’s going to be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun and I couldn’t imagine doing it with a better group of people than group of developers working on the game and the amazing Star Citizen community.
-Chris Roberts
We launched Arena Commander v0.8 in June and since then we’ve shown the ambition of the First Person Universe we are building with a prototype of multi crew ship combat, the scale and detail of the planet side environments and demonstrated the visceral action of the First Person Combat that players will experience in Star Citizen.
We’ve delivered 23 updates to Star Citizen / Arena Commander, four of them being major feature updates (v0.8. v0.9, v0.9.2) with the last one being the largest, Arena Commander v1.0, with fifteen new ships for backers to fly (all the Aurora and Hornet variants, Mustang family, Base Avenger and Cutlass Black) as well as significant gameplay additions like the signature system and social features like the first version of the lobby system allowing you to join up with your friends.
Star Citizen’s backers downloaded 13.7 PETABYTES of data from Star Citizen’s CDN during 2014 up from just ONE Petabyte in 2013. The community logged over two million sessions and one million hours playing Arena Commander which has been split approximately 80% single player and 20% multiplayer
Cloud Imperium’s staff – which is solely dedicated to making Star Citizen – has grown from 70 employees last Christmas to 180 today, spread around four internal locations; Santa Monica, Austin, Manchester, UK and a nascent office in Germany that we will be sharing details about in the coming year.
We have an additional 120 developers working on the game spread between our partners at Behaviour, Illfonic, Turbulent, outsource companies and individual contractors.
The number of Star Citizens doubled in 2014, which helped the project to raise $33M in additional funding, bringing the total raised since October 10th 2012 to just over $68.5M.
All of this allows us to build Star Citizen to a level of ambition that no publisher would dare to reach for on a PC… let alone a Space Sim!
When looking back at how far Star Citizen and its community has come in just two short years I am always amazed. What is the secret of the project’s support?
People that just read headlines wonder why; why have we raised so much money, why do people still contribute money to Star Citizen, why are people so excited?
Like many things Star Citizen isn’t easy to understand with a cursory glance. Star Citizen doesn’t easily fit in a familiar box like most games you’ll buy from a major publisher.
It’s something I’ve been reflecting on, especially as I have a couple of talks coming up with BAFTA in Los Angeles and at DICE in Las Vegas. What makes Star Citizen defy so many conventions? What continues to propel Star Citizen every month despite the game still being in development?
Numbers are always easy to focus and make nice headlines but they don’t tell the real story of why Star Citizen has gotten to where it is.
Star Citizen would be nothing without its real trump card –
The most engaged community in gaming!
It’s easy to say Star Citizen is a community focused game but it’s so much more than that. Very early in the project I made a decision to go beyond the traditional alpha model and share functionality of the game as we built it, updating and involving the community every step of the way. It is one thing to share updates but it’s a whole other level of engagement to share incremental builds with subsets of functionality of the final game to get hands on feedback.
We actively solicit and listen to feedback on the numerous patches (which we deliver on average twice a month). We have multiple video shows each week discussing the game, giving behind the scenes glimpses and highlighting community contributions. We give more detailed monthly updates to our backers on the game’s progress than I ever gave any publisher I was making a game for!
Anyone that first installed the Hangar module back in August 2013, then played Arena Commander v0.8 in June and has now has Arena Commander v1.0 on their drive can attest to the progress that has been made, how feedback from the community affects the updates and how things slowly but steadily get better and more polished.
Are we done? No! We have a long way to go! No one at CIG is resting on their laurels but it it’s this PARTNERSHIP with all of YOU, the community that is enabling a game of this ambition to be made. You are a community that contributes something much more valuable than funding for development. You contribute your time, your feedback, your ideas and your passion.
And THIS is the secret of Star Citizen.
It’s a project that is being built not just by 300 developers, but a project that is being built by hundreds of thousands of gamers that love PC games, that love space games and want to see a game made RIGHT, one that has such depth and ambition that they can see themselves happily adventuring for years to come.
This is a model I and the rest of the team at CIG have happily embraced. I have never had so much fun building a game and if you asked any Star Citizen developer they will probably agree with me. We love the process of creating this game lock step with all of you out there. We are continually amazed by the creativity and enthusiasm of the community. How within hours of a patch going up we can watch streams of people playing. The team is constantly passing around fan videos where we see something surprising; whether it’s a bit of skill, an exploit we didn’t see or just a piece that sums up Star Citizen better than we could. The original “Imagine” trailer by Kieran (years1hundred on YouTube) was a great example, but there’s other amazing stuff out there; DeVall’s “Hype Citizen” trailer, Corporation Incorporated / Fiendish Feather’s videos of Scavenging on a wrecked Constellation, a Search and Rescue mission or just showcasing the Mustang Variants is just a small sampling of what our community is capable of.
So when I read a press article that questions whether we can deliver all the promised features to keep everyone happy, or I see someone that can’t fathom how Star Citizen can have such support and without doing any research jump to cynical conclusions I just smile.
Because with the community we have and the passionate and talented team of developers I can’t imagine us “flopping” as a few bloggers have predicted. Not because we’re better than everyone else, but because building a game this way, in total lock step with your community, means it’s pretty hard to fail in the long run. Will we build everybody’s dream game? Of course not, that would be impossible! But with this level of engagement and iteration I think we’ll build something special that people can happily lose themselves in even if it doesn’t have every feature they dreamed of.
And it won’t stop there.
The number one priority for team in building the Persistent Universe is how players themselves can affect the universe. We’re building a game that will be just as community driven once the game is “finished”. It’s why we’ve built organization support into the web site, why we’re expanding it this coming year with private forums and blogs and starting to layer in the organization support in the game itself.
Star Citizen isn’t a sprint, it isn’t even a marathon. There is no final finish line the way you would have with a traditional retail game. Star Citizen is a way of life for as long as the community is engaged by it.
My 100% focus, and the rest of the team is to make sure all of you are continually engaged. Not just by the “finished” game (if you can ever call anything in Star Citizen finished) but by the development process, the early builds of the game, by the discussion and feedback loop.
And this is what I tell my friends in the industry that have no idea how we’ve managed to do what we do. You have to throw away the old approaches to how you develop, how you share and how you engage your community.
Or in Silas Koerner’s words, “Dare to challenge the expectation of what has come before. To embrace the unique. To put everything on the line. Only when you risk everything can we discover something truly special”
EVERYONE, both the development team and all of you are dedicated to making Star Citizen something special. If we don’t get a feature perfect the first time we will continue to refine and improve.
And that is what will make Star Citizen different than most other publisher backed games. We have the willpower and patience. Our stakeholders just have one goal in mind…
Make the Best Damn Space Sim Ever!
So here’s a big THANK YOU for everyone’s support, patience and enthusiasm in 2014 and here’s to looking forward to continuing to make history together in 2015.
This coming year will be an even bigger year than 2014 – the FPS module will go live to backers, we will be giving our first drops of the Persistent universe, starting with the Planetside social module, the multi-crew Arena Commander and the first Episode of Squadron 42.
2015 is where the game will be shaped. And it will be shaped with your input. So get in the game and let us know what works and what doesn’t for you!
It’s going to be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun and I couldn’t imagine doing it with a better group of people than group of developers working on the game and the amazing Star Citizen community.
-Chris Roberts
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx joined in and replied with this 9.6 years ago, 8 minutes later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #521,300
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 8 minutes later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #521,301
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.6 years ago, 54 seconds later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #521,302
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.6 years ago, 1 minute later, 1 week after the original post[^] [v] #521,303
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)oh, it's not mine, that's a 3d printed one using game assets to make the files and then hand painted.
this one is die-cast.
see, just like warhammer stuff
(Edited 30 seconds later.)
Lonestar the Kilrathi replied with this 9.5 years ago, 5 days later, 2 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #522,749
not much new this week, the devs are returned from their breaks and have started back for the big push to get the fps module done.
the server band-aid has been removed and work has been ongoing to fully resolve the issue. servers are not being reset anymore and are being allowed to crash so they can gather more data about the problem to hone in on a permanent fix. service may be spotty for the next few days as engineers work the problem.
Around the Verse will be back on the air Thurday for all your sneak peeks and development news!
the server band-aid has been removed and work has been ongoing to fully resolve the issue. servers are not being reset anymore and are being allowed to crash so they can gather more data about the problem to hone in on a permanent fix. service may be spotty for the next few days as engineers work the problem.
Around the Verse will be back on the air Thurday for all your sneak peeks and development news!
Lonestar the Kilrathi double-posted this 9.5 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #522,769
oh, this is new actually. the devs need more people playing Multiplayer right now. they are stress testing servers to test recent fixes and they aren't breaking fast enough and so they have asked everyone who can to go ahead and log in today and try and break their shit.
Lonestar the Kilrathi triple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 22 hours later, 2 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #523,019
message from one of the network engineers (posted 10 minutes ago)
Hello!
Thanks to those that helped out yesterday. Due to your efforts, we were able to develop a hotfix that we just implemented to the live servers.
Similar to the information gathering you all helped out with yesterday, we need a lot of people to log in and try to connect to multiplayer games through the lobby system in order to see what effect the hotfix had.
If anyone happens to have some free time for the next two hours, I'd appreciate having more players active in game to see if this fixed some of the lobby issues that higher activity is causing.
The issues we tend to see happen at higher population levels are:
The issues that we've seen be caused by high population are:
-black screen while waiting to load into a lobby
-invalid ship selection after loading into the lobby
-game modes and maps taking a long time to update after the scroll buttons are clicked
-Lobby error code 2 occurring after already being in a lobby
-Error code 8 for some players being invited into lobbies
Thanks to those that helped out yesterday. Due to your efforts, we were able to develop a hotfix that we just implemented to the live servers.
Similar to the information gathering you all helped out with yesterday, we need a lot of people to log in and try to connect to multiplayer games through the lobby system in order to see what effect the hotfix had.
If anyone happens to have some free time for the next two hours, I'd appreciate having more players active in game to see if this fixed some of the lobby issues that higher activity is causing.
The issues we tend to see happen at higher population levels are:
The issues that we've seen be caused by high population are:
-black screen while waiting to load into a lobby
-invalid ship selection after loading into the lobby
-game modes and maps taking a long time to update after the scroll buttons are clicked
-Lobby error code 2 occurring after already being in a lobby
-Error code 8 for some players being invited into lobbies
(Edited 58 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.5 years ago, 3 days later, 2 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #524,339
If You're Playing on a Laptop
there are known solvable problem associated with playing Star Citizen on laptops- the game will always default to the integrated graphics on your motherboard rather than a dedicated GPU unless you specify in your GPU control panel to do otherwise
- the game will always default all of your settings after an update and so you need to set graphics levels down from Very High
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.5 years ago, 14 minutes later, 2 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #524,340
December Monthly Report
State of the Game: December Studio Reportpictured: One of the new FPS arenas, this is an orbital "battle arena." In it you'll play a futuristic Zero G version of Tag based on the description in the award winning sci-fi novel Ender's Game. (clip from the movie) I don't know what the "sport" is going to be called, but there is possibly going to be a player enterable sport competition. If they do it like racing then there will be "finals" and awards. also players can gain corporate sponsorship for racing, and it's possible "sports teams" could form, gain sponsorship, and spend the majority of their time training and competing in an in-game sports championship. At any rate the new game mode sounds very promising and should be a very cool and fun addition to the traditional FPS type multiplayer deathmatches.
excerpt from the monthy report: Foundry 42 (Manchester studio)
Greetings Citizens
In December, a lot of efforts were spent on V1.0. The team worked hard on the lobby system, the controller customisation system and to make sure that all the new ships load in your hangar. At the same time, much effort was spent on the upcoming milestone for the Persistent Universe. We all hope you enjoyed flying the new ships over the Holydays.
DESIGN
We have been hard at work on designing and building planetside locations as well as supporting the art team in making them extra pretty and engineering team in making it functional. Keep in mind that the long development process for those locations will speed up next year. Making the primary assets, prototyping and putting together systems that allow for procedural generation and dynamic changes takes time and a great deal of effort. Nevertheless, once it’s done and proven solid, the next planetsides will be developed much faster.
Some shops are now partly functional. Through the mobiGlas, you’ll be able to access the shop’s inventory two ways: A catalog view allows you to browse the entire shop inventory, and in augmented reality mode you can browse the products directly in the shop. Both modes have their perks. Shopping questions also brought us to think more seriously about the player’s Inventory System, which we have started to tackle with the help of the other studios.
As always, some work has been done on the Flairs. At his point in time you may have received your happy new year gift! As you might have noticed, subscribers got a random gift out of a collection, not everyone has the same one. This mechanic was put in place with our partner in crime Turbulent and will allow us to do cool stuff in the future, like Takuetsu Mystery boxes for example :)
Another challenge this month was….elevators! Yes, we’re putting together an elevator system to rule them all. Basically, finding the metrics and mechanics to support all the various types of gameplay and locations in Star Citizen (which is a lot!). The first iteration is to allow going from your hangar to a planetside location, and vice versa. You’ll also use the same lifts to access your friend’s hangar…if they invited you of course.
CONCEPT
Artists have been hard at work on the Nyx concept, refining the interior of the station and large mining facility in the backdrop. We have also been working on a new Mustang mousepad! Keep an eye out for in the the shop!
ART
Our art team has been hard at work finishing up two new shops: Astro Armada and the Medical Unit. The biggest challenge this month was to find the right balance between reusing assets and creating new ones.
Also, more work was done on Terra to setup the space for the future shops and just bring the whole map to the next level.
We optimized and fixed lighting bugs in the Hangars. Finally, we finished our January Flairs.
PROGRAMMING
This month, we’ve worked on adding more options to Control Customization. We’ve added the possibility for a player to have control of the sensitivity and deadzone of certain control inputs as well being able to import and export control settings. We’ve done a very big push on the Lobby and Contacts functionality that players will be able to enjoy in the Arena Commander V1.0 Release. Players will now be able to seamlessly organize matches and play with their friends.
We’ve also started to build Tools for the Game Designers so they can start designing Artificial Intelligence “Archetypes”. These Archetypes will then be used to give activity schedule to some of our AI NPC you’ll see in different planeside locations. Also, we’ve done a lot of work in regards to preparing the Hangars to become Multiplayer Hangars. This functionality will allow players to invite other players into their Hangars to show off all their cool ships and Flairs.
Speaking of Flairs, this month we’ve worked on the Mustang Alpha and Delta Miniature Ships which were released last week. We’ve also put in some work on a cool new January Subscriber Flair which will be revealed …. In January :)
Last but not surely not least, we’ve been hard at work on polishing the mobiGlas shopping experience as well given support to the Visor Development.
UI
December was an intense month! A lot of focus was spent on getting the first iteration of the contacts list and the Arena Commander Lobby up and ready for public release. Last minute bugs and unforeseen issues kept things exciting for the last few days leading up to the holiday break.
We’ve also been making steady progress on mobiGlas easyShop app, which has become our visual benchmark for future mobiApps… it’s looking pretty sweet! We are looking forward to getting it into your hands and getting your feedback once it goes live in the not-quite-so-distant-future.
Greetings Citizens
In December, a lot of efforts were spent on V1.0. The team worked hard on the lobby system, the controller customisation system and to make sure that all the new ships load in your hangar. At the same time, much effort was spent on the upcoming milestone for the Persistent Universe. We all hope you enjoyed flying the new ships over the Holydays.
DESIGN
We have been hard at work on designing and building planetside locations as well as supporting the art team in making them extra pretty and engineering team in making it functional. Keep in mind that the long development process for those locations will speed up next year. Making the primary assets, prototyping and putting together systems that allow for procedural generation and dynamic changes takes time and a great deal of effort. Nevertheless, once it’s done and proven solid, the next planetsides will be developed much faster.
Some shops are now partly functional. Through the mobiGlas, you’ll be able to access the shop’s inventory two ways: A catalog view allows you to browse the entire shop inventory, and in augmented reality mode you can browse the products directly in the shop. Both modes have their perks. Shopping questions also brought us to think more seriously about the player’s Inventory System, which we have started to tackle with the help of the other studios.
As always, some work has been done on the Flairs. At his point in time you may have received your happy new year gift! As you might have noticed, subscribers got a random gift out of a collection, not everyone has the same one. This mechanic was put in place with our partner in crime Turbulent and will allow us to do cool stuff in the future, like Takuetsu Mystery boxes for example :)
Another challenge this month was….elevators! Yes, we’re putting together an elevator system to rule them all. Basically, finding the metrics and mechanics to support all the various types of gameplay and locations in Star Citizen (which is a lot!). The first iteration is to allow going from your hangar to a planetside location, and vice versa. You’ll also use the same lifts to access your friend’s hangar…if they invited you of course.
CONCEPT
Artists have been hard at work on the Nyx concept, refining the interior of the station and large mining facility in the backdrop. We have also been working on a new Mustang mousepad! Keep an eye out for in the the shop!
ART
Our art team has been hard at work finishing up two new shops: Astro Armada and the Medical Unit. The biggest challenge this month was to find the right balance between reusing assets and creating new ones.
Also, more work was done on Terra to setup the space for the future shops and just bring the whole map to the next level.
We optimized and fixed lighting bugs in the Hangars. Finally, we finished our January Flairs.
PROGRAMMING
This month, we’ve worked on adding more options to Control Customization. We’ve added the possibility for a player to have control of the sensitivity and deadzone of certain control inputs as well being able to import and export control settings. We’ve done a very big push on the Lobby and Contacts functionality that players will be able to enjoy in the Arena Commander V1.0 Release. Players will now be able to seamlessly organize matches and play with their friends.
We’ve also started to build Tools for the Game Designers so they can start designing Artificial Intelligence “Archetypes”. These Archetypes will then be used to give activity schedule to some of our AI NPC you’ll see in different planeside locations. Also, we’ve done a lot of work in regards to preparing the Hangars to become Multiplayer Hangars. This functionality will allow players to invite other players into their Hangars to show off all their cool ships and Flairs.
Speaking of Flairs, this month we’ve worked on the Mustang Alpha and Delta Miniature Ships which were released last week. We’ve also put in some work on a cool new January Subscriber Flair which will be revealed …. In January :)
Last but not surely not least, we’ve been hard at work on polishing the mobiGlas shopping experience as well given support to the Visor Development.
UI
December was an intense month! A lot of focus was spent on getting the first iteration of the contacts list and the Arena Commander Lobby up and ready for public release. Last minute bugs and unforeseen issues kept things exciting for the last few days leading up to the holiday break.
We’ve also been making steady progress on mobiGlas easyShop app, which has become our visual benchmark for future mobiApps… it’s looking pretty sweet! We are looking forward to getting it into your hands and getting your feedback once it goes live in the not-quite-so-distant-future.
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee replied with this 9.5 years ago, 27 minutes later, 2 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #524,346
a quick word on funding
as of this month CIG has raised over 69 million dollars. when i first pledged in november of 2013 funding was at something like 22 million. that means in this last year CIG trippled the money they earned the whole previous year. funding has continued to up-tick at an ever increaing rate. there is no way for ME to speculate on this next years funding, but i have a feeling they'll pull in close to 40-50 million. this is just based on the amountof new content that is coming with the First Person Shooter release and the eventual first chapter of the 5 chapter solo campaign (called Squadron 42).my gut says they'll top 100 million by this time next year at the very least. that will place Star Citizen among the most expensive games ever to be developed. right now it sits in the #21 spot, 100 million will push it into the top ten.
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.5 years ago, 5 days later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #525,643
This week in Star Citizen
January 15th edition10 for the Producers: Alex Mayberry, Travis Day, and Darian Vorlick are three of the producers at CIG in Santa Monica and they answer questions from the community about Star Citizen.
Fan Spotlight: Audible Lore This week features fan generated video and audio recordings covering the history and lore we know about the universe. A pretty cool segment is the one on the alien race, the Banu.
Around the Verse: Weekly news series explaining the current status of the project and highlights the progress that is being made. watch for interviews with developers and art sneak peaks.
Arena Commander News
This weekend is going to be a free-fly weekend. All pilots will have access to all of the Mustang variants, including the Delta combat variant with upgraded armor, shields, and rocket launchers.Version 1.0.1 is not being released this week, but there's a good chance it'll be available before PAX South next weekend. There will be bug fixes regarding countermeasures and missile signatures, as well as general balancing changes and bug fixes. this means non-recharging weapons will charge and ballistic weapons will reload and cool-down properly. (won't be Missile Commander much longer.)
This Week's MVP
each week CIG staff selects a member of the community and recognizes them for their contribution. Usually it's for fan art, or stories, or tutorials or just being a cool streamer. I wouldn't even mention it but this week's MVP is pretty unique. this dude has made an incredibly informational video series that explains a "model" of how CIG could possibly be designing the integrated ship's systems by using a volumetric standard.This is incredibly interesting stuff, and it's about an hour of video, and CIG has recently announced they are overhauling their component system and it it HIGHLY likely (especially since his video of high level explaination is being spotlighted) that they have decided to model their system based on a volumetric standard as explained in this guy's videos. In the videos he explains how this type of system in incredibly modular and is a drastic departure from the traditional MMO stat weighting for upgrades (as in boots with +4 stamina or whatever) and will make for a much deeper and thoughtful kind of game play.
If you're at all interested in high level discussions of game design i seriously recommend putting in the time with these videos. The series is not complete, but you'll begin to see how very different this type of system is by the end of the first video.
Modularity Part 1
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.5 years ago, 4 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,080
Hey, check it out, Chris Roberts is giving a presentation to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles right now. i didn't even know this was happening.
i'm guessing he's talking about game development. he's drawing comparisons between game development and movie production. he's done both.
Ah, he's explaining how publishers, like EA, are very similar to large movie studios and they both suffer from problems in innovation.
i'm guessing he's talking about game development. he's drawing comparisons between game development and movie production. he's done both.
Ah, he's explaining how publishers, like EA, are very similar to large movie studios and they both suffer from problems in innovation.
(Edited 8 minutes later.)
The cat joined in and replied with this 9.5 years ago, 30 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,087
@previous (squeegee)
That's because EA let their staff do whatever - work, don't even turn up - they don't give a fuck. Innovating is bloody hard though really
That's because EA let their staff do whatever - work, don't even turn up - they don't give a fuck. Innovating is bloody hard though really
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.5 years ago, 2 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,156
here is a recording of the BAFTA talk from tonight it's very interesting, in it he talks about the game industry at large, his experience as a game developer in the 80s/90s, his shift into the film industry, and why he's back to making games and how all of that comes together to create the crowd funding phenomenon that is happening with Star Citizen. i missed half of it, so i'm about to watch the beginning. he also takes some questions at the end.
@previous (The cat)
his opinion is that risk is not seen as rewarding enough, because easy to bake franchises are such great money makers. why make anything new when Call of Duty Iraqi-Ops will make a half a billion dollars. some risky PC only space-sim throwback from the 90s isn't going to have that kind of appeal, especially not with their current marketing model which Chris also talks about at length. but, as it turns out with targeted marketing and direct customer engagement you don't need a publisher. you just need new and better, more engaging marketing.
@previous (The cat)
his opinion is that risk is not seen as rewarding enough, because easy to bake franchises are such great money makers. why make anything new when Call of Duty Iraqi-Ops will make a half a billion dollars. some risky PC only space-sim throwback from the 90s isn't going to have that kind of appeal, especially not with their current marketing model which Chris also talks about at length. but, as it turns out with targeted marketing and direct customer engagement you don't need a publisher. you just need new and better, more engaging marketing.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
The cat replied with this 9.5 years ago, 7 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,167
@previous (squeegee)
I'd think there'd be a huge market for this kinda game - do kids not watch Star Wars anymore or some shit?!
I'd think there'd be a huge market for this kinda game - do kids not watch Star Wars anymore or some shit?!
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.5 years ago, 7 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,177
@previous (The cat)
i've been thinking that forever. i was very disappointed when i was finally building "gaming grade" computers and there was nothing to be had but a lot of FPS games. i've always hoped for 2 things, Virtual reality goggles and a spaceship dogfighting games. i knew, knew one of these days they would exist, but i had no idea they would both come from public backing. i really thought some big company with lots of money would do it, but nope. Anyway, i'm just very glad to see attention being paid to my favorite game genre, and i love it that they are building it around FPS because it IS quite a lot of fun to shoot shit up and run around worlds.
i've been thinking that forever. i was very disappointed when i was finally building "gaming grade" computers and there was nothing to be had but a lot of FPS games. i've always hoped for 2 things, Virtual reality goggles and a spaceship dogfighting games. i knew, knew one of these days they would exist, but i had no idea they would both come from public backing. i really thought some big company with lots of money would do it, but nope. Anyway, i'm just very glad to see attention being paid to my favorite game genre, and i love it that they are building it around FPS because it IS quite a lot of fun to shoot shit up and run around worlds.
The cat replied with this 9.5 years ago, 3 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,180
@previous (squeegee)
High 5 man you think just like me!! And I fucking loved Star Fox on SNES too... it's different but still flying through space blowing shit to fuck. Need more games like that too
High 5 man you think just like me!! And I fucking loved Star Fox on SNES too... it's different but still flying through space blowing shit to fuck. Need more games like that too
squeegee replied with this 9.5 years ago, 2 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,961
i'm at PAX south for the Persistent Universe town hall CIG is doing. should be fun! can't wait to talk star citizen with super fans. i'll update this thread with pics and stuff throughout the day.
squeegee double-posted this 9.5 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #527,982
met ben lesnic, saw james pugh. yes they do exist outside the tv o.o
squeegee triple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 9 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #528,049
holy shit, i'm fucking trashed
squeegee quadruple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 10 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #528,137
ok, fuck, had to sleep that one off. met some fellow TEST members and hung out with them. cool guys. one guy came totally prepared with his fear and loathing kit.so yeah, pretty bad headache and i'm very hungry. but it was a very fun time. i got to meet almost everyone, i got chris robert's autograph, i flirted with the pretty new customer support chick, and i made ben very uncomfortable by telling him i came all the way to the event to ask the devs about "pet beds and litterboxes" and he totally took it seriously until i told him i was joking. very fun time, i've never gone to anything like this before that's game related, so, interesting experience.
as for game update stuff:
- new patch is out, fixes missiles
- the next module will be both FPS and Planetside. you'll visit the surface and can shop at first and sightsee. you'll be able to bring friends into your hanger. this is all to test instancing, etc.
- arena commander will properly reside in a simulator found in your hanger. this is where you'll do dogfighting arena and fps arena games.
- arena commander 2.0 (multicrew) will drop in the summer. this will be the last major milestone before the game goes beta.
- single player campaign will release as the PU beta comes online.
should be a busy year for CIG and a fun year for space fans.
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.5 years ago, 4 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #529,492
This week in Star Citizen
January 28th, 2015Funding hit 71 million this week. shit's ridiculous. average pledge is 95 bucks, but the mean is 50-60 (lower than the cost of the game at full release, which is interesting.) The First Person Shooter module will release mid march, with the social module patches added in the following weeks. Soon we'll be able to kill everyone in zero-G and do some window shopping. Shortly after the release of the social module Arena Commander Bucks will be added and people will be able to earn in-game credits that can be used to buy upgraded weapons and even ships that can be used in Arena Commander. So if you're thinking about pledging for additional ships or weapons, hold off, they will be earnable in-game soon. (this will also completely stop all of the Pay-to-Win accusations that get bandied about on /r/gaming among other places)
Anyway, here's a few gifs of videos played at the Town Hall last weekend. More will be coming as more PAX south videos are released by CIG.
Mobiglass in-game Augmented Reality concept gif
Medical center preview gif
Persistent Universe Town Hall
Hour One of the presentation from PAX south video(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.5 years ago, 31 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #529,494
Teasers and Community Feedback
From time to time, Sandy Gardner, the VP of marketing posts up teaser pics and asks for community feedback on concept artThis is new, and no one knows what it is. We think it's a new Dreadnaught Class capital ship, or possibly a battleship. what we KNOW is that it is absolutely massive. It appears way larger than the Bengal Carrier which itself can hold 30 heavy starfighters, is 1000m long, and will be made of multiple seamless-instances and support something like a 500 man crew or something outrageous. And this ship is even bigger. It doesn't appear to be alien, either, so we're thinking it's at least human. probably manufactured by anvil.
- picture with the Bengal circled and the rear of the new Gigantic Capital Ship circled .jpg
- ship size chart showing the Bengal Carrier profile compared to every other ship .jpg
What i think will happen is that in the Campaign (squadron 42) the UEE is building a Super-Ship with which to kill the large Vanduul King ships terrorizing the edge of human controlled space. Kingships are massive, and it'll take a massive ship to kill it. So i think the Campaign will have this ship under construction and you'll have missions or play a role in ensuring its completion. Probably by Chapter 5 the UEE will have finished it and will deploy it against the Vanduul. that's what i'm thinking.
feedback
which Simulator Pod configuration do you like best?one of these designs may end up as the in-game Arena Commander Simulator Pod you use to train on before you risk your "real" internet-spacehip!
(Edited 9 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 2 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #529,939
Damage States
pictured: new voxel based damage systemThis is actually really cool. Currently all game assets are really lots of little assets stitched together at runtime, so when a wing or engine gets damaged it breaks up and falls off eventually. They have damage models for different degrees of damage, 10% where it's scratched all the way to 100% where the part breaks off. You can see "similar" systems being used in games like GTA 5 where the cars take all kinds of damage. What CIG is layering on top of that system is voxel based damage allowing for procedurally generated damage states. Have a look at the .gif in the link or the picture to see an example of a laser burning a hole through the ships hull.
This system is being developed for release in the coming months for alpha testing. So far it looks really fucking amazing, and i can't wait to see it fully functional. This, i believe, is what's going to allow us to blast holes in large vessels to perform boarding actions.
notice in the console that the FPS counter is taking a massive hit, something like 5% per hole, lol. or more, idk.
shit's nuts. anyway, this is another example of how CIG is using procedural generation to do more than just make landscapes.
(Edited 8 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #529,951
Design Post: Mobi-glas Augmented Reality Wearable
This is the 5th in a series of Design Posts that are to be released roughly every two weeks. Design Posts have replaced "stretch goals" as reward for increased funding. These posts are "deep dives" into specific game mechanics to give backers a clear vision for each feature. This week the studio BHVR delves into the Mobi-glas AR:When we started working on Star Citizen, we were trying to wrap our minds around the daunting amount of mechanics and features that would be present in such a rich game universe. Part of the team was tasked with designing character customization and the in-game shopping experience. We were trying to figure out a way to make shopping into something intuitive, immersive and viable in a multiplayer setting with the least amount of edge cases possible.
At that time, we knew very little about the mobiGlas, except that it was going to be the mobile device of the future and that it would be built from a very strong piece of polymer known as Glas. We had a hunch that the answer to our problems rested upon this device.
As we iterated on various ways to create the shopping experience of the future, the first augmented reality (AR) design of the mobiGlas was born, and from that point, it became clear that AR interfaces would be used widely across the game.
We pitched it to Rob and Chris (more than a year ago now). The goal of this concept was to present a unified user interface for Star Citizen. We proposed a personal electronic device that all players have with them all the time. It could be used as the ultimate replacement to traditional game menus and heads-up displays, while staying true to Chris Roberts’ vision of a totally immersive experience where shopping, messaging and customizing is made in a physical way with diegetic interfaces.
Since then, collaborative work between talented individuals has made the mobiGlas grow into the current design, while staying true to its original purpose. The following article is a deep dive into the mobiGlas current design state. We’ll go over the device itself, its uses, and some of the Augmented Reality Systems, as well as an overview of the apps you’ll be using every day.
At that time, we knew very little about the mobiGlas, except that it was going to be the mobile device of the future and that it would be built from a very strong piece of polymer known as Glas. We had a hunch that the answer to our problems rested upon this device.
As we iterated on various ways to create the shopping experience of the future, the first augmented reality (AR) design of the mobiGlas was born, and from that point, it became clear that AR interfaces would be used widely across the game.
We pitched it to Rob and Chris (more than a year ago now). The goal of this concept was to present a unified user interface for Star Citizen. We proposed a personal electronic device that all players have with them all the time. It could be used as the ultimate replacement to traditional game menus and heads-up displays, while staying true to Chris Roberts’ vision of a totally immersive experience where shopping, messaging and customizing is made in a physical way with diegetic interfaces.
Since then, collaborative work between talented individuals has made the mobiGlas grow into the current design, while staying true to its original purpose. The following article is a deep dive into the mobiGlas current design state. We’ll go over the device itself, its uses, and some of the Augmented Reality Systems, as well as an overview of the apps you’ll be using every day.
Check out the whole design post here
or check out for an imgur gallery of the accompanying pictures.
squeegee (OP) quintuple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 1 day later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #530,129
squeegee (OP) sextuple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 47 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #530,136
Oooo, fucking sweet, here's a freshly released first look at some of the new Vanduul fleet ships.pictured: apparently the vanduul are into trains. I want one pretty bad, this thing is fucking awesome. If there's a chance they can be boarded and captured i will, i will! steal one of these.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) septuple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #530,152
another sneak peekpictured: Behring ballistic cannon
115mm explosive rounds. it basically fires baseballs filled with RDX
edit: also note the wing mounted guns. there's 2 per wing. so it looks like the Gladius has 5 weapon mounts. this thing is seriously going to be competition for the heavy dog-fighter (Super Hornet).
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) octuple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 11 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #530,255
user.cfg Graphics Tweaks for higher FPS and smoother gameplay on low end systems
i have not personally vetted these configshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvczGg5uc0
check the video description for downloadable user.cfg files
or to find resources and make your own.
Apparently this is really helping people who aren't ready to upgrade their systems but still want to play SC right now
there is not a default user.cfg in the game files so by adding one you're not changing anything, and if the configs don't help you can simply delete the user.cfg for the default experience. i DO use a user.cfg but it only effects motion blur, these other changes i have not attempted.
pictured: Aurora in the PTU with the new painting system applied. sexy silver and black.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) nonuple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 2 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #530,965
squeegee (OP) decuple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 1 day later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #531,364
Arena Commander 1.0.2 patch released today
pictured: Sneak Peak from today's Around the Verse; Quantum Drive EngagedPatch notes: they fixed a couple of issues with the Aurora LN and added a paint system that allows for skins to be applied to the ship. this is mostly important for super early backers that got them as rewards, but the whole paint system will be based on this, so this is early testing of that i suppose. skins can be bought in the pledge store for $5 but i don't see the point. yet.
Also there are now 8 new shield generators being added in game. There have been many bug fixes and flight control fixes in this patch as well, so things should be running smoother for people with specific ship related issues.
(Edited 7 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) undecuple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 18 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #531,369
Chris Roberts D.I.C.E Speech 2/4/15
This is a really excellent 20 minutes. basically CR stands up in front of a crowd of publishers (the kind that turned down his vision) and explains to them how their business model is becoming obsolete because they are more concerned about profits than quality user experiences, and how working with "the crowd" to deliver what they want rather than closed development where "you tell them what they want" has led to the accelerating success that is Star Citizen. Want to know why they are a juggernaut crowdfunding success? intense community engagement.
pictured: personal arc-welding unit
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences® (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts. The organization has more than 20,000 members.
The mission of the AIAS is to promote and advance the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and host an annual awards show, the D.I.C.E. Awards, to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. Other special programs and initiatives led by the AIAS also include the prestigious D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, bringing together the top video game designers and developers from around the world and business leaders from all major publishers to discuss the state of the industry, its trends and the future; the Into the Pixel, an exploration and celebration of the art of video games; and Indie Game Challenge, an initiative by the Academy, Gamestop and the Guildhall at the Southern Methodist University to support the independent games movement by providing aspiring game developers – professional and non-professional – to showcase their skills and have the opportunity to present their game to top publishers.
The mission of the AIAS is to promote and advance the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and host an annual awards show, the D.I.C.E. Awards, to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. Other special programs and initiatives led by the AIAS also include the prestigious D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, bringing together the top video game designers and developers from around the world and business leaders from all major publishers to discuss the state of the industry, its trends and the future; the Into the Pixel, an exploration and celebration of the art of video games; and Indie Game Challenge, an initiative by the Academy, Gamestop and the Guildhall at the Southern Methodist University to support the independent games movement by providing aspiring game developers – professional and non-professional – to showcase their skills and have the opportunity to present their game to top publishers.
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.5 years ago, 5 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #531,374
@previous (squeegee)
I'm curious, how did the publishers react to that?
One would think they'd see his point. Star Citizen and other indie games have certainly done well by being more user-focused, to the point where the publishers should be taking notice:
I'm curious, how did the publishers react to that?
One would think they'd see his point. Star Citizen and other indie games have certainly done well by being more user-focused, to the point where the publishers should be taking notice:
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.5 years ago, 10 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #531,379
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
very quietly, actually. I've seen a lot of his speeches and in this one the audience seemed very serious. i think they were more professionals than fans like at his BAFTA speech which we all knew about. this DICE thing was a surprise. i don't even know what it is, but i've been to stuff like this in my industry, so it's just conference stuff you get sent to. but yeah, they should take notice, it's actually really fun (for me) and interesting (to me) to have so much what would normally be inside information about development.
At one point CR even said the design docs they do and all of the content they produce for backers (10 for the chairman, around the verse, reverse the verse, weekly updates, monthly studio reports) is far and away more than he ever gave to publishers (who had creative control over the whole thing) and the 755,000 backers are way more informed than publishers ever were and as a consequence the ideas polled from 3/4 of a million super interested, super informed people is infinitely better than any feedback he ever got from publishers. he said it's the back-and-forth with the "crowd" that has been invaluable for game design.
it's not something publishers want to hear, that they are obsolete, but i think a lot of developers are really listening closely.
very quietly, actually. I've seen a lot of his speeches and in this one the audience seemed very serious. i think they were more professionals than fans like at his BAFTA speech which we all knew about. this DICE thing was a surprise. i don't even know what it is, but i've been to stuff like this in my industry, so it's just conference stuff you get sent to. but yeah, they should take notice, it's actually really fun (for me) and interesting (to me) to have so much what would normally be inside information about development.
At one point CR even said the design docs they do and all of the content they produce for backers (10 for the chairman, around the verse, reverse the verse, weekly updates, monthly studio reports) is far and away more than he ever gave to publishers (who had creative control over the whole thing) and the 755,000 backers are way more informed than publishers ever were and as a consequence the ideas polled from 3/4 of a million super interested, super informed people is infinitely better than any feedback he ever got from publishers. he said it's the back-and-forth with the "crowd" that has been invaluable for game design.
it's not something publishers want to hear, that they are obsolete, but i think a lot of developers are really listening closely.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.5 years ago, 24 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #531,382
oh yeah, forgot to add this to the end of my last post.Fan Content
Corporation Incorporated has been making Star Citizen themed videos for going on a year now, the guys are getting pretty good.In this fan made video Fiendish Feather teams up with Disco Lando in Pieces of Eight an in-Engine short pirate narrative using all CIG game assets! really not bad!
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.5 years ago, 1 day later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #531,623
addressing the Pay-2-Win controversy
This is a long story, and i'll cut it short. CIG sells ships and they also sell weapons, yes, and right now there is a heavy p2w element, it is easy to win if you've spent the cash. This is a problem for everyone and CIG recognizes that some promises made early on (some ships would be exclusive to early backers pre-release, ship varients would contain different loadouts) conflict with a no p2w game model. They did not see the early alpha as being more than a test-bed, but tens of thousands are playing it everyday more and more like a fully featured game. because Arena Commander is now more game than test-bed changes are being made. This is a comment from Developer Ben Lesnick:Hey guys,
First of all: we should not ever ask you to test Voyager Direct equipment. I apologize if the (now deleted) thread implied that. If you purchased a Tarantula because of this thread, please contact me via PM and I will award you the UEC back (and let you keep the gun.) (If you want a full refund, please contact CS and they'll take care of you.) We love feedback, but the policy is that we are never going to ask you to pay more money to test a particular feature. In the future, if we need feedback on a particular weapon that's not otherwise available, we will do a 'free fly' week with it, or otherwise distribute it without UEC or dollars charged.
We are doing two things to make Voyager Direct weapons better. The first is the promised "AC Bucks" system, which will allow players to acquire ships and equipment using credits earned in the game. I know there's been a lot of speculation about this because we haven't said much beyond the fact that it is happening... and that's going to change very soon! Internally, design has delivered a system which Chris is happy with, and now we're going to share that with you once the last few rough edges are sanded off. Our design team is working up a 'for public comment' post which we will put out next week. It's going to explain the system we've come up with and ask for your feedback. From there, we'll begin implementation in Arena Commander (which will likely take several weeks, all told.) (I will also note that the reason you're seeing more and more devices show up in VD is because we're confident that this system is going to work and we will need an inventory when it kicks off.)
The second is that we have also started the process for allowing players to 'melt' Voyager Direct items. There are some heady logistics involved here (how does it impact the UEC cap? Or more importantly: can people game the system?), as well as web time to enable the system... but it is coming.
And if you have any other ideas, we'd certainly love to hear them. The fact is, the idea that Arena Commander might be seen as 'pay to win' came as a surprise to us (I think in our heads, it's a test bed for the real universe coming later), and we're adapting our schedule and plans to make sure that is NOT the case.
So we'll know within a couple of weeks how the AC bucks will work and how upgrades will function with them. I'm glad to hear that they are going to allow people to "melt" purchased upgrades for store credit the same way you can exchange ships. but, the real good news is that AC bucks are close, because it'll give us a small taste of persistence as well as give us goals. right now many people don't play because there's not much reason to play except to play. But if you can earn AC bucks and buy a Super Hornet with 6 omnisky lasers then people will put in a lot more game time in pursuit of long-term goals.First of all: we should not ever ask you to test Voyager Direct equipment. I apologize if the (now deleted) thread implied that. If you purchased a Tarantula because of this thread, please contact me via PM and I will award you the UEC back (and let you keep the gun.) (If you want a full refund, please contact CS and they'll take care of you.) We love feedback, but the policy is that we are never going to ask you to pay more money to test a particular feature. In the future, if we need feedback on a particular weapon that's not otherwise available, we will do a 'free fly' week with it, or otherwise distribute it without UEC or dollars charged.
We are doing two things to make Voyager Direct weapons better. The first is the promised "AC Bucks" system, which will allow players to acquire ships and equipment using credits earned in the game. I know there's been a lot of speculation about this because we haven't said much beyond the fact that it is happening... and that's going to change very soon! Internally, design has delivered a system which Chris is happy with, and now we're going to share that with you once the last few rough edges are sanded off. Our design team is working up a 'for public comment' post which we will put out next week. It's going to explain the system we've come up with and ask for your feedback. From there, we'll begin implementation in Arena Commander (which will likely take several weeks, all told.) (I will also note that the reason you're seeing more and more devices show up in VD is because we're confident that this system is going to work and we will need an inventory when it kicks off.)
The second is that we have also started the process for allowing players to 'melt' Voyager Direct items. There are some heady logistics involved here (how does it impact the UEC cap? Or more importantly: can people game the system?), as well as web time to enable the system... but it is coming.
And if you have any other ideas, we'd certainly love to hear them. The fact is, the idea that Arena Commander might be seen as 'pay to win' came as a surprise to us (I think in our heads, it's a test bed for the real universe coming later), and we're adapting our schedule and plans to make sure that is NOT the case.
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 2 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,252
This Week in Star Citizen
February 9th, 2015Free Fly Week!
pictured: Origin Jumpworks 350R
This week kick starts a new fly free system that we've implemented which every other week you'll get access to a different ship or series of ships to try out! We're going to start this week off with the 300 series, and if you happen to enjoy the limited 350R enough, we've made that available once more.
Stay Tuned for Friday's Design Post, it's going to go in depth into the new Arena Commander Credits system showing us what we can soon expect: earning credits, acquiring upgrades, possibly even acquiring access to additional ships
(Edited 24 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) quintuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 5 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,258
Design Post: Shields and Management
pictured: Gladiator getting blasted
Shields are an iconic part of science fiction drama – if there’s a spaceship involved, chances are that shields are involved. Whether someone is redirecting power to the forward shield or reporting to their commanding officer that shields are seconds away from failing, their existence has become an unquestioned piece of standard equipment in future worlds. Today, shield and power management in Arena Commander may seem simplistic… but it’s going to get much, much more interesting!
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14489-Design-Shields-Management
squeegee (OP) sextuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 12 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,264
This design post is pretty interesting, there's a lot of details about how shields will be functioning on single seater ships, but also gives us a glimpse at what kind of activity a player on a multicrew ship might expect out of shield and power management. expect a proactive skill based approach to shield and power management that will work best as a distributed effort. it sounds like crews will have a lot to be responsible for and will work as coordinated teams to best maximize ship effectiveness. i'm not really doing it justice, but i totally am expecting to be Scotty from Star Trek and have to tell commander Warf i can't give more power to weapons and to then have Capt Pickard tell me to reroute power from coolers and overcharge the weapons for a last ditch shot at taking out an enemy javelin and for me to have to order other players at action stations to reroute power while i prepare to overcharge the weapons and probably blow out the engines when suddenly i realize i can calibrate the shields to offset splash damage and so instead i reroute power away from shields, optimize them against splash damage, reorient their facing, and overcharge the weapons thus buying us that final killing blow AND also not blow out the engines, whew. also i'll probably be closing off irradiated engine compartments, ordering fire crews to put out fires, and yelling "Damnit captain!" a lot.squeegee (OP) septuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 8 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,266
George Hull (Designer of the Reclaimer) talks about his ship design philosophises for Jupiter Ascendingsort of Star Citizen related. George Hull (as the title implies) is a pretty talented concept artist working in movies and games. He has done concept work on star citizen including creating a fan favorite, the Reclaimer salvage ship, a very industrial and brutal looking ship with a giant clawed arm. For his work in jupiter ascending he talks about the conception of the whole idea behind the futuristic technology of "float components."
anyway, pretty cool look at how artists drive fundamental design aesthetics
(Edited 35 seconds later.)
squeegee replied with this 9.4 years ago, 2 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,814
ever wanna be an NPC in a video game?do you live near england and can legally work there?
want to earn 50... of english monies?
of course you do! apply today as a model for Star Citizen and have your likeness scanned into the game!
they'll also give you tea!
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 16 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,818
i expect this to be right up killer lettuces alley. i know he's not really into video games and thinks sci-fi is stupid, but there's tea
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.4 years ago, 24 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,822
@532,814 (squeegee)
@previous (squeegee)
I would totally give this a shot if Cheshire weren't so far away. Would probably cost me nearly £50 and a whole day just to get to Cheshire and back from where I live. Plus, I'm a young white guy, I imagine that the competition there will be pretty stiff in that category.
Still, though, it's cool that they're doing this. Those Star Citizen folks sure are something special.
@previous (squeegee)
I would totally give this a shot if Cheshire weren't so far away. Would probably cost me nearly £50 and a whole day just to get to Cheshire and back from where I live. Plus, I'm a young white guy, I imagine that the competition there will be pretty stiff in that category.
Still, though, it's cool that they're doing this. Those Star Citizen folks sure are something special.
(Edited 30 seconds later.)
squeegee replied with this 9.4 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,839
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.4 years ago, 31 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #532,853
@previous (squeegee)
Don't actually drink tea. So then there'd be an awkward moment where I'd have to refuse their generous offer.
Don't actually drink tea. So then there'd be an awkward moment where I'd have to refuse their generous offer.
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 2 days later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #533,399
SCANDAL! Star Citizen Devs release AC credits Design Post
pictured: angry mob not happyRental Equipment Credits: or REC as they are calling it, are essentially "credits earned" by playing AC and can be used to unlock new ships and weapons. Think of it like a progression system, however unfortunately the devs initial concept plans for rentals to expire after the passage of real time, rather than in-game time. Rentals would expire after 1 week real time, and it looks like quite a lot of people aren't happy.
personally i'm in the unhappy camp. i was hoping more for a "prestige" system where you can opt to wipe progression in exchange for badges (which i know a lot of people hate and i wasn't really expecting) but i was at least expecting rentals to expire after in-game use time. if i can only play a few hours a week i don't want to see a hard earned high tier ship rental expire after only a couple of hours of in-game use just because i can't play the game 40 hours a week.
But, they have asked for feedback on this new system and the mob is definitely doing that, so i expect they'll change one or more things about this system.
even though i hate "multiple in game currencies" i understand why it's necessary here. Also it's a game-withing a game, and in the real world arcades you can exchange dollars for tokens and this is more or less a token system for the in-game game.... so i'll look the other way on the use of a second in-game currency, but the real-time rentals thing is really disappointing in my opinion.
(Edited 21 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 day later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #533,926
scandal mostly resolved it seems. There was a clarification from the devs, the rentals expire after in-game time, not real time. This has satisfied most people. This was really the only thing that was bothering me. pretty much it's just a way to spend points awarded for game time and a way to allow people to have limited access to all of the game assets. we'll see how it plays, i'm looking forward to trying out all the missiles and goal oriented progression does sound nice.
plus the "community mystery box" that unlocks global events sounds cool
plus the "community mystery box" that unlocks global events sounds cool
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 15 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #533,929
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 44 seconds later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #533,930
squeegee (OP) quintuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 25 seconds later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #533,931
squeegee (OP) sextuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 3 days later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #534,691
This week in Star Citizen
Thursday, February 19th, 2015patch 1.0.3 is live!
It looks like from the patch notes that this is a relatively minor patch. it contains a lot of bug fixes, particularly one large one that apparently was causing servers to hard-reset when they reached capacity or something like that. This past monday was "Play with the Devs" day which was an attempt to overload the servers and cause a big problem. apparently that worked, we did crash the servers, and evidently 1.0.3 is a big step in the direction of fixing up their back-end. There is another "Play with the Devs" day planned for next Monday at 8PM UTC (3PM EST), so come out and help tank google's cloud.
Patch 1.0.3 also contains a lot of balancing tweaks to various weapons and ship systems.
Patch 1.0.3 is the last minor patch for this branch of Star Citizen. The next patch, 1.1 will be the last major patch of this branch. both 1.0.3 and 1.1 will lay the groundwork for the inclusion of the FPS branch and also the soon to be included social module and then Planetside modules. Personally i expect the next couple of weeks to be pretty smooth sailing, but when they start to tie in the much larger branches i expect a few weeks of bumpiness. 1.0.3 in the PTU was looking pretty solid, that's not always how it works out in the wild, but so far today i don't hear any of complaining.
OH! and 1.1, which we should expect to see anytime over the next 2-3 weeks, has a lot of shit it in. It's going to introduce Arena Commander bucks (called REC) which can be used to upgrade weapons, systems and even acquire any ship in game with in-game-earned-points instead of real dollars. It's a first blush kind of system, so expect it to be improved upon if this system sucks... which it might, because stuff you acquire can expire after enough playtime. so we'll be seeing that in the very next patch! be excite!
Around the Verse
Weekly news show put on by the devs discussing the State of the Game and everything Star CitizenThey are doing some fun stuff with Around the Verse these days, they are doing a little in-fiction news thing that's "cutesy" but also it'll be an in-game in-fiction news show that they are planning on broadcasting in game or something like that. So, like, not only are they planning on paid positions at their company to be in-game player judges and advocates and stuff (like an in-fiction WoW moderator that instead of warping around and resolving player disputes act as police and judges to resolve player disputes. an example of the judges role - a player is literally cheating the game by using an exploit, in traditional games you might get banned or simply kicked from the server in a very much not in-fiction and certainly not immersive way. in Star Citizen if you're found cheating the Advocacy has in-game police and bounty hunters go after you, capture you, and then bring you in front of a judge who then determines your sentence in-game, in-fiction, and then your character may get locked up in prison or maybe even executed. this is literally how CIG wants to handle all player disputes and cheating and exploiting and whatever. fucking judges and lawyers, man. for real. this is like a stated goal.) but they'll also have people who are, i guess, like hired voice actors who'll be making constantly new in game... like news and tv shows i guess. They've mentioned the TV and Radio from GTA, but with constant content updates. we'll see. all i know is that more than one ship has been modeled with a television inside it.
Oh, and watch for the new segment called "Sandi goes to Flight School" where Sandi Gardner learns tip and tricks and tactics to win at Arena Commander.
Gold Horizon Mining Station
These Pics are of the Gold Horizon mining facility in an asteroid field. Anything we've seen before this was grey box paintovers or came from the FPS demo last fall. These appear to be images of the sections of the station that'll make up parts of the new FPS arena games. When the FPS module drops next month the Gold Horizon station is going to feature heavily in it. This map includes the Gravity Generator which can be toggled on and off for 0g combat. It'll be fun, especially if we can turn off the gravity and open up the airlocks (which could entirely be possible.) even if it's not possible to space people yet, i can't wait to turn off the gravity.Galactic Guide: Virgil
These are kind of neat lore expositionsThis one goes into detail about a terraformed human system lost to the invading vanduul a century ago. Virgil was lost just before Orion, and both lie "west" of the UEE and border Vanduul space. The attack on Orion was particularly devastating (it was an older civilization i believe) and the vanduul continue to have a presence there. They pretty much avoid Virgil since they already harvested the planets there, but their presence in Orion goes unabated. incidentally Operation Pitchfork, a civilian initiative planned by the backers, is a large scale invasion of Orion at the end of the Beta right before they wipe the servers for the full release. The Operation was planned such that any losses would be mitigated by the server wipe, so it was originally just for fun, but CIG loves the idea so much that they are officially writing Operation Pitchfork into the Lore of the universe and are working towards making the event as spectacular as possible. There will be capship battles, invasion fleets, probably hundreds of instances, and will be CIG's final stress test of the PU before it goes Live live. So the people of Virgil and Orion will be avenged!
(Edited 7 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) septuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 day later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #534,987
In the Last 24 Hours
massive info dumpIn the last twenty four hours, you’ve seen the reveal of the RSI Orion, our design for mining in the persistent universe, a video round table from concept artists in Austin, an extended discussion of REC with Travis and Calix, a poll and first look at the Star Citizen box art and an Inside CIG on the recent mocap shoot at Imaginarium! Later tonight, we’ll have a new edition of Jump Point for our loyal subscribers. Tonight’s edition focuses on much of the planet side work being done in Austin and Montreal…
Rugged Colossus: Orion Mining Platform
pictured: this thing is fucking huge.Video: The fucking thing rotates :D
The RSI Orion is mankind’s premiere spatial mining platform, featuring multiple independent mining drones, an onboard refinery and a system of saddlebag-class storage units.
For advanced mining operations, the RSI Orion is second to none. The Orion carries a crew of up to six, responsible for flight operations, engineering and manning both turrets and pre-installed drone interfaces.
Onboard accommodations, while industrial in style, support all crew for extended duration mining runs. A genuine complete mining solution, a single Orion can locate, identify and extract lucrative ores, or it can be paired with explorers and transports to form the centerpiece of a larger-scale mining operation!
For advanced mining operations, the RSI Orion is second to none. The Orion carries a crew of up to six, responsible for flight operations, engineering and manning both turrets and pre-installed drone interfaces.
Onboard accommodations, while industrial in style, support all crew for extended duration mining runs. A genuine complete mining solution, a single Orion can locate, identify and extract lucrative ores, or it can be paired with explorers and transports to form the centerpiece of a larger-scale mining operation!
Star Citizen Careers: Mining
Mining presents players with a variety of challenges requiring skill and intelligence, whereas mindless repetition of a task and idle drudgery are explicitly avoided. There are no aspects of mining that allow a player to simply press a button and wait without concern for a result, or that require players to perform an action repeatedly without some element of thought and/or dexterity coming into play.
Ample amounts of dangerous situations are afforded, despite the fact that combat isn’t inherent in any fundamental aspect of the effort. The most valuable materials will often reside deep within a dense field, the result of less experienced pilots being unable to extricate them without suffering serious damage to their ship. Compressed pockets of gas, volatile materials that can explode in the presence of excessive energy (which is required in some capacity in order to liberate the ore from its parent asteroid), and elements that can explode when subjected to seismic vibrations as caused by repeated fragmentation operations all present their own unique types of jeopardy. While most miners will seek to actively avoid armed conflict, the reality is that any ship carrying a cargo of valuable ore will present a tempting target to less scrupulous types, rewarding those players that formulate contingency plans in advance, whether that be the hiring of an NPC crew member extremely talented with a defense turret, or investing a portion of the expected profits into hiring an armed escort or two.
Finally, multiple roles of substance are presented, each of which is referred to as a specialist. Every role can occupy the full attention of a player and present sufficient challenge to keep them engaged, or assigned to an NPC whose skills are commensurate with their monthly cost.
Ample amounts of dangerous situations are afforded, despite the fact that combat isn’t inherent in any fundamental aspect of the effort. The most valuable materials will often reside deep within a dense field, the result of less experienced pilots being unable to extricate them without suffering serious damage to their ship. Compressed pockets of gas, volatile materials that can explode in the presence of excessive energy (which is required in some capacity in order to liberate the ore from its parent asteroid), and elements that can explode when subjected to seismic vibrations as caused by repeated fragmentation operations all present their own unique types of jeopardy. While most miners will seek to actively avoid armed conflict, the reality is that any ship carrying a cargo of valuable ore will present a tempting target to less scrupulous types, rewarding those players that formulate contingency plans in advance, whether that be the hiring of an NPC crew member extremely talented with a defense turret, or investing a portion of the expected profits into hiring an armed escort or two.
Finally, multiple roles of substance are presented, each of which is referred to as a specialist. Every role can occupy the full attention of a player and present sufficient challenge to keep them engaged, or assigned to an NPC whose skills are commensurate with their monthly cost.
Inside CIG: The Imaginarium
The Imaginarium is the studio responsible for the motion capture done for Lord of the Rings. They work with "live streaming mocap rigs" that stream actor movements directly in engine for instantaneous viewing. pretty cool stuff, this might be how they plan to make the in-game news broadcasts quickly and frequently.Get a behind-the-screens look at the Motion Capture of Star Citizen. CIG is working with The Imaginarium to give characters in both the Persistent Universe and Squadron 42 a more realistic feel.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) octuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 2 days later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #535,543
The Calm Before the Storm
in the next few weeks we're going to see a lot of new content being added, but...This week's schedule looks light, nothing major on the client side is being released. We're still going to be seeing the usual shows leading up to the weekend, and there's a good chance we'll be seeing v1.1 by friday. but it feels like they are entering their "crunch time routine" which is when we see a slight dip in the community side engagement as the whole company buckles down for the run-up to Pax East and the FPS release.
Probably the most interesting thing this week, aside from the possibility of v1.1 and the "Arena Commander Bucks" (REC) system, is the FREE FLY Week starting this upcoming Friday. Starting Friday the Cutlass will be available to all backers to fly for free in Arena Commander. The Cutlass is huge by current standards, it's larger than any other ship flyable in game at the moment. I've flown it, it's interesting, it's pretty massive and drives like a huge truck or a very heavy aircraft (think along the lines of a double prop aircraft vs single prop) and it's well armed, but handling is touchy. They have made improvements to the thrusters and people claim that it's better now, so i'll be interested to fly it again. Technically it's a 2 seater, with the RIO seat being disabled at the moment, so it won't be optimal for combat until a later patch that introduces the multi-crew ship capabilities. but it's shaping up to be a very heavy hitting and maneuverable cargo hauler that will be perfect for piracy or legitimate hauling. It's also a specialist Search and Rescue (SAR) ship and will be used around the verse as an ambulance and another variation is basically a police paddy wagon.
i predict that the Cutlass will be a very popular ship in the Persistent Universe because of it's Medium size and modular design allowing it to be useful in just about every role. It will also be cheap to operate since you can fly it solo or only have to pay one crewman, the larger ships will be much more expensive to run and the smaller ships will not fit into as many roles as the cutlass can.
(Edited 27 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) nonuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 7 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #535,633
Rumor Mill is Generating a Lot of Buzz
pictured: Dan Tracy from CIG, in engine. this is an example of the facial scan work being done by Imaginarium to bring real faces into the game. Likely his likeness will be used as either part of the character generator or as a character in the Story.It's sounding like v1.1 is going to have some extras people weren't expecting so soon. They're adding a free-fly multiplayer sandbox mode that'll contain a landing zone, and they are adding the new landing mechanic in game for people to try out. currently it's easy to crashland, so we'll see what they add to make landing less hazardous. Also it's sounding highly likely the Gladius will be flight ready as well, so with the introduction of REC and rentals there's a lot to keep pilots busy till FPS in march!
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) decuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 5 days later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #536,955
Lonestar the Kilrathi's Ship Review: Reviews Revisited - Part 2
see:@519,573 (Lonestar the Kilrathi) for original reviews
see:@520,584 (Lonestar the Kilrathi) for Drake Cutlass re-review
The Drake Cutlass is currently free to fly for all backers by loading into Arena Commander from your hangar.
Drake Cutlass re-re-review
Yee haw, they fixed the thruster problem and finished out the weapons turret, this thing is pretty boss now. It still handles like a beast, but now it feels like you're charging around on an Ox rather than riding down a hill in a shopping cart backwards. And with its 5 gun loadout you bring a ton of fire power to the fight. You've got 3 class 2 weapons and 2 class 1 it looks like, and you can equip size 2 guns everywhere. this might get toned down when they revamp the weapon mount system, but right now you can outfit some serious weapon loadouts.I spent a good hour in free flight last night and got pretty used to the handling, it's pretty necessary to use boost a lot. practically every maneuver was improved by boosting into and out of turns and rolls. i've read on the forums that advanced maneuvers include dodging missiles but i'm still unclear on how to perform the maneuver. I played a round against the AI in Vanduul Swarm mode and what i found is that the faster ships were able to flat out-run me. also the touchy controls of the cutlass and its tendency to drift around made lining up a shot a bit challenging. however, this is still a 3 man ship with the RIO seat actions currently tied to the main chair as well as the turret gunner action. So, you're trying to pilot AND gun AND operate systems, which is not how the ship is intended to operate. With a second man in the turret i can see this ship as being very challenging to counter. the turret has 360 degree movement and the RIO seat action will also operate systems such as missiles/target acquisition and shield/energy management. with a competent captain and an aware gunner the Cutlass should be able to fend off all but the most dedicated of all dogfighting ships. however, it's role is not directly aimed at "dog-fighting."
The cutlass is for all intents and purposes a "pirate ship." It's a largish ship with a middling cargo capacity but has combat ready shielding and more weapons than most ships in even a larger class vessel. It also has large maneuvering thrusters for its size making it quite maneuverable- but, it is a very heavy ship. What it will be BEST at will be hunting larger prey than itself. a pair of cutlasses would be able to take on vessels much larger than themselves, and with a gunner the pilot can focus on maneuvering into blind spots on the larger craft and avoiding direct gunfire. And since the cutlass has a nice cargo hold it will be able to carry off stolen cargo dropped by panicking traders.
So all in all i think the cutlass is rounding out nicely. probably still not the best ship to fly in multiplayer dogfighting arena games, but we'll see how it does in Arena Commander 2.0 which will bring us the Multi-crew ship branch of the game and we'll really be able to see how the dog-fighters do against the really big guns. my guess is the cutlass is going to excel in AC 2.0 this summer. So aspiring pirates take note, the cutlass is looking like it's going to deliver.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) undecuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 day later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #537,220
This Week in Star Citizen
Monday, March 2nd 20155 days until PAX East and the FPS demo
pictured: Star Citizen Outlaw Character
FPS is almost here! Pax East is this saturday and and attendees will be the first public players to try out the now First Person Shooter part of the game. Videos from Pax will be available by next monday and the FPS module Patch will go live this month. We're still expecting the 1.1 patch to go live anytime within the next week to 2 weeks. They've not given a time table, but they've said to expect it around Pax East. They wanted it out last friday, and are aiming again for this friday. With everything going on for a big reveal and a big event like PAX i would expect the priority is on preparing for the presentation. i do expect 1.1 and the REC rental system to be released by the 15th at the latest, but that's just my projection. They've still got to get FPS released in march and then the Social/Planetside module out in April. if they want to hit those "deadlines" then they'll need to tie in 1.1 very soon.
tl;dr Other than PAX on Saturday there's not a whole lot going on this week.
10 For the Chairman
CEO Chris Roberts answers 10 questions from backersi haven't watched it yet but i hear there's an art sneak peek of some kind. *it may actually be the outlaw character i already posted, idk.)
Random stuff
The rest of the week is kinda dull, there's a community "meet the devs" thing tomorrow with someone, meh, then there's some LEGO community content thing wednesday, meh, and on Thursday we'll get the regular episodes of Around the 'Verse and REverse the Verse which will probably be very PAX centric.
Then Friday we'll get a monthly studio report which are kind of interesting and then they'll also release a design document that explains the changes to hardpoints that we'll see in v1.1 and going forward. This will totally be a document for the uber-nerds in the forums trying to theorycraft about ships that aren't even in game yet :P
but it might have some insights for the average Joe Spaceman.
So unless there's anything crazy revealed between now and saturday i'll wait until next sunday to do another update and it'll probably be a big 2 part one with a lot of stuff being covered over 2 days so i can post the videos that come out monday.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
Lonestar the Kilrathi (OP) duodecuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #537,231
I should have watched 10 for the Chairman before posting the last comment
so there is at least one interesting development, CIG has been pretty quiet over the last few months about what they're doing in Germany. Last year it was announced that Crytek was having financial issues and there were rumors of sell offs and bankruptcies and loss of staff and what-not. Turns out it was mostly overblown but Crytek is not doing as well as they'd like to be. something like that.
CIG bought their license to CryEngine and own the rights to modify it wholly and even re-lease it under a new name (the popular name, we hear, is StarEngine or something like that.) So whatever problems CryTek has it will not effect Star Citizen going forward, but, it apparently did spook a few of their core engineers. Over the last several months CryTek folks have been being courted by other companies looking for their specific expertise and CIG has brought in 17 so far and are looking at bringing in upwards of 40 ex-crytek employees. He did so by setting them up with offices in Frankfurt and having them setup as part of his global ring of freelance and in-house studios.
Chris Roberts talks about this in this interview in Polygon. And in tonight's Ten for the Chairman he explained how the Crytek guys are working on innovative solutions to problems like "how to have huge space battles with hundreds of players" and he could barely contain the smirk on his face when he was talking about their solution. apparently these are the guys who "built cryengine" and that there is not a more prepared group to be handling these challenges.
Chris also looked rested and excited to be talking about it all again, for a while he was looking tired and stressed, so hopefully all this is a good sign. it sounds like more and more of the "technical stuff" is being finished. in fact v1.1 is going to have most of the "64-bit" branch which is what allows for solar system sized scales. So anyway, i hadn't heard all this before and it's pretty interesting stuff. i'm glad to hear CIG has brought in so much CryEngine expertise, i'm loving the fact that my favorite game genre is being paid so much attention to and that they guy leading the charge is pushing the limits and not sparing any expense.
squeegee (OP) tridecuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 4 days later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,077
PAX East 2015 Free Flight week
With this pass everyone will be able to download and try out Star Citizen for Free! You can walk around the Hangar Module and sit in an Anvil Hornet F7C trainer ship that you can then take into flight in Arena Commander. Once activated the pass is valid until March 15th 2015! No purchase required.CODE: PAXEASTFREEFLY2K15
Redeem here: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/promotions/paxeast-2015
system requirements: quad core processor, 8 gigs of RAM, 25 gig HD space, video card that can run modern high end games equivalent to a GTX570 or better
PTU v1.1 available now
the PTU is the public test realm and is the first step of releasing a full patch.pictured: new dynamic damage system
v1.1 is fucking awesome. The gladius is flyable, many new animations are in game and portions of the FPS push/pull mechanic for zero-G are in so everyone is playing the new multiplayer Free-flight mode and landing because now you can borrow people's ships in game! i hear there have been a lot of improvements overall, from better ship handling (the cutlass is now even better than before) to general stability. Also i hear that the stuff they are doing to the launcher/patcher has helped to improve DL speeds for many people, myself included. So PTUv1.1 is looking very solid, and the full patch is likely to be out in a couple of days, plenty of time for people to use the PAX Free Flight code to try out the most solid patch to date.
(Edited 9 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) quattuodecuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,133
the Aegis Retaliator: Heavy Bomberedit: this is all in-engine, btw. like, this is the the playable vehicle and how it looks in game. This isn't, like, "specially crafted" it's just the retaliator in the asteroid hangar and they're using the Cryengine free-fly camera to take the shots. the retaliator will be in the hangar starting with v1.1
(Edited 5 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) sexadecuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 14 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,135
New Damage System Design Post
pictured: Real damage on real aircraft emulated by the new damage systemNew damage model in action. it's pretty much spectacular in this second iteration of damage states. The first generation was already outstanding, but this is OMGW. and they have plans to make it even better, they say. so, i'm impressed.
squeegee (OP) sedecuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,142
New Default Player Model
this is just an example of where they are with the textures i guess, ATM i don't think they are rigged for expressions, that'll all come in April with the Social Module which will include a custom character creator. but there may be some tech here i'm not aware of, like they'll be using TressFX for the hair and they are using some Tech for skin but i forgot what it is. it makes it look more lifelike by messing with lighting.Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.4 years ago, 41 seconds later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,143
@537,231 (Lonestar the Kilrathi)
Oh shit, Crytek is folding? I thought that they were a big deal and all that? But then, so was THQ.
Oh shit, Crytek is folding? I thought that they were a big deal and all that? But then, so was THQ.
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 4 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,144
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)i don't think they are folding, i don't really know what they are doing. They are losing employees it looks like. but i don't think they are folding entirely. i would have to read up on it, but i did read that some employees went a few months without pay and i guess walked.
but yeah, something is going on, i just don't know the extent of it. sucks for Cryengine, but it won't impact Star Citizen in any way, in fact it has probably helped them in the long run because CIG was able to pick up so much talent on their hard-core engineering and coding side.
dw joined in and replied with this 9.4 years ago, 19 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,353
@538,143 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
tbh thq basically just made b games for 30 years
@previous (squeegee)
that face model looks really weird to me. like... synthetic
tbh thq basically just made b games for 30 years
@previous (squeegee)
that face model looks really weird to me. like... synthetic
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 2 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,372
@previous (dw)pictured: the previous character model from 1.0.3
They've brought up the detail based on facial scans and are doing motion capture to animate them. The studio doing the mocap is the Imaginarium who did the Lord of the Rings motion capture.
Also there have been rumors they are using Nvidea Face Works which may or may not already be included in the rendering of the character models.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 9 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,373
here is as close as i can get the camera with the helmet off of the new model. One thing i don't see is any transparency with the ears like in the Face Works video, but that could be an issue of the lighting being wrong, or maybe Face Works isn't in yet, maybe it'll never be. we'll see what it looks like in FPS which will be an even more improved version. i'm not sure when they'll start to put in animations for the faces, but i'm thinking the big module tie-in called the Social Module will include a lot more character stuff.squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 5 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,374
profile.almost looks like the ira model from Face Works actually. i think they eyes look dead. that might be because part of the character model rigging includes ray-casting eyes that will move with the mouse input. So it may be that players will animate they eyes as they look around rather than just be randomly animated. It's one of the things they are doing to try and tighten up the FPS experience for VR on down the road, and may be a novel solution to head-bob induced motion sickness. it might also get replaced for a more traditional method of "aiming your character" but we'll see some crazy stuff before they whittle away what doesn't play well.
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 3 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,375
squeegee (OP) quintuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 21 seconds later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,377
squeegee (OP) sextuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 4 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,380
oh yeah, i should totally take pics like this at 4khere you go
squeegee (OP) septuple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 39 seconds later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,382
4K as well(Edited 5 minutes later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.4 years ago, 2 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,383
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 14 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,389
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)i'm going to put up a video that shows all the new animations for the zero-G push/pull mechanic and magnetic boots. it's pretty bad ass i gotta say. it's wonky as fuck because i've never used anything like it, but after a couple of hours practicing and i'm Spaceman Spiff over here. it's got a ways to go before it's any good with First Person, but in Third it's like gymnastics.
until then here's a 3rd person perspective pic of me checking out a glitching HUD element in First Person. You can see how the first and third person perspectives line up - the character is arching its back and looking up. This is also very cool when the push/pull system starts to work, when you're close to a wall your dude reaches out and grabs it and it's actually pretty natural looking. you can then pull yourself along different geometry and then turn on boots to walk around. i'll make a video, because it's cool as fuck looking. i guess an apt comparison is how in Assassins Creed you can climb most walls, right? well in this your arms and hands are "sticky" kind of and your arms will reach out when close to a surface and the hand will grab at it. kinda like when in movies people get sucked out the airlock and as they are being dragged out they claw at the ground. That's kind of what it looks like, but you can stop yourself, then pull yourself along what seems to be just about anything. it's cool, you'll be walking along and dude will reach out and kind of brace himself against the wall, like you might do if you were going to peek out around a corner.
i played with it for hours so the video is taking forever to upload to youtube. i'll splice out a 2 or three minute thing.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,396
PAX East Videos
First look at the FPS zero-G game mode called Astro Arena. It's based on Ender's Game, mostly the battle arena from the movie. In this game you have a tazer pistol with a grappling beam. So you enter the giant zero-G sphere and use the grappling beam to pull yourself around and use the tazer pistol to paralize foes. your team wins when either the other team are all paralized, or your team scores a point by exiting the arena through "the enemies gate," ala Ender's Game. This game, actually, is a "in-fiction in-universe" sport played by professional teams and there will be competitions, leaderboards, tournaments and if it's like Racing then if you're good you can gain Corporate Sponsorship to play in a league.
Chris Roberts gives a 10 minute interview with PC gamer. probably nothing important here, but it's shorter than the next video.
Pax Presentation: The Future of MMOs with Chris Roberts. it's an hour long, so, i doubt anyone will watch it. But, in it Chris Roberts talks about "streaming your own facial emotions into the game and animating your avatar's faces. I think he means live, like with a webcam? i dunno. i might watch this to see.
okay, 56:33 in he says live with a webcam. yup. now i don't know that he's got that planned, he basically says with today's tech there's no reason why you can't do that.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 day later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #538,555
This Week in Star Citizen
Tuesday March 10thpictured: dat Gladius feel
Free Fly Week Starting Friday the 13th!!
That means everyone with a game package will have access to these ships:
- Aurora series
- 300 series
- Avenger
- Gladius
- Mustang series
- Cutlass Black
- Hornet series
- M50
PAX East Game Code, good through March 15th
CODE: PAXEASTFREEFLY2K15
Redeem here: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/promotions/paxeast-2015
Breaking News
The PTU server has been taken offline, we could be looking at a release of the 1.1 patch later today. Again, 1.1 sets the stage for FPS, debuts the new Ship Rental System, and introduces the last of the Dogfighters- the Gladius. and right now it is my absolute favorite ship. so hopefully we'll get that today.Rest of the Week
All the regular stuff, 10 for the Chairman was on earlier, Around the Verse will be on Thursday, nothing spectacular this week aside from the Free Fly! going on now. there are a fuck ton of new accounts being made so it is drawing a whole lot of interest. We can probably expect some details on the FPS release candidate build so people can start managing their expectations for a release on that. "Technically" speaking they have until the last day of march before people get out their torches and pitch forks, and that "technically" has the angry mob on edge since any [concerns] are dismissed with "derp march isn't over yet." Come april all hell will break loose if it isn't out. it would not surprise me though if we get an april release, but, my projection is a March 24th release or at least a working FPS PTU.(Edited 2 minutes later.)
Anonymous J joined in and replied with this 9.4 years ago, 2 days later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,176
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 14 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,180
FREE FLY WEEK
Friday 3/13 through Friday 3/20CODE: SXSWFREEFLY2K15
Redeem here: http://robertsspaceindustries.com/promotions/sxsw-2015 (probably but the page isn't available until tomorrow. if it's another address then i'll re-link it.)
system requirements: quad core processor, 8 gigs of RAM, 25 gig HD space, video card that can run modern high end games equivalent to a GTX570 or better
This code gives everyone the ability to try the game for free for one week. It sounds like i was wrong, this code doesn't need to be used in conjunction with a backed account or the PAX EAST code but it IS only good for single player game modes.
disclaimer: reddit is all over the place this week with the info because so much is being dropped all at once. It APPEARS that no purchase is required to fly EVERY ship for a week, however, in the event that that is WRONG then you can redeem the PAX EAST code and have 2 days with which to fly every ship available in game. the minimum pledge to gain the title "backer" is $5, and with that $5 spent you'll gain access to multiplayer stuff during the free fly weeks. i don't know how frequent they will be, so don't part with your $5 unless you're just super impressed with what you see and want to dip your toes in.
1.1 release candidate
might be out today. they are still working on the nest of bugs still in the PTU build. As soon as they have the big ones resolved they'll drop it on us.that being said things are looking very very good for a march release of the First Person Shooter module.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 6 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,181
@539,176 (J)
i know! isn't that awesome!
i don't know of any software at all that is 100gigs, let alone a game.
Anyway, that was a comment on like the RSI chat or something, i totally believe it's true, but they are still guessing at this point what the final size will be. I'm sure they have a rough enough idea to be confident enough to SAY something like that though. But yeah, it's going to be absolutely monstrous. Just like Wing Commander was when it first released, it'll be pretty much unplayable for most people for years. So, imho it'll actually help with the longevity of the game to be pulling in all the peasants as they finally catch up their hardware. i bought Wing commander years after it came out because i finally had a computer that could play it, so, i'm pretty stoked to hear that the final game is going to require i upgrade pretty much everything.
like, even right now, with settings on ultra and things like AA turned on it's barely playable on MY computer. and at 4k it really isn't playable at all. like 15-25 FPS and LESS. AA is off right now by default, and i usually play on medium settings. i get 60FPS, but i certainly see dips. Also i get 55ish at max settings, which is fine, but still.
luckily the rework of the damage states has reduced ships from something like 100M cached to more like 14, so it's a huge reduction and we'll be seeing significant improvements once all ships are converted away from the very bloated damage system used today. but that'll mostly effect things during run-time, not necessarily game size.
i know! isn't that awesome!
i don't know of any software at all that is 100gigs, let alone a game.
Anyway, that was a comment on like the RSI chat or something, i totally believe it's true, but they are still guessing at this point what the final size will be. I'm sure they have a rough enough idea to be confident enough to SAY something like that though. But yeah, it's going to be absolutely monstrous. Just like Wing Commander was when it first released, it'll be pretty much unplayable for most people for years. So, imho it'll actually help with the longevity of the game to be pulling in all the peasants as they finally catch up their hardware. i bought Wing commander years after it came out because i finally had a computer that could play it, so, i'm pretty stoked to hear that the final game is going to require i upgrade pretty much everything.
like, even right now, with settings on ultra and things like AA turned on it's barely playable on MY computer. and at 4k it really isn't playable at all. like 15-25 FPS and LESS. AA is off right now by default, and i usually play on medium settings. i get 60FPS, but i certainly see dips. Also i get 55ish at max settings, which is fine, but still.
luckily the rework of the damage states has reduced ships from something like 100M cached to more like 14, so it's a huge reduction and we'll be seeing significant improvements once all ships are converted away from the very bloated damage system used today. but that'll mostly effect things during run-time, not necessarily game size.
(Edited 5 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 16 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,184
written in 2006:
interesting. I figured the worlds "largest program" would be something business related, or like some very technical database or something for finance, or like the routing systems for the stock exchange. but i still can't find its size, just number of lines of code (as of 2006).
maybe someone with more knowledge of could enlighten us as to what the largest single software program is. but, it makes sense that something like a suite of programs could constitute one contiguous software package... but i'm going to say that's not in the spirit of the question. Worlds largest single software i guess. idk how to phrase it.
Tough to say what the largest program is because so much of software development is proprietary. This guy claims it might be the Visanet transaction system. Not a bad guess -- your candidates are probably operating systems (IBM or Windows), financial transaction handlers, or something government related (tax or military applications). The answer may change depending on how you view what "program" means. Operating systems come with lots of API packages, integrated development environments, and browsers. And as we know from the various Microsoft monopoly cases, the boundary between part of the operating system and application is poorly defined.
If proper design philosophies are followed (modularization, documentation, and so on) there's no reason why there should be an upper bound on the size of a program, memory and disk space permitted. At least in theory, you can write modular programs where each component can be developed and tested independently.
If proper design philosophies are followed (modularization, documentation, and so on) there's no reason why there should be an upper bound on the size of a program, memory and disk space permitted. At least in theory, you can write modular programs where each component can be developed and tested independently.
interesting. I figured the worlds "largest program" would be something business related, or like some very technical database or something for finance, or like the routing systems for the stock exchange. but i still can't find its size, just number of lines of code (as of 2006).
maybe someone with more knowledge of could enlighten us as to what the largest single software program is. but, it makes sense that something like a suite of programs could constitute one contiguous software package... but i'm going to say that's not in the spirit of the question. Worlds largest single software i guess. idk how to phrase it.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee replied with this 9.4 years ago, 18 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,276
code: SXSWFREEFLY2K15
http://robertsspaceindustries.com/promotions/sxsw-2015
okay, the link i posted for the sxsw free flight is correct and live. using this code gives everyone, nonbackers included, a week of free access in arena commander.
enjoy!
http://robertsspaceindustries.com/promotions/sxsw-2015
okay, the link i posted for the sxsw free flight is correct and live. using this code gives everyone, nonbackers included, a week of free access in arena commander.
enjoy!
(Edited 48 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 5 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,335
No 1.1 Today
there are still several blockers and they've delayed till next week. they are combining parts of the main dev branch into the live build which contains a lot of updates to the client and backend. in doing so they are encountering problems that block main portions of the code such as AI not spawning in, or you spawning into a ship that just vibrates and doesn't move, or "match not found". we'll be looking at a few more days before general release.in the mean time they are updating the PTU with another build which i think is live now. The PTU build is basically the 1.1 build with bugs and all. from what we hear the FPS is on schedule and the problems with v1.1 won't affect the intended release.
Hype Train
SXSW Gaming Gaming Panel featuring Chris Roberts by IEGN (twitch.tv)
(Edited 8 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 4 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,368
Aurora MR Anniversary $20 edition
is now worth between $24 and $30 on the black market. i've seen them up for upwards of 50, but i don't think they sell that high. but they are reasonably worth $30squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 day later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,507
I will purchase back any Aurora Starter Packages
just a quick reminder, if you purchased an Aurora Anniversary Starter Package for $20 i will buy it back from you, so if you want to get rid of it let me know first before selling to /r/StarcitizenTrades. i'll will match the black market value.thanks.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.4 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,515
so are you copying these from somewhere or writing them up yourself?
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 29 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,517
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
anything in borders is a copy/paste from somewhere and i try to reference it. i'm aggregating anything i personally find interesting that comes across /r/starcitizen, the official game forums, test squadron, and wherever else. i'm doing this a lot for myself, actually, it's sort of a chronological repository of things i'm aware of, so, if i need to look something up i've got everything from links, to pasta to imgur photos all in a nice searchable format.
Also i think some people here may find this interesting so i'm also writing up a lot of this with a lean towards informing others instead of just reminding myself. also if i'm taking time to write stuff up it satisfies a desire to talk a lot about this which actually keeps me from talking about it too much IRL with people who only listen because i won't shut up about it. So, it's a way for me to be excited about sharing this stuff but also not bore people to death in person. here at least people can ignore "Star Citizen" and never even see this thread.
anything in borders is a copy/paste from somewhere and i try to reference it. i'm aggregating anything i personally find interesting that comes across /r/starcitizen, the official game forums, test squadron, and wherever else. i'm doing this a lot for myself, actually, it's sort of a chronological repository of things i'm aware of, so, if i need to look something up i've got everything from links, to pasta to imgur photos all in a nice searchable format.
Also i think some people here may find this interesting so i'm also writing up a lot of this with a lean towards informing others instead of just reminding myself. also if i'm taking time to write stuff up it satisfies a desire to talk a lot about this which actually keeps me from talking about it too much IRL with people who only listen because i won't shut up about it. So, it's a way for me to be excited about sharing this stuff but also not bore people to death in person. here at least people can ignore "Star Citizen" and never even see this thread.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 37 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,526
PTU 1.1v2
looking a lot betterNew Hornet Landing animation: Front View
New Hornet Landing animation: Rear View
there was a pretty funny landing bug in 1.1v1 where you'd request clearance to land and engage autopilot. the IFCS flight computer wouldn't disengage properly and would try to compensate for the action of the landing thrust, so you'd slam down into the landing pad, take off, then slam down again sometimes killing you in the process. usually it just disabled your ship pretty good. So now they've got it working such that you request clearance to land and then when you engage autopilot the computer takes over once you're in range and it gently lands you in the middle of the pad. very nice. you can still manually land, of course, by just... doing it.
Right now the big show stoppers that are preventing a general release of the 1.1v2 build has to do with some interesting server backend stuff, instances are "going bad" in free flight. So, Multiplayer Free Flight is an interesting animal, usually when you queue for a match either you join an ongoing match or a new instance is created for a new match. but, in either case the instance is destroyed after 20 minutes and the match is over. Multiplayer Free Flight does not have a timer, and people can some and go as they please up to the server limit (undisclosed but i've seen 12 in a match at a time) and the server persists much longer than a typical Arena Match. As the server persists and people come and go the server begins to destabilize and players encounter weird problems but the biggest is just lag. Also, i've noticed that if you join a MFF server and register deaths, if you leave the server and come back to that same instance you'll maintain that same death count from your prior session.
so there's still some unintended stuff and general bugginess that needs to be worked out to keep free-flight operational. the other game modes work just fine, except when "match not found" is a problem.
Client side there are some issues with the new animations. technically some of them are issues they aren't going to be fixing because they are known bug in the part of the dev branch that was rolled into the live build (constituting 1.1) but are bugs that have been fixed in the FPS branch. the FPS branch is being rolled into the main dev branch right now. (once that is done they'll branch to a live build again for the FPS release and the new dev branch will start rolling in the "Social module branch" for that fork.)
So some stuff will go unresolved, but, it's looking like the big show stoppers are few in number than in the last 1.1 build.
(Edited 5 minutes later.)
Anonymous G replied with this 9.4 years ago, 7 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,528
can you have gay sex in this game?
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 44 seconds later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,529
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 3 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,530
@539,528 (G)
probably, but they've quit announcing stretch goals so if they do it'll be after commercial release.
probably, but they've quit announcing stretch goals so if they do it'll be after commercial release.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.4 years ago, 1 minute later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,532
@539,529 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
oh for sure, i mean, everyone has their own desires and expectations for this game.
oh for sure, i mean, everyone has their own desires and expectations for this game.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.4 years ago, 24 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,538
@539,530 (squeegee)
So we're uncertain on the gay sex? Hmm, this could weaken their appeal considerably...
So we're uncertain on the gay sex? Hmm, this could weaken their appeal considerably...
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.4 years ago, 2 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #539,541
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
that's right, but they're making great strides in the areas of procedurally generated content, so we'll have to wait and see.
but you're right, if they're going to appeal to a wider audience like Handel and Becky then
they'll need to come up with more game play options that are interesting and accessible.
that's right, but they're making great strides in the areas of procedurally generated content, so we'll have to wait and see.
but you're right, if they're going to appeal to a wider audience like Handel and Becky then
they'll need to come up with more game play options that are interesting and accessible.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.3 years ago, 2 days later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,011
Social Justice Warriors still exist in 2944
Breaching the Spectrum with some well-placed info charges, OP.NET is back from commercial, with me, your host, Conva Maynard. Thanks again to our sponsors CDS and their fine quality personal armor systems. When things get hot, CDS takes the heat.
I don’t know about you all, but I got to say, I am still thinking about those beauties Skiv showed off in today’s tech look. Seriously, that Gallenson Tarantula? Major want. I was asking Skiv about it more during the break, and he didn’t mention this in his review, but apparently the 870 features some really impressive tweak options. Full board swaps, venting on the barrel, easy access to adjust the compressor. I’m not saying it’d be a good idea to max out the ROF, but hell if it wouldn’t be fun to try. Talk about laying down a web of death. Looking at this thing, you can tell that the smiths at Gallenson are a bunch of firearm enthusiasts themselves.
You know, people keep trying to sell me on the convenience of energy weapons — no ammo boxes or refilling and all that. And I get it. I really do. But when a job gets sticky, I always feel better hurling some old fashioned boom. That chunk chunk of the recoil lets me know that everything’s going to be all right in the ’verse.
Sorry. Little bit of a tangent, but let’s move on to our special guest, who, I should add, has been waiting patiently while I gush about guns. Please welcome the chair of the Non-Human Mercenary Alliance, T’ral Falrant.
T’ral Falrant: Pleased to be here. No worries about the gun talk. I’m with you, Conva. That Tarantula. Damn.
Let’s start off with basics. I’m sure there are some in the Guild who are unaware of what it is that your organization does.
T’ral Falrant: NohMa was founded 15 years ago with a pretty simple goal. We want to ensure that non-Human members of the Guild are treated with the same respect and courtesy as Human members, and to provide a resource where Tevarin, Banu and Xi’An mercenaries can turn when they feel they are being treated unfairly. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I think NohMa has taken some important strides in changing the way the Guild thinks about non-Humans.
Like the petition regarding manned turrets.
T’ral Falrant: Sure. Of course that is just one of many initiatives we have ongoing right now. Another would be our inter-species leadership training workshop that is coming up again in a few weeks.
But let’s be fair, the turret petition is the one that is probably getting the most attention right now. A lot of Guild members are pretty upset with what they see as an attack on Humans.
T’ral Falrant: This is something that NohMa comes across all the time. When we start talking about rights for other species, immediately we start being accused of wanting to remove Human rights. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This isn’t an either-or proposition. Rights for mon-Humans doesn’t take away rights for Humans, and vice versa. What we want is equality.
And how does changing the name of manned turrets do that?
T’ral Falrant: Words carry weight. By calling it a manned turret, the implication, whether intentional or not, is one of exclusion. If you look up the definition of “manned” it literally means having a Human crew. Our petition simply requests that the official Guild term for them to be called physically operated turrets.
What about the argument that this is a term that’s been used for millennia, well before Humans even knew of the existence of other sentient species.
T’ral Falrant: That is an argument for how the term came into existence, not one for why we must continue to use it. The change, while small in the grand scheme of things, goes a long way in firmly showing that not only are other species a part of the Guild, we are a fundamental part. Tevarin, Banu, Xi’An. We fight by your side. We take the same risks. Yet again and again we are treated as different, as separate. Look at the Guild’s 2944 Black List. Of all the mercenary deaths to happen during jobs, a disproportionately high number were Tevarin. Numerous polls have shown that Humans still believe the stereotype that the ferocity of Tevarin make them better for first wave assaults, that by their nature Tevarin are more willing to die, that they are disposable. This perception is costing lives. That’s what I want Guild members to understand; speciesism isn’t just about hurt feelings. Not in this job.
An important point. We have to take a quick break, but I want to talk more about how Guild members can help usher in change.
T’ral Falrant: Of course. I’m not going anywhere.
Fantastic. When we come back, we will continue our discussion with T’ral and be joined by Shari Novalla, captain of the JLA sataball team. She’s coming by to discuss her most recent win last Sunday at Astro Arena and how having a team composed entirely of ex-mercs has given her an advantage that could see them all the way to the finals.
All that and more, in just a moment, on OP.NET.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/14596-OPNET-Manned-TurretsI don’t know about you all, but I got to say, I am still thinking about those beauties Skiv showed off in today’s tech look. Seriously, that Gallenson Tarantula? Major want. I was asking Skiv about it more during the break, and he didn’t mention this in his review, but apparently the 870 features some really impressive tweak options. Full board swaps, venting on the barrel, easy access to adjust the compressor. I’m not saying it’d be a good idea to max out the ROF, but hell if it wouldn’t be fun to try. Talk about laying down a web of death. Looking at this thing, you can tell that the smiths at Gallenson are a bunch of firearm enthusiasts themselves.
You know, people keep trying to sell me on the convenience of energy weapons — no ammo boxes or refilling and all that. And I get it. I really do. But when a job gets sticky, I always feel better hurling some old fashioned boom. That chunk chunk of the recoil lets me know that everything’s going to be all right in the ’verse.
Sorry. Little bit of a tangent, but let’s move on to our special guest, who, I should add, has been waiting patiently while I gush about guns. Please welcome the chair of the Non-Human Mercenary Alliance, T’ral Falrant.
T’ral Falrant: Pleased to be here. No worries about the gun talk. I’m with you, Conva. That Tarantula. Damn.
Let’s start off with basics. I’m sure there are some in the Guild who are unaware of what it is that your organization does.
T’ral Falrant: NohMa was founded 15 years ago with a pretty simple goal. We want to ensure that non-Human members of the Guild are treated with the same respect and courtesy as Human members, and to provide a resource where Tevarin, Banu and Xi’An mercenaries can turn when they feel they are being treated unfairly. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I think NohMa has taken some important strides in changing the way the Guild thinks about non-Humans.
Like the petition regarding manned turrets.
T’ral Falrant: Sure. Of course that is just one of many initiatives we have ongoing right now. Another would be our inter-species leadership training workshop that is coming up again in a few weeks.
But let’s be fair, the turret petition is the one that is probably getting the most attention right now. A lot of Guild members are pretty upset with what they see as an attack on Humans.
T’ral Falrant: This is something that NohMa comes across all the time. When we start talking about rights for other species, immediately we start being accused of wanting to remove Human rights. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This isn’t an either-or proposition. Rights for mon-Humans doesn’t take away rights for Humans, and vice versa. What we want is equality.
And how does changing the name of manned turrets do that?
T’ral Falrant: Words carry weight. By calling it a manned turret, the implication, whether intentional or not, is one of exclusion. If you look up the definition of “manned” it literally means having a Human crew. Our petition simply requests that the official Guild term for them to be called physically operated turrets.
What about the argument that this is a term that’s been used for millennia, well before Humans even knew of the existence of other sentient species.
T’ral Falrant: That is an argument for how the term came into existence, not one for why we must continue to use it. The change, while small in the grand scheme of things, goes a long way in firmly showing that not only are other species a part of the Guild, we are a fundamental part. Tevarin, Banu, Xi’An. We fight by your side. We take the same risks. Yet again and again we are treated as different, as separate. Look at the Guild’s 2944 Black List. Of all the mercenary deaths to happen during jobs, a disproportionately high number were Tevarin. Numerous polls have shown that Humans still believe the stereotype that the ferocity of Tevarin make them better for first wave assaults, that by their nature Tevarin are more willing to die, that they are disposable. This perception is costing lives. That’s what I want Guild members to understand; speciesism isn’t just about hurt feelings. Not in this job.
An important point. We have to take a quick break, but I want to talk more about how Guild members can help usher in change.
T’ral Falrant: Of course. I’m not going anywhere.
Fantastic. When we come back, we will continue our discussion with T’ral and be joined by Shari Novalla, captain of the JLA sataball team. She’s coming by to discuss her most recent win last Sunday at Astro Arena and how having a team composed entirely of ex-mercs has given her an advantage that could see them all the way to the finals.
All that and more, in just a moment, on OP.NET.
(Edited 4 minutes later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.3 years ago, 9 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,018
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.3 years ago, 1 hour later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,044
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)i wonder if he's human. i like to think he's a banu representative or something. but, i wouldn't be surprised if humans are too xenophobic for an alien to chair an alliance, even an alliance for non-humans
(Edited 29 seconds later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.3 years ago, 1 minute later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,045
Fake anon !ZkUt8arUCU joined in and replied with this 9.3 years ago, 15 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,049
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.3 years ago, 2 days later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,597
SXSW Promotion Game Package Discount
The starter packs are currently discounted by 15% for users that enter the SXSW free flight code (SXSWFREEFLY2K15) here. You can probably enter the code now and still get the discount later, so do that if you want to. The discounted packages areAurora MR comes with Arena Commander Pass(404's unless you register and enter the code)
Mustang A comes with Arena Commander Pass
The Aurora ES is the cheapest Full Game Package but it only has beta access and requires a $5 pass if you want to play Arena Commander during alpha, making the above packages marginally less than the Aurora ES + an alpha pass. the above discounted packages are only good through tomorrow, but there unlimited in number so anyone can get this 15% discount.
it's possible there will be another batch of $20 aurora packages sold, but last times they have been limited to 5000 and made getting them much harder. plus they are "anniversary" packages and we may not see game packages that low until next November.
here is a link to the FAQ page. just search "SXSW" and it'll come right up if you need further details or want to check my facts.
Disclaimer: i do not know how they are handling the FPS module (called Star Marine). it's probably going to be a $5 pass if you don't already have a package with full Alpha Access. Unfortunately for late backers the Alpha + Beta packages were exclusive to the early backers. Since 2014 all game packages include Beta access, but Alpha access was removed. it is possible there will be a social module pass as well, so each alpha module (arena commander, Star Marine, Social module) will cost an extra $15 total above any game package with beta access. of course, when the game goes into Beta everyone with a game package will be able to play. Beta is slated for the end of this year, or the beginning of 2016. also, all game packages include the full game upon release. the aurora ES ($30) plus all alpha passes would total a $45 pledge. still less than the $60 it'll be at release.
(Edited 9 minutes later.)
Anonymous L joined in and replied with this 9.3 years ago, 11 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,665
@previous (squeegee)
So, is all this pass bullshit going to make it to the finished game or is it just a money grab currently? It sounds incredibly frustrating to play this game when you have to pay to get access to all the little things.
So, is all this pass bullshit going to make it to the finished game or is it just a money grab currently? It sounds incredibly frustrating to play this game when you have to pay to get access to all the little things.
squeegee joined in and replied with this 9.3 years ago, 4 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,717
@previous (L)
> So, is all this pass bullshit going to make it to the finished game
No, there will be no passes in the finished game. The finished game will cost $60 and you'll have access to everything for no additional costs. There will be no monthly subscription and no DLC. CIG wants to raise money after release in two ways: sell the game, and sell in game currency. you NEVER have to buy currency for any reason, you can simply earn money by playing the game. However, like EVE and their ISK, the real world exchange of dollars into UEC will help make the economy "real." It is also a way for Rich people with a lot of money and little time on their hands to keep up with people who can play 60 hours a week. likewise players with more time than money can earn UEC from other players by doing work for them and essentially get paid in what amounts to converted dollars. There will also be a daily limit to the amount of UEC that can be exchanged to make sure that no one can buy themselves into a good position too quickly. They want UEC buying to be supplemental so it injects wealth into the larger economy, they don't want it to be a microtransaction nightmare. When the game goes live i will likely buy $15 worth of UEC each month (which was my old WOW subscription price) to help continue supporting the game. i won't do that forever though, maybe just the first few months or something. I may not even do that, especially considering i've pledged a bit more than the retail price of the game. i may just consider any "debt" i feel 100% paid from now until the game is dead.
> is it just a money grab currently?
Kind of, kind of not. What really happened was during the Kickstarter there was an expectation they'd earn 4-5 million, and after that they were going to go after investor money. The kickstarter was to prove to investors that there was enough interest to warrant their investment. As a part of the "reward" you'd get for early backing, you'd get Lifetime insurance on your ship, a ship, and access to Alpha, Beta, and the full game. Once it became apparent the kickstarter money was non-stop they decided to not pursue investors and instead try to be fully crowdfunded. To DO that they went ahead and added 100,000 more "early backer" packages and sold them out. After the "early backer" period they removed Alpha access from the game packages and also removed the Lifetime insurance. However, people that only bought a ship (and not a game package + ship) wanted to play AC, so, they started offering a $5 pass that could be added to any account that didn't have a game package with alpha access. So all this is kind of a hold over from the original kickstarter campaign. Certain promises were made back then, and now that everything has expanded due to highly increased funding there needs to be a way for everyone, late backers included, to get into the game.
ergo: the arena pass, the FPS pass, and the social module pass.
I say it's "not" a money grab, it's nore of a "development grab." PArt of what CIG promises is that all money collected from the beginning up to the end of BETA will be used directly on Star Citizen. backer money is not going to be sent to other "CIG projects" because there are none. This is not a publisher grabbing for money from one game to distribute around to a lot of developers making lots of different games or anything like that. After release is when the "big profits" would start hitting pockets, but, the pre-release money is sitting in an account ready to be spent on Star Citizen directly.
CIG also doesn't do advertizing with backer money. They pay for marketing and advertizing with "subcription money" that comes from the small sub-set of backers that pay a 10 or 15 a month subscription. That pays for all of the shows they do and commercials, pretty much the public facing side of CIG is largely paid for by extremely generous and dedicated backers who go the extra mile to make sure this kind of content is available. personally i do not pay a subscription, but, i DO enjoy the daily content that is produced because of it.
CIG is pretty pen about how they spend their money. Sure, we don't get to see the book and they could be lying to everyone, but, if they are to be believed then there is currently enough money in their warchest to deliver everything they've promised and then operate the servers for quite a while. They are "fully funded" according to Chris Roberts, but, the more money they collect up front the more money is guaranteed to be pumped back into the game as new playable content.
> It sounds incredibly frustrating to play this game when you have to pay to get access to all the little things.
it does, i agree with you 100%. but, promises were made, expectations were greatly exceeded, and the scope of the game is vastly different from what was proposed in the early kick starter. It is very confusing, looks bizarre on the outside ($15,000 game packages exist) but you'll never, never NEED or be asked to spend more than the $60 you'll pay to buy the game when it finally releases.
2 years ago i would have been happy to suggest people spend $250 or something to help ensure the game will be released, but, now that it's fully funded and the game is definitely coming out then there is really no reason to pledge any amount more than the absolute minimum. And with the introduction of in-game currency with which to rent ships and weapons there's no reason to buy a better ship just to play Arena Commander during alpha. Pledge more if you want, buy a cool ship if you want (it will help support the continued existence of the game long after release) but there's no reason to not just buy the cheapest package that comes with the Full Game and tack on an alpha Pass if any of the modules sound cool enough to test early.
> So, is all this pass bullshit going to make it to the finished game
No, there will be no passes in the finished game. The finished game will cost $60 and you'll have access to everything for no additional costs. There will be no monthly subscription and no DLC. CIG wants to raise money after release in two ways: sell the game, and sell in game currency. you NEVER have to buy currency for any reason, you can simply earn money by playing the game. However, like EVE and their ISK, the real world exchange of dollars into UEC will help make the economy "real." It is also a way for Rich people with a lot of money and little time on their hands to keep up with people who can play 60 hours a week. likewise players with more time than money can earn UEC from other players by doing work for them and essentially get paid in what amounts to converted dollars. There will also be a daily limit to the amount of UEC that can be exchanged to make sure that no one can buy themselves into a good position too quickly. They want UEC buying to be supplemental so it injects wealth into the larger economy, they don't want it to be a microtransaction nightmare. When the game goes live i will likely buy $15 worth of UEC each month (which was my old WOW subscription price) to help continue supporting the game. i won't do that forever though, maybe just the first few months or something. I may not even do that, especially considering i've pledged a bit more than the retail price of the game. i may just consider any "debt" i feel 100% paid from now until the game is dead.
> is it just a money grab currently?
Kind of, kind of not. What really happened was during the Kickstarter there was an expectation they'd earn 4-5 million, and after that they were going to go after investor money. The kickstarter was to prove to investors that there was enough interest to warrant their investment. As a part of the "reward" you'd get for early backing, you'd get Lifetime insurance on your ship, a ship, and access to Alpha, Beta, and the full game. Once it became apparent the kickstarter money was non-stop they decided to not pursue investors and instead try to be fully crowdfunded. To DO that they went ahead and added 100,000 more "early backer" packages and sold them out. After the "early backer" period they removed Alpha access from the game packages and also removed the Lifetime insurance. However, people that only bought a ship (and not a game package + ship) wanted to play AC, so, they started offering a $5 pass that could be added to any account that didn't have a game package with alpha access. So all this is kind of a hold over from the original kickstarter campaign. Certain promises were made back then, and now that everything has expanded due to highly increased funding there needs to be a way for everyone, late backers included, to get into the game.
ergo: the arena pass, the FPS pass, and the social module pass.
I say it's "not" a money grab, it's nore of a "development grab." PArt of what CIG promises is that all money collected from the beginning up to the end of BETA will be used directly on Star Citizen. backer money is not going to be sent to other "CIG projects" because there are none. This is not a publisher grabbing for money from one game to distribute around to a lot of developers making lots of different games or anything like that. After release is when the "big profits" would start hitting pockets, but, the pre-release money is sitting in an account ready to be spent on Star Citizen directly.
CIG also doesn't do advertizing with backer money. They pay for marketing and advertizing with "subcription money" that comes from the small sub-set of backers that pay a 10 or 15 a month subscription. That pays for all of the shows they do and commercials, pretty much the public facing side of CIG is largely paid for by extremely generous and dedicated backers who go the extra mile to make sure this kind of content is available. personally i do not pay a subscription, but, i DO enjoy the daily content that is produced because of it.
CIG is pretty pen about how they spend their money. Sure, we don't get to see the book and they could be lying to everyone, but, if they are to be believed then there is currently enough money in their warchest to deliver everything they've promised and then operate the servers for quite a while. They are "fully funded" according to Chris Roberts, but, the more money they collect up front the more money is guaranteed to be pumped back into the game as new playable content.
> It sounds incredibly frustrating to play this game when you have to pay to get access to all the little things.
it does, i agree with you 100%. but, promises were made, expectations were greatly exceeded, and the scope of the game is vastly different from what was proposed in the early kick starter. It is very confusing, looks bizarre on the outside ($15,000 game packages exist) but you'll never, never NEED or be asked to spend more than the $60 you'll pay to buy the game when it finally releases.
2 years ago i would have been happy to suggest people spend $250 or something to help ensure the game will be released, but, now that it's fully funded and the game is definitely coming out then there is really no reason to pledge any amount more than the absolute minimum. And with the introduction of in-game currency with which to rent ships and weapons there's no reason to buy a better ship just to play Arena Commander during alpha. Pledge more if you want, buy a cool ship if you want (it will help support the continued existence of the game long after release) but there's no reason to not just buy the cheapest package that comes with the Full Game and tack on an alpha Pass if any of the modules sound cool enough to test early.
(Edited 22 seconds later.)
Anonymous L replied with this 9.3 years ago, 36 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,718
@previous (squeegee)
they're going to sell in-game currency?? even eve doesn't do that, officially. They just let you earn subscription months from in-game grinding, which are then sold on the black market.
they're going to sell in-game currency?? even eve doesn't do that, officially. They just let you earn subscription months from in-game grinding, which are then sold on the black market.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.3 years ago, 2 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,719
It occurs to me, Cloud Imperium Games is a really cool name.
I cannot presently think of a video game developer with a cooler name than that.
I cannot presently think of a video game developer with a cooler name than that.
squeegee replied with this 9.3 years ago, 44 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,731
@540,718 (L)
yes. but CIG is skipping the black market and selling direct. it's to replace DLC, microtransactions, and monthly subscriptions and gives them a revenue stream that will pay for all the servers.
again, no one will need to buy UEC, just play normally and you'll be able to buy anything like a normal MMO. Buying UEC is not meant to be a paywall you need to hurdle in order to get the best stuff, it is meant to be a supplemental small transaction you can make infrequently if you choose to do it. it will never be required to buy UEC, and the amount you can buy daily is way less than you can just earn by questing. but, if you're rich and have less time to play but want an expensive ship theoretically you could buy enough uec over a couple of months to buy one. still slower than questing, but good for rich doctors who like fancy ships.
so yes they will sell UEC, but, there's no monthly subscription like eve. look at it like this, people who buy UEC are basically paying a monthly subscription for you.
yes. but CIG is skipping the black market and selling direct. it's to replace DLC, microtransactions, and monthly subscriptions and gives them a revenue stream that will pay for all the servers.
again, no one will need to buy UEC, just play normally and you'll be able to buy anything like a normal MMO. Buying UEC is not meant to be a paywall you need to hurdle in order to get the best stuff, it is meant to be a supplemental small transaction you can make infrequently if you choose to do it. it will never be required to buy UEC, and the amount you can buy daily is way less than you can just earn by questing. but, if you're rich and have less time to play but want an expensive ship theoretically you could buy enough uec over a couple of months to buy one. still slower than questing, but good for rich doctors who like fancy ships.
so yes they will sell UEC, but, there's no monthly subscription like eve. look at it like this, people who buy UEC are basically paying a monthly subscription for you.
(Edited 4 minutes later.)
squeegee double-posted this 9.3 years ago, 14 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,733
@540,719 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
cloud imperium games took a while to grow on me. i'm fond of it now that i'm obsessed with star citizen.
still not a big fan of the name Star Citizen though. it's not terrible, but when i first heard the name it did not inspire me. sounds clunky to me for some reason. also it sounds like a galactic senate game or something.
cloud imperium games took a while to grow on me. i'm fond of it now that i'm obsessed with star citizen.
still not a big fan of the name Star Citizen though. it's not terrible, but when i first heard the name it did not inspire me. sounds clunky to me for some reason. also it sounds like a galactic senate game or something.
squeegee replied with this 9.3 years ago, 43 minutes later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,744
@540,718 (L)
also, interestingly enough, the idea to sell UEC in place of subscriptions came from a conversation with an executive producer on World of Warcraft. Basically what was said was, "if blizzard sold Gold instead of Chinese Gold Farmers then no one would have to pay a monthly subscription." so, CIG is going to try exactly that, but with the caveat of adding a cap so no one can buy too much too fast.
Yes, some people are very upset about it and call it "pay to win" and i won't sit here and argue to much that it's not. I personally don't feel that it is "pay to win" for a few reasons, the biggest being there's not much to "win". The more you pay implies you're paying for a larger ship. larger ships require crew and cost a lot to operate. So no one person is going to pay a ton of money and be able to just win every fight. If anything they "pay to win," get a giant ship, and then have no ability to operate it at full capacity, ergo, you'll just be killed by the first pirate that sees you.
Of course all this may sound like the rambling justifications of someone who's spent a lot on this game and wants to defend it, but, i really do feel that CIG's answers to all of these questions are reasonable and they do seem dedicated to producing a game free from required spending beyond the initial purchase. i do have faith they'll deliver on that promise. we will see.
also, interestingly enough, the idea to sell UEC in place of subscriptions came from a conversation with an executive producer on World of Warcraft. Basically what was said was, "if blizzard sold Gold instead of Chinese Gold Farmers then no one would have to pay a monthly subscription." so, CIG is going to try exactly that, but with the caveat of adding a cap so no one can buy too much too fast.
Yes, some people are very upset about it and call it "pay to win" and i won't sit here and argue to much that it's not. I personally don't feel that it is "pay to win" for a few reasons, the biggest being there's not much to "win". The more you pay implies you're paying for a larger ship. larger ships require crew and cost a lot to operate. So no one person is going to pay a ton of money and be able to just win every fight. If anything they "pay to win," get a giant ship, and then have no ability to operate it at full capacity, ergo, you'll just be killed by the first pirate that sees you.
Of course all this may sound like the rambling justifications of someone who's spent a lot on this game and wants to defend it, but, i really do feel that CIG's answers to all of these questions are reasonable and they do seem dedicated to producing a game free from required spending beyond the initial purchase. i do have faith they'll deliver on that promise. we will see.
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.3 years ago, 8 hours later, 2 months after the original post[^] [v] #540,834
Star Citizen 1.1 download now available
After a couple of weeks of delays version 1.1 is finally released!"God damn, squeegee, why is v1.1 such a big deal anyways?" Today's patch changes everything. If fact so much has changed they are suggesting everyone go ahead and uninstall the game entirely and re-downloading a completely fresh version.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14606-Star-Citizen-11-Installation-Guide
This is the first time in two years of updates that we've ever been asked to do this. The official word from Jeremy Masker:
Hello all,
After 2 years of development Star Citizen has grown and matured considerably. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case with installing or patching. However, today with the release of the 1.1.0 build, we are attempting to clean up some of the problems players have been seeing when trying to download and play the game. We have released a new installer and switched our CDN to Amazon Cloudfront. Over 80% of our Metafile issues will be fixed with this, and it's also the foundation for a future update to eliminate the notorious "Delete your USER folder" fix.
On a more technical level:
- The new installer fixes many small installation bugs, crashes, and bad data errors players were seeing.
- The installer no longer defaults a player’s install to the “My Documents” folder, but the standard Program Files folder.
- With the new CDN, we have done away with the hundreds of incremental patches that were stored on our old provider. These hundreds of patches represented almost 600gigs of possible problems that players could encounter, leading to Metafile errors, Manifest errors, and other squirrely behavior.
After today, there will only be two patches on our CDN; 1.0.3 -> 1.1.0 and Nothing -> 1.1.0. Also, download speed and file integrity should have been significantly improved with this switch to Cloudfront, as well as many closer locations to download from. We hope the relatively clean slate and lower error rate will make up for the inconvenience of having to reinstall the game. There are more improvements on the horizon as well. We are working towards a new and significantly cleaner launcher that should make this whole experience more seamless.
Thank you so much for all the support!
Jeremy Masker
Director of Game Operations
Besides the technical overhaul much has changed in-game as well. Previous versions have been more "unit tester" than "game." Arena commander has served as a fun Test Bed to try out all of the flight mechanics and systems, but it's been very lopsided gaming in favor of high-end dog fighters and there has been zero progression. There's been a leaderboard, but that's about it as far as "gamey" content. That changes in 1.1After 2 years of development Star Citizen has grown and matured considerably. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case with installing or patching. However, today with the release of the 1.1.0 build, we are attempting to clean up some of the problems players have been seeing when trying to download and play the game. We have released a new installer and switched our CDN to Amazon Cloudfront. Over 80% of our Metafile issues will be fixed with this, and it's also the foundation for a future update to eliminate the notorious "Delete your USER folder" fix.
On a more technical level:
- The new installer fixes many small installation bugs, crashes, and bad data errors players were seeing.
- The installer no longer defaults a player’s install to the “My Documents” folder, but the standard Program Files folder.
- With the new CDN, we have done away with the hundreds of incremental patches that were stored on our old provider. These hundreds of patches represented almost 600gigs of possible problems that players could encounter, leading to Metafile errors, Manifest errors, and other squirrely behavior.
After today, there will only be two patches on our CDN; 1.0.3 -> 1.1.0 and Nothing -> 1.1.0. Also, download speed and file integrity should have been significantly improved with this switch to Cloudfront, as well as many closer locations to download from. We hope the relatively clean slate and lower error rate will make up for the inconvenience of having to reinstall the game. There are more improvements on the horizon as well. We are working towards a new and significantly cleaner launcher that should make this whole experience more seamless.
Thank you so much for all the support!
Jeremy Masker
Director of Game Operations
Today we see the introduction of the REC (Arena Commander Bucks) that gives us the progression that makes AC more game than unit tester. As you play, you earn REC. REC can be used to rent upgrades or even whole ships for use in Arena Commander. There are logical reason that CIG went with a rent system instead of permanent unlocks or another model. In the actual game people will have to buy ships with earned UEC from doing missions. CIG doesn't want players to feel like they are merely grinding, and part of ensuring that is making sure ship prices match the effort required to get them. As we play and earn REC people will voice feedback and that feedback will be used to help fix prices. by the time the PU launches CIG will have a pretty good idea of how to balance income so the path for ship upgrades isn't either trivial nor a total chore to be grinded upon. REC prices will be roughly 10% of the total planned cost of the item in the PU (which incidentally is also the cost of ship insurance, or, well, the premium i think) so we'll have a pretty good idea of "running costs" going forward based on what we see happening with REC.
LORE ALERT: Arena commander is a "game within a game." It's played on a Sim Pod and is the future version of the Xbone or PS4. It is what everyone will use to "learn to fly" before going out in the "real world" and risking your actual ship and life. The Sim Pod is also the future home of Star Marine (the FPS module) coming in the extremely near future. Both games are "training Sims" to prepare you for life in the Verse, but also they are games people will very likely continue to play when they just want "instant action without the risk."
v1.1 does more than just improve the launcher, the download, and gamify Arena Commander. On the Client side we're seeing improvements to frame rate and memory usage. The conversion to 64-bit floating point precision has largely been completed (a massive undertaking basically overhauling all of CryEngine) which paves the way for exponentially larger maps. Maps in most game engines are limited in size and since SC uses better than mm precision on million km maps they were required to move from 32-bit to 64-bit floating point precision so that you could cross millions of miles of space and also be able to wear a helmet that is less than a mm away from your head. In the Old Arena Commander when you'd get very close to the map boundary (8km from central spawn i believe or 16km diameter maps unless i'm mistaken) your helmet would start to jostle around like it was vibrating and your hands would vibrate on the controls. The further you went, the more you would vibrate. Players that broke the map boundary were able to get hundreds of miles from spawn but would end up crashing due to what are pretty much just rounding errors. The move to 64-bit floating point precision takes the Cryengine Map Limit from "city size" to "Solar System Size" allowing players to travel millions of miles before being handed off to a new server. it's basically what will make the in-game universe vast, seamless, and contiguous. It's evidently quite a feat of just hardcore nitty-gritty programming. Nothing fancy, just a metric fuckload of nose-to-the-grindstone coding.
the Gladius and the Retaliator
The Gladius is now flyable, it's been in the Hangar for a month or so and it's now ready to fly. I tried it out in the PTU, it's now my favorite fighter. It's a single purpose general dogfighter and can be acquired with REC, of course. If anyone wants to try one out you can join a Multiplayer Free-Flight match and steal one. just watch out for "remote self-destruct." if you want to borrow mine just message me in-game and you can try it out.The Retaliator is now in the Hangar and can be pledged for if you want to spend that kind of money. It won't be flyable until this summer, i believe the Multi-Crew ship patch (v2.0) is slated for june or july, and then it'll be flyable and playable and all that. It's pretty bad ass, and modular. It's a Long Range bomber that can be repurposed as a freighter or whatever you like. It cannot be rented with REC, but, when the Social Module comes out in April you'll be able to visit other player's Hangars and walk around and check out their collection. I know some people with Retaliators in my guild. If you want to see the bigger ships but don't want to pay for them, you'll be able to do that soon. Check out the Retaliator here.
1.1 paves the way for new dynamic Damage States that are much lighter weight than the current damage models which will improve performance by an order of magnitude. It also paves the way for the First Person Shooter mechanics to be implemented as well as all the associated Sim Pod FPS game modes. we'll be seeing FPS no sooner than 2 weeks from now, i'd imagine, but hopefully no more than 6 weeks. They've delayed that patch to further polish the transitional animations and i do disagree one bit. FPS already looks outstanding, but it really needs to shine. Cryengine IS a FPS engine, so they can't fuck it up otherwise the community will flip their ship. it'll generate bad press, too, so it needs to be good, even in this early phase. So they can push it back if they need too, because people are expecting nothing less than perfection. They've done a brilliant job at making an FPS that wasn't design for Newtonian Spaceships the best Newtonian Spaceship game of all time, so, we'll see what they can do for the FPS experience. They're going "tactical" and "perma-death", that's what we know.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.3 years ago, 6 days later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,671
Sneak Peak
Aegis Vanguard: Long Range Fighterhttp://gfycat.com/DentalGlitteringArrowcrab - animated .gif
This is a new concept ship, one of the very last that'll be offered to early backers. There's still something like 6 or 8 more coming but they are much larger ships like the Genesis Starliner (think passenger liner like a Cruise ship) and the Endeavor Science ship. Also there's a repair ship and the Hull A-E series of Cargo vessels which range from Stationwagon size (Hull-A) to Super Tanker size (Hull-E).
The Vanguard goes on sale sometime tonight and will go for a week or something. It'll be sold for around $250. So it's not cheap. It'll very probably turn out to be a pretty awesome ship, so i am looking forward to earning one in the game. this will probably be like one of my main goal ships since it's very capable and won't require more than one NPC crewman or 1 friend to maximize it's effectiveness.
check back later for more detailed pictures with textures and all that later tonight! this ship is pretty cool.
Anonymous N joined in and replied with this 9.3 years ago, 1 hour later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,701
game sux
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.3 years ago, 3 hours later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,734
@previous (N)https://gfycat.com/ApprehensiveGiganticEuropeanpolecat - much, much better gif of all the ship animations.
technically speaking it isn't a game yet, it still lacks too much content to call it a game. it's still pretty much a unit tester. Even with FPS it'll still be a unit tester. it'll be another 6 months before we can really start to call it a game, but even then it'll be another year before we're seeing the big picture. Plus with all the bugs that are effecting the servers they can't keep up with popularity and we're seeing a lot of dropped matches and server instability again. Player numbers are unexpectedly high, which is good because they have found a lot of issues that only happen during high concurrency.
1.1 is certainly working better today than it was this time last week. hopefully that bodes well for the FPS inclusion, that's really when we're expecting to see a lot of new activity on the servers.
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.3 years ago, 55 seconds later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,735
The A3G Vanguard is the United Empire of Earth’s dedicated deep space fighter. Initially developed as a bomber-destroyer, the Vanguard is a hard-charging bulldog of a ship which features extensive forward-mounted weaponry designed to tear through the shields and armor of other spacecraft. Four high-caliber forward laser cannons and a massive central Gatling gun give the Vanguard an unprecedented amount of sheer striking power. So-named because their multiple-jump range allows them to form the forefront of any military expedition, Vanguard have seen extensive service against the Vanduul.(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 26 seconds later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,736
The Vanguard trades the maneuverability of the Hornet, Lightning and Gladius for extended range, armor and durability. With more hardpoints and increased space for onboard computer systems, the design can boast improved radar and a credible electronic warfare suite. In combat, the Vanguard’s roles are extensive: long range jump scout, extended duration patrol/reconnaissance ship, fighter-bomber (when equipped with torpedoes), tactical command and control ship, bomber interceptor and, in the proper hands, even a fighter-killer. The Vanguard’s extensive range can allow for missions lasting days or even weeks. Internally, the ship is fitted with sleeping berths and reclamation facilities to support such missions.(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 45 seconds later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,737
With a notable silhouette, the Vanguard is best known for its distinctive twin X-Forge engines, which allow for both an impressive top speed and an extensive backup system for enhanced combat survivability. Coupled with a superstructure composed from a distinct tungsten alloy, more than one Vanguard pilot has returned to base with little more than a single engine and the charred remains of a fuselage.(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) quintuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 2 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,738
Vanguard units have been assigned to both planetary bases and aboard larger space stations. The fighter’s legendary durability allows it to operate in all-weather conditions with limited maintenance and makes it particularly beloved by the hard-fighting UEE Marines, who make frequent use of its ability to comfortably operate from makeshift combat bases.Though Aegis Dynamics does not officially offer a civilian variant of the Vanguard, working in conjunction with the UEE’s Frontier Protection Program they have made a number of the mil-spec Vanguard available to civilians.
squeegee (OP) sextuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 1 minute later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,739
dat asssqueegee (OP) septuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 14 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,740
just a cool image i want to keep track of.this isn't even all the ships, this is like half. The other ones are alien ships and capital ships that either aren't finished or won't be shown until the Squadron 42 campaign
squeegee (OP) octuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 2 hours later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #542,753
This week in Star Citizen
Saturday March 28th 2015pictured: fan art
So really the biggest thing this week has been the progress on the servers. the was a big problem with finding matches staying in a game, but they've got quite a lot of those problems worked out and apparently have a plan to address the rest of the issues they are finding with high player numbers.
Other than that they showed the concept for the Vanguard. the reviews are mixed, some people really don't like the aesthetic and others question everything from its value to its utility. it's fairly unique in that it has so many redundant systems, so it should be pretty robust, but some people feel that it doesn't bring as much to the fight as other mil spec ships at its price point. it'll be a point of argument for several months, and the whole ship will be going through redesign as the interior is all boxed in and the ships systems "guts" are all piped around.
it's always hard to say based on a concept how a ship will end up being used by players. imho this looks like a jump capable hornet. it's basically spec'd as a heavier armored and equivalently armed but less maneuverable Hornet that can jump long range and operate without Carrier support. Ships like the hornet and the gladius and the gladiator don't come with a stock Jump drive and need one outfitted and they can't make many multiple jumps. they need carrier support or need to frequently land to refuel. The Vanguard can stay out there longer and jump many more times before needing to land. it also comes with a small living quarters for 2 to facilitate longer voyages.
in my mind i see this is a pirate vessel. operate it from a pirate carrier and jump several systems away to disrupt trade and make good money off of favorable trade conditions. (ah, i can smell the meta game) meanwhile a few Cutlasses and a Reclaimer board trade vessels and rob and salvage them. the big money though will be in working the economic game to your advantage. i can totally see the vanguard being an important privateer vessel.
anyhoo, Gray Headed Gamer does a nice CryEngineSDK look at the new vanguard model.
Interesting Tid-bits
at the end of one of the shows this week Chris Roberts talked about a partnership with Google. CIG is already using google's cloud infrastructure to run all of the game servers but this new partnership could end up being more unique. He didn't get into specifics, but what he did say was that google sent out some surprisingly high level engineers over for a summit on their server backend. some of them, he said, were also backers of the game and very excited about Star Citizen as a project and that they had some really interesting ideas that could possibly make for a "richer and more interesting universe than he ever though possible."
One thing we DO know is that Star Citizen is way more than just a client with a server that sorts net traffic. The persistent universe will run on thousands of servers and be a game that is played by millions of AI players. players download the client and they just plug into the universe of AI agents and become one node among millions. The economy will be what drives pretty much everything, and so it is all fully simulated and the AI players contribute by doing the same "work" as players.
Who knows what google has cooked up, because it sounded pretty well theoretical. Chris Roberts said, "and if it all works" that it should be very cool. speculation is that google is wanting a showcase to demonstrate the power of their infrastructure. one goal is to have everyone in the same universe and not have a US region, a UK region, Aus, etc. They want everyone in the same game so UK folks can be dogfighting asians and aussies and americans all at the same time with low latency. they'll do that, in part, by using google's global datacenters and having the game run... i mean like i guess in the cloud.
i mean in my mind, like, basically it sounds like they are building a super computer in the cloud to host a virtual universe with millions of AI playing the game against each other and the players. that may be "wrong" but it sounds fucking cool.
Gladius Free Fly Week
That's right! those of you who have backed already you now have access to the Gladius for the next week. It's great, my favorite small fighter so far. check it out if you have a chance. (it's also earnable for 9000 REC which isn't hard to earn at the moment)
(Edited 5 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) nonuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 3 days later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #543,599
April Fool's Day at CIG
Fishpocalypse http://3kv.in/~techbot/ShareX/2015/04/01/2015-04-01-0053-46.webm
Wired Magazine Article
Fans Have Dropped $77M on This Guy’s Buggy, Half-Built Game
it's actually a real article despite the click-bait title. well researched, with interviews, and is pretty much without errors except for the citizen count (it's 850,000, not 770,000) and minor stuff.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) decuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 7 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #543,601
pretty awesome picture from the Wired article. really captures Chris Robert's spirit, at least the one he projects to the public.Glad he and his project are getting so much media attention, i've been a fan of his work for years and years.
part 2
http://www.wired.com/2015/03/star-citizen-spaceship-commercials/
(Edited 9 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) undecuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 2 days later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #544,077
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME SATABALL!?
COMING SOON: SPORTS
that's right nerds, you won't have that 5% female demographic all to yourself much longer
the Jocks are going to take all your women. Sataball is a "community inspired" sport which is basically Zero-G Rugby with Tazer Pistols. This, along with the Ender's Game inspired Battle Sphere Game mode and the straight up Counter Strike-like Team Capture the base mode should endear Star Citizen to a whole slew of other-game type oriented players.
Will SC attract Sports game enthusiasts? We'll see, but the nerds and geeks are doubling down on their white knighting of the girls in the verse just to be safe.
(Edited 5 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) duodecuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 2 days later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #544,639
here's the most complete ship size comparison available. all ships models have been scaled to the most recent stats. For a long time the Idris Frigate (largest ship pictured) was in a state of flux because the size was being reworked more than once. It used to be a corvette, now it's a frigate (actually a pretty large frigate) and it has a hangar which can hold something like 4 or 5 Hornets and a Search and Rescue ship. Scaled up to the current size it fucking dwarfs anything but the heaviest and largest commercial mining and salvage vessels. there's actually little people around the picture for scale so you can see how big the mid sized vessels really are (some of the smaller vessels you see are actually the size of jumbo jets.)As you can see, the Idris and the largest ships currently in game are absolutely staggeringly large. They literally are the size of whole levels from some FPS games. That's actually an extremely good way to look at the larger vehicles in game, they are basically whole FPS levels with all kinds of interactivity and with 100% fully destructible environments.
Ships missing:
MISC starter ship (the so called 3rd small starter)
Banu Merchantman Alien Trade Ship
Hull Series (A-E) Cargo haulers
Reliant Repair vessel (mobile Dry Dock)
Endeavor Science/Hospital Ship
Prowler boarding craft
Starfarer Gas Ship
Caterpillar Transport
Pegasus Escort Carrier
Bengal Carrier
Genesis Passenger Starliner
Javelin Destroyer
Dreadnaught Class Super Destroyer
most of these will be absolutely huge as well
alien ships are not shown either, but they have fighters, transports, carriers, destroyers, and everything else.
i know i missed a few, there's a lot left to be done and some already are they just haven't been revealed.
(Edited 8 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) tridecuple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 6 days later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #546,414
1.1.1 is live!
okay, so, 1.1 was launched a couple of weeks ago and it was supposed to have a tutorial mode for noobs as well as an asteroid hangar in free flight for people to practice "carrier landings" and the like. they had trouble with the AI instructor crashing into asteroids because of server desync issues. they planned a patch, 1.1a to add both the tutorial mode and the asteroid hangar.
also, they were having problems with high concurrency such as matchmaking, loading into games and disconnects. to fix THOSE problems they are rewriting a lot of backend stuff and had a dev branch called 1.1.1 which contains fixes among other things.
among other things are the Gladiator Torpedo Bomber and size 5 missiles as well as REC changes and balance tweaks and general bug fixes.
1.1.1 is released as of this last friday! There are still issues with matchmaking and some loading issues that'll be sorted out with a patch (probably called 1.1.1a or something) later this next week. Hopefully the next little patch will contain the tutorial mode and the new hangar in free flight.
All of this is leading up to the delayed release of 1.2 otherwise known as the FPS branch! Devs are calling it the most polished aspect of the game right now, and they are working on some cool mocap based transitional animations of zero G that are fucking amazing looking.
also, look forward to something they call "grabby hands" which is a system that gives your avatar hands that grab at stuff. it's pretty awesome, you'll be walking along by a chair or something and you might reach out and place your hand on the chair instead of just clipping through it. same with a lot of surfaces, if you float near a wall you'll reach out and touch it to stop yourself from crashing into it. i can't really describe it well.
here's the new "head to toe" zero G float animation
i can't find a good gif or example of grabby hands because it's only partially implemented. but i'm sure you'll see it somewhere eventually. When you're walking around and touching objects and moving your arms around it looks like a movie, like, it doesn't look like a video game character walking around, it's weird. the difference is subtle, but when you walk around a corner and reach out and touch the wall like you might do in real life it just looks fucking awesome.
Design Doc: FPS Stances and Breathing
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14653-Design-FPS-Stances-Breathing
What are stances, and why do they matter? Aim stances affect how fast a fighter can bring the weapon up to look down the sight, as well as accuracy while shooting without aiming. Most traditional FPS games have two aim stances: firing while you’re moving (hips) or carefully closing in on your weapon (sights). The standard tradeoff is field of view versus weapon accuracy: firing while moving is less accurate, but you have a wider view of the battlefield. Firing while focusing on your weapon’s sights lets you target very specifically, but you lose your peripheral vision.
Star Marine — and Star Citizen proper — will feature three stances. Having three possible stances instead of two means that the game will have a more realistic system of weapon handling, which will immediately impact gameplay. Star Citizen’s three stances are Lowered, Ready and Aim Down Sights (ADS). The Lowered stance trades the ability to fire for maneuverability. The Ready stance slows a soldier’s movement while making reactionary fire and aiming a lot faster and more accurate. The ADS stance is the most accurate, but has the slowest movement and most restricted visibility of the three stances.
Star Marine — and Star Citizen proper — will feature three stances. Having three possible stances instead of two means that the game will have a more realistic system of weapon handling, which will immediately impact gameplay. Star Citizen’s three stances are Lowered, Ready and Aim Down Sights (ADS). The Lowered stance trades the ability to fire for maneuverability. The Ready stance slows a soldier’s movement while making reactionary fire and aiming a lot faster and more accurate. The ADS stance is the most accurate, but has the slowest movement and most restricted visibility of the three stances.
interesting read, we'll see how it all plays out. They don't want run and gun, and the vast majority of the community want combat to be hard and skill based and they want carelessness to be penalized. this IS an FPS with permadeath, so, devs and players want FPS combat to be deliberate and risky and not engaged in lightly.
of course, Star Marine, the FPS in-game game mode IS an arcade style shooter with rounds and points and all of that. So expect Star marine to be a great training tool, especially for learning the complex controls for doing everything like grabby hands and contextual stance changes and zero-G maneuvering.
We should be seeing the 1.2 patch with FPS sometime this month. technically it's already been delayed and "should" be out now, but the back end problems have caused schedule problems. if not this month, it IS the next major version patch. So, be ready for it!
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.3 years ago, 4 hours later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #546,457
@previous (squeegee)
I like that armour design.
It reminds me a little of the Spartan armour from Halo.
I like that armour design.
It reminds me a little of the Spartan armour from Halo.
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.3 years ago, 29 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #546,473
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)that one is the Achilles Heavy Armor favored by UEE Marines
looks like the design has been tightened up since this concept
this is class 6 armor
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/2yibka/star_marine_fps_module_armour_screengrabs/
(Edited 9 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.3 years ago, 2 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #546,474
this one is called C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S and is high quality armor made in the lawless areas from recycled ship armor. favored by piratesthis is class 6 armor
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 1 minute later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #546,476
Class I – basic protection; essentially a plastic bag. Think a Tyvek suit. Class 1 suits protect against vacuum during a hull breach but they can’t be worn for EVAs.
Class II – This is the “standard” suit for non-military pilots. Keeps you safe in the cockpit and is maneuverable enough in combat. Has limited EVA capabilities, although to do anything effective in zero G you need attachments that will slow it down.
Class III – Heavier civilian suit. A little slower and less maneuverable than the class II, but has increased armor. You’ll have a harder time moving around in boarding, but you can take more hits.
Class IV – Military suit, as seen in the Squadron 42 trailer. This suit is armored to protect against cockpit damage, has various self-repair features, advanced tactical display, etc. Roughly as effective in EVA as the Class II is in a boarding operation.
Class V – Advanced Military Suit. This is a much more expensive and rarer class of suit. Think the difference between a standard fighter pilot suit and the ones worn by an SR-71 crew.
Class VI – Marine armor. Too bulky to wear in a cockpit, but much more effective in boarding operations. A pilot wearing a Class III suit might fly a cargo load of his friends in Class VI suits to attack a freighter.
Class VII – Heavy Marine Armor. This is a heavy weapons suit with mech upgrade for carrying heavy weapons.
Class VIII –Full blown EVA suit, similar to a modern space suit with an MMU.
Class IX – Full blown mech suit. Somewhere between a space suit and the power loader from Alien. These repair the outsides of large ships, move heavy objects in hangars, etc.
we've seen some medium and lighter armor (they are basically doing 3 for the FPS arena mode - light, med, heavy)Class II – This is the “standard” suit for non-military pilots. Keeps you safe in the cockpit and is maneuverable enough in combat. Has limited EVA capabilities, although to do anything effective in zero G you need attachments that will slow it down.
Class III – Heavier civilian suit. A little slower and less maneuverable than the class II, but has increased armor. You’ll have a harder time moving around in boarding, but you can take more hits.
Class IV – Military suit, as seen in the Squadron 42 trailer. This suit is armored to protect against cockpit damage, has various self-repair features, advanced tactical display, etc. Roughly as effective in EVA as the Class II is in a boarding operation.
Class V – Advanced Military Suit. This is a much more expensive and rarer class of suit. Think the difference between a standard fighter pilot suit and the ones worn by an SR-71 crew.
Class VI – Marine armor. Too bulky to wear in a cockpit, but much more effective in boarding operations. A pilot wearing a Class III suit might fly a cargo load of his friends in Class VI suits to attack a freighter.
Class VII – Heavy Marine Armor. This is a heavy weapons suit with mech upgrade for carrying heavy weapons.
Class VIII –Full blown EVA suit, similar to a modern space suit with an MMU.
Class IX – Full blown mech suit. Somewhere between a space suit and the power loader from Alien. These repair the outsides of large ships, move heavy objects in hangars, etc.
and we've seen some lighter non armored space suits and clothes
but we've not seen anything like a class 7 or above. work in progress and all that. but supposedly full blown mech suits will totally be a thing
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 3 days later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,629
Grabby hands
https://i.imgur.com/rAkU0gf.gifv
this is a quick look at the first implementation of "grabby hands" which is part of the system they are developing for "head to toe" animations. "Grabby Hands" is an automatic contextual system they gives your character the ability to reach out and interact with the environment around you in a very natural way.
in this gif the player is floating in zero-g and is using his hands to pull himself along a vertical wall. This is just a simple implementation dealing with arms and hands, but in the next patch they will add the "push/pull" mechanic that lets you "push off" from surfaces as well as grab onto things. it's a really cool looking bit of eye candy that'll have a functional purpose in the game. If you don't have a jetpack and you get stuck in zero-g (someone turns of artificial gravity or a ship's gravity plating are damaged) then you'll need a way to move around. Grabby Hands lets you do exactly that by reaching, grasping, pulling and pushing. very cool system, i've never seen anything like it before.
Not everything in Star Citizen is a completely new and innovative game mechanic, however, what CIG is doing with motion capture and animations and character rigs IS. so enjoy this first, very preliminary look at the "next gen" future of playable game character rigging and know that the majority of the new system isn't even fully implemented yet.
EDIT: this is not my video, by the way, i know i promised to make a really good Grabby Hands video that shows of more than just the pull mechanic, but making videos is a pain in the fucking ass and it's getting way more functionality over the next few months, so i'll probably start making videos again (like i did last year) when the FPS comes out and everything changes.
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.3 years ago, 36 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,641
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.3 years ago, 33 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,653
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
that IS a good question. short answer, we don't know. right now (and probably into the future) Grabby Hands isn't something you directly control. there's no button to press, it's more like "you get close enough to that wall and your character reaches out to touch it to steady himself. And then, until you push off, WASD controls move you up, down, and across the object you are touching rather than alowing you to move forward and backward." So it only works in the right context, and right now there is no context for grabby hands to interact with another player.
Now, they ARE building a melee system, but, we don't really know how expansive that'll be.
Yes we'll be able to "brawl" and fight, so boxing is confirmed. So you could likely find a player, put your dukes up, and beat them until they fall over. there might even be a fighting move like "pushing", but no one knows what the melee system will fully entail besides being able to get into bar fights and use knives.
that IS a good question. short answer, we don't know. right now (and probably into the future) Grabby Hands isn't something you directly control. there's no button to press, it's more like "you get close enough to that wall and your character reaches out to touch it to steady himself. And then, until you push off, WASD controls move you up, down, and across the object you are touching rather than alowing you to move forward and backward." So it only works in the right context, and right now there is no context for grabby hands to interact with another player.
Now, they ARE building a melee system, but, we don't really know how expansive that'll be.
Yes we'll be able to "brawl" and fight, so boxing is confirmed. So you could likely find a player, put your dukes up, and beat them until they fall over. there might even be a fighting move like "pushing", but no one knows what the melee system will fully entail besides being able to get into bar fights and use knives.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.3 years ago, 21 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,659
@547,641 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
i know i've posted this before, but this is the original FPS teaser they showed us last year. At the time i thought it was basically a cinematic with animations that won't be player character animations. However, i now believe i was wrong. i now believe they are developing Grabby Hands in conjunction with a "contextual" or "dynamic" cover system. Both are in development right now. Together, with motion capture based animations and very complex rigging i believe they are aiming to make actual gameplay look like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUvwba4DMLY
What you see are several things. the player is using the wall as cover, he is peeking around a corner, and his breathing alters when being directly fired upon. When you're near a wall in most FPS games you can just "run into the wall" and kinda just run in place forever. In SC, it looks like instead when you get close to a wall you reach out and grab it, and then probably enter a dynamic cover mode where corner peeking and all of that works with highly animated arms and hands. The breathing mechanic is also being worked on and will show itself in the first release of FPS (which won't have the whole cover system in place yet) so it's looking more and more likely that when they say "everything is in engine and is not a cinematic" it means that stuff like the FPS trailer was more Tech Demo then cut scene.
i know i've posted this before, but this is the original FPS teaser they showed us last year. At the time i thought it was basically a cinematic with animations that won't be player character animations. However, i now believe i was wrong. i now believe they are developing Grabby Hands in conjunction with a "contextual" or "dynamic" cover system. Both are in development right now. Together, with motion capture based animations and very complex rigging i believe they are aiming to make actual gameplay look like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUvwba4DMLY
What you see are several things. the player is using the wall as cover, he is peeking around a corner, and his breathing alters when being directly fired upon. When you're near a wall in most FPS games you can just "run into the wall" and kinda just run in place forever. In SC, it looks like instead when you get close to a wall you reach out and grab it, and then probably enter a dynamic cover mode where corner peeking and all of that works with highly animated arms and hands. The breathing mechanic is also being worked on and will show itself in the first release of FPS (which won't have the whole cover system in place yet) so it's looking more and more likely that when they say "everything is in engine and is not a cinematic" it means that stuff like the FPS trailer was more Tech Demo then cut scene.
(Edited 40 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.3 years ago, 6 hours later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,695
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.3 years ago, 1 hour later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,707
@547,629 (squeegee)
@previous (squeegee)
So can you go any faster than that? I notice that those guys are going fairly slowly. If a ship's gravity was off, it seems like a situation where you'd want to go quick to sort things out.
@previous (squeegee)
So can you go any faster than that? I notice that those guys are going fairly slowly. If a ship's gravity was off, it seems like a situation where you'd want to go quick to sort things out.
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.3 years ago, 14 hours later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,838
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
yes! as a matter of fact you can. But, you have to accelerate and decelerate because you're in zero G. So from a stationary position you begin "crawling" along a wall and you can go faster with each new push - OR - you move at a steady rate and the hands move along the wall only "looking" like they are doing more than just touching the wall - OR - you're decelerating by using your arms as resistence. All three things, accelerating, dragging along, and slowing down along a surface all use the same key animations, "your hands walk along the wall" but you're either "pulling" to go faster, drifting and walking your arms along, or you're "pushing" against your direction of travel to slow down.
So that's what you're seeing here in the gifs. The player speeds up, then drifts for a second, then slows down. None of the gifs are showing "max crawling speed" which is probably about only as fast as either walking or running. but probably max zero G speeds will be roughly the same as a fast walk or a jog, but not flat out running.
Now, you'll also have magnetic boots so you can latch onto things that are moving, like the outside of ships or something. You can use them now to walk on the ships, the space stations, and anything metal. walking with mag boots is very slow, though, much slower than walking speed. more like a crouched walking speed maybe. or a crawl. very much not fast, but they'll have their place in an emergency (such as losing gravity plating on board a ship and needing mag boots to stand at and operate an action station without floating away.)
Also there are jetpacks. ATM every flight suit has "thruster physics" but no jet pack or anything. so the mechanics are there and work, but there's no cool jet pack animation at this time. So when you eject or leave your ship you can use the jetpack to accelerate and decelerate and jetpacks can get going pretty quick. it seems like you accelerate very slowly, but there's no speed limit so you could get going as fast as a ship, but you'd have to accelerate for 5 minutes and then also decelerate for 5 minutes if you want to then stop. not 100% sure about the max speed of jet packs, because you'll leave the arena space long before you could accelerate to a high speed. So, with the "large world" update we'll probably be able to start testing that. but, that'll be this summer with Arena Commander 2.0 and crewed ships.
So, we won't really know what it's like navigating a large ship without gravity plating until at least then. That being said, in the most recent PTU build one of the large ships (the constellation) was spawning into games unintended. it's a ship that crews 5, and even though it couldn't move, you could open all the doors and play around in it. there was no gravity, so people would just float around. some people were organizing "raids" where 2 teams would join a Free Flight and then FPS fight over the Connie in a King of the Hill style fight. So everyone would rush the connie, eject, then try to fight their way inside. once inside you'd close all the doors and camp and wait for people to try and enter the ship to kill you. It was fucking glorious.
It was basically like a scenario, like "defend your freighter from Pirate boarding parties" or "kill the freighter pilot and steal his cargo."
working in zero G, with a team all coordinated inside the ship was fucking awesome. we'd take up positions forward and aft and force them into a crossfire in the cargo hold, and attackers would hit multiple entrances at once and try to interrupt the crossfire. i can only imagine what it'll be like with all of the features like decompression and holes blasted in the sides of ships.
yes! as a matter of fact you can. But, you have to accelerate and decelerate because you're in zero G. So from a stationary position you begin "crawling" along a wall and you can go faster with each new push - OR - you move at a steady rate and the hands move along the wall only "looking" like they are doing more than just touching the wall - OR - you're decelerating by using your arms as resistence. All three things, accelerating, dragging along, and slowing down along a surface all use the same key animations, "your hands walk along the wall" but you're either "pulling" to go faster, drifting and walking your arms along, or you're "pushing" against your direction of travel to slow down.
So that's what you're seeing here in the gifs. The player speeds up, then drifts for a second, then slows down. None of the gifs are showing "max crawling speed" which is probably about only as fast as either walking or running. but probably max zero G speeds will be roughly the same as a fast walk or a jog, but not flat out running.
Now, you'll also have magnetic boots so you can latch onto things that are moving, like the outside of ships or something. You can use them now to walk on the ships, the space stations, and anything metal. walking with mag boots is very slow, though, much slower than walking speed. more like a crouched walking speed maybe. or a crawl. very much not fast, but they'll have their place in an emergency (such as losing gravity plating on board a ship and needing mag boots to stand at and operate an action station without floating away.)
Also there are jetpacks. ATM every flight suit has "thruster physics" but no jet pack or anything. so the mechanics are there and work, but there's no cool jet pack animation at this time. So when you eject or leave your ship you can use the jetpack to accelerate and decelerate and jetpacks can get going pretty quick. it seems like you accelerate very slowly, but there's no speed limit so you could get going as fast as a ship, but you'd have to accelerate for 5 minutes and then also decelerate for 5 minutes if you want to then stop. not 100% sure about the max speed of jet packs, because you'll leave the arena space long before you could accelerate to a high speed. So, with the "large world" update we'll probably be able to start testing that. but, that'll be this summer with Arena Commander 2.0 and crewed ships.
So, we won't really know what it's like navigating a large ship without gravity plating until at least then. That being said, in the most recent PTU build one of the large ships (the constellation) was spawning into games unintended. it's a ship that crews 5, and even though it couldn't move, you could open all the doors and play around in it. there was no gravity, so people would just float around. some people were organizing "raids" where 2 teams would join a Free Flight and then FPS fight over the Connie in a King of the Hill style fight. So everyone would rush the connie, eject, then try to fight their way inside. once inside you'd close all the doors and camp and wait for people to try and enter the ship to kill you. It was fucking glorious.
It was basically like a scenario, like "defend your freighter from Pirate boarding parties" or "kill the freighter pilot and steal his cargo."
working in zero G, with a team all coordinated inside the ship was fucking awesome. we'd take up positions forward and aft and force them into a crossfire in the cargo hold, and attackers would hit multiple entrances at once and try to interrupt the crossfire. i can only imagine what it'll be like with all of the features like decompression and holes blasted in the sides of ships.
(Edited 50 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.3 years ago, 19 minutes later, 3 months after the original post[^] [v] #547,839
FPS Teaser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmDKnX7LcMw
This is just a 30 second look at the new character model in what looks like Light or Medium armor.
The current model uses at least the same face, but this is a whole new model of everything else. Probably this is from the upcoming FPS brach that's about to get tied into the live build. I've heard that the FPS branch is using a more updated rig as well as this new armored space suit. This guy probably is rigged for the "head to toe" animations we'll be seeing introduced during the FPS tie-in.
Soon™
(Edited 21 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 week later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,051
early warning
Friday April 24th is a new ship concept release day. it's actually 5 ships, they have finished with the concept for the "hull series" which is a line of freighters made by MISC. The Hull Series of ships are described as being like "russian dolls" and having a unique design among all the freighters. the Hulls will be named Hull-A through Hull-E, with the Hull-A being described as a stationwagon, the Hull-B is like a Box-Truck, the Hull-C is like an 18 wheeler, the Hull-D is like a cargo Plane, and the Hull-E is like a SuperTanker.
We'll know more later today. As always, a concept implies a ship sale. So, the hulls will be on sale, the Hull-A, i believe, is a 60$ pledge, and the hull E is $550 i believe, the others are somewhere in between. again, as always, these ships will be fully attainable in game and there is no requirement to pledge anything in addition to a base pledge. That being said, the Hull-A is the last of the cheapest ships to come with Life Time Insurance. This IS mostly a vanity thing because insurance isn't going to be expensive to maintain in game (think MMO repairs.) LTI is simply a very minor thing, but, some people see LTI as having additional "collector value" since LTI won't be available any other way than early backing.
SO
if that kind of thing is of interest to you then the Hull-A is going to eventually allow for upgrades which lets you basically put lifetime insurance on any ship in the game, even ships you can't get with LTI anymore.
it's really actually all a bunch of bullshit that's really only important if you're playing around with the Gray Market ship sales and buying accounts on ebay and stuff. If you're just wanting to play the game when it comes out then don't worry about what anyone says about LTI or needing to get a bad ass ship before the game even launches.
that being said, the Hull series ships are sounding really awesome. the hull-A is sounding like the premier ship for early progression in Trading or Cargo Hauling. it won't have much in the way of defenses, so it's probably one to keep closer to highly policed shipping routes and higher security areas. probably the big payoff is the "russian dolls" approach they have taken, it might be something like a cargo freighter voltron, which would be fucking awesome.
They are also going to be releasing a design document detailing the Cargo System and how that is all getting fleshed out.
We got a brief description that went something like this:
so you've got grabby hands, which lets you pick something up. and then you can take that thing and carry it over to a box, and then put that thing into that box. maybe there are other things in that box too. rattling around in there. (well, placed into a suspension field that acts as packaging) and so then you can take that box of things and put it on your ship. Then you can fly the box with those things in it to another planet and when you get it there people can open the box and get those things out. Also you can put that box of things into a bigger box with other boxes of things and put huge cargo containers full of boxes of things into your ship and haul all that shit around stored physically in boxes.
it was something like that. we'll learn more tomorrow about the overall Cargo system and the specifics of the Hull series freighters
patch delays
delays continue, the backend netcode rewrite was called halfway completed today, so we'll see what that means for the schedule. We're waiting for the 1.1.2 patch to fix the netcode, and the next up is 1.2 which contains the FPS branch of the game. hopefully this means we'll be seeing 1.1.2 in the PTU within the next week, and then FPS tied in 2 weeks after that. hopefully sooner, but don't hold your breath.
my inner spaceman is trying very hard to not over indulge in the hype, though
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 12 hours later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,293
Space Plant!!
this is a fun one. back in the early days a lot of publications were calling CIG's stretch goals "feature creep." Even though the "stretch goals" were already planned features and what we were doing was voting on the prioritization of features (i.e. the Star Map before Organization Tools), not voting to add additional features. Because of the misinformed media, CIG made one of the stretch goals a "Xi'an House Plant" to try and downplay the "stretch goals" as "feature creep." Of course that was misinterpreted and the media reported that CIG needed one million dollars to craft an "alien house plant" in what ended up being probably the funniest articles on Star Citizen written. This was easily 50 million dollars and one year ago.Yesterday CIG finally (lol) finished the concept art for the Xi'an House Plant. It blooms once every 100 years, and the devs say YES one of these days it WILL bloom in game.
Kind of an interesting Blast from the Past, such a controversial little plant.
(Edited 26 seconds later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.2 years ago, 18 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,304
squeegee (OP) replied with this 9.2 years ago, 21 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,308
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
yeah, the description we got of grabby hands included some tidbits, like you'll be able to decorate your hangars and living spaces. So, like the hangars are modular, like Apartment floorplans but with walls that can be knocked down or closed off for instantaneous gratification. So you can expand your hangar with an apartment and you'll have a Map room and a Simulator room and everything you'll need to be a spaceman. And they said you'll be able to build it out how you like, and you'll also be able to decorate it. So it'll be like skyrim where all the items in game can be picked up and moved around and placed. So you'll have all these flair items you can collect or whatever and you can display them. Posters, liquor cabinets, Juke Boxes, models,a lamp, snow globes, house plants, these are just some of the items that have been made as "subscriber flair" which is a monthly flair item given to people that subscribe to Jump Point, which is CIG's monthly news publication with content specifically for the subset of people who pay a monthly subscription. The plan is, it would seem, to make thousands of decorative items like that and to populate the universe with stuff to horde.
personally i can't wait to have a bunch of junk piled in corners of my hangar, piles of engines and broken ship hulls and all kinds of stuff. just for looks. that junkyard repair shop feel :D
also they are doing pets, so hopefully i can have a Xi'an Crab Monkey or some kind of Banu lizard-dog running around
yeah, the description we got of grabby hands included some tidbits, like you'll be able to decorate your hangars and living spaces. So, like the hangars are modular, like Apartment floorplans but with walls that can be knocked down or closed off for instantaneous gratification. So you can expand your hangar with an apartment and you'll have a Map room and a Simulator room and everything you'll need to be a spaceman. And they said you'll be able to build it out how you like, and you'll also be able to decorate it. So it'll be like skyrim where all the items in game can be picked up and moved around and placed. So you'll have all these flair items you can collect or whatever and you can display them. Posters, liquor cabinets, Juke Boxes, models,a lamp, snow globes, house plants, these are just some of the items that have been made as "subscriber flair" which is a monthly flair item given to people that subscribe to Jump Point, which is CIG's monthly news publication with content specifically for the subset of people who pay a monthly subscription. The plan is, it would seem, to make thousands of decorative items like that and to populate the universe with stuff to horde.
personally i can't wait to have a bunch of junk piled in corners of my hangar, piles of engines and broken ship hulls and all kinds of stuff. just for looks. that junkyard repair shop feel :D
also they are doing pets, so hopefully i can have a Xi'an Crab Monkey or some kind of Banu lizard-dog running around
squeegee (OP) double-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 day later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,957
MISC Hull Series (A-E)
In short, the MISC Hull series of ships is how cargo gets from place to place. An inter-connected system of ships designed around the same principles and intended to share the same equipment and maintenance processes, MISC has created the Hull A through E to provide countless options for every type of merchant.
From the single-person Hull A to the super-massive Hull E bulk freighter, there’s a Hull for every job. Each ship includes a manned cab, a drive unit and a telescoping cargo spindle. When laden, the spindle expands to accept cargo pallets; while unloaded, the spindle unfurls for faster, more maneuverable travel.
https://i.imgur.com/5KWKdQY.webm (animation)From the single-person Hull A to the super-massive Hull E bulk freighter, there’s a Hull for every job. Each ship includes a manned cab, a drive unit and a telescoping cargo spindle. When laden, the spindle expands to accept cargo pallets; while unloaded, the spindle unfurls for faster, more maneuverable travel.
squeegee (OP) triple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 4 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,958
Hull A in-engine fly aroundThe smallest, most affordable Hull. The Hull A is great for those just striking out in the galaxy on their own. The Hull A is most similar to the Aurora and Mustang, but lacks the ‘jack of all trades’ nature.
Where the others trade cargo capacity for firepower or speed, the Hull A is 100% on-mission transport! Additionally, Hull A (and B) are often used as station-to-orbit ferries.
Where the others trade cargo capacity for firepower or speed, the Hull A is 100% on-mission transport! Additionally, Hull A (and B) are often used as station-to-orbit ferries.
(Edited 27 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) quadruple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 2 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,959
Hull B in-engine fly aroundThe Hull B is a more rugged option most often compared to MISC’s own Freelancer. But where the Freelancer is equipped for long range exploration and other roles, the Hull B is a pure cargo transport.
Hull B are often used as corporate support ships, and it is not uncommon to spot several in different liveries during a single flight.
Hull B are often used as corporate support ships, and it is not uncommon to spot several in different liveries during a single flight.
(Edited 22 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) quintuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 2 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,961
Hull C in-engine fly aroundOften called the most common ship in the galaxy, the Hull C is the most-produced of the range and is considered by many to be the most versatile.
Intended to hit the ‘sweet spot’ between the smaller single-person transports and the massive superfreighters that make up the rest of the range, the Hull C offers the expansive modularity of the larger ships while still retaining a modicum of the maneuverability allowed the low end of the range.
Intended to hit the ‘sweet spot’ between the smaller single-person transports and the massive superfreighters that make up the rest of the range, the Hull C offers the expansive modularity of the larger ships while still retaining a modicum of the maneuverability allowed the low end of the range.
(Edited 9 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) sextuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 3 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,962
Hull D in-engine fly aroundThe Hull D kicks off the larger end of the spectrum with a massive ship build around a rugged frame. The Hull D is affordable enough to be operated by mid-sized organizations and companies.
Hull D are often used as flagships for mercantile operations, but their bulk means that they should be operated with escort fighters while not in safe space. The UEE military uses modified Hull D as part of their supply chain, arming and refueling the soldiers on the front line.
Hull D are often used as flagships for mercantile operations, but their bulk means that they should be operated with escort fighters while not in safe space. The UEE military uses modified Hull D as part of their supply chain, arming and refueling the soldiers on the front line.
(Edited 13 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) septuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 3 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,963
Hull E in-engine fly aroundThe largest specialized freighter available on the market today, the Hull E is generally owned by major corporations and operated with a high degree of planning.
The lack of maneuverability inherent in such a large ship means that anyone planning to operate them should be careful about equipping turrets and providing escort. Their potential load (and modularity) is unparalleled, however: no other ship allows as much room to store goods or to modify towards another role!
WARNING: While the Hull E has a massive cargo capacity on paper, it is also a major target for pirates and raiders. Hull E are typically used in safe sector trade routes and are operated as part of a larger fleet. Additionally, getting ‘geared up’ to operate a Hull E at full capacity will require a significant investment in terms of credits: a single load of cargo typically has more value than the ship itself. In short, Hull E operation is not for the feint of heart!
The lack of maneuverability inherent in such a large ship means that anyone planning to operate them should be careful about equipping turrets and providing escort. Their potential load (and modularity) is unparalleled, however: no other ship allows as much room to store goods or to modify towards another role!
WARNING: While the Hull E has a massive cargo capacity on paper, it is also a major target for pirates and raiders. Hull E are typically used in safe sector trade routes and are operated as part of a larger fleet. Additionally, getting ‘geared up’ to operate a Hull E at full capacity will require a significant investment in terms of credits: a single load of cargo typically has more value than the ship itself. In short, Hull E operation is not for the feint of heart!
squeegee (OP) octuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 58 seconds later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,964
Hull-E apparently jettisoning cargosqueegee (OP) nonuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 37 seconds later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,965
ship size comparrisonsqueegee (OP) decuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,966
Hull-A, here you can see the billboards on the side of the cargo containers and how that'll worksqueegee (OP) undecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 2 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,967
Hull-E, 4th from left. no cargo and in retracted mode.ships pictured in order from left to right:
Carrack, exploration/science
890 jump, luxury cruiser
Reclaimer, salvage
Hull-E, cargo
Orion, mining
Idris, Frigate
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) duodecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 hour later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #550,978
Lonestar the Kilrathi's Ship Review: Hull A-E Concept Ships
disclaimer: none of these ships are in the game as anything more than low-poly renders for the website holo-viewer. All images shown are derived from that and from recently released concept art.Since the ships aren't flyable or even viewable in game it is impossible to give an honest review of the ship or any of its capabilities. What we can say is that the Hull series of ships are 100% pure cargo haulers. Because of the "piggyback" solution for cargo containers the ships are actually quite vulnerable. sure, they're going to have excellent shielding, but projectile weapons mostly ignore energy shields which means containers and cargo will have very little armor between them and the shields since there is no hull to first breach. yes, it is likely there will he heavily armored containers, BUT, at the expense of mass and volume.
So it is looking like the Hull series ships will mostly stick to high security space and well policed shipping lanes with little to no piracy. Of course margins will be much thinner but the huge cargo capacity of the Hull ships will probably make working High-sec space profitable where other transports will earn better with their rugged design in lower security areas.
The way i see the hull series actually playing is pretty simple. You'll start with either an Aurora, a Mustang, or a Reliant. From these starting ships you'll have many options open for gameplay, and early on cargo hauling will be a viable path. A player that chooses to use their starter ship to run cargo for profits may find that very enjoyable, (TBH Euro Truck Sim was a surprisingly fun game, all it lacked for me was the ability to exit vehicles and run around and have more reason to haul cargo than just get better equipment to haul more cargo. building a trade empire was fun, but why was i building that empire. i never left my truck cab.).
For someone that enjoys the options available for hauling and trade (smuggling, speculation, building a trade fleet) then the Hull-A would be the first natural step away from the starter ships. It performs in the same areas as the starter ships, but with much, much more capacity. each run would immediately be doubly profitable. Especially if you're speculating or trading at that point. From there the upgrade path is quite clear, when it becomes viable there is a ship that operates in the same areas at a much larger and more profitable scale.
The Hull-D is quite probably the largest of the trade ships most players will want to get their hands on for "solo" play. It's going to take 5 players or NPCs to operate it. It's also so large it is going to absolutely require some kind of escort even in high security space. These ships are not particularly well armed, the bigger ones a bit better than the smaller ones, but the sheer size of them and their capacity makes them incredibly valuable when fully laden. The Hull D will absolutely hold cargo well in excess of the ship itself, and they are guaranteed pirate targets.
Then the Hull E. That fucker is so massive it's retarded. 150,000 something freight units. You'll need an armada to defend it, it's going to carry so much value every pirate in the area is going to want a piece. I seriously doubt this behemoth will make it in low-sec space for long. it IS a flying pinata. It's going to handle like a modern day seafaring freighter, i would imagine. It sounds like the ship has SO much capacity in order to run it at full efficiency you'll have massive overhead. the cost alone in insuring the cargo will be astounding. Maybe we'll be able to take contracts to haul that many Cargo Units, we don't have a "Trade Deep Dive" yet so we don't really know how hauling and trade as game mechanics will work.
I suggest the Hull Series for anyone who likes the sound of "space trucking," if you enjoyed the relaxing immersion of Euro Truck Sim 2, then you'll probably love the Hulls. If you're looking for a little more action, like taking risky jobs through null-sec or smuggling and blockade running, then look towards ships with cargo holds. Yes, they carry much less cargo, but, they can guarantee delivery.
Interesting Tidbit
FedEx quests in Star Citizen will be literal. Scenario: a player goes to Dumper's Depot and buys a refurbished engine, but they don't have a ship to haul it back to their hangar on another planet. How does the player get it home?Answer: a FedEx quest will be generated and sent to the job board. other players with cargo ships can take the job and transport the item from the hub on Nix to the hub on Terra, for example. If no player takes the job, eventually an NPC will take the job and the cargo will be delivered to you at your hangar. So there will be lots of reason to be a cargo hauler because there will always be a supply of income with a clear upgrade path to grow your wealth by orders of magnitude. Pretty much it looks like if you've worked up to a Hull-D then you're probably a pretty handsomely paid player. The Hull-E though, that might only be possible for Orgs to operate. like logistically.
squeegee (OP) tridecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 day later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #551,571
PTU 1.1.2 is Live
patch 1.1.2 contains a new tutorial mode and a lot of bug fixes. apparently it's mostly "under the hood" stuff that has to do with the backend rewrite. this patch fixes quite a lot of problems with multiplayer matchmaking. It will likely be released into the wild by the end of this week.The tutorial is not terrible, but it certainly ain't perfect. You load into the scenario and find yourself in a large hangar bay with a flight instructor. It's pretty clear there wan't much animation work done on the script, because the Instructor is using default cryengine animations and doesn't gesture much. You're told to "go over there" but you only kinda get a little head nod and it's not clear what to do.
Once you figure out which ship you've been told to board you're given a short explaination of the flight controls. The flight instructor shows you how to take off, taxi, and exit the hangar VTOL style, which is neat. After you leave the hangar the whole tutorial gets better. you're shown the major systems and you fly with the instructor and learn a few combat maneuvers as well as general flight stuff, such as how to strafe and use the different flight modes.
Then there's a little "surprise attack" from the vandull and you're asked to use what you've learned to stay alive.
All in all it's not bad, kind of the first look at how a "mission" would flow in the Solo-Campaign. It's a bit rough around the edges, and a player will need some follow up mission training i would think, but it'll get a first-time-player flying and combat "ready" is just about 15 minutes. not proficient, but at least you'll know how to do everything. It also feels a bit like a template for how they plan to test PU mission in Arena Commander. As they flesh out "carrers" and jobs they plan to add scenarios to AC, such as "freighter escort" or "fly a cargo run" or "mine an asteroid" type scenarios and i bet they'll play very similarly.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee (OP) quattuodecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 40 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #551,584
Design Document: Cargo Interaction
Cargo is probably the single most important thing is Star Citizen. The entire economy of the game will be dependent upon the free exchange of cargo and dynamic supply and demand. without a very robust cargo system including "checks and balances" the economic simulation will not function.https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/engineering/14677-Cargo-Interaction
To date, Star Citizen’s Arena Commander module has put much of the focus on pure action: the thrill of deep space dogfighting. While space battles are a core element of the Star Citizen experience, they are the beginning and not the end of creating a vast, interactive world. And one of the next, most important steps is developing a cargo system that allows players to more fully interact with their environment than any previous space game.
On first consideration, making cargo sexy might seem like a difficult challenge. The excitement of combat is self-explanatory, while shipping goods from star to star is a different kind of challenge, potentially more of a slow burn. The average pilot would be forgiven for having more interest in a dogfighting module than a cargo demo… but the reality is, cargo is deeply important to expanding Star Citizen’s gameplay. Whether you’re using it to customize your environment, to build a shipping empire or to run black market goods from Advocacy patrols, a comprehensive cargo system is going to enable Star Citizen to build a real world full of varied gameplay opportunities.
How do we do it? In the past, space games have solved this problem by separating the player from what was being transported. Shipping a load of tungsten in Privateer or hydrocarbons in Freelancer meant selecting an icon in a menu and being told your ship had been loaded with that particular good. For Star Citizen, we wanted to do more than just give you a cargo manifest; it stood to reason that in our First Person Universe, you would need to be able to fully interact with whatever you happen to be shipping! With this in mind, we’ve set out to create a system that allows for maximum interaction directly with in-game objects.
On first consideration, making cargo sexy might seem like a difficult challenge. The excitement of combat is self-explanatory, while shipping goods from star to star is a different kind of challenge, potentially more of a slow burn. The average pilot would be forgiven for having more interest in a dogfighting module than a cargo demo… but the reality is, cargo is deeply important to expanding Star Citizen’s gameplay. Whether you’re using it to customize your environment, to build a shipping empire or to run black market goods from Advocacy patrols, a comprehensive cargo system is going to enable Star Citizen to build a real world full of varied gameplay opportunities.
How do we do it? In the past, space games have solved this problem by separating the player from what was being transported. Shipping a load of tungsten in Privateer or hydrocarbons in Freelancer meant selecting an icon in a menu and being told your ship had been loaded with that particular good. For Star Citizen, we wanted to do more than just give you a cargo manifest; it stood to reason that in our First Person Universe, you would need to be able to fully interact with whatever you happen to be shipping! With this in mind, we’ve set out to create a system that allows for maximum interaction directly with in-game objects.
squeegee (OP) sexadecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 11 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #551,587
How Interaction Works
pictured: Anti-grav ContainerThe Star Citizen design team has determined that there are five essential ‘use cases’ for cargo objects in the game environment. Each of these cases must be developed in the game to give you full control over your cargo and items. Uses cases are as follows:
Player to Item: The player must be able to physically manipulate objects in the game world. Whether it’s a frag grenade, a Chairman Roberts bobblehead or a Xi’an space plant, your character must be able to grab objects with one or two hands and then place them where desired.
Player to Massive Item: In development terminology, a massive item is any one that is too large for a player to reasonably interact with themselves. Think a ton of steel, a replacement Hornet wing or a multi-meter torpedo. Massive items differ from standard items because they will require in-game tools for handling: anything from cargo drones to loader suits.
Player to Container: Current Star Citizen pilots are likely most familiar with the Stor-All container found on some models of Aurorae. Under the hood, there are two types of containers: crates and tanks. Crates are containers that can hold the loose items used in the previous use cases. You might fill a container (like the Stor-All) with anything: weapons, electronics, artifacts, personal effects… even live animals! Tanks are an alternative form of container that hold anything the player wouldn’t naturally interact with: fuel, ore, scrap, nitrogen and the like. To simplify the loading process, every container in Star Citizen will include a port for a cargo jack allowing it to be manipulated directly using an array of anti-grav pulsers. Players will load their containers (or acquire them pre-loaded) and then position them aboard or attached to their spacecraft.
Player to Pallet: Especially important for larger ships (like the Hull C, D and E) which would otherwise take ages to load, the player to pallet use case is how you will be able to stack alike containers. This allows containers to move as a group, as long as the stack is entirely within the locking plate on the top of the lower container. This holds true for grav pallets, which are giant mobile locking plates, and allows for cargo to be moved in bulk.
Player to Cargo Bay: This final state is how players interact with their entire collection of cargo on any given ship. This is where we develop formal mobiGlas and environment tie-ins to give pilots control over their entire cargo manifest. From the manifest view, they can view and track all containers and items on a particular ship.
Player to Item: The player must be able to physically manipulate objects in the game world. Whether it’s a frag grenade, a Chairman Roberts bobblehead or a Xi’an space plant, your character must be able to grab objects with one or two hands and then place them where desired.
Player to Massive Item: In development terminology, a massive item is any one that is too large for a player to reasonably interact with themselves. Think a ton of steel, a replacement Hornet wing or a multi-meter torpedo. Massive items differ from standard items because they will require in-game tools for handling: anything from cargo drones to loader suits.
Player to Container: Current Star Citizen pilots are likely most familiar with the Stor-All container found on some models of Aurorae. Under the hood, there are two types of containers: crates and tanks. Crates are containers that can hold the loose items used in the previous use cases. You might fill a container (like the Stor-All) with anything: weapons, electronics, artifacts, personal effects… even live animals! Tanks are an alternative form of container that hold anything the player wouldn’t naturally interact with: fuel, ore, scrap, nitrogen and the like. To simplify the loading process, every container in Star Citizen will include a port for a cargo jack allowing it to be manipulated directly using an array of anti-grav pulsers. Players will load their containers (or acquire them pre-loaded) and then position them aboard or attached to their spacecraft.
Player to Pallet: Especially important for larger ships (like the Hull C, D and E) which would otherwise take ages to load, the player to pallet use case is how you will be able to stack alike containers. This allows containers to move as a group, as long as the stack is entirely within the locking plate on the top of the lower container. This holds true for grav pallets, which are giant mobile locking plates, and allows for cargo to be moved in bulk.
Player to Cargo Bay: This final state is how players interact with their entire collection of cargo on any given ship. This is where we develop formal mobiGlas and environment tie-ins to give pilots control over their entire cargo manifest. From the manifest view, they can view and track all containers and items on a particular ship.
(Edited 21 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) sedecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 15 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #551,591
Grabby Hands
All of the above use cases are built atop one requirement: the ability for the player to manipulate individual component items at will. To enable this biggest technical hurdle, we have created a system called Grabby Hands. We’ve put together four demos to show you exactly how Grabby Hands works and what it lets you do!
Looking at an item and then pressing F will pick it up. The appropriate animation will play and the item will be attached to the players’ hand. The item is now held! Looking down at the item again and press F will put it down. A raycast at shoulder height will determine where the item will be put, and the appropriate animation will play to put it there. While holding an item, look down at it and press and hold F will enter precision placement mode. In this mode, an AR indicator allows the player to choose the location where the item will be put. While in precision placement mode, clicking and dragging will allow the player to rotate the object around pitch and yaw. Make no mistake, this is more than just a system for picking up and putting down objects. With this process in place, we don’t need to create a unique animation for every single object in the universe; the game adapts to interact with what you’re doing, the way you want!
demonstration video: grabby handsLooking at an item and then pressing F will pick it up. The appropriate animation will play and the item will be attached to the players’ hand. The item is now held! Looking down at the item again and press F will put it down. A raycast at shoulder height will determine where the item will be put, and the appropriate animation will play to put it there. While holding an item, look down at it and press and hold F will enter precision placement mode. In this mode, an AR indicator allows the player to choose the location where the item will be put. While in precision placement mode, clicking and dragging will allow the player to rotate the object around pitch and yaw. Make no mistake, this is more than just a system for picking up and putting down objects. With this process in place, we don’t need to create a unique animation for every single object in the universe; the game adapts to interact with what you’re doing, the way you want!
https://player.vimeo.com/video/125958040
Two-handed objects
Two-handed objects are reoriented automatically when picked up to simplify the attachment points needed for these animations. Beyond this exception, two-handed objects work exactly like one-handed ones do.
demonstration video: two handed object orientationhttps://player.vimeo.com/video/125958039
Coin Flip
Here’s where Star Citizen’s physics engine really shines! By interacting with items, you can manipulate them in a realistic manner that takes into account your environment (and its respective gravity and other conditions.) What that means in this case is that you can use Grabby Hands to manually flip a coin! Moving up while releasing the coin will cause it to flip, at which point it can be caught again. Holding still or moving down while releasing will simply drop the coin. Multiple coins can be picked up and flipped simultaneously, causing it to rain coins and make a mess. Groups of coins set down together tend to be much more organized. But this isn’t just about coins: it’s about creating a system that gives players more control over their universe. It will create new ways for players to express themselves through their interactions in the ‘verse!
demonstration video: Coin Fliphttps://player.vimeo.com/video/125955932
Usable Items
When holding a useable item, look down at it and double tap [F] to use the item. While an item is in use, double tap [F] to unused the item and return it to the cargo state. This means that any personal item you might use (such as a gun, or a flashlight) can also be stored as cargo.
demonstration video: weapon handlinghttps://player.vimeo.com/video/125955934
Items and containers
Every container has two key statistics: Standard Cargo Units (SCU) and Number of Ports. These define everything the game needs to know about loading a container onto a pallet or attaching it to a ship. SCU defines the exterior dimensions of the container in cubic meter increments, while the number of ports defines how many discrete slots into which items can be placed are available. Ports are 0.25m spaces.
demonstration video: container loadinghttps://player.vimeo.com/video/125955836
Containers and Pallets
As noted above, pallets are used to move more cargo in fewer trips. Loading fifty individual containers of ore would be no fun (and ultimately wouldn’t be realistic) and so a system must be put into place to allow bulk loading of same cargo. The player will interact with very large containers and pallets, often so large that they will obscure visibility. To counter this issue, the cargo jack includes a UI interface depicting the local area to the player, much like the landing assist UI recently premiered in Arena Commander. This ultimately allows for precise and intentional manipulation of cargo.
demonstration video: Decorationshttps://player.vimeo.com/video/125960650
demonstration video: Grav Pallet
https://player.vimeo.com/video/125955933
squeegee (OP) septuadecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 3 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #551,595
Cargo Bay
pictured: cargo jackThe SCU value introduced earlier defines the exterior dimensions of containers, which is important to note because it allows the number of SCU a ship is rated for to actually correlate with the SCU value of all containers which can be placed inside that particular cargo bay. Containers are placed in a locking grid of sorts, which marks out (floor to ceiling) where cargo can be stored onboard a ship.
The technology that drives these locking plates only require power to change state, and will secure even unboxed cargo as long as it is fully within the locking area. This means that only cargo containers can stack while disallowing infinite bridges, and that turning off the power plant won’t shred the ship with instant cargo shrapnel. Active locking plates are lit gold, although the light will change to red if there is something wrong: the cargo bay is too damaged to maintain lock, any of the items atop the plate cannot be secured and so on.
Finally, as included in the final use case players must be able to interact with their cargo from the ship’s onboard manifest. Using the manifest, you can activate and deactivate locking plates (to jettison cargo), set orders for arranging cargo and see the effect that all of your items are having on your center of mass (unlike previous games, your ships’ performance will be tied to the mass and volume of what you decide to load aboard her!) We are in the process of developing the UI for this system today, and are proud to present a mockup of the current version.
The technology that drives these locking plates only require power to change state, and will secure even unboxed cargo as long as it is fully within the locking area. This means that only cargo containers can stack while disallowing infinite bridges, and that turning off the power plant won’t shred the ship with instant cargo shrapnel. Active locking plates are lit gold, although the light will change to red if there is something wrong: the cargo bay is too damaged to maintain lock, any of the items atop the plate cannot be secured and so on.
Finally, as included in the final use case players must be able to interact with their cargo from the ship’s onboard manifest. Using the manifest, you can activate and deactivate locking plates (to jettison cargo), set orders for arranging cargo and see the effect that all of your items are having on your center of mass (unlike previous games, your ships’ performance will be tied to the mass and volume of what you decide to load aboard her!) We are in the process of developing the UI for this system today, and are proud to present a mockup of the current version.
squeegee (OP) octadecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 22 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #551,600
My 2 cents on Cargo
take this all with a grain of salt. We won't be handling every piece of inventory by hand nor will we have to physically load every container with items or even necessarily load the containers onto the ship ourselves. Very likely in the very beginning when you're in a starter ship you'll be handling containers by "hand" with the cargo jack. As you progress and earn you'll get to a point where you'll have hired NPCs to do some of the grunt work. Loading cargo, i expect, will be a voluntary money sink. Choose to load yourself by hand at no cost, or, choose to pay a "longshoreman NPC" to load for you. Also, for the much, much larger ships like the Hull-E it is planned for "Aliens style" mech suit cargo loaders or some kind of auto loading mechanism for such a large ship. So handling cargo will likely grow more and more optional as you play, but also at the same time it sounds like it gets even more and more bad ass with large mech suit cargo loaders and fuck that does sound cool...However, the detail with which they are approaching the entirety of the system means we'll be able to do shit like smuggle guns aboard people's ships, hide drugs in special smuggling cubbies (like the millennium falcon had), and not have to worry about "inventory slots" in the same way you would most MMOs.
each player will have limited carrying capacity, but storage is sounding pretty well unlimited. like, if you can stuff it in a corner of your hangar then you can just keep it there. We'll see how that all works out, but the physically stored items like that means that containers in-flight can be opened up and the contents retrieved and used. i can't wait to see what kind of awesome things we can do with containers. people will be doing stuff like chartering their luxury yacht and taking passengers on "Grand Tours" so they can roleplay "Space Loveboat" and shit, and if we CAN put small containers inside big containers AND IF there are (as they say) shielded smuggling containers, then i hope to be able to put some guns in a small shielded smuggling crate and place that into a larger crate and try and sneak that on as cargo onto a passenger liner of some kind so i can sneak into the cargo hold, retrieve the guns, and hijack Fhloston Paradise. (of course i'm speculating a lot with that scenario.)
(Edited 7 minutes later.)
squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 2 days later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #552,351
squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 2 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #552,353
damn you imgur and your nonanimating bullshitsqueegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 2 hours later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #552,376
Ooo, check this fucker out. Hull-D art(Edited 42 seconds later.)
squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 1 day later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #553,071
PTU Update
pictured: Hull-E artthe PTU has been in full swing for a few days, and a couple of things are strikingly clear. They've done something to fix the load times. Where it was taking people up to several minutes to load into the game, now it's taking less than 30 seconds. Also matches are loading way, way faster. and not ONLY that, but they have fixes "spawn lag" which was where all clients would freeze momentarily when a new player joined the game or someone respawned. from what we hear this is all due to recent backend netcode hocus-pocus. it's a WIP as they say, because it's still not quite there yet. 4 players in a match is the magic number for what people are calling "seamless play that's smooth as butter", but more players than that and we're experiencing some of the old problems again, such as teleporting, spawn lag, and even kill lag when a ship transitions between destructible states. Some things were problems that had already been fixed, and some problems will decrease naturally as the new lower-memory procedural damage system is applied to all ships. i have a feeling things will be playing "pretty well" for larger matches when the build goes live. but optimization is not really their biggest focus right now.
Of course this does make the game quite a lot more playable. the long load times were frustrating people, so it's nice to see some attention paid to that. It's also nice to see matchmaking back working again. so far i haven't been left waiting for games or unable to find matches. I'm not hearing any complaining either, so maybe that's fixed up.
This is all in preparation for FPS, coming next. everyone is predicting a surge of players and even new backers once FPS goes live and there is something else to do besides dogfight in hard to pilot space ships. the FPS needs to be very tight in and of itself, but i think it's equally important that they buff up their backend and fix their load times to something more acceptable before releasing a "casual gamer magnet" which is the gimmicky FPS with zero-G and crazy sci-fi guns. So faster load times and improved match-making and game stability have all been at the top of the list to overhaul before FPS comes out here in the coming weeks. the delay has felt like ages (not that we were promised we'd see FPS released in march, but it was heavily implied that was their "internal deadline" which, honestly, are just goals) but i think the delay will ultimately make for a much smoother FPS release and make for a much less frustrating experience for new players especially.
So that's nice.
squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 4 days later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #555,202
squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 6 hours later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #555,270
BACK UP THE MOTHER-FUCKING HYPE TRAIN
pictured: MISC StarfarerWe don't know everything about it, but it's an Early Concept ship from 2013. It's a multicrew ship (probably 3 player, maybe more) that can apparently fill multiple roles. We Know it's primary in-fiction civilian use is as a fuel ship. It has equipment to facilitate the collection of hydrogen from Gas Giants as well as housing a refinery to purify the fuel and store it in huge external cargo tanks. it is also capable of refueling other vessels with a long refueling boom.
There is a cargo variant that trades the external tanks for more internal storage, but i question it's value as a pure cargo hauler Vs. the more capable hull-C.
We've just heard about the Starfarer Gemini, which is a military variant. We don't know what makes it "military," so speculation is everywhere. people expect everything from missile boat to gunship to "pocket carrier." It's a pretty large ship (by far not the largest) but it's not going to do everything. We'll know a lot more about it tomorrow because they are doing a Ship Spotlight kind of thing because it's about to be put into the game. It'll be the 5th multicrew ship added so far, i do believe.
it's going to be a fine ship. Fuel will totally be a thing in the PU, so collecting and refining will likely be reasonably profitable and it'll be a required support ship for any Organization's Fleet.
squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #555,271
pretty classy interior for a utility ship, but MISC likes their rugged opulence.squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #555,272
maybe opulence isn't the right word, but shit looks expensivesqueegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 19 hours later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #555,615
Hyper Vanguard Force
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14704-Hyper-Vanguard-ForceScroll halfway down the page and click Start
Pretty awesome little mini game! Best one yet! One of the web developers in Montreal has been making this neat little arcade game in his free time. I'm impressed! i've only played it a couple of times now but it's still kind of cool. i'll probably play this one a few times, the last few little minigames have been kinda meh, but this is actually based on a fun game type.
so kill some pirates in this throw back arcade style action vertical scroller
squeegee (OP) just kept on posting this 9.2 years ago, 3 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #555,617
actually ever since they started talking about doing fun little minigames i hoped that a game like this would be considered little. i know it's kind of a silly little fluff thing, but i've been hoping for a while that if they are going to bother with fluff, that it be this kind of fluff.the little text based games they've done before were only fun to play once. this one might be fun to play like i sometimes play minesweeper.
(Edited 4 minutes later.)
squeegee joined in and replied with this 9.2 years ago, 5 days later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,016
soonsqueegee double-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,018
squeegee triple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 48 seconds later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,019
squeegee quadruple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 29 seconds later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,020
squeegee quintuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 4 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,021
squeegee sextuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 31 seconds later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,022
Anonymous P joined in and replied with this 9.2 years ago, 8 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,027
@555,270 (squeegee)
Why does a vehicle designed to operate primarily in the vacuum of space need all those ventilation grills?
Why does a vehicle designed to operate primarily in the vacuum of space need all those ventilation grills?
squeegee replied with this 9.2 years ago, 21 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,032
@previous (P)the Starfarer is a fuel collection ship, and some of what you're looking at the fuel scoops. It operates primarily within the atmosphere of a gas giant scooping hydrogen and condensing it in the large tanks in the undercarriage. It has an internal refining system making it unique among the ships as the only dedicated fuel collection, refining, and distribution ship.
There may also be other "vents" but they are more like heat sinks. in reality heat doesn't radiate into space super efficiently since it's a vacuum, it's not ice cold like most people think. if you're exposed to vacuum you don't freeze, you just radiate heat very slowly and eventually freeze. so, like space isn't great for cooling off hot stuff like weapons that could normally be air cooled require liquid cooling systems. the heat from all of the systems (guns, shields, computers, thrusters, engines, power plant, etc.) is circulated through a cooling system (heat pipes) that lead to an active cooling system that is part heat sink and part sci-fi radiator.
even the smaller ships generate something like 5 megawatts of power and the sci-fi guns, especially lasers, add a lot of heat. shields run hot too. so, lots of heat to sink away.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.2 years ago, 22 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,043
@555,271 (squeegee)
@555,272 (squeegee)
So these can be player homes? Within their own ships? That's pretty damn cool.
@555,617 (squeegee)
This is cool too. An in-game arcade machine. I love it when modern games have retro games in them that your character can play. It's so meta, yet also immersive.
@555,272 (squeegee)
So these can be player homes? Within their own ships? That's pretty damn cool.
@555,617 (squeegee)
This is cool too. An in-game arcade machine. I love it when modern games have retro games in them that your character can play. It's so meta, yet also immersive.
squeegee replied with this 9.2 years ago, 15 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,060
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
yup, the ships are basically mobile homes, you'll even be able to decorate the interior and the larger ships will be "modular" which means the internals can be swapped in and out for different "variants", kinda exactly like the way they do custom mobile homes, actually.
but the intention is that when a new player begins in the PU you'll have your little starter ship and a hangar bay. your ship is too small to call home, so your hangar is your "base/home." you can store things in your hangar, you can decorate it and even the hangars are being built to be modular (popular buzz word) so you can expand and make a larger home.
eventually you'll move on to larger ships with more capabilities and longer ranges. longer range means having a mobile home is a great idea. so the larger ships include amenities you'd normally find in a house. in-fiction, there will likely be something like morale for your crew, and if you take them on long voyages with little amenities (such as toilets) then they could potentially mutiny or something. so one reason someone might chose are more "luxurious" ship over another comparable cheaper version might do so to ensure high morale with NPC crewmen.
but yes, basically they are designing us Millennium Falcons, Serenities, Prometheuses, and Defiants. not to mention x-wings, BattleStars, Yamatos, and Vipers.
yup, the ships are basically mobile homes, you'll even be able to decorate the interior and the larger ships will be "modular" which means the internals can be swapped in and out for different "variants", kinda exactly like the way they do custom mobile homes, actually.
but the intention is that when a new player begins in the PU you'll have your little starter ship and a hangar bay. your ship is too small to call home, so your hangar is your "base/home." you can store things in your hangar, you can decorate it and even the hangars are being built to be modular (popular buzz word) so you can expand and make a larger home.
eventually you'll move on to larger ships with more capabilities and longer ranges. longer range means having a mobile home is a great idea. so the larger ships include amenities you'd normally find in a house. in-fiction, there will likely be something like morale for your crew, and if you take them on long voyages with little amenities (such as toilets) then they could potentially mutiny or something. so one reason someone might chose are more "luxurious" ship over another comparable cheaper version might do so to ensure high morale with NPC crewmen.
but yes, basically they are designing us Millennium Falcons, Serenities, Prometheuses, and Defiants. not to mention x-wings, BattleStars, Yamatos, and Vipers.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee double-posted this 9.2 years ago, 5 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,064
@558,043 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
oh, and yeah, i've been having a lot of fun with the minigame, it's the best one yet. we hear that it'll likely be in the game itslef and you can probably find it in bars and around planetside. oh, and it'll be on mobiglass, the SC version of PipBoy. as like an app.
oh, and yeah, i've been having a lot of fun with the minigame, it's the best one yet. we hear that it'll likely be in the game itslef and you can probably find it in bars and around planetside. oh, and it'll be on mobiglass, the SC version of PipBoy. as like an app.
squeegee triple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 26 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #558,074
here's an album full of FPS screen shots and all kinds of stuffsqueegee quadruple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 3 days later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #560,116
MISC Reliant Sale Friday May 22nd
this is going up early, because of the special nature of this sale.TL;DR the MISC Reliant is the last of the starter ships and it will be sold with Life Time Insurance, you probably give no fucks about this
Q. What is In-Game Insurance, and why would i care about Life Time Insurance (LTI)?
A. Insurance is what protects your ship from being a total loss if it is destroyed. Since there's no "respawning" or anything quite like that, if your ship is destroyed beyond repair then you'll have to replace it. Insurance is meant to make the process of ship replacement cheaper and easier than having to go off and buy a brand new ship. in game it will be cheap, too, think of it like a money-sink in a normal MMO, such as paying for Armor Repairs, it's a slight penalty for dying. All game packages and ships come with some amount of insurance on them, 3 months, 6 months, 2 year, and Lifetime are pretty much the way insurance comes. After it expires you'll need to pay for another policy. Lifetime, of course, never expires which means free insurance forever.
but, insurance is not supposed to be a big deal, from what we're told it's going to be pretty cheap. So, LTI in and of itself isn't really going to be worth all that much in the actual game, but, it is extremely desirable for gray market ships to be LTI ships. LTI actually says more than just free insurance, in a lot of ways it says "i'm more collectible and therefore worth more." LTI ship sales were technically suspended a long time ago, because LTI was always meant to be a reward for the earliest backers from 2 years ago. however, since easily a half a million more people have pledged since then and the community has grown 10 fold there are a lot of people that want a crack at a legit LTI ship and not be forced to overspend on a Gray Market LTI whatever.
outcry for LTI was huge, so, CIG made a small concession. All new Concept ships (never before seen or sold) will all be sold with LTI for a limited time (1 week). The decision was received by the community as an "okay" solution, but, all of the cheap ships had been sold already and the only LTI concept ships left were going to end up being big and expensive to pledge for.
Enter the MISC Reliant. again, a community request, a new Starter ship to give players a 3rd option when beginning the game. On sale friday, it's going to be the last cheapest ship to be sold with LTI. the price is speculated to be between 45 and 60 bucks.
Q. So, LTI isn't really "worth it" unless i'm a crazy collector or plan to sell a ship on the Gray Market?
A. If you're into the collectible game stuff, LTI is the thing that makes a ship more unique than others and gives it more value on the Gray Market. If you're the type of person that would sell a highly leveled WoW account on E-Bay, LTI ships are the thing people want. so, on down the road the LTI ship accounts could possibly be worth a nice profit. LTI also says, "I'm a veteran and have been around forever," and people will want it merely for affectation. maybe. we'll see what accounts are eventually going to be worth, i mean it's totally possible LTI won't really be desired and really will be just a very small minor convenience, but, the way the community acts LTI is like a Badge of Exclusivity, and that might be exactly what it really is. hopefully. then my LTI ships will be worth a collector price :D
Q. alright, but if everyone gets a Reliant (because it sounds like they will) then it won't be very exclusive, what's the point?
A. Cross Chassis Upgrades
Q. ...
A. You can turn your current ship into a different ship by paying the price difference and LTI is transferred to the new ship.
Q. So if i don't like the Reliant, then i can trade it in for a different ship and still keep the LTI, neat.
A. the importance here being that you can get ANY ship with LTI by trading the reliant for it. So, if there's an under represented ship on the Gray Market you can upgrade to it and sell the LTI ship for profit. Or, for the diehard collector you can use it to get whatever LTI ship you're looking to acquire.
Q. It kinda sounds like LTI is for fanboys and not important to the casual player
A. pretty much, but, this is last of the starters and the cheapest LTI ship left
Q. i got one of the $20 game packages, is it worth it to pay the difference and get the Reliant?
A. probably not, the $20 auroras are a really, really good value. We'll see what the pricing is, if it's worth it i'll post about it in big bold headlines. but, probably just assume that keeping the $20 aurora is the very best idea.
Q. Well, i'm not going to be selling accounts or flaunting early backing in people's faces, so i'm probably not going to get an LTI Reliant, but what does it even look like anyways?
A. We'll know on Friday, until then we have a few descriptions to go off of. First of all it's not a single seater, you'll have a passenger seat. In its class of "starters" it is the only one that carries a passenger. for that reason alone i'm pretty interested. I'm hoping for a StarTrek Shuttlecraft kinda ship. we don't really know what its capabilities will be, but i'm thinking it's not going to be a wonderful dogfighter, but, the Aurora isn't much of a dogfighter either.
we'll know a lot more about the new Starter ship on Friday when they do a whole spread about it. i'll likely do an art update then.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee quintuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 20 minutes later, 4 months after the original post[^] [v] #560,123
On a related Note
Star Citizen by the numberserroneously called "cash flow" this graph is more like total funding raised. interesting graph, pretty much shows just a steady uptick in funding. There's also a steady uptick of new backers as well and there's no sign it's plateauing or slowing down right now. actually there's a pretty comprehensive google doc that some folks are working on (and i mean it is pretty damn comprehensive, these guys are pros actually) and they are showing an acceleration in backing and predict breaking 100 million by november, maybe something like 106 million by the end of the year if the trend continues.
but check it out, it's super detailed.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tMAP0fg-AKScI3S3VjrDW3OaLO4zgBA1RSYoQOQoNSI/edit?pli=1#gid=1694467207
(Edited 24 seconds later.)
squeegee sextuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 2 days later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #560,891
Sneak Peek: MISC Reliant
pictured: early concept artSale starts tomorrow, all the details and final artwork will be revealed tomorrow night. what we can see from this concept art is that indeed the ship is a "vertical hull" design, similar to the Slave 1, otherwise known as Boba Fett's ship. It is heavily influenced by Xi'an (alien) technology, and you can really see it in the design. It has Xi'an thrusters mounted on gimbals as well as a rotating cabin (either the cabin rotates or the seats do) that mitigates g-forces during maneuvers. It'll have both "vertical flight mode" as well as "horizontal flight mode" but we don't know which mode is for cruising and which is for attacking. it's actually pretty large, i'm fairly surprised at the size, but the pictures could be misleading, we'll have to see it in a VR model viewer to really get a since of scale. but it's looking pretty cool in that sneak peek. can't wait to hear what kind of capabilities it has and what kind of role they envision for it.
squeegee septuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 5 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #560,893
here's a picture of the Xi'an scout so you can have something to compare the Reliant to. the Xi'an Scout has a vertical design and gimballed thrusters. the round sphere is the cockpit. the scout is a 2 person craft as well, but much more combat oriented since it has a more military role than probably the Reliantsqueegee octuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 3 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #560,951
Unconfirmed Rumor
Mark Hamill @HamillHimself 15h15 hours ago
Back in the UK for a top secret project. Why must everything be a secret? Spoiler alert: not SW related.
Back in the UK for a top secret project. Why must everything be a secret? Spoiler alert: not SW related.
According to Chris Roberts some well known celebrities will be appearing in Squadron 42, the story mode. Mark Hamill played Commander Christopher Blair, the star of wing commander 3 and 4. Early in the Kickstarter it was said that they would be seeking out actors from previous franchises, which could include Malcolm McDowell, John Rhys-Davies (the fat guy from Sliders,) and Biff from Back to the Future. also there were a couple of female porn stars in there.
Anyway, SQ42 is being filmed in Manchester as we speak, and they are 6 weeks into shooting with 3 months total planned i think. So, schedule wise it could certainly be true, we'll just have to wait and see.
(Edited 4 minutes later.)
squeegee nonuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 22 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,338
MISC Reliant
Concept Sale starts today and will run until May 31stThe standard model of the Reliant, currently nicknamed the Mini-Hauler, is designed to be a ‘jack of all trades’ ship with a slight focus on cargo transport. In truth, the base ship is more of a utility base which might be adapted to any number of purposes. Using the base Reliant, pilots can customize their ship for any number of roles, ranging from combat missions to electronic interception. Additionally, the development team is currently working on three future ship variants. Expect to see more on these ships when the base Reliant is hangar ready. Please note that these variants are very early concepts and that their specifications and purpose may change significantly as they go through the development process. Even their names are internal and not the ‘in-world’ designations they will launch with.
“Researcher” – A science-oriented model that carries internal signal dampeners and an advanced scanner suite for discovery missions.
“News Van” – Designed for deep space broadcasting, the ‘News Van’ Reliant adds an Image Enhancement Suite that helps capture every moment of lfe in the stars.
“Skirmisher” – The frontier combat version of the Reliant trades cargo for a high-yield powerplant, stronger shields and additional weapons mounts.
“Researcher” – A science-oriented model that carries internal signal dampeners and an advanced scanner suite for discovery missions.
“News Van” – Designed for deep space broadcasting, the ‘News Van’ Reliant adds an Image Enhancement Suite that helps capture every moment of lfe in the stars.
“Skirmisher” – The frontier combat version of the Reliant trades cargo for a high-yield powerplant, stronger shields and additional weapons mounts.
squeegee decuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,340
pictured: landed mode, horizontal configuration(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee undecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 35 seconds later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,341
pictured: atmospheric flight configuration. note the thrusters and how they are free to rotate.(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee duodecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 23 seconds later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,342
pictured: vertical configuration, aka combat configuration(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee tridecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 5 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,345
pictured: cockpit, showing how seats rotate between horizontal and vertical configurations. as the wings rotate about the body the cabin reorients itself and the captain and co-pilot seats rotate to orient against the cockpit rotation. pretty cool.squeegee quattuodecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 3 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,346
Quick video demonstrating the transformation animation. it looks pretty slick.squeegee sexadecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 40 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,361
pictured: size comparison between all 3 starter shipsSo, basically it sounds like their intention is for the Reliant to be a multi-crew starter ship, which is kind of interesting. it can be piloted alone, and probably can be just fine, but it's got more cargo room than both the mustang and the aurora and the cargo bay is a swappable "modular" area that can house more 2 person oriented systems than just an empty bay. It would seem that this would be a first step towards multicrew after you've worked your way up solo a bit. it always seemed like a big leap to get from something like a 1 man ship to a 5 or 7 crew ship and this would be step up from a 1 man ship and would allow you to utilize another player or an NPC without having to save up for a huge 5 crew ship.
idk, we'll see how it all fleshes out, but right now it's looking like a particularly bad-ass "solo player" ship. for most roles you'll be able to fly the Reliant with no crew like any other ship its size which is great.
Fair Warning
right now the Reliant is being sold as a stand alone ship for a pledge of US 50 (apply VAT taxes where appropriate of course) and does not come with a game package. when the Reliant is finished and added to the game it will be possible to add a game package to it, but, i don't know what that'll be. no more than 30 bucks extra, that's for sure. maybe more like ten. but, that makes the whole thing like 60 bucks and maybe as much as 80.so i certainly can't recommend trading the Anniversary $20 Aurora Package for credit towards the Reliant. Yes, you'd get an LTI ship for 30 bucks, but then you'd lose access to whatever modules that comes with, like beta and alpha access. and you wouldn't get the game download without paying more anyway. so all in all it looks like, to me, that if you can't restrain yourself from picking up a Reliant the best thing to do is to keep the $20 aurora and just buy the Reliant outright for an additional pledge. that would be 70 bucks total plus whatever taxes.
if you love the reliant and don't have a package and are like, "you know what, fuck it, David Hobbins designed that ship and he's designing ships for the New Star Wars movies full-time and is contracting out to CIG because he loves the vision and wants keep making bad ass fucking shit. it's art with Life-Time in-game insurance for god's sake! it's going to be worth hundreds!" then unfortunately you'll probably end up paying at least 80 to be playing on when everything launches. more like 90 if you also want access to alpha stuff. so it's certainly not the cheapest ship to get into the game with, but, it is the last of the cheapest LTI ships.
disclaimer
there are some ships called pocket fighters that are very small carrier based micro-fighters that can't operate by themselves, they basically require a mothership. those might end up being sold as stand alone ships because of popular community demand. i don't know if those will be offered with LTI or not, i would doubt it, but it's possible. those could maybe be another cheap avenue to an LTI ship, but don't count on it. but also don't hold me to that.(Edited 25 seconds later.)
squeegee sedecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 12 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,371
here's some info on the artist behind the Reliant, David Hobbins. he's old hat at Star citizen by now and has already design several of the communities most loved ships. You might recognize some of his work from Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadspace. he's currently working on Star Wars 7 and of course, Star Citizen.http://sketchmeta.blogspot.com/
http://davidhobbins.com/#games
squeegee septuadecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 19 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,598
Star Marine Leak Scandal
just about 24 hours ago a series of screencaps from an internal Star Marine game test were posted on Reddit. one of the images apparently contained a partial URL that linked to about 50 gigabytes of data.Hey guys so as most of you are aware last night a 40 something gig torrent of god knows what was leaked unintentionally from a link in one of Disco Lando's screenshots. Some beliving it to be some form of ARG (as did I) dug through everything and quite a bit of data was downloaded from CIG servers.
One of the screenshots shows a partial CDN url. A CDN is a content delivery network used to host and share large files, usually publicly. This is how you're able to get the client at a good download speed.
The problem is that CIG put this build, the one with the FPS as well as all assets and build tools, on a publicly accessible CDN outside of any sort of access control.
The problem is that CIG put this build, the one with the FPS as well as all assets and build tools, on a publicly accessible CDN outside of any sort of access control.
Right now i don't think anyone knows if this leak is damaging or not. Definately some major art assets are in the build that they didn't want leaked, but the big concern is over source code and developer tools. We've recently been told by people who downloaded the data that it is a compiled build, so, the source code problem might not be an issue, but, depending on what tools were leaked there could potentially be exploits derived from them. we just don't know.
This could potentially be as bad as the Half-Life 2 leak, but that was uncompiled source as i understand it. hopefully this isn't in the same league otherwise development is set back... like a lot...
We'll probably know more by next week, but right now it's seeming like more spoilers than actual damaging leaks. the Leak apparently contained quite a lot of Squadron 42 "levels" and of course the unrevealed art assets. that would be more disappointing than damaging and everyone would probably just have to live with it, but, if it's too much more than that then it could be quite serious.
Anonymous Q joined in and replied with this 9.2 years ago, 8 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #561,770
Certified Quality Thread
squeegee replied with this 9.2 years ago, 18 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,049
Leak Scandal: Day 2
sources with copies of the data claim it is all compiled, so a source code leak apparently didn't occur. What did leak were a few lua scripts and a handful of debugging tools. And, of course, assets.pictured: Capital Ships. Vanduul Hunter, and 2 human carriers
squeegee double-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,050
pictured: Vanduul shipssqueegee triple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,051
pictured: more of the Vanduul fleet, the 2 ships on the far right are both of the human spacecraft carrier ships. As you can see the Vanuul kingship is absolutely massive. it's very likely a carrier as well, but it also appears to be like a destroyer with a huge spine mounted railgun.(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee quadruple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 3 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,052
pictured: Retribution Class Dreadnaught. it is apparently the largest ship in the game at the moment. we've only seen the ass end of this ship, so the full images are very new. it looks like half of the ship is one giant pair of rails for some kind of massive railgun. it looks fucking awesome, and dwarfs everything else by a long shot.edit: the bengal carrier is something like 1000m, and the deadnaught appears to be about 2.5 or so bengal lengths. so if the scales are all correct in the images then it looks to be around 1.5 miles long.
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.2 years ago, 17 seconds later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,053
@562,049 (squeegee)
@562,050 (squeegee)
@562,051 (squeegee)
C-can you pilot those monstrosities?
If so, do you still have a crew to manage? I recall you mentioned earlier that with cargo ships, you had a crew you had to keep happy and such. Would be a much bigger crew on those ship, I'd think.
@562,050 (squeegee)
@562,051 (squeegee)
C-can you pilot those monstrosities?
If so, do you still have a crew to manage? I recall you mentioned earlier that with cargo ships, you had a crew you had to keep happy and such. Would be a much bigger crew on those ship, I'd think.
squeegee replied with this 9.2 years ago, 9 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,058
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)yup
pictured: the Aegis "Idris" Frigate
the idris here is i believed planned to be between a 10 and 20 man vessel. operating one would be analogous to a raid in a more standard MMO. you'd want many human players performing duties, but you'd also want/need NPC characters to do grunt work and fill out the crew. someone's got to load missiles.
Crewing one will probably be similar to the Artemis Bridge Simulator if you've seen any of that gameplay.
the even larger ships have even larger crews. the Bengal, i believe, is going to have something like 100 crew or something nuts. it'll be like a city on the inside.
squeegee double-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,060
pictured: the idris inside the dreadnaught. to the side (top of the picture) is the Hull-E, which is a ridiculously large cargo hauler. and i mean that thing is fucking massive compared to the fighters. massive. and the dreadnaught makes it look like a toothpick for the railgun.(Edited 1 minute later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 9.2 years ago, 2 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,061
@562,058 (squeegee)
Okay, I like what I hear so far. But it leads to an even more crucial question- will there be alien crew members that my character can have homosexual relations with? I played a lot of Mass Effect, so it's become the only way I can enjoy space sci-fi games.
Okay, I like what I hear so far. But it leads to an even more crucial question- will there be alien crew members that my character can have homosexual relations with? I played a lot of Mass Effect, so it's become the only way I can enjoy space sci-fi games.
squeegee replied with this 9.2 years ago, 44 seconds later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,062
pictured: Vanduul boarding vessel.squeegee double-posted this 9.2 years ago, 5 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,065
pictured: a lot going on here, first that's an Idris with one of the spikey Vanduul Cleavers latched onto the hull at the bow. But, also amidship they've placed the mining drone spider bot thing for some reason. cool pic, but that won't happen in game. but, the mining spider robot thing is pretty fucking cool nonethelesssqueegee triple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 5 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,067
pictured: kinda sad to see this one leaked. the Anvil F8 Lightning, the premier space superiority fighter in the UEE. it's a military exclusive and will never be available for a pledge. to attain it in the verse you'll have to steal one from the Navy or buy it from someone maybe on the in-game black market. piloting one in UEE space might also be grounds for immediate attack since it's a stolen military ship. so it won't be easy to get or keep. it will also likely be uninsurable if you DO manage to get one.squeegee quadruple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 41 seconds later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,068
pictured: F8 Lightning from the rearsqueegee quintuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 minute later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,070
here's the two galleries posted so far. There's some more pictures in them that i haven't posted that are really cool. The Kingship and the Hunter both look pretty fucking awesome. very creature like and organic looking, they look very sea-life inspired and alien.https://imgur.com/a/chjNt?gallery
https://imgur.com/a/XSQq4
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee sextuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 1 hour later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,102
squeegee septuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 59 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,112
4 minute Bengal Carrier walkthrough. It's obviously not entirely complete and the guy who pieced it together from game files wasn't able to fully recreate it perfectly so it's missing some internal stuff. all in all it's pretty complete, and huge.pictured: (left to right) Vanduul Kingship, UEE Retribution Class super-dreadnaught, Bengal Carrier
squeegee octuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 2 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,152
pictured: Idris Crawlspace map. aka, Jefferies tubesleak album idris interiors
(Edited 16 seconds later.)
squeegee nonuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 15 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,162
for future reference
https://boards.4chan.org/vg/thread/104253202/scg-star-citizen-general-leaking-like-quingon
https://boards.4chan.org/vg/thread/104342262/scg-star-citizen-general-more-leaks-than-a-welsh
https://boards.4chan.org/vg/thread/104253202/scg-star-citizen-general-leaking-like-quingon
https://boards.4chan.org/vg/thread/104342262/scg-star-citizen-general-more-leaks-than-a-welsh
squeegee decuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 14 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,289
Leak Scandal: Day 3
pictured: interior shots of the Gold Horizon Station from the FPS buildhttps://boards.4chan.org/vg/thread/104402954/scg-star-citizen-general-reddit-is-pissed-edition
squeegee undecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 54 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,305
pictured: speculation, but well founded. it looks like the Vanduul Kingship has a giant harpoon on it and functions as a gigantic mechanical capital ship capturing system. it IS a carrier, and it carries 3-400 fighters, so it swarms you, harpoons you, and then processes you. i wonder if that's what the other big ass weird ships do, they feast upon you. or, maybe the Kingship has additional functionality besides just a gigantic harpoonsqueegee duodecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 8 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,490
Breaking it Down
So, no official word from CIG yet about the leak, but we know a couple of things. first of all the actual game source wasn't compromised but that's about the only silver lining. Many game assets were, of course, leaked and that's unfortunate, but worse than that the Star Map (including undiscovered systems) was being collated into a web app by goons :|which actually is pretty fucking hilarious. god damned goons.
The Star Map had previously leaked which required a rework of all jump points and system locations. It's possible they'll have to rework it again, we'll just have to wait and see. Squadron 42 "levels" were also included in the leak and people have been loading up different missions. Basically the "missions" are XML files with stuff like ''dialog and storyboard prompts for mo-cap, as well as a list of all of the action nodes players will walk in and out of to initiate conversation/action during scripted events. interestingly enough it looks like SQ42 "level stuff" is all there and is now just waiting for the raw mo-cap data to begin laying out scenes. the "sets" are all there, including cap ships.
So if there's one real positive here it's that all of the "it's vaporware" autists have shut the fuck up. it's pretty god damned far along, further than most people thought it was actually. including me. i'm shocked they've got so many assets in the main branch. and if social and planetside modules have equivalent amounts of work done (because this build contains nothing from social or planetside) then they are really, really god damned far along. so if nothing else at least we know that some real work has been behind the curtain.
Personally i feel that the leaks have come at a great time, since the only vulnerable thing so far really has been the star maps. SQ42 stuff isn't important to anything but SQ42, so even if every detail leaked it wouldn't effect MMO gameplay in the PU the way knowing all undiscovered systems would. In a few more months they'll be adding social and planetside stuff which would make for a much more serious leak. we don't really know what the worst of it will be, but i've got my money on the worst of it being the starmaps, which hopefully is nothing more than a set of datapoints right now (as it exists in an xml) and can simply be altered without having to change anything in the game.
The leaks are slowing down though, i think the most interesting stuff is maybe already known. Some folks are now skinning the leaked models and so we're getting the occasional video of some asset in splashy paint, but i think we've seen most of what there is to see. unless people get the SQ42 levels "working"....
(Edited 16 seconds later.)
squeegee tridecuple-posted this 9.2 years ago, 12 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,676
Video Previews
these are all properly textured Vanduul Ships from the leak, i expect more if not all of the ships to get this treatment eventuallyVoid Bomber - Carrier Bomber (torpedo boat)
Blade - Light fighter
Stinger - Heavy Fighter
pictured: an Idris Frigate full of many Auroras
squeegee quattuodecuple-posted this 9.1 years ago, 2 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,727
squeegee sexadecuple-posted this 9.1 years ago, 3 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #562,847
squeegee sedecuple-posted this 9.1 years ago, 1 day later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,196
squeegee septuadecuple-posted this 9.1 years ago, 2 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,254
Leak Scandal Day 4... or something
more videos. expect even more
FPS leak preview
More of the FPS build
Argo Utility Ship
Characters and Guns
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee octadecuple-posted this 9.1 years ago, 5 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,255
pictured: Super Dreadnaught next to the (i think) largest other thing in the game, a space station orbital terraformer thing. it's fucking massive, but as you can see it's fucking tiny compared to that ship.edit: well, maybe not tiny. it's actually pretty big i guess.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 26 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,260
sneak... peek?
well fuck. i guess after the leak they've instituted a 3 foot rule for using cameras. i can't even tell what that is. is that a guy at a computer?
(Edited 17 seconds later.)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 24 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,272
the leaks have hit full saturation, i'm finally finding stuff on Reddit before i'm seeing it on 4 chan.pictured: Javelin Destroyer bridge
album
this fucker is pretty big. it's the largest of the player purchasable ships, and sold in limited quantity for $2500 a pop. they sold out in mere seconds.
(Edited 23 seconds later.)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 6 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,276
pictured: the Merlin, snub fighter. short range, non-jump capable. requires mothershipsqueegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 21 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,286
pictured: new orthographicbengal 1/3 length of the super dreadnaught. that makes it 3000m long. that's 1.86 miles if you believe google
(Edited 55 seconds later.)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 32 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,292
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 4 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,293
saw this on 4 chan yesterday and i kinda hate it. it was in a folder for xi'an ships and i hope it's like a very early concept or something. i dislike the blockiness i guess. not my favorite, but it is a pretty good example of the kind of thinking that may be going into the xi'an ships. they make "veritcal" ships that are taller than they are long, which is interesting, and this particular design is definitely alien looking. it's also a cargo hauler, so maybe this is just the xi'an "industrial design."squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 1 day later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,752
pictured: Pegasus escort carrierhttps://imgur.com/gallery/4OIcG
pretty great album, shows the full internal skeleton and also demonstrates how landing and take off work.
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 3 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,755
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 3 minutes later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #563,757
Bengal Carrier preview, more fully skinned.
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 2 days later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #564,564
Ship Scale Model Viewer
a fan made creation, the ship scale viewer is a pretty cool tool made so that people can walk around and look at all the ships. they are all white boxed and don't have skins, but the scale is correct. a fuckload of ships are in the viewer, including some of the largest. All of the models were made from game assets, but not all of them are completed on the inside. the models are not interactive, but you can clip into them. pretty cool thing, especially if you have an oculus rift, but it's not necessary to have one.you don't need to own Star Citizen to download this viewer, it's free for anyone to download and use and the guy plans to keep it updated with all of the eventual capital ships and everything. so check it out if you want to see the ships up close and in 3D but don't want to shell out any money for an early-access title.
http://romanito.com/starcitizen/ship-scale-viewer/
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 2 days later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #565,594
Browser based Ship Viewer
contains all the ships from the leaksource
Vanduul:
Void: https://sketchfab.com/models/7c77a54332704d6fbca7a5c9bdb7b808
Blade: https://sketchfab.com/models/006654fa5bb94343b4751faeff10fcd2
Cleaver (Clossed): https://sketchfab.com/models/9005ce9de60c4aba875de338d64cdc51
Cleaver (Open): https://sketchfab.com/models/e0b958a7a2144cebb7776df80b4156cd
Hunter: https://sketchfab.com/models/74c7b30a2b9b4bb691b76e11fa6fb113
Mauler: https://sketchfab.com/models/d41d95ebc27740adaff210bf95376b93
Stinger: https://sketchfab.com/models/bff3e2f97d4743adbd86a67fd9e689fb
Driller: https://sketchfab.com/models/c1441191a9d34f1184a8e73ea9ba23da
Kingship: https://sketchfab.com/models/5557b74db820418ea997e8267ceef16a
RSI:
Bengal Carrier: https://sketchfab.com/models/6441e4623d5541bd9f539f7365baccf0
Pegasus: https://sketchfab.com/models/818f659a5423445ab521490ebeb7ce47
Retribution: https://sketchfab.com/models/240ae8a854ed499b83cdad6aedcb16a4
Other:
Argo Idris Utility ship: https://sketchfab.com/models/ac8d812313cd4252a532f2d5325cec4e
Shubin Mining Droid: https://sketchfab.com/models/9b71277e0ef94e649831ae019c9a0645
P52 (Reworked model): https://sketchfab.com/models/8ca20f566337439db11b164b1e4451be
Mining/Maintenance Drone: https://sketchfab.com/models/c693f6cec17d4290bc8f2bce02899b7a
M3-A Multifunctional Drone: https://sketchfab.com/models/e4e4c72f1d8347b6b96d234a1241b1db
Mobi Glas: https://sketchfab.com/models/57e8a197e8514c4d935ac89523320ec5
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 5 days later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #567,421
hmm... all the links from the above post are now broken. apparently they were taken down per request from CIG. glad i archived some of the pics here, they might be hard to find again later.
we will be getting the FPS released to the PTU before it is released to the live servers, and from what they are saying they will be doing rolling invites, so, early backers first and then everyone else as they spool up the servers over the course of a week or two. They did the same thing for Arena Commander when it launched, but it's still too early to know exactly how they'll handle the roll-out. Since they are pretty much in crunch-time right now they have been pretty quiet on the community side. they've announced that one of the concept ships is complete and will be flight-ready when the next patch drops, so everyone is just waiting for that. So i doubt there will be anything exciting to post until the FPS finally happens.
10 for the Designers - webshow where different game devs, artists, producers, and programmers are asked 10 questions about the game and they give answers. This week features questions to designers about probably game mechanics. i haven't watched it, i usually read the transcript.
Fan Video - Pirate Attack, by some reddit guy i guess. it's early SC machinima and is pretty okay. cool to see a cutlass land then drop it's cargo ramp and have a bunch of pirates come running out with guns blazing.
That's pretty much it for the last week. if you have a game package you can log in and partake in the current Free-Fly which gives you access to all military ships including the F7C-M Super Hornet and the new Gladiator (the OP as fuck torpedo bomber with missiles that kill-all-everything)
Nothing New Right Now
but internal testing of the FPS build is still happening. we're again anticipating the FPS update to happen in the near future, but we're already months past the projected release date.we will be getting the FPS released to the PTU before it is released to the live servers, and from what they are saying they will be doing rolling invites, so, early backers first and then everyone else as they spool up the servers over the course of a week or two. They did the same thing for Arena Commander when it launched, but it's still too early to know exactly how they'll handle the roll-out. Since they are pretty much in crunch-time right now they have been pretty quiet on the community side. they've announced that one of the concept ships is complete and will be flight-ready when the next patch drops, so everyone is just waiting for that. So i doubt there will be anything exciting to post until the FPS finally happens.
10 for the Designers - webshow where different game devs, artists, producers, and programmers are asked 10 questions about the game and they give answers. This week features questions to designers about probably game mechanics. i haven't watched it, i usually read the transcript.
Fan Video - Pirate Attack, by some reddit guy i guess. it's early SC machinima and is pretty okay. cool to see a cutlass land then drop it's cargo ramp and have a bunch of pirates come running out with guns blazing.
That's pretty much it for the last week. if you have a game package you can log in and partake in the current Free-Fly which gives you access to all military ships including the F7C-M Super Hornet and the new Gladiator (the OP as fuck torpedo bomber with missiles that kill-all-everything)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 3 days later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #568,401
More from the Leak
spoiler:Idris Frigatehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFF925ch09Y
The Idris Frigate is the smallest of the Capital ships. It's something like a 20-30 crew vessel and operating it is equivalent to a raid in a more standard mmorpg. From what you can see there are many hallways and rooms including a medbay, crew quarters, escape pods, a brig, and a hangar. not to mention a head, an engineering section, a bridge and elvators to hit all 4 floors. it's huge.
Also as you can see, T3ller, the dude who's been stitching this thing together, is pretty good with the cryengine SDK, but it's pretty clear that not everything translates. CIG's version has been so heavily modified from cryengine 3 that the assets are growing harder and harder to import. some walls are invisible and he also wasn't able to include every section, such as captain's quarters and the galley. so you can get a pretty good idea of the size and overall layout, but it's not a full representation of what it'll be in-game interior-wise.
kinda can't wait to be on board one of these things with 20 other people and be attacked and boarded by pirates. it's so large and even has a vent system and repair tunnels going all over the place so you can play Die-Hard in space. imagine being the last living crew and hiding in the vents while the pirates repair systems and then tow or fly the idris back to their pirate base with me hiding in a cargo box or something. find out where their base is and wait until they all log off and then kill whoever is left on guard duty and steal it back and torpedo their base to shit :)
(Edited 3 minutes later.)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9.1 years ago, 20 hours later, 5 months after the original post[^] [v] #568,732
ha, this is great. it's a tribute to Top Gun using Star Citizen assets in a short Machinima film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxmSuchWFqc&feature=youtu.be
this guy has been making videos for a while, and he's gotten pretty dang good. awesome watching spacecraft take-off and land on a carrier.
and unless i'm mistaken this is a shot-for-shot remake of the first few minutes of Top Gun, like the big intro title montage. pretty neat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxmSuchWFqc&feature=youtu.be
this guy has been making videos for a while, and he's gotten pretty dang good. awesome watching spacecraft take-off and land on a carrier.
and unless i'm mistaken this is a shot-for-shot remake of the first few minutes of Top Gun, like the big intro title montage. pretty neat.
squeegee just kept on posting this 9 years ago, 2 weeks later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #574,660
http://corpincorporated.net/sandbox/3dtest/f7c-asteroid/
cool 3d browser based 3d viewer thing. kinda neat.
damn i wish they'd release FPS soon
cool 3d browser based 3d viewer thing. kinda neat.
damn i wish they'd release FPS soon
squeegee just kept on posting this 9 years ago, 1 week later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #577,920
Derek Smart: if you know who he is, you'll know how much it sucks to have his name mentioned in this thread
''Derek Smart is a game developer from the 90s and 00's who is best known for delivering incomplete and buggy work and underdelivering on promises. he is also a massive LOL cow with his own encyclopedia dramatica page and also was the center of the greatest usenet flamewar of all time lasting nearly 10 years and and spanning many early internet usegroups including AOL and prodigy.
Derek smart is one of the most notorious and loathed game developers around. In addition to being the designer of the critically shunned games BC3000, Universal Combat, et al. he is also credited for starting or continuing numerous flamewars in Usenet and on web-boards all over the internet.
His legacy of designing awful computer games and then crying foul when people tell them they are unplayable has led to many humorous statements, cataloged at a site called "The Flamewar Follies".
If he spent half of his time and energy developing decent, stable games that don't crash to the desktop every 5 seconds, rather than threatening to sue or filing frivolous law-suits against his critics, then he would be a half-decent game designer. Unfortunately, as anyone who has played any of the BC series can tell you, this is clearly not the case.
Aside from 'graduating' from a non-accredited community college, Mr. Smart claims to have a phd in computer science, although no dissertation or thesis exists to back up his false claims
The reason i've brought him up is because he's decided it's his duty to try and sue CIG. he has reason, listed here. a short summary/examination of his rambling missive was posted to reddit:His legacy of designing awful computer games and then crying foul when people tell them they are unplayable has led to many humorous statements, cataloged at a site called "The Flamewar Follies".
If he spent half of his time and energy developing decent, stable games that don't crash to the desktop every 5 seconds, rather than threatening to sue or filing frivolous law-suits against his critics, then he would be a half-decent game designer. Unfortunately, as anyone who has played any of the BC series can tell you, this is clearly not the case.
Aside from 'graduating' from a non-accredited community college, Mr. Smart claims to have a phd in computer science, although no dissertation or thesis exists to back up his false claims
Basically the depth of his article indicates that we shouldn't trust Chris Roberts as he left the industry after he delivered a game, He has experience and never was able to achieve his dream (or match Egosoft's work), SC exceeded its funding and missed its deadlines, and that technically he is skeptical on delivering the depth of the game with scale due to technical challenges, also buy his new game.
The basis for his argument is really the funding is very high for missed deliverable, the rest of it his how he tried to achieve the objective but couldn't do it due to limitations on his largely custom built engine without source code access with a much smaller talent pool.
His writing is targeting a specific audience, that audience is the non-technical side of the fence. He is trying to sway public opinion of SC one direction in which he desires. The obvious answer is to promote his games and himself so that he can make the game that he wants. The less obvious answer is not as perceptible, but he doesn't give concrete examples of problems he ran into and exactly how he had to trade off one thing for another. His article lacks technical details. For perspective purposes, CIG's communications to us are far more technical, they indicate exactly what is the problem, they detail how they fixed it. Smart is using hand waving and points to the missed deliverable dates as justification that CR is incompetent.
This last week Derek Smart has been claiming that he's got a team of lawyers, a "investigators" doing some heavy lifting to prepare for a class action FCC lawsuit against CIG for manipulative business or marketing practices or something. He wants CIG to disclose all kinds of financial documents to him so he can "prove" they can't deliver on their promises, etc.The basis for his argument is really the funding is very high for missed deliverable, the rest of it his how he tried to achieve the objective but couldn't do it due to limitations on his largely custom built engine without source code access with a much smaller talent pool.
His writing is targeting a specific audience, that audience is the non-technical side of the fence. He is trying to sway public opinion of SC one direction in which he desires. The obvious answer is to promote his games and himself so that he can make the game that he wants. The less obvious answer is not as perceptible, but he doesn't give concrete examples of problems he ran into and exactly how he had to trade off one thing for another. His article lacks technical details. For perspective purposes, CIG's communications to us are far more technical, they indicate exactly what is the problem, they detail how they fixed it. Smart is using hand waving and points to the missed deliverable dates as justification that CR is incompetent.
What it looks like, and what many people on reddit (including the "i'm a lawyer" crowd) think is that he is looking to sow FUD in star citizen while at the same time plugging his own NEW space game that is in early development as well. Reading his "complaint" about CIG is like reading an advertizement for Derek Smart's Game. not only that but he's also announced free beta test keys and promoting the hell out of that everywhere he mentions Star Citizen.
Personally i think he WANTS a defamation suit. He's out there making some pretty wild and baseless accusations and he's peddling misinformation and lies and blocking anyone who corrects his misunderstanding. He's also calling it a scam and a ponzi-scheme and actively discouraging people from backing because the FPS has been, in his words, "cancelled"
in fact we get weekly updates and videos showcasing the polish being done while the multiplayer netcode and instancing system (called GIM) is being implemented and QA'd. we're also expecting a PTU release imminently. so he's quite wrong and he's very publicly looking to defame CIG and disparage their work. he's threatening lawsuits (which if they happen would end up costing backer money to defend) and trying to hurt their bottom line. ''he's also repeatedly stated "bring it on" to a defamation lawsuit because he claims to have "multiple liability insurance policies" and so he's pretty sure he'll be fine if he's guilty of libel. (all of this comes from twitter, btw)
yesterday he was claiming he was going to post a missive that will "burn the whole thing down" (meaning star citizen) but that it had to "clear legal" before he could post it. he never posted it, and is now saying it's still not cleared legal, but monday the whole thing will be burned down.
so that should be pretty funny.
Anyway, this guy is a big joke in games development. He's sued so many people he's worked for/with that no one will publish his games. no one will finance him. He's also such a huge liar that blames everything on everyone else that no one will work with him because they'll end up taking the blame for whatever. So Derek Smart finances his own shitty games and publishes them himself and does most of the terrible coding and game design so none of his games have had any real accolades. Pretty much he's known for being a giant abrasive dick with an ago larger than Kanye's.
at the moment CIG is ignoring it. one of the founders is a hollywood attorney with 30 years experience representing movie publishers, studios, game developers and he's got a vested interest in the company since he helped found it. CIG's legal dept isn't a joke, so i'm sure there won't be any knee-jerk reacting (unlike how derek smart ever dealt with controversy over his games). probably CIG will ignore it until the "class-action lawsuit" derek keeps threatening "is real" is shown to not just be another lie.
and, interestingly enough, this might be the goons are partially behind this. if you know them, then you'll not be surprised. but on Derek Smart's twitter he asked Lowtax (the head of the goons) to send him a pm. So i wonder if some of the "big-money backers" are just goons. goons could be involved, this sounds like something they would try to... inspire derek smart to do. also the goons have tried several times to "take control" of the star citizen project by very public means. they socially engineered a "feminism" situation that was picked up by the news media. later it was shown the person trying to create the "women's only club" was a transexual, and a goon, and was trying to force CIG into making a "player council" so they could better control the direction of the game. to suit goon interest, of course.
It's also not the first time the goons have tried to create a player council and "unionize" the backers to force CIG to give up everything from financial documents to creative control. so it wouldn't surprise me if they "summoned the kracken" by convincing Derek Smart that he's the only guy who can bring CIG down. there are a lot of accounts on twitter that are feeding his ego and goading him into action. lots of them are new accounts too, with little other activity than white-knighting. to me, this smacks of professional trolling, and there are few groups as organized and directed as the goonrathi.
Why? Eve is dying. and Eve is their game, they've dominated it forever and don't want it to die. it's struggling to add features and expansions that bring it closer to the Star Citizen vision, but they are not growing. i think Lowtax can't get a handhold on the Star Citizen devs the way he controlled the Player Council in Eve and i'm pretty convinced the hard-core eve goons are afraid once Star Citizen comes out the exodus from Eve will leave them with an empty sandbox and no way to manipulate Star Citizen to give them an unbeatable advantage.
There's lots of interesting and ongoing drama because of Derek Smarts threats of lawsuits evil cabals, but it's probably mostly baseless and really probably it's just Derek Smart's way of promoting his shitfest of a game that no one will buy because it's 2015 and his shit looks like it came from the 90s. http://store.steampowered.com/app/266620/
(as you may notice, yes, that is 160 dollars worth of DLC. you might also notice that he made sure and develop a companion iPad P2W shovelware to go along with his 160 dollars of DLC.)
Probably he is just doing this himself because DEREK FUCKING SMART and probably the goons have nothing to do with this, but who the fuck knows. neither one has a name that can be trusted, lol. it doesn't matter either way, this whole thing just smacks of stupidity, but frankly derek smart has proven time and time again that he will hire a lawyer and he will try and sue people. for anything. just ask the guy who he tried to sue for proving derek was lying about having a PhD. he does not.
squeegee just kept on posting this 9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #577,921
oh yeah, and most of this week he's been super active on social media. also he claims to have spent loads of time doing research on CIG and pursuing this legal quest of his.
it begs the question, why isn't he working on his game? why is dedicating so much time to a pursuit that doesn't finish his game. the quote "If he spent half of his time and energy developing decent, stable games that don't crash to the desktop every 5 seconds, rather than threatening to sue or filing frivolous law-suits against his critics, then he would be a half-decent game designer" rings surprisingly true.
it begs the question, why isn't he working on his game? why is dedicating so much time to a pursuit that doesn't finish his game. the quote "If he spent half of his time and energy developing decent, stable games that don't crash to the desktop every 5 seconds, rather than threatening to sue or filing frivolous law-suits against his critics, then he would be a half-decent game designer" rings surprisingly true.
squeegee just kept on posting this 9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #577,923
Ah, okay, well fuck, retraction. Something Awful and the goons (lowtax that is) is hosting excerpts from Smart's second (unpublished missive) and derek is demanding they be taken down. So it looks like the goons aren't behind the Kracken afterall. guess i've judged them unfairly. Probably even they goons would never be so stupid as to unleash Derek Smart.
(Edited 15 seconds later.)
squeegee just kept on posting this 9 years ago, 43 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #577,931
hmm, seems like he and lowtax have known each other since 2001. i guess i should have known there was some kinda bad blood between them given how often they have parodied him. but they parody everything. you know, it's kinda like the MAtt and Syntax thing and how the ongoing fued dates back some number of decades. it's a "cold war" with only the occasional insult flung, but it at any time can devolve into a shit storm of mutually assured destruction.
squeegee just kept on posting this 9 years ago, 59 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #577,949
my favorite comment to him so far: I'm sorry that reality doesn't fall neatly into the personal narrative you've constructed where all people who choose to spend money on a game of their choosing suffer from some mental disorder that you get to play the hero and save them from. The reality is that people see something in the game that excites them, and they are willing to spend money because of that.
-some stupid goon
-some stupid goon
hater !JGlOo5d1iU joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 1 day later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,232
I'm really looking forward to this game. I got so excited whne my gaming buddy told me about it that I got overhyped and bought a Thrustmaster Warthog joystick and throttle (which is amazing, but it's hard to aim than with a gamepad). However, it feels so cool, so since I'm not good at pvp type twitch combat anyway I think I shall enjoy it for immersion reasons.
I kind of have to, it cost almost $600 for the joystick/throttle and pedals. I might bind roll to a joystick function though and not use the pedals.
I'm waiting for the beta to play again and will figure it out then.
I kind of have to, it cost almost $600 for the joystick/throttle and pedals. I might bind roll to a joystick function though and not use the pedals.
I'm waiting for the beta to play again and will figure it out then.
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 7 hours later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,261
@previous (hater !JGlOo5d1iU)
i plan on getting the warthog joystick at least. it's amazing. there's also a bunch of good profiles people have made for it with custom curves that help stabilize aiming.
right now i use a thrustmaster t16000 which uses the same sensor as the warthog, but it's all cheap plastic. nice, but not great.
i've also quit playing to wait for new content. not dogfighting atm, i'll come back for some fps fun when that module drops, and i'll dick around each patch, but i'm waiting for the PU beta before i really get into it.
i plan on getting the warthog joystick at least. it's amazing. there's also a bunch of good profiles people have made for it with custom curves that help stabilize aiming.
right now i use a thrustmaster t16000 which uses the same sensor as the warthog, but it's all cheap plastic. nice, but not great.
i've also quit playing to wait for new content. not dogfighting atm, i'll come back for some fps fun when that module drops, and i'll dick around each patch, but i'm waiting for the PU beta before i really get into it.
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 9 years ago, 13 hours later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,481
@previous (squeegee)
What ship did you get? I got he avenger cause it looked cool. I'll be honest, just walking into it in the hanger gave me a hard on. Looks so badass.
What ship did you get? I got he avenger cause it looked cool. I'll be honest, just walking into it in the hanger gave me a hard on. Looks so badass.
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 2 hours later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,538
@previous (hater !JGlOo5d1iU)
caterpillar.
i got a starfarer with the intention of selling it after launch. with early backer perks it could pay for my cat. we'll see. back in the day i sold a wow account on ebay for 450 bucks. had pvp gear and arena reward mounts. i sold it too late though, coulda got more. we'll see if sc ships with LTI go up after launch. i predict maybe.
caterpillar.
i got a starfarer with the intention of selling it after launch. with early backer perks it could pay for my cat. we'll see. back in the day i sold a wow account on ebay for 450 bucks. had pvp gear and arena reward mounts. i sold it too late though, coulda got more. we'll see if sc ships with LTI go up after launch. i predict maybe.
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,543
@previous (squeegee)
I wish I had known about this when there were better kickstarter perks.
I was on track to sell a Jedi account for SWG that was linked to an Everquest account with top geared ranger for the server for over $800 (forget actual amount) and before the dude paypaled me the fucking Combat upgrade came out. Completely fucked me. Dude really only wanted the Jedi, so wasnt worth anything to him after that and he no longer wanted it. Was really irritating.
I wish I had known about this when there were better kickstarter perks.
I was on track to sell a Jedi account for SWG that was linked to an Everquest account with top geared ranger for the server for over $800 (forget actual amount) and before the dude paypaled me the fucking Combat upgrade came out. Completely fucked me. Dude really only wanted the Jedi, so wasnt worth anything to him after that and he no longer wanted it. Was really irritating.
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 36 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,547
i've been reading about the derrek smart fiasco over at Something Awful and it's been fucking glorious. those guys, you gotta love em. it's slowly coming to light that they've had a large hand in making him embarrass himself super publicly. some goon sent him their fleet roster and told him it was a list of backers signing up to be part of his "class-action lawsuit." He spammed it around and was hooting and hollering $365,000 worth of refund demands! he didn't even read what it was, lol. and i mean that's just the most recent thing. they've been goading him along for weeks now. (also we learned the size of the goon fleet at $365,000)
he published a new missive today that was about as lulzy as the first. it was mostly a long look at derrek smart fellating himself.
and in a rather interesting turn he was issued a return from his kickstarter pledge. basically everything he's doing hinged on his claim that he would not get one. turns out he never even asked for one, CIG just decided to do it because in the kickstarter TOS they have the right to refund a pledge at any time to anyone for any reason and dissolve any agreement between them. it has 100% neutered his claims and removed from him any ability to press forward with anything. in fact, NOW if he continues his campaign of defamation CIG can slap him with a lawsuit themselves and get him not only gagged but also go after him for damages. Since he has zero grievances then he would have no right to CIG financial documents or proprietary company information during any kind of deposition (which is his stated goal, to get a defamation suit and then gain access to documents that way.)
now he's "talking to legal" to find out if he can dispute the return so he can continue to sue them for not giving him a return because he's unsatisfied (even though he never asked for one.) dude is literally insane. and it looks like his whole plan to "hit the bullseye and make the whole house of cards fall like dominoes" was taken down by a customer support rep.
lol
he published a new missive today that was about as lulzy as the first. it was mostly a long look at derrek smart fellating himself.
and in a rather interesting turn he was issued a return from his kickstarter pledge. basically everything he's doing hinged on his claim that he would not get one. turns out he never even asked for one, CIG just decided to do it because in the kickstarter TOS they have the right to refund a pledge at any time to anyone for any reason and dissolve any agreement between them. it has 100% neutered his claims and removed from him any ability to press forward with anything. in fact, NOW if he continues his campaign of defamation CIG can slap him with a lawsuit themselves and get him not only gagged but also go after him for damages. Since he has zero grievances then he would have no right to CIG financial documents or proprietary company information during any kind of deposition (which is his stated goal, to get a defamation suit and then gain access to documents that way.)
now he's "talking to legal" to find out if he can dispute the return so he can continue to sue them for not giving him a return because he's unsatisfied (even though he never asked for one.) dude is literally insane. and it looks like his whole plan to "hit the bullseye and make the whole house of cards fall like dominoes" was taken down by a customer support rep.
lol
(Edited 53 seconds later.)
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 9 years ago, 21 hours later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,814
@previous (squeegee)
Wait, what? The game isn't even in beta and he's complaining? Why? I've never heard any of this.
Wait, what? The game isn't even in beta and he's complaining? Why? I've never heard any of this.
Anonymous S joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 5 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,821
@previous (hater !JGlOo5d1iU)
Because he thinks his unreleased space game is better and he wants you to play it instead of SC so he is stirring up shit.
Because he thinks his unreleased space game is better and he wants you to play it instead of SC so he is stirring up shit.
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #578,827
@previous (S)
Ooooh. Haha. It's not a total zero sum game. People can still spend money on his game.
I guess his game just sucks.
Ooooh. Haha. It's not a total zero sum game. People can still spend money on his game.
I guess his game just sucks.
(Edited 11 seconds later.)
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 18 hours later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #579,080
@previous (hater !JGlOo5d1iU)
right. It was really pretty obvious after he posted his first "missive" which was mostly about himself and his new game that does everything star citizen is trying to do (but they'll never accomplish.) he plugs his game over and over, and then literally cites himself from other blog posts of his as his source of evidence that Star Citizen is failing on a "tech level." he says he has intimate knowledge of the kinds of problems certain features need to solve and that they are impossible problems.
also a lot of what he calls "problems" now have the tech in place to surmount them. (such as 64-bit floating point precision to enable solar system sized zones.)
much of what he rants about are also "conspiracy concerns" that are basically trolls. If you ever want to troll an SC fanboy just tell them FPS was never a part of the original kickstarter (the use of cryengine WAS part of the kickstarter and that implies FPS, also FPS was always meant to be a central part of the game. we were always promised a first person perspective in vehicles as well as being able to land inside of and walk around large ships, such as the Bengal carrier one of the original ships. this troll is basically a result of an expanded set of features that makes that original experience much more in-depth, or as the chairman likes to say, immersive.)
basically he's presenting a lot of well known trollish click-bait stuff that the community always gets upset to see repeated by the media. (eg: PCgamer (i think it was, one of those sites at least) has a history of being 3 months behind with their info and their articles are always out of date and the fanboys beat them mercilessly with facts and citations in the comments to the point where the editors make sure they are no more than a week behind with their fact-checking on SC articles. they've gotten "better" because they are more factual and well researched, but they can still be click-baity. but, in their defense CIG is running with a new model and are doing unusual stuff like selling $2500 pledge packages, it's controversial and it makes for controversial headlines.) he's also a well known troll himself, and there are many sources (mostly published comments by himself) that he likes to "troll to cause trouble." so something like this wouldn't be beneath him.
personally i think he's pissed that SC is draining all the spacebucks from all us spacefags. by comparison (especially considering the as yet released planned features) every other game in the genre is utter garbage. just complete trash. and to be fair the whole set of planned features is going to make most games if not all games look like a swing in the dark! (IF they pull everything off) it is incredibly ambitious, and derek smarts little Line of Defense game looks like a 90's throwback. If star citizen wasn't in the picture, then i'm sure i would have backed Elite Dangerous when it was in beta, it would have been amazing, and they would have been able to deliver a much better game with the expanded set of features that ended up post-release or maybe even DLC content. And Smart's game is being played by no-one. steam has it's activity at one log-in per day or some shit. literally. it's been in early access for a while, and smart was even talking about how he's giving away steam keys because he needs higher player numbers so he can load test servers or something. he's getting desperate for attention because Star Citizen is stealing all the thunder. even No Man's Sky looks like a featureless sack of procedurally generated boredom (like E:D). but Star Citizen devs are making being a space-bus driver sound like the most fucking fun thing ever.
There's a lot of skepticism that the thing is too ambitious, and a lot of people see it as being so ambitious that it is set for failure from the start. however, much of what they use as proof that it's already a failure is generally due to misinformation. there is conflicting information in the community at large, even. stuff that'll never go away and it'll look from the outside like proof of failure on some level. Derek Smart never having partnered with google or used their cloud infrastructure to host a persistent game realm might not really know what technical challenges they are actually facing right now.
criticism is completely fair, but hyperbole based on misunderstanding causes a lot of drama. And that's a problem for both sides. there are plenty of fanboys who are woefully misunderstanding what kind of features the game will have. some of what people expect will be supported gameplay features with well rounded mechanics are actually going to just be gameplay that is emergent and comes from a broad set of combined features. yes you can be a bartender on my space bus. the game has drinks and food and i'll even pay you some coin to keep my passengers happy, but you're probably not going to be logging in and serving drinks in a bar on terra and be hired through "quests" or whatever. it'll be an emergent profession. they have planned a very, very robust set of sandbox features many of which are very much job specific (or ship dependent) and i think many folks feel the gameplay will be much more tailored to their preferred niche game style. "yeah, you can be a guard on board an idris and patrol the halls and watch for saboteurs. why not?" that kind of thing. but i mean you won't be selecting "idris marine hallway guard" as like your "class" when you make a character or anything. maybe an org mate will let you do some fucking roleplay i guess.
(i realize i'm rambling now) I think that SC really IS taking all the spacebucks, and i think derek smart sees it. Before Braben's E:D and Robert's SC there was really only Derek Smart in the business of making space sims. his games are awful but there wasn't much alternative post about 03 or 04. and smarts games were ambitious (if not just over-hyped) and attempted to integrate FPS into a space sim and he did make money off of them as bad as they were. but not so much anymore. now with real competition, he's burned too many bridges to get proper financing and he has trouble finding partners to work with because he is litigious as fuck. he makes better shovelware ipad game apps than he does PC games, imo.
I think it's fair for CIG to say that Smart was looking to use his legal posturing to dust up promotion for his game. he was plugging it and was running a campaign on youtube and other social media to give away steam keys. i guarantee you his game has received more attention in the last two weeks than it has in the last years. and he's sitting back with his lawyers making sure everything he says is just shy of libel. he says. so he's protecting himself and making sure when the dust settles it settles over everyone else but him. It's no wonder CIG took the controversial "nuclear option" and refunded his pledge (thus nullifying any potential for a lawsuit of any kind) and that seems to have derailed the whole train NOW while the community is all unified in defense of the project.
up till now there's been a lot of drama because the FPS is still delayed, and the community is starting to pick at itself and schisms were looking pretty likely. the threat of the community tearing itself apart over the delay seems to have passed (for now) because everyone DID suddenly all want to kill derek smart instead of each other. everyone wants to see it succeed, even if people disagree on what success IS, but no one wants to see it destroyed or to fail by some mechanism other that giving 110% to seeing this project through. fail or not! the backers want to see the industries best effort even if it's a massive failure. if it can't be done, prove it by giving it your all! to kill it would be like the pope having the Sistine Chapel knocked down because Michelangelo wasn't finished early. and at 2.7 years of development, it's just barely halfway there. to knock it down now would be, for me, a great injustice indeed. the money i spent, i don't want it back. in fact there's a chance i'll give them more. the merlin is flyable in the next patch :D (and it's going to be cheap!) i'll stop rambling now.
tl;dr his game just sucks.
right. It was really pretty obvious after he posted his first "missive" which was mostly about himself and his new game that does everything star citizen is trying to do (but they'll never accomplish.) he plugs his game over and over, and then literally cites himself from other blog posts of his as his source of evidence that Star Citizen is failing on a "tech level." he says he has intimate knowledge of the kinds of problems certain features need to solve and that they are impossible problems.
also a lot of what he calls "problems" now have the tech in place to surmount them. (such as 64-bit floating point precision to enable solar system sized zones.)
much of what he rants about are also "conspiracy concerns" that are basically trolls. If you ever want to troll an SC fanboy just tell them FPS was never a part of the original kickstarter (the use of cryengine WAS part of the kickstarter and that implies FPS, also FPS was always meant to be a central part of the game. we were always promised a first person perspective in vehicles as well as being able to land inside of and walk around large ships, such as the Bengal carrier one of the original ships. this troll is basically a result of an expanded set of features that makes that original experience much more in-depth, or as the chairman likes to say, immersive.)
basically he's presenting a lot of well known trollish click-bait stuff that the community always gets upset to see repeated by the media. (eg: PCgamer (i think it was, one of those sites at least) has a history of being 3 months behind with their info and their articles are always out of date and the fanboys beat them mercilessly with facts and citations in the comments to the point where the editors make sure they are no more than a week behind with their fact-checking on SC articles. they've gotten "better" because they are more factual and well researched, but they can still be click-baity. but, in their defense CIG is running with a new model and are doing unusual stuff like selling $2500 pledge packages, it's controversial and it makes for controversial headlines.) he's also a well known troll himself, and there are many sources (mostly published comments by himself) that he likes to "troll to cause trouble." so something like this wouldn't be beneath him.
personally i think he's pissed that SC is draining all the spacebucks from all us spacefags. by comparison (especially considering the as yet released planned features) every other game in the genre is utter garbage. just complete trash. and to be fair the whole set of planned features is going to make most games if not all games look like a swing in the dark! (IF they pull everything off) it is incredibly ambitious, and derek smarts little Line of Defense game looks like a 90's throwback. If star citizen wasn't in the picture, then i'm sure i would have backed Elite Dangerous when it was in beta, it would have been amazing, and they would have been able to deliver a much better game with the expanded set of features that ended up post-release or maybe even DLC content. And Smart's game is being played by no-one. steam has it's activity at one log-in per day or some shit. literally. it's been in early access for a while, and smart was even talking about how he's giving away steam keys because he needs higher player numbers so he can load test servers or something. he's getting desperate for attention because Star Citizen is stealing all the thunder. even No Man's Sky looks like a featureless sack of procedurally generated boredom (like E:D). but Star Citizen devs are making being a space-bus driver sound like the most fucking fun thing ever.
There's a lot of skepticism that the thing is too ambitious, and a lot of people see it as being so ambitious that it is set for failure from the start. however, much of what they use as proof that it's already a failure is generally due to misinformation. there is conflicting information in the community at large, even. stuff that'll never go away and it'll look from the outside like proof of failure on some level. Derek Smart never having partnered with google or used their cloud infrastructure to host a persistent game realm might not really know what technical challenges they are actually facing right now.
criticism is completely fair, but hyperbole based on misunderstanding causes a lot of drama. And that's a problem for both sides. there are plenty of fanboys who are woefully misunderstanding what kind of features the game will have. some of what people expect will be supported gameplay features with well rounded mechanics are actually going to just be gameplay that is emergent and comes from a broad set of combined features. yes you can be a bartender on my space bus. the game has drinks and food and i'll even pay you some coin to keep my passengers happy, but you're probably not going to be logging in and serving drinks in a bar on terra and be hired through "quests" or whatever. it'll be an emergent profession. they have planned a very, very robust set of sandbox features many of which are very much job specific (or ship dependent) and i think many folks feel the gameplay will be much more tailored to their preferred niche game style. "yeah, you can be a guard on board an idris and patrol the halls and watch for saboteurs. why not?" that kind of thing. but i mean you won't be selecting "idris marine hallway guard" as like your "class" when you make a character or anything. maybe an org mate will let you do some fucking roleplay i guess.
(i realize i'm rambling now) I think that SC really IS taking all the spacebucks, and i think derek smart sees it. Before Braben's E:D and Robert's SC there was really only Derek Smart in the business of making space sims. his games are awful but there wasn't much alternative post about 03 or 04. and smarts games were ambitious (if not just over-hyped) and attempted to integrate FPS into a space sim and he did make money off of them as bad as they were. but not so much anymore. now with real competition, he's burned too many bridges to get proper financing and he has trouble finding partners to work with because he is litigious as fuck. he makes better shovelware ipad game apps than he does PC games, imo.
I think it's fair for CIG to say that Smart was looking to use his legal posturing to dust up promotion for his game. he was plugging it and was running a campaign on youtube and other social media to give away steam keys. i guarantee you his game has received more attention in the last two weeks than it has in the last years. and he's sitting back with his lawyers making sure everything he says is just shy of libel. he says. so he's protecting himself and making sure when the dust settles it settles over everyone else but him. It's no wonder CIG took the controversial "nuclear option" and refunded his pledge (thus nullifying any potential for a lawsuit of any kind) and that seems to have derailed the whole train NOW while the community is all unified in defense of the project.
up till now there's been a lot of drama because the FPS is still delayed, and the community is starting to pick at itself and schisms were looking pretty likely. the threat of the community tearing itself apart over the delay seems to have passed (for now) because everyone DID suddenly all want to kill derek smart instead of each other. everyone wants to see it succeed, even if people disagree on what success IS, but no one wants to see it destroyed or to fail by some mechanism other that giving 110% to seeing this project through. fail or not! the backers want to see the industries best effort even if it's a massive failure. if it can't be done, prove it by giving it your all! to kill it would be like the pope having the Sistine Chapel knocked down because Michelangelo wasn't finished early. and at 2.7 years of development, it's just barely halfway there. to knock it down now would be, for me, a great injustice indeed. the money i spent, i don't want it back. in fact there's a chance i'll give them more. the merlin is flyable in the next patch :D (and it's going to be cheap!) i'll stop rambling now.
tl;dr his game just sucks.
(Edited 4 minutes later.)
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 9 years ago, 2 hours later, 6 months after the original post[^] [v] #579,139
@previous (squeegee)
Thanks for the detailed write up, I did read it all. Dude sounds jealous.
Given the amount of money they've got and lack of any outside meddling from a publisher only concerned with $$$, my hype for this game is super high. I'm totally sure there are going to be plenty of health RP options for people to do what they want, I don't see why someone couldn't be a guard on a ship or a bartender. I could totally see people hiring folks as guards on their ship and as escort vessels for cargo transport.
RP is hella fun. I like to RP in reign of kings. It makes the game experience get superior, and honestly, I personally despise quests. They're just boring and seem juvenile mostly. I liked Quests in Everquest that were long, no waypoints (though, some were kind of ridiculously impossible to figure out on your own as a result of shitty quest dialogue), and they weren't common. It made it far more immersive. I would much prefer being hired by a player to guard a mining ship flying through non-protected space than go and kill 10 mobs a million different times. I don't care if I can't always find a "quest." It makes it more fun whne you do, and it would be unpredictable. Maybe nothing happens, but you won't actually know, and when shit does go down it's going to be intense. You will have a real possibility of punishment for failure; which can introduce people abandoning their employer, which will mean reputation will matter.
I get so hyped whenever I think about this game. I'm usually soooo anti-pay to win,but since it actually benefits the community, I don't mind. It's just like real life. And you don't need to pay to get stuff, you can always take ships from the wealthy.
Thanks for the detailed write up, I did read it all. Dude sounds jealous.
Given the amount of money they've got and lack of any outside meddling from a publisher only concerned with $$$, my hype for this game is super high. I'm totally sure there are going to be plenty of health RP options for people to do what they want, I don't see why someone couldn't be a guard on a ship or a bartender. I could totally see people hiring folks as guards on their ship and as escort vessels for cargo transport.
RP is hella fun. I like to RP in reign of kings. It makes the game experience get superior, and honestly, I personally despise quests. They're just boring and seem juvenile mostly. I liked Quests in Everquest that were long, no waypoints (though, some were kind of ridiculously impossible to figure out on your own as a result of shitty quest dialogue), and they weren't common. It made it far more immersive. I would much prefer being hired by a player to guard a mining ship flying through non-protected space than go and kill 10 mobs a million different times. I don't care if I can't always find a "quest." It makes it more fun whne you do, and it would be unpredictable. Maybe nothing happens, but you won't actually know, and when shit does go down it's going to be intense. You will have a real possibility of punishment for failure; which can introduce people abandoning their employer, which will mean reputation will matter.
I get so hyped whenever I think about this game. I'm usually soooo anti-pay to win,but since it actually benefits the community, I don't mind. It's just like real life. And you don't need to pay to get stuff, you can always take ships from the wealthy.
(Edited 41 seconds later.)
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 1 week later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #583,033
QuakeCon Free Flight
use the code: QCFREEFLIGHT2K15 @ Robertsspaeindustries.com/promotions/quakecon2015pictured: Kruger Intergalactic P52 Merlin Snub Fighter
1. Register an Account on RSI
2. Apply QuakeCon Free Flight code
3. Download and play Arena Commander for the next week for free!
Be aware that the download is 25 Gigs. You'll need a computer that can run modern games at a high framerate and on high setting to be able to run Star Citizen decently.
Star Citizen IS still in Alpha, and so experiences can vary.
squeegee double-posted this 9 years ago, 13 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #583,035
Patch 1.5 is out
This patch fixes a lot of bugs, adds WWISE (sound middleware) and adds 2 more single seat fighters.Quite a lot of good stuff in 1.5, the flight model has had a thruster rework and there has been some balancing between control input devices improving the joystick experience. Weapons got a slight pass making "fixed weapons" a much better choice than they were previously. WWISE implementation is complete which allows them to layer more sounds which has eliminated a lot of bugs related to "queued" sounds.
The Scythe has been added for players (who own it) to fly. The Scythe is an enemy Vanduul fighter and are very rare (about 300 in the wild.) They also added the P52 Merlin which is a snub fighter. Snub fighters are "parasite" craft that rely on a larger ship to sustain them. The snub fighters carry no quantum drive nor a jump drive and are short on fuel. So they aren't a self sufficient craft like even the starter ships. They are just dedicated support fighters. If you watched Battlestar Galactica, they are Vipers. (or basically X-Wings) Awesome little fighters, very fast and nimble, so they're being used as racers as well as interceptors. You can pick one up for $20 on the pledge store (they don't come with LTI or any perks, just the ship) or you can rent one with in-game currency (2000 Rec) after like 10 minutes of playtime. Super easy to get, and a lot of fun to fly, So i recommend at least renting one in-game to try out.
squeegee triple-posted this 9 years ago, 5 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #583,036
Oh yeah, and the Free Fly Week ship is the Hornet, the Superiority Fighter. In the past they've done free fly weeks with an Aurora which is the simple starter ship. The Hornet is a military spec'd ship and so it's much, much more fun to fight in.
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 2 days later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #583,758
Derek Smart drama enters a new, funnier chapter
the Germans retaliate! heil hitler!
google translation thingy
tl;dr Gamestar, a huge german game site magazine thing, did a preview of Line of Defense, Derek Smart's game on Steam early access. they did a video and everything. it was a buggy unplayable mess without a single other player to be found during the 6 hours they demo'd the game. It crashed on them 74 times and all but one of the maps was completely unplayable. they weren't reviewing the game, just trying to show it's current state. They identified a whole lot of bugs and even contacted the devs on Steam to report them. Derek Smart (wundertroll himself) responded personally and blamed their problem on on them and called them trolls and banned them from the steam group. it was highly unprofessional, and as you can see from the video the bugs did exist even though Derek Smart refused to acknowledge it was a problem with his game.
Game not playable - Bug report - Steam - it's lulz
also they presumably discovered that despite being called a direct x11 title it only runs on direct x9. not sure what all that was talking about, but you can see from the video the game looks super dated to begin with.
Smart has spent the better part of the day doing damage control. He's taken to twitter and steam and is denouncing everyone as trolls and banning anyone who critiques or criticizes the game in any way. https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/3es2rd/german_only_biggest_german_gaming_site_gets_even/
since he's silencing all opposition one of the fucking steam mods made a Gamestar MEGAthread that Smart has no control over. It's the best part, he's really taking a beating. my favorite part is when someone quotes him and he says, "you know that's false, right?" and links to his own website where he is interviewing himself explaining to himself how that wasn't true! fucking seriously!
then the dude that quoted him originally posted the fucking source article saved as a jpg. it was in a magazine for god's sake!
he's a madman! it's awesome, and he's is totally starting to self destruct. the release date for his game has been pushed back and pushed back and is now slated for delivery in Dec, it was supposed to be released in full originally in 2012. he's been working on it since 2009! pretty much every single accusation he's thrown at Star Citizen looks like Derek Smart projecting his own problems onto successful projects, Just like he did when he tried to sue Planetside 2 people for stealing ideas from his LAST shit game. (reddit thread for sauce)
i wonder if that extends all the way up to his accusations of gross negligence and mismanagement and squandering all of the dev money on himself. he keeps saying he's spent 12 million on it, and it looks bad.
ALSO, when something like this happens it's sure to happen again, the news here isn't that the game is a buggy EA game, it's the dev's response to customers that is news worthy. right now he is flaming everyone. i expect PCgamer and other click-bait sites to follow suit, since the whole thing does generate a lot of buzz. I expect more "previews" and more accusations tossed his way from english sites as well. he made such a huge stink over star citizen and directly compares his game to it, actually going so far to say it delivers everything SC is still working on AND it's available now. and that claim is just absolutely false. not only does it currently deliver far less than SC and has been in development longer, it's totally unplayable and unenjoyable because there is literally no content. Gamestar is quoted as calling it "Potemkin villages": pure facade and good for nothing.
edit: gamestar is also pretty critical of star citizen, but not unduly critical. the have valid concerns, as they do with Derek Smart's game. it's interesting though the difference in responses from the two developers to criticism. CIG largely acknowledges community discontent and validates most concerns by openly speaking about and addressing the issues. 3000ad is just derek smart insulting anyone who has criticism.
(Edited 7 minutes later.)
squeegee double-posted this 9 years ago, 32 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #583,768
my favorite quote so far:
lol, and the one immediately after:
I am filing a complaint with the FTC about this sham of a game. I am also going to sue Derek Smart for his personal responsibility, as Executive Producer and Doctor, of ruffling my feathers with this unmitigated disaster of a game. I DEMAND to see all expense reports and private jet flight records of Dr./Executive Producer/Original Indie Dev Fossil/Hardcore Internet Warlord Derek Isn't Smart, PHD.
I tried to reach out but now that it's in the wild, it's too late, Mr. Smart. There's no going back now. You can expect to be hearing from my lawyers soon, just as soon as I have them check over and finalize my declaration of lawsuiting against you.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/266620/discussions/0/535151589904350568/#c535151589905720833I tried to reach out but now that it's in the wild, it's too late, Mr. Smart. There's no going back now. You can expect to be hearing from my lawyers soon, just as soon as I have them check over and finalize my declaration of lawsuiting against you.
lol, and the one immediately after:
I am filing a complaint with the FTC for this scam of a game. By the way, check out my new game, Line of Spaceships! It's basically Line of Defense, but better!
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee triple-posted this 9 years ago, 19 hours later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #583,935
Derek Smart: chapter 2, cont.
Gamestar has written a second article specifically detailing the response from 3000ad to criticism. They explain how Derek Smart is silencing all opposition with bans and labeling them all as trolls on Steams Dev tools. Fortunately Valve has been reversing all of the bans Smart is handing out and has undeleted all of the threads with criticism on Line of Defense and merged them into a Steam Mod controlled forum that Smart has no admin controls over.
That it is necessary that Valve has to intervene in order to protect transparency and freedom of information, is already sad enough in itself. But it also shows that developers - in particular in the Early Access - need to be better and more comprehensively controled. Because one thing is hopefully clear to everyone: censorship of factual disputes is the beginning of the end of any chance of a reasonably objective opinion and the death of freedom of information.
We can not put up with that.
Google Translated versionWe can not put up with that.
Gamestar also has released a version of their Line of Defense preview with English subtitles. The meta discussion in the steam thread is about Early Access games, playability, content, and what constitutes "a game." players are calling for some kind of Quality Control on Valves part to better vet games that from the user perspective are largely broken and unplayable. Games that lack any content shouldn't be on Steam's Early Access, and a game that is still introducing new features and lacks basic functionality aren't BETA products to begin with, they are alpha products and shouldn't be sold as "feature complete games that need bug fixes" and optimization. Smart continually calls Line of Defense a full game, but it doesn't even have a working reload mechanic for the FPS bits. also, every single map is fully clippable because the collision detection is just flat 100% borked. It's also lacking any kind of animations and the vast majority of advertized features (such as vehicles and working guns) aren't even in the game.
It's looking highly likely that this game is going to be removed from the Steam store if for no other reason than Derek Smart keeps changing the TOS and altering his promises (such as the game being advertized as F2P but there being no way to play for free AND he's likely abandoning the f2p model despite already selling DLC for the game and locking people into packages that will require a game purchase to use when they were promised all DLC would be playable without a full purchase.
Shit is just retarded. The guy is in full on self-destruct mode and he won't stop trolling his customers on the forums instead of spending the day fixing the bugs that constitute 100% of the complaints about his game. he's calling them your problems, and that his game works just fine. He's also refusing to showcase any gameplay videos from his supposed "master build" that contains all the features the consumer release doesn't contain. He did the same things with Battlecruiser and Ultimate Warfare, he'd say that features were complete, but locked so that "other aspects of the game can be tested," but of course he never delivered on half of those supposed "locked features" probably because it was a lie that they were done and locked in the first place.
So he is really getting the screws, atm, and at this point Valve is very much aware of the conversation, the state of his game, and his history of under-delivering hyped products. hopefully there is (as the rumors say) an internal investigation going on and it's highly likely (given that better games have been removed from EA for similar reasons) that it'll be removed from the store and all packages will be refunded. (all 300 of them, lol)
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 9 years ago, 5 hours later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #584,017
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 6 days later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #585,936
This week in Star Citizen: Gamescon
Chris and the CIG team will be in Germany on Friday at noon for a presentation at Gamescon!Early speculation is that this years presentation is going to be focused on the Multicrew portion of the game. This last year CIG has implemented 64-bit floating point precision to give us new Large World maps that are measured in fucking AU instead of meters. that's right, fucking light years. Also the new "local Physics Grid" is in place which is what will allow for the multicrew experience to actually work. Local physics basically means that there is an independent physics grid inside ships that is connected to an external physics grid. internally you'll be able to get out of your seat and walk around inside your ship without clipping through walls and floors and glitching outside as the ship is under acceleration. But don't think that means inertial dampening, oh no, the outside grid and inside grid work together to impart motion internally as a ship banks, turns or impacts. So we can expect to be tossed around a bit when in combat, ala star trek, but with the stability you'd normally expect in FPS environments. actually making multicrew work has been a very long and very difficult process and so there is a lot of hype to see it in action one year after the first tech demo of a multicrew ship. We're very close to Multicrew Arena Commander AND a more fully fleshed out FPS experience. the hype is real.
This year (2015) was called "the year of much to do" because so many modules are coming together. Several modules are either done, or about to be in the coming months. There is still a networking issue that is being sorted out that has prevented module tie-ins from happening today. They are making fast headway and it sounds like the end of the tunnel is very close. once the netcode (really they've explained all this in great detail, it's just a server side problem that causes instability with clients and also other servers. netcode is just a catchall phrase for non-client blockers) problems are sorted then the FPS will be tied in, and then shortly after that we'll be seeing Multicrew and Social modules. The social module opens up the world outside the hangar and will give us our first taste of persistence as well as character creation and customization.
there's 4 months left in the year and we're also expecting Squadron 42, the single player campaign to make an appearance. So there is quite a lot to look out for in the coming months. However, CIG is not a company that won't push back a release date. it's like part of their mission statement. If fact at one point they put it to a community vote as to whether CIG should push releases or cut features, and by and large people voted to push releases. by a very very large margin. So, given that we're 4 months past the FPS release date the community expected i'm not holding my breath that multicrew and social AND squadron 42 hit all by the end of the year. In april i wouldn't have believed we'd see aug 1st without FPS, but it happened. I can't even say we'll get it in Aug. If the rumor mill is to be believed then this is the month. but probably at least 1 week after gamescon. Also, we hear that Multicrew is coming along and will follow very closely on the heels of FPS, anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. if everything is good with FPS they'll dump in multicrew. Social is also believed to be super far along and so we expect it around the same time as multicrew. maybe short after. it's possible there are going to be back to back high end updates. there is pretty good reason to believe this, actually. because Squadron 42 is so close to completion.
Squadron 42, the Single player campaign, will be making use of all of the features of Arena Commander, FPS, Multicrew, and Social. For SQ42 to work, everything else has to work as well. now, it's going to be Squadron 42 alpha, so it's not "complete" but it should be playable from start to finish from what we hear. All the Social module character interaction stuff and AI needs to be working with NPC's, Multicrew ships need to be functional and have operational action stations, and all of the FPS stuff needs to work so we can fight on space stations and inside multicrew ships and even Capital Ships.
Each module is basically a specific bundle of game mechanics and they all need to be in the game and working in order for the Story mode to work AND for the persistent universe to work. After another year of development (Arena Commander came out last August) it sounds like they are very close to being done with core game mechanics and features. All of the shit that makes everything else work is believed to be almost finished because Squadron 42 is looking good for a release candidate.
we'll just have to see how close we really are. the Gamescon presentation should shed light on the schedule over the next few months.
personally i think we'll see SQ42 release next year. maybe by spring. I think we'll get FPS tied in by the end of summer or early fall. I think there will be significant problems related to "player taste" as there were with Arena Commander. Significant resources have been spent redesigning everything from ship art to game mechanics. a big part of the delay (imo) is that time is being spent polishing certain aspects of the game before it needs to be. i'm not saying the changes have been bad, they've almost entirely been regarded as improvements, but i think when FPS drops it will happen again. people will insist [concern] needs to be addressed immediately and troll and ruin the forums until the devs literally have to stop what they are doing and cater to the player experience in an alpha build that's going to change. but, like i said, the changes have been good, and this is an open development game and this is how it should work, but, it's hell on the schedule. i think for months after FPS is tied in people will bitch and moan about everything from head bob to FOV sliders and take dev time away from debugging Multicrew mechanics. I won't expect Multicrew until probably after the new year. maybe Social by spring. maybe. We'll see. People are going to go nuts once Multicrew and large ships are in game.
tl;dr the hype-train is actually a roller coaster. Tune in to Gamescon on Friday at 12 Central time and have your minds blown (don't worry, i'll be live-bloggin it here! :D)
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 9 years ago, 4 hours later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,048
Every bit of info gets me so excited for this game. There's no way it can live up to the hype, yet if it does... I actually think it will improve my quality of life. Immersion gets me so hard.
squeegee replied with this 9 years ago, 20 hours later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,407
@previous (hater !JGlOo5d1iU)
yup. me too. i've wanted a game like this since the original wing commander games, but especially privateer. privateer was awesome. i've been waiting for a real good modern remake of that forever. a lot of games came close, i really liked Independence War 2, but it didn't have all the hundreds of landing zones and trading and piracy stuff with a reputation system. Iwar was just a story. and i'm loving the close quarters dog-fighting of Arena Commander right now, it's excellent. bar none the best space sim dog fighting out there. Elite: Dangerous is plodding and boring and just super slow paced and i did not find it thrilling. A good dog fight in arena commander leaves me shaky from adrenaline. it is super rewarding as far as progression goes, like your skill progression. once you master something you feel like a god and watch all those ignorant of intermediate maneuvers flounder around run away and literally try to hide from you. And really the maneuvers are 100% learnable and easily repeated over and over. so there's this tremendous skill gap that you can't cross without actually getting better. There's no level 50's running around with special powers. it's just you and your throttle and your brains and 2 hands. getting good means something.
right now they could just drop everything else and start cranking out Arena Maps for Arena Commander and it would make an excellent stand alone PvP arena game. it's gotten a lot of refinement and it's becoming very nuanced. i can't wait to see how it all feels when it's "done".
but yeah, multicrew, the likely subject of gamescon, that's got me hyped up pretty good. it's apparently like a full-on playable demo or something. it'll be a Large World map and you're in orbit around a jovian planet larger than Jupiter. the arena apparently has three moons and will take something like 2 hours to cross between them at max thrust. we'll be seeing Quantum Drive for the first time and using it to get around quickly, it is rumored.
oh yeah, the game is patching to v1.6 tomorrow which doubles the player count in games. 16 players in free flight is going to be a madhouse. especially once they drop in a large world multicrew free flight arena and give everyone quantum drive. it'll be like a mini Persistent Universe without the persistence or economy. Just big ships and people probably doing machinima for their you tube channels.
yup. me too. i've wanted a game like this since the original wing commander games, but especially privateer. privateer was awesome. i've been waiting for a real good modern remake of that forever. a lot of games came close, i really liked Independence War 2, but it didn't have all the hundreds of landing zones and trading and piracy stuff with a reputation system. Iwar was just a story. and i'm loving the close quarters dog-fighting of Arena Commander right now, it's excellent. bar none the best space sim dog fighting out there. Elite: Dangerous is plodding and boring and just super slow paced and i did not find it thrilling. A good dog fight in arena commander leaves me shaky from adrenaline. it is super rewarding as far as progression goes, like your skill progression. once you master something you feel like a god and watch all those ignorant of intermediate maneuvers flounder around run away and literally try to hide from you. And really the maneuvers are 100% learnable and easily repeated over and over. so there's this tremendous skill gap that you can't cross without actually getting better. There's no level 50's running around with special powers. it's just you and your throttle and your brains and 2 hands. getting good means something.
right now they could just drop everything else and start cranking out Arena Maps for Arena Commander and it would make an excellent stand alone PvP arena game. it's gotten a lot of refinement and it's becoming very nuanced. i can't wait to see how it all feels when it's "done".
but yeah, multicrew, the likely subject of gamescon, that's got me hyped up pretty good. it's apparently like a full-on playable demo or something. it'll be a Large World map and you're in orbit around a jovian planet larger than Jupiter. the arena apparently has three moons and will take something like 2 hours to cross between them at max thrust. we'll be seeing Quantum Drive for the first time and using it to get around quickly, it is rumored.
oh yeah, the game is patching to v1.6 tomorrow which doubles the player count in games. 16 players in free flight is going to be a madhouse. especially once they drop in a large world multicrew free flight arena and give everyone quantum drive. it'll be like a mini Persistent Universe without the persistence or economy. Just big ships and people probably doing machinima for their you tube channels.
squeegee double-posted this 9 years ago, 1 hour later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,425
Gamescon is already under way
the press is already running around doing interviews and checking out demos and stuff, and Eurogamer (first 5 minutes) got to watch test runs of the Star Citizen multicrew demo.they didn't go into great detail, but they pretty much leaked the whole thing in a podcast. what it is is a playable demo. not a pre-render, it's actually kinda like a free-flight. they said you start off getting into a ship on a landing pad (no idea which one, can only guess the constellation from the teasers earlier in the week) and once you're all loaded up into the ship he said everyone is controlling different stuff and they "went on a mission" and found a derelict spaceship. he said they flew over there, boarded the derelict vessel and explored it. he said they eventually got it working and started flying IT around too!
i'm thoroughly hyped. they are also revealing the new custom HOTAS that Saitek is making for Star Citizen.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee triple-posted this 8.9 years ago, 1 day later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,847
Gamescon Presentation
http://www.twitch.tv/starcitizen 18:00 GMT (1 hour 30 minutes from now)brie replied with this 8.9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,850
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 9 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,855
squeegee double-posted this 8.9 years ago, 41 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,865
reddit live thread
the live stream on twitch is not in 20 minutes apparently, the doors to the event are opening. the live stream may start in like 2 hours. i've got twitch up so i'll post before it goes live and give the presentation.
the live stream on twitch is not in 20 minutes apparently, the doors to the event are opening. the live stream may start in like 2 hours. i've got twitch up so i'll post before it goes live and give the presentation.
brie replied with this 8.9 years ago, 37 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,879
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 1 hour later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,909
starting in 2:00 www.twitch.tv/starcitizen
(Edited 7 seconds later.)
squeegee double-posted this 8.9 years ago, 3 hours later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,968
brie replied with this 8.9 years ago, 38 minutes later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #586,977
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 16 hours later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #587,389
@previous (brie)
Gamescon FREE FLY WEEK runs till next friday! go here: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/promotions/gamescomflyfree2015 and use the code: GCFREEFLIGHT2K15* and try Star Citizen Free for 1 week!
*disclaimer: i'm guessing at the code, no one has posted it yet, but this is likely it. I'll update if it's the wrong one.
Be aware that you'll need something like 60GB free to download and install the game. You'll need a computer that can run modern games at a high framerate and on high setting to be able to run Star Citizen decently. Star Citizen IS still in Alpha, and so experiences can vary.
Gamescon FREE FLY WEEK runs till next friday! go here: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/promotions/gamescomflyfree2015 and use the code: GCFREEFLIGHT2K15* and try Star Citizen Free for 1 week!
*disclaimer: i'm guessing at the code, no one has posted it yet, but this is likely it. I'll update if it's the wrong one.
Be aware that you'll need something like 60GB free to download and install the game. You'll need a computer that can run modern games at a high framerate and on high setting to be able to run Star Citizen decently. Star Citizen IS still in Alpha, and so experiences can vary.
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 1 hour later, 7 months after the original post[^] [v] #587,411
gamescon2015 is the code
Lonestar the Kilrathi replied with this 8.9 years ago, 1 week later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,426
Lonestar the Kilrathi's Ship Review: Vanduul Glaive
The Lore: first of all, the Vanduul are the main villains in the game's story arc. They are an invading alien race that is older and has been space-faring for longer. they evidently do not have a "home world" just harvested worlds and vast fleets of expendable ships and are themselves expendable. they are sort of a nomadic race of independent bands that just go around harvesting any resources they find in a slash and burn kind of way. their technology is "simple" but you might also consider it efficient or even optimal. their ships are designed for 1 thing, killing shit. they have a very lethal and industrial look and appear almost slapped together from salvaged parts.
In the game universe several vanduul ships were found or captured and the UEE military farmed out a contract with Esperia (a ship manufacturer) to reverse engineer the ships to gain insight into the vanduul race. (this was many many decades ago in lore, btw) Esperia went on to manufacture Vanduul Scythe and Glaive "replicas" modified and hacked for human use. Their first customer was the UEE military who bought them in droves and gave them to the fleet to use as trainers in exercises with new pilots. eventually (more recently) Esperia was able to fulfill orders to the civilian sector for private use.
The Reality: even though they are "technically replicas" they are just the same in game asset as the actual vanduul fleet ships. interestingly though, during the original campaign CIG made 300 Scythes available for a limited time and promised the Scythe would remain an exclusive pledge. They sold out very, very quickly, and at one point were selling on the gray market for like 1200 bucks. it was nuts. so "in lore" the 300 Scythes are "actual Vanduul Scythes" that had been captured, serviced, hacked put into service as trainers, and then sold on the civilian market once the Glaive became the new military target dummy. So "technically" everyone who got a Scythe has a real alien ship, and everyone who got a Glaive got a replica of an alien ship. No real distinction, but interesting none the less. the real distinction is how many Glaives were available.
The Contest: At GamesCom CIG announced a competition. They had increased the difficulty of Vanduul Swarm and the first 1000 players who Beat the Swarm received a token on their account that made them eligible to buy one of the 1000 Glaives made available. They gave everyone at gamescom (2000 people) 1 week to beat the swarm and buy a glaive. So there were up to 3000 sold, but the actual number is less than that. The kind of cool thing about the contest (even though you're basically buying a trophy which is kind of lame) is that the first 1000 ships took almost 2 days to sell out. and it wasn't for lack of trying. popular twitch streamers were advertising carries and taking viewers on a Swarm Raid to go and get their token. it was all actually pretty fun, and some people got really mad because they didn't get one and got super pissed about the carries. i ate popcorn for a few days.
The Ship: it's fucking gorgeous. it is a pretty bird, and has really good looking animations when it flies. all of the "feathers" are articulated and move as you pitch and roll around. they serve no real purpose except to look cool, but the edges of the wings are big ass blades built for ramming ships and slicing them apart. and it's surprisingly rugged because of this. It's also fast. it does top out 20% slower than the racing ships, but it's about as fast as the "quick" interceptors. you can keep up with pretty much everything, and the glaive has very strong thrusters making as nimble or more nimble than anything else. it has great balance around the cockpit, and that lets your thrusters give more thrust in the direction of your intended heading and less thrust orienting yourself onto that heading. (basically you can spin on a dime and change direction radically at the same time which some other ships can't do without stalling out their velocity vector.) in practice it feels real nice and has very fun handling. it's also quite a bit wider than it is long (which most human ships are narrow and long) and it's got a very narrow profile so it's got very cool flight characteristics and takes a different touch than the other ships especially in close quarters like asteroid fields.
The Glaive sports 4 weapons, 2 class 1 laser repeaters on a nose turret and 2 big class 5 plasma cannons on the wings. in practice the big wing guns aren't really all that great. they are slow and don't hit super hard. they'll likely get buffed. the speed i'm cool with, but they don't really hit hard enough to justify the long delay. it's called a "medium" fighter which puts it up against ships like the F7C Hornet, the Gladius, the Avenger and the 300 series. It's not as heavy or hard hitting as the F7M Super Hornet, but then again the vanduul have a heavy fighter to take that on, so the Glave has a different role to fill than strictly air superiority. but, with class 5 guns scaled to the "proper" damage of a class 5 weapon i can see it taking on the Super Hornet just fine. however it gets tuned, it's a fast and maneuverable ship built for fighting. exclusively (unlike almost all human ships). it also carries 8 small missiles, 4 that face forward and 4 that face backwards. it's great, if someone gets on your tail you just fire a missile off and they fly right into it! it's really fun.
And the wing mounted blades! it's been fun. the glaive has better maneuverability and i know how to not blackout and so i get people engaged in a curve that gets tighter and tighter and i try to get them oriented so they black out and when they do i glave them. just fly by real close and ram the shit out of them with my wing. it knocks them spinning and does pretty good damage for not being fully implemented yet. certainly can knock off parts and destroy cockpits and kill people. just do that a few times instead of actually shooting them, it's more fun :D and since you don't take massive damage from a crash you can get away with doing it over and over without needing to respawn.
Very cool looking ship, lots of fun to fly. i have no idea if it will have any utility in the actual game. maybe the vanduul ships will be able to sneak into vanduul space and do recon or something. who knows. and yes! they will be available again! definitely Esperia will be making them for sale in the PU for in-game credits, so everyone will be able to just go buy once they've hauled enough cargo or killed enough pirates, but also it'll probably go on sale again for real dollars. it's not been promised as an exclusive Gamescom event either, they could do the whole thing again. the glaive likely won't end up with the "collector value" a scythe may end up with, but it certainly is cool.
Lonestar the Kilrathi double-posted this 8.9 years ago, 1 minute later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,427
Lonestar the Kilrathi triple-posted this 8.9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,430
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 8.9 years ago, 26 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,439
Yo, squeegee, I was wondering what you thought about this article on Kotaku?
http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2015/08/18/star-citizen-taking-long
A point it makes is that, from inside sources, the game has apparently been delayed quite a bit because Chris Roberts is often adding in new features to be made, and will sometimes insist on things even if the other developers feel it's a bad idea, only to change his mind later. However, Roberts himself seems to feel that the extra time will greatly improve the game.
As a pretty hardcore fan, do you feel that time has been wasted or that the extra spent time will improve the experience?
http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2015/08/18/star-citizen-taking-long
A point it makes is that, from inside sources, the game has apparently been delayed quite a bit because Chris Roberts is often adding in new features to be made, and will sometimes insist on things even if the other developers feel it's a bad idea, only to change his mind later. However, Roberts himself seems to feel that the extra time will greatly improve the game.
As a pretty hardcore fan, do you feel that time has been wasted or that the extra spent time will improve the experience?
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 8.9 years ago, 28 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,446
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
Since there won't be a rushed launched, I feel any delays will be inconsequential once released. Personally, my hype for this game will only diminish if its delayed indefinitely or a better game is released (which is impossible).
Since there won't be a rushed launched, I feel any delays will be inconsequential once released. Personally, my hype for this game will only diminish if its delayed indefinitely or a better game is released (which is impossible).
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 58 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,464
@591,439 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
i've read the article and i think it's fair. And i think that the sources quoted were taken correctly and in the proper context.
> The ex-employees who spoke to me for this story say that Roberts’ love of high-concept features often took precedence over getting things done.
i think that some mistakes were made, but correcting them has improved the game. the original damage state system they built into all the ships was obtuse and very GPU intensive, it was scrapped for a much lighter procedural damage system that not only functions better, but it looks better too. the original variant system has pretty much been replaced by a modularity system that lets you swap out whole ship internals and will allow for radically changing ship roles, it's also a much more logical system and is less memory intensive.
one part that irked me was the explanation of the "helmet mechanic" and wasting time. vast amounts more time was wasted with the original damage states than making a menu a helmet dependent element. the helmet animation was reused from a demo build they did for e3 as well, all they did was enable it in game and lock a menu to it. the problems that came from helmets didn't delay shit, or even waste more than a little time. But the author didn't even mention the frequency of internal pipeline overhauls (the way they design and build ships). but i guess mentioning his stubbornness on the helmet makes him look like he makes bad calls?
re-rigging the skeleton 7 times, the author didn't use a direct quote, he added the "whopping 7 times" himself as commentary. it's an interesting way to disclose that info, because i wonder if the quote supported that same kind of disbelief. but, i do agree that quite a lot get done, and re-done, and delayed, and re-done, but so far those changes have, at least as far as what we've seen is concerned, been for the better.
i don't outright see failure as wasted time. they had to build on something, and early damage states were what they had the ability to accomplish. Later they scrapped that method from the pipeline and put it a much more permanent and elegant solution. the same can be said for everything from the flight model to the game launcher. and sometimes you have to try and fail at new things to figure out what will work and what won't work.
the whole first person/third person unification of animations thing is one thing i don't see the entire point in. ultimately i think i understand how he wants it to all fit in with his grand vision and all of that, but i don't think it's entirely necessary for players to all see your each and every move represented identically in first person. i think it's making things needlessly complex, where a less complex system (or a more elegant solution) will work better. it's something he's talked up a lot though, and so i don't think it's going to be abandoned.
will it improve the experience? maybe not. it might just be too disorienting, and the community might backlash. will that amount to wasted time? yes, but, in my opinion it's worth trying if it's as important and crucial as he says it is to his vision for things to come. As a hardcore fan there are reasons besides "shiny ships" and "cool gameplay" that i like about this game:
i like the fact that it's now so large that it is literally Chris Robert's last shot at making a come-back and building his "dream game." If he'd stopped at 2 million bucks, or 5, or ten, he could've built the game "as pitched" in the original kickstarter and if it was a middling success (like Elite Dangerous) he could maybe have not completely ruined his cred and ability to ever work in games again. but he didn't stop. quickly it got to the point where it became an all-or-nothing thing for him. if Star Citizen fails then he will never get that level of funding for any kind of game again. i think he knows that, and yeah i think it's maybe made him focus too much on minutia, but when i pledged i pledged because i wanted some crazy, absurd, obsessive space fanatic with a grand vision that escapes my full understanding to try and reinvent the genre he helped define. And even though he's not the only one with a 90s space sim game, he's the only one that ran a production company that worked on projects with the budget of Star Citizen. He successfully turned a half a billion dollars worth of other people's money in to profitable movies when he did consulting work for other production companies.
So i think that yes, there have been failures, and there will be more. and there may be big ones, but i'm not funding a quickly made cookie cutter game. i want them thinking outside the box and pushing envelopes. if it's my money being spend (and it partially is) then i would want something different and you're not going to be different if you just go with the ordinary FPS engine and vehicle system. i certainly wouldn't have pledged as much if i didn't think they were going to be trying some next-level stuff. i had an opportunity to back when it was in kickstarter (one year before i did) and i didn't do it. But a year later the real money was coming in and the scope changed, very publicly, when he wrote a bunch of letter and the community voted. he basically said, "hey, i got a fuck load of cash now and i can just build whatever the fuck i want, and it's going to take extra time, but i can just make "my vision" a reality all at once instead of doing a smaller game and hoping i earn enough money to add new features. how's that sound?"
by and large the community told him to fuck the police and indulge his game development fantasies and build up to one, big, feature-laden game. i'm still in that camp. i think that everything promised so far is deliverable, but as far as time and delays go i've fine with giving them a wide latitude.
tl;dr i guess to sum it up, as a hardcore fan i do not see the delays as being in any way detrimental, and even if they are due to things that don't directly improve the game, the overall process is making for a better end product.
i've read the article and i think it's fair. And i think that the sources quoted were taken correctly and in the proper context.
> The ex-employees who spoke to me for this story say that Roberts’ love of high-concept features often took precedence over getting things done.
i think that some mistakes were made, but correcting them has improved the game. the original damage state system they built into all the ships was obtuse and very GPU intensive, it was scrapped for a much lighter procedural damage system that not only functions better, but it looks better too. the original variant system has pretty much been replaced by a modularity system that lets you swap out whole ship internals and will allow for radically changing ship roles, it's also a much more logical system and is less memory intensive.
one part that irked me was the explanation of the "helmet mechanic" and wasting time. vast amounts more time was wasted with the original damage states than making a menu a helmet dependent element. the helmet animation was reused from a demo build they did for e3 as well, all they did was enable it in game and lock a menu to it. the problems that came from helmets didn't delay shit, or even waste more than a little time. But the author didn't even mention the frequency of internal pipeline overhauls (the way they design and build ships). but i guess mentioning his stubbornness on the helmet makes him look like he makes bad calls?
re-rigging the skeleton 7 times, the author didn't use a direct quote, he added the "whopping 7 times" himself as commentary. it's an interesting way to disclose that info, because i wonder if the quote supported that same kind of disbelief. but, i do agree that quite a lot get done, and re-done, and delayed, and re-done, but so far those changes have, at least as far as what we've seen is concerned, been for the better.
i don't outright see failure as wasted time. they had to build on something, and early damage states were what they had the ability to accomplish. Later they scrapped that method from the pipeline and put it a much more permanent and elegant solution. the same can be said for everything from the flight model to the game launcher. and sometimes you have to try and fail at new things to figure out what will work and what won't work.
the whole first person/third person unification of animations thing is one thing i don't see the entire point in. ultimately i think i understand how he wants it to all fit in with his grand vision and all of that, but i don't think it's entirely necessary for players to all see your each and every move represented identically in first person. i think it's making things needlessly complex, where a less complex system (or a more elegant solution) will work better. it's something he's talked up a lot though, and so i don't think it's going to be abandoned.
will it improve the experience? maybe not. it might just be too disorienting, and the community might backlash. will that amount to wasted time? yes, but, in my opinion it's worth trying if it's as important and crucial as he says it is to his vision for things to come. As a hardcore fan there are reasons besides "shiny ships" and "cool gameplay" that i like about this game:
i like the fact that it's now so large that it is literally Chris Robert's last shot at making a come-back and building his "dream game." If he'd stopped at 2 million bucks, or 5, or ten, he could've built the game "as pitched" in the original kickstarter and if it was a middling success (like Elite Dangerous) he could maybe have not completely ruined his cred and ability to ever work in games again. but he didn't stop. quickly it got to the point where it became an all-or-nothing thing for him. if Star Citizen fails then he will never get that level of funding for any kind of game again. i think he knows that, and yeah i think it's maybe made him focus too much on minutia, but when i pledged i pledged because i wanted some crazy, absurd, obsessive space fanatic with a grand vision that escapes my full understanding to try and reinvent the genre he helped define. And even though he's not the only one with a 90s space sim game, he's the only one that ran a production company that worked on projects with the budget of Star Citizen. He successfully turned a half a billion dollars worth of other people's money in to profitable movies when he did consulting work for other production companies.
So i think that yes, there have been failures, and there will be more. and there may be big ones, but i'm not funding a quickly made cookie cutter game. i want them thinking outside the box and pushing envelopes. if it's my money being spend (and it partially is) then i would want something different and you're not going to be different if you just go with the ordinary FPS engine and vehicle system. i certainly wouldn't have pledged as much if i didn't think they were going to be trying some next-level stuff. i had an opportunity to back when it was in kickstarter (one year before i did) and i didn't do it. But a year later the real money was coming in and the scope changed, very publicly, when he wrote a bunch of letter and the community voted. he basically said, "hey, i got a fuck load of cash now and i can just build whatever the fuck i want, and it's going to take extra time, but i can just make "my vision" a reality all at once instead of doing a smaller game and hoping i earn enough money to add new features. how's that sound?"
by and large the community told him to fuck the police and indulge his game development fantasies and build up to one, big, feature-laden game. i'm still in that camp. i think that everything promised so far is deliverable, but as far as time and delays go i've fine with giving them a wide latitude.
tl;dr i guess to sum it up, as a hardcore fan i do not see the delays as being in any way detrimental, and even if they are due to things that don't directly improve the game, the overall process is making for a better end product.
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee double-posted this 8.9 years ago, 13 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,469
also, not to influence your opinion of the author, but the dude who wrote that has a history of dressing down Star Citizen and so far all his vaporware doom-saying didn't come true. He's maligned in the community for being dismissive, overly critical, ignoring facts, misrepresenting timelines and quoting people out of context. he's also a blogger, and not a paid games journalist, apparently.
so, people can question the dev process all you want, it's open for anyone to see, as are the opinions of staff who disliked the helmet mechanic (unnamed source my ass, no one said anything he could quote that they haven't already talked about on Reverse the Verse, he just used that anecdote and attributed things to "unnamed sources" to sound controversial.) in fact all of the direct quotes aren't in any way disparaging or anything, it's only when he's paraphrasing that he adds the speculative tone that something might be wrong.
so take it with a grain of salt. He makes some valid criticisms, but he does it with a tone that tries to bias the readers thinking. This is actually a pretty tame article for him, at least he posits no wild speculations.
and now that i'm done attacking his character we can go back to my emotional appeal that i have faith in Star Citizen if you have more questions.
so, people can question the dev process all you want, it's open for anyone to see, as are the opinions of staff who disliked the helmet mechanic (unnamed source my ass, no one said anything he could quote that they haven't already talked about on Reverse the Verse, he just used that anecdote and attributed things to "unnamed sources" to sound controversial.) in fact all of the direct quotes aren't in any way disparaging or anything, it's only when he's paraphrasing that he adds the speculative tone that something might be wrong.
so take it with a grain of salt. He makes some valid criticisms, but he does it with a tone that tries to bias the readers thinking. This is actually a pretty tame article for him, at least he posits no wild speculations.
and now that i'm done attacking his character we can go back to my emotional appeal that i have faith in Star Citizen if you have more questions.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 8.9 years ago, 9 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,476
@591,464 (squeegee)
So you're still on-board, then. That's interesting, because I've also seen fans lash out at crowdfunded games for delays (Double Fine apparently got some for splitting their adventure game into two parts). But I guess that CIG is doing enough to keep the faith, then. Probably a benefit of their close communication with fans.
@previous (squeegee)
> he's also a blogger, and not a paid games journalist, apparently.
Huh. Kotaku seems weird, in that regard. They'll sometimes be described as "a blog", but then they're attending industry events/conferences and getting involved in discussions about journalistic ethics- clear behaviour of professional journalists.
Also, lol, I just noticed it was the Zoe Quinn guy that wrote it. Good for him for carrying on with his work after all that shit, though.
So you're still on-board, then. That's interesting, because I've also seen fans lash out at crowdfunded games for delays (Double Fine apparently got some for splitting their adventure game into two parts). But I guess that CIG is doing enough to keep the faith, then. Probably a benefit of their close communication with fans.
@previous (squeegee)
> he's also a blogger, and not a paid games journalist, apparently.
Huh. Kotaku seems weird, in that regard. They'll sometimes be described as "a blog", but then they're attending industry events/conferences and getting involved in discussions about journalistic ethics- clear behaviour of professional journalists.
Also, lol, I just noticed it was the Zoe Quinn guy that wrote it. Good for him for carrying on with his work after all that shit, though.
brie !uXWPG0MygI replied with this 8.9 years ago, 8 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,481
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 9 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,484
@591,476 (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
> So you're still on-board, then.
ee-yup
> That's interesting, because I've also seen fans lash out at crowdfunded games for delays (Double Fine apparently got some for splitting their adventure game into two parts). But I guess that CIG is doing enough to keep the faith, then. Probably a benefit of their close communication with fans.
yeah, they have a very high level of engagement with the community, and tbh i think it's the weekly TV shows they do, they put real faces on the company, and not just text posts on the official forums. i don't know what their magic bullets are for community engagement, but yeah, they've got a huge a rabid fan base now. almost 1 million backers now.
> Huh. Kotaku seems weird, in that regard. They'll sometimes be described as "a blog", but then they're attending industry events/conferences and getting involved in discussions about journalistic ethics- clear behaviour of professional journalists.
i don't know what they are, but as someone with a lot of knowledge on the subject of Star Citizen it was maddening to see them make so many simple fact-checking type mistakes in their articles. it's like they got all their information 9th hand and called it gospel even though they didn't even understand the most basic parts of the game. some of their articles read like they were using their audiences ignorance of Star Citizen to make claims and create a negative opinion of the game, whether it was intentional or just bad fact-checking, it was wrong and everyone who follows the project closely get up in arms about Kotaku's click-bait headlines and misleading articles full of venom and lies.
> Also, lol, I just noticed it was the Zoe Quinn guy that wrote it. Good for him for carrying on with his work after all that shit, though.
i don't really know anything about the man except for his deep and long held distrust of anything SC. that and i know him for a surprising number of errors when jumping to conclusions about something he knows very little about and has periphery knowledge of at best.
> So you're still on-board, then.
ee-yup
> That's interesting, because I've also seen fans lash out at crowdfunded games for delays (Double Fine apparently got some for splitting their adventure game into two parts). But I guess that CIG is doing enough to keep the faith, then. Probably a benefit of their close communication with fans.
yeah, they have a very high level of engagement with the community, and tbh i think it's the weekly TV shows they do, they put real faces on the company, and not just text posts on the official forums. i don't know what their magic bullets are for community engagement, but yeah, they've got a huge a rabid fan base now. almost 1 million backers now.
> Huh. Kotaku seems weird, in that regard. They'll sometimes be described as "a blog", but then they're attending industry events/conferences and getting involved in discussions about journalistic ethics- clear behaviour of professional journalists.
i don't know what they are, but as someone with a lot of knowledge on the subject of Star Citizen it was maddening to see them make so many simple fact-checking type mistakes in their articles. it's like they got all their information 9th hand and called it gospel even though they didn't even understand the most basic parts of the game. some of their articles read like they were using their audiences ignorance of Star Citizen to make claims and create a negative opinion of the game, whether it was intentional or just bad fact-checking, it was wrong and everyone who follows the project closely get up in arms about Kotaku's click-bait headlines and misleading articles full of venom and lies.
> Also, lol, I just noticed it was the Zoe Quinn guy that wrote it. Good for him for carrying on with his work after all that shit, though.
i don't really know anything about the man except for his deep and long held distrust of anything SC. that and i know him for a surprising number of errors when jumping to conclusions about something he knows very little about and has periphery knowledge of at best.
squeegee double-posted this 8.9 years ago, 5 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,485
@591,481 (brie !uXWPG0MygI)
i can't wait to fly around in my big multicrew ship with all my space-buds and really rub it in people's faces on twitch by broadcasting me playing "impossible vaporware" that will "never get released" while quoting all of their years worth of attack blogs and name shaming them.
i can't wait to fly around in my big multicrew ship with all my space-buds and really rub it in people's faces on twitch by broadcasting me playing "impossible vaporware" that will "never get released" while quoting all of their years worth of attack blogs and name shaming them.
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 8.9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,486
brie !uXWPG0MygI replied with this 8.9 years ago, 8 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,487
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 14 hours later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #591,721
@591,486 (hater !JGlOo5d1iU)
@previous (brie !uXWPG0MygI)
it already is pretty fun. the dog fighting and single crew ships have really come together nicely.
and last night i was watching my frame rate, the optimizations they've done and the networking stuff they've come up with have improved performance quite a lot.
It's typical for the Hanger to have somewhere between excellent and piss poor performance based on the number of ships you own, and for a while it was a real mess with frame rate drops all over the place and texture pop-in was really bad. it also would take on the order of minutes for a scene to fully load all of the textures. They didn't have any kind of occlusion stuff in place, or it was all legacy occlusion systems and they needed to remake it. now that it's in you only render what's in front of you and not what's behind you as well. performance has jumped, and i'm getting some very acceptable performance in there now. it's still not perfect, and still requires boss ass hardware to run at higher resolutions and with textures up all the way, but at 1920x1080 on ultra i was getting a stable 30FPS. dropped to High i was getting 50-60 with little time spent under 50 (except a couple of areas that would drop me into the 40s for some reason (this very well could be an audio problem since they are still working in Wwise as middleware). on medium settings (which is what i usually use) i was getting a solid 60 on a 60hz monitor with vsync enabled.
in online matches i have better performance than in the hangar. i'm getting a solid 60FPS up to High settings. very high i sometimes see dips, but not too often. medium is just smooth as butter. but again, it's not perfect. There is still a server side problem that causes an FPS drop in clients, i have no clue wtf it is, but occasionally (but predictably) there is stuttering. it is much better than it was, and there's still a lot of room to improve. Most ships are still using the old damage tech until they get their next face-lift. the old damage system uses ass loads of vram, like, literally ass loads. each ship had dozens of damage models that were all loaded into memory and got swapped out with the undamaged model as need be. so when you'd do damage, you'd get lag. destroying a ship totally gave a big lag spike. and ships like the cutlass (medium sized multicrew ship) that are way bigger would completely tank FPS for several seconds and run choppy. like 5FPS choppy. it was bad. but, it was a combination of lacking proper occlusion and having poor optimization with loading damage models and network problems, and now that so much of that is properly sorted the lagging and stuttering has diminished almost completely. The cutlass is still a problem, but really only when it first logs in (and loads a ton of shit into everyone's vram) or is completely destroyed. but, the stuttering is brief and doesn't happen just by getting close enough for it to load higher resolution levels of detail.
once they reduce their gpu load by like the 90% the new procedural damage system will reduce it by then we'll see very few problems with how assets are loaded. but there is still whatever the sever side bug is that tanks client FPS, they really are only seeing with with higher concurrency, so everything looks great and plays very well with 8-12 players in a match, but there is a threshold that gets crossed and performance nosedives more than would be expected. like suddenly everyone is playing at 20FPS when just a second ago everyone was at 60FPS and the only difference in one new player. The devs have spoken about the bug, so it's a known problem and they are having the community help them track it down and do stress testing, which is cool. They've already improved online play a lot. 2 or 3 weeks ago when they raised the instance size to 16 player larger matches were totally unplayable and usually just crashed. Now everything is much better, most matches actually finish and lag is going away. Oh, and i haven't seen clients desync from the server in a while, at one point players would appear to just teleport around because they would go one way and the server thought they were somewhere else. then they'd teleport to wherever the client said they were. that was actually a huge problem and one that i would see in console games on the PS4. it was worrisome at the time, because i was hoping for better than PS4 match hosting (which always was full of desync and crashing) but once they got their server all up and proper on their actual platform with google and off of amazon or whoever they were using before everything started to work properly. so i've got reasonable hope they'll sort out the other network problems as well.
multicrew free-flight is going to be the next big thing. if they do like they did before, then once they've got everything stable they'll double the player count. that will not happen until large world maps are in, because it's already a crowded cluster fuck with 16 players in the current 16km arena. hopefully when multicrew is added they'll up the player count to 32. but, by then they'll have their General Instance Manager fully implemented, and they'll have the Game Object STate system (GOST) which sounds like on some level it will be to network traffic what Level's of Detail (LODs) are to graphics load. Among other things GOST will allow for objects to have defined states and it'll let us do everything from lock bulkhead doors and lowering landing gears, but will also probably define internal zones and allow for communication between then but at much lower loads than here is everything going on inside the ship even though me sitting on the toilet reading mobiglas doesn't effect the dogfight outside in any way.
It might be that once more fundamental systems are in place they'll be able to start upping the player count significantly. Chris Roberts has always spoken of a goal of around 100 players in an instance, but, that was all before their partnership with google and like 80 million dollars ago. of course all that remains to be seen, right now 16 players is still buggy. but, on an 8 billion km map, where you're so far apart that the GIM doesn't even send you any network traffic from other players, there's no telling how many people they can stuff in there.
@previous (brie !uXWPG0MygI)
it already is pretty fun. the dog fighting and single crew ships have really come together nicely.
and last night i was watching my frame rate, the optimizations they've done and the networking stuff they've come up with have improved performance quite a lot.
It's typical for the Hanger to have somewhere between excellent and piss poor performance based on the number of ships you own, and for a while it was a real mess with frame rate drops all over the place and texture pop-in was really bad. it also would take on the order of minutes for a scene to fully load all of the textures. They didn't have any kind of occlusion stuff in place, or it was all legacy occlusion systems and they needed to remake it. now that it's in you only render what's in front of you and not what's behind you as well. performance has jumped, and i'm getting some very acceptable performance in there now. it's still not perfect, and still requires boss ass hardware to run at higher resolutions and with textures up all the way, but at 1920x1080 on ultra i was getting a stable 30FPS. dropped to High i was getting 50-60 with little time spent under 50 (except a couple of areas that would drop me into the 40s for some reason (this very well could be an audio problem since they are still working in Wwise as middleware). on medium settings (which is what i usually use) i was getting a solid 60 on a 60hz monitor with vsync enabled.
in online matches i have better performance than in the hangar. i'm getting a solid 60FPS up to High settings. very high i sometimes see dips, but not too often. medium is just smooth as butter. but again, it's not perfect. There is still a server side problem that causes an FPS drop in clients, i have no clue wtf it is, but occasionally (but predictably) there is stuttering. it is much better than it was, and there's still a lot of room to improve. Most ships are still using the old damage tech until they get their next face-lift. the old damage system uses ass loads of vram, like, literally ass loads. each ship had dozens of damage models that were all loaded into memory and got swapped out with the undamaged model as need be. so when you'd do damage, you'd get lag. destroying a ship totally gave a big lag spike. and ships like the cutlass (medium sized multicrew ship) that are way bigger would completely tank FPS for several seconds and run choppy. like 5FPS choppy. it was bad. but, it was a combination of lacking proper occlusion and having poor optimization with loading damage models and network problems, and now that so much of that is properly sorted the lagging and stuttering has diminished almost completely. The cutlass is still a problem, but really only when it first logs in (and loads a ton of shit into everyone's vram) or is completely destroyed. but, the stuttering is brief and doesn't happen just by getting close enough for it to load higher resolution levels of detail.
once they reduce their gpu load by like the 90% the new procedural damage system will reduce it by then we'll see very few problems with how assets are loaded. but there is still whatever the sever side bug is that tanks client FPS, they really are only seeing with with higher concurrency, so everything looks great and plays very well with 8-12 players in a match, but there is a threshold that gets crossed and performance nosedives more than would be expected. like suddenly everyone is playing at 20FPS when just a second ago everyone was at 60FPS and the only difference in one new player. The devs have spoken about the bug, so it's a known problem and they are having the community help them track it down and do stress testing, which is cool. They've already improved online play a lot. 2 or 3 weeks ago when they raised the instance size to 16 player larger matches were totally unplayable and usually just crashed. Now everything is much better, most matches actually finish and lag is going away. Oh, and i haven't seen clients desync from the server in a while, at one point players would appear to just teleport around because they would go one way and the server thought they were somewhere else. then they'd teleport to wherever the client said they were. that was actually a huge problem and one that i would see in console games on the PS4. it was worrisome at the time, because i was hoping for better than PS4 match hosting (which always was full of desync and crashing) but once they got their server all up and proper on their actual platform with google and off of amazon or whoever they were using before everything started to work properly. so i've got reasonable hope they'll sort out the other network problems as well.
multicrew free-flight is going to be the next big thing. if they do like they did before, then once they've got everything stable they'll double the player count. that will not happen until large world maps are in, because it's already a crowded cluster fuck with 16 players in the current 16km arena. hopefully when multicrew is added they'll up the player count to 32. but, by then they'll have their General Instance Manager fully implemented, and they'll have the Game Object STate system (GOST) which sounds like on some level it will be to network traffic what Level's of Detail (LODs) are to graphics load. Among other things GOST will allow for objects to have defined states and it'll let us do everything from lock bulkhead doors and lowering landing gears, but will also probably define internal zones and allow for communication between then but at much lower loads than here is everything going on inside the ship even though me sitting on the toilet reading mobiglas doesn't effect the dogfight outside in any way.
It might be that once more fundamental systems are in place they'll be able to start upping the player count significantly. Chris Roberts has always spoken of a goal of around 100 players in an instance, but, that was all before their partnership with google and like 80 million dollars ago. of course all that remains to be seen, right now 16 players is still buggy. but, on an 8 billion km map, where you're so far apart that the GIM doesn't even send you any network traffic from other players, there's no telling how many people they can stuff in there.
squeegee double-posted this 8.9 years ago, 22 hours later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #592,255
I was Wrong
turns out not everything has been moved over to Google compute yet. but it's all happening tonight! in 2 hours every CIG anything is going offline for up to three hours as they move everything (from the Website to the Game Servers) over to their new platform. This is all evidently a very big deal and has been in the works for months, so no patch this week for the game, looks like the servers are what's getting love.Incoming More Derek Smart Drama
"As soon as legal signs off on it," lol, Derek Smart has another Missive to share about Star Citizen. i can't wait to read it, he claims to have more damning evidence. probably it's more damning opinions like last time, or he's going to take credit for CIG doing refunds. tbh they always have been willing to do refunds, but it wasn't newsworthy until derek smart said they don't. Now there have been some articles about backers having receiving refunds (no shit, Colombo) and i'm betting Derek Smart is going to call it "his coup" and declare the end of Star Citizen and beg more people to ask for refunds.Whatever he has to say, i bet he talks a lot about his "super successful space game that already does everything SC is trying to do (but the features are all turned off right now.)"
(Edited 48 seconds later.)
squeegee triple-posted this 8.9 years ago, 2 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #592,256
damn imgur. pictured: Star Citizen crowdfunding compared to the cost of Cocaine in Kilos. coincidence? Derek Smart doesn't think so.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 8.9 years ago, 3 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #592,257
Derek Smart? More like- Derek Dumb!(but seriously, this guy sounds like an arse)
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 1 hour later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #592,273
@previous (Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx)
if nothing else at least the community is somewhat more tolerant of criticism now. i think disbelief and skepticism are good things to temper the expectations of the community.
but he's been such an ass with banning criticism over his game, Line of Defense, that the mods at CIG have lightened up. some. they are all volunteers, but they are shit. it's a pretty bad echo chamber over there actually, but no one wants to be compared to Derek Smart and his online antics.
can't wait to see what "his lawyers" say he can post
if nothing else at least the community is somewhat more tolerant of criticism now. i think disbelief and skepticism are good things to temper the expectations of the community.
but he's been such an ass with banning criticism over his game, Line of Defense, that the mods at CIG have lightened up. some. they are all volunteers, but they are shit. it's a pretty bad echo chamber over there actually, but no one wants to be compared to Derek Smart and his online antics.
can't wait to see what "his lawyers" say he can post
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 8.9 years ago, 4 hours later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #592,344
@previous (squeegee)
His game isn't even playable. Dunno why he's going after star citizen. He should spend more time working.
His game isn't even playable. Dunno why he's going after star citizen. He should spend more time working.
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 5 days later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,358
Breaking News
the social module is dropping right now, plus, Derek Smart rattles his saber some more!the Social Module is on the PTU right now, and players are being invited to do some early testing. Interestingly there's a new agreement to sign before opting into the PTU, basically it's a confidentiality clause and you promise not to share anything from it or risk losing PTU access. They'll be inviting a limited number of players, but will increase that number over the next few days. likely we'll have the Social Module Update on the live servers by next tuesday, it's usually 1 week in PTU then on to live.
Q. What is the Social Module Anyways?
A. the social module is a specific bundle of game mechanics and features that have been in paralell development with the other modules. the module includes features you'll need in game to engage in social activity and gives you the mechanics to engage in social behavior. It is the chat system, as well as the shopping system, it's also functionally what gives you access to all the information in the game. Mobiglas is a device, much like a cell phone, you use to gain info and interact with some aspects of the environment.
So under the surface what it includes are the "pipes" that allows for other modules (such as the Persistent Universe, Economy and AI simulation module) to hook together into one seamless experience. Functionally what we'll be seeing as different is a pretty big change. So far, for 2 years, everyone has been confined to their hangars. Basically they are just big boxes with ships in it and that's all we've had to call Star Citizen except for Arena Commander. But, finally the hangar doors are opening and the world beyond the elevator is beginning to open up.
We'll be able to leave our hangar and take the elevator to the surface level of ArcCorp. Technically it's something like "ArcCorp Landing Zone NG-127" or something, ArcCrop is a huge world covered in industry and megalithic complexes that extend across all horizons. The surface level is where you'll find shopping, missions, and people. Initially the zone will not be populated with NPCs (except shop keeps) nor will you be able to make purchases or find missions. Social lays the pipes for that content, but the content is coming with the Persistent Universe economic simulation. ArcCorp isn't much on it's own, it's about the size of the capital cities in WoW, or large arena shooter maps, but it's one of a planned several hundred. It's been a test bed for artists and designers to fine tune their building process for cities and other landing zones. we don't know how many sets they have completed, but we know of something like a half dozen either done or in the works. The focus is still ships and base functionality and mechanics, so the landing zones will come on the back end, but they are fleshing out 5 systems for the first release of the Universe next year. Nyx, Stanton, Terra, Sol, and Crusader are i believe the planned starting systems, and we know the major landing zones in the systems are getting love right now or are as done as ArcCrop.
Q. If the "world beyond my hangar" is opening up then can i fly my ship out into space "for real?"
A. no, you still need to use the simpod to fly your ship in a simulation. consider yourself grounded for the moment, but out from house arrest. When Star Marine (the bundle of FPS features and mechanics) module comes out it'll functionally be dropped in as a companion game mode to Arena Commander on your simpod. You'll be able to do shoot-em-up arena games, but probably not have free-roam of ArcCorp armed (especially once it's sharded as a multiplayer zone by their instance manager), but you'll have all new character rigs and animations. After that the MultiCrew module will drop, and that might actually let us fly out of our hangers. We'll have to see, that might exclusively be a thing we don't get until the Persistent Universe PTU sometime next year.
Q. you mentioned Derek Smart.
A. i did! he's written another manifesto and as part of it he had his lawyer draft up a demand letter that tries to force CIG to disclose private financial info, force a hard release date, and start refunding all backers who ask for it. if the demand is not met, then he's claiming he will begin legal action. Basically it's the same thing he has said each time, but this one came with a lawyers letter. https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/3i9vy2/derek_smart_containment_thread/
i cannot express to you the outrage he is causing in the SC community. perhaps this:
https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotRepresentedByDSmart?src=hash
https://www.change.org/p/derek-smart-derek-smart-does-not-represent-the-star-citizen-community
http://guardfrequency.com/an-open-letter-to-derek-smart/ <---written by an attorney, includes a response from Derek Smart
new grass roots movement to explain to the world that he doesn't represent but the smallest fraction of the community will express the outrage for me. by and large people are reaffirming their faith in CIG and denouncing Derek Smart and his agenda. he claims to be "doing it for the backers," but the backers are telling him to fuck the fuck off and that no one is asking for, nor wants him doing anything on our behalf.
it would all be quite lulzy if it wasn't all so damned infuriating.
(Edited 6 minutes later.)
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 8.9 years ago, 7 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,363
@previous (squeegee)
People like Derek smart are parasites. He's an unnecessary distraction and the government should exterminate him.
People like Derek smart are parasites. He's an unnecessary distraction and the government should exterminate him.
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,373
@previous (hater !JGlOo5d1iU)
what he's doing is sockpuppeting reddit (confirmed) and telling people to not "get left holding the bag" and ask for refunds now before all the money is spent on legal defense. He's astroturfing to make it look like impending expensive legal action is imminent and implying that a "run-on-the-bank" right now is the only way to guarantee you'll get all of your money back. he actually doesn't have any ability to sue on his own, since he's been refunded himself, and so he's also encouraging people to file FTC complaints and "join him in his class-action lawsuit" after 30 days of non-compliance. He's basically telling people "i'm giving you a choice, bail out now or suffer the consequences i'm bringing."
and at least one person (that lawyer above) thinks that possibly his dragging CIG into court could potentially directly lead to SC "withering on the vine" rather than being allowed to ripen and just be a bad grape, and Derek Smart doesn't care about that at all. he sees it as a total and abject failure (even after they deliver over and over and over again) and it doesn't matter to him if it does before it's finished or after it's launched and fails.
his god damned sock puppet account was called Yupimright and it was 45 minutes old and telling people "don't get left holding the bag, i'm out" and claimed to be a high level backer! the fucking conniving, lying little cunt fungus
what he's doing is sockpuppeting reddit (confirmed) and telling people to not "get left holding the bag" and ask for refunds now before all the money is spent on legal defense. He's astroturfing to make it look like impending expensive legal action is imminent and implying that a "run-on-the-bank" right now is the only way to guarantee you'll get all of your money back. he actually doesn't have any ability to sue on his own, since he's been refunded himself, and so he's also encouraging people to file FTC complaints and "join him in his class-action lawsuit" after 30 days of non-compliance. He's basically telling people "i'm giving you a choice, bail out now or suffer the consequences i'm bringing."
and at least one person (that lawyer above) thinks that possibly his dragging CIG into court could potentially directly lead to SC "withering on the vine" rather than being allowed to ripen and just be a bad grape, and Derek Smart doesn't care about that at all. he sees it as a total and abject failure (even after they deliver over and over and over again) and it doesn't matter to him if it does before it's finished or after it's launched and fails.
in response to a backer saying "i don't appreciate you taking a developer to court to waste money i gave them": I approved your post because I understand your gripe. Plus there wasn’t a personal attack anywhere in sight.
That said, I think you need to stop being self-absorbed and selfish, and think about the thousands of other backers who are disappointed and just want their money back. That’s why, I clearly indicated in the blog (at the very end) that backers should have the choice to bail, or stay. If you want to stay, that’s your problem.
Like i said earlier, backers have been getting refunds this whole time, it's not been an issue that's had any kind of visibility at all because it wasn't a problem. Smart just focuses on the TOS that explain they don't have to be given at all and claims they never give refunds. There are not "thousands of backers" who want their money back and can't get it, and Derek Smart is the one being selfish and self-absorbed and not thinking about the hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers that don't want their money back and don't want to see their dream game killed by a frivolous lawsuit from FUCKING DEREK GOD DAMNED SMART!@That said, I think you need to stop being self-absorbed and selfish, and think about the thousands of other backers who are disappointed and just want their money back. That’s why, I clearly indicated in the blog (at the very end) that backers should have the choice to bail, or stay. If you want to stay, that’s your problem.
his god damned sock puppet account was called Yupimright and it was 45 minutes old and telling people "don't get left holding the bag, i'm out" and claimed to be a high level backer! the fucking conniving, lying little cunt fungus
(Edited 1 minute later.)
squeegee double-posted this 8.9 years ago, 7 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,376
oh yeah, and that petition that went up just yesterday, he's now threatening the maker and calling it defamation and has insinuated legal action against the dude over what was literally only about 20 signatures. now, after word got around about the "Defamation claim" it's gotten 95 signatures. 5 more and i think it starts spamming derek smart with emails calling him a cunt or something.
edit: updated with the full petition thing, cause it's funnier in full context
Since July of 2015, Derek Smart has taken it upon himself to thrust his brow-raising opinions and unverified claims into the spotlight and proclaim them to be fact (while refusing to provide any evidence that he claims to have possession of), and to represent the Star Citizen community.
Contrary to his claims of simply trying to "hold RSI (CIG) accountable" and his attempts to paint himself as a warrior of justice for the SC community and the crowdfunding community as a whole, his repeated spastic and outrageous recorded outbursts on his blog, Twitter account, and elsewhere, have shown through his poorly-maintained veneer.
It's not even a theory that he is doing what he is doing in an attempt to bring CIG to its knees for no other reason than to benefit himself - he's provided plenty of examples on his own accord proving what his true intentions are, such as demanding that Chris Roberts immediately step down and CIG instate an outside "Executive Producer" and third-party auditor while in the same breath mentioning that he also happens to be an "Executive Producer" and that he will set aside $1,000,000 of his own funds to hire an auditor himself to bring in to CIG.
He's laid bare what he would do to the company and game should he somehow be in the position to be in charge of CIG.
He's made empty threats repeatedly and since the beginning about CIG being sued and audited.
He's literally slandered CIG, Chris Roberts and plenty of others many times in his hypocritical crusade against Star Citizen.
I needn't go on, as I assume that any of you bothering to read this are already all-too-familiar with what has been going on with Derek Smart since July, 2015.
Derek Smart - this petition demands that you immediately desist in your ongoing actions against "RSI" (CIG) and Star Citizen. We, the Star Citizen backers, are not stupid. We can see through your pathetic plans easier than air itself. We are adults who have made our own decision to fund CIG in their attempt to build the best damned space sim ever, and we do NOT need you to pretend to be our savior, sent from the heavens to get us all refunds. If we want refunds, we can go to CIG just as we always have and get them. Contrary to what you believe, you weren't the instigator that pushed CIG into giving refunds. They have been giving them since the beginning on a case-by-case basis.
You are but one person. You are not, and never were, a part of the Star Citizen community. Your single (refunded) pledge is meaningless compared to the remaining $87+ million dollars that this community has pledged to see SC come to fruition. How dare you threaten to take time and funding away from CIG, funding and time from THIS community. You are no fan of SC and you are not welcome among us. Go back to your Line of Defense "game" and leave us be.
Sincerely,
The Vast Majority of the Star Citizen Community
https://www.change.org/p/derek-smart-derek-smart-does-not-represent-the-star-citizen-communityContrary to his claims of simply trying to "hold RSI (CIG) accountable" and his attempts to paint himself as a warrior of justice for the SC community and the crowdfunding community as a whole, his repeated spastic and outrageous recorded outbursts on his blog, Twitter account, and elsewhere, have shown through his poorly-maintained veneer.
It's not even a theory that he is doing what he is doing in an attempt to bring CIG to its knees for no other reason than to benefit himself - he's provided plenty of examples on his own accord proving what his true intentions are, such as demanding that Chris Roberts immediately step down and CIG instate an outside "Executive Producer" and third-party auditor while in the same breath mentioning that he also happens to be an "Executive Producer" and that he will set aside $1,000,000 of his own funds to hire an auditor himself to bring in to CIG.
He's laid bare what he would do to the company and game should he somehow be in the position to be in charge of CIG.
He's made empty threats repeatedly and since the beginning about CIG being sued and audited.
He's literally slandered CIG, Chris Roberts and plenty of others many times in his hypocritical crusade against Star Citizen.
I needn't go on, as I assume that any of you bothering to read this are already all-too-familiar with what has been going on with Derek Smart since July, 2015.
Derek Smart - this petition demands that you immediately desist in your ongoing actions against "RSI" (CIG) and Star Citizen. We, the Star Citizen backers, are not stupid. We can see through your pathetic plans easier than air itself. We are adults who have made our own decision to fund CIG in their attempt to build the best damned space sim ever, and we do NOT need you to pretend to be our savior, sent from the heavens to get us all refunds. If we want refunds, we can go to CIG just as we always have and get them. Contrary to what you believe, you weren't the instigator that pushed CIG into giving refunds. They have been giving them since the beginning on a case-by-case basis.
You are but one person. You are not, and never were, a part of the Star Citizen community. Your single (refunded) pledge is meaningless compared to the remaining $87+ million dollars that this community has pledged to see SC come to fruition. How dare you threaten to take time and funding away from CIG, funding and time from THIS community. You are no fan of SC and you are not welcome among us. Go back to your Line of Defense "game" and leave us be.
Sincerely,
The Vast Majority of the Star Citizen Community
edit: updated with the full petition thing, cause it's funnier in full context
(Edited 6 minutes later.)
squeegee triple-posted this 8.9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,379
it really does seem like Derek thinks he can somehow use legal shenanigans to depose Chris Roberts as the chairman of CIG, take over the company himself, and then turn it into the new Derek Smart's Battlecruiser 3000 game.
interestingly enough he was brought in to work on some mmo called Alganon and he literally ended up taking over the company as president, fired the founder/creator, and then proceeded to run the game completely into the ground making a blatant WoW clone and was accused of plagiarism during the whole ordeal. he ruins every single game he touches, and he's got it in his mind that he can be brought in to advise on Star Citizen, and then fire Chris Roberts and take over the game and chop it to pieces. he actually went into great detail what his plan would be for SC as chairman if he was given the chance. basically he would remove every feature that makes SC unique and he would turn it into several titles instead of one. Showing that he has zero concept of what a seamless universe IS.
he calls his game a seamless universe and yet there's loading screens everywhere and non-diegetic interfaces. it's fucking sad :( him taking over SC would be a nightmare, and i most certainly would start asking for a refund if that were to ever come to pass. but, turns out Smart has been attacking Chris Roberts for over a decade, since back when Chris Roberts was at Digital Anvil. He's super duper jelly that Wing Commander was a critical success that launched a franchise and Battle Cruiser 3000 was a failure that launched the greatest flamewar in internet history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Mikademus/flamewar
interestingly enough he was brought in to work on some mmo called Alganon and he literally ended up taking over the company as president, fired the founder/creator, and then proceeded to run the game completely into the ground making a blatant WoW clone and was accused of plagiarism during the whole ordeal. he ruins every single game he touches, and he's got it in his mind that he can be brought in to advise on Star Citizen, and then fire Chris Roberts and take over the game and chop it to pieces. he actually went into great detail what his plan would be for SC as chairman if he was given the chance. basically he would remove every feature that makes SC unique and he would turn it into several titles instead of one. Showing that he has zero concept of what a seamless universe IS.
he calls his game a seamless universe and yet there's loading screens everywhere and non-diegetic interfaces. it's fucking sad :( him taking over SC would be a nightmare, and i most certainly would start asking for a refund if that were to ever come to pass. but, turns out Smart has been attacking Chris Roberts for over a decade, since back when Chris Roberts was at Digital Anvil. He's super duper jelly that Wing Commander was a critical success that launched a franchise and Battle Cruiser 3000 was a failure that launched the greatest flamewar in internet history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Mikademus/flamewar
squeegee quadruple-posted this 8.9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,380
https://youtu.be/nVsl5u7Hno4
Well, that wasn't long. PTU embargo broken, first 15 minute vid of ArcCorp in the PU
o.o
omg. it's already multiplayer. i didn't think it was instanced as a zone :o
Well, that wasn't long. PTU embargo broken, first 15 minute vid of ArcCorp in the PU
o.o
omg. it's already multiplayer. i didn't think it was instanced as a zone :o
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
squeegee quintuple-posted this 8.9 years ago, 38 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,382
Tony Zurovec (Director of PU) was in chatroll earlier, here are some random answers he gave to questions we posted to him. Please note that some of these were with respect to the Social Module PTU which just launched:
When asked about avatars:
Clothing customization will come first. Facial and body customization will come a bit later. The exact elements haven't yet been decided, but the basic thinking is that you'll be able to select your sex, possibly some level of height/weight, hair, skin tone, facial texture, possibly eyes and nose, likely distinguishing marks (like scars), and other such things.
When asked about delivery dates/scope:
I'm predominantly focused on what we can realistically deliver over the next twelve months. It's a rolling window, so in six months I'll be worried about what we can deliver 18 months from now.
When asked about player limits/networking:
The networking could easily handle 50 players at the moment. It's the graphics performance that's the limiting factor. That graphics performance will take a substantial leap forward as soon as we're back in the "GameDev" stream. It's a long story, but basically Star Citizen split the code base into streams for Star Marine, and we had to do the Social Module in 1.2.0 - which doesn't have access to the latest graphics stuff - because that's where GIM was, and we had to do GIM in 1.2.0 with Star Marine because it needed a more robust matchmaker.
When asked about dev streams:
Merging 1.2.0 and GameDev is a huge priority. It's a long story, but basically the code base split when Star Marine was supposed to launch, and most of the main (not FPS specific) development occurs in the GameDev stream. We had to launch the Social Module from 1.2.0 - without the benefit of a lot of cool stuff in GameDev - because we needed GIM and the other updated networking tech, and that had specifically been done in 1.2.0 for the benefit of Star Marine. So...long story short...we'll take a quantum leap once we're back in GameDev.
Other stuff
1. They are planning a rollout of a lot of features soon, with daily PTU updates, and at least two LARGE updates of the Social Module this year, with many more smaller ones in between.
2. The Current Arccorp space in the PTU is about a third of the final size of Arccorp. There are two fenced off areas that nobody can access yet (although by the time I post this I'm guessing someone will have figured out how to clip through).
3. The Size of Terra Prime will be THREE times the size of any other planetary landing zone. Initially 3 maps stitched together, eventually seamless without any loading.
When asked about avatars:
Clothing customization will come first. Facial and body customization will come a bit later. The exact elements haven't yet been decided, but the basic thinking is that you'll be able to select your sex, possibly some level of height/weight, hair, skin tone, facial texture, possibly eyes and nose, likely distinguishing marks (like scars), and other such things.
When asked about delivery dates/scope:
I'm predominantly focused on what we can realistically deliver over the next twelve months. It's a rolling window, so in six months I'll be worried about what we can deliver 18 months from now.
When asked about player limits/networking:
The networking could easily handle 50 players at the moment. It's the graphics performance that's the limiting factor. That graphics performance will take a substantial leap forward as soon as we're back in the "GameDev" stream. It's a long story, but basically Star Citizen split the code base into streams for Star Marine, and we had to do the Social Module in 1.2.0 - which doesn't have access to the latest graphics stuff - because that's where GIM was, and we had to do GIM in 1.2.0 with Star Marine because it needed a more robust matchmaker.
When asked about dev streams:
Merging 1.2.0 and GameDev is a huge priority. It's a long story, but basically the code base split when Star Marine was supposed to launch, and most of the main (not FPS specific) development occurs in the GameDev stream. We had to launch the Social Module from 1.2.0 - without the benefit of a lot of cool stuff in GameDev - because we needed GIM and the other updated networking tech, and that had specifically been done in 1.2.0 for the benefit of Star Marine. So...long story short...we'll take a quantum leap once we're back in GameDev.
Other stuff
1. They are planning a rollout of a lot of features soon, with daily PTU updates, and at least two LARGE updates of the Social Module this year, with many more smaller ones in between.
2. The Current Arccorp space in the PTU is about a third of the final size of Arccorp. There are two fenced off areas that nobody can access yet (although by the time I post this I'm guessing someone will have figured out how to clip through).
3. The Size of Terra Prime will be THREE times the size of any other planetary landing zone. Initially 3 maps stitched together, eventually seamless without any loading.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 8.9 years ago, 14 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,385
@594,373 (squeegee)
@594,376 (squeegee)
@594,379 (squeegee)
This man's behaviour is fascinating, in a way. He has quite a large ego, which seems to detract from his ability to clearly evaluate other people and the world around him. I would be interested to read an expert psychologist's analysis of Smart.
@594,376 (squeegee)
@594,379 (squeegee)
This man's behaviour is fascinating, in a way. He has quite a large ego, which seems to detract from his ability to clearly evaluate other people and the world around him. I would be interested to read an expert psychologist's analysis of Smart.
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 5 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,386
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 8.9 years ago, 10 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,388
@previous (squeegee)
She married him in the first place. Means nothing. Probably divorced him because he is a failure.
She married him in the first place. Means nothing. Probably divorced him because he is a failure.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 8.9 years ago, 15 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,389
dw replied with this 8.9 years ago, 7 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,390
This thread needs a part two, it is shit to read on mobile
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 8.9 years ago, 14 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,392
hater !JGlOo5d1iU replied with this 8.9 years ago, 15 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,394
dw replied with this 8.9 years ago, 3 hours later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,427
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 8.9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,431
squeegee replied with this 8.9 years ago, 1 hour later, 8 months after the original post[^] [v] #594,468
Anonymous D replied with this 8 years ago, 11 months later, 1.6 year after the original post[^] [v] #702,736
Is this game a thing yet?
Anonymous T joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 58 minutes later, 1.6 year after the original post[^] [v] #702,748
chester joined in and replied with this 1.4 year ago, 6.6 years later, 8.2 years after the original post[^] [v] #1,213,354
where's the game
where's squeegee
where's squeegee