Chris Roberts Back in your wallet - STAR CITIZEN

[Samprimary]

Can enjoy that purely on the basis of him kicking moviebob square in the nuts at 2:40

[Phred]

The whole forum separation has gotten really weird and that's probably a sign of how games have been evolving in the past few years. World of Tanks is in the MMO section and it really is not one. MechWarrior is the same identical game and is in the PC/Console section instead. And Star Citizen, well, no on really knows exactly how the single player/multiplayer are gonna work, but seems like there will be some persistent centralized servers, but you can run it offline too or on private servers, so hard to place it.

Same reason Path of Exile is in the MMO section while Diablo 3 is in Single player.

[Kageru]

Can enjoy that purely on the basis of him kicking moviebob square in the nuts at 2:40

Agree with that, the guy also seems to have his head on straight, hope he can take the game to successful completion.

The idea of a big open world from which you can seque into and out of single player experiences, with a lot of shared assets, sounds pretty economical and good for retention. Building a world that can be expanded more or less indefinitely is a great plan for a smaller company, especially if they design game content that can be re-used and replicated in the open world section.

[Pennilenko]

The conversations that Roberts has about gaming are the reason i backed the game with approximately what a box might cost.

[Samprimary]

I spent a lot of time going over pretty much everything yet available on this project.

My impression of the whole system is that it is incredibly ambitious in a way which typically leads to scalebacks and oversimplification, but in this case isn't necessarily the case.

At any rate, though, they need to be very scared of the potential problems that their approach can cause. They're saying "We will have a system which will allow you to tweak your ship and go around the cosmos seeking little tweaks and improvements, but there's no equipment 'levels,' and your game choices won't be simple optimization or boating, and there will be a huge number of different weapons that each fulfill a different niche, you don't have to use this you can just be a casual player who can hop in a ship and it works great!


I mean, okay, you can also promise a pony. This is a very difficult thing to balance out without bad outcomes.

Boating and maxing would simply be your largest problems. Since most of your decisionmaking for a frame is a pretty simple to calculate tradeoff of performance (speed, maneuverability, available power) and firepower (probably including tradeoffs involving pure DPS, effective sustainable DPS, ammo limits, effective range, and tracking/projectile speed between all weapon types), you will quickly find without some extensive balancing magic that the best builds are either "boaty" — taking the efficiency of a specific weapon/item and simply multiplying it as much as you can by placing as many of it as you can fit — or otherwise maximizing a specific output like speed or lack of signature or something. It leads to a sterilizing situation. One sort of ship you are 'supposed' to be running. You all know the deal, and I'm sort of repeating the same discussion verbatim.

[Lucas]

$15 million goal reached:

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13159-15-Million

It’s unbelievable: Star Citizen fans have helped us reach the $15 million mark without any special promotion! Ten years ago, big publishers decided space games weren’t profitable… and you are proving them very, very wrong!

The $15 million unlock adds another flyable ship class to the game, the oft-discussed escort carrier. Every backer will also get a free digital 42-page Upgrade Handbook manual with their game which goes through the process of customizing and overclocking ship systems! We’re excited about putting this one together, since it goes right to the heart of what’s going to make Star Citizen unique.

The previously-announced $16 million stretch goals are:

- Arena mode: Arena mode is a simulation within the game, although it is not the simulator itself. Players will have access to an actual training simulator in their hangars, which will be used for the dogfight alpha. The Arena is something bigger. It is a galaxy-wide event, where players come to specific locations, pay their entry fees, and jump into space battles to prove who is the best dogfighter of all. Think of it as a combination of a sports tournament and modern-day gaming contests. Each winner will receive credits for the victory, and the best of the best will meet in higher and higher rounds until a grand champion is crowned.

- A laser pistol for every pledger before this point. Keep your ship safe from boarders with a pistol by your side.
------------

With today’s achievement, we’re happy to unlock the $17 million rewards:

$17 million

- Ship upgrade package for every pledger containing an engine modifier.
- Additional flyable ship class: battlecruiser

Thank you all for your continued support. Tell your friends, Star Citizen is coming!

[Samprimary]

Ambition, ambition, ambition. What would flying a battlecruiser be like? Naval overlay in a bridge? It would be so awesome.

[Stormwaltz]

EVE?

Commanding the Mothership in Homeworld?

[UnSub]

Star Citizen is profitable right now only because the money hasn't been spent on development.

[Pennilenko]

Star Citizen is profitable right now only because the money hasn't been spent on development.

Don't you fuckin ruin the mood man. Wait a few days before you crush my fantasy with your reality talk.

[Samprimary]

I'm torn between deciding which analytic approach I want to pursue for the development timeframe of Star Citizen. Hope, or cynicism? I know I want this game to be even half as cool as Roberts' is primping it out to be, and I already know I will like the structure and concept of the game, since there's a big itch in my life for a game which has the same general structure, world interactivity, and intended concept that Freelancer did, straight down to the planet landing sequences, bars, trade routes, and shit. And even if I anticipate the scale of his project to be brutally ground down by development realities and could bet good cold solid hard cash that this game will be delivered substantially after his intended timeframe, I still think what it might get ground down into ... might be awesome. Maybe. But you know how often this doesn't turn out.

Maybe I should be just like this ridiculous cheerleader for the game just to mix things up a bit. Be the Hype Train.

[Pennilenko]

Every few years I drop my skepticism to jump on a hype train for a ride. I havent been on a hype train since vanguard. So i am going to ride this one and see how it rides.

[Samprimary]

I think I'll start by replaying freelancer

[K9]

I havent been on a hype train since vanguard.

 

[Mrbloodworth]

I think I'll start by replaying freelancer

I did that recently, with the Discovery mod. I recommend.

[Samprimary]

I think I'll start by replaying freelancer

I did that recently, with the Discovery mod. I recommend.

I'm really seriously trying to get Discovery to work so I can do multiplayer stuff. My legitimate copy of Freelancer doesn't even install correctly anymore, and torrented copies of Freelancer have never worked right with the newest versions.

Hrmf.

Until someone can help me work that pile of nuttery out, I am playing the singleplayer. But, as I've noted once long ago, Freelancer is a game that only begins when it ends, and you're set free to explore.

[Mrbloodworth]

Wingman's Hangar ep034 . August 16, 2013

Great stuff in the "Forum feedback with Chris Roberts" part.

[Mrbloodworth]

Star Citizen Interview w/ Chris Roberts: Hangar Module Preview, Dog-Fighting Updates


Hanger Mod in 4 days. 

[Lucas]

Yep, and expect severe stress on the download server(s), with the usual drama unfolding on the forums; nothing new, really  . From what I gathered, first we'll have to download the launcher/patcher (which will also be used for future patching and the dogfighting alpha), then the whole hangar client.

Can't wait to check out my Freelancer, Origin 315p, Aurora LX and Origin M50 (will I get the business or deluxe hangar, by the way?) 

[Samprimary]

I explained to my dad today "no, see, that's the thing, they're paying money for the promise of a digital spaceship that you can fly around in a game."

[Mrbloodworth]

In other Star Citizen news, Roberts recently told Eurogamer that he no longer needs traditional investor money to make the game. "I'm actually not taking money from investors now. The budget for what we're delivering is about $20 million, and we're almost there [via crowdfunding] -- we'll probably be there before the end of the year," he said. Don't forget to click past the cut to view the video!

http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/08/22/gamescom-2013-roberts-demos-star-citizens-hangar-module/

Also, Hanger is today Saturday I think, there is also a video in the above article.

[Stormwaltz]

If you ever wanted to gaze deeply into Chris Roberts' eyes...

[Lucas]

Tomorrow (Saturday)  the Hangar Module will be officialy unveiled at Gamescom (it will stream live on the official game website from 2 to 3pm CST, 9 to 10pm CET). Release to backers will happen on August 29th. You can find all the details (plus a FAQ at the end of the article) at this link:

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13214-Letter-From-The-Chairman-The-Hangar-Module

The first release of the Hangar Module is coming! We will be making the very first revision of the Hangar online exclusively for backers the week following its unveiling at Gamescom at our event on the 24th of August. The presentation will stream live on RSI from 2 to 3 PM CST. The module itself will be available for download for all backers starting August 29.


I’d like to take a moment to discuss exactly what you’re getting. First and foremost, the Hangar Module you will load next week is by no means a finished product. It is the earliest build of anything I have ever shared with the public. In fact, it’s at an even earlier stage than I would feel comfortable giving to any publisher I’ve worked with in the past and long before I would be sharing builds with QA in a traditional game development schedule! But Star Citizen is all about trying new approaches in game development.


The Hangar Module was not something we promised during the initial crowdfunding campaign. We had originally promised to share how the game was made with regular updates on our website and give early backers access the full game’s Alpha and Beta builds. But once we started development we came upon the idea of taking the constant public iteration that you get with a “live” online game and applying it during the game’s development to allow us to engage and involve the Star Citizen community of backers in the process of the making of the game. The Hangar Module seemed like a natural choice for our first public facing deliverable. While it may not be as glamorous as the Dogfighting Module which we aim to deliver by the end of this year, it requires a whole bunch of content and functionality that the final game will use, from the ships and their data structures, to communicating with your account to installing and patching the client. The Hangar Module will be the base foundation that everything is added as we release additional modules, eventually cumulating in the full persistent world alpha / beta.


Revision 1 of the Hangar will be very simple. You will be able to walk around, enter the initial pledge ships and explore a ground level in CryEngine that shows the kind of detail we are putting into the full game. It is intended as a very basic example of our direction that we are putting out to reward our backers, something to give you a chance to view “your” ship for the first time. Be warned, we have only just begun the QA process. This is the first stable build, not a slick “open beta” or anything designed as a promotional tool. We’re letting you in on the ground floor because we want to open up the process. Expect to encounter crashes, rendering bugs and other issues. Your feedback will help improve Star Citizen.


We need your help to test the hangar, just like you will be testing the game itself. After release, we will open a special forum for reporting and tracking hangar bugs. Your reports will go directly to the team, who will act on the bugs. Please don’t report them to the support e-mail, as our CS staff won’t be able to walk through hangar issues just yet!

In the coming months, we plan to release additional “major” Revisions of the Hangar, where we add more functionality and content. Things like detailed customization of your personal hangar, persistence of the state of all your items (what is equipped and where), in client item purchasing and the ability to invite your friends to your hangar will be part of later revisions of the Hangar Module.

Just because we’ve launched a module to the community doesn’t mean that it’s completely done. It just means its ready for the community’s feedback and stress testing! Our plan is to update each module (Hangar, Dogfighting, Planet, Ship-boarding) multiple times as new features and content are completed before the full integration into the persistent universe.

Over the coming months additional ships and upgrades will become available (as they are completed) and we will continue to enhance the level of interactivity. The goal is for the Hangar to go from a very simple pre-alpha build to a full featured module before your eyes! It’s something no one has done with an AAA game before. It’s a little daunting, but it’s also another new way to share the development process with our backers.The first release of the Hangar Module is coming! We will be making the very first revision of the Hangar online exclusively for backers the week following its unveiling at Gamescom at our event on the 24th of August. The presentation will stream live on RSI from 2 to 3 PM CST. The module itself will be available for download for all backers starting August 29.


I’d like to take a moment to discuss exactly what you’re getting. First and foremost, the Hangar Module you will load next week is by no means a finished product. It is the earliest build of anything I have ever shared with the public. In fact, it’s at an even earlier stage than I would feel comfortable giving to any publisher I’ve worked with in the past and long before I would be sharing builds with QA in a traditional game development schedule! But Star Citizen is all about trying new approaches in game development.


The Hangar Module was not something we promised during the initial crowdfunding campaign. We had originally promised to share how the game was made with regular updates on our website and give early backers access the full game’s Alpha and Beta builds. But once we started development we came upon the idea of taking the constant public iteration that you get with a “live” online game and applying it during the game’s development to allow us to engage and involve the Star Citizen community of backers in the process of the making of the game. The Hangar Module seemed like a natural choice for our first public facing deliverable. While it may not be as glamorous as the Dogfighting Module which we aim to deliver by the end of this year, it requires a whole bunch of content and functionality that the final game will use, from the ships and their data structures, to communicating with your account to installing and patching the client. The Hangar Module will be the base foundation that everything is added as we release additional modules, eventually cumulating in the full persistent world alpha / beta.


Revision 1 of the Hangar will be very simple. You will be able to walk around, enter the initial pledge ships and explore a ground level in CryEngine that shows the kind of detail we are putting into the full game. It is intended as a very basic example of our direction that we are putting out to reward our backers, something to give you a chance to view “your” ship for the first time. Be warned, we have only just begun the QA process. This is the first stable build, not a slick “open beta” or anything designed as a promotional tool. We’re letting you in on the ground floor because we want to open up the process. Expect to encounter crashes, rendering bugs and other issues. Your feedback will help improve Star Citizen.


We need your help to test the hangar, just like you will be testing the game itself. After release, we will open a special forum for reporting and tracking hangar bugs. Your reports will go directly to the team, who will act on the bugs. Please don’t report them to the support e-mail, as our CS staff won’t be able to walk through hangar issues just yet!

In the coming months, we plan to release additional “major” Revisions of the Hangar, where we add more functionality and content. Things like detailed customization of your personal hangar, persistence of the state of all your items (what is equipped and where), in client item purchasing and the ability to invite your friends to your hangar will be part of later revisions of the Hangar Module.

Just because we’ve launched a module to the community doesn’t mean that it’s completely done. It just means its ready for the community’s feedback and stress testing! Our plan is to update each module (Hangar, Dogfighting, Planet, Ship-boarding) multiple times as new features and content are completed before the full integration into the persistent universe.

Over the coming months additional ships and upgrades will become available (as they are completed) and we will continue to enhance the level of interactivity. The goal is for the Hangar to go from a very simple pre-alpha build to a full featured module before your eyes! It’s something no one has done with an AAA game before. It’s a little daunting, but it’s also another new way to share the development process with our backers.

Can't wait to post some screenshots and maybe a video(there is no NDA, of course :P) :)

[Mrbloodworth]

I Find this method of development, "public iterations" quite cool. I hope it will make for a very solid product as they go along.

[Margalis]

So...you walk around some static geometry in CryEngine?

(Or "geo" as we industry douches like to call it.)

[Miasma]

Maybe it's to appeal to the Eve pilots.  Many an hour were spent locked in hangar bays unable to exit due to enemies and such.  You had better be able to spin your ship around and around.

[Malakili]

http://www.twitch.tv/roberts_space_ind_ch_1/c/2809927

Skip to 22 minutes for the "gameplay" demo.

[Miasma]

Quite the sycophant crowd there.  Wooooohhh fucking LADDERS!!!  Crash.  Applause.

Edit: That was embarrassing.  All the vocal members of that audience should be shot dead.  WHOOOOOOOOOOOAH some minor thing APPLAUSE!

[Samprimary]

The fuck kind of sorcery are they working where an acknowledged super-rudimentary super-this-is-a-level-beyond-early-alpha tech demo gets that kind of crowd response

[Pennilenko]

They have been sold a digital dash of hope that they will finally get their updated deep space game without some big publisher shitting all over it.

[Samprimary]

Also I think it was a bar or something. I guess I could be all over getting sauced and WOOOO'ing at a digital demo of Freelancrysis' pimpin garage.

[Lucas]

Hangar release imminent! (yeah, well, still planned for tomorrow, August 29th, anyway) :

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13232-Hangar-Release-Imminent

[Mrbloodworth]

Yep, Hanger releace day. I'm all:



While Roberts is all:



However, anyone paying attention should know, this system is going to fail, they hope it does. Better now than later. Part of the entire exercise is to test the data servers and the patcher system ETC.

[Lucas]

My wardrobe is ready!!



 

But seriously, I wish I was ready: unfortunately I'll be able to check out my invaluable virtual properties only next monday :( (unless I purchase a decent computer for my GF, tomorrow :P)

[Mrbloodworth]

I Expect delays, so your golden.