The Star Citizen Thread v 3.0

[Confucios]

Keep finding interesting tidy-bits from the monthly report (14k words report makes for a hefty reading), here´s a a peek into what's coming in terms of content for the bigger maps.

Environments:
-The environment team has been busy with the map for the Arena Commander 2.0 release for CitizenCon. We have three main stations with interiors whiteboxed out now, along with one planet, three moons, three smaller satellites and a set of small asteroids. We have also been taking a new Low Tech Alpha set up to greybox that will allow us to build our station interiors more sensibly and to a grander scale than originally planned. The last POI to go in will be Asteroid Gainey and its sister set of large asteroids which are currently being prototyped.
-All these points of interest have gone into the new map.
-Next we’ll be continuing refinement on the large world map, getting lighting, mood and atmosphere locked down for each of the three stations, along with extensive testing on the physical limits we can push for Asteroid Gainey and the large asteroids.

 

[Tubz]

I'm not entirely convinced that SC will feature magic anti-G technology to be honest. I know that the Old Vanderval map would certainly seem to indicate it, but this might just be a mockup for AC, seeing as they haven't (to my knowledge) said anything about the game featuring anti-g technology, except in very limited form (as described here)

I'm sure its well established in SC lore.

The Star Marine map has a gravity gen that can be turned off to achieve 0-G.

Multi-crew ships have their own gravity that can be turned off and on


Regarding the concept, We really have no idea what the ring is for, it could be for achieving cheap gravity for testing things as it is a science ship. Say a plant that is native to a massive planet with gravity far in excess of 1g. Its possible that SC ships cannot vary gravity between sections of the ship. Or if they can safely go above 1g without damaging a ship.

Its worth noting there are a few other images showing different mid-sections that can be swapped.

http://imgur.com/gallery/Lzthn/new

taken from SC reddit

"I was also there so I can answer with what little we learned. The round part was part of the science modules that will be swap-able. Nothing specific on these ones in particular but what was mentioned was a green house style module that would be used with plants and animals that are brought up and will somehow be involved with tera forming. Then there was the medical module that would include a shuttle bay that will fit... A cutlass Red..."

*Cutlass red is a medical ship

 

[Pomerlaw]

Q & A : https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitize...se_industries_at_dragon_con_2015_live/curv392

19: HOTAS vs MKB - closing the gap? Ben - ongoing process to balance, they know it's a concern. CR's objective is to make a tradeoff - want to give fixed weapons enough of an advantage that they will have the upper hand.

Hmm...

 

[Neo-ST]

^^The most solution ever.
I really wonder if they even know what's the problem in the first place...

 

[Mu77ley]

^^The most solution ever.
I really wonder if they even know what's the problem in the first place...

Yep. it's just as bad as when they tried to fix it by implementing the disastrous auto-aim nonsense for joystick users.

 

[Kerrash]

On time after the new ETA given that aimed for "end of august" and everyone was expecting to be delayed (again) for 2/3 weeks, as was the norm.



ArcCorp was increased exponentially, what was showed before was just the main plaza with all the shops around that spherical clog monument, now they are spread around farther away, and it seems it´s just the first pass because it´s been said it´s only 1/3 of the final size atm.
There will definitely be better hardware as years go, that´s why many are waiting to upgrade their system so it´s more closer to the game´s release and get the most bang-for-buck. I personally intend to do so, the FPS module might change, or not, that in the close future.

I finally had chance to download and play the social module today, I must say graphically it looks very impressive.
What's the timeline on expanding it to support more activities?

 

[Confucios]

I finally had chance to download and play the social module today, I must say graphically it looks very impressive.
What's the timeline on expanding it to support more activities?

A definitive time-line wasn't released, only that several updates would be give in the upcoming months.
In the social module update the director in charge of that module gives a more in-depth look of what is yet to come.

In Short:

Spoiler

The Next Major for the PU will be Persistence The update may be split into two as when the current code merging is complete they should be able to immediately update the Social module with some of the features.
Persistence
Much Better communication between web platform and game & lots of backend code / optimisations Items purchased in game / on Website will appear in both! So Objects in game able to retain state across servers and other mediums.
Shared Inviteable, hangars will be available
Casaba Outlet will Open – This is the clothing Store
Some visual upgrades across ArcCorp, like the storefronts.
Million Mile High Club accessible from hangar elevator
Huge Changes to the Chat System, implementing various features like ignore function, private messaging and a better UI.
Maximum player count to at least 40 per instance.
A lot of backend and behind the scenes improvements.
Shopping
Allow players to buy item, equipment & clothing from the stores in ArcCorp & allows players to begin customizing their characters.
This update will really concentrate on shopping & the whole shopping experience with augmented reality, mobiGlas interfaces, product delivery options all that sort of thing.
Some of the other shops like the bar, medical bay ect…. may become more functional.
The Demand & Supply Systems will be connected to various backend systems so that Player & NPC actions can influence them
A lot of backend & code work!
Who knows what they could have instore for us to purchase! Titan Armour would be on my list!
Subsumption
Subsumption Update will add “Intelligent” NPCs going about their own business
This update will add a completely new Environment Nyx
The Nyx Preview they have given us look pretty amazing!
Final Frontier
Accept simple missions planetside and then head out into space to complete them.
Quantum
“Full blown” star system navigation map, allowing easy access to any part of the current system, including cities on three other Stanton planets: Hurston, Microtech, and Crusader.
So there is actually quite a lot to look forward to over the next few months just within the area of the Social Module. I would expect we will have a large proportion of them by Christmas.
Anyway guys there are links to more about the Social Module and the latest Patch log in the description below. Please don’t forget to like & Subscribe it really does help me & I will see you In the Verse.

Spoiler

 

[Jenner]

I finally had chance to download and play the social module today, I must say graphically it looks very impressive.
What's the timeline on expanding it to support more activities?

Before the end of the year, it and the Stanton System should be substantially fleshed out. Take it with a grain of salt of course. That said, CIG has said several times recently that their release schedule is going to pick up pace. Hopefully we'll see more drops from them now than we have since the FPS and Main Trunk code branches were split back in March.

So before the end of the year CIG is supposedly hoping to get the items that Confucios outlined above.

 

[Confucios]

Before the end of the year, it and the Stanton System should be substantially fleshed out.

Yeah reading the lore it´s easy to understand why they went with that System first, it´s a highly capitalism driven System, and it´s small 4 planets are all habitable but completely different aesthetically speaking :

"Stanton is an anomaly. It contains a wide green zone with four super-earths that required very little terraforming, making them almost immediately habitable. The ecologies on the four worlds vary wildly, generating significant interest among scientists. The system was already populated by a tens of thousands - prospectors, survivalists and squatters, before the UEE took notice of its existence. A quartet of super-earths is a rare find and the empire moved in quickly to claim eminent domain. Unfortunately, with a suffering economy, they lacked the economic resources to capitalize on the find. This resulted in a decision to sell the system assets off to the highest bidders. The winners are believed to have flushed trillions into the UEE economy: MicroTech, Hurston Dynamics, ArcCorp and Crusader Industries. In a remarkable lack of originality, the four worlds are named after the winning bidders."

Spoiler

STANTON SYSTEM

• Corporations: MicroTech, ArcCorp, Crusader and Hurston
• Imports: Hydrogen, Manpower, Ore & Weapons
• Exports: Antimatter, Electronics, Engines, Explosives, Mining Equipment & Starship components
• Player Profession Support: Weapons, electronics and ship components, cargo transport contracts, mining contracts, wholesale antimatter
• May possess Jump Points to: Chronos, Kallis, Pelles, Sol & Vega
• Special Points of Interest: Wally's Bar (G-Lock?) on ArcCorp contains NPCs that provide work orders & missions.

Stanton I: MicroTech
Large and generally a cold planet due to an error during the UEE terraforming process which caused dense clouds to form in the atmosphere. MT produces MobiGlass which is now a standard piece of digital assistive technology similar to a PDA. MT also specializes in other forms of high tech electronics commonly found in ship systems. Visitors can look for work and cargo updates at Wally’s Bar. Just don’t ask for Wally!

Spoiler

Stanton II: Hurston
Stanton II is home to Hurston Dynamics, an aristocratic family-run weapons manufacturing concern which has bled the world dry. They’ve all but destroyed the planet’s ecosystem, killing all indigenous life with their mining and manufacturing process. Hurston supplies several lines of weapons and specialized guns. Hurston also provides munitions to other companies for use and resale. The vast operations are always in need of freelance cargo transportation assistance, mining contract fulfillment and general cheap labor. Traders can also purchase antimatter wholesale and resell to other buyers.

Stanton III: ArcCorp
Stanton III remains the most visually impressive of the system’s four super-earths. It’s not the most scenic since its entirety is now a constructed world. All of the terrain has been sculpted, zoned and built upon, leaving nothing for nature. ArcCorp builds fusion engines in bulk, using the underground resources on Stanton III to provide engines for hundreds of thousands of civilian spacecraft every year. Here traders can find deals on weapons and a variety of other commodities and they are not discerning sellers. If you have the cash, they will supply the items.

Spoiler

Stanton IV: Crusader
Midway between a telluric world and a gas giant, Crusader presents an unusual landscape consisting of a small rocky core shrouded in a deep low density atmosphere. For a time it was home to military constructed lattice of inhabitable floating platforms, which have since been retrofitted for the specific needs to Crusader Industries. This unusual retro fit gives CI the ability to manufacture large scale commercial transport ship at a greatly reduced cost, which is passed on to consumers. The shipyards with huge ships suspended mid atmosphere are eerily beautiful. CI is considered a good employer who provides high quality working conditions and employee amenities. Crusader is one of the nicest visitor ports in the system.

Spoiler

TRAVEL WARNING: Visitors should note that while the standard United Empire of Earth penal code technically applies in the Stanton System, the UEE does not police the region. Private squadrons and hired mercenaries belonging to the inhabiting super-corporations enforce their own laws here.

 

[Bruce Warren]

Hm. Research ship. Big circular thingy. Not needed for gravity generating, so what is it?

I call particle accelerator. It's a much smaller version of the Large Hadron Collider.

 

[Jenner]

Hm. Research ship. Big circular thingy. Not needed for gravity generating, so what is it?

I call particle accelerator. It's a much smaller version of the Large Hadron Collider.

Which reminds me....I *really* hope the professions are well fleshed out in SC. I want to see lots of awesome missions that cater to the various professions and that have branching paths, player choice/consequence, etc.

 

[Dr Wookie]

Scott Manley made an interesting point about the SC flight model in his video on the ED CQC beta. He was saying that due to the free all-axis movement of the ships in SC, there's never any point where you can fire on a ship but it can't fire back, in contrast with ED; he said that cover mechanics are needed for any tactical advantage over other ships. This explains why there's so much stuff in the existing AC arenas, but what does it mean for battles in deep space? Even compressed by a factor of 100, there's a whole lot of nothing between planets and even between asteroids. Will they just skip deep space (for lack of battle tactics as well as graphical punch)? Does EvE have similar problemS, and if so how does that game tackle them?

 

[Toumal]

Even compressed by a factor of 100, there's a whole lot of nothing between planets and even between asteroids. Will they just skip deep space (for lack of battle tactics as well as graphical punch)? Does EvE have similar problemS, and if so how does that game tackle them?

That's kinda the elephant in the room, to which I only got the answer that "it's gonna be great, don't worry".
My take on this is that they have two choices:

1) There's always gonna be junk and obstacles around so you can break LOS. Given that SC is going for the "rooms in space" way of doing things, this is easy to ensure.
2) Change the flight model to severely limit turn rates, much like in ED. This is also a viable option because this is a game, not a high-accuracy simulation - otherwise all combat would be BVR anyway.

 

[Troels]

I'm sure its well established in SC lore.

The Star Marine map has a gravity gen that can be turned off to achieve 0-G.

Multi-crew ships have their own gravity that can be turned off and on

Thats artificial gravity tech, not artificial anti-gravity tech

Scott Manley made an interesting point about the SC flight model in his video on the ED CQC beta. He was saying that due to the free all-axis movement of the ships in SC, there's never any point where you can fire on a ship but it can't fire back, in contrast with ED; he said that cover mechanics are needed for any tactical advantage over other ships. This explains why there's so much stuff in the existing AC arenas, but what does it mean for battles in deep space? Even compressed by a factor of 100, there's a whole lot of nothing between planets and even between asteroids. Will they just skip deep space (for lack of battle tactics as well as graphical punch)? Does EvE have similar problemS, and if so how does that game tackle them?

I suppose one "solution" to battles in deep space would be that they just aren't particularly likely. Players will naturally tend to congregate around points of interest, and as such it would generally only be by pure chance if you happen to come across someone in deep space, and thus quite unlikely. This doesn't really solve the issue obviously, it only mitigates it.

EvE basically doesn't have maneuvering at all (at least not in the sense that Elite and SC has maneuvering).

 

[Viking]

In the social module update the director in charge of that module gives a more in-depth look of what is yet to come.

In Short:

Spoiler

The Next Major for the PU will be Persistence The update may be split into two as when the current code merging is complete they should be able to immediately update the Social module with some of the features.
Persistence
Much Better communication between web platform and game & lots of backend code / optimisations Items purchased in game / on Website will appear in both! So Objects in game able to retain state across servers and other mediums.
Shared Inviteable, hangars will be available
Casaba Outlet will Open – This is the clothing Store
Some visual upgrades across ArcCorp, like the storefronts.
Million Mile High Club accessible from hangar elevator
Huge Changes to the Chat System, implementing various features like ignore function, private messaging and a better UI.
Maximum player count to at least 40 per instance.
A lot of backend and behind the scenes improvements.
Shopping
Allow players to buy item, equipment & clothing from the stores in ArcCorp & allows players to begin customizing their characters.
This update will really concentrate on shopping & the whole shopping experience with augmented reality, mobiGlas interfaces, product delivery options all that sort of thing.
Some of the other shops like the bar, medical bay ect…. may become more functional.
The Demand & Supply Systems will be connected to various backend systems so that Player & NPC actions can influence them
A lot of backend & code work!
Who knows what they could have instore for us to purchase! Titan Armour would be on my list!
Subsumption
Subsumption Update will add “Intelligent” NPCs going about their own business
This update will add a completely new Environment Nyx
The Nyx Preview they have given us look pretty amazing!
Final Frontier
Accept simple missions planetside and then head out into space to complete them.
Quantum
“Full blown” star system navigation map, allowing easy access to any part of the current system, including cities on three other Stanton planets: Hurston, Microtech, and Crusader.
So there is actually quite a lot to look forward to over the next few months just within the area of the Social Module. I would expect we will have a large proportion of them by Christmas.
Anyway guys there are links to more about the Social Module and the latest Patch log in the description below. Please don’t forget to like & Subscribe it really does help me & I will see you In the Verse.

Spoiler

"Stanton is an anomaly. It contains a wide green zone with four super-earths that required very little terraforming, making them almost immediately habitable. The ecologies on the four worlds vary wildly, generating significant interest among scientists. The system was already populated by a tens of thousands - prospectors, survivalists and squatters, before the UEE took notice of its existence. A quartet of super-earths is a rare find and the empire moved in quickly to claim eminent domain. Unfortunately, with a suffering economy, they lacked the economic resources to capitalize on the find. This resulted in a decision to sell the system assets off to the highest bidders. The winners are believed to have flushed trillions into the UEE economy: MicroTech, Hurston Dynamics, ArcCorp and Crusader Industries. In a remarkable lack of originality, the four worlds are named after the winning bidders."

STANTON SYSTEM

• Corporations: MicroTech, ArcCorp, Crusader and Hurston
• Imports: Hydrogen, Manpower, Ore & Weapons
• Exports: Antimatter, Electronics, Engines, Explosives, Mining Equipment & Starship components
• Player Profession Support: Weapons, electronics and ship components, cargo transport contracts, mining contracts, wholesale antimatter
• May possess Jump Points to: Chronos, Kallis, Pelles, Sol & Vega
• Special Points of Interest: Wally's Bar (G-Lock?) on ArcCorp contains NPCs that provide work orders & missions.

Stanton I: MicroTech
Large and generally a cold planet due to an error during the UEE terraforming process which caused dense clouds to form in the atmosphere. MT produces MobiGlass which is now a standard piece of digital assistive technology similar to a PDA. MT also specializes in other forms of high tech electronics commonly found in ship systems. Visitors can look for work and cargo updates at Wally’s Bar. Just don’t ask for Wally!

Stanton II: Hurston
Stanton II is home to Hurston Dynamics, an aristocratic family-run weapons manufacturing concern which has bled the world dry. They’ve all but destroyed the planet’s ecosystem, killing all indigenous life with their mining and manufacturing process. Hurston supplies several lines of weapons and specialized guns. Hurston also provides munitions to other companies for use and resale. The vast operations are always in need of freelance cargo transportation assistance, mining contract fulfillment and general cheap labor. Traders can also purchase antimatter wholesale and resell to other buyers.

Stanton III: ArcCorp
Stanton III remains the most visually impressive of the system’s four super-earths. It’s not the most scenic since its entirety is now a constructed world. All of the terrain has been sculpted, zoned and built upon, leaving nothing for nature. ArcCorp builds fusion engines in bulk, using the underground resources on Stanton III to provide engines for hundreds of thousands of civilian spacecraft every year. Here traders can find deals on weapons and a variety of other commodities and they are not discerning sellers. If you have the cash, they will supply the items.

Stanton IV: Crusader
Midway between a telluric world and a gas giant, Crusader presents an unusual landscape consisting of a small rocky core shrouded in a deep low density atmosphere. For a time it was home to military constructed lattice of inhabitable floating platforms, which have since been retrofitted for the specific needs to Crusader Industries. This unusual retro fit gives CI the ability to manufacture large scale commercial transport ship at a greatly reduced cost, which is passed on to consumers. The shipyards with huge ships suspended mid atmosphere are eerily beautiful. CI is considered a good employer who provides high quality working conditions and employee amenities. Crusader is one of the nicest visitor ports in the system.

TRAVEL WARNING: Visitors should note that while the standard United Empire of Earth penal code technically applies in the Stanton System, the UEE does not police the region. Private squadrons and hired mercenaries belonging to the inhabiting super-corporations enforce their own laws here.

Two very good posts! The forum system says I must spread some rep. around before I can give it to Confucios again ... so can someone please give him a "LIKE" from me?

So before the end of the year CIG is supposedly hoping to get the items that Confucios outlined above.

I think so too. Next year will be about fleshing out the ground foundation. Also the different occupations you mentioned will come next year, although the Final Frontier release of the Planetside module seems to contain some trading, at least.

 

[Cotic]

Those concept art pics do indeed look good. How much of it will be visitable?

 

[fourty6to3]

Scott Manley made an interesting point about the SC flight model in his video on the ED CQC beta. He was saying that due to the free all-axis movement of the ships in SC, there's never any point where you can fire on a ship but it can't fire back, in contrast with ED; he said that cover mechanics are needed for any tactical advantage over other ships. This explains why there's so much stuff in the existing AC arenas, but what does it mean for battles in deep space? Even compressed by a factor of 100, there's a whole lot of nothing between planets and even between asteroids. Will they just skip deep space (for lack of battle tactics as well as graphical punch)? Does EvE have similar problemS, and if so how does that game tackle them?

I'm not sure if I'm correctly interpreting you, or SM, here. One of the things I've noticed after playing ED, and getting used to SC, is that in ED if someone is shooting you there is precious little you can do about it. It becomes a game of shield cell banks and who has more hull to tank. In SC if I don't want someone shooting at me I can barrel roll, high bank, zoom juke, zoom roll, etc. In other words, you can actually evade in SC no matter if 5 others are shooting at you. In ED, the most you can do is deploy chaff and hope they have gimbaled weapons.

 

[fourty6to3]

That's kinda the elephant in the room, to which I only got the answer that "it's gonna be great, don't worry".
My take on this is that they have two choices:

1) There's always gonna be junk and obstacles around so you can break LOS. Given that SC is going for the "rooms in space" way of doing things, this is easy to ensure.
2) Change the flight model to severely limit turn rates, much like in ED. This is also a viable option because this is a game, not a high-accuracy simulation - otherwise all combat would be BVR anyway.

This wouldn't actually work out very well unless they also removed the zero order mouse aim. Imagine if ED let you have interactive mode for the mouse and you can control your gimbals with it. It would make evasion in ED even more useless than it already is. That's what I think SC would be like if they did nerf turn rates. So it's sort of a double edged sword, right now there are plenty of options for evasion via flight in SC, even against mouse users.

 

[Voivod]

I'm not sure if I'm correctly interpreting you, or SM, here. One of the things I've noticed after playing ED, and getting used to SC, is that in ED if someone is shooting you there is precious little you can do about it. It becomes a game of shield cell banks and who has more hull to tank. In SC if I don't want someone shooting at me I can barrel roll, high bank, zoom juke, zoom roll, etc. In other words, you can actually evade in SC no matter if 5 others are shooting at you. In ED, the most you can do is deploy chaff and hope they have gimbaled weapons.

Errr what?
Of course there's something you can do about it in ED.. you can out-maneuver them if you're better at flying than them.
In SC, it doesn't matter what of barrel roll, high bank, zoom juke, zoom roll, etc. you do because they can just keep target on you with minimal effort (like a turret).
That's why you need so many objects that break line of sight, because you need to hide.

 

[fourty6to3]

Errr what?
Of course there's something you can do about it in ED.. you can out-maneuver them if you're better at flying than them.
In SC, it doesn't matter what of barrel roll, high bank, zoom juke, zoom roll, etc. you do because they can just keep target on you with minimal effort (like a turret).
That's why you need so many objects that break line of sight, because you need to hide.

The only way you can out maneuver in Elite (enter a turning battle) is if you are within a certain range. Outside of that range you can't do jack about being hit while you close the distance. Then there are the turrets that you can't out maneuver at all, you have to spam chaff. So my statement still stands. Though if someone out there has figured out evasion in Elite, I would love to see the video. Since Alpha I haven't been able to establish any such consistent tactics.