The Star Citizen Thread v5

[ianw]

I agree. Thing is, as most of us have said time and time again, there is no longer any talk of Star Citizen without me being somehow injected into it. I was the first notable (<--- LOL!!) person to sound the alarm with that first blog in July 2015. The response from CIG/RSI and the rabid fans, are what ended up attaching me to this for all eternity.

I don't share Kotaku's optimism that the game will ever be "finished", let alone still be going "two years" from now. I simply don't see it happening.

It must be one of the biggest both barrels in the feet examples I can currently think of.

Both CR and the redditors who created a shrine to you have played a huge part in making your name synonymous with SC and have entirely brought this on themselves.

I can't help thinking there wouldn't have been an article dedicated to a 25 year feud without their daily help promoting your name with the project - not just on reddit but in the comments section of virtually every article on SC anywhere on the internet for well over a year now.

Of course they won't see it that way though..

 

[dsmart]

The irony is though DS has been made part of the story precisely because of CR's 8 hour ranty letter and Reddit's obsession with cataloguing every single thing he says and then lining up to point and laugh at it.

Everything except the tickly stuff about Mae Demming of course.

Yup. Though I think it started way before croberts rant.

As to the Mae Demming stuff, I think I've already explained why I did it. Simply put: it was designed to point out how far she came from that to this. Same way we go back to croberts' own past endeavors. Also, it wasn't even meant to be facetious. She's an actress, and that's just par for the course. It's no more different from croberts going to sell exotic cars after Ascendant failed. It's a job. We all have something embarrassing in our careers. If people can point and LOL at me over Battlecruiser, croberts over Freelancer - and all those movie failures, why not her? She's not special.

 

[frostypaw]

I agree.

Can we also agree to edit out where i typed "being old" when i meant "being one"? This message will self-destruct in 5...

 

[lysan]

Yes, that's just it. All of a sudden, it's news. Once the inevitable collapse comes, all the media who were helping to shill this train-wreck, even as gamers are ripped off, will be acting as if they weren't all complicit in this, even though the signs were there all along.

Most people were just hedging their bets simply because it became a "Derek Smart vs Chris Roberts" fiasco. Me? With over 30 years in the industry, not to mention all my peers and contacts who all know what is going on, few actually sat down long enough to think that there was a chance that I was onto something. All they saw was Derek Smart, and their brains generated a BSOD.

Don't worry we will remember each and everyone of them.

 

[Knightshark]

yes. they have no choice but to use the public-facing numbers. anything else would be conjecture|speculation. interestingly, with all these interviews, NOBODY in the media has seen it fit to ask Chris - on the record - what the real backer numbers are.

Exactly, which brings me to the real question that is nagging on me for year: Why is that? Why are the gaming media so coy when it comes to talking about the hard but obvious problems surrounding the development of SC (of course, there are few exceptions). I was baffled when CR presented a working toilet for the Conny in 2014 and everyone just went wow, and nobody cared to question the priorities in the development. And this went on, there is an infinite stream of gaming news just repeating SC marketing, uncritically presenting the tech demos to the readers without even a hint of criticism. Compare that with Alien Colonial Marines, or any downgrade gate. Why is that?

I don't share Kotaku's optimism that the game will ever be "finished", let alone still be going "two years" from now. I simply don't see it happening.

Well, they will release something at some point, won't they? Even if it will be rubbish (it certainly will be lightyears from the promised game) it will be a final opportunity to make profit.

 

[dsmart]

Exactly, which brings me to the real question that is nagging on me for year: Why is that? Why are the gaming media so coy when it comes to talking about the hard but obvious problems surrounding the development of SC (of course, there are few exceptions). I was baffled when CR presented a working toilet for the Conny in 2014 and everyone just went wow, and nobody cared to question the priorities in the development. And this went on, there is an infinite stream of gaming news just repeating SC marketing, uncritically presenting the tech demos to the readers without even a hint of criticism. Compare that with Alien Colonial Marines, or any downgrade gate. Why is that?



Well, they will release something at some point, won't they? Even if it will be rubbish (it certainly will be lightyears from the promised game) it will be a final opportunity to make profit.

1) pandering to Chris Roberts
2) picking sides by not asking a question which could be prove Derek Smart right
3) complicit

Here is the most damning evidence. This article from this past Summer. It's the first time that the backer numbers have ever been released. And it was done by the person who would know; since they built it.

French (original) version: http://numa.media/robert_space_industries/

Sur le million de comptes utilisateurs que regroupe la plateforme Roberts Space Industries, 500 000 fans ont déjà pré-acheté du contenu dans le jeu, ce qui participe activement à son financement. Au total, le jeu a récolté plus de 100 millions $ US. « On a la chance d’avoir un groupe important de joueurs qui nous aide à chaque étape, qui est là pour nous accompagner dès qu’on lance un nouveau module. Quand on s’occupe d’une mise à jour majeure, on la teste au préalable sur des joueurs sélectionnés et on tient compte de chacune de leurs remarques », souligne Benjamin Fardel.

English version: http://numa.media/en/robert_space_industries/

“Chris Roberts showed up one day at Turbulent,” recounts Benjamin Fardel, a project manager for Roberts Space Industries. “Being introduced to someone so influential in the video game industry is certainly impressive. We met and discussed what we could accomplish working together. From that point onward, it took six months to create the new platform, a large-scale site that combines data from the old site and from the crowdfunding campaign.”

 

[Chevy66]

UUTF? That's horrible! Console QTE mechanics from the guys who were going to save PC gaming. I guess that explains why CR only ever plays his game with an Xbox controller

The first thing they should ask themselves about any feature is does this add any fun? I've never played a single game where QTE's made it more fun

 

[Osmanthus]

The first thing they should ask themselves about any feature is does this add any fun? I've never played a single game where QTE's made it more fun

Up till now, CIG's issue has been that they haven't released enough in the way of features. Now they've reached a point where they introduced a feature and have begun to reveal that all the theorycrafting of the fanbase, and of CIG itself it seems, is for naught.

"You wanted a complex mechanism for information warfare? Too bad, you're getting a gimmick for something you can't even call information warfare instead."

Interestingly, nondelivery is much easier to rationalize than delivery of an unwanted, terrible feature.

 

[Asp Explorer]

Only one I remember - Vengeance of the Blood Angels - and even that had more gameplay than I've found in SC

 

[dumbo]

So Star Citizen gets quick time events for scanning now? Whoa, groundbreaking! I am so immersed!

There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the idea. I think STO used a mini-game for a scanning activity, and that was fine/good. Many other games use little mini-games, skyrim lock-picking, deus-ex's hacking (admittedly this sucks), the witcher & gwent etc.

In ED, there are lots of 'scanning' and an almost complete lack of gameplay associated with it. I guess some enemies (used to?) attempt to dodge KWS, otherwise it's just a time sink.

Having said that, using an actual golf-swing meter for the QTE isn't really appropriate for a space game.

 

[Rolan]

Reverse the Verse: Episode 2.09
TLDR

Spoiler

• Today’s RTV was in the UK featuring Technical Designers Johnny Ducavious and Andrew Nicholson in part one, and part two featured Lead Technical Designer John Crewe, and Technical Designer, Will Maiden.
• First part discussed the flight model changes which they clarified does not affect the actual physics of the flight model itself, but rather the numbers that go into the algorithm itself.
  • In testing, they’re slowing down the SCM speed of ships, while not changing the Blackout and Redout levels to promote less jousting gameplay and a more playable experience.
  • They’re also working towards making the Afterburner having a bigger impact in combat by giving it more fuel and tweaking it in other attributes.
  • Weapon ranges are being lowered in some cases to see whether or not that impacts gameplay in a positive way, slower missile speeds are being tested as well.
  • Every weapon is being tweaked in order to better define their intended role, feedback from the Evocati and eventually backers will solidify the stats.
  • As per usual, anything regarding the balance changes is subject to change and is not final and should not be assumed until it has been declared as such.
• Second part featured Radar and Scanning and how it will pan out down the road.
  • They stressed this heavily before the discussion that the Radar and Scanning is only a first iterative pass. I will paraphrase briefly their explanations on a lot of what they discussed, but if this is an area you’re interested in or had concerns about the “Golf swing” please read the full summary where applicable or watch the Youtube video(When it’s up)
  • The “Golf Swing” as some have toted is designed as a short range mechanic using Radar, it can be used to seek out targets within visual range that are hidden on radar. The more you charge the “Pulse” the more ground you’re going to cover, this in turn allows the hidden to be found. The catch is that if you charge your system too much, you might overload your radar and be “Blind” for a period of time with the hunter now becoming the hunted.
  • Radar before this was only you either see them, or you don’t, no inbetween. Item system 2.0 allows them to do much more in terms of what can be seen and how. You’ll be able to cross scan via physical signature and EM/Infrared scan based off those parameters.
  • It is possible to fake the size of your ship by producing a larger EM/Infrared signature, but via cross scan it’s not.
  • Scanners will be like how powerplants, coolers, and other modules are tiered and how some are better than others. An example being a Freelancer will look at an asteroid and see, hey that’s a rock. A Carrack will go, I can see that Asteroid is composed of X, Y, Z, of this amount. A Prospector will go, that’s where X is on the asteroid.
  • They have lots more planned for Radar and scanning so what you saw from ATV is only a first pass of the system in general.

Sean Tracy on 64-bit Engine Tech & Procedural Edge Blending

Spoiler

[video=youtube;OB_AI9ukSp8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB_AI9ukSp8[/video]

 

[dsmart]

Backer with over $11K (<--- seriously, I don't even) "invested/pledged" gets refunded after almost two months of wrangling

https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen_refunds/comments/556v4g/my_best_star_citizen_screenshot/

 

[ianw]

Interestingly, nondelivery is much easier to rationalize than delivery of an unwanted, terrible feature.

Yeah. Reminds me of that quote..

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

Turns out delivery isn't a trivial thing.

In this case better should be replaced with easier.

 

[SkUnimatrix]

Press and hold the button until the indicator reached the optimal point and then release the button. Real skillful gaming.

Did he just play Fable and decided to copy their mini game formats?

 

[Asp Explorer]

Just play Fable? Ladies and gentlemen - we are witnessing history in the making! Behold as Genuine Roberts invents the QTE before our very eyes!

In years to come, people will remember where they were at this moment, and still be waiting patiently for SC

 

[Stigbob]

Only one I remember - Vengeance of the Blood Angels - and even that had more gameplay than I've found in SC

Talking of space hulks in an FPS that isn't an on again off again already in the game pile of wasted time and money liberally mixed with rehashed marketing, there's a new trailer for Space Hulk Death Wing out from a company that appear competent.

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2016/09/30/space-hulk-deathwing-arsenal-trailer

This game features cultists you can purge with cleansing flame.

 

[VidarSnipes]

So, anyone wants to bet how much will CIG earn in October, the month of CitizenCon, where they're going to show the "we are aiming at planets loooking like this" demo? I personally think it will be... let's say, 5.2 million.

 

[ianw]

So, anyone wants to bet how much will CIG earn in October, the month of CitizenCon, where they're going to show the "we are aiming at planets loooking like this" demo? I personally think it will be... let's say, 5.2 million.

I'll go with 6 million plus, 6.5 tops

 

[Rolan]

So, anyone wants to bet how much will CIG earn in October, the month of CitizenCon, where they're going to show the "we are aiming at planets loooking like this" demo? I personally think it will be... let's say, 5.2 million.

In the entire month? Maybe 6-8 millions.

 

[lysan]

So, anyone wants to bet how much will CIG earn in October, the month of CitizenCon, where they're going to show the "we are aiming at planets loooking like this" demo? I personally think it will be... let's say, 5.2 million.

Not as much as the lawsuits that is piling up, every one who buys anything from CIG now are only going to give the money to lawyers good luck with that. 4 month and counting.