Fantastic work with the lighting Ben (you're involved in that IIRC?)! And the terrain looks superb too, the proc-gen surfaces are coming along great. Quick question if you don't mind: is that bump-mapping (or shader equivalent) on the surface, or is there now "structure" to the bumps and crevices, or is that feature still under development/testing? I ask because of the recent short video, where the player character appeared to float (clip?) through the surface detail (like rocks). How's the performance looking too?
The Star Citizen Thread v5
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Fantastic work with the lighting Ben (you're involved in that IIRC?)! And the terrain looks superb too, the proc-gen surfaces are coming along great. Quick question if you don't mind: is that bump-mapping (or shader equivalent) on the surface, or is there now "structure" to the bumps and crevices, or is that feature still under development/testing? I ask because of the recent short video, where the player character appeared to float (clip?) through the surface detail (like rocks). How's the performance looking too?
I didn't say anything about confidence xD, I just posted an image that I found on reddit from the newsletter because I have not receive it yet. There is a quote of CR as well.
Great the newsletter:
BTW
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08815227/filing-history
Comment from the poster on reddit:
Source:https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/5mg0oj/cloud_imperium_games_uk_limited_the_financials/acemonster07 said:
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See and thats the Problem.
You guys are making that Decision knowing what happens.
If Cameron had known that the Brexit Referendum will end in Brexit. He would not have Promised it either
But they didnt.
Star Citizen had to get their Budget for the Project right when the project Started.
They did not know beforehand that the Funding would end up 2 times of what they imagined
Your putting future knowledge into an decision that was made in the Past.
But this doesnt work.
You cant use Knowledge from 2017 to make a Decision in 2014
As I said.
If they had known that they will have 140 Million of Funding. They would likely not have taken Loans.
But how were they supposed to know tthat?
See Mate.
Last Year i took a Loan of 10.000 Euro.
And now I got 14.000 on my Account.
Things didnt happen like I planned. So I ended up not only not needing the Loan. But I even got a Surplus.
But going back on the Contract would cost me an Cancellation Fee and atop of that 1% of tge Total Loan.
So for me its Cheaper to just put that Money on a Slow Investment were I get some Interest which cancels out some of the Interest.
Nope.
Thats the thing.
They likely did only Take Several Millions loan right at the Start of the Project.
These got a Runtime of over a Decade.
So for later Stretch Goals they likely never took Loans anymore.
Its simply that the Old Loans are still around.
Oh so with the benefit of hindsight... erm what exactly? We've been shouting at them for 3 years now to stop being such unprofessional money grubbers and get their heads in the game, yet they continue to do *everything any business knows full well not to do*.
There are things you just don't do with your company, there are lines you absolutely do not cross if you wish to keep customers, and never take payment for things you cannot and will not deliver. I think your problem is that you keep giving value to CIG's word, I'll tell you this mate, they make a lot of verbal promises and those are not worth the paper they are printed on. I can't understand why you defend them so, they don't care about you in the slightest, just your wallet.
Cameron was a hopeless muppet btw.
The surface texture concept piece looks amazing... Sadly it also looks amazingly like most of the roads round here!
The sneak peek looks on the level of I:, although there's some kind of filter I think that makes it look more like a render/artwork than a live capture. Edit: Like CmdrKull below, I too can't read, particularly the word "concept".
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Its still an individual not an entire group of people same as you yourself dont represent all of the SC backer base. Its an important difference that you might want to learn sometimes soon because talk like that really makes you appear like a SC troll only being here to antagonize people.
For me the key is that some server updates are taking multiple iterations.
We'll have to see how that goes. We're aware that CryEngine pushes a lot of stuff that isn't needed, but it will also be interesting to find out whether user data has ballooned (aka fidelity) in a way that keeping updates on tick is problematic.
Popcorn fo'sho'.
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A song that can really get stuck in your head if you have to debug near a particular planet...
I'm unsure, but I think the floating thing was mostly attributed to a mismatch between the physics mesh and the rendered one.
Lighting-wise nothing needed doing here, at this point if you give a material good values, you get nice looks.
Yeah, those concepts again, were is game or at least some gameplay mechanics demos.. ?!
I just tried of those concepts, but I guess like they say graphics sells...
Well Rolan was clear to offer it as a static concept piece, so I am happy to offer credit for it as that.
When they have a swarm of Dragonflies zooming across it not being Imperial Speeder Bikes at all, pillions FPSing off the back seats and whatnot, then it will be "Clap like Orson Welles in Citizen Kane" time!
Its Fairly easy to be honest.
Investors and Loans aint the same thing.
In Big Companies.
You have your own Starting Money.
Lets say around 200.000 Dollar
Then you get Investors. Lets say 2 Million Dollar.
And then you take a Loan for the Rest. Lets say the Project needed 4 Million so you take 1.8 Million of Loans.
For Star Citizen.
The Crowdfunding was so Successful that they did not need Investors.
This is Great.
Because Investors in Long Term Cost much much more than a Loan.
(For Info. A Loan is Paid back with the Interest. But what you Pay Back is inside an Controlled Box. And once its Paid your Rid of it. But an Investor takes the Risk with you. He does not get Back his Money directly. But he gets a Share of all Future Profits. So if the Project Succeeds he will get out far more than just what he Invested with Interest. And depending on Contract he might be getting these Profits for the entire Runtime of the Game.)
But just because they did not Need to get any Investors. And thus can Keep Future Profits of the Game for the Company and dont need to give out Shares of it to Investors.
Does not mean that they did not take Loans
As for why the Continue Showing this to the Bank.
That is likely a Contractor Condition.
Banks which Finance Companies. Usually will keep Tabs on them.
They could certainly also drop this.
But that might have Negative Effects if they later really needed a Loan for whatever reason.
So Showing that the Company is Solvent and doing well is likely the Better Choice.
I also honestly said think. That this is a bit of an foreshown excuse. Why would they want to close Funding.
More Money for them means more Tolerances in Development and less Stress with the Project. Surplus like this is what allows Steps like Changing the Engine etc.
I cant understand why you guys have to Paint the Devil on the Wall for everything either.
If nothing else. I believe that they really want to Deliver this Game.
And I dont think they are unable to Deliver the Game actually.
Your entire Statement there is Based on the Idea that they cant possibly Deliver the Game they Promised.
But there is two Problems here.
1.
If they Deliver just 60% of the Features they Promised. I would be more than Happy to Play that Game. And it would be Worth three times what I spend on it
2.
Them being unable to Deliver this Game is neither Proven nor Likely.
You can surely Argue on alot of Decisions they made.
And their Inexperience in handling a Project of this Scale is Evident like Hell *gg*
But right now they got the Money to manage it anyways. And while as I said. We wont see the Game working before 2019. I would still think that they will Deliver the Game they Promised
And hey.
If not.
I can Life with that.
The Money I backed em with. Is Money that I considered gone and spend the Day I spend it.
its gone for me for Years. It doesnt hurt me.
Should they Fail. The Dissappointment about not getting the Game will be way Bigger than the Dissappointment about having lost Money on it.
Sometimes you have to give things a Chance.
See.
Something I really hate right now.
Is that more and more Companies move towards making small 6 hour Games.
These are 10% of the Work but fetch 50% of the Prize and more.
They are Low Risk high Profit Trades.
And I am going to tell you this.
If this Continues. Games like Gothic 3 or Witcher 3. Which are Large Scale and thus also Large Risks to the Company. Will soon stop Existing.
Because why would a Company Risk losing 50 Million on a Large Scale Project that might come out with 100 Million Profit.
When for the same Money. They can make 50 Small Scale Projects out of which 30 might be Scrap but the 20 remaining ones still getting them 100 Million Profit
Projects like SC are Risks.
So we got two Choices.
Either we Support Companies to take that Risk.
Or we say. Ok we dont care. And thus will not get such Huge Games anymore
I dont Plan on Antagonizing anyone
But I am the Type who Bites back if Bitten.
So if People continuesly Provoke me and try to Ridicule me. I think I am at least allowed to add a little Snide Comment like that on the end of my Post hmm
Does not mean that they did not take Loans
One more time :
If you do not need a loan, you do not take one. (From the book of: How not to mismanage your company into the ground 101 for dummies)
You do not ever generate a company debt for no reason or need, that is insane and lunacy, it would be like taking out a mortgage on a fully paid for home just because you want your current everyday account balance to look higher for giggles.
CIG did not need a loan, they knew this way back at KS stage. If they took a loan or were assuming an intention to do as such at or around $100million, then that's a huge problem as it would indicate their outgoings planned or otherwise are larger than their income by a substantial amount, or they are just greedy sobs, neither is good for anyone.
Exactly my thoughts
A comment from the thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitize...m_games_uk_limited_financials_are_in/dc3erlv/SC_TheBursar said:
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Viajero
Volunteer Moderator
As I said.
If they had known that they will have 140 Million of Funding. They would likely not have taken Loans.
But how were they supposed to know tthat?
I must admit I have not been able to read all the latest posts but this just surprised me.
Can you, or anyone else, point me to the links that confirm CIG has taken loans? That would go completely against the initial statements (and current in its website) that SC is 100% backer funded and also against Chris Roberts statements that even if the game was to stop funding there are enough reserves to complete it as promised. Never mind that the game now has more than double the funding required at the end of stretch goals (assuming the pledge counter is correct).
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The problem though is outgroup homogeneity bias. Sneaks up on you, that, leads to misdirected snideness or worse.I dont Plan on Antagonizing anyone
But I am the Type who Bites back if Bitten.
So if People continuesly Provoke me and try to Ridicule me. I think I am at least allowed to add a little Snide Comment like that on the end of my Post hmm
Forbes liked the First Encounter. SC gets a mention too.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/01/06/the-elite-dangerous-alien-discovery-is-one-of-the-coolest-gaming-events-ive-ever-seen/#66b6bfc4101b
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/01/06/the-elite-dangerous-alien-discovery-is-one-of-the-coolest-gaming-events-ive-ever-seen/#66b6bfc4101b
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Viajero
Volunteer Moderator
Not quite correct, here some examples: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-compan...ts-when-they-have-enough-reserves-to-pay-them
But, having said that, CIG does not need to show a healthy balance sheet to anyone, or a balance sheet of any kind for that matter, and according to own statements it has several times over what it needs for completion. If the cash reserve is as healthy as CIG claims it would not need to borrow to invest/save in a more attractive financial product plus I dont think CIG is planning to become a private banking entity borrowing here to invest there. And it would not need to borrow to have a cash reserve for calamity scenarios, since it has already got it and should be able to basically self insure.
So the only main reasons I would see CIG would be interested in loans would be either some kind of attractive tax relief based on debt (more attractive than the cost of debt). Or and actual lack of a healthy cash reserve to progress the project. Or both.
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