The Star Citizen Thread V2.0

[psyron]

I've been watching some videos on Jingles' channel, both about E: D and SC. Where SC seemed to be more eye candy (at that time only the hangar module existed), I finally went for E: D (which -for a beta is pretty polished and playable, kudos @ devs!).

Now I watched the GamesCon presentation of SC, and it looks like more eye-candy, but feels like there's still lots of bumpiness when it comes to gameplay and stability.

I mean that's the main reason for complain:
CIG put sooo much effort in the graphics of the background stuff - as seen again with the racing module. But at the same time they call it "pre-alpha" in order to get immunity against criticism about the flight mechanics!

This is
- schizophrenic if seen from a medical point of view OR
- a very deceptive tactical maneuver if seen from a PR point of view.

Not sure which of the two possibilities makes me feel more comfortable concerning the future of SC.

 

[KEY]

I mean that's the main reason for complain:
CIG put sooo much effort in the graphics of the background stuff - as seen again with the racing module. But at the same time they call it "pre-alpha" in order to get immunity against criticism about the flight mechanics!

This is
- schizophrenic if seen from a medical point of view OR
- a very deceptive tactical maneuver if seen from a PR point of view.

Not sure which of the two possibilities makes me feel more comfortable concerning the future of SC.

Sad but true, both possibilities are not trustworthy. Wouldn't be the first multi-million dollar project that faceplants into a wall.

I still wonder why in all hell those ship prices a re that insanely high, and why they're not making clear if you only get "beta access" (like stated in most of the ships' descriptions) or if you can already go play the "pre-alpha" content.

Whatever, maybe it's better to invest in some TrackIR for E: D than to waste money on eyecandy that has a bitter taste afterwards.

*sighes*

 

[psyron]

Sad but true, both possibilities are not trustworthy. Wouldn't be the first multi-million dollar project that faceplants into a wall.

I still wonder why in all hell those ship prices a re that insanely high, and why they're not making clear if you only get "beta access" (like stated in most of the ships' descriptions) or if you can already go play the "pre-alpha" content.

Whatever, maybe it's better to invest in some TrackIR for E: D than to waste money on eyecandy that has a bitter taste afterwards.

*sighes*

And btw, E: D will be more and more "eyecandyish" since they will continuously improve the graphics over time.

 

[KEY]

And btw, E: D will be more and more "eyecandyish" since they will continuously improve the graphics over time.

Actually, E: D is already pretty sweet looking... I remember my first time entering the asteroid rings around -I hope I remember well- iBootis or was it Asellus Primus... or another system? I was in panic and awe at the same time

Plus I would always prefer good gameplay before eyecandy.

 

[Firemonkey]

If I buy a ship package there (let's say the 315P for 75$), can I actually play the game? Arena commander? Racing module (as soon as it's availlable)? In the description it says "beta access"... but SC is still in early alpha, right?

You can only get ships in the store (which, in my opinion is freaking expensive, overall)... or will you be able to get them for ingame creds when SC is released (somewhere 2040 I guess ) ?

Finally it's really weird to compare what funds FDevs have to create a game, and what massive budget SC earned, and even more weird to see what game is in what state of development.

Again kudos to you Frontier guys!

1 - Since you joined later, now You need to add the Arena Commmander pass (5$) to your package to acess alpha for this module.

2 - When games launch the idea is that their will be no more ship selling, everything can be earned playing the game, for instance a ship now that sells for 150$ is said to be obtainable in 1 week playtime.

3 - Its wrong to compare development of SC and ED because as if it were a race.
For instance, one started from scratch (needing to found and equip studios and form teams), Being a new IP, having only 3 ships moddeled in Cry engine ( Bengal, Hornet & Scythe) and a script/bunch of ideas.

Other is a sequel of a IP from a 30 year old game, under development with its own made engine and has been in (stale) production for over some years now (5/6??).

Their both shooting for the stars but heading to different galaxys with different purposes.

 

[Voivod]

2 - When games launch the idea is that their will be no more ship selling, everything can be earned playing the game, for instance a ship now that sells for 150$ is said to be obtainable in 1 week playtime.

Ben recently semi-confirmed that they'll continue the ship sales post launch.
Also saying that a certain ship will require X amount of playtime is pointless at this point in development.
Even CR doesn't know how long it'll take you, he just guesses. There's too many gameplay mechanics still on paper.

and has been in (stale) production for over some years now (5/6??).

They had some ideas, a vision and a ready engine (just like Roberts).
They haven't been working on it for 5-6 years.
That's why they had nothing to show for Kickstarter.

 

[Bains]

1 - Since you joined later, now You need to add the Arena Commmander pass (5$) to your package to acess alpha for this module.

2 - When games launch the idea is that their will be no more ship selling, everything can be earned playing the game, for instance a ship now that sells for 150$ is said to be obtainable in 1 week playtime.

3 - Its wrong to compare development of SC and ED because as if it were a race.
For instance, one started from scratch (needing to found and equip studios and form teams), Being a new IP, having only 3 ships moddeled in Cry engine ( Bengal, Hornet & Scythe) and a script/bunch of ideas.

Other is a sequel of a IP from a 30 year old game, under development with its own made engine and has been in (stale) production for over some years now (5/6??).

Their both shooting for the stars but heading to different galaxys with different purposes.

 

[Philip Coutts]

Frontier certainly had been working on Elite Dangerous for quite a few years as a "skunkwork". If you look at the early Kickstarter videos you can see space ships that look remarkably like Vipers flying about in the background behind David Braben when he is talking.

Edit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrNlml4Ibk#t=14

Watch from around 1 minute 15 seconds in and you'll see what I'm talking about. I think the video was posted back in November 2012 so early on in the Kickstarter.

 

[Bains]

Frontier certainly had been working on Elite Dangerous for quite a few years as a "skunkwork". If you look at the early Kickstarter videos you can see space ships that look remarkably like Vipers flying about in the background behind David Braben when he is talking.

Edit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrNlml4Ibk#t=14

Watch from around 1 minute 15 seconds in and you'll see what I'm talking about. I think the video was posted back in November 2012 so early on in the Kickstarter.

I hope no one has forgotten this from the Star Citizen Kickstarter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhsgiliheP0

 

[Toumal]

Frontier certainly had been working on Elite Dangerous for quite a few years as a "skunkwork". If you look at the early Kickstarter videos you can see space ships that look remarkably like Vipers flying about in the background behind David Braben when he is talking.

Edit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrNlml4Ibk#t=14

Watch from around 1 minute 15 seconds in and you'll see what I'm talking about. I think the video was posted back in November 2012 so early on in the Kickstarter.

Yes yes... and yet it has been repeatedly confirmed (by David Braben himself) that all you see in Elite Dangerous today was made after the kickstarter.

Seriously, how long are you guys gonna bring up the same incorrect claim? The "ED has been in development for years" story is getting old.

EDIT: Link: http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?p=455714#post455714

Since there seems to be a big disinformation campaign against Elite, claiming that Elite IV (Dangerous) has been in development since 2005.

Can we get, from the horses mouth, the head honcho, the big kahoonah, exactly what has been developed, when, and for how long? My understanding is that most of the development took place after the kickstarter and it was only skunkworks up until then.

Can you end the debate, once and for all?

I have wanted to do a sequel for a long time, and there has been 'skunk-works' development, on and off for quite some time, but full on development is mostly since (and somewhat during) the Kickstarter campaign. So you are correct.

And yes they had their preexisting engine, but which needed modification to work for space games. Same as with Star Citizen.

 

[Mr.Nowak]

I was on the StarCast last night. Asked several questions you guys can watch it here. It ended up being very fun and nice. I even asked some critical questions and how they feel about the criticisms. They were answered pretty nicely.

In total I submitted 32 questions. The first half of the show is just mostly answering my questions

Part 1: http://www.twitch.tv/geekdomo/c/4959953

Part 2: http://www.twitch.tv/geekdomo/c/4959959

 

[Bains]

I was on the StarCast last night. Asked several questions you guys can watch it here. It ended up being very fun and nice. I even asked some critical questions and how they feel about the criticisms. They were answered pretty nicely.

In total I submitted 32 questions. The first half of the show is just mostly answering my questions

Part 1: http://www.twitch.tv/geekdomo/c/4959953

Part 2: http://www.twitch.tv/geekdomo/c/4959959

What 'critical' questions did you ask?

 

[Firemonkey]

Ben recently semi-confirmed that they'll continue the ship sales post launch.
Also saying that a certain ship will require X amount of playtime is pointless at this point in development.
Even CR doesn't know how long it'll take you, he just guesses. There's too many gameplay mechanics still on paper.

They had some ideas, a vision and a ready engine (just like Roberts).
They haven't been working on it for 5-6 years.
That's why they had nothing to show for Kickstarter.

- Ben and most importantly Chris Roberts said that the idea was that ships would only be sold to fund the game, after the game launches you can earn them ingame, BUT if theres a big demand for ship sales after the game they will think about it.

- Its not pointless when is said by the guys making the game, they have these things more or less tought out.

- CryEngine in its normal form it not ready to make a Space Sim, its being heavly modified and most of the team was new to it when they began, its a ever evolving effort learning and adapting it to their needs!
Also they had to build their studios from scratch, gather a team organize everything trough their 4 main studios across the world, (LA, Austin, Montreal, UK) what started with arround 10 people has grown to 270 now.

What was expected to be a slowly funded game got bigger and bigger thats why they needed to change release dates.

I Expect the game to be out in 2016/17 .

 

[Philip Coutts]

Yes yes... and yet it has been repeatedly confirmed (by David Braben himself) that all you see in Elite Dangerous today was made after the kickstarter.

Seriously, how long are you guys gonna bring up the same incorrect claim? The "ED has been in development for years" story is getting old.

EDIT: Link: http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?p=455714#post455714






And yes they had their preexisting engine, but which needed modification to work for space games. Same as with Star Citizen.

Eh? You completely contradict yourself.

David Braben said "but full on development is mostly since (and somewhat during) the Kickstarter campaign" - he also confirmed that they had been working on ED as a skunkwork, he doesn't mention for how long but that point isn't that important.

What he doesn't say is "all you see in Elite Dangerous today was made after the kickstarter" as you claim. I really don't see what the issue is. ED had been worked on in a limited capacity before the Kickstarter and that is fact. What difference does it make? :S

 

[KEY]

Thanks both @ Firemonkey and Voivod.

So they will sell each module seperately? Arena Commander being one, the Race thingie being another one? (I got it that the ships come with -different- hangar modules which can be upgraded seperately again).

For me -purely personal opinion- this smells like a nasty money making machine, taking into account that we talk about a pre-alpha version.

Though the eyecandy is tempting, I must give them that

 

[Commander Maugham]

In total I submitted 32 questions. The first half of the show is just mostly answering my questions

You did a good job of keeping the thing ticking along.

I'd really like to see a similar sort of Q&A extended to other ships, especially the Retaliator.

 

[Toumal]

Eh? You completely contradict yourself.

No. I think part of the problem here is that I read into your post the claim that ED has been in development for longer than SC, which I agree you didn't say. Sorry for that.

That said...

What he doesn't say is "all you see in Elite Dangerous today was made after the kickstarter" as you claim.

He did state that in another interview. I can't find the link right now.

I really don't see what the issue is. ED had been worked on in a limited capacity before the Kickstarter and that is fact. What difference does it make? :S

The claim repeatedly made by SC fans is that ED is more polished because it was in development for much longer. Some even claim since 2005 or longer. And that's false.

 

[Mr.Nowak]

What 'critical' questions did you ask?

I am at work atm so I don't have the question list but it was about how some game magazines are critisizing the crowdfunding model of CIG and what they think about these. It resulted in several long discussions about their Crowdfunding model and how they work.

Watch it whenever you have time. I am mostly referred as ASN or Sergey in the video due to my different twitch nickname.

You did a good job of keeping the thing ticking along.

I'd really like to see a similar sort of Q&A extended to other ships, especially the Retaliator.

Thanks lot Maugham very appreciated!

 

[Philip Coutts]

The claim repeatedly made by SC fans is that ED is more polished because it was in development for much longer. Some even claim since 2005 or longer. And that's false.

Ah okay, the old SC v ED fanboy thing. Give it up people it really isn't worth it. It's just great to see space sims back in a big way.

 

[Stormprooter]

Ah okay, the old SC v ED fanboy thing. Give it up people it really isn't worth it. It's just great to see space sims back in a big way.

True and +1

There is a portion of those who have backed SC significantly (myself included) who are unhappy with the way things seem to be going. We are not in the ED vs SC fanyboy camp, and neither are we SC 'haters'. The main problem we have with the direction of SC is that it does not seem to be anything like what was promised in Chris Roberts' 'What is Star Citizen' demo and promo from the kickstarter. Specifically the flight controls, a lack of fixed weapons, and the seemingly over-simplified mouse controls which make this game a FPS in space, without even the skill of precise aiming.

At this time, we (well I) feel somewhat betrayed and hood-winked by the CIG marketing hype machine, and as such, really do not have much time for anything spewing out of CIG at the moment - let's see the next patch, the next update - show us you've actually done something CIG!