The Star Citizen Thread

[Aleksej]

I finally got to play it this morning, although for 5 minutes only.

Yes, the flight model is ridiculous.
Yes, the sounds are shallow.
Yes, there are bugs, etc.

The graphics are jawdropping, PBR in combination with high poly ships really shines and represents material well.

The game has huge potential which must be carefully shaped in order to meet TBDSSE ("The best damn space sim ever") expectations. Major tweaking is required, of course, but after all it's the first iteration of an alpha.
Its purpose is test backend servers load and to see how the system works generally when real players are introduced.

Being a part of that process may not be pretty or ideal, but it's included in my package of a backer and gives me an opportunity to be a part of shaping this game towards something better with feedback, bug reports and suggestions.

Therefore, I hope CIG will take into account some of the quality proposals from their backers and ultimately give us another game that we could all enjoy, too.

That's a very constructive post. Yes, we might be harsh in our judgments, but I think CIG got into this situation themselves with all their PR. They have set a very high level of expectations for the game but unfortunately failed to meet it with AC. This is not what a lot of us has expected. And we should express our opinion right away - during the early stages of the development when it is much easier to fix problems that during the later stages of the development. There cannot be "it's an alpha" excuse.

Still hoping for the best.

 

[Yari]

I don't think they are going to change the flight model: "The Arena Commander launch has been a great success"
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13925-Arena-Commander-V08-Thank-You

So I just have to give up on the idea of going to play two spacesims, it is going to be one spacesim(E: D) and one FarCry in Space (SC).
Which is nice also.

 

[Bains]

I'm only a few years difference in age to you...

But yeah, for what it's worth I agree with you. Arena Commander is an arcade game, and it's control method reflects that fact.

There's a comment by Chris Roberts at the end of his recent update - and maybe it's just me...but I found it to be a little snarky.



https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13925-Arena-Commander-V08-Thank-You

Seems to me, the course is set, and the ship has sailed - with regards to what type of game Star Citizen is going to be. I won't say I'm not disappointed, because I am. But I'm not surprised...it's been clear for months the direction this game is heading in, even if CIG haven't been very direct 'open' about it.

I also agree with was said earlier in this thread; that CIG PR department will now slowly transition to marketing to focus on the arcadey / mainstream aspect of the game, while using doubletalk to maintain it is still a space sim.

All that said, I'm kinda ok with the direction. Disappointed for sure...but I can accept it. I'm less enamoured with CIG's attitude though.

I also think I would feel very, very different if I didn't have Elite as my main Space Sim now...

Exactly my thoughts, and yeah, thank god for the rescue vessel that is Elite Dangerous.

As to their attitude, I find it very annoying. Disingenuous, misguided and now also revealed as arrogant. That line is a real give away.

let's look at it again

"...we’re emboldened by the fact that our most dedicated backers seem to ‘get’ where we’re going with this...

— Chris Roberts"

WOW

(CAUTION - out and out rant alert)

If he wants to have a have a pop at people who don't 'get' where he's going the first person he should blame is himself and his marketing department, Space sim my ass.

Misrepresentation aside, even a mind reader couldn't 'get' where he's going given his vision only extends as far as million polygon ships you can walk around in. While rummaging around inside the mind of CR, the mind reader would simply draw a big fat blank every time he ventured outside of that teeny tiny comfort zone.

It also confirms for me a suspicion I've always had as to why they have never made any effort what so ever to muzzle these fanboys that plague the project killing the RSI forum as a platform for any kind of serious debate or constructive criticism. There's more opportunity for that on this thread than the entire RSI forum. Clearly from their ivory tower they can't tell the difference between a fan and a fanboy. By not acting month after month he has in fact been empowering them, and statements like this will only empower them even further. No wonder fanboysim is such a pox on the RSI forum because CR does in fact see them as some kind of defenders of the faith, their blind militancy as considered dedication, and concurs with them that detractors just don't 'get it'.

Clearly he doesn't appreciate detractors arent casual commentators from the internet, but also gamers who have backed him with hard cash. I think it's fair that he should put into place a refund policy if he wants to make statements like this, giving us the opportunity to allow him for once and for all finally 'get' where many backers are coming from.

so what we can test now in AC? only our patience.

Genius

 

[Neo-ST]

That's a very constructive post. Yes, we might be harsh in our judgments, but I think CIG got into this situation themselves with all their PR. They have set a very high level of expectations for the game but unfortunately failed to meet it with AC

I agree, they created a part of the hype, the other part was self-inflated by people who get easily overhyped.
If I remember correctly, CR wanted to create World of Warcraft player base, in space.
Lots of people who would all fight in space in their universe.
In order to create that, you need a hype train, BUT...
Some things should have been done differently. For example, they could've been more modest about the Arena Commander and released it earlier.
If AC was developed in secrecy and released to public 1 year ago, no one would say a thing (probably) - it was only a matter of prioritizing in the work flow.
I have a feeling they've spent more effort into building the hype train than into building the AC module.

This is not what a lot of us has expected. And we should express our opinion right away - during the early stages of the development when it is much easier to fix problems that during the later stages of the development. There cannot be "it's an alpha" excuse.

Still hoping for the best.

By all means, you all should express your dissatisfaction, but on their forums, not here.
If possible, with nice arguments, because I doubt they'll take seriously posts such as "F*** this flight model, it sux!"

Also, it gives you a right to complain later, but if you don't contribute to the development, then you got no right to complain because you missed your opportunity to change something...

 

[Aleksej]

I don't think they are going to change the flight model: "The Arena Commander launch has been a great success"
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13925-Arena-Commander-V08-Thank-You

So I just have to give up on the idea of going to play two spacesims, it is going to be one spacesim(E: D) and one FarCry in Space (SC).
Which is nice also.

I think we should wait until the weekend to come to the conclusions. Of course AC release was a success - at last after months and months of delays they were able to release it... at last. Only a very limited number of people were able to test it, a lot of people do not have time for this during the business days.

 

[xyphic]

I think we should wait until the weekend to come to the conclusions. Of course AC release was a success - at last after months and months of delays they were able to release it... at last. Only a very limited number of people were able to test it, a lot of people do not have time for this during the business days.

Indeed, and it'll take some of us that long to download it!

 

[Aleksej]

I agree, they created a part of the hype, the other part was self-inflated by people who get easily overhyped.
If I remember correctly, CR wanted to create World of Warcraft player base, in space.
Lots of people who would all fight in space in their universe.
In order to create that, you need a hype train, BUT...
Some things should have been done differently. For example, they could've been more modest about the Arena Commander and released it earlier.
If AC was developed in secrecy and released to public 1 year ago, no one would say a thing (probably) - it was only a matter of prioritizing in the work flow.
I have a feeling they've spent more effort into building the hype train than into building the AC module.



By all means, you all should express your dissatisfaction, but on their forums, not here.
If possible, with nice arguments, because I doubt they'll take seriously posts such as "F*** this flight model, it sux!"

I am writing posts on their forum as well.

 

[Yari]

Only a very limited number of people were able to test it

?

From the same article: " 33,813 people have successfully played an Arena Commander match."

 

[warbaby2]

I always was a bit worried by the (typically US) focus on media presence and PR the whole project had from the get go... but I thought it might turn out ok in the end... when you think about it, though: If you get the masses hyped for something, you gotta build it for the masses... a hardcore flight sim maybe many things, but it's not a mass audience product.

Then again, I was hoping CR could make it one... lesson learned, I guess. In any case, with the level of backers that spent a small fortune on the game, it almost has become "too big to fail"... let's face it, everyone that payed 500$+ on virtual ships, will have a hard time being an objective customer... big money fanboys, and all that.

 

[Aleksej]

?

From the same article: " 33,813 people have successfully played an Arena Commander match."

So do you think it is a really large number? I can only speculate about this but it seems to me that AC was played mostly by young people who have a lot of free time (e.g. after school). While people of older age will be able to play the game during the weekend.

 

[Yari]

Relative to the number of backers it is not. But over 30.000 is quite a few players.
But we'll see what the more mature people think of the game over the weekend.

 

[Aleksej]

Relative to the number of backers it is not. But over 30.000 is quite a few players.
But we'll see what the more mature people think of the game over the weekend.

That's exactly my idea.

 

[Crayfish]

The graphics are jawdropping, PBR in combination with high poly ships really shines and represents material well.

They had better be good when it's a 10GB download. I can't fathom what is taking up all that space, it must be mostly ultra high quality textures. It certainly doesn't seem to be high quality audio.

At this rate I will need to buy a dedicated HDD to install the full PU with its hundred hand crafted star systems.

I don't mind the "strong yaw" flight model. The main thing I really dislike is the apparent input lag on the stick/mouse which means that every turn you make seems to overshoot.

 

[Mu77ley]

Is it the only device in "Set up USB game controllers"?

Yes, I don't have any other controllers (real or virtual) installed. In fact I heard there were problems so made a point of unplugging my 360 controller before I even plugged in the X52.

 

[Adept]

I'm a little shocked that people aren't more outraged at what was done to the 300i ships.

I got myself a 325a LTI based on the really slick commercial renders. The ship looked damn nice (even though the stats and use of interior space were all over the place).

CIG made a lot of noice about implementing Physics Based Rendering. As a result, the sleek, space age (heh!) look surface of the 300i series has now been replaced with gray sheet metal patches, attatched with grimy rivets.

What the actual ****??? How the heck thinks this is a step up, or fits the _luxury_ image of the ship in any shape or form. Now it looks like a small civilian prop plane from the sixties, and that is being nice about it.

 

[Bains]

I'm a little shocked that people aren't more outraged at what was done to the 300i ships.

I got myself a 325a LTI based on the really slick commercial renders. The ship looked damn nice (even though the stats and use of interior space were all over the place).

CIG made a lot of noice about implementing Physics Based Rendering. As a result, the sleek, space age (heh!) look surface of the 300i series has now been replaced with gray sheet metal patches, attatched with grimy rivets.

What the actual ****??? How the heck thinks this is a step up, or fits the _luxury_ image of the ship in any shape or form. Now it looks like a small civilian prop plane from the sixties, and that is being nice about it.

I'd suggest this is the least of the problems, considering after a year of trying all they've have managed is to do is conclusively prove they can not get the cryengine to render the feeling of flight.

x wing, over 20 years ago flew better.

 

[warbaby2]

It did look like a grey turd with wings, but I'd suggest this is the least of the problems, considering after a year of trying all they've have managed is to conclusively prove that the cryengine can not render the feeling of flight.

x wing, over 20 years ago flew better.

Well, it IS a FPS engine... that's what it's good at... the only way they could make speed more palpable, right now would be the use of exessive motion blur... oh my, I hope they don't try that. *shivers*

 

[Bains]

Well, it IS a FPS engine... that's what it's good at... the only way they could make speed more palpable, right now would be the use of exessive motion blur... oh my, I hope they don't try that. *shivers*

This explains a few things. For me it flies so bad I'm struggling to think of a worse attempt at rendering the feeling of flight, and I still can't.

 

[warbaby2]

This explains a few things. For me it flies so bad I'm struggling to think of a worse attempt at rendering the feeling of flight.

Well, it's one reason, really... another one is that the arena right now is just a small 2D skybox with some 3D objects for show. I would imagine the ships are slowed down considerably, so they don't bump into the borders constantly.

Of course, this kills any sense of scale and motion... two things ED is simulating EXCEPTIONALLY well already.

 

[Bains]

Well, it's one reason, really... another one is that the arena right now is just a small 2D skybox with some 3D objects for show. I would imagine the ships are slowed down considerably, so they don't bump into the borders constantly.

Of course, this kills any sense of scale and motion... two things ED is simulating EXCEPTIONALLY well already.

OK what about the planes in BF2/3. Alright, hardly a flight sim, they were arcady, but still flew so much better than this. Was that cryengine? If so is that an indicator of the best they can get? To be honest that's what I was expecting in the first place but the flight is not even to this level.